Friday, December 30, 2011

Celebrating New Years With The Kids.....

What will you be doing this New Years Eve?

This year we will start a new, New Years Eve. tradition with the kids. We will start off by going around the room and asking each child to recap their past year and to give thanks for the things that have occurred the past year even the trials and struggles we have gone through.  Then we will ask each one what they want to accomplish the next year, what they feel the Lord has in store for them to do. Then we will watch movies and play games as a family....We will see who holds out into the New Year...And for my children who won't be home on New Years Eve. I pray for the Lord to watch over them as they ring in the New Year.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

How Do You Remember Lost Loved Ones At The Holidays

How do you remember your lost loved ones at the holidays?  My family will visit my Mother's grave and light a candle for her, although it has been 13 years since her passing We still miss her as if it were yesterday what a wonderful woman she was.  For my children all 7 of them who will spend another Christmas with Jesus, I light a candle in their memory and although I grieve for them and wonder what it would be like with them in our family unit on Earth, It Amazes me that in such a short time they were with me they accomplished what god had set forth for them to do before taking them home back home to him. Gods GRACE is AMAZING and I thank him for every second I had with them.  MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOD BLESS..

Monday, December 19, 2011

Saving Money On Food By Buying In Bulk And Making It Yourself...

One of the ways our family tries to save money on groceries since we usually can only spend $350 to $400 a month to feed a family of 9. Just because you spend less does not mean it cannot be healthy. This month I got 4 pounds of pinto beans for $2 dollars and in turn made homemade re fried beans that will last our family 2-3 months, no additives or preservatives!! I also have 6 turkeys in my freezer I buy them when there .45 cents or less per pound and they typically will last til the next holiday season when I restock.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Psalm 25: 4-7

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD."
Psalm 25:4-7

Monday, December 5, 2011

One Of The Best Gifts We Can Give Our Children. "Gods Word".

One of the best gifts to ever give our children or anyone is "Gods Word". Oneverse.org has awesome programs. For 350 million people, God’s word is blank. They don’t have a word of the Bible in their own language. There is a movement to change that. Join us in praying for God’s word to come to all people. http://www.oneverse.org

http://www.theseedcompany.org/video/somethings-missing

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Homeschooling The Dreaded "S" Word...(Socialization)

The dreaded "S" word Socialization.  Do you feel like you are always defending why you are homeschooling do you feel like everyone thinks your kids will be unscocialized? Being new to homeschooling this has been the only issues I have come across is others making comments about my kids not being socialized because they are not in public/private school.  The fact of the matter is Homeschooled kids for the majority are very well socialized, just not in the traditional public school with 30 kids their same age on daily basis the advantage homeschoolers get to interact with people of varying ages, abilities, ethnicity's, and socio-economic diversity on a day-to-day basis in the real world. Here is some practical examples on how homeschoolers are socialized.

  • Homeschool parents model appropriate social behavior and teach their children how to interact and get along with others.


  • Homeschooled children participate in (and win!) math olympiads, spelling bees, geography bees, science competitions, and debate teams.

    Homeschoolers join choirs, orchestras, book clubs, athletic events, and they even go to homeschool proms!

  • Homeschoolers take classes and compete academically in community college, adult education programs, museum events, online forums, summer school, and at camps, etc.


  • Homeschoolers participate in community activities such as Scouts, 4-H, Little League, sports, youth groups, martial arts classes, dance classes, etc.


  • Homeschoolers volunteer in the community.

    Homeschoolers play with neighborhood kids from both public and private schools.

    Saturday, December 3, 2011

    Friday, December 2, 2011

    Homemade Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

    Looking for a recipe for Christmas ornaments here is a great one that will leave the house smelling good also. Gather your homeschool family and create these cinnamon-scented, cookie-cutter ornaments to decorate your house this Christmas. These easy-to-make decorations not only fill your home with the delicious aroma of cinnamon, but they also make great holiday gifts for family and friends.

    (Makes 7-8 cinnamon ornaments)

    Ingredients:
    1 cup ground cinnamon
    1 tsp. nutmeg
    1 tsp. cloves
    ¾ cup applesauce
    2 Tbsp. tacky glue

    Materials:
    Christmas cookie cutters (metal, smaller shapes work best)
    Red and green holiday fabric ribbon (narrow-width)
    Glitter glue in Christmas colors

    Directions:
    1. Combine spices with applesauce. Add glue and knead it well with your hands until the mixture forms into a stiff dough.
    2. Dust a flat surface lightly with cinnamon and roll out the dough ¼" thick.
    3. Cut the dough into stars, bells, trees, candy canes, angels, and other Christmas shapes with cookie cutters.
    4. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and lay the cut-out ornaments on top of the waxed paper.
    5. Gently poke a hole at the top of each cinnamon ornament with a small, plastic straw.
    6. Place the ornaments in a safe place and dry them naturally for 2-4 days. To dry evenly, turn the ornaments 2 or 3 times a day.
    7. When the ornaments are completely dry, decorate them with glitter glue and ribbon.
    8. When you're finished, hang your handmade ornaments on the Christmas tree and throughout the house for a delightfully spicy smell!


    Thursday, December 1, 2011

    Christmas Activites-Homemande Gifts.

    Here is a great website for Free Christmas activites, Homemade Gifts, Glitter Dough, Etc. This website has enough activites to keep busy the whole month of December. 

    http://www.easyfunschool.com/IndexChristmas.html

    Wednesday, November 30, 2011

    Stillbirth, Miscarriage & Infant Loss....Gods Decision.

    I have had 10 pregnancy losses and nine of them were early on and I figured ok we will just try again. It was not until I lost my 7th, Tyler at 16 weeks that it all came flooding in all the losses I had endured and had not grieved for them like I needed to. Having to give birth to Tyler and hold his tiny body in my hands was a turning point for me spiritually (An unborn child is not only a fetus or a “piece of tissue” to God, but is one of His children. Jeremiah 1:5 says that God knows us while we are still in the womb). God now holds my 10 children in his hands and they are waiting in heaven for me. God does work in miraculous ways, after Tyler's death the Doctors felt they needed to run further tests on me since I had so many losses. I guess this was never done before as I had had 6 other live births. Well it turns out I have Factor 5 Leiden a blood clot disorder, which they feel is what contributed to the losses. I now take a baby aspirin a day and am monitored closer when I am pregnant. Some of my sisters have been tested for the disorder and are also positive for the disorder. It's like Tyler is my guardian Angel if it was not for his death I would not have been tested unless I developed symptoms of a clot. While I grieve for my children God has other plans and they will be waiting for me. I now have 8 children on this earth. and pray that it will be gods will in having more.

    TYLER'S HAND.....

    Tuesday, November 29, 2011

    ENTER TO WIN A CARIBOU OR STARBUCKS GIFT CARD!!!

    Enter to WIN A $10.00 CARIBOU GIFT CARD or STARBUCKS...I am trying to increase my likes on my Facebook page Angel Wings Homeschool and my BLOG at Angelwingshomeschool.blogsot.com . Just like my facebook page angel wings homeschool and join my blog at angelwingshomeschool.blogspot.com. The First 75 LIKES on the Facebook page will be entered to win the 10.00 gift card from Caribou. I will post the winner after the likes have reached 75.....Thanks in advance for checking out my site.

    Tuesday, November 22, 2011

    Free Thanksgiving Coloring Pages..And Pilgrams First Thanksgiving

    Here is a link for "FREE" Thanksgiving coloring pages and more...  http://www.free-coloring-pages.com/ . Here is also a link for a brief history of the Pilgrams First Thanksgiving, Great for Holiday History..I will read the story about the Pilgrams first Thanksgiving while the kids are coloring the holiday pages. http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm

    Wednesday, November 9, 2011

    Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipe

    Recipe #1
    1 Cup White Vinegar
    Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

    Recipe #2
    1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
    4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

    Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

    Saturday, October 29, 2011

    Green Slime..Homeschool Science Project.






    We decided to do a Science project making Green Slime. As you can see in the pictures the girls had a blast. This makes a great learning tool from going from solid to liquid and gives the kids a break from the day to day book work. Make into a ball for a solid or drop for a liquid.  Below is the recipe.

    GREEN SLIME:

    Equal parts water and cornstarch (1 cup to 1 cup)
    green paint
    Mix with hands until combined.

    Saturday, October 22, 2011

    Save Money on Your Grocery Bill..

    I thought I would share this site I have been using for coupon's you can click on the store you shop at, and they will show you coupon match up's great tool for saving lots of money on your grocery bill.

    http://coupondivas.com

    Monday, October 17, 2011

    Building Good Character Qualities

    There is no doubt that character training is a vital aspect our home schooling. The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 22:15 that, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child." In the book of Romans, it's made crystal clear that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Therefore, it is necessary to train our children diligently. This requires discipline and much repetition to instill in our children a proper godly character which will benefit them and those around them for their whole lives. I have found that my children work and respect people better as they learn these character qualities. With lots of repetition they slowly build these qualities. Here are links to the resources I use.

    http://store.iblp.org/products/C123/

    http://www.christianbook.com/character-builders-8/9780740314643/pd/314643

    Sunday, October 9, 2011

    I did not start out thinking I was going to have a large family.....

    I did not start out thinking I was going to have a larger family.  I was previously married had a girl and a boy that was it done....I was single for a few years and my kids were out of diapers bottles more independent. Well low and behold I remarried a wonderful man who had never had kids (he also adopted my other children) so we decided to have one...well one turned to 2,3,4 and figured ok were done then I felt like there was another soul that should be apart of our family within  months I was pregnant with Tyler my little angel we lost him at 16 weeks gestation and from that day on God layed it on my heart that children are a blessing and since that day my heart has been open for whatever he will give me. Benefits of having many children are they always have someone to play with they are never bored. Our house is never quiet unless they are all in bed sleeping and that's the way I like it.  I would not trade my life for anything through all the ups and downs my children are my life and have received the greatest gift god could ever give.

    Wednesday, October 5, 2011

    Civil War: freebies

    Holy Spirt led homeschooling is sharing Free Literature Based Civil War Study! She has a lot of great information.


    www.holyspiritledhomeschooling.net
    We're consumed with the study that our family is working on of the Civil War Era. I've designed it with many great books, free online resources {such as maps, videos, projects, lapbooks} and more. I'm freely sharing our literature based study with my readers who sign up via RSS/Email.

    Tuesday, October 4, 2011

    Lapbooking....

    So we just discovered lapbooking OMG...this is the best thing ever to help teach the children. We just put together lapbooks for basic study skills and what a hit...They actually enjoy learning and putting them together. We are going to start doing lapbooking after we finish certain studies, space, continents, people etc. I have found an awesome site that you can get free laptop pages all you need is folders and glue. Here is the link.   http://www.homeschoolshare.com/index_lapbooks_master_list.php

    Friday, September 30, 2011

    Homemade Laundry Detergent...Great Money Saver...

    Having alot of children creates alot of laundry about 35 loads per week, since we are on such a tight budget we make our own laundry detergent it costs approx. $3.50 every 2 months for laundry detergent. Below is the receipe.

    Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
    4 Cups - hot tap water
    1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
    1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
    ½ Cup Borax
    - Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
    -Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
    -Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
    -Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
    -Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
    -Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
    -Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

    Thursday, September 29, 2011

    Saving Money with Coupons...

    Need to save or have little money for food/necessities, start couponing.  I started really couponing a few months ago and while I can't get to be an Extreme couponer as seen on TV, I have found that you can get items for free or nearly free. For instance I have a stock pile of fly swatters (40) and fly tape (60 rolls) mens and womens body wash to last at least a year for my large family, mens and womens deoderant for a year. Food I have stock piled pasta about 40 boxes and hot sauce approx. 25 bottles, I could go on and on all of these items I got for free with the execption of ordering the coupons and having them mailed to me. So when you are on a low budget all it takes is a little effort to look up the deals and order the coupons, here are two sites you can look up the deals by your store,  http://thekrazycouponlady.com/ and
    http://coupondivas.com/ and them you can go to http://www.couponsthingsbydede.com/All_Coupons_s/43.htm  and search out the coupons you want and order them. It's super easy and save's lots of money you may not need 40 fly swatters however they were free and I will never have to buy them again.  Check out these sites for the great deals.

    Wednesday, September 28, 2011

    Fall is here..Fun fall printables

    Fall is my Favorite time of the year the crisp air, apple picking, going to the pumpkin patch with the kids. Spending time with the family there is nothing better.  Here is a link to some great FREE Fall fun Learning unit printables.

    http://homeschoolcreations.com/FallFunLearningPrintables.html

    Free Homeschool Worksheet links

    Are you on a tight budget or just need to fill in the gaps of your homeschool here is a resource link for free homeschool worksheets. I found these worked well just to add to my current curriculum.

    http://www.schoolexpress.com/

    Remember this as you start your day......

    "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
    Deuteronomy 6:5-7

    Tuesday, September 27, 2011

    Balancing Act...

    Some days I feel like I am doing a balancing act...3 girls being homeschooled a toddler and an infant not to mention the laundry, cleaning, cooking, trying to figure the bills out, etc. Through the crying baby and toddler running around screaming and my house that seems to be a complete mess the girls asking school questions, for that brief moment I think what am I doing am I crazy everyone else seems to thinks so about homeschooling when I could have them in public school.  As soon as I feel like this I ask God to give me the strength to continue and teach my children the way he intended. I refer to proverbs 3:5-6  and my day always gets better.

    5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
    And lean not on your own understanding;
    6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
    And He shall direct[a] your paths.

    Monday, September 26, 2011

    About Me..

    Hello my name is Michelle, I am a mother of 16, Megan,David,Danielle,Faith,Isabella,Irelyn, Paityn, Joylynn and Tyler(my angel baby),(8 early losses), I decided to be a stay at home mom after 20 years of working in the Healthcare Industry. We lost or son Tyler at 16 weeks gestation on March 2, 2010 from that point God layed it on my heart that I needed to be home and teach my children and cherish all he has given me. Then the journey of homeschooling began. My daughter Megan (19) got married this past July (to Matt who is a very giving and loving man) and is finishing college for Human Services. My son David (21) is in the Army Reserve and is studying electrical engineering. My husband Dave works full time. Life gets crazy at times but I would not trade it for anything.