Homeschooling in the Garden State

SOPA STRIKE

2012-01-18T11:20:00.002-05:00

Congress is about to vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). If passed, this bill will allow the United States government to censor the Internet. Please Take Action Now!

Hanukkah Fun

2011-12-21T22:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Hanukkah !!

We had a little Hanukkah celebration with some of our homeschool friends today.
Our contribution was the Sufganiot. Princess read me the recipe, I did the cooking.

They were not too bad for my first try.

Ollie was hoping at least one of the five kids would drop something for him.

They had lots of fun

Possibly learned a thing or two

It was a great day!!

uDraw and Box Tops for Education

2011-11-29T20:48:00.005-05:00

I know a lot of my homeschool friends love using the uDraw tablet from THQ.My Princess certainly does!

My friends at THQ have asked me to let you know that they have teamed up with General Mills to help support America’s schools through its newly introduced eBoxTops® “Click & Earn” Box Tops for Education® program.

From now until December 31, participants who simply view a uDraw commercial and answer a quick survey here

and earn three eBoxTops® credits toward their designated school, no purchase necessary.

According to General Mills,the Box Tops for Education® program has earned America’s schools more than $400 million since the program started in 1996, including $59 million last school year.More than 90,000 K-8 schools are enrolled in the program and each school can earn up to $60,000 every year.

“THQ has always been a proponent of helping children and supporting education,” said Martin Good, executive vice president, Kids, Family and Casual Games at PlayTHQ^®. “We are delighted that uDraw, our drawing and gaming device that encourages creativity and appreciation for the arts in kids, is the first interactive video game product to be featured with the Box Tops for Education® program. This is a great beginning to what we hope to become a long-term partnership with General Mills.”

Check out worldofudraw for more information about uDraw and the current uDraw games.

Stop SOPA Censorship is NEVER the answer

2011-11-17T22:08:00.003-05:00

Censorship .

What an ugly word. To many pf us living in my region, this is something that used to happen.

Not part of our daily lives. Something they do in China. Not in the United States.

Today, Congress held hearings on the first American Internet censorship system.This bill can pass. If it does the Internet and free speech will never be the same.Join us to stop this bill.

Think this won't affect you? Censorship affects us all.

Under this bill it will become a felony with a potential 5 year sentence to stream a copyrighted work that would cost more than$2,500.00 to license, even if you are a totally noncommercial user,e.g. singing a pop song on Facebook.Thousands of sites that are legal under the DMCA would face new legal threats.

People trying to keep the Internet more secure wouldn't be able to rely on the integrity of the DNS system.

How does website blocking sound? Under this bill the government can order service providers to block websites for infringing links posted by any users. Read more here.

I am asking all of you to take action on this.

Out and About

2011-11-03T20:11:00.000-04:00

We have been home since Sunday morning when I woke up sick, but today was Homeschool Soccer,
so off we went.

Princess did not want to play soccer,

but she wanted to play with her friends.

It was nice to be out in fresh air, even if I was freezing for most of the day.

The kids did not look cold.

We had a nice warm lunch when we got home.

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App !

2011-11-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

This past Friday, Princess and I took the train into New York City

to attend a luncheon announcing the new Mo Willems app...

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!

Princess was delighted, because she has been,"waiting her entire life"(yes, all 9 years!)

to travel into New York City .

The luncheon was held at the Magnolia Bakery. It was too crowded to get pictures inside worth
posting. (Sorry my cupcake loving readers)
Held by Disney Publishing Worldwide, we enjoyed checking out the new app as we ate lunch.

Princess was disappointed to see there were no children her age, and had started to complain until she started playing with the app. She loved it!

Then Mo Willems himself came in and told us a bit about the app.There have always been a long list of things the Pigeon can't do- drive the bus, stay up late, eat a hot dog. With this interactive app the list will continue to grow as children decide what the Pigeon will try to do next. Mr. Willems played a lead role in the design,writing,and illustrating of the app.He also gives voice to the Pigeon and, in the app's drawing tutorial, he guides children in the exploration and illustration of their own pigeons.With kids in creative control, the app brings new surprises and an enriching reading and playtime experience each time they play.

Mr Willems talked about putting a lot of thought into finding a way to use the technology as an interactive tool for children.

"Interactivity has always been a key to the Pigeon books," said Mr Willems,

"Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!" takes that interactivity to the point where the child is not only the audience, but the author as well.. I can't wait to see what awesome ideas kids will come up with.They're going to put the Pigeon through the wringer!"

Features of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App!” include:

A fully animated storytelling experience inspired by the award-winning children’s book series;
A starring appearance by the Pigeon, voiced by Mo!
Three unique storytelling modes so that readers can enjoy limitless one-of-a-kind Pigeon stories;

Read-along option;
Ability to personalize the content with readers own voice;

Shake the Pigeon to start the stories;
A Pigeon drawing tutorial with Mo;

“Favorite stories” section where readers can create their own personal libraries.
Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App is available for $6.99 from the App Store

He took questions and signed books and posed for pictures.

We received some lovely gifts for attending as well. This great tote bag .

It was filled with Mo Willems products (which Princess really enjoyed on the train ride home!)

My only regret at attending? Now Princess knows just how close we live to New York City.

"Now we can go all the time!"

Can't wait. ;-)

Giveaway winner

2011-11-01T10:59:00.001-04:00

We put all your names in a hat

The winner is Shana!!!

I hope you enjoyed the craft show with Ava.
Princess and I didn't get to attend due to the storm that blew in Saturday.
Snow in October?!? Who expected that?
Thanks to everyone who participated.

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival Ticket Giveaway

2011-10-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again....my lovely friends at Sugarloaf Crafts have sent me tickets to the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival taking place in Somerset,NJ .

Starting Oct 28 through October 30th 2011

With puppet shows by Middle Earth Studios for the kids (4 shows each day!)

and musical performances by Ngu Mbandi , craft demos by stone sculptors and copper spinners,

potters and so much more! Princess loves to walk around and talk to all artisans and find out why they were drawn to the art form they create. Want to know who will be there selling what?

Click here for a list of exhibitors. Don't worry my foodie friends...there are plenty of vendors for you as well...see here for a list.

If you would like to win two tickets to the show leave me a comment here.

Want another chance? "Follow me". Be sure to leave me a comment telling me so it gets counted.

The contest starts now and I will have my Princess pick a winner out of her witches hat on Wednesday morning so I can mail you the tickets! C'mon and enter now to win. I will be there as well on Sunday! Thanks again to my friends at Sugarloaf Crafts for sending me tickets again this year, not only to give away on both blogs, but a pair for me as well!

Homeschool Field Trip

2011-10-12T10:45:00.017-04:00

Princess and I recently joined our homeschool group for a class called

Happiness is a Horseshoe Crab at the NJ Sea Grant Consortium.

The instructor read a book about horseshoe crabs, passed around some "sheds"

for the kids to look at and some mysterious substance in a bottle that looks like the famous blue horseshoe crab blood! That was a big hit with Princess. He went over a life sized model of a full grown female and took questions as well.

Then it was craft time!

Off we went to the bay side to Seine . The kids all helped carry the above equipment.

Have I ever mentioned how much we LOVE Sandy Hook?

Down to the bay side we went.

The tide was especially high due to a new moon, so parent volunteers were requested

for the seining. I am the one in the Farm Aid hat. ;-)

The gear kept us warm and dry and it was fun. (Special thanks to one of my favorite HS Mom's Michelle O. for taking pics while I waded out into the bay with the net. )

The high tide made it harder to get any good catches, but the kids enjoyed the jellies,

and hermit crabs and such. Putting anything "alive" into a bucket of sea water to be studied.
These were all returned to the ocean before we moved on.

Then we had a beach walk and learned about all the shells and creatures and plants we came across.

Our time ended as the rain began. Nothing beats a great day at the beach!

Princess's 9th Birthday

2011-10-03T23:12:00.000-04:00

Our little Princess turned 9. Nine. NINE. Can you believe it?
I can't. I feel like we just got started on this Mother/Daughter journey.
She started out so small. Not quite 5 lbs, 15 inches long.
She is almost as tall as I am now and I can no longer carry her to bed if she falls
when she falls asleep on the couch.

She loves, art, Elvis, sharks, hot chocolate, pizza, running through a sprinkler,chicken, calamari, swimming,ribs, watching movies, playing wii, soft rain, when the lights go out, singing, dancing, playing computer games,ghosts, aliens, horseshoe crabs, music, playing basketball, chocolate milk,mangoes,guacamole,
the beach, sunsets, snow, chocolate chip cookies, spaghetti and meatballs, celery,vanilla ice cream, green beans,
watermelon, pickles,potato chips,Judy Moody, collage art, cats, hot pink, Paris, swings, riding her bike, green olives, bacon, playing tennis with her Dad, soccer, mowing the lawn, warm baths, hot showers, making sandwiches for her Daddy, her friends.
All of them. If you are one of her friends, you are a BFF. It's the only kind she has.
She loves her family with all her heart too. We are lucky to have her.
So are you..you just might not know it yet. She makes the world a better place just by being in it.

2011-09-27T15:49:00.001-04:00

In honor of National Hunger Month, Peapod is launching a virtual food bank.For every item a customer purchases from a list of nearly 20 products, Peapod will donate that same item to local food banks in the communities it serves. Up to $5,000.00.In addition, Peapod is continuing its Kids Give Back Program, which launched in 2010. Kids Give Back is a grassroots educational initiative that teaches students about nutrition and math, while supporting their community food bank.
Items include a variety of healthy, non-perishable items such as Nature's Promise Naturals Cranberry Juice, Nature's Promise Naturals Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Nature's Promise Organics Green Beans.

The food banks in the Northeast that will benefit from the Virtual Food Drive include:

•Greater Boston Food Bank

•Rhode Island Community Food Bank

•Community Food Bank of New Jersey

•Connecticut Food Bank

•Island Harvest ( Long Island , NY )

•The Food Bank of NYC

•Food Bank for Westchester

Peapod is also excited to kick off the new school year with the continuation of its growing Kids Give Back Program. Launched in 2010, Kids Give Back is a grassroots educational initiative that teaches students about nutrition and math, while supporting their community food bank.

Peapod partners with regional fourth and fifth grade classrooms, donating up to $500 in Peapod gift cards to be used to purchase food for the students’ local food bank. Working with teachers to complement curriculum, Peapod shares nutrition and math tips that help students make the most nutritious and financially sound purchase decisions.

To date, Peapod has developed programs with classrooms in Massachusetts , Rhode Island , Connecticut and New York with plans to expand to states like New Jersey and Illinois in year two. Teachers with an interest in participating should contact kidsgiveback@peapod.com.

I love when companies I support, support my community in meaningful ways.Won't you help Peapod make a difference in the growing issue of hunger in our community?

Back from our Summer Break

2011-09-21T15:03:00.009-04:00

Summer was busy here in our little corner of the Garden State.

dinner's at the beach with friends and family

Princess loves playing in the tidal pool.

Game filled sleep overs with Peanut (who just started 1st grade!)

Celebrating Birthdays with our friends..

Jammin' with Farmer Dad

We will celebrate Princess's 9th Birthday on Sunday, and then the following Monday will see us

starting 4th Grade. Care to follow along on our journey? We hope you will.

((HUGS)) KateinNJ

Winner in the Jet Blue Soar with Reading Giveaway

2011-07-26T09:52:00.003-04:00

The winner of my Jet Blue Soar with Reading giveaway is

Janet Costello of I Blog 4 Boys !

Janet and her boys will be enjoying their gift pack soon thanks to Jet Blue and PBS kids and Random House Children's Books !

I love books! I was so happy to participate in this giveaway and the Soar with Reading program.

If you haven't already done so, please check out the newly launched

Soar with Reading.com to download a free reading activity kit, create a summer reading list and log your children's reading minutes. For every reader who registers at Soar with Reading.com,

Jet Blue will make a book donation to a child through First Book, up to 10,000 books!!

Maybe your children have enough books (is there such a thing??), so you didn't take part in the giveaway, so stop on over at First Books and make a donation yourself. ;-)

Be sure to check in with what Janet and her boys are doing over at her blog,

I Blog 4 Boys too. You won't regret it. I am not just saying that because I read it,

I have been lucky enough to meet Janet and her boys in real life and she rocks!

Win with the Jet Blue Soar with Reading Launch Giveaway

2011-07-15T13:11:00.007-04:00

Jet Blue is launching "Soar with Reading" a reading program with partner PBS Kids.

The program aims to keep children reading wherever they go this summer with a combination

of in-flight and online literacy resources,community reading events and partnerships with

"First Book", a nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in need.

At the core of the program is the newly launched Soar with Reading.com, where parents can download a free reading activity kit, create a summer reading list and log their children's reading minutes, as well as other activities. For every reader who registers on Soar with Reading.com,

Jet Blue will make a book donation to a child through First Book, up to 10,000 books!!

Jet Blue is also sending crew members out to volunteer at kid friendly events at local libraries all across the country. These global guides will read books to kids, share stories about their job and their exciting travel adventures.

Additionally, the campaign will support public libraries. At SoarwithReading.com, families can vote for their favorite library in the Soar with Reading Sweepstakes. The winning library will receive $10,000 worth of children's books courtesy of Jet Blue and Random House Children's Books. If you enter the winning library, YOU will have a chance to win a trip to Atlantis!

In case your family is not travelling Jet Blue this summer, they have graciously provided me

with an in-flight reading kit to share with one lucky reader this month!

(They also sent one for my little Princess to enjoy..and she loves it!!)

To win, just sign up for Soar with Reading and leave me a comment telling me the

title of your favorite children's book. I will close the contest out on July 22, 2011 at 11:59 pm est.

I will pull the winners name out of the back pack at 9am July 23, 2011 (est)

Peapod Delivers

2011-06-28T23:01:00.010-04:00

My friends at Peapod asked me to try to get as many people as possible to "like" them on Facebook.

For every new "like" they get up until July 1,2011 they will donate $1.00 to local food banks up

to $5,000.00!! They will donate an extra $5,000.00 if they get 25,000 fans before July 1,2011 !!

Now more than ever our local food banks need this money. Let's do what we can to make it happen.

Leave a comment here as well as following the instructions on the Peapod Delivers Facebook page and you could win a Peapod gift card!

Who wouldn't love that?? Have all you can do to get the kids and their stuff loaded in the minivan?Knock grocery shopping off your to-do list and go get a pedicure.(You can thank me later)

Now you can have Peapod delivery it all to your shore house for you! They have everything from food to sunscreen and magazines to read on the beach or in your hammock. How cool is that?

They deliver to the following beaches: New Hampshire,Ma Shore (North and South Shore),Cape Cod,

Block Island,Fisher's Island,Shelter Island,Ct coast,RI coast,Hamptons to Montauk,Jersey Shore,

to Toms River,Fire Island to Sayville Ferry.

You don't even have to feel guilty about enjoying yourself, because you are helping Peapod Delivers help hungry families in their time of need by "liking" them on Facebook!

They are also going to send one of my lucky readers who "like" them and leave a comment here with a $25.00 gift card as well. So make good use of all that Facebook time and let's raise some money for the food banks. Simply "like" Peapod Deilvers on Facebook and leave me a message here by June 30th at 11:59PM( EST).

I will have a drawing on July 1st at 2 pm to pick my winner!!

Good Luck!!

Summer is here

2011-06-23T12:38:00.005-04:00

In the Garden State, that means we head down the shore...

We spent the Summer Solstice at Sandy Hook...as we do every year.

Dinner always tastes better on the beach!

We stayed until sunset...

it is one of my favorite places on the planet.

June is officially National Great Outdoors Month.

Public lands across the nation are celebrating by hosting educational fairs,

recreational events and volunteer activities all month long.

National Public Lands Day is Sept 24Th

The Princess and I are considering hosting an event over the summer

to celebrate. I will keep you posted when we have a cohesive plan!

Homeschool Soccer

2011-05-14T18:50:00.004-04:00

Picky, picky. Did you notice I stopped taking pictures by the time they were actually playing?

Princess is having a lot of fun playing homeschool soccer. It is a great bunch of people involved.

Easter Craft for Earth Day

2011-04-22T13:46:00.006-04:00

I keep intending to post about this craft I came up with for the girls a week or two ago..Decoupage eggs. We have tons of plastic "Easter" eggs around here, and scraps of paper.
I thought we could re-use them and be kind to the Earth and my budget while making a fun
and possibly "keepsake" quality Easter decoration.

To make these you will need

white glue (we used about a cup of Elmer's but you can use less)

2 cups of water (separate)

paint brushes

crayons

scrap paper

plastic eggs

scissors

covering for your work surface (optional)

First, I gave the girls scrap paper to decorate with crayons.While they were coloring,

I mixed one cup of the water with one cup of the glue in a glass jar.(the other cup of water was to keep our brushes clean)Once the girls colored the paper, they cut them into small strips of varying sizes.

I liked them at 1 or 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. We did not measure it,

I just let them cut the paper up.We used a paint brush to apply a layer of glue on the plastic egg, then added a strip of paper at a time, covering it with more glue as we went on. We let them dry and then covered with another layer of glue.

I enjoyed this more than the girls did. Peanut found the glue "icky" and

Princess was not in the mood to follow the craft directions...she wanted to

make them her own way. She is " ..a much better artist than crafter". lol.

I hope if you try this craft at home you will let us know how it went.

Happy Easter!! ((BIG HUGS))KateinNJ

Down the Shore

2011-04-19T10:42:00.004-04:00

Homeschool soccer started last Thursday, but we missed it due to some

disorganization on my part. I left my purse at home and had no id or money on

me when we got to the park. We were early, so we got back in the truck and drove back

home, after hitting every single light, we were now late for soccer. Princess was not

pleased with my error. I redeemed myself by suggesting a drive down the shore.

We love Sandy Hook, especially off season.We picked up lunch on the way and since

our "beach bag" is always in the back of the truck..we were prepared for a fun day

spent collecting treasures..Building sand castles...and just enjoying the beautiful spring day...

I hope I taught my Princess that some days life doesn't go as planned, but you can always decide to enjoy where you end up. ;-)

((BIG HUGS))KateinNJ

Cranes for Kids to help Japan

2011-04-04T11:48:00.005-04:00

Carters and Osh Kosh B'Gosh have a Cranes for Kids

program to help the children of Japan. For every crane you make they will send an article of clothing to the children of Japan affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

You can pick up a crane making kit at your local Osh Kosh store or download instructions here for kids 3-8 use these. They also have a video showing you how to do it here.

Once you make your crane bring it to any Osh Kosh store through April 25,2011

and get 10% off any purchase made that day! You can also take a picture of your crane and upload it to facebook.com/oshkoshbgosh

or mail it to them at:

Cranes for Kids

Osh Kosh B'Gosh

One Waterview Drive

Shelton,Ct 06484

In Japanese culture,cranes are a powerful symbol of health

and well wishes. The Japanese believe that anyone who makes a 1,000

origami cranes will have a wish granted. The origami cranes delivered to

Osh Kosh stores will be sent to the Osh Kosh stores in Japan as a show

of caring and support.Osh Kosh will donate up to 50,000 pieces of clothing.

I know I have some origami paper around here somewhere, so Princess,

Peanut and I are going to get started watching the videos and try our hand at it.

I think this is a great way to allow the kids to feel like they are doing something

positive to help out during this tragic time. Will you join us?

We'd love to see what you make..send us the link to your blog with pics in the comments

or e-mail me with a pic and I will re-post with your permission.

((BIG HUGS))KateinNJ

Happy Saint Patrick s Day

2011-03-17T21:28:00.005-04:00

Our St Patrick's Day started like all the others... Princess reading the scroll left on her bed from the Leprechaun.
It gives her the first hint in her Rainbow Hunt.

The first hint this year was ..Behind a pillow that is red..placed upon a Princess's bed.

The note placed there said go find the cup decorated with orange..

beneath which she found..within some yellow blooms right here in this room..The daffodils hid a note that said..next to the sink

is a blue dish that holds neither food nor drink

Which told her to put her wee hand in the pocket of her Momma's

indigo jeans where she found her last clue..

Your prize will be found in a bag of violet

sitting upon the bed of a cat.

We took the prize (a craft set,nail polish and small bag of chocolate covered coconut jelly bellys)

and opened it up while we ate some Irish soda bread fresh out of the oven.

We hope you all had the Luck of the Irish with you today, or at least a wee bit of fun. ;-)

We sure did.

Goings on in our little corner of the Garden State

2011-03-12T09:02:00.006-05:00

We've been busy so far this month...spring cleaning ...preparing for the gardening season..
Visiting with Baby X-man...

Princess and Peanut even had a day with Little Man.

We have been doing a lot of chillin' at home with the Kitties..here is Pumpkin
to the left of my computer is his favorite spot.And of course we've been doing a bit of baking as well... What have you been doing?

Camp Katie Day March 2011

2011-03-10T08:59:00.004-05:00

The girls played outside for a bit...

Then they decorated some shamrocks I cut out of green foam.

I am still finding glitter....;-).

A little more love in the world

2011-03-04T13:48:00.005-05:00

My Peanut and Baby X man's Mom, had a little girl.

Isn't she lovely?

We have been waiting for her arrival

and can't wait for them to come home from

the hospital so we can spend time with them both. Baby Xman is anxious to "help" with his baby sister.He already loves her !!

President's Day

2011-02-21T13:01:00.002-05:00

Is this a "school" day in your homeschool?
Does today count as a "holiday"?
How do you work with or around your local school schedule?
Farmer Dad has a day off today, but Peanut's Mom does not,
so it is a "school day" here. Don't ask the girls what the difference is,
I doubt they can tell you. Some days they count worksheets (yes we do them
when we feel like it) coloring sheets, painting, the books we read and documentaries
we watch as school. Some days they just say they had fun all day playing even if we
do all of the above. The difference is how much they were into what we were doing
and if they asked to "do school" before I set it all out.
I am pretty sure Farmer Dad thinks we just hang out and play all day, since whenever
he asks Princess she says she was playing all day or hanging out with other homeschooled kids
having fun. I will ask him if he didn't notice the pile of work spread out on the dining room table,
as it is too cold to be in our "classroom" this time of year, but he always thinks it is the same pile of papers from the day before. Most of the time that doesn't bother me. I know how much she is learning, but some days I admit , I would like to throw my lesson planner at him.
Please tell me I am not alone? However you are spending it, Happy President's Day!

Thrifting Finds

2011-02-19T21:59:00.002-05:00

Princess and I spent Valentines Day

doing what we love. Thrifting.

We found some great stuff ....

Show your love for Family Farmers

2011-02-14T11:09:00.002-05:00

Love your family farms?
Tired of Big Agra Business?
Show your love for farm fresh food..take action today.

Happy Valentines Day!!

((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ

Happy New Year 2011

2011-02-10T18:29:00.003-05:00

We've been playing in the snow, so there has been little time to blog.

I will make more of an effort. I promise.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T16:02:00.004-05:00

From our little family in our little corner of the Garden State to you and yours

wherever you are...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ

Holiday Baking

2010-12-23T15:40:00.003-05:00

Princess and I got the baking supplies together and invited my sister and her daughters
and her grandson over for an afternoon of baking. We got out the recipe for Uncle Bob's kiefle and got started.

We rolled, cut and filled the dough. "Mr Chris" sang and played Princess's

little guitar while we giggled and baked. We all had fun and the girls all learned

a bit of family history and how to make a cookie or two.

From our family here in our little corner of the Garden State to you and yours

wherever you are...May your holidays, just like these cookies, be filled with sweetness and love !!!

((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ

Homeschool Days at The Adventure Aquarium

2010-12-18T18:59:00.011-05:00

Thursday we joined some of our homeschool peeps at
Homeschool Days at Adventure Aquarium in Camden,NJ. They pet sharks

hugged the "little brother" of our homeschool group...

checked out all he cool exhibits...

They really enjoyed all the sharks..."Look! It's a Hammerhead!!"

a Sea Turtle..

The aquarium was decorated for the holidays..

The sting rays were fun..they really enjoyed splashing us!

This big one was very friendly!

We all enjoyed them once they had their 15 minute break.

Princess's BFF...

and her little Bro..

Our Three Sea Critters.

Petting the jelly fish..

petting the Sea Stars..

Another "photo opportunity".

Loved this!

The Hippoes!!

These ladies were amazing and we all agreed we would have been happy to just sit near them

all day.

"Leap Hippo" anyone?

They came out of the water to eat some hay..

We were very lucky to see them at an active stage in their day.

It's too bad the kids didn't enjoy the aquarum as much as we did...lol.

Shark!!

Seriously....too bad it wasn't fun for them.lol

LOOK..Hammerhead!!!

Love the shark tunnel!!

We all did. We hit the gift shop and then retrieved our coats from our lockers

before heading outside to see the seals and penguins.

It was freezng and snowing..the penguins wanted no part of it (they are African penguins).

Only a couple came outside to see us.
The seals were not bothered at all, and enjoyed the frozen blocks of fish.

Princess enjoyed trying to catch snow on her tongue.

It was a great day!!

The ride home was treachorous and we were happy to arrive home safely to no snow near us.

Farmer Dad is on vacation for the rest of the year, so we will have more projects around the house and more road trips. I will do my best to keep posting.

((HUGS)) KateinNJ

Free movie ticket and appetizer coupon!

2010-12-10T16:47:00.003-05:00

AMC Menlo Park Pre-Opening

Offer!! Free Movie and free appetizer with purchase of an entree

for this weekend. Leave a comment and let me know what movie you go to see.

Coupon for free movie and appetizer!

2010-12-10T15:56:00.002-05:00

Hello all my New Jersey readers
AMC Menlo Park is having a Pre Opening special for their
Dine- In Theatres this weekend. Click here to print your coupon for a
free movie and a free appetizer with entree purchase.

Leave a comment and let me know what movie you picked to see!

Camp Katie Day December 2010

2010-12-02T08:18:00.011-05:00

Today Bella and Jules came for Camp Katie Day with Princess.The girls played some chess, climbed the compost pile,made fairy houses...

We did this using this

AND THIS

We had lunch and cupcakes. Read books, sang songs, and just plain had fun.

((HUGS))KateinNJ

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-30T11:18:00.009-05:00

The day before we spent with my Great Nephew, Baby X-man.
He loves the kitties, especially Alley. Princess has been crafting up a storm.

We decided to make name tags for Thanksgiving dinner at my God Daughter's house.Princess traced Baby X-man's little hands to use as a template.

We traced it onto scrapbooking paper and wrote all the guests names on them.

We also made a keepsake for his Mom.Princess made the feet and beak and waddle.but X-man colored his own "feathers" in.He was so proud to give this to his Mommy!

Cousin love.

X-man being "mr. ray"

"Now, Zia...take my picture..I'm Mr Ray!!"

We hope your Thanksgiving was filled with a bit of crafting, a bit of cooking and lots of love!!

Just a bunch of unsocialzed homeschoolers

2010-11-28T23:17:00.005-05:00

The "younger brother" in our homeschool play group just turned 4.

What happens when you fill a firehouse with homeschoolers?

A lot of fun!! Seriously one of the most fun kid's birthday parties EVER!!

Cutest fireman of the day????

Our little Finn of course !!

Talk about melting a heart!!

We love Finn and hope his life is as happy as his 4th Birthday party!

Team in Training

2010-11-17T19:43:00.003-05:00

My good friend Rebecca recently joined
the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training
raising money to put a stop to leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma
and myeloma. This became quite personal
this past year when her brother Billy lost his battle against leukemia.
If you would like to know more about Team in Training, please follow the links
to Rebecca's page. If you have ever lost a loved one to one of these diseases,
or feel really lucky not to have lost a loved one to one of these diseases, please consider
donating. Yes..there is a link for that too.:-) This the season to be thankful, and we can all be thankful that people like Rebecca are willing to do something to make the world a better place for us all. What are you going to do? Here's that link again...
((BIG HUGS)) Katein NJ

Camp Katie Day Nov 2010

2010-11-17T12:30:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since we had a Camp Katie Day here in our corner of the Garden State. Yesterday, Princess and Peanut were happily surprised when Bella and Jules
arrived for a full on Thanksgiving themed Camp Katie Day. Seriously happy.
Hugging for 15 minutes happy. We have all seen each other at birthday parties and play dates,
but an official Camp Katie Day is different apparently.

The girls made "plates of food" and such.

discussed holiday plans..

played outside, ate lunch, watched part of a movie (Ponyo), went back outside to act it out..

Princess came in cold, put a sweater over her long sleeve shirt (odd for her), sat on a chair outside

for a while and came in shivering and pale. I put her on the couch with a blanket and she fell asleep. The girls all came in and sat near her watching the rest of Ponyo while having snacks.

She woke up to say goodbye to Bella and Jules, had a bowl of soup with Peanut, fell back asleep.

Peanut woke her up to say goodbye, when her protests to stay were ignored by the adults

(loyal..she is), she had soup, fell asleep woke up when Farmer Dad got home, threw up,

slept...it went on until 11pm when we all went to bed. She was up at 6:30am and feeling better,

although still not 100%. Due to her surprise illness, I didn't get a photo of the craft,

but they had fun making it. I'm pretty sure that was the point.lol

Mama made a fresh pot of chicken soup..time to feed my sick little Princess.

((Big Hugs)) KateinNJ

Art in the afternoon

2010-11-10T21:31:00.008-05:00

The girls like to spend the afternoons painting or drawing in

a similar style to whatever artist we are learning about.

Frida Kahlo is our artist of choice right now.

The book is Frida by Jonah Winter with illusrations by Ana JuanWe started reading about her to prepare for Dios de los muertos,

and Princess has become a bit obsessed with her art.

You might notice we have made a couple of changes in our schoolroom

to accommodate a side board from my Grandmother's house.

It is working much better.The lights on the chair have been hung finally..

makes it brighter as the days get shorter. How are you making the shorter days

a bit brighter.((Big Hugs)) Kate in NJ

Hope you had fun

2010-11-01T20:17:00.002-04:00

We had a busy weekend filled with fun here in our corner of the Garden State.

The Sugar Loaf Crafts Festival was a blast.

Princess loved seeing all the craftsman and women and artists.

The various potters and sculptors. She wants to learn to weld.

If this information doesn't scare any of you...you haven't been paying attention!

We spent hours there, and she could have stayed longer, plying the man making batik prints

with questions about why he doesn't use local trees for his inks (they make different colors

than the trees from his homeland) why his frames have no glass (the fabric needs to breath).

Discussing watercolor techniques with a painter who asked her to come back the next day and bring some of her work for him to see (it was Halloween..we did not). He was delighted to talk

about his art. Having the discussion with such a young and opinionated art lover appeared to double the delight.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. Perhaps my ticket giveaway winner, Samantha,

will forward me her pictures. If so, I will post them. If you missed the craft show this time around,

check out the web site here, to find out when they will be back. If you don't live in our area, check out hen they might be near you. Sunday we celebrated Halloween

with our favorite nurse and her family..more fun!(that post is coming..I promise)

Whatever you all did....I hope you had fun too.

((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ

Blog Contest Extended

2010-10-28T23:55:00.002-04:00

I had more tickets than I realized and I had comments on moderation..
so let's extend it and I can meet you at the show with the tickets.

Blog Giveaway

2010-10-27T13:21:00.005-04:00

Blog Giveaway..my friend's at Himmelrich PR

have sent me tickets for the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival

being held Oct 29,30,31, 2010 in Somerset,NJ.

If you would like to attend, leave me a comment

and I will pick a winner out of my cauldron Thursday

at noon. If you don't win and you still want to go click here

to buy tickets of your own at a discount.

There are always tons of great vendors , craft demos ,musical entertainment and even fun stuff

for the kids to do. We always have fun!

Halloween Jack O Lantern Crafts

2010-10-21T19:19:00.001-04:00

Paper Jack O' Lanterns

One of my favorite Halloween crafts starts with two sheets of orange construction paper and one of black...Simply cut the two sheets of orange into strips and then two jack o lantern smiles

out of the piece of black..as well as two sets of triangles for the eyes.

Then start stapling the strips together two at a time like Princess did, or tape them as Peanut did.After you attach them at one end..P says it looks like a star or flower..do the same at the other end

so they are spherical. Note:younger children,like Peanut, may need you to hold the pieces together for them. I stapled hers together after she taped so it was sturdier.Then use a glue stick to attach the "face".I happened to have some black plastic string for bead necklaces, Princess used a hole punch in the top to run the string through, and I did the same on Peanut's

then we put a green wooden bead on the top, but you can skip this...we just happened to have two of them. ;-) We hung them in the school room. We hope you have as much fun making them as we did.

Happy Halloween !! ((Big Hugs))KateinNJ

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T09:32:00.004-04:00

McDonalds Happy Meals in San Francisco

2010-10-18T10:20:00.004-04:00

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee recently voted 3-0 in

favor of an ordinance to limit toy giveaways in children's meals that have excessive calories,sodium and fat.The measure is coming to a full vote this week.

Supervisor Bevan Duffy is the swing vote, and if you live in the San Francisco area and care

about this issue, please contact Supervisor Duffy by clicking here.

If you would like more information on this topic please click here.

McDonalds spends a lot of money to get their point of view across

however, I believe Margaret Mead had it right when she said,

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people

can change the world.Indeed, it is he only thing that ever has."

This is also not about trying to make parents feel guilty about

feeding fast food to their children, so please let that go.

((Hugs)) KateinNJ

Marcal Fall Foliage Contest

2010-10-12T20:46:00.003-04:00

Hello my people!

Do I still have people?

I have been super crazy busy here in our

little corner of the Garden State and trying to blog it all has

proven daunting. Don't you just love Autumn? I sure do..the food and fun festivals

the changing of the trees. I love trees!

I wanted to take a moment today to tell you all about a fun contest over at

Marcal ..they have named themselves the "Official Sponsor of Fall Foliage".

I like Marcal paper products because they make their 100% recycled tissue products

from the junk mail we recycle. (Instead of cutting down trees!)

They have been making paper out of paper since 1950!If you are like me,

and I know several of you are, you take a lot of pictures of trees at this time of year.

From now until November 30th, you can turn your love of trees and the photos you take

of them into a chance to win $100.00 gift card from Best Buy or a new Cannon Digital SLR Camera! Just click here

Marcal Facebook Contest.

Good Luck to you all and "Happy Fall Y'all!"

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-02T09:45:00.006-04:00

Here is a little peak into our "school room". It is located in our "three season room", right off the kitchen.

Let's grab a cup of coffee on our way out and I will show you around.Looking straight ahead

we see...the "reading nook"...that is my desk.

Here is a close up. Our "learning to tell time " basket on the left, a variety of music and our books on tape along with the cd player and the basket on top of it holds the book marks.To the left of my desk is the poetry, history,math and craft books.To the left of the doorway is the storage cabinets and the girl's desks.To the right of the doorway is the chalkboard and our alphabet and picture dictionary books as well as a few "easy readers" in a basket on top of the storage boxes for the blocks and extra dollhouse accessories.My craft bags in a wire bin and some learning games and such. The "science" area, including our nature table and fish tank.

Above the fish tank are magnifying glasses, magnets, various field guides, the

microscope, and slides. Our nature table is set up for summer..shells ..seed pods, crab shells and "mermaids purse"

from our trips "down the shore ".

The middle of the room still holds the doll houses and the mini trampolene.

We began our first day of 3rd Grade for Princess and Kindergarten for Peanut on September 1st.

The day began with...cake. Both girls were very excited to begin the school year.

Seated at the little vintage school desks I purchased on Craigs list...they were

delighted to get their new school supplies organized.

I have to admit, the room smelled deliciously like new crayons and glue! lol

The "official" first day of school picture.

I am slowly easing into the new year here in our corner of the Garden State.

I hope you have enjoyed this peak into our school room.I am glad to get back into

blogging, and now I need to refill my cup of coffee and visit all my favorite bloggers.

Happy Homeschooling !! ((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ

Summer is flying by

2010-08-26T17:22:00.017-04:00

We've been having a busy summer in our little corner of the Garden State.
Princess got her first professional pedicure (with Aunt Shell and Cousin Amanda).

Speaking of beauty treatments, you may have noticed from the header pic..

Princess asked me to cut off all her baby curls

she was just tired of all the upkeep. She is loving it, and I am loving that

this means I don't have to take care of it for her any longer.

We have been gardening

Hanging out with friendsHanging out with cousins (Princess and Cousin J. below)Princess and Baby X-man love playing music togetherSpeaking of Baby X-man, he turned 2 this summer. It was a great party!And yes, you may have noticed the return of Peanut!!We already had a sleepover.Good thing, Camp Katie Day wouldn't be the same without her!Princess has been studying and enjoying the art of Georgia O'Keeffe We spent the rest of our time chillin' (recognize the hat Zilla?)

We do hope you are all having a great summer too!
I have been getting the school room ready for the new school year, I will post photos
of the new to us desks I picked up for the girls. As soon as I find my battery charger.

Retire Ronald McDonald

2010-08-05T09:54:00.004-04:00

I have so much to do today, and so much to blog about, but all that must be
pushed aside to ask for some help today. That's right we need your help.
My friends over at Corporate Accountablity International called me last night
asking me to make a phone call. I did. I am asking you to do the same.
If you are concerned with the rising obesity in America's youth (ok all of us)
if it just ticks you off that McDonald's lure our kids in with toys to a possible lifetime
of health issues , call. There is more info here
Retire Ronald and here
Value the Meal.
They were very polite when I called, please behave in kind. ;-)

Time flies

2010-05-31T22:24:00.005-04:00

Whether you are having fun or not. Princess and Peanut have spent the last year together almost every day of the week.

The arrival of the warm weather saw them enjoying reading outside, playing in the sprinkler,

and Peanut's trip to her Grandparent's house in the deep south was planned.

Two whole months, no Peanut.

They enjoyed each moment like it was their last. The last day arrived,

the slip and slide was pulled out...

they appeared glued to each other..

they asked me to take a picture of them together every five minutes.

Princess slept over Peanut's house. Her first time ever staying all night anywhere

without me. I worried how Princess would do...how I would survive hearing about

how much she missed Peanut all day long.One month down...one more to go.

Baby Squirrels

2010-04-23T22:20:00.006-04:00

We share our little corner of the Garden State with many creatures, both great and small,

including hawks, owls, ground hogs (aka wood chucks),Opossum,chipmunks,rabbits, cardinals,

blue jays,and squirrels.Today I want to share some photos of our newest neighbors...two baby squirrels.

We could spend hours watching them rough house and cuddle.

We assume they are brothers, because that is how they act.

Both girls go running out into the backyard when we hear them in the flower bed

outside the kitchen window. This Cedar tree is where they live..the other day we watched them carrying bits and pieces to the nest.

They are adorable and a unit study is underway. Isn't Spring wonderful?

My Birthday

2010-04-16T10:30:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was my BIRTHDAY !!

I woke up to a new (to me) amber depression glass pitcher filled

with flowers from Farmer Dad and Princess..Then my NLCP brought her little Peanut and a bottle of wine and special olives

for my Birthday dinner. My other bestest friend brought one of her girls over

and the girls decided to draw pictures outside for me. Farmer Dad took

a vacation day so he was puttering around all day (there he is watering and weeding).My brother in law, his wife, and their lovely daughter drove down from Long Island

to see me and brought me some gorgeous earrings for my Birthday.(Thank you!!!)The girls all played while the adults enjoyed some bloody marys on what was a lovely spring day.Farmer Dad cut some lilac from the tree in the back corner for us to enjoy.The cousins...so cute!!

My girlfriend picked up the lovely Bella, and brought me a Starbucks gift card(thank you!!)

The in laws left to visit Nana and Farmer Dad took the girls to pick out a Birthday cake

and I relaxed with a favorite book and a cup of tea on the porch.

Using my lovely (new to me) vintage melmac I picked up on freeycle.My Birthday cake.....Dinner was pizza (not cooked by me) and good company...My NLCP and Peanut.. I am lucky to have family and friends who e-mailed and called all day

raining love and happiness down upon me, and any day that ends in

chocolate cake ends well in my book. If you didn't celebrate yesterday,

take a moment today to have a bit of chocolate or anything else that

makes you happy...do it for me. ;-)

Stomach Viruses and Spring Break

2010-03-23T10:35:00.002-04:00

Yes, we took Spring Break...did you miss me?
It was not as fun as I had hoped, we have all been battling a stomach virus
which just won't die. Two days better...and wham! Back again.
The joy of Spring has been , well, maybe not dowsed, maybe just
not enjoyed as much as it could be. I have two napping little girls
here today. Napping. Princess feels "wonky", Peanut feels.."a widdle bit wonkys too".
No homeschool play date..the Easter Egg Hunt looks doubtful. Spring is here..
are we having fun yet???

Sugarloaf Craft Festival Giveaway Extension

2010-03-05T07:40:00.003-05:00

I have received numerous complaints that it was too hard to find
where to leave my comments, so I am extending the Sugarloaf Craft Festival Ticket Giveaway
until Monday, March 8th 2010. Midnight.See more information here.
You do not need a blog to win, just leave a comment with your e-mail address
so I can e-mail you for your street address. It is that easy.What are you waiting for?

Happy Birthday Peanut

2010-03-03T07:23:00.004-05:00

Peanut turns five today! 5 !!!

Hard to believe. This year has been epic for her..

she talks and sings..out loud. Those who know her

in real life will know what a HUGE difference this is.

She still carries Bob everywhere, and those two cute

little fingers still find their way into her mouth more often than not,

but you should see her rock out to "I Like to Move It" on Just Dance

for Wii..... and she counts..everything...all week we've been getting the countdown.

7 more days..6 more days....1-2-3-4-5..more days until I'm 5!!

or"hey, Miss Kate I got 1-2-3-4 cookies, P got..1-2-3cookies!" OOPS!!

My NLCP had a mid term this morning, so we relented when the girls did the

nightly "puppy dog faced" begging..."can we have a sleep over???"

They are still snuggled up with 48 pillows..36 books and Bob and their Nana quilts.

Peanut has use of one Nana made for Princess when she was a baby because it's small and so is she.Nobody is allowed to use the big "zoo quilt" with Princess's name on it. Ever, so she gave

Peanut one to use instead while she's here. The two of them have a wonderful way of working things out so they can both be happy. That is the joint goal. That they BOTH be happy.

Every day. It is a joy to be around the bond they have. Princess will boss her around (as big sisters will do from time to time), but she will NOT let anyone else boss her Peanut around.

They spend every moment they can together, exploring the back yard, playing school, singing dancing, tormenting..I mean taking care of the cats. They can spend hours snuggled up in one

warm spot with nothing but each other and a pile of books. First Princess reads all the books to Peanut, then they take turns making up their own versions of the books to tell each other.

Princess has taught Peanut how to draw birds, and climb mountains, put her coat on before her mittens,and Peanut has taught Princess that there is something..someone whose needs can be put ahead of her own...at least some of the time. My NLCP and I used to worry they would get tired of being together all the time, that the joy they took in seeing each other would turn into,

"not her again..." lol..but they just keep finding new ways to enjoy sharing their time together.

Maybe, that is because they really do "share an identity".

That is what they keep telling us. Now I must go get the pancake batter ready to go, so they can tell me they would rather have cereal when they get up.

Happy 5th Birthday Peanut !! We are so glad we get to share it with you!!

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss

2010-03-02T11:45:00.004-05:00

If you never
did ,you should.
These things
are fun, and fun is good.
Dr Seuss
We were planning on doing the Green Eggs and Ham thing
today, but Princess said..."why do we have to do what everybody else is doing today? This is my homeschool."
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
Dr Seuss
And so we shall....Happy Birthday Dr Seuss !!

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival Ticket Giveaway

2010-02-25T09:18:00.005-05:00

I was delighted to hear from my good friends at
HimmelrichPR this week, they have once again
given me tickets for another fabulous
ticket giveaway for the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival !!
Which takes place March 12,13,and 14, 2010.
If you live in the New Jersey area and would like to win
some tickets....you know what to do right?
Leave me a comment here, become a fan of theirs on
Facebook, give us some linky love on your blog if you have one.
An entry for each one you do..just let me know here if you do the Facebook
or linky love bit so I credit you. I will let Peanut pick a winner out of her hat
in honor of her 5th Birthday, on Friday, March 5th 2010.
That means you have until midnight EST March 4th 2010 to get
your entry in. Good Luck!!
In the interest of full disclosure, the good people at Himmelrich are
giving me tickets to attend as well, so be forewarned..you may meet me there.lol

Some of what we've been doing

2010-02-22T13:36:00.004-05:00

Princess lost more teeth, and has one of her new adult top front teeth... Monopoly Junior with our friends..

Visiting the play areas nearby with friends..

Practicing our snowball making skills...

Snuggling up with a good book...

Yes, we've been learning stuff from books and things like that,

but mostly we've been doing the above. We are ready for spring

to arrive here in our corner of the Garden State...that is for sure!

More Snow

2010-02-16T08:55:00.004-05:00

Farmer Dad and Princess built an igloo

Bella and Julie helped clear fallen tree limbs

Princess finds a quiet spot under the cedar limbs hanging low due to the weight of the snow

Peanut and Princess having fun with the igloo

The igloo keeps getting bigger as the neighborhood snowmen get smaller...coincidence?

I think not.....

Rainy days and Mondays

2010-01-25T09:07:00.003-05:00

Do they make you sad? Not me, I love Mondays.

Farmer Dad goes back to work, it is the one day a week

there is nobody at our house other than Princess and myself.

Jammy Day!! Today, Princess has an earache. Her first,ever.

It is raining here in our corner of the Garden State.

Normally I love the rain too.

We were going to do a bunch of school work, but, Princess

is sleeping on the couch. In a weird, half sitting head held up by the cushions kind of way.

There will likely be no "school" here today. I will make her some chicken soup and

get her a "bendy" straw for her water cup. Maybe a new coloring book? Some glitter for later?

We'll see how the day unfolds, I know for sure that my adult only lunch has been cancelled,

and the school work that I thought would have us ahead in our week, will not happen.

Maybe I will use the time to finish cleaning up my blog links..I have some awesome new ones to share. I have posts that need to be posted, they are waiting for the links to be added etc...

maybe I will finish reading my borrowed book...right now I will pour myself another cup of coffee

and put the towels in the dryer. I have to make another batch of laundry detergent, and

I am going to try to make English Muffins this week. I may even get my daily exercise in a bit later..when she is not sleeping on the couch..lol.

I hope wherever you are, if anyone is reading this, you will enjoy however your day unfolds.

Year end

2009-12-31T19:48:00.007-05:00

This has been a year filled with days..365 of them.
We did stuff every day...I can not remember most of the stuff
we did, but it was a lot of stuff. I was a really bad blogger this past year,
so there is little evidence of such accomplishments here in our little corner of
the blogosphere, so you will have to trust me on this. Stuff occurred every single day.
Some of it was incredibly inventive and creative. Some of our days were fit for
publishing, with lovely sun dappled photos and joyfully smiling faces.
Some, well, some were not so lovely. Some did not need to be blogged about to be remembered.
Some, well, some were best forgotten along with the end of the Giants football season this year
and what we had for dinner last Wednesday. That is life. We all start off with good intentions,
big plans, high aspirations. In the end...we hope our loved ones remember the good times
and forget the bad. The Leprechaun's Treasure Hunt on St Patrick's Day, the Easter Egg Hunts,
the t-shirts made with love as a Birthday Party favor. And the week (yes..shameful am I)
that I kept forgetting to put the tooth under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy to pick up will be
forgotten along with the yelling and Barbie shoes that have been vacuumed up from the living room rug. I know this will not come as a shock to any of you who know me, even if it is only here
at this blog. I am not anywhere close to perfect, I am human. I try to be a good parent.
I really do. Sometimes I hit the ball out of the park, and the crowds (all 6 of you..lol)
go wild! Sometimes, well...sometimes I wonder what I was thinking even having a child, let
alone homeschooling her. There. I said it. I have doubts. Are any of you feeling that way?
Have you been there before? This has been a year filled with change and upheaval for me.
It all started with a new cycle for me as a person.A whole new 7 years to change from
who I have been to who I will become. It is also my 7th year as a Mom. Which means my
little Princess has been undergoing some major turbulence as well.We started out with all of her baby teeth, and now she has adult teeth. Adult teeth! She gets taller every day.
She reads almost entirely independently from me. It is more and more rare to have her ask me
to spell something or tell her what a word is. She has her own taste in music and her own sense
of style. She knows what she wants and will not be deterred from her plan.
This year did not go "as expected", but go it will. Tonight. At midnight we will celebrate
the "New Year". 2010. I am not someone who makes New Years Resolutions, I am
already a gal who is likely to
"over think" my choices and like Anais Nin, who said,
"I made no resolutions for the New Year.The habit of making plans of
criticizing and sanctioning and molding my life is too much of a daily event for me."
New Years Resolutions, much like New Years Partying, is all just "amateur night".
I thank you all for being part of our lives this past year, and welcome you to join us
in 2010. There are plans afoot, giveaways, fun activities, and well, I may even write a blog post or two worth reading once in a while.
Happy New Year!! ((hugs)) Kate in NJ

Cousins and Snow Days

2009-12-20T23:36:00.006-05:00

Friday was another Camp Katie Day here in our corner of the Garden State.
The girls worked on Gingerbread Houses.

We watched my Great-Nephew as well while his Mom worked. He loves "Mack and Rubay".

Bella and X-man

Me and my Great-Nephew.....

Saturday afternoon we finally put up our tree and Princess decorated it.

Saturday night the snow storm arrived, cancelling plans we made with friends.

Princess helped Farmer Dad shovel out.

Neighborhood Lights...

Sunday was a perfect snow day in the backyard..

After we warmed up inside, I left for some Christmas shopping.

Camp Katie Day Goodness

2009-12-11T08:56:00.004-05:00

We have been making a lot of Christmas crafts during our "Camp Katie" days here in
our corner of the Garden State. Peanut making a stocking

Julie making her stocking

Bella working on her stocking

The girls love to gather around the table for craft time.

Princess making a Christmas Tree

I give them the supplies, show them how to do the craft I have in mind, and then I back off and let them have at it.

Julie making her tree. Sometimes, they all make the craft the "way" I tell them...

sometimes ...not.lol I try to roll with it and encourage them to enjoy the process

rather than worry about the end result. I can not remember the last time there wasn't glitter

and scraps of construction paper all over my house, but they enjoy it and that is better than a clean house any day. At least that is what I tell myself at the end of the day.

I will try to post more of what we have been doing soon..in the meanwhile,

I hope that however you celebrate this time of year, you are finding the joy in

crafting some magical memories with your little ones.

We survived our First Emergency Room Visit

2009-12-06T22:55:00.003-05:00

Sorry we have been gone so long...I have been sick..nothing major.
A cold..lost my voice..very frustrating. Friday we had a lovely Camp Katie Day,
which I will write about later, as we said goodbye to Bella and Julie, Princess
drove her "big wheel" around the side of the house and directly into Farmer Dad's parked truck
which was parked there while he replaced a few sections of our fence.
She ran into the house, and I found her holding what was a white hand towel to the top of
her head. Have you ever seen how much blood comes out of a child's head wound?
Peanut ran out back to get Farmer Dad and he drove all four of us to the ER.
We live pretty close to three major hospitals, so we were there quickly.
The ER docs decided after we were there for a couple of hours, that she needed
4 staples in her head. Yes, FOUR STAPLES in my babies head.
We have been extremely fortunate that this is the first ER visit for us, in fact she has
only had one sick visit to the pediatrician in 7 years. The two girls were so well behaved,
waiting and waiting all afternoon. To be fair, the children's section of the ER had a lot of books
and a tv with Cartoon Network playing, so it wasn't the worst wait in history...but they were so good. I still can't believe that they only asked how much longer after we were done and waiting for the paperwork. They flushed out her wound with something that was icy cold...P was not happy..she cried and complained a bit. The screams when they did the staples was the hardest thing I ever had to sit through. Within ten minutes she was skipping down the hall singing"Follow the yellow brick road".. (there was a yellow design on the floor) and she sang
Bon Jovi songs all the way home at the top of her lungs. We refrained from complaining even though our adult nerves were shot, because we were both happy she was as obnoxious as always. The girls asked for a treat for their good behavior, Burger King.
You better believe they got it. She has acted completely normal since, and it has not slowed her down at all. Monday she needs to see her Pediatrician and the staples will come out in 5-6 days.
I did take a picture of her staples when we got home that night, but I haven't uploaded them, and have no idea where I put my camera cord, so I will upload tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Meal

2009-11-27T12:03:00.004-05:00

Turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted beets,carrots,butternut squash and onions from the garden,
sweet potatoes, rolls,cranberry sauce,brussel sprouts,dressing...it was delicious!!

"doll" food..lol

Regardless of what you put on your table, and who gathered around it,

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. I know I did.

((hugs)) KateinNJ

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T23:51:00.006-05:00

Dear Friends,

The table has been set, and the bird is in the oven, so I thought I would stop in

to leave a Happy Thanksgiving message for you all. I know that many of you

are not in the United States, and this holiday may have no meaning for you,

but I hope you will grab a cup of coffee and keep reading today anyway.

This is the time of year when traditionally, we offer up thanks

for all the good in our lives. I would be remiss if I did not thank each and every

one of my friends here in the blogosphere, including those of you that I actually know

in real life, for the support and friendship you give all year long.The past year has been

a trial for me, as you all know. Blogging has taken a back seat to getting a handle on

my life as it is now. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you that have hung

in there with me, especially as sporadically as I show up here.

Now, I must get back to cooking..

I have veggies to roast from the garden..beets, carrots (reg and purple),onions,butternut squash and beets.

The veg platter has been set out for Princess along with some peanut butter/yogurt dip

that is her favorite right now. Hopefully this will keep her happy while watching the

parade and she will let me get my work done. ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving Friends !!

((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ

Note from Kate...I forgot to hit "publish", so this is late. lol

Thanksgiving Already?

2009-11-23T12:11:00.006-05:00

It feels like Halloween just happened.

We've been busy here..backyard bowling... Birthday parties for friends..

Of course, we've been snacking...

and making some art..

and eating our meals together..

and sharing a laugh...

or just a quiet moment now and then...

grab an apple from the bowl on the kitchen table.. put your feet up and enjoy an afternoon outside while we still can..Camp Katie Day will be Wednesday here in our little Garden State Homeschool.

Come on back to see how much fun we have.

I have lots of books to write about also, hopefully next week I can start posting

my favorites regularly again.

Thankful Turkeys at Camp Katie Day

2009-11-17T08:53:00.008-05:00

This Monday was a Camp Katie Day just like every Monday.

This week's theme..Thankful Turkeys !

First the girls played outside...it was a lovely Autumn day in the Garden State.

Julie and Peanut taking turns on the horse..

Princess and Bella played on the swings.. Fun was had by all!
After lunch, I set them up with the Thankful Turkey Craft..

I made a photo copy of some turkey decorations I had on hand, and Princess

and I had already cut out multi colored "feathers" for the turkeys. We used red,brown and orange,

2 of each color for each girl.

I had the girls start by cutting out the turkeys and pasting them to yellow construction paper..

for the first time in Camp Katie Day history I heard not one complaint..they got right

to work...

I handed out the "feathers" while they cut, and asked the younger two if they wanted

me to write what they were thankful for on their feathers, or I could write it down on

another piece of paper, and they could copy them. Peanut opted for the copying, Jules

was happier to dictate to me. ;-)

I gave the girls the option to use either side of the turkey once cut out. Jules went

with the black turkey, so I cut out an eye for her to color for her bird. The others all chose

to color the turkey themselves, so they used the white side.

Once they wrote what they were thankful for on the feathers they glued them onto the turkey.

Every girl listened to my instruction about where to place the feathers except my daughter,

who went "freestyle". She is all about freestyle in her art right now, and I try not to "force" an outcome in our arts and crafts.

They were all very proud of the finished "Thankful Turkey"

and I was very proud of how many things they were all thankful for..way more than we had "feathers". I was especially proud of Jules, she finished the entire project without saying

"do I have to finish?" lol. No, I never make them finish if they don't want to..in case you were wondering. ;-) After each girl finished she had more paper and supplies to make drawings if she chose to, they all did..mostly for each other. Can you feel the love? Then they went outside for a bit more running around and came in for some reading time.

Have I mentioned how much it warms my heart that all four of them love books???

All in all, Thankful Turkey day was a success here at Camp Katie Day.

I hope you are enjoying your Autumn as well.

Jump Start Escape From Adventure Island

2009-11-13T09:05:00.004-05:00

I have been lucky enough to be involved with Jump Start

here in our corner of the Garden State for a little while now,

and we really enjoy their products. Princess received a Wii for

her 7Th birthday in September, and was happy to play her Jump Start

game for as long as I would let her. Recently, Cherie Marino at JumpStart asked

me to review the newest Jump Start Wii game, Escape from Adventure Island.

They kindly provided me with a copy to review.

Princess loves it even more than the first game! She has had so much fun with Peanut

and the other girls, creating her Jumpie and dressing her, parading her around in the fashion show...The game will be available at major retailers nationwide for $29.99

on November 17Th 2009. The ESRB has rated it "E" for everyone.

It is aimed at children between the ages of 5-9.

The concept is that there has been an emergency landing on Adventure Island. The kids are encouraged to use all their courage, brain power and explorer skills to repair their blimp and find their way home. They need to collect white sand dollars by completing game missions so they can be traded for helium tanks and fix the blimp.

There is a story mode where you help Frankie fix the crashed blimp by playing different games and (Princess's favorite part), unlocking new clothing and house parts.

In practice mode, you can quickly practice educational games to improve your learning skills.

It covers everything from Alphabetizing to Division and Fractions..Sight Words to Homophones.

Princess and her friends remained blissfully unaware they were "learning" anything. ;-)

Princess and Bella (age 7) had no trouble navigating the game with the Wii remote, but the Peanut and Jules needed a bit more help (at 4 and almost 5 years old).They all had fun.

If you would like a chance to win your own copy, please head right over to Jump Start's blog here http://jumpstarttimes.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/escape-win.jpg

Good Luck!!

Veteran'sDay

2009-11-11T09:24:00.002-05:00

Veteran's Day is about thanking the men and women who have served,
or are serving in the military. Do you know a veteran? Call and say thank you.
It was always a special day for Princess and her favorite veteran, Poppa.
She loved drawing him a picture, and giving him a big hug to say Thank You
every year. When he died, I found an envelope filled with the pictures she gave him.
We will call our other favorite veteran, Uncle Paulie later today.
The girls we be here, minus Peanut, who is under the weather, and we will do a coloring page or two..I found some here...
and here
Now, go hug a Veteran!!

Funny Halloween Story

2009-11-09T16:22:00.005-05:00

In the interest of full disclosure..I can be absentminded.

I know some of you will be shocked...those who know me..

not so much. Now that we have that out in the open, I am going to share

a story about our Trick or Treat experiences this year.

Princess and I headed out into our neighborhood with my NLCP,

and all around Gal Pal and Co-Conspirator Extraordinaire,Naomi

and her daughter, Peanut and her boyfriend,Rick.

Farmer Dad stayed home in case of Trick or Treaters.

We were a happy bunch at the outset, until Princess didn't like the way

her belt squeezed her belly, and undid it and got tangled in the too long costume that

she insisted on wearing despite many maternal warnings of just such a calamity.

Farmer Dad was called to pick her up for a quick costume change, returned her without a costume, but with his Halloween mask only and "street clothes". Anyhow...

I was trying to roll with it, I enjoy Halloween and was dressed as a Witch, as is my

tradition, we had been walking for while, my hat kept flying off in the wind.

I kept picking it up and Princess kept whining. We called Farmer Dad to pick her up,

per her request, he came, she refused to leave. Right before he arrived at our extremely

top secret location (it must have been we saw not one other Trick or Treater)I noticed my hat was gone...then realized it must have been gone for a while. Two or three blocks actually.

Rick gallantly offered to go walk

back the way we came to find my hat in the now encroaching darkness.

We sat down on the curb (after the girls hit up the houses they wanted to on that section of road) and had a piece of candy. Yeah, yeah...should have had it x-rayed first..I've never had

trouble with candy and don't bother with that rule. Please don't hate me.

Farmer Dad pulled up to drop Rick off, with my hat. We continued on our merry way

to walk another couple of blocks back to the house...pot roast was waiting after all.

When I wrote about Halloween originally, I took the story out to protect Rick's privacy,

and my dignity. Rick was a little bit offended to not be mentioned , there was no snit..he just

appeared a tiny bit hurt to his gf, who reported it to me, so I decided all bets were off on his privacy. Let this be a warning to all who hang out with me in real life, if you complain

(even to someone else) about being "left out" of a story here on my blog, I will find out, and you will become "BLOG FODDER". In case you missed it Rick, this was your public apology.

I really do appreciate your walking back to find my favorite Witch hat without any complaint at all. It is official, you are a nice guy.My hat, by the way is adorable even on me and I never look good in hats.

Halloween Magic

2009-11-02T12:03:00.016-05:00

Tell me, did your family get into the "spirit"?

Did you see any black cats?

Was your day "BOO-tiful" ?

We spent a lot of Camp Katie Day (s) getting ready

crafts to make...costumes to be decided upon..I'm not going to lie to you, there was also snacking involved...Clear one minute, raining the next...Didn't stop the Trick or Treaters..The Mom's even had fun...A ripped costume did however, and Farmer Dad was called to pick up and return with a fresh costume....note to self..next time do it yourself....;-)Back home to dinner of pot roast,carrots and potatoes (got to love the crock pot!) and some Mummy pizzas.....Hope your Halloween was just delicious too!

First Sleepover

2009-10-30T17:57:00.006-04:00

Princess finally had her first sleepover.
Every day when Peanut's Mom comes for her they beg not to be separated.
On this day her Mom came for dinner and then went home to study leaving
Peanut with Princess for a sleepover. They were so happy. They played outside until they had to come inside.

We made special popcorn... After baths, they got into Princess's bed with the portable DVD player,

as Princess has no TV in her room, and watched a movie and had a mini

ice cream cone.

They were delighted.

Princess is under the quilt...it was a late night, and Peanut fell out of bed at 5:15am,

so it was an early day. Her Mom stopped by for breakfast on her way to her mid term,

and the girls played nicely all day. They came in from being outside most of the day and

sat down to watch a Charlie Brown DVD. I went to make snacks, came in to find this...

They napped for 3 hours, got up for dinner, and both slept all night too.

It was, a success.

Kids Need to Play Outside

2009-10-24T09:57:00.011-04:00

Getting outside every single day is a priority here in our Garden State Homeschool.

Princess feels a need for fresh air every day, so there is no need to convince her.

Bella is easily lured with garden chores... Have you ever seen a child so happy to be asked to weed?

Peanut and Jules need a bit more convincing to leave the armoire filled with dress up clothes..

I help make them more comfortable by setting up a reading and snack space.

There is a vinyl tablecloth (vinyl side on the grass) under the blanket so we stay dry.

Stacks of books, and pillows, tray of snacks.We also have lots of outside toys..swing set, play houses,tunnelssee saw, balls, sandbox, and bikes to ride.Can you guess the biggest draw?

No, not the toys, it's the trees, the fresh air and sunshinethe ability to pick your own snack...Critters we can find and observe

Princess drew the entire life cycle..Get outside in your backyard today, see what you can find....

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival Giveaway Winner

2009-10-23T15:13:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all who tossed their names in the hat for the four tickets to
the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival which takes place Oct 30, 31 Nov 1,2009
on both of my blogs and Facebook. If you can't make the show here in
New Jersey, check out the schedule to find one near you.
Congratulations to my fellow NJ blogging friend, Susan.
Susan drop me an e-mail with your address, and I will
get these out to you in tomorrow's mail.
There will be 250 craft designers and fine artists, daily children's
entertainment, daily craft demos,specialty foods, free shopping bags,music.

Camp Katie Days

2009-10-19T19:14:00.009-04:00

Every Monday is Camp Katie Day here in our Garden State Homeschool.

All four girls attend.The Halloween costume box is in Princess's closet right now,so as you can see they often dress up for the day.

The projects have met with mixed success...

We have been working on Halloween themes this month.

We tried to make Halloween Countdown Calenders, but it morphed

into Haunted House pictures as the girls preferred that idea (it was their own).

My idea was to use file folders (I have tons) and draw a "haunted house" on them.

We would add "flaps" to be lifted or removed for each day of the month.They liked their idea better. LOL

I try to roll with it, not easy for me, but I am learning to be better at it. ;-)

I will post what we did for the next week in a bit. I a, having trouble getting the photos to

post for some reason. Don't forget to leave a comment if you want to enter into my

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival Giveaway..you have until midnight this Thursday.

((hugs)) Katein NJ

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival Giveaway

2009-10-14T10:12:00.007-04:00

Do you like going to craft shows?
Do you live in the New Jersey area? Planning a trip near here maybe?
(I know if you are you will drop us a line)
I was recently offered tickets to attend and to giveaway

to my lovely readers for the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival which takes place

Oct 30,31, Nov 1, 2009.

Are you excited?? I am..I have in my hot little hand..4 tickets for one of you lovely people.

You do not need a blog to win..you can get a chance to win for each of the following...

Leave a comment telling me how much you'd like to win them.
Become a Fan on Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/SugarloafCrafts (let me know you do so)
Blog about it and link back here (be sure to let me know).

Not sure yet? Check out the vendors here, you are not going to want to miss this!

I will give you until midnight (EST) Thursday, Oct. 22,2009 to enter.
A winner will be announced on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009. Can't wait to see you there!!
((BIG HUGS)) KateinNJ
If you don't win, you can buy tickets here.

Princess's Cupcake Birthday Party

2009-10-13T15:02:00.000-04:00

We decided to fore go the big she-bang this year for Princess's 7Th Birthday.
Instead, we just had our homeschool group over for cupcakes and nibbles. the green plate had the cupcakes on it. I was having so much fun with
the other Mom's, I wasn't taking pictures.

We had print outs of cupcakes to be colored and "decorated"

the girls played dress up

and they played outside too

I did not take one picture of the food..we had a veggie plate, cheese and crackers,

fried ravioli and mini pizzas (I used my regular pizza dough in a "cupcake" tin).

I hope our friends had as much fun as we did. I can't even believe she is SEVEN already.

I also can't believe this post was still sitting in my "draft folder...my apologies.

Weekly Update

2009-10-03T14:43:00.002-04:00

Some of what went on here this week...

Early morning under Nana quilts...

Dress up

How these homeschooled kids play Twister..

What did you do this week?

Camp Katie Day 2

2009-09-29T11:31:00.006-04:00

This week's Camp Katie Day theme was Johnny Appleseed.

The girls had a lot of fun with it, with the exception of my daughter,

who told Peanut's Mom at the end of the day that it was "lame".

I had the table set up for them when they arrived, with print outs

in ziploc bags at each place setting. I wrote their names on them,

and we will re-use them each Monday. This is what they had inside..

I had other stuff ready to go, but did not want them to feel over whelmed, this is supposed to be fun, not stressful. It's Camp Katie Day after all.We had apple slices, and apple juice for snack, and the girls all had lunch together.I use these glasses for the girls each week, and write their initial on a square using a wax pencil that is meant for the freezer. It stands up to their hands, and washes off easily with my dish cloth.The girls did have plenty of free time before and after the table work.

Lincoln logs, board games,dress up, and play food were all enjoyed,

they even ran around outside, which meant ice cream cones were needed to cool off.

I think we have some Happy Campers here!

National Public Lands Day

2009-09-26T01:00:00.002-04:00

Today is the 16th annual National Public Lands Day. Over 2,000 sites are hosting over 2,300 service projects on public lands across the nation. Projects will range from clearing out invasive weeds, planting trees, working on trails to restoring historical artifacts and even clerical work. Many sites are embracing the theme of water this year and are focusing on water restoration and management. Have nothing to do? Check out this link and participate near you.

Today is also Princess's 7th Birthday. Many friends and family are disappointed that I have

decided to forgo the annual Big Blow Out, but I just don't have it in me this year.I am sure the day will loom bright and clear of sky and all will say it would have been a perfect day to be in our backyard. Maybe next year peeps. This year we are spending the day in our favorite National Park just the three of us. If the weather is crummy, we will be eating pizza at our favorite movie theatre just the three of us. Princess will get a small party with her homeschool group next week. I will post pics of all we do in the next couple of days. This has been a year of great growth

for her. The little baby is no more. I will not dwell on that too much. There is no need, and I am far too busy enjoying the young girl she is now. It is not easy being the Homeschooling Mom of a Magical Fairy Princess such as ours...but it is the most important job I have ever had.

So let's make the world a prettier place today..go pick up some trash in honor of National Public Lands Day! Tell them Princess sent you. ;-)

If you love our National Parks as much as we do, please don't miss

Ken Burns, National Parks, America's Best Idea. on Sunday.

It looks like it's going to be fabulous!

Hunger Action Month

2009-09-25T02:45:00.003-04:00

How often during any given day do you hear "Mom, I'm hungry!!" ?
It numbers in the hundreds here in our little corner of the Garden State.
I am lucky, as is Princess, that when I hear that, I can whip up a snack or meal that will
take care of our immediate needs for food. But I often wonder how it would feel if I could not provide enough food for my child.
Something my Mother had to deal with often in my childhood.
In case you were blissfully unaware,September is Hunger Action Month.

According to a new survey released on September 14, 2009 by Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic relief charity, food banks across the nation are reporting that the current recession and the continuing rise in unemployment are having a profound effect on their ability to feed millions of Americans living at risk of hunger.
Ninety-nine percent of all participating food banks reported a surge in demand for emergency food assistance over the past year.
Some of the areas hardest hit include Asheville, North Carolina; Fort Myers, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Minneapolis; and food banks in South Carolina, Mississippi and Colorado.
The report tells us that ninety-eight percent of food banks see the increase as particularly driven by first-time users of the food assistance system .Fifty-six percent of food banks reported that they are seeing more children as clients. Vicki Escarra, president and C.E.O. of Feeding America,said “This is especially sobering when you consider that our network of 205 food banks delivered a record-breaking amount of food and groceries this past year–more than 2.6 billion pounds between July 2008 and June 2009 – which was an increase of 21.4 percent over the previous year.”

There has also been an all time record of participation in the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP formerly the Food Stamp Program), the largest of the nation’s federal nutrition programs, 35 million recipients in June 2009—a 22 percent increase over a year prior. Child nutrition programs are currently set to expire on Sept. 30, 2009, and Congress will be considering whether to extend current levels of funding or increase funding in the coming weeks.
“This survey underscores the importance of Congress providing more funding for Child Nutrition programs this fall and supporting President Obama’s pledge to end child hunger by 2015,” said Escarra. “It is both tragic and unacceptable for anyone in this nation to go hungry, but we are especially concerned for the 12 million children living in food insecure households and suffering long term consequences as a result. Recent research has shown that children in food insecure households have difficulty learning and are less likely to become healthy, productive members of our society.”

Need more info on who the hungry are? Look here.

September is Hunger Action Month, please stop in at Feeding America and find out what you can do to help.

Need help yourself? Click here.

Don't need help yourself, but feel a need to help?Click here.
Now, I am going to put on some happy music, and go do the breakfast dishes with joy in
my heart, because the very existence of a full sink of dishes means we have enough to eat.
Today, I will try to remember to be thankful for that.

New Campers at Camp Katie Day 2009

2009-09-23T14:42:00.006-04:00

We had our first official Camp Katie Day with our "new campers".

Everyone got their official "Camp Katie Day" T-shirts, and then we

had everything from painting, bead necklace and bracelet making,

harvesting of figs and raspberries, free play (lots of free play!)

Looks like we have a whole new "crop" of Happy Campers!!

Saturday is Princess's 7th Birthday, and that means Monday is the Official start of the school year here in our little corner of the Garden State. Every Monday will

be "Camp Katie Day"here in our Garden State Homeschool, as all four girls will be here.

Last day of Summer

2009-09-22T10:24:00.006-04:00

Farmer Dad took Princess down the shore to visit his Mum

on Sunday, giving me some much needed "me" time.

I didn't even use it to do laundry or school planning.

They took a ride over to the boardwalk for some fun on the rides

before they shut down for the season.

They went on all the rides, Princess made a friend.
they went on a bunch of rides together..

There was a parade...
As they were leaving they ran into our homeschool friends, so

they stayed and went on the rides again. And joined them for lunch.Princess said she almost lost her lunch on the roller coaster..

A walk on the beach is a must before heading home...

Princess enjoyed some cotton candy with her Nana before the long drive home.I am glad Farmer Dad brought the camera with him. What a nice way to spend the last full day of summer!

Filling up our corner of the Garden State

2009-09-15T19:43:00.005-04:00

These photos are from the last two days, in no particular order...

Monday we had Princess, Peanut and Jules,

Tuesday we had Princess, Peanut and Bella

The next three days will be just Princess and Peanut, but next Monday will be our first official

Camp Katie Day of the season, because all four girls will be here. How did it go?

Honestly? So far, so good. ;-)

The return to school

2009-09-12T08:11:00.004-04:00

Everybody is doing it. The buses were lined up this week. Traffic has returned.

Peanut and I watched the little girl next door have her "first day" photos taken as she got on the

bus for the first time. Her parents were teary eyed as they walked back to the house.

Princess was still sleeping, so she missed it entirely.lol

Our friends are all back to school now. Normally Princess would be missing them,

but since we get Peanut most days, no complaining. They love being together.

They play well all day, exploring the backyard, designing great world's of fantasy play

all over the inside and outside of the house. Barbies, coloring books, Legos,puzzles, blanket

forts,tea parties. Princess is teaching Peanut everything she knows. Sorry Naomi. ;-)

We will not start our pre-k and 2ND grade curriculum until after Princess's birthday.

I like to wait until Autumn officially starts.Suck the last bit of fun out of Summer.

If you asks my family, they'd probably tell you that is exactly what I do all year long.

Suck the fun right out. lol My mood has been improving slightly.

Exercising regularly has made a huge difference in my life. I'm not just talking about

my huge tush getting smaller either.lol My stress level has gotten smaller.

Or maybe the muscle that allows me to deal with it all is just getting bigger, or at least

stronger. ;-) I am getting my little homeschool ready for the new season, and will be back

with more regular posts soon. We are going to have a FUN year here in our little corner of the Garden State, so stay tuned. I will be having more product reviews, give aways, and craft ideas

and fun in the kitchen ideas. There will be books to share and fun ways to celebrate the fun holidays through out the year. I hope you will all stick around for it.