Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku

Our featured book this week is Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku by Paul B. Janeczko

Introducing senryu! What is a senryu?/A funny poem that is/Almost haiku-ckoo. The kissin' cousins of haiku, these short, punchy, and punny poems take every imaginable subject and make the reader look at life through a circus mirror. Tackling a wide range of child-friendly subjects (including babysitters, jump-roping, snoring parents, spoiled pets, and Grandpa's underwear), this spirited collection of senryu will leave children rolling in laughter as they untangle the riddles and word play. Hardcover · 32 pgs.

Homschool Burnout, Field Trip & Future Nominee...Naah

What more could a mother ask for than to have her thirteen year old daughter sitting next her on the way home from the *best* field trip ever, grinning ear to ear, looking at you like you like you are the next nominee for mom of the year? That friends, is a mother's dream.

The butterfly conservatory was just the thing we needed to cure the doldrums. A little taste of the tropics on a single digit day. If you live in the northeast you may have been to Magic Wings, if not, please do visit. You won't be sorry!

Next on our trip was Yankee Candle Factory. Ninety thousand square feet of enjoyment, toys and chocolate. Their on-site restaurant Chandlers, with their award winning children's menu, was in itself worth the trip. A truly delightful afternoon.

So how important is it to take a break and regroup when you feel burnout setting in? Mike Farris from HSLDA's Homeschool Heartbeat says,

"And don't neglect yourself physically. Homeschool moms are doing a herculean task, especially if they have a large family. Recognize your signs of fatigue and allow yourself the rest you need. A day off from school to play in the park or putter around the house may be just what the doctor ordered. Taking care of your needs will help you serve your family for the long haul."

Taking a play day is absolutely necessary for your families mental health. In my experience homeschool parents tend to subconsciously magnify the requirements of essential school work, feeling as though they are never doing enough, or in competition with the corner elementary school. Often, the origin of unnecessary stress, is usually from within and rarely caused by things that are necessary for survival, but from things that could easily be put aside temporarily, or until a better time arrives.

I always ask myself, "What is the worst thing that will happen if this task does not actually get done?" Usually the answer is not anything earth shattering that will leave my children completely uneducated without any opportunity for a future. I in no way mean to minimize the desire for every child to have an superlative education, however, it was not so long ago that our country focused mainly on the three r's, and to some level, I think we all wish for a simpler time. So, to this I say, go have fun while you watch your children and your heart smile! I guarantee, you won't be sorry.

Quick Mark it on the Calendar!

Two posts in two days! Can you believe it? Me either. That is what happens when you get all your work done in time, well almost.

So I finally have a day off. It has been a long couple of months. Inventory, taxes, inventory, more taxes and yet more inventory. Oh and don't forget about my friendly ant friends. After sweating over that for the last eight or more weeks, I am still walking around feeling as though I must have forgotten something. Actually, I have selectively forgotten most of the housework. I guess I could go clean the bathroom...naaah.

So we are skipping our homeschool book work for a field trip day to the butterfly consevatory with my new baby. (No silly, not a real baby.) My Nikon D-80. The conservatory is a very neat place, although it does take some getting used to. It's not everyday you have creatures with five or six inch wing spans landing on you and darting by your head. However, I am feeling very prepared after observing my daughter watching online cow eyeball dissection tonight. That could prepare you for most anything.

Here is one picture before I go that was taken of my daughter on the trampoline, with my new baby.

Late's good.

Yes, I'm late again. This time the culprit was taxes. In light of my lateness, here is a little LATE humor to brighten your day.



Top Ten Excuses forBeing Late to Churchby R.C. Sproul Jr.

10. I started reading ETC on the potty and I just lost track of the time.
9. I couldn't hear my "Resounding Trumpet" clock alarm because I was up all night reading Left Behind.
8. I was listening to Harold Camping on the radio and he ran late.
7. I drove all the way here at 5 miles per hour so my car wouldn't do much damage in the event of the rapture.
6. The service ran late last week, so I figured you owed me a few minutes.
5. I stopped at Barnes & Noble to pick up Joey Pipa's book on the Sabbath.
4. The dog ate my wife's head covering.
3. Why are you bothering me about this? I have peace in my spirit about it.
2. The alarm didn't go off because we turn off the electricity at midnight. We don't want to encourage the heathens at the electric company to break the Sabbath.
1. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to gather up all the eggs my chickens laid.

OK. Onto our feature book for this week. When I was a little girl, my mother's pocketbook held a tremendous amount of intrigue. I just loved to go through it and see what treasures I could find to play with. The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice is a story about a little girl who goes on a trip into town with her mother, carrying an empty, big, green pocketbook. Along the way she collects pieces of her day to put inside, inventing stories for each treasure. Cheerful illustrations line the pages of this adventurous book! Sure to be a favorite! Softcover · 32 pgs. · Ages 4-8.

A Little Humor to Lighten the Soul

I'm still sick and not an end in sight. Eight days, but hey who's counting? And yes, my friendly little multi-legged guests are still visiting. I went on a hunting trip with the caulking gun tonight and I certainly hope I can put an end to this. After the last couple of weeks, I figured a little fun would do me and maybe you some good. So here goes.

Top Ten Reasons To Join The Choir

10. Rehearsals are every Wednesday night. Which means that for those few hours, you will significantly reduce your risk of contracting tendonitis from nonstop operation of a television remote control or computer mouse.

9. Because you wear a choir robe every Sunday, you are liberated from a task many men find quite challenging: finding clothes that match properly.

8. From your special vantage point every Sunday, in which you look out at the entire congregation from the choir seats, you will develop interesting new hobbies. Among these is a little guessing game called "Who's Praying, Who's Sleeping?"

7. On the other hand, sitting in full view of 400-500 people on a weekly basis makes it much less likely that you yourself will give in to a chronic lack of sleep. Although it has been known to happen.

6. If you think your singing in the shower sounds good now, just wait till you've been singing with us for a few weeks.

5. Singing in a choir is one of the few activities for men that does not require electronic equipment or expensive power tools. This could be good for the family budget.

4. For the fitness buffs, singing in the Choir is not only heart healthy, it's soul healthy. But there are no monthly membership fees, and it's a lot easier on the knees than jogging.

3. If you think you've done everything there is to do, and there are no great challenges left in life, try singing with us and staying on pitch, guys.

2. Choir rehearsal lasts half as long as a professional football game, but is at least twice as satisfying. (Don't worry, though, the rehearsals are on Wednesday, not Monday Nights.)

1. When people ask you whether you've been behaving yourself, you can say with the utmost sincerity, "Hey, I'm a Choir Boy."

This was courteously provided by FCC

On an even funnier note, you can read here about one family's creative approach to educating their only child.

OK. Fun's over. Now to the important stuff.

Our featured book this week is Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell. Mailing May is a true story about little Charlotte May Pierstorff who longs to visit her grandmother. However, her grandmother lives seventy-five miles away and her family cannot afford the railway ticket. Thanks to her father's ingenuity and the U.S. mail, May is delivered to her grandmother's house the next day. This true story is a exciting little piece of history that your children will truly enjoy! Softcover.

Add Some Fun Into Your Science Lessons!

Add some fun into your science class with Crime Scene Investigations: Real-Life Science Activities for the Elementary Grades by Pam Walker & Elaine Wood.
What could be more exciting than turning your students into super sleuths to discover scientific principles and techniques? This unique resource for classroom science teachers gives students the chance to become crime scene investigators with 60 exciting lessons and activity sheets in earth, life, and physical science as well as science inquiry and technology.

Like real-life forensic scientists, students observe carefully, organize and record data, think critically, and conduct simple test to solve crimes ranging from theft and dog-napping to vandalism and water pollution. And for added fun, original cartoon character Investi Gator enlivens the pages as he sleuths his way through each new mystery, sifting evidence and observing details.

All 60 lessons and activities include complete background information with step-by-step procedures for the teacher and reproducible student worksheets. For easy use, all material is printed in a big spiral-bound format that fold flat for photocopying of any page as many times as needed and is organized into four convenient sections. For ages Ages 7-13. Click here for more details.

Happy New Year, I Think?

I am severely behind in my postings and my book feature of the week, however, we are only 7 days into 2007 and we have already encountered a respiratory infection, a stomach flu and a horrible infestation of sand ants that have just about driven me over the edge! (If anyone has any suggestions about getting rid of ants, I am listening.) And that is only the beginning, but I won't bore you with the rest.

I hope all of you have had better weeks and are getting back into your regular routines. I will continue the weekly book feature next week, after the drama here slows down. Our first newsletter will be sent out on January 15th, (just picture me crossing my fingers!) It is filled with great homeschooling & parenting articles, tips, recipes, contests, free resources and all kinds of other goodies! So make sure you sign up in the little box at the top. The newsletter is bi-monthly, so don't worry about having your inbox flooded with mail. At least not from me. And remember, you can cancel at any time. Have a super week!