Late Talking Child Resources

Years ago I used Dr. James McDonald's(father of an autistic child) speech resources online(no longer free), and I learned quite a bit about how to go about helping my late talker with at-home speech therapy. I noticed recently that he published a book, Play To Talk: A Practical Guide to Help Your Late-Talking Child Join the Conversation It has gotten very good reviews.

Product Description
Play to Talk is a hot new parenting resource you won't want to miss! This award winning book has been recognized by iParenting Media Awards as a 2008 Best Product, and is a Gold Award winner in the 2008 National Parenting Publications (NAPPA) Parenting Resources competition. Based on 30 years of clinical research, Play To Talk empowers parents with proven strategies and step-by-step instructions to help children of any age learn to talk and develop essential skills for conversational relationships and social interactions. Guided by the belief that families have the greatest influence on a child's social and communicative development, Play To Talk will help you create closer and more fruitful relationships with the children in your life. This approach turns everyday play sessions and social interactions between your child and family members into opportunities to foster language development, relationship skills and positive behavior - without taking the fun out of being together.

Also helpful are these naturalistic speech therapies(free) from Dr. Camarata(father of a late talker) of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute. I used these at home with my son(eight years ago) and presently with my late talking preschool daughter.

A Few Good Amazon Deals

Every once in a while I can grab a few good Amazon grocery deals. These were priced better compared to our stores locally. I receive further savings by using Swagbucks to earn Amazon gift certificates, free Amazon shipping with orders over $25.00, and no state tax(for now). If the item is eligible for auto-order, they take 15% off the order. I've been getting Annie's Cheddar Bunny crackers sent to me this way; they come every three months.

Compared to Heinz organic ketchup, the only type I can find, this is a better deal for me:O Organics Tomato Ketchup, 20 Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12)

This Nutella price was competitive: Nutella Hazelnut Spread, 13-Ounce Plastic Jar (Pack of 5)

And these XL Dappi vinyl diaper covers are very hard to find. An excellent price too! I use them over my daughter's training pants at night. Gerber sells them(Target), but not in larger sizes above 3T.Dappi Waterproof 100% Vinyl Diaper Pants, White

Spicy Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

This came out very nicely tonight with a deep spicy flavor. This is my own recipe, so measurements may be approximate.

Make a pot of rice flavored with some Adobo, or some other seasoned salt. I like to use chicken stock in lieu of water. One cup(dry) will do, but two will stretch the meal. 

In a pan stir fry the following together over medium heat:

• One medium onion(sliced) and a spoon full minced garlic(jar). Caramelize these first in oil and little butter. 
• About half a bag frozen pepper stir fry(chopped green, yellow, and red peppers with onions)
• A cup of cooked shredded chicken
• A good helping of frozen broccoli(chop into smaller pieces while cooking in pan)
• A splash of apple cider vinegar
• A good heavy helping of powdered ginger, to taste
• Garlic salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Sugar(or honey), about a tablespoon. I used a squirt of agave nectar.
• A dash of Spice Islands' Spicy Pizza and Pasta Topper, Hot and Spicy(on sale at Save-A-Lot, great stuff!!)

When above ingredients are thoroughly cooked, stir in the cooked rice, top off with some good quality soy sauce(the real stuff), and serve.

Saint Catherine of Siena

 Bumped up from last year's feast(4/29/09)

"Then in her sacred saving hands
She took the sorrows of the lands,
With maiden palms she lifted up
The sick time's blood-embittered cup,
And in her virgin garment furled
The faint limbs of a wounded world.
Clothed with calm love and clear desire,
She went forth in her soul's attire, A missive fire."

~ A. C. Swinburne, Songs Before Sunrise

Today is the feast day of Saint Catherine of Siena, one of my favorite 14th century European saints. I really grew to love her after I read Louis De Wohl's book, Lay Siege to Heaven: A Novel of Saint Catherine of Siena. (Customer Reviews)The 14th century was such an interesting time period in Italian history. DeWohl ties in the historical background of Saint Catherine's time making for a very interesting semi-biographical historical fiction. Saint Catherine was very much a part of history in that she positively influenced Italian politics and the Church. Just reading about her strong and stubborn mother was interesting. What she had to endure from her mother in order to follow God during her younger years! Such devotion to God.

From Saint Catherine of Siena by Edmund G. Gardner(free at Google Books):

... a study in Italian history centered in the work and personality of one of the most wonderful women that have ever lived — the successor of Dante in the literature and religious thought of Italy, the connecting link between St. Francis of Assisi and Fra Girolamo Savonarola in the strange pageant of the progress of the mystical chariot of the Spouse, which the divine poet saw in part on the banks of Lethe in the Earthly Paradise. While devoting my attention mainly to Catherine's own work and her influence upon the Italian politics of her age, I have endeavoured at the same time to make my book a picture of certain aspects, religious and political, of the fourteenth century in Italy — the epoch that immediately followed the times of Dante, the stormy period in the history of the Church of which Petrarca and Boccaccio witnessed the beginnings. It may, indeed, be said that so much attention has been paid to Italian history of late years, and so many fresh sources of original information made accessible in every direction, that a new life of the woman who was the truest and most single-hearted patriot of her age seems not only permissible, but even — from the scientific point of view — necessary.

Some free children's readings referencing Saint Catherine from my Google Book library:

History Stories of Other Lands by Arthur Guy Terry

Guide for Catholic Young Women

Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

A Child's Book of Saints

Kindergarten Lessons for Church Sunday Schools: A Manual for the Instruction

Short Catechism of Church History for the Higher Grades of Catholic Schools

A Short History of the Catholic Church By Hermann Wedewer and Joseph McSorley of the Paulists.

Printing instructions: follow the link to the book, right click on the image of the page, print picture. Entire books are also downloadable in PDF, just click on the download button on the sidebar.

(Repost from last year)

Vintage Children's Paper Crafts for Spring: Rabbits

Rabbits for groupings and cut-out rabbit paper doll. Both in public domain dated 1915. I found these at Google Books. Click to enlarge and print.

Layered Collard Greens Casserole

This came out delicious. I had a bag of frozen chopped collard greens and added layers of various items in a casserole dish. Layered as follows:

• 1/2 a bag of frozen collard greens(one pound Save-A-Lot brand)
• One cup shredded chicken(from .59 cent a pound chicken quarters)
• Jar of mushrooms(drained)
• Caramelized onions and garlic(minced from jar)
• Can of seasoned diced tomatoes(Italian or with green chilies: Senora Verde brand - Dollar General)
• Cup of homemade chicken stock and 1/2 a cup of milk
• Remaining half of collard greens

(Poked holes throughout to let soup seep through )

• One 12 ounce bag of shredded cheese( Save-A-Lot brand pizza mix shredded cheese)

Cooked in oven for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees covered, then 20 minutes uncovered. It would have cooked faster if the collard greens were unfrozen. This tasted even better the second night as a leftover.

I cooked this again, and used seasoned black eyed peas(can) in place of the mushrooms, and 1/2 the cheese. Delicious! 

"Like kale, cauliflower and broccoli, collards are descendents of the wild cabbage, a plant thought to have been consumed as food since prehistoric times and to have originated in Asia Minor. From there it spread into Europe, being introduced by groups of Celtic wanderers around 600 B.C. Collards have been cultivated since the times of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations." Read more here at Tea at Trianon. Collards are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and folate.

Classic Children's Short Stories Online

"STORY LOVERS WORLD SOS: SEARCHING OUT STORIES
from Fairy Tales, Folklore, Fables, Nursery Rhymes,
Myths, Legends, Bible and Classics• BARE BONES STORIES
for Storytellers, Teachers, Librarians,
Parents and Grandparents
100 Years of Story Skeletons from Around the World.
Adapted and shortened for easy telling or reading." Click here

HT to Tea at Trianon .

South America Geography Quiz

I found this twelve question online quiz, a nice supplement to Rod & Staff's Understanding Latin America, grade six. Click here.

World War II Map Studies

"In an effort to help people understand the devastation to European cities during World War II, Google has added a number of historical aerial images to their historical imagery feature in Google Earth. Many of the images were taken in 1943 and show the damage done by bombing raids to over 35 cities."
See more here.

Make Your Own Tangrams

Primer of Industry
Author Austin Craig
Publisher World Book Company, 1912
Length 80 pages
Overview(see chapter on Tangrams, scroll down at link to table of contents.
Free to read online and download, and in public domain .

Refashioning a Thrift Store Dress

MJ got this dress off the "Free" rack at a thrift and with a
little ingenuity, she made a custom dress with personality.
See here.

15 Healthy Foods to Have in Your Kitchen

"...Are you stocking your fridge and pantry with the right healthy foods—as in, the ones that give you optimum nutrition for your buck (and shelf space)? Here are the foods to put on your grocery list—and keep there—for a healthy diet." See here.

Because it is Gigantic...

How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about [arithmetic] , and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? 
How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone?
No, a woman’s function is laborious because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.  
~ G. K. Chesterton


HT to Soutenus and LadyLydia 

With a Whole Heart

"O God our God, grant us grace to desire you with a whole heart,
so that desiring you we may seek and find you; and so finding you, may love you; and loving you may hate those sins which separate us from you, for the sake of Jesus Christ." ~  St Anselm of Canterbury(11th century, during William the Conqueror and Henry I)

The Life and Times of St. Anselm: Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Britains
By Martin Rule
Kegan Paul, Trench, 1883
Free to download or read online, and in public domain here.

HT to Micki at A Blessing to Read

Feast Day of St. George

St. George is England's patron saint, as well Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece; and of Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice . He's also patron saint of soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis. In recent years he has been adopted as patron saint of Scouts.

"He was a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and he was one of the Emperor's favorite soldiers. Now Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy to the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded.

We all have some "dragon" we have to conquer. It might be pride, or anger, or laziness, or greediness, or something else. Let us make sure we fight against these "dragons", with God's help. Then we can call ourselves real soldiers of Christ." ~ Catholic Online.

A few interesting free ebooks referencing Saint George in public domain over at Google books and the Baldwin Project:

St. George for England By George Alfred Henty, Gordon Browne, main page here, high school reading level.

Saint George By Elizabeth Oke Gordon, main page here, high school and above.

Heroic Legends By Agnes Grozier Herbertson(Saint George and the Dragon), main page, middle school-high school.

The Book of Saints and Heroes By Andrew Lang. late elementary(The Patron Saint of England) - middle school

The Seven Champions of Christendom By William Henry Giles Kingston, see Table of Contents for several references, middle school and up.

Children's Stories in English Literature from Taliesin to Shakespeare(EDMUND SPENSER AND THE FAERY QUEENE

"...the cross of St. George has in a manner become identified with the idea of knighthood, and even in Elizabeth's days, Spenser, at the beginning of his Faerie Queene, tells us of his hero, the Red Cross Knight:

But on his breast a bloody Cross he bore,
The dear remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweet sake that glorious badge we wore
And dead (as living) ever he adored." ~ Catholic Encyclopedia

The Book of Legends Told Over Again(Saint George and the Dragon), elementary school, about fourth or fifth grade level.

Saint George and the Dragon, elementary school.

Saint George and the Dragon, third grade reader

For the Children's Hour By Carolyn Sherwin Bailey(Stories of Heroism, Saint George and the Dragon), elementary school

In God's Garden by Amy Steadman, Saint George and the Dragon, elementary school(zip file at Librivox)

English Fairy Tales By Flora Annie Webster Steel(St. George of Merrie England), elementary school.

Navigation Tip: If you ever want to get to the main page, click on, "About this book" at the links.

Also search Librivox for these books in free audio form.

Bumped up from last year.

Sewing for Less

Links to tutorials, free clothing and gift patterns, and money saving tips.

Vintage Guidance Book for Young Women(Free ebook)

An interesting peek at the various situations and issues faced by young unmarried American19th century women, and common sense advice(Christian overtones).

 Girls and Women By Harriet E. (AKA E. Chester}
Houghton, Mifflin and Company
The Riverside Press, Cambridge
1890


Free and in public domain.

Contents:
I An Aim in Life
II. Health
III. A Practical Education
IV. Self-Support.—Shall Girls support themselves?
V. Self-Support.—How shall Girls support themselves?
VI. Occupations for the Rich
VII. Culture
VIII. The Essentials of a Lady
IX. The Problem of Charity
X. The Essentials of a Home
XI. Hospitality
XII. Bric-à-brac
XIII. Emotional Women
XIV. A Question of Society
XV. Narrow Lives
XVI. Conclusion.—A Miscellaneous Chapter

Online Map Games

Free map games. We tried the South American map game with 26 questions. A nice little quiz and a great supplement to our South America studies this year. The quizzes open up into another window and load quickly.

Greek Myths For Children

Patrick Henry once said, in his most famous speech :

" It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of Hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that Siren, till she transforms us into beasts."

Now, before you complete the story of Ja'son's Quest you will learn something about the Si'rens, and you will find that though they were very sweet singers, they never did as Patrick Henry supposed. He had confounded them with the story of Cir'ce, of whom you will also read. In fact, although Mr. Henry was a great orator — some even think the greatest that ever lived — he was so neglectful of his studies when a boy, that he sometimes made mistakes in his speeches after he became a man.

Many who are now reading this will some day be called upon to speak in public, and I hope they will then remember some of the myths contained in this little book, and not confuse Cir'ce with the Si'rens. ~ Jason's Quest

Oops! Greek and other myths pop up everywhere. It's good to be familiar with them.

This one is probably geared toward late elementary and early middle school. It is free and in public domain. You may download the book or read it online.

Jason's Quest
Author Daniel Ozro Smith Lowell
Publisher Leach, Shewell & Sanborn, 1893
Length 228 pages
Overview


My son is currently reading The Children's Homer by Padric Colum(middle school)

Kitchen Garden

I am working on this little garden a bit at a time. A few of the baby plants that I grew from seed withered and died while I was sick. Most of them recovered after a good watering. I planted the Roma tomatoes today. Tomorrow, I'll plant the squash.

April in the Garden

Mayapples(spring bloomers only). These popped up naturally in the garden.
Denese has some pictures and information about the mayapples growing in her backyard, the Smoky Mountains.

 Tall white iris( I wish these lasted longer; they are spring bloomers). Purchased a few on ebay years ago, and now I've got too many. These take over, but are perfect in a contained bed under our oak tree. I'll be dividing them in August.

Free and Natural Garden Fertilizer

Used coffee grounds help fertilize the garden and keep away slugs. We get large bags of free used grounds from Starbucks. Just ask if they have any behind the counter.

I'll Be Back...

We've got ear infections and heavy colds. Hopefully we'll all be well, or at least better, by the end of the week.

Homeschool Lesson Plans: 19th Century Lesson Plans for One Room School Houses

I listed this book over at my ebook homeschool library, and thought I'd share it here as well. *Many of the references mentioned within can be found online, and are free to download or read online. I primarily use Google Books to find vintage texts due to the ease of searchability. We use vintage books for elective reading. So many books, so little time! This resource is chock full of ideas for study.

A Course of Study for the Eight Grades of the Common School /Google Books
Excerpt:
The work of the studies in sixth grade consists of a body of closely related materials from literature, history, natural science, geography, and language. Each teacher in this grade should examine the whole course for the year, and, as far as time permits, make a closer acquaintance with the material of the different studies. There is a certain unity which binds them all together and makes them dependent upon one another. On the principle of concentration the topics in the different studies are selected along parallel lines. The history stories of the fifth grade and the colonial history of the sixth grade are closely associated with the literature of the colonial period used as reading matter in the sixth grade. The geography of Europe is intimately linked with the stories of the pioneer explorers in the fifth grade, with the colonial history, and with the literature of Scotland, England, and other countries of Europe used as reading matter in sixth grade, and even earlier. The science lessons at many points touch the geography and history of the same grade closely. The language and composition work should be brought into touch with the most interesting topics in literature, geography, and natural science, so as to make it more real and less formal. Keep in mind always the fitness of the material for the children.




*I've begun working off the lesson plans for each grade, listing available books online in my homeschool library. Just use the search engine on that blog to find particular books.

Eco-Friendly Household Bug Killer

Spring means the ants come marching into our kitchen via the window and through our front door. By chance I sprayed them with some Green Works multi-surface cleaner, and they stopped crawling instantly. Now I spray the counters and door threshold before I go to bed, and they have not come back. Last night a large garden roach made its way into the kitchen. Those things are so big! It took a few sprays, but it took down the huge roach as well. It feels safer using this around children and pets. I need to clean the floors and counters anyway, so I get a head start spraying this on surfaces in the evening.

I buy my Greens Works at Family Dollar. I got a huge stock pile of the stuff when they had a clearance sale, 50% off. A large dilutable bottle usually runs about $3.00.

Printable 50 cent off coupon here.

Make Your Own Yeast With Potatoes

From one of my favorite vintage cook books, Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book, 1920:

HOME-MADE YEAST
Wash four potatoes and then cut in slices, without peeling, and place in saucepan, and add three pints of water. Cook until the potatoes are soft and then add
One-half cupful of hops[whole food stores or home brewing stores online].
Cook slowly for one-half hour. Rub the mixture through a fine sieve and then pour hot mixture on
One and one-half cupfuls of flour,
One tablespoonful of salt,
One-quarter cupful of brown sugar.

Stir until well mixed, beating free from lumps. Cool to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Now add
One yeast cake dissolved in one cupful of water, 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Stir well to mix and then let ferment in a warm place for ten hours. Now pour into jar or crock and store in a cool place.
TO USE
Use one and one-half cups of this mixture in place of the yeast cake. Always stir well before using and take care that the mixture does not freeze. This potato ferment must be made fresh every eighteen days in winter and every twelve days in summer.
[pg 9]

Reportedly, these starters can last for a very long time, often passed from mother to daughter before the days of packaged yeast.

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

We continue to work through our store of frozen shredded chicken after taking advantage of numerous grocery store deals for chicken quarters, all under a dollar a pound. Today's deal was 44 cents a pound at Save-A-Lot for a ten pound bag. Anyway, after you boil it and take the meat from the bones, you end up with shredded chicken, a lot of it! It has been great for my diet, and great for the wallet.

Tonight I took out a one cup pack of frozen shredded chicken, tossed it into my favorite cast iron pan, stared at it for a while, and then decided that I'd smother it in lemon juice, a little oil, and a few dollops of Goya's Recaito in jar(Save-A-Lot), a cilantro based cooking sauce. A little garlic salt, chili powder, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a good helping of soy sauce rounded it off. This was stir fried with some frozen collard greens, and a little frozen mixed vegetables for some color. Leftover white rice(cooked in chicken stock) was added(a little more than a cup), and an egg over the rice, left to cook, and then stir fried into the rest. 

Fast and delicious! This will serve four with large helpings. I will make this again, and may even add a little honey for a sweet, spicy, and lemony blend.

From the Garden...

Fragrant apple blossoms. We've got two apple trees this year, out-skirting a good number of mature oak trees. Last season we got a few small apples off this tree, but nothing substantial. Wild animals pilfered most of them before they matured...hoping for a better harvest this year.

Tonight's Menu: Bourbon Chicken

Chinese Take-In.

Catnip and Lemon Mint Tea

Our lemon mint is coming up everywhere this year, and our small patch of catnip mint came back. Both lemon mint and catnip make wonderful natural cups of hot tea. The catnip is best drunk in the evening as it can make you quiet sleepy and relaxed.

I use freshly picked leaves, at least seven large ones, and simply pour hot water over them in a cup. Steep for about a minute and a half. Remove leaves and serve.

I've made tea combining both mints, just double the recipe for the leaves(seven each). They are compatible, and the flavors complement one and other.

For a garnish, add some lawn violets (from a chemical free lawn) to your cup.

Edible Plants

Save-A-Lot Grocery Store Coupons

 Save-A-Lot Coupons

For store brand butter, flour, sugar, canned goods, coffee, and more. I save about $3.00 - $4.00 a month using these printable coupons. You can print them out multiple times, and so far they have been renewing themselves every quarter.

The discount coffee is not bad at all, especially if you mix a little of the really dark Latino coffee(also from Save-A-Lot) grounds with it.

Christian Eucumenism is Alive and Well

I was sorting laundry this morning, flipping channels on the television when I came upon mass on the TBN(!!!) (Trinity Broadcasting Network) channel. What a lovely surprise! The show is called The Word in the World with Father Mike, Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.(EST) . Our cable subscription does not offer EWTN. Father Mike's show is offered on other cable networks in select states, as well as nationwide on TBN.

TBN is also showing the 1968 movie, The Shoes of the Fisherman with Anthony Quinn on 4/11/10, 7 pm - 11pm PST . It's a little late for me on the East Coast, but I'll have to check this movie out from the library. It has been years since I've seen it. Review at Decentfilms.com.

(Christian ecumenism simply referring to a greater cooperation[toleration] among different religious denominations.)

Payless Shoes 15% Off Online Code

Payless Shoes has carried the same style of my favorite children's sandals year after year. I think I have been purchasing these identical fisherman sandals(at left) for my son since he was four years old. He's twelve now, and I am cycling my four year old through her favorite Payless white sandals. I try to keep it simple because buying shoes can be a real hassle with little ones, especially when you need a wide size.

My husband is not too keen on shoe shopping(or any shopping for that matter) either. Thankfully they are carrying the same style shoe that he found years prior. They've lasted a few years, and they were his favorite sandal. Glad I can reorder another pair.

I purchase Payless shoes online going through Bigcrumbs.com for 4% cashback, then use coupon codes and BOGO offers. Delivery is free for store pickup, although I've found it to be slow.

15% off online order, coupon code is 30584, and expires 4/30/10. There is a BOGO sale on right now as well.

Shoe shopping for the warmer months is done, and I didn't need to leave the house! Unfortunately, I never seem to find anything that comfortably fits me at Payless, so I shop ebay for the hard wearing yet feminine Born brand(Swedish) sandals.

Country Style Stir Fry Turkey Dinner

Whole turkeys have been 65 cents a pound at our local Target for the past few weeks. I've bought at least three of them. Tonight we had turkey stir fry which was made with some leftover turkey( about 5 ounces chopped), and a leftover cooked vegetable mix of collard greens, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, and a bag of frozen stir fry mixed vegetables. This was stir fried together with some white rice made the night before in some chicken stock. Along with the white rice I added a little of Tony Chachere's dirty rice($1.00) mix from Dollar General.

I tossed all ingredients into my favorite large cast iron pan with a little oil and heated it up, stirring often. Not only was this a fast dish, but it was delicious, and the key to the flavoring was the dirty rice. The dirty rice is very spicy, so a little goes a long way. I mix about a third of it with regular rice.

A Few Good Deals

I had family visiting during much of March, so I didn't get to post about this, but Sears had/has some fabulous end of season sales for children's clothes and bed linens. I got a good number of outfits for under a dollar, 80%+ off that where in larger sizes(buying ahead) for my daughter. We also needed to get some new sheets and pillows which were also on clearance. If you go to Sears.com, you'll be able to join their savings club and get coupons right away. I'll make another trip there at the end of the summer for their clearance sale.

Big Lots continues to be a good source of grocery savings. I go there at least once a month for inexpensive large jars and cans of all natural tomato and spaghetti sauce. They are usually $1.00 or close to a dollar. This past month they had $10.00 Crocs, so I bought a pair for my son.

Grocery store frozen chicken sales continue to be good. I've been getting 10 pound bags of frozen chicken quarters for 39 - 65 cents a pound, which nets me about eight cups of cooked shredded chicken and a quart or more of chicken stock. I freeze one cup packs of the shredded chicken in plastic wrap. If I add a pack of shredded chicken to veggies and/or beans it combines into literally dozens of different dishes for dinner. It's very fast to defrost, many times I just begin cooking it frozen, a real timesaver. Save-A-Lot has been offering these deals, as well as Bottom Dollar and Food Lion.

I try to purchase as many schools materials online at ebay before I buy any of them new. This year I was a little less successful than in years past, but I still was able to purchase about 50% of our curriculum "used" online. The cost of the materials was very low despite the unavailability of some subjects. The higher grades are becoming more difficult to find secondhand. I'm still using Bigcrumbs.com for a rebate when I purchase items at Ebay. I earn 36% back on the seller's fees - not a lot, but every bit counts. Ebay also has their own cash back savings, so I earn a little there as well, not to mention my purchases are tax free. We buy new curriculum from the very reliable, Rod & Staff Books which is having a 10% sale on curricula until 4/15/09.

Printable Spring Paper Doll

Click on image to enlarge and print.

HT to The Paper Doll Collector

He is Risen!

Easter blessings and the Lord's peace to all my readers.

We rise with Him to walk in the newness of life..dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
~ Word Incarnate

Holy Saturday

635 Christ went down into the depths of death(purgatory) so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."485 Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage."486 Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys of Death and Hades", so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."487

Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead."488

Holy Saturday

Holy Thursday

"And there appeared to Him an angel from Heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer." Luke 22:43