Many Little Links {May 24, 2009}

25 Homeschool Websites You Should Have Bookmarked -- Kris from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers writing at The Homeschool Classroom

Fight Back Against Scraper Blogs -- Blog Coach

The Mindfulness Guide for the Super Busy: How to Live Life to the Fullest -- Zen Habits

10 Secrets to Curbing Your Appetite For Stuff -- Frugal Dad

Etch a Glass Vase for Mom -- Make and Takes

I Have Had Enough -- Frugal Dad

Beading: Great Fine Motor Practice for All Ages

If you have preschoolers or even older children who have some difficulty with fine motor skills, beading can be a great way to work on these skills.

In order to increase interest and add some variety, we picked up a mix of plastic beads that included regular pony beads as well as shaped beads (stars, hearts, trains, animals, etc.).

I gave each of the kids a length of plastic cord, and then I taped one end of the cord to the table. Kids can be be easily frustrated, so taping one end down not only helps keep the cord in place, but it also stops beads from falling off after being put on. Then, I just let them thread on any beads that they wanted.

Because our package of beads was really large, I put some of the beads on a plastic plate (with high sides) to make sure a giant package of beads didn't end up on the floor.

Molly - busy at work on a necklace for herself.

She also made a necklace for Ninny, her Nun-made rag doll.

(Yes, this was at Christmas time, I promise that we do not have a gingerbread house on our table right now.)

What are some of your favorite ways to work on fine motor skills with kids?

7 Quick Takes - May 22nd Edition (Vol. 4)

1. Thursday was our very last homeschool co-op meeting of the school year! I love going to co-op and seeing everyone, and my class is really good group of kids. But, I'm super excited to have a few months off!

2. Speaking of time off, as of this moment, we have completed 179 days of school. Friday will make 180, and we will be starting our summer break after that. I secretly am quite sure that I'm about ten times more excited than the kids. And, let me just say, the kids are pretty darn excited.

3. We will actually still be working on math all summer long, as well as reading. I may even throw in some handwriting. Who knows. You know what else I'm going to throw in? Sleeping in and playing video games.

4. As long as I'm on the subject of homeschooling, I have officially become the co-coordinator of our homeschooling group as of this week. I just hope to make it through the next two years with my sanity intact. Hopefully this will teach me the important skill of delegating. Either that, or I'll be committed at some point.

5. Most of my time on Monday and Tuesday of this week was spent at the hospital. My Mom had abdominal surgery, and was in so much pain. Usually, she bounces right back after surgeries, but this one has been pretty hard on her. (If you have a moment to pray for her, it would be appreciated!) She said this was even worse than her total knee replacement!

I spent probably 13 hours at the hospital on Monday and about 8 on Tuesday. I ate a total of three not so great hospital meals. And, despite my dificulty with falling asleep in strange places, I was so tired that I fell asleep on a couch in a pseudo waiting area right on a busy hallway.

6. We finished putting in our garden plants last weekend. But, then on Thursday, I added a couple more, as well as some flowers, just because the kids wanted them in there.

We also were urged by the greenhouse guy to not rip out our new raspberry bush which is currently just sticks because the rabbits ate every bit of the leaves. He promises that if the branches are still green, it is still alive. We now, however, do have a fence around it.

7. I'm hoping that our summer break will find me having time to re-organize the house and clear out some things we don't need. I also have plans to change up our schooling schedule and the like. I'm praying that I can stay on task, and have more to show for my summer than just a rockin' score on Tap Tap Revenge on my iPod Touch.

13 Gifts I Have Received That I've Used The Most

I haven't done a Thursday Thirteen in forever, but I thought it would be fun to think about thirteen gifts that I have received that I have gotten the most use out of.

And, once you read my list, maybe leave me a comment with some gifts that you have received that you have used the most!

Here's my list (in no particular order):

1. A quilt that my Mom made for me in 1985. How do I remember that it was 1985? In the bottom square, she embroidered that it was to me, from her (it said "Love Mom") and then the date. I still use the quilt all the time, and I love it even more now than I ever did before.

2. My iPod. Eric bought me a 30 gb video iPod a few Christmases ago, and I can't even imagine how many times I used it. And, then on Mother's Day this year, he surprised me with an iPod Touch. So, I can thank him not only for the iPod, but also if I get arthritis in my fingers from playing Tap Tap Revenge (Coldplay Edition).

3. The hope chest that my parents bought for me for my high school graduation. I had wanted one for so long. Imagine my shock that it had apparently been sitting in our garage in a box and I hadn't noticed it!

4. Our dining room table, which we actually don't have anymore. We got it as a wedding present (also from my parents), and I'm sure that without it, we would have spent years with a folding table as our dining room table. But, alas, it was small and only seated four. I think (hope) that one of my sisters still has it.

5. A wall crucifix that Eric and I received from the couple that sponsored us through RCIA. They gave it to us after the Easter Vigil Mass when we were received into the church. It now hangs in our dining room.

6. The garage freezer that Eric and I received as our only gift from my parents one year for Christmas. It is one of those stand-up freezers that is a bit bigger than a large dorm fridge. We use it all the time! I can't imagine what we would do without it now, especially as a family of five.

7. My favorite purple hoodie sweater that now has holes in several of the "seam" type areas. But, darn it -- I love that thing. Although, the funniest thing about it is that I picked it out for my birthday from my parents and then proceeded to stick it away in the closet for years. But, when I rediscovered it, I fell in love with it. I will probably keep wearing it until it falls apart.

8. Our honeymoon trip, which my grandparents gave to us as a wedding present. Sure, we were only able to really use the week long trip to London for a week. But, the memories have lasted far longer.

9. The paper shredder that Eric's parents gave to him one year for Christmas. Okay, so this wasn't actually for me, but I use it many times a week, so I'm counting it on my list.

10. As a baby gift (when I was pregnant with Noah), my Mom gave me the rocking chair that she got when she was pregnant with me. It hasn't always fit into our house in the way we would have liked, but it is used often. Although, now that the caning came out of the seat, it is used considerably less.

11. The keychain wallet thingee that a friend gave me for high school graduation with a Purdue emblem on it, because, as she declared, "Everyone at Purdue as one." I used it until it, quite literally, fell apart.

12. Gifts of money. So, this may not seem right to say, but there have been many, many times that we have received monetary gifts when it seemed like we were most in need of it. So, PC or not, it had to make the list.

13. My Kitchen Aid Mixer that I got this year from my Grandparents for Christmas. (This is kind of cheating, because I actually used money that I got from them to buy it. So, while it falls under #12, I think of it separately.) Every time I whip something up with my mixer, I not only save time, but I think of my Grandparents. And, what better gift is that?

Okay, so, if you got through this list -- Kudos to you! Now, share some of your favorite gifts! (Or right about it on your own blog and link back so I can read it!)