Don't believe me? See for yourself!

Go here for the rest of the story!

And if you want to own this amazing xray for yourself...you can get it on Ebay! (hope you been saving your pennies!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:55 PM | Permalink

Ever since I was small I was fascintated with Egypt. The pyramids, the Sphinx, the pharoahs, the curses, the mummies...all of it! And I hope to get to visit this interesting land sometime before I die.

So this Sunday night, I will be watching a special on The Discovery Channel called "Egypt's New Tomb Revealed." This article will tell you some about KV63, which is located very near to King Tut's tomb. There are mysteries abounding here: multiple coffins, a coffin filled with pillows, an inscription with part of the name of King Tut's wife, and one more coffin to be unsealed.

A few years ago, I watched an amazing show where they were opening a coffin and exploring a puzzling shaft live on tv. It was gripping! So if you are interested in Egypt, be sure to mark your calendar for Sunday night!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Headmistress at The Common Room is hosting the 22nd Homeschooling Carnival! And yours truly is the first article on the page:) Stop by for some great ideas about summer and math and much more!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, we had a quiet day and just enjoyed being back amongst our 'things.'

We are a family that loves movies so DH and I decided to have an alien movie marathon yesterday. We watched Independence Day, War of the Worlds, Mars Attacks, Signs and Alien.  Independence Day  and Signs are two of my favorite sci fi movies. Both are very well done!

I also got some Ebay listings done while we watched movies and in between movies I did some laundry and some straightening up, so I wasn't a total slug:)

Today, we are off to a good start with my new 'schedule' (see previous entry).

Hope all of you had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Back in November, I went to a local business (NeWeigh) and signed up for their diet plan. It is a great plan (low/good carb, high protein and they have awesome supplements), but it is expensive. I lost about 40 pounds in the first three months, but then couldn't afford to continue going.

Since February I have floundered. I have added exercise which has been a good thing, but I have lost and regained the same two poinds for the last three months. I tried Weight Watchers (which I believe to be a great program), but it has too much flexibility for me. I need specifics. Tell me what to eat all day long and I will do it...tell me to figure out my points and I will figure out a way to insert chocolate into my diet;)

So I was wandering about the internet and found what looks to be a very good, very reasonably priced diet site.   I am going to start out with a 14 day booster diet which is 1000 calories a day (already laid out for me), then I am going to switch to a low GI diet.  She has several weight loss plans, 23 years of experience as a nutrionist, and lots of helpful information.

After a lovely week at the beach eating all of my favorites (seafood, hushpuppies, plenty of desserts, donuts, and chocolate ice cream, I am ready to continue on my weight loss journey and excited about the way this site is set up. So I wanted to share. 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I love schedules and lists. I find that when I have a schedule, I get more done instead of lolly-gagging about...following rabbit trails on the Internet or piddling with things that I want to do around the house.

I also love lists and checking things off that have been done. However, in recent months life has been getting in the way of schedules and my joy of blogging and surfing has become a bit of a problem in my eyes.

So while I was laying on the beach, catching rays, I contemplated a schedule and how to get things done to make everyone happy. I opened up my Outlook calendar and started scheduling my days.

Here is what I have come up with:

6-7 computer

7-7:30 devotions (I do computer first, because I am still waking up and that doesn't require as much of my attention)

7:30-8:30 exercise

8:30-9 breakfast and shower (this may need to be adjusted a bit, like the shower may have to go later into the day).

9-12 school work (we will be doing school work this summer...there are so many days we don't do school, I feel better about doing this).

12-1 lunch/computer/shower if didn't get done earlier

1-2 art/craft/game

2-3:30 quiet time for the kids, chore time for me

3:30-4:30 time for a child and mommy to have one on one time (we alternate days)

4:30-5 walk or some other activity with the kids

5-7 dinner, computer, chores

7-7:30 Game Master practice piano and Jungle Princess and I work on her reading

7:30-8 baths

8-9 read stories

9-10 my time to spend with my husband while kids go to sleep

10-11 my time to read something I like and to have one final peek at the computer and my Ebay stuff

Then Saturdays and Sundays are a little different. And if we have a real life event (field trip, library, groceries, whatever) whatever time of day that event occurs it overrides what would normally happened during that time. So for instance, this Wednesday we are going on a field trip. We will be gone from 10-6. Everything on tap for that time just doesn't happen that day. This will make my life a bit simpler, because we would come home from a day together and the kids would still be wanting their one on one time with me. I am not super mom and can't do it all. I am hoping this will be a good visual way for them to see where the time goes and will help me keep from feeling guilty and keep on track.

So...we shall see how this goes. I had hoped to start tomorrow, but with it being a holiday and with us having stuff still to catch up with being gone, I probably will wait and start on Tuesday.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This is just what we came up with in case it would be helpful to others who would like to start a co-op of their own.

7 families, 13 children

We are asking for a 10.00 fee for each child to start off with to pay for crafts/cooking/gardening supplies

We will once a month acknowledge birthdays in the group with a 'Happy Birthday' and a cupcake

We will meet each Tuesday from 10-3:30 at various homes

We will start the first week of September and go through the end of May.

10-10:15 Assembly...all children, child driven

10:15-11 Science split children into two groups by age

11-11:15 (break/transition)

11:15-12 (music first semester and art second semester)...children split into two groups by age

12-1 lunch

1-1:30 reading/writing club (children split into two groups by age)

1:30-2 focused P.E. (learning rules of games)

2-2:30 free P.E. time

2:30-3:15 elective (we will do one a month: gardening, cooking, needlework, sign language, world culture, US culture, real life skills and gardening again

3:15-3:30 clean up

One week a month we will go on a field trip instead of having a day of classes.

We are very excited at the prospect of learning together and giving our children the opportunity to participate in a group setting and learn from other moms and dads.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:08 PM | Permalink

A few weeks ago I posted the question on my blog that stated I was looking for information about Co-ops. I wanted to know what worked, what didn't and how different ones were structured. I got absolutely no feedback! I don't know if people who read the question had nothing to say or were afraid of who might read their responses.

Anyway, I did visit a co-op which was nice and organized, and everyone was very welcoming, but I only knew one other lady there and the drive of over 1 hour was too much for me to make on a weekly basis. 

So 7 like-minded moms in my Homeschool group decided to get together and see what we could come up with. I love my Homeschool group. I have met a lot of great people in it and there is an ebb and flow as old friends move onward and new friends are made. But there is also a lot of variance in our group (we maintain contact via yahoo email and have over 160 members). There are teens down to toddlers and different interests, styles and geographically we have members spanning three good size towns and several large counties.  When we have our weekly gatherings, we usually end up with 10 to 12 families involved.  But the families involved differ depending on the event.  

So back to the five moms that gathered around a kitchen table a couple of weeks ago...often meetings in this group get sidetracked by the different styles and desires of the group. But we had worked hard to find just a few families that got along with one another, had children of comparable ages and had a comparable vision.  I was absolutely amazed at what we were able to accomplish in about 3 hours time!

We decided to keep our group small to begin with. We wanted participants who we could count on to participate. We also wanted children and parents that got along. During our three hours, we decided what classes we wanted to offer, who would be responsible for what, what our schedule would be, what fees we would ask for, and some overall guidelines about things we wanted and didn't want. 

We are very excited and have another meeting coming up where we will go deeper into the details. We worked hard to keep on track at setting up the general guidelines and the big picture and we are very excited about our plans. I will post our general outline in another post.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Well, we have returned to home sweet home and have been busy since we arrived. I had Ebay packages to get ready to ship, unpacking, laundry and email to catch up with. I also had some inventory I needed to shift to my 'store' storage area and some news to read and some comments to respond to. The childrn are happily enjoying their things they missed while we were gone.

When we first got home top priorities were checking on the cats, hamsters and fish and then checking the tomatoes, strawberries and flowers. Unfortunately there we no rain while we were gone, so some of the plants were looking a big sad. I have about 5 tomatoes, a couple of peppers and we picked five lovely little strawberries...sorry, we ate them before I could take a picture;) 

The morning glories are growing very slowly!  The seeds that sprouted are two inches high or less and some didn't sprout at all! Figures...if I had tried to plant them in the main yard, we would be swimming in morning glories by now! 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:32 PM | Permalink

I had a contest this last week for my friend Karla who celebrated her birthday Friday, May 19th. She has chosen three winners (and assures me this was a very tough job!).

3rd place: im4gvn

2nd place: quietcajun

1st place: iluvtheland

Thanks to all the people who wished my buddy Happy Birthday and shared their memorable birthday stories! 

Here is the prizes they will be choosing from:

A Four Volume Set of Stories and Fables

Rush Limbaugh: See, I told you so

A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam

Folklore on the American Land

Herbie Goes Bananas

100 years of Hoops (Sports Illustrated)

Anatomy of the Spirit

A Place Called Simplicity

In His Steps

Hurlbut's Story of the Bible

Apples of Gold

Foxglove

Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Animals

Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Challenging the Breast Cancer Legacy

Time with God

Dana

Cervantes

Marlowe/Shakespeare

Plata/Epictetus/Marcus Aurelius

The last four books are Harvard Classics

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, we are definitely winding down here. Last night we attempted going to a pool again, but it was just too windy to be comfortable. We spent some time in the hot tub instead.

We haven't been out yet today. We got spoiled by the lack of people here earlier this week. Today, the beach is full and the pools are full. The kids wanted some down time to watch cartoons and DH and I are frantically catching up on emails and business stuff. 

 Tomorrow we will return home. I think we are going out for a couple of hours this afternoon before our farewell dinner at Planet Hollywood (we didn't make it Thursday night like we had planned.)  Maybe one last game of putt putt and an evening walk along the shore (haven't done that this week yet.

I plan to set my alarm clock early so I can get up and take a walk along the shore at sunrise. And of course somewhere in there comes the dreaded packing up...the clothes, dirty and clean, the souveniers picked up along the way and the hope that it will all fit back into the car;) Then the drive back. We are going to take the new 22/Conway bypass and are looking forward to missing the traffic there! 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here are the photos from last nights storm as the clouds gathered over the ocean. They don't capture the amazing spectacle, but may give you a sense of what we were looking at.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I received a link to an interesting looking site (I haven't studied it, but I like the Animal School button.)  Check it out!  It is a great analogy!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Packing up for the Beach! The trunk was full and overflowing. Melissa, Bruce (19 year old stepson), Jungle Princess and Game Master.

Jungle Princess is 'stylin' and ready for an active time at the seaside!

Daniel, Game Master, Jungle Princess, Melissa and Bruce enjoying the pool. 

Daddy makes a good horsey!

It's a water train!

Just hanging by the pool while the kids play behind me!

Giving Game Master a ride!

Saying goodbye to Bruce (who visited for two days)

Prince Game Master with Sword and Shield

Jungle Princess with her carnation from the Blue Knight

Jungle Princess Andretti!

Game Master pulls ahead of Daddy

Daniel takes the lead!

Jungle Princess has the winning smile (and the best spot in the tidal pool!)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well, we were worn out last night and were all asleep by 9:30 after having spent four hours pool hopping.

This morning we got up and headed out to the Plantation Pancake House. What is a trip to the beach without one stack of pancakes;)  They were very tasty! Then we came back to the room and headed out to the beach. Before we knew it, two hours had passed by and the kids and I had buckets full of seashells collected. 

Then we headed to the pool and the waterpark. We had lunch by the pool (the kids thought that was very cool!) And then we played until a thunderstorm came up. The sky was amazing looking, the winds blew up the surf and the lightning struck and then the power went out for an hour!  Now the sun is out, but the ocean is still a little rough looking! 

I am going to put some  pictures in my next post.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:51 PM | Permalink

My buddy Karla celebrated her birthday Friday, May 19th! Karla is my Blubber Blogger buddy and has been a tremendous help and inspiration to me. I have only known her for a short while, but I have already been blessed by her friendship!

Soooo in honor of her birthday, I am going to have a contest.  There will be 3 winners, chosen by Karla;) Here's what you have to do...

First you have to go tell Karla Happy Birthday. Then come back here and share your favorite birthday story with me.  To get you started, here are three of my most memorable birthdays.  (BTW, the order isn't important as long as you leave your birthday story here and your birthday wishes at Karla's site)

1. When I turned 30, my husband surprised me with a trip to Las Vegas.

2. When I turned 35, my husband surprised me with a limo and a night out on the town.

3.  Last year I had a surprise party for my husband's 40th birthday. I loved being able to actually surprise him. And I was able to find some of his childhood friends to attend. It was very much fun!

Now, what can you win: You will have your choice of the following books:

A Four Volume Set of Stories and Fables

Rush Limbaugh: See, I told you so

A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam

Folklore on the American Land

Herbie Goes Bananas

100 years of Hoops (Sports Illustrated)

Anatomy of the Spirit

A Place Called Simplicity

In His Steps

Hurlbut's Story of the Bible

Apples of Gold

Foxglove

Encyclopedia Brown's Book of Wacky Animals

Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Challenging the Breast Cancer Legacy

Time with God

Dana

Cervantes

Marlowe/Shakespeare

Plata/Epictetus/Marcus Aurelius

The last four books are Harvard Classics

Now how long shall we celebrate Karla's birthday...This contest will end Friday night, May 26th, midnight Eastern time. So you have a week to collect and submit your stories and to go by and tell my buddy Happy Birthday! So what are you waiting for? Great prizes and stories await!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

We are still having a blast here at the beach! After I wrote yesterday, we headed down to the beach in the afternoon and collected more seashells (I limit myself to one bucket a day, and there are tons out there). The variety isn't great, but I am looking forward to making some neat presents in the upcoming year. I am now working on filling my second gallon size ziploc bag.

After the beach, we ordered pizza to the room (Game Master's favorite part of being in a hotel....seeing food come to the room). Jungle Princess doesn't like pizza, so we wandered down to the Splash cafe to get a hotdog, but they were closed. Went to the in house restaurant, no hotdogs. So we drove to the marketplace at the entrance to the complex and went into a place advertising hotdogs and hamburgers. They had closed an hour before and were cleaning up.  But the guy was so sweet, he assured me it wouldn't take any time to fire up the grill and get a hotdog and french fries. He said he had two kids at home and his daughter was very picky and his son only ate chicken and french fries...maybe our kids are related;) 

So then we ate, and headed down to the pool. It is fun to swim in the evening. 

For those of you following our family saga and commenting , thanks again for the comments. I have been limiting my computer time and have been commenting to your comments in my posts. I'll be back around to everyone next week:)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday morning we spent combing the beach. Game Master and Jungle Princess made a couple of friends and they spent the morning playing in tidal pools and catching a variety of hermit crabs and other interesting life. We also saw another dead jelly fish and collected a variety of seaweed and other interesting things that floated up onto the beach. And I added to my seashell collection and found a small shark's tooth.

After lunch, we spent a couple of hours at a nearby pool. We played ball, I read some, and I am still amazed with the staff here and their hospitality. They would play with the kids, throwing them balls and what not and they offered to take our family picture when they noticed us taking pictures of one another. It is great to have a picture of all of us! 

Then we came back to the room and showered and got ready to go to Medieval Times. Jungle Princess kept saying...but I don't want to go see the horse show...well, let me tell you she and Game Master were enthralled. She ended up with a lovely pointed princess hat, a carnation throw to her by the Blue Knight and a sword and shield. Game Master got a sword and shield and they have been having battles ever since!  We also received commemorative discs and flags and programs.  The food was good (though sometimes with eating and being served, I would realize I had missed some of the show).  The atmosphere was terrific and the kids really enjoyed the show (though DH and I saw a few resemblances to professional wrestling in the show). 

All in all though it was a delightful evening! This morning we have been at the on site waterpark. The children ran into their friends from yesterday and have been having great fun sliding down the slides and waiting anxioulsy for the bucket of water to tip on them. If you haven't seen one of these, it is truly a sight! There is a huge bucket that has water pouring into it (it is high overhead), eventually the bucket tips and gallons and gallons of water pour out on the excited children below!  The screaming! The laughing! The fun!

Well, time for lunch and whatever afternoon adventures await!  We have taken lots of pictures, but I haven't loaded any of them into my system. I will try to do so soon.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Okay, we are starting day three, but I'll write about yesterday:) First, for those of you who left comments, I answered in my own blog. Normally, I would go out to yours, but time is limited. I am sure you understand;)  I haven't been reading your blogs either while I am away. Something about the beach and the pool and reading books...

So yesterday, we spent the morning playing in the surf, had lunch, then back to the beach in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we watched as the gulls and other birds came in to eat those little critters that had burrowed in the sand earlier.

Then we went to play Miniature Golf at Treasure Island, it was a lot of fun and I got two holes in one! Everyone else got at least one hole in one!  And this is a tough course! Plus we got to read quotes from Robert Louis Stevenson's book Treasure Island along the way! 

Now, if you are a Blubber Blogger, skip this paragraph!  After the golf, we went to Crabby Mikes. If you like seafood, this is the place to go! Every year we come here, we try a different place, but this will be the place we go back to next year!  Oh the yummy sea food...ohh...the crab legs....I am still stuffed! (Well not really, since I had chai and a banana walnut muffin for breakfast this morning)...

Okay...now Blubber Bloggers can read again. After dinner (which was very healthy;) we walked about an hour or so along the boardwalk and out the Apache pier (which is the longest pier on the East Coast). It sticks out 1206 feet in the water. And people fish off the pier and we arrived at the end just in time to see someone pull in a small shark (looked like a baby great white to me, but my shark identification skills are not the best). They unhooked him, took pictures with him and we got to touch him before they threw him back! How cool is that!!!!!!!!  If you rub against the grain, his skin feels like sandpaper, and if you rub the other way, it is silky smooth.

We came back and Jungle Princess practiced her reading skills by reading Amelia Bedelia to me before she was too tired to hold her eyes open. And then I read some more of the Iliad to the Game Master before bed.

Man, I love Homeschooling!!!!!!

I was up early this morning and finished reading my John Saul book: Black Creek Crossing and now it is time to head back to the room (free internet in the lobby) and get ready for our next adventures!

More tomorrow!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:31 AM | Permalink

Well, thought I would pop in and say hello. We are having a splendid time here!  We arrived late yesterday afternoon and spent time getting settle in, picking up groceries, eating supper. Then we went down to the pool and beach for an hour or so. 

Today we slept in a bit (except for DH who was up with the crack of dawn checking out the Starbucks in the lobby). After we got going, we headed down to the beach. There was a tidal pool and we had fun watching these little grey crab/bug looking things as they swam from hidey hole to hidey hole in the sand.

We love collecting seashells and you don't have to even search here. There are everywhere! We found a dead jellyfish. we were sorry for it, but it was neat to look at.  We watched little shelled sea critters coming in the tide, as the tide went out, they would dig down into the sand (their little 'feet' would come out and help propel them down, then there would be these holes left). The tide would come in and the blow the sand/water out leaving themselves a breathing hole. Very, very, very neat! 

The kids played in the waves, rode their body boards, dug in the sand and then we went to the pool for a little while. We have minature golf and seafood buffet on tap for later this afternoon.

My daughter loves tigers and I saw a brochure last year where you could get your picture taken with a tiger. I had saved up some money to do this this year. I found the brochure last night...it is 1000.00!!!! I didn't save up that much money, so I guess we will just have to see the tigers(there is a free tour) and buy a stuffed one to take her picture with! 

Well, best get busy..the waves are calling! (And so is my book). TTFN!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Today, I am supposed to have been packing, but he has been pestering me and pestering me about a blog, so his Dad set him up with one and his own domaian name and he has made his first entry.  We have done some decorations. More Narnia stuff to come. Be sure to pop in, he would love it! Even better, have your kids stop by!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:50 PM | Permalink

I am a proud member of the Blubber Bloggers Group. And I also belong to the yahoo group (see the sign up button on my side bar).  Well, this past Monday, Jeannie Fulbright posted an awesome article on the Blubber Blogger Group regarding low glycemic index, fitness and forgiving ourselves to lose weight.

I so agree with this article and think it will be a blessing to you to read it. I am only sorry that I didn't read it sooner, but it has been a very busy week here at Home Sweet Home partially because of the 20th Homeschool Carnival and partially just because life gets that way sometimes! 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Yesterday, while driving into town, my daughter told me she thought that God lived in outer outer space. She said that since pilots don't see him when they fly above the clouds and since astronauts didn't see him on their way to the moon, he must be outside of all of that. Jungle Princess is only 6. Sometimes kids see things clearer than we do.

Then she commented that we must be like television to God!  

Just thought I would share her words of wisdom.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

First of all...I am so excited because I finally got the emoticon button to work! I had a popup blocker that was stopping me!  

Second, I am pooped, and this week ain't over yet! The beginning of the week I was busy with the Homeschool Carnival...it was a lot of work and a lot of fun!  I was also trying to get auctions written up for Ebay to be listed while I am at the Beach next week (more on that later).

Then yesterday, I was gone from 9:30 until 3:30. Some of my friends and I are putting together a small co-op and we had a very productive day yesterday! We figured out a schedule, place, what electives we wanted to have, places we wanted to visit for field trips, who would be in charge of what! It was an amazing gathering and we were all on the same page.  It is so good when a plan comes together!

Then I had to stop at the grocery store and last night I spent the time with Jungle Princess because the Game Master was spending the night with his best friend.  (who plays the guitar).

Then this morning I was busy catching up on news and blogging and getting some other odds and ends caught up. Then I had to pick up the Game Master. Then I came home and mowed for 3 1/2 hours! We have two acres, hilly, and I use a push mower!

My pedometer says I walked 10 miles!!!!!!

Want to be sure my blubber blogger buddies see that!  WOW!  So now, I am doing a little email before I go do the dishes (for some reason when I go to stand up...I'm a little ....uh...stiff;)

Tomorrow will be school work in the morning, piano lessons and library in the afternoon, then three children are coming to spend the night and a good part of Friday with us. Friday afternoon we get haircuts and Friday night is Game Master's end of the year recital.

Then Saturday I get to pack for a week of fun in the sun at Myrtle Beach!!!!  

As part of our Christmas present, Daniel made the reservations months ago. We are sooooooo looking forward to going!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Here at Home Sweet Home, we love science, animals and astronomy. So I decided to use one of our favorite things to study as a theme for this carnival. I hope the living creatures you find here will add to your enjoyment!

Owls are often thought of as wise creatures. This is possibly an idea that has roots in Ancient Greece because the owl was the symbol of Athena the Greek goddess of knowledge. Over the years owls have been depicted as messengers and counsellors in stories and cartoons.  There is some evidence that owls use mammal droppings around their nest to draw in dung beetles for food, this does show cleverness on the part of the owl.

Maureen at Trinity Prep School advises us on how we can be enlightened readers instead of merely informed readers in her article  Are You An Enlightened Enabler?

Maria at Homeschool Math Blog shares her wisdom and love of math by giving us advice on how to motivate our children (and ourselves) on how to enjoy math studies in Motivation to Study Math.

Christina at The Perils of Parenting and Other Ponderings  shares her expectations of the perfect Mother's Day and some advice about  How Not to Ruin Your Own Mother's Day with Unbiblical Expectations. 

Karen at The Thomas Institute is a wise owl! She has a great appreciation for classical music and she found a wonderful teacher assistant in Themes to Remember. Read more in her post Book Fair: Music Selection.

The Raccoon is considered by some to be a pest and by others to be one of the cutest creatures out there. The Raccoon is highly adaptable and has learned to adjust to changes in its natrual habitat by becoming a pest in suburbs and cities. It is an opportunistic creature eating from trash cans and living in attics.  It is a nocturnal animal and if it is spotted in the day, it can be a reason for concern as this may indicate it has rabies.  It has long been believed that raccoons have a penchant for cleanliness because they have been noted dipping their food in water. In reality, this is probably a habit that relates to the fact that much of their food comes from streams and they have to fish it out.

The Tutor at Apollo's Academy shares with us her nocturnal adaptability and washing skills as she goes through a night that didn't turn out the way she had anticipated in Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain 40%. Personally, I am wondering if she had black circles under her eyes that would rival the mask on the raccoon!

Dinomomm at Urban Homesteaders and Homeschoolers reminds us to be aware of the opportunistic businesses that are springing up in response to the increased number of homeschoolers. And she reminds us that we don't have to respond to every great opportunity out there in order to teach and raise our children in Room to Grow.

Wile E. Coyote is not a good example of the Coyote species. They are adaptable, clever creatures that have flourished in spite of man's taking over of their habits and in spite of the fact that ranchers kill them every chance they get.  They are handsome creatures, related to dogs, but not easily tameable. They used to be found mostly in the plains, but now can be found throughout the United States. Coyotes live in packs with an alpha male and an alpha female being the leaders.

Betsy at Sweet Home Tennessee shares how she adapted the idea of another to fit the space in her home and how she uses this clever adaptation to create children who think for themselves in The Bored Wheel.

Dinomomm from Urban Homesteaders and Homeschoolers  has a great post, Top Dog!, about discovering who the alpha is in your home.

Henry at Why Homeschool talks about the conflict between public schools and parents in his post Who are responsible for children? Teachers or parents?  Just like ranchers keep trying new ways to contain coyote population without being accountable for their actions, public schools get to use children as guinea pigs and yet not be accountable when things don't work out.  So be adaptable like the coyote and spread to places homeschoolers have never been before!

Parrots are known near and far for their ability to mimic the sounds of people and other animals. And on top of that, they are beautiful to look at!  It takes patience and teaching on the part of the parrot's owner, just like it takes patience and interactions on our parts to impart new information to our children. And Parrots make great animals to take to show-n-tell day! They are colorful, talkative and can do tricks!

Deana at Chinglish--Christian Bilingual homeschooling in Taiwan has experience with living in a foreign country and speaking two languages interchangeably. Find out the additional benefits in her post: And how do you say that in Mommy's language? *bilingual education*.

NerdMom at NerdFamily doesn't want to just parrot other homeschooling programs out there, she is interested in a mixture of options and in Education Styles she examines two options and mulls over the pros and cons of both and how they would fit with her family. She is looking for input from the blogosphere, so be sure to stop by and throw in your two cents worth!

Amber at Our Little Homeschool Farm does a great job of show-n-tell with her post Carding The Wool! Amber's children make this look easy, but she assures us that it just ain't so!

There are lots of mammals that spend a substantial amount of time teaching their offspring the ways of the world...you know how to hunt, how to hide, how to survive. But I picked tigers because they happen to be my daughter's favorite. Cubs will spend their first two years learning living skills from their mothers before going out on their own.

Chickadee at Three in the Nest shares a great idea for some 'sneaky' ways of teaching narration skills to her children in Mommy Tells A Story.  The result is that not only do the children appreciate Chickadee's storytelling skills, but are anxious to develop their own.

Sherry at A Bibliomane Amidst Butterflies shares how after a brief false start, she came up with a teaching method that appealed to her love of books, art,  music, and nature in her post, A Day in the Life of an Ambleside Child. And her daughter is avidly learning from her mother's interests and abilities.

Sherry at Semicolon shares how she handles preparing her children for attending college in her post, Homeschooling High School, Part 3: The Reality. Her children will be well rounded when they are ready to head out on their own.

When I think of chimpanzees I think of children at play. When observing them in zoos, I have seen them swinging on toys, climbing jungle gyms, tickling, chasing and wrestling with their friends.  They play with their friends and their parents and just seem to be busy enjoying life. However, don't let those funny faces fool you, they are smart. They have been known to use a variety of items as tools.And  they can be serious when the need arises. They are adept at signalling other chimpanzees and animals of the forest either alerting them to a tree full of fruit or warning them that a predator is near.

Jaminacea at Just Call Me Jamin shares her End of School Year Ideas so that your little chimps won't get restless this summer and will have a great time celebrating their past year's achievements.

Mistresninos at B* Avenue Boys School is banging on the trees to alert us to a must read book that helps explain how our public education system got to where it is today in her post John Dewey & the Decline of American Education.

David at Bruggie Tales suggests starting with the comedies in order to gain a true enjoyment of Shakespeare. In How can you get children interested in Shakespeare?  Start with his comedies! he shares how his family has grwon to appreciate The Bard.

Steve at Dad's Corner encourages us to be our kids' helpers in Finding the Spark. He says: "Homeschooling is one avenue for education that truly encourages inventiveness and ingenuity. Rather than force our children to fit in, we let them explore their potential in as many ways as there are children in homeschooling."

The world has been fascinated with Emperor Penguins since seeing the movie March of the Penguins. And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! All of God's creatures are driven by the desire to procreate so that the species can continue. But this amazing creature goes to great lengths to survive in a very harsh environment. Both parents are required to raise their young and they have to work carefully together because there are a multitude of steps along the way where things can go wrong. These amazing birds know their purpose and work together with the whole community to achieve it!

Denise from Everything Heart-N-Soul, questions the purpose of American Education in her post, Above all, Get wisdom.

Just like the devoted penguin parents, Karla from Let's Get Real says Don't give up on Your Boys!  They will also learn, even if they don't like workbooks!

Just the name of Army Ants strikes fear into people when they hear they are on the move.

These amazing and destructive creatures work together to kill and eat up to 100,000 animals in a day. Together they can kill lizards, snakes, chickens, pigs, goats, scorpions, and many other animals. They also climb trees and eat birds plus insects that may live in trees.  There are benefits of an army ant colony on the move. Villagers appreciate them killing the pests living in their huts, they use the soldier ants for medicinal purposes (the huge mandibles can close open wounds), and there are ant birds that eat the ants.

Cindy at Our Homeschooling Adventures shares what it is like homeschooling as a military family. Her husband is a Marine and as with everyone in the service, he often has to move from base to base. Military Homeschooling Life gives them the freedom to do that and for the children to have uninterrupted time with their dad when he is at home. 

Spunky at Spunky Homeschooling tells us we need to pay attention to a state and national movement towards standardized testing and our children having certificates to say they are qualified to work or be admitted into college. In his post, Teach to the Test, Please! he discusses how the school system is geared towards creating worker ants and not individuals and the children of homeschoolers may be affected by this.

Ian at Musings from a Catholic Bookstore talks about how boys have a natural interest in playing war. They will even use sticks for guns or turn legos into weapons even if you don't provide those toys for them. Instead of being concerned about their natural inclinations, he suggests exploring War!!!  Introduce to them the concept of heros and chivalry and raise them up to be men you can be proud of.

The American Bison has an amazing history. Before the Europeans arrived in North America en masse, it is estimated that the herds of Bison were 30,000,000 to 70,000,000. There are accounts of looking across the plains and only being able to see a sea of bison. By the late 1800s, there were less than 1500 left. Thanks to conservation efforts, the numbers are now back up to over 300,000.  We can only hope that we will learn from their history and protect animals that are endangered today and that we can maybe save them from the brink of extinction like we did the American Bison.

Gentle Mommy at The Rivendell School has a passion for history and her daughter shares that passion. It is through their study and the others like them that we keep love of the  past alive and hopefully our mistakes near to heart.  For the love of history will have you sharing their obvious enthusiasm for things long gone.

There are many majestic birds in the world. Hawks and Eagles seem to be the proudest of the species. The Red-Tailed Hawk is my son's favorite, so I thought I would profile it.  The Red-Tailed Hawk has a wide range, is fiercely territorial and soars high above us when migrating along the Appalachian Mountains. It is the most common and widespread hawk in North America and has increased its range in the last 100 years, displacing other hawks.

Home Skooler at CrossView Academy is proud of her daughter, Kristan, who shares what it is like to be Truly Free and soar higher than the birds!

Dana at Principled Discovery shares her pleasure at having the freedom to teach as she wants to, as allowed to her by the founders of our country in her post, Educating for Liberty.

 

 

Butterflies are one of God's most beautiful creatures. When I look at them, I see how much God enjoys coloring. Every one is unique. And there are about 1000 species in the world. And as if their beautiful colors weren't enough of a gift from God, their very life cycle reminds us of the life of Jesus and of Christians.  I envy artists who can capture the sights of the world around us and I am glad they have the talent to share their visions with us!

 

The Headmistress at The Common Room shares the details of A Memorable Field

Trip to see the works of DaVinci. She shares how, even though the day wasn't the perfect trip imagined before hand, that years later, her memories focus on the beautiful works of art she saw.

 

 

 

Golden-capped fruit bat, said to be the largest bat in the world, is in danger of extinciton.  They only live in the Phillipines in caves and the rain forests of  Maitum, Sarangani.  It has a wing span of at least 5 feet and weighs about 3 pounds. 

 

Marla at Schultz Shenanigans shares about her families interesting field trip to Historic Forestville and Mystery Cave in Minnesota. Unfortunately,  her children don't share a bat's fondness for dark spaces!

 

Christine at The Thinking Mother tells about an invasive plant she learned at during a recent Audobon class in her post Nature Study: Invasive Plant: Garlic Mustard, or, Ignorance was bliss. Turns out mankind does not have the monopoly on being a pest to the environment! Do you have any pretty flowers in your woods?

 

 

Beavers bond for life once they find a mate. This is a rare trait in the animal world.  The parents raise their young together and the kits will stay at home learning engineering and life skills until they are 2 years old.  The beaver is second only to man for its ability to change the landscape. It's engineering feats have the added benefit of creating homes for others while creating a home for themselves.

 

Denise at Let's Play Math shares how teaching math bonds leads to better understanding and can be learned in some fun and innovative ways in her post: Number Bonds = Better Understanding!  If math isn't your thing, you will find great ideas here!

 

Queen of Carrots from Introducing the World shares how using a variety of approaches can still get the job just like beavers us a variety of wood to build a home. In TTIR, Part 5: Languages Foreign and Domestic she reminisces about being homeschooled. She remembers various language programs her family did and how worthwhile they were.

 

 

If there is one word in the American language that embodies gentle dignity, tireless strength, and fierce love of freedom, it is "Mustang," an enduring emblem of the American spirit and way of life.  Mustangs spend their days running, grazing and playing with one another.Most times the games are for survival skills, sometimes the Mustangs loook like they are just out there having fun!

 

Barbara at the Imperfect Homeschooler feels that children should be allowed to play freely without adult structure. Remember the days when we left in the morning to play and came back at night?  So how about Shedding the Adult Agenda and let your kids direct the play! After all, no one knows how to play better than a kid!

 

 

African Elephants are truly magnificent animals. What is it about these giants  that fascinate adults and chlildren alike?  Is it their wrinkly skin that doesn't fit their bodies? Their majestic appearance? The trunk that can spray water like a fire hose but also pick up a small peanut? Is it the mystery that surrounds the elephant graveyards? Is it the way they care for one another? Whatever it is, I hope they will be around for a long time to come.

 

Life can be full of wrinkles. Some small and some very big and heartbreaking. Beverly at About Homeschooling  shares with us A Few Tears on Mother's Day as there were some happy moments and some sad ones.

 

 

 

 

The Giant Galapagos Tortoise  is an amazing animale to watch and perfectly suited to his environment. When Darwin saw this amazing creature (that can weigh as much as 600 pounds and live for 150 years) and other unusual creatures on the Galapagos Islands, he felt like this was proof of evolution. 

 

Kathy at Through it All shares how her homeschooling methods evolved over time as she gained more knowledge of what was out there and found what did and didn't work for her family. You will enjoy her post: The Evolution of a Homeschooler which is a fine example of the adaptability of homeschoolers!

 

Go here for the archives of previous carnivals.

 

Next week the carnival will be held at Principled Discovery.

 

I'd like to thank everyone who has helped out. A big thank you to all the participants in this carnival. And thanks to all those who help promote the Carnival of Homeschooling.

 

If you are interested in submitting a post, click here for information.

 

And now I am off to take a nap!

 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

It is a find said to be comparable to King Tut!  This female tattooed mummy was found intact and undisturbed since 450 A.D. Jewels, war clubs, spear throwers were all discovered as they examined the mummy.

It is believed this woman was possibly the first female ruler of the Moche people.  She obviously was buried with great respect.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:31 AM | Permalink

Ashfall 12 million years ago preserved the bodies of animals much like the people of Pompeii were preserved.

The site, near the town of Neligh (see Nebraska map), is home to hundreds of skeletons of extinct rhinos, camels, three-toed horses, and other vertebrates that were killed and buried by ash from a huge volcanic eruption some 12 million years ago.

 

I think this would be a fascinating place to visit and I am going to have to put it on my places to travel too. Have you been there? If so, I would love to hear about it.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Let's pray not. Apparently, the top Muslim religious authority in Egypt has issued a religious ruling (fatwa) condemning the display of statues in Egypt.  There is concern in Egypt that fundamentalists will take this as a message that they are to attack the statues displayed from Egypt's past or the Sphinx. 

I believe I understand the basis of the fatwa. God also tells us we should not worship graven images, but there is a huge difference between worshipping them and having them on display.  However, irreplaceable treasures were destroyed by the Taliban for similar reasons.  I hope that the relics of Egypt will be safe.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:29 AM | Permalink

When I think of Bigfoot, or Sasquatch as I prefer to call him, I think of the Pacific Northwest. But it turns out that there have been Bigfoot sightings in every state of the union except for Hawaii.

I have always been fascinated with things like the Bermuda Triangle, Sasquatch, The Loch Ness Monster, and UFO's. I love a good mystery and this also helps me remember that as much as we know...there is soooooooo much we don't know.

Be sure to check out the interesting article and embedded in the article a video on this mysterious biped we call Bigfoot!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:20 AM | Permalink

Here is a fascinating video.  I have always heard you don't mess around with young animals when the mother is around. Here is a good example of this!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:10 AM | Permalink

I remember hearing somewhere in your past that studies have shown if you smile at someone, they are then very likely to smile at someone else (be wary of doing this in other countries, the French are actually insulted by being smiled at because to them, you smile only at children...whatever!) Anyway...where was I...

Oh yes, passing on the smile. The same phenomenon has been noted with letting a car out ahead of you in traffic. Come on people, do you really have to get where you are going so fast, that you can't extend courtesy to another driver who is trying to leave the gas station during rush hour traffic!  What studies have observed is person A lets person B enter traffic and shortly thereafter person B lets person C enter traffic. And good feelings are abounding here...smiles, waves...relaxed drivers! Sounds like a good situation to me!

So imagine my pleasure when I was reading from one of my favorite poet's books this morning and found she had written on the subject. So here, for your reading pleasure (and don't forget to pass on the smile) is her poem.

A Smile is Never Passe

by

Kathleen Melton Sihlanick

Have you ever stopped and given thought

To the distance a smile can go?

Have you ever seen a face light up

Because your smile made it so?

A smile can travel and change a life,

That's a startling fact.

Doesn't it seem impossible

That one smile could have such impact?

But it's true!  You give your smile to someone

Who accepts...passes it on...

And that smile goes on an endless tour,

It becomes a phenomenon.

It chooses its own moment to travel,

Going through every continent and race.

One day you gasp...you recognize its return...

And from a most unlikely face!

It's condition is just as good

As the day you gave it away,

It's still in style...not outmoded...

You see a smile is never passe.

You grasp this gift and you hold it...

A moment only...it cannot with you stay.

This valued and priceless treasure

Is no good...unless given away!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I will be hosting the next homeschool carnival which will be posted next week! I would love to have submissions from my many friends and readers! 

The carnival is a great way to read a lot of interesting article from a variety of bloggers!  The articles are all homeschooling related. They may have ideas for unit studies, schedules, curriculum, feelings about homeschooling. The types of articles are many and it is a great way to get people to come visit your blog and read your words of wisdom!

Here is the link to how you submit an article.  So pick an article, either new or an older really good one and submit it for the next carnival! Thanks a bunch!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

I have been looking around the web for animal pictures the last few days (something to do with hosting this weeks Homeschool Carnival...hint, hint) and I found this website I just had to share!

Plan to spend some time or if you need your children to be occupied for a bit, they will love this site!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:52 AM | Permalink

that the ending is not yet known. A child kidnapped by her father when she was 21 months old on Mother's Day weekend in 1976 (parents were estranged), was found 30 years later and her mother was informed on the Saturday before Mother's Day.

All her life this young girl was told her mother had died in a car accident. She grew up under a different name and has a child of her own. Keep these mother's in prayer. Obviously the shock is greatest for the 30 year old Mom who has found out her life was based on a lie. 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:48 AM | Permalink

I woke up about 6:20. I read blogs, caught up on the news, then rode my exercise bike, then fixed myself some oatmeal for breakfast. I woke the kids up a little after 8 and went to take a shower. They each brought me a card, hugged me and told me Happy Mother's Day.

We left about 9:20 for church. We go to a small church and normally only have 10 children in our class. Today we had two as many were out of town with their parents visiting family.  They were my two:) So we talked and they made me a snack from the kitchen (hey, fellow Blubber Bloggers, what was I to do, fuss at them for their thoughtfulness?) We had our snack and then my mom arrived (my stepfather is the pastor of my church). I enjoyed the time I had before church started to talk with her.

After church, the mom's in the church were given a carnation. Red if our mom was living, white if she was not.  Then I came home and there was an ecard from my husband waiting for me. Money is tight right now, so I knew there wouldn't be any going out to eat or gifts. I made lunch, then the Daniel and I watched a movie.  While we were watching the movie, my oldest stepson called me during a break at work and told me Happy Mother's Day. After that, I played with the kids for a couple of hours. We played Legos Mario Kart Doubledash and The Lion King Board Game. Then it was time to make supper.

After supper, I did the dishes while Game Master practiced the piano. I called my stepmother and grandmother and told them happy mother's day.  Then I did some laundry, watched a little tv with Daniel while writing up some Ebay auctions and now I am writing this blog so I can enter Denise's contest:)

I enjoyed the time today with my mom and the quiet time at home.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Happy Mother's Day!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:19 PM | Permalink

Wow!!!!  I have visited the Grand Canyon twice in the last 12 years and it is spectacular. Daniel has a great desire to hike it and camp it. I think it would be lovely, but I am not in shape for it yet.

Well, engineers have designed at the Hualapai Indian tribe's request a horseshoe skywalk out over the Grand Canyon. Nothing between you and that 15 story drop except for some glass (and a bunch of steel supports). I am torn as to whether I would be up for this view or not. I wonder what kind of precautions they are going to take to keep from having people walk out there and then get frozen from fear!

It is set to open late this year, so make your reservations for a trip to Arizona now!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Just  a reminder that my Usborne Book e-show ends today If you want to read more about Usborne and their products go here:

Also, the consultant is offering a free book drawing if I get five or more orders. Here is the information on the cool book you could win!

Minerals

The world around us is made up of different materials, such as water, rocks and air. But what exactly are they, and how do they behave? Discover the chemistry of solids, liquids and gases, with examples from every day life, in this fascinating book. Clear explanations of hundreds of scientific terms. Illustrations and photographs in breathtaking close-up detail. Over 100 tested and approved Web sites. Experiments, activities and observations. Test-yourself study guides. Free downloadable pictures for homework and projects.

If you want to go directly to the site where my party is, here is the link for that! 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

WOW! First of all, I didn't know dragonflies migrated at all. Second of all, I want to know how they got the tiny radio transmitters onto the dragonflies belly!  This is a fascinating story about a tiny creature that can fly 100 miles in a day! WOW!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:34 AM | Permalink

We all hope and pray that another pandemic will not occur, but we also know that there is a good likelihood that it will. And while we may like to pretend that our government will take care of us and the situation, we need to stand up and take responsibility for ourselves and our family.  We have become a nation of people expecting others to take care of us (yes, this is a generalization, but I think an overall accurate one). 

It is hard for us to imagine how a pandemic would affect us. What services would be diminished, and how the world would work. Here is an article that gives some good ideas on how to prepare your family and some insights on the way a pandemic could affect the flow of the world around us. Be a good Boy Scout and be prepared!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is a cool video showing the maternal instinct of Alligator moms.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:22 AM | Permalink

This monkey has the distinction of being the first new mammalian genus announced in 83 years!!!!!  Originally thought to be a new species,  this cute little guy is in a class by himself as a new genus! The world is an amazing place and we are regularly finding out how much we don't know about it!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:05 AM | Permalink

Turns out that fat excretes dozens of substances into our body that can lead to diseases such as diabetes. It is not just the toll fat is taking on our hearts because of all the extra blood veins/vessels and it is not just the toll the 'bad' food we ate to get us fat that has taken on us (clogged arteries, bad complexions) and then there is the how we look and the energy we have factors. Doggone it! Fat is just not good no matter how you look at it!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:45 AM | Permalink

Here is another reason to exercise! It turns out that several studies have shown that it can help reduce risk of cancer. This particular study showed a reduction in skin cancer in mice.

 Exercise enhances a process called UVB-induced apoptosis, which means programmed cell death. This is a good thing: It kills sun-damaged cells.

 

"While UVB is triggering the development of tumors, exercise is counteracting the effect by stimulating the death of the developing cancer cells," said study leader Allan Conney of Rutgers University.

 

So not only does exercise help us lose weight and help our hearts to work better and strengthen our bodies, but it can help defeat cancer! Very cool!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here is a man who set a goal to walk across America and sort himself out. He lost 100 pounds along the way. He should be an encouragement to us all. 

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I am sitting here awestruck this morning.  I just read a story about two hikers lost in California. They went on a dayhike woefully unprepared when they wandered off the trail and got lost. An aside here...even when we go on dayhikes, we go with emergency supplies in a fanny pack. It just pays to be prepared.

At any rate, they didn't have cell phones, food, or anything beyond fair weather clothes on their backs. As they tried following a down hill stream, they were growing weaker from cold and hunger.  Then they found a campsite. At first, they thought they had found someone and would be getting out, but then realized it was a long abandoned site. But they found some warm clothes there and matches. The matches enabled them to start a signal fire and they were found.

Mr. John Donovan of Virginia had last written in his journal a year before they stumbled across his campsite. He had been hiking the Pacific Coast Trail when he got hammered in by a snowstorm. No one could find him and according to his journal, he knew he was going to die.  His last entry was one year to the day prior to when the missing hikers found his site.  They carried his journal with them, so now his family will have that and what a blessing that is.  What an amazing way that God turned Tragedy into a means to save the lives of two people. I pray they will make the best of the gift God gave them.

Click here for the complete article.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My husband is a smart guy and he's funny...two of the reasons that I decided to marry him. There are others, but we won't get into that now.  He is very interested in current events and learning. Here is his latest post which revolves around upcoming elections in America and who to watch!

Daniel is an independent and there is plenty in this post for you no matter which side of the fence you sit on!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:27 AM | Permalink

Here is a very interesting article about biomimetics.  This is a relatively new science where scientists study the way insects and animals solve problems in an energy efficient fashion. As humans, if we have a bigger task to accomplish, we will apply more energy to the situation. The creatures that God designed are designed so as to expend less energy, but accomplish great tasks! 

The article says that about 70 percent of man made technology works by using greater force whereas only about 5 percent of the animal kingdom functions that way.  God's blueprint is the best!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:21 AM | Permalink

For those of you who don't sell on Ebay, this next few days is the time to go! Of course, I am hoping your first stop will be by my ebay store where you can find great deals on great books! I always have a sale on Children/Homeschool books where you can buy 2 and get 1 free! 

Then, after you have shopped at my store, feel free to browse other stores and auctions.  You see, today was 10 cent listing day. Which means that people who sell on ebay spent their days with their eyes glued to the computer screen trying to launch as many listings as they possibly could between 12 am and 11:59 pm (west coast time).  This means there will be tons of stuff out there for you to choose from and probably good deals to boot! When we pay less, we often ask less.

And last, but not least, for really good deals, click on the store listings links at the bottom of the page. Sometimes you can find what you are looking for for 1 penny plus shipping! No lie! Now, you won't find anything that inexpensive at my store, but there are still plenty of great buys!

Have fun!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I ran across this interesting article that discusses some reasons why women outlive men. It is a phenomenon found across species, not just among humans.  Now I know most men would say it is because we nag them to death! I have also heard that women live longer because they tend to let their emotions show and don't try to bottle things up inside. Maybe it is God's way of making up for the pain of childbirth and with the pains of raising children and husband;)

At any rate, this article feels that males engage in riskier behavior mostly to attract females or to maintain their role as top dog...er..human.  And even though our life expectancies are longer now, and they don't have to do the same daring things they used to do to grab a gal's attention, their immunity system is genetically not as good as ours, because over the years, they haven't lived as long as us.

Interesting to think about.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

According to some very interesting recent studies, hamsters tend to eat more when stressed out and to gain weight. Unlike rats and mice, who went put in similar situations tend not to eat.

I have lived in a stressful life situation for many years..different stressors that I won't bore you or myself with, so now I have yet another excuse/reason why it has been easy for me to gain and hard to lose.

From the article:

Another line of inquiry would be to compare mice and rats to hamsters.

Humans and hamsters, which eat more under stress, share the same predominant stress hormone, cortisol, noted Bartness, Rats and mice, which eat less under stress, have a different primary stress hormone, corticosterone. This raises the question of whether stress-induced increases in cortisol play a more important role in the desire to eat and weight gain compared to corticosterone.

Researchers will also want to know if drugs can block stress-induced obesity, for example, by blocking the release of the stress hormone, corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), or by blocking the body’s CRF receptors, Bartness said. CRF, also sometimes referred to as corticotrophin releasing hormone, produces the body’s “fight or flight” response under stress and helps kick off a cascade of physiological responses.

“There are a whole suite of physiological responses that occur as a result of stress,” Bartness said. It will take time to unravel all these physiological responses and to use that knowledge to block stress-induced obesity. It may even turn out that the reactions are too complex to easily block, he said. 

So this makes me wonder if Cortislim really may be affective in weight loss. So many drugs are not. But maybe, they have really hit on something and it might be worth a try to add that to my weight loss program.  If anyone has taken Cortislim, I would be interested in hearing your take on it. BTW, the site I am linking to for Cortislim appears to be their main site, but I have seen it in Walmart or Sam's recently, so you don't need to order it from there. Plus there were some other places offering it at good prices if you Google Cortislim.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Henry and Janine Cate over at Why Homeschool have this weeks Homeschool carnival up and running and Albert Einstein has something to say about the entries you will find there! Be sure to check it out!

Also, I will be hosting the 20th Homeschool carnival here next week!  I would love to have your submissions to include in it! Here is the link to how you submit an article.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jewels of the Heart

by

Kathleen Melton Sihlanick

God's gifts to me would fill a book

Which I could not compose

For my mind could ne'er recall

All the gifts which he bestowed.

The things I take for granted

As if they belong to me

Are gifts from the Heavenly Father

Which I ofttimes fail to see.

The gift of life, a Mother's love,

The beauty of the land,

The rippling joys of friendship...

These are all at His command.

The gift of sight, and sound, and speech,

A son whom I adore...

And though I oft forget and oft complain

How could I ask for more.

The colors of the sky at dawn

The twinkle of a star

All...gifts from the Heavenly Father

And all spectacular!

But outshining all these wondrous things

Which puts my soul at rest

Is the knowledge He is standing by

To know I'm truly blessed.

The peace and comfort of His love

When my world falls apart

These things I could not part with

They are jewels of the heart!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:32 AM | Permalink

Last year for my birthday, a friend gave me a devotional book called Breakfast with God. This morning's entry was called Deep Roots. It speaks volumes to me and I wanted to share it with you.

Deep Roots

So the, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

A writer for a local newspaper was interviewing a farmer about the effects of recent weather on his crops. Rain had been abundant and the farmer's soybean and corn crops were tall and lush.

"My crops are especially vulnerable right now," said the farmer. This statement took the reporter by surprise. He had planned to focus his article on the good harvest expected and the economic boom it would bring for the town.

The farmer went on, "Even a short drought could have a devastating effect."

"Why?" asked the reporter.

The farmer explained that while we see frequent rains as a benefit, during rainy times the plants are not required to push their roots deep in search of water. The roots remain near the surface, leaving the plants unprepared for drought.

His crop also faced the danger of sudden strong wind storms. Again, because of the shallow root structure, a strong wind could wipe him out in only a few minutes.

Some Christians enjoy an abundance of "rain showers" that come in  the form of praise services, fellowship with other believers, and times of rich Bible teaching But when stress enters their lives, these same Christians can lose faith, abandon God, or believe God to be unfaithful. Why? Their roots have never pushed much below the surface.

Their spiritual life is top-heavy, relying on others more than on personal devotion in prayer and study of God's Word. They are especially vulnerable to the strong winds of adversity or the searing heat of stress.

Only the roots grown deep into God will help us endure tough times. Put your roots down more deeply today. Spend time with your Lord...in the Word...and on your knees.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have found a new website that I am in love with! It has a little bit of everything for people interested in science and has awesome photos and videos to boot!

Here you can get information on the top 20 science myths.

Here you can see amazing videos!

And then there are the images!

And much, much more! Warning...visiting this site could lead to you and your kids being glued to the computer screen for hours!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yahoo! Some scientists are working on the genetics of grass to develop grass that grows very little and stays green all the time! Did I ever mention that scientists were my heros???

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, we have had a busy couple of days. Yesterday was my husband's birthday.  We took the morning off from school and just hung out as a family.  He opened his gifts. A couple of books from me, some sugar free candy from the kids, a karaoke disk from Game Master and a Tom and Jerry CD from Jungle Princess.

After lunch, the kids went to visit some friends for the day and night. Daniel and I went to town. We played pool for a couple of hours, then went out for sushi (I definitely ate more points than I should have yesterday, but boy was that sushi good!) Then we came home and wandered down to the creek to see what improvement the children had been working on and sat on the swing and just enjoyed the beautiful spring evening.

Then we came in and played some rummy before singing Karaoke for a couple of hours. We love singing! We should cut an album;)

Then this morning, I picked the kids up early and we stopped by some auctions and yardsales. I didn't run across anything exciting though and now I have been researching and scanning books to list on ebay all afternoon. Gotta try and get some books listed and make some money!

Hope all of you are having a lovely weekend!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

My husband's grandmother is dying. Over a year ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and though she has fought a good fight against it, her body overall has become weakened with the effort. She turned 94 last month and until about 6 months or so ago was still going pretty strong...making cakes for friends, calling and checking up on neighbors, etc. 

A couple of months ago she was hospitalized with an infection and when she came home, she was no longer able to be left alone.  Then 2 weeks ago, she had a stroke. Now she is sleeping most of the time, crying when she is awake, and unable to do anything on her own. We are waiting for the Lord to call her home. And we are hoping her daughter, Daniel's mom, can arrive before she passes (they are leaving Florida tomorrow and Nanny just came back from a visit to Florida three weeks ago). 

Nanny has had a good long life and in recent years has watched her family and friends die. She is strong in her faith and I have no doubt, they are preparing for her reunion party in Heaven. So last night, we talked with the childen and though they have known this was coming, hearing that it was imminent made them sad. 

Last night, when Jungle Princess was praying last night, she was talking to God about Sweetie, her hamster that died in a tragic accident about 10 months ago. She was talking how when she got to Heaven she was looking forward to playing with her pets that have died ( a couple of hamsters and some fish).  Then she told God she had a great brain full of questions to ask him when she got to heaven: Like Why Did He Allow Sin in the world? Where did He come from? Who Made Him?  And she said there were many more, but she had to go to sleep.

My children are a blessing to me. Thank you God for giving them to me. I came so close to not having any children of my own, and I am so glad I changed my mind.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A 20 day study took place last month in one of the most mysterious places on earth. I have always been fasicnated with the plane and boat disappearances in the Bermuda triangle. Well, now they are finding life there never before seen anywhere else!

Go here for the complete article! And go here to see some lovely photos not only of these findings, but other neat natural phenomenon!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:02 AM | Permalink

A friend of mine from my local homeschool group has a blog here at HSB. Mimi has recently published her first book of inspirational poetry called Face to Face. These poems will touch your soul! Check it out!

Here is a poem from Mimi's book, Face to Face.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Photo courtesy of the Discovery Channel (seems the King is smiling!)

Apparently King Tut's private parts have been missing for some time. Their disappearance has led to great consternation on the part of those who study these things. But fortunately, a recent CAT scan found the missing part as well as other previously unfound treasures hidden in the sand around King Tut's Body. Phew...I am sure people were losing sleep over that one;)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

And help him make a decision. DH's birthday is tomorrow and he is trying to decide what he wants to do. Why don't you take a minute and hop over to his blog and help him out;) And wish him Happy Birthday! Be sure to tell him TW sent you!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I love sushi...or actually sushimi. I don't go much for the raw fish. I prefer the California roll, the terriaki steak, the terriaki chicken, the Philadelphia Roll... But I digress...here, let me stop and wipe the drool off the keyboard...

These things aren't on my diet much right now because they carry a lot of calories (mostly due to the rice).  However, I do eat a lot of fish...tuna fish, salmon, tilapia, and mahi mahi are on my diet often. And it turns out that they have a nifty chemical in them that helps make fat mice lose weight! Hooray! Now if I was only a fat mouse instead of a fat person and if I ate tons of fish everyday...

Oh well, it sounded good when I first started reading the article:) But seriously, when you look at cultures that rely heavily on fish as part of their diet, there appear to be less problems with obesity. Something to keep in mind when you are trying to lose weight.

And if you are trying to lose weight, be sure to check out BlubberBloggers! We have a great yahoo group too and there we find encouragement, accountability, and great ideas. We just got buddies today and I love mine already!  We are also going to be starting a walk across America challenge soon! So much fun! Come join us!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There is a new book: The End of Barbary Terror by Frederick C. Leiner. This book talks about the first time America led the way to overcome terrorists while others were unable or unwilling to act. It looks like fascinating reading!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:24 AM | Permalink

WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Okay, we have WINNERS! Thanks to all of you who shared your favorite books with me....now I have some new books to look for;) Okay, here are the winners...

Food4Life because she likes the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. I haven't read this, but had recently picked it up at a book sale to sell on Ebay.

QuietCajun because her hubby likes Wheel of Time Series and those of us who follow this involved tale have to stick together!

Heart-N-Soul because she complimented my blog and tole me about a book I should read.

MistressNinos because my kids like the same books as her kids and she loves books like me.

Aslan School...us Narnia lovers and book lovers have to stick together and I loved the Boxcar Children when I was a kid!

Okay, okay...so I picked five winners instead of three...I couldn't help myself...I figured it worked since I asked for five books (and that was as tough a decision to make as coming up with the three winners, so I added more). 

So here's what you do...email me with your five choices of books you would like from the list below (in order). I will assign them, first come, first serve. And I am not going to tell you who gets which book...it will be a surprise when it arrives! I go to the post office tomorrow so, let me know today if possible!

JenIg was running a contest asking for 10 random things about you. That is a cool idea and a neat way to get to know people!

So I thought I would run a similar contest. Tell me about favorite books. I would like to know 5 books that your children have really enjoyed. And I would like to know your five favorite books. I will randomly pick three winners and as a winner you will get to choose from these books.

Herbie Goes Bananas

Big Red (dog book) by Jim Kjelgaard

Hurlburts Story of the Bible

In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon

Reader's Digest Great Biographies (Lindbergh, Nightingale, Edison, Hans Christian Andersen)

Foxglove (mystery) by Mary Anne Kelly

Apples of Gold (inspirational verse)

Alexander Dolgun's Story (An American in the Gulag)

Girls of the Bible by H. A. Snyder

Here is my list to get things started. 

Books the Kids Have Enjoyed:

1.  The Harry Potter Series

2.  The Chronicles of Narnia

3.  The Indian in the Cupboard

4.  Any nonfiction book about animals

5.  The Animorph Series

My Favorite Books:

1.  The Bible

2.  The Stand by Stephen King

3.  It by Stephen King

4.  The Wheel of Time Series

5.  East of Eden

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

WOW! Spunky is having a great contest for some great products! And even if you don't win, these products are highly recommended to put on your shopping list!

Spunky is giving away a Benz Microscope and Apologia Biology Set this week. Click Here to get the details.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last week I wrote about a huge increase in the number of uninsured Americans. 

Today there is an interesting article about the increase of visits to Emergency Rooms and how Emergency Rooms are in crisis due to this increase. People are not getting regular preventative care and are waiting until they are so sick, they have no choice but to go to the Emergency Rooms as hospitals are required not to turn anyone away.  ER fees are expensive and this increases the bills for those who can pay.

We need to wake up and smell the coffee here and provide better health care for American citizens.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:53 AM | Permalink

Christine at The Thinking Mother is on the ball. She has launched the 18th Homeschool Carnival and it is  a cornucopia of awesome ideas and information.

And I will say a little bit about her blog. It is one I read pretty much daily. She truly is the thinking mother and often has wonderful, insightful posts. So be sure to read some of her writing as well.

And as usual...you can find a post from me lurking about the carnival! Enjoy!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We spent a lot of time over the weekend with our fingers in the dirt, trying to get new life off to a good start. As I planted, I mused over the fact that we were trying to bring some 200 plants to life so that they would bring us joy and food and even add some more oxygen to the air. Plants are truly amazing and they really don't ask that much from us (which is a good thing as I tend to be a haphazard gardener). God has designed them to want to grow. 

So as I planted the morning glory seeds for my daughter's morning glory house/museum, I added a couple of spoonfuls of potting soil because the ground I was planting them in wasn't the best. I am hoping with that extra care and the fact that they are weeds, they will persevere. Plus I am being sure to give them water every day that it doesn't rain.  I added fresh potting soil to the flowers I planted along the sidewalk and to the vegetable plants I planted. I watered them and said nice things to them.  And while I tended these little green miracles, I thought of my children. And I thought of the Parable of the Seed that Jesus shared (Luke 8: 4-21).   

Raising our children is basically the same task. It is our job to provide a good, safe environment to be in. To water them with the Word of Life. To speak kindly to them and encourage their growth. To pull out the weeds of the world and root out the thorns of contention. We must add wisdom and conversation and love where the soil is rocky. And we must always pray for them, because ultimately, though we do our best to help them grow strong and wise and in the Word of God, they are in charge of their future.

The better planting and tending we do, the better they will grow, but like wayward seeds, sometimes, they go their own way. So we must trust in God and ask Him to watch over them and do the things that we as parents cannot. We cannot make a flower bloom, we can only provide the conditions. God is the one with the Power. And we must always seek Him out to guide us and our children.

Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity and the means to homeschool our children.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I am trying to cut my posts back to two a day (I spend way too much time blogging;), but I read this post and it is awesome! A great reminder that God is big enough to handle our disappointments as well as our joys. Be sure to read it. You will be blessed!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:17 AM | Permalink