"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:34-35
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ezra's Debut
Following in his brother's and Mama's footsteps, Ezra has now started his own blog! It is called "Golden Valley" - be sure to check it out! :-)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Another Attempt
In my earlier update about Judah, I posted a video trying to demonstrate his pre-crawling skills. I admit, it wasn't exactly the best video ;-) but it was all I could get from him that day. Yesterday I caught him in a much more active mood, so I thought I'd share what it really looks like when he's practicing to be on the move!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A Song for Saturday
Oooh, I love this song! I had no idea about this album until I saw it in a give-away on My Charming Kids, which I was too late to enter. However, I'm always on the lookout for some good praise and worship music, so I checked out the Glory Revealed website and listened to a sample of songs. I fell in love with this one (as well as a few others, but they aren't available on youtube or any playlists yet - so you'll just have to check out the samples for yourself!). Then I promptly ordered the album :-) The video isn't anything impressive, but please enjoy the music anyway!
Oh that you would burst from the heavens
And how the mountains would quake
But you would make the nations tremble
All your enemies would learn of your fame
How then shall we be saved
How can we be saved
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Like autumn leaves we all wither, we all fall down
Swept away by the wind, swept away
Oh have mercy on us father, father
Please don't remember our sin
How then shall we be saved
How can we be saved
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Oh lord you are our father
We're the clay but you're the potter
We are all formed by your hand
According to your plan
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
And how the mountains would quake
But you would make the nations tremble
All your enemies would learn of your fame
How then shall we be saved
How can we be saved
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Like autumn leaves we all wither, we all fall down
Swept away by the wind, swept away
Oh have mercy on us father, father
Please don't remember our sin
How then shall we be saved
How can we be saved
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Oh lord you are our father
We're the clay but you're the potter
We are all formed by your hand
According to your plan
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Since the world began
No ear has heard, no eye has seen
A God like you, Oh, a God like You
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Spelling, Schmelling - Help Needed!
Our first week of school was a success! The new homeschool room is working wonderfully for us, and the kids' attitudes have been eager and happy. Joel especially loves "doing school" since I set up a Workbox-type system for him... I promise to do a post on that in the near future!
Here's our "first day of school" picture:
That wonderfully detailed schedule I worked so hard on has been helpful, but already there are some snags in it - things aren't taking as long as I thought they would, which leaves us with alot of "what do we do now" time. So I'm tweaking here and there - what's the fun of a schedule if you can't adjust it, right? Even if the timing of things has been off, its been a great tool to help keep things flowing and orderly.
The one big hitch is what this post is actually about - our spelling curriculum. Up until now, the boys have been using spellingcity.com. Its free, and about as close to computer games as I generally let them get, so they really enjoy it.
Two problems, though - one, the phone jack where we were going to hook up the computer downstairs doesn't actually have internet on it (long story about weird wiring in our house) and our 8 year old ancient computer doesn't have a wireless card, AND, as fun as spellingcity.com is for the boys... their spelling is terrible. Really bad! Especially Isaac's. He loves to read and has an excellent vocabulary, but just can't get the hang of spelling.
Granted, we could get a wireless card for the computer. But that still leaves us with the fact that spellingcity just isn't cutting it for us. I think it would be great for those who are natural spellers (you know, those homeschoolers who win the National Spelling Bee? That's a stereotype we definitely don't fit, lol!), but for Isaac, he needs something different.
So, I've been looking at several - Spelling Power, Sequential Spelling, and Excellence in Spelling.
I was also looking at Rod and Staff's Spelling By Sound and Structure - I like that it is mostly independent work, and I've found Rod and Staff's curriculums to be very thorough, but we used it last year and it didn't seem to work, either.
I'm torn because My Father's World recommends Spelling Power, and I have several friends that use it and love it. However, Sequential Spelling seems like it might be what will work best for Isaac, since it focuses on building within word families, and it comes very highly recommended by Timberdoodle. And I love how Excellence in Spelling is very much geared toward independent learning, although to get the whole system is a bit expensive. Decisions, decisions!
So, I'd love to hear any and all input on any of these spelling systems! If any of my readers have any thoughts on any of these, please leave a comment and share with me your experiences!
Here's our "first day of school" picture:
That wonderfully detailed schedule I worked so hard on has been helpful, but already there are some snags in it - things aren't taking as long as I thought they would, which leaves us with alot of "what do we do now" time. So I'm tweaking here and there - what's the fun of a schedule if you can't adjust it, right? Even if the timing of things has been off, its been a great tool to help keep things flowing and orderly.
The one big hitch is what this post is actually about - our spelling curriculum. Up until now, the boys have been using spellingcity.com. Its free, and about as close to computer games as I generally let them get, so they really enjoy it.
Two problems, though - one, the phone jack where we were going to hook up the computer downstairs doesn't actually have internet on it (long story about weird wiring in our house) and our 8 year old ancient computer doesn't have a wireless card, AND, as fun as spellingcity.com is for the boys... their spelling is terrible. Really bad! Especially Isaac's. He loves to read and has an excellent vocabulary, but just can't get the hang of spelling.
Granted, we could get a wireless card for the computer. But that still leaves us with the fact that spellingcity just isn't cutting it for us. I think it would be great for those who are natural spellers (you know, those homeschoolers who win the National Spelling Bee? That's a stereotype we definitely don't fit, lol!), but for Isaac, he needs something different.
So, I've been looking at several - Spelling Power, Sequential Spelling, and Excellence in Spelling.
I was also looking at Rod and Staff's Spelling By Sound and Structure - I like that it is mostly independent work, and I've found Rod and Staff's curriculums to be very thorough, but we used it last year and it didn't seem to work, either.
I'm torn because My Father's World recommends Spelling Power, and I have several friends that use it and love it. However, Sequential Spelling seems like it might be what will work best for Isaac, since it focuses on building within word families, and it comes very highly recommended by Timberdoodle. And I love how Excellence in Spelling is very much geared toward independent learning, although to get the whole system is a bit expensive. Decisions, decisions!
So, I'd love to hear any and all input on any of these spelling systems! If any of my readers have any thoughts on any of these, please leave a comment and share with me your experiences!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
6 Months and Some New Skills!
Judah is 6 months old now! And he is on the move, big time! He can roll or scoot to get to wherever he wants, and he's already getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth in preparation to crawl. He's really eager to get going, and strong, too - I don't think it will be too long for him to get the coordination down and I'll be chasing him everywhere. Here's a little video:
Oh, and this week he decided to start sitting all by himself, too! At first he didn't care, he was more interested in sucking on his toes, so he would just flop over every which way. But after only a day or two of propping him up, he got the balance right and now loves to sit and play with the big boys! Can I say it again? I can't believe how quickly he's growing!
He weighs almost 20 pounds (what a chunk!) and has also started tasting some solid food - one of my earliest to do so, but he is *so* interested in it and ready for it! No teeth have come through yet, but they must be on the way, considering how much he sucks on his lips and grinds his gums.
And can I just take a moment to praise God for the benefits of breastmilk? For the past two weeks, a stomach bug has been circulating through the house. Everyone got it, even me - everyone, that is, except Judah! How was that possible? Because the Lord in His infinite wisdom created breastmilk to carry antibodies - the very antibodies my body made to fight off the stomach bug - to Judah, so that his teeny immune system has extra protection during exposure to things that could be very harmful to little guy like him. I'm so thankful for His perfect design!
Oh, and this week he decided to start sitting all by himself, too! At first he didn't care, he was more interested in sucking on his toes, so he would just flop over every which way. But after only a day or two of propping him up, he got the balance right and now loves to sit and play with the big boys! Can I say it again? I can't believe how quickly he's growing!
He weighs almost 20 pounds (what a chunk!) and has also started tasting some solid food - one of my earliest to do so, but he is *so* interested in it and ready for it! No teeth have come through yet, but they must be on the way, considering how much he sucks on his lips and grinds his gums.
And can I just take a moment to praise God for the benefits of breastmilk? For the past two weeks, a stomach bug has been circulating through the house. Everyone got it, even me - everyone, that is, except Judah! How was that possible? Because the Lord in His infinite wisdom created breastmilk to carry antibodies - the very antibodies my body made to fight off the stomach bug - to Judah, so that his teeny immune system has extra protection during exposure to things that could be very harmful to little guy like him. I'm so thankful for His perfect design!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Big Reveal... and Signing Off
Tomorrow is our first day back to the grind of homeschooling! We *were* planning to start this week, but an exciting outing with Daddy one day, followed by a stomach bug in the family the rest of the week kind of derailed that plan. Which was OK, because it gave me the time needed to finish up the homeschool room!
We have a full finished daylight basement that up until now "functioned" (or didn't function, for lack of specific purpose and layout) as Michael's "work at home" place, the play/game room, as well as what I called the "couch graveyard" where somehow we amassed several couches that need a touch of work and we didn't have room for upstairs. I wanted to Craigslist/Freecycle them all, but my wise husband suggested they might come in handy someday. And, as usual, he was right!
So my homeschool furniture is not new and fancy - in fact, it is mismatched and somewhat ugly... but it works for us just fine! The best part is since they were already just sitting there, I didn't have to spend any extra money. In fact, even the paint we decided to use was a color we already had on hand! The only things I had to buy were some lamps, extra storage containers, and the gutter supplies for my gutter shelves.
So now our once terribly cluttered and non-functional basement is a decently suited homeschool room. I'm pretty excited about it.
Here are the before pictures (actually, before these there had been a huge ping pong table taking up the big open space you see. That was thankfully put away!) - prepare yourself for some major clutter!
And here are the after! (A few things are still in progress - the white walls will be painted a warmer color, the computer needs to be relocated, and I have a few things left to hang on the walls.)
Where preschool will take place - the coffee table is the perfect height for littles to work at, and the couch is great for reading stories on. Toys are also in this corner, behind where I stood to take the picture. Also in this picture is the desk where the computer will be. Next to the desk is a bookshelf. Those cluttery things in front of the sliding glass door there are our heater and dehumidifier, I didn't bother putting those away because they will be in use soon, and they also block anyone from being tempted to use the non-functioning door. My birthday request is nice patio doors to replace the glass door - it will really make things look SO much nicer, as well as give us instant access to the backyard.
A view from the preschool/toy area - the computer desk to the left, the table in the center is for seatwork. The wet bar in the back is where the arts and crafts materials are stored (it has a sink and everything - how perfect!) and the bookshelf behind the wet bar has our current curriculum - each boy has their own shelf. There is also the stacked drawers that contain our markers, pencils, papers, etc. on the left near the wet bar. To the right are bookshelves containing puzzles and some preschool supplies. The TV area is also to the right.
A close-up of the wet bar area.
The toy and preschool area from a different angle.
My favorite part - our reading spot! The gutter bookshelves will hold books relating to whatever country we're studying, and the basket next to the couch has additional library books. The cabinet there actually stores all of the board and card games.
A close up of the puzzle/preschool supply bookshelves. Can I just say that the treadmill is such a frustration for me? Whenever I see it, I start humming that song "One of these things is not like the other..." It just doesn't go with the flow of things! But it does get used, and we had no other spot for it, so there it is.
The TV area. We have no TV upstairs and no cable, so its a nice spot for family movie nights, and for when the kids need to watch their Math-U-See videos. Lots of couches make for more comfy reading spots. We do alot of reading!
And that's it! Its hard to give a really good view of the way things mesh together, but I'm pretty happy with it. It took alot of thinking and planning, but I'm so glad its come together! I'm really looking forward to giving it a go this week.
That being said, I am going to spend this first week of back to homeschool, offline, to help me to stay focused and use my time appropriately without distractions. So I'm signing off for now... but I'll be back with updates in a little while!
We have a full finished daylight basement that up until now "functioned" (or didn't function, for lack of specific purpose and layout) as Michael's "work at home" place, the play/game room, as well as what I called the "couch graveyard" where somehow we amassed several couches that need a touch of work and we didn't have room for upstairs. I wanted to Craigslist/Freecycle them all, but my wise husband suggested they might come in handy someday. And, as usual, he was right!
So my homeschool furniture is not new and fancy - in fact, it is mismatched and somewhat ugly... but it works for us just fine! The best part is since they were already just sitting there, I didn't have to spend any extra money. In fact, even the paint we decided to use was a color we already had on hand! The only things I had to buy were some lamps, extra storage containers, and the gutter supplies for my gutter shelves.
So now our once terribly cluttered and non-functional basement is a decently suited homeschool room. I'm pretty excited about it.
Here are the before pictures (actually, before these there had been a huge ping pong table taking up the big open space you see. That was thankfully put away!) - prepare yourself for some major clutter!
And here are the after! (A few things are still in progress - the white walls will be painted a warmer color, the computer needs to be relocated, and I have a few things left to hang on the walls.)
Where preschool will take place - the coffee table is the perfect height for littles to work at, and the couch is great for reading stories on. Toys are also in this corner, behind where I stood to take the picture. Also in this picture is the desk where the computer will be. Next to the desk is a bookshelf. Those cluttery things in front of the sliding glass door there are our heater and dehumidifier, I didn't bother putting those away because they will be in use soon, and they also block anyone from being tempted to use the non-functioning door. My birthday request is nice patio doors to replace the glass door - it will really make things look SO much nicer, as well as give us instant access to the backyard.
A view from the preschool/toy area - the computer desk to the left, the table in the center is for seatwork. The wet bar in the back is where the arts and crafts materials are stored (it has a sink and everything - how perfect!) and the bookshelf behind the wet bar has our current curriculum - each boy has their own shelf. There is also the stacked drawers that contain our markers, pencils, papers, etc. on the left near the wet bar. To the right are bookshelves containing puzzles and some preschool supplies. The TV area is also to the right.
A close-up of the wet bar area.
The toy and preschool area from a different angle.
My favorite part - our reading spot! The gutter bookshelves will hold books relating to whatever country we're studying, and the basket next to the couch has additional library books. The cabinet there actually stores all of the board and card games.
A close up of the puzzle/preschool supply bookshelves. Can I just say that the treadmill is such a frustration for me? Whenever I see it, I start humming that song "One of these things is not like the other..." It just doesn't go with the flow of things! But it does get used, and we had no other spot for it, so there it is.
The TV area. We have no TV upstairs and no cable, so its a nice spot for family movie nights, and for when the kids need to watch their Math-U-See videos. Lots of couches make for more comfy reading spots. We do alot of reading!And that's it! Its hard to give a really good view of the way things mesh together, but I'm pretty happy with it. It took alot of thinking and planning, but I'm so glad its come together! I'm really looking forward to giving it a go this week.
That being said, I am going to spend this first week of back to homeschool, offline, to help me to stay focused and use my time appropriately without distractions. So I'm signing off for now... but I'll be back with updates in a little while!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Song for Saturday
We love this song! It really magnifies the Lord. He is Awesome, Holy, and Mighty - Worthy of all praise and adoration!
Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You
Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,
Yeah
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You
Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You
Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,
Yeah
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You
Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Truth!
Brenda at The Family Revised posted "The Truth" about the current state of affairs at her house, and lest anyone think that I'm Miss Super-Organized-Ultra-Tidy-Housekeeper (ha! ha! ha! all of those who know me in real life can stop laughing now), I thought I'd confess a few things of my own.
Due to the recent obsession of setting up a homeschool room, the rest of my house has fallen a bit to the wayside. For example, I haven't folded or put away my laundry in... oh, maybe two weeks? I've gotten it washed and dried, but then it goes and sits on my bed. At bedtime, it gets put into a pile on the floor. Last night, that pile almost resembled a small mountain that might avalanche and crush Michael and I in our sleep. Obviously, it did not, as I am writing this post alive and well. But I can only thank God for that!
I can't remember the last time I swept the floors. Thankfully, the kitchen and entryway are done daily by the boys as part of their chores, but the rest of the house (we have all hardwood except for bedrooms)... well, I will admit that keeping them covered in homeschool supplies during the transition helped to hide that fact. But now that the transition is almost complete, I realized that I am without excuse.
There's more, too, but those are the biggest. Needless to say, today is going to be a "taking care of business" day instead of a "playing around in the homeschool room" day! I am thankful I have a husband who is "long suffering" and patient with me! ;-) And now y'all know The Truth!
Anyone else care to confess?
Due to the recent obsession of setting up a homeschool room, the rest of my house has fallen a bit to the wayside. For example, I haven't folded or put away my laundry in... oh, maybe two weeks? I've gotten it washed and dried, but then it goes and sits on my bed. At bedtime, it gets put into a pile on the floor. Last night, that pile almost resembled a small mountain that might avalanche and crush Michael and I in our sleep. Obviously, it did not, as I am writing this post alive and well. But I can only thank God for that!
I can't remember the last time I swept the floors. Thankfully, the kitchen and entryway are done daily by the boys as part of their chores, but the rest of the house (we have all hardwood except for bedrooms)... well, I will admit that keeping them covered in homeschool supplies during the transition helped to hide that fact. But now that the transition is almost complete, I realized that I am without excuse.
There's more, too, but those are the biggest. Needless to say, today is going to be a "taking care of business" day instead of a "playing around in the homeschool room" day! I am thankful I have a husband who is "long suffering" and patient with me! ;-) And now y'all know The Truth!
Anyone else care to confess?
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
"A Woman's Rules to Live By"
I don't know who originally wrote these, but I came across them at At the Well... In Pursuit of Titus 2, and wanted to share! In my Small Group we're studying "
Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets them Free" and we just finished Chapter 6, "Lies Women Believe about Marriage". While I have been determined to walk and grow in the truth of God's Word about my role as a helpmeet, I still struggle in the flesh frequently. So this reminder list is great to peek at every so often. Or every day. Or several times a day. ;-)
Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets them Free" and we just finished Chapter 6, "Lies Women Believe about Marriage". While I have been determined to walk and grow in the truth of God's Word about my role as a helpmeet, I still struggle in the flesh frequently. So this reminder list is great to peek at every so often. Or every day. Or several times a day. ;-)
1. Overlook the husband's faults and instead, focus on his better side.2. Never nag or try to manipulate your husband into doing things your way.3. Trust God and trust your husband. Pray for him daily.4. God first, husband second, children third, house fourth.5. Submit to your husband's authority and allow errors in his judgement.6. Allow him to provide for the family, and appreciate the money he brings in and the provisions he provides for the family, no matter how little or how much.7. Spend your husband's hard earned money wisely and be frugal. Never sneak expenses behind his back.8. Do not wound his masculine pride. Instead, compliment him on his manly accomplishments, and show your appreciation of him every day.9. A modest, feminine appearance is important. As is feminine manner, nature, softness, gentleness and a spirit of sweet submission and dependency on the husband.10. You have a God given career that can bless you abundantly. That career is your home.11. Cook delicious healthy meals, keep the home clean and take wonderful, loving care of your children.12. Your duty is to be a "homemaker," hence, your job is to make your house a home.13. Above all, the wife at home is to exude an attitude of happiness and joy. Rejoice in the Lord for the wonderful family He has provided for you and never take your family for granted.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Rain Gutter Bookshelves
What rock have I been hiding under? Have you ever heard of Rain Gutter Bookshelves? What a neat idea! I first discovered them while taking a peek at this amazing homeschool room (WOW! right?) and then found out that all of the really cool homeschoolers are doing it, so I'd better do it, too! (Oh, wait - that's public school "follow the masses" thinking - we don't do that here! Of course there's plenty of cool homeschoolers without rain gutter bookshelves, lol!)
The whole idea is that if children can see their books, they're more likely to read their books. Its hard for little ones to pick out their favorite books when they're lined up with their spines facing out on a bookshelf, especially since children's books are so thin. If they're on display with their fun and interesting covers facing outward, children are naturally more drawn to them. And they're easier for them to pick out as well as put away (a plus for me!).
Anyway, I showed it to Michael and he thought it was an interesting idea. We're going to put them up in the basement for our homeschool area, but as a practice run, we decided to try it in the boys' room first. Isaac has been wanting a place for his books - he has the top bunk of a bunkbed and it has no shelf. Nathan has a crate of board books next to his bed, but that tends to get tripped over and looks a bit cluttery, so he got one, too. Joel and Ezra both have built in shelves on their bunkbed, so they missed out on this project, but don't seem too hurt by it.
The first thing I did was google "how to install rain gutter bookshelves" and came across this great tutorial at Raising Olives. Seemed easy enough. Except that I seem to be under Murphy's Law when it comes to attempting projects.
First I went to Home Depot, but the one I went to didn't have vinyl gutters. So I brought home an aluminum one, but knew that just wasn't going to work. So I took that back and headed across the street to Lowes (are they always across the street from eachother? In my area they are, I guess for good competition. It certainly makes my life easier, anyway!). Both times with all of the kids in tow. It is no easy feat to push a cart, wear a baby, keep track of everyone and carry a 10 foot gutter without running into other shoppers, let me tell you. Thankfully, Lowes had everything I needed - beautiful vinyl gutters with little ridges down inside and all the brackets, screws, and end caps.
(Side note: I will say that I can't agree with others who have said this is an economical way to shelve books. Cute, artistic, inspiring, creative - yes. Economical, no. One gutter and the things I needed to make it into several shelves cost me right about $50. I can buy a 5 shelf bookshelf that holds many more books at Wal-Mart for $30. So they'll be going up a little at a time in the basement/homeschool room, as I would like to put up several, but can't afford to go and spend $200 on gutter stuff in one pop. The gutter itself is only $7. Its all the other stuff that adds up quickly.)
Anyway, back to my story. My first attempt at installing the gutters was horrible. The stud finder I bought was not doing a good job. It was telling me there were studs every 6-10 inches (they are supposed to be more like every 16-18"), and sometimes it would indicate a stud in one area, but then if I went over it again, it wouldn't. Very frustrating. Although when I let Michael play with it he was pleased to know that he is officially deemed "a stud", which I already knew anyway - I mean, I did marry him for a reason!
I finally thought I had pinpointed where the studs I needed to use were, and did my drilling and leveling and put up the gutter. And it was a huge flop! The screws came right out of the wall with just a little pressure. Apparently, I had NOT found the studs. I was so frustrated!
Not to mention at this point Judah was crying because he was sleepy, one child was hungry, one needed to go potty, one was trying to touch all of the tools... etc. So I took a break and took care of them, and almost decided to quit altogether.
However, after some frustrated mental fuming, I remembered I had a box of miscellaneous sheet rock anchors somewhere. I found them and used anchors in the studless holes, and the gutters went up and are solid as they can be! Hooray! The kids love them, and even Michael was impressed by how nice they look!
I will also add, once I figured out how to do the first one after all that struggle, the next two were super easy. So take my advice: go to Lowes, use sheetrock anchors, make sure babies are well rested and children are fed and occupied!
Here's the results:
I love how they have such a nice finished look to them! I can't wait to get them going in the homeschool room. We're in the process of painting right now in preparation. Then we'll move the rest of the furniture down there and I'll hopefully have finished pictures soon! School starts for us on Tuesday - 5 days to go!!
The whole idea is that if children can see their books, they're more likely to read their books. Its hard for little ones to pick out their favorite books when they're lined up with their spines facing out on a bookshelf, especially since children's books are so thin. If they're on display with their fun and interesting covers facing outward, children are naturally more drawn to them. And they're easier for them to pick out as well as put away (a plus for me!).
Anyway, I showed it to Michael and he thought it was an interesting idea. We're going to put them up in the basement for our homeschool area, but as a practice run, we decided to try it in the boys' room first. Isaac has been wanting a place for his books - he has the top bunk of a bunkbed and it has no shelf. Nathan has a crate of board books next to his bed, but that tends to get tripped over and looks a bit cluttery, so he got one, too. Joel and Ezra both have built in shelves on their bunkbed, so they missed out on this project, but don't seem too hurt by it.
The first thing I did was google "how to install rain gutter bookshelves" and came across this great tutorial at Raising Olives. Seemed easy enough. Except that I seem to be under Murphy's Law when it comes to attempting projects.
First I went to Home Depot, but the one I went to didn't have vinyl gutters. So I brought home an aluminum one, but knew that just wasn't going to work. So I took that back and headed across the street to Lowes (are they always across the street from eachother? In my area they are, I guess for good competition. It certainly makes my life easier, anyway!). Both times with all of the kids in tow. It is no easy feat to push a cart, wear a baby, keep track of everyone and carry a 10 foot gutter without running into other shoppers, let me tell you. Thankfully, Lowes had everything I needed - beautiful vinyl gutters with little ridges down inside and all the brackets, screws, and end caps.
(Side note: I will say that I can't agree with others who have said this is an economical way to shelve books. Cute, artistic, inspiring, creative - yes. Economical, no. One gutter and the things I needed to make it into several shelves cost me right about $50. I can buy a 5 shelf bookshelf that holds many more books at Wal-Mart for $30. So they'll be going up a little at a time in the basement/homeschool room, as I would like to put up several, but can't afford to go and spend $200 on gutter stuff in one pop. The gutter itself is only $7. Its all the other stuff that adds up quickly.)
Anyway, back to my story. My first attempt at installing the gutters was horrible. The stud finder I bought was not doing a good job. It was telling me there were studs every 6-10 inches (they are supposed to be more like every 16-18"), and sometimes it would indicate a stud in one area, but then if I went over it again, it wouldn't. Very frustrating. Although when I let Michael play with it he was pleased to know that he is officially deemed "a stud", which I already knew anyway - I mean, I did marry him for a reason!
I finally thought I had pinpointed where the studs I needed to use were, and did my drilling and leveling and put up the gutter. And it was a huge flop! The screws came right out of the wall with just a little pressure. Apparently, I had NOT found the studs. I was so frustrated!
Not to mention at this point Judah was crying because he was sleepy, one child was hungry, one needed to go potty, one was trying to touch all of the tools... etc. So I took a break and took care of them, and almost decided to quit altogether.
However, after some frustrated mental fuming, I remembered I had a box of miscellaneous sheet rock anchors somewhere. I found them and used anchors in the studless holes, and the gutters went up and are solid as they can be! Hooray! The kids love them, and even Michael was impressed by how nice they look!
I will also add, once I figured out how to do the first one after all that struggle, the next two were super easy. So take my advice: go to Lowes, use sheetrock anchors, make sure babies are well rested and children are fed and occupied!
Here's the results:
I love how they have such a nice finished look to them! I can't wait to get them going in the homeschool room. We're in the process of painting right now in preparation. Then we'll move the rest of the furniture down there and I'll hopefully have finished pictures soon! School starts for us on Tuesday - 5 days to go!!
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Treasures of August
From The Christian Mother Series at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home:
From holy experience:
Touching God at At the Well... Pursuing Titus 2
Time Robbers at Your Sacred Calling
Some Answers at Large Family Mothering - addressing some questions and concerns about the "homeschooling large family" lifestyle
Doctrine: Add Water and Stir at Joyfully Home
Setting Up & Harvesting Your Own Worm Composting Bin at Passionate Homemaking - I really want to do this soon!
Welcome Home, Daddy! at At the Well... Pursuing Titus 2
A Most Valuable Ministry at A Gracious Heart
Evening Dance at A Path Made Straight
How to be Disorganized and Unproductive #1: Don't Enjoy Your Job at simplemom
He Must Increase at Large Family Mothering - the quote that spoke to me most was "Parenting is not like any other occupation in the whole world. The best parts are in the beginning, and if you miss it then, you can’t grab it back." - I do wish I knew that when I was a brand new mom. I'm thankful I know it now, though!
From holy experience:
- when you're tired of the nothingness
- how to have followers & be a little bit great
- prayer - why we struggle (and how not to) - wow - that's about all I can say to this one
- live a celebrated life: beauty of ceremony
- how to feed a brain everyday (daily links for hungry minds) - a great list of learning links!
Touching God at At the Well... Pursuing Titus 2
Time Robbers at Your Sacred Calling
Some Answers at Large Family Mothering - addressing some questions and concerns about the "homeschooling large family" lifestyle
Doctrine: Add Water and Stir at Joyfully Home
Setting Up & Harvesting Your Own Worm Composting Bin at Passionate Homemaking - I really want to do this soon!
Welcome Home, Daddy! at At the Well... Pursuing Titus 2
A Most Valuable Ministry at A Gracious Heart
Evening Dance at A Path Made Straight
How to be Disorganized and Unproductive #1: Don't Enjoy Your Job at simplemom
He Must Increase at Large Family Mothering - the quote that spoke to me most was "Parenting is not like any other occupation in the whole world. The best parts are in the beginning, and if you miss it then, you can’t grab it back." - I do wish I knew that when I was a brand new mom. I'm thankful I know it now, though!
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