Cryoow doll winner

A while ago, I participated at a giveaway that was hosted by Grace for Moms. They were giving away one CRYOOW doll. I know..... you are wondering what that is! A funny name, right?

CRYOOW stands for CReate YOur very OWn personal doll! Here is a link to their webpage: CRYOOW. Basically, your child draws a doll, you send in the drawing and a doll will be sewn according to the drawing. This doll will be unique and there will only one be this one. So it is truly a one-of-a-kind-doll. Pretty neat, right?

So when I saw that I had won the giveaway, I knew my little princess (aka Peanut) needed to do a drawing in order for this doll to come to life....

She needed some help with the drawing, as it had to be a certain size for the company. So Mami gave a bit of help with proportioning things. She colored it all by herself and it took some time, as I told her she needed to work nicely.

Here is a glimpse - I think she did a great job.

I then had to scan the drawing and send it via email to Bali..... yes, a far away place to give birth to this doll. We waited patiently for the transformation to take place. I want to say, it was maybe two weeks. She had to be send all the way back to our country and was here in about five days.

In the meantime, my little girl had no idea that this was coming. So when the doll arrived, we called for a family meeting. We showed her the drawing to see if she remembered - she did! Then we showed her the package and told her to open it. She was so excited.

It took her a few tries to get her out of her package but then she finally held her in her arms.

Now the doll needed a name, and within minutes, she was baptized 'Abigail'. So now, Abigail sleeps right next to Peanut. A very special doll for a very special girl:

We are being blessed and very thankful for this gracious gift. 

Review: Time 4 Learning

We've had the wonderful opportunity to review the online learning program Time 4 Learning for free for the past month. Thank you to the team. For those of you that don't know what it is, Time4Learning is an online educational program that can be used in many different ways. It can be supplemental for kids that go to public school, like summer work or extra work after school. It can be used as a full curriculum and/or supplement for homeschooling families.

I heard about it from my friends that use it for their homeschooling and that are in love with it. So I was curious. We are not lacking anything this year, but it is always wise to check out what is out there for future reference.

I am not a computer person and I sure do not want my kids to spend any more time in front of a screen. We LOVE books and our entire curriculum is book based. But sometimes, it is helpful to send them off to figure things out on their own. And the kids think it is a treat for them to be on the computer for learning.

My middle child used it as a preschooler, and my oldest as a third grader. Overall, we are very happy with what we have experienced. I was impressed with the program, as it not only covers subjects like English and Math, but also Science and Social Studies. It is possible to change grades after you signed your kids up, too. This is a nice feature when you have a kid that is not a great reader but is ahead in Science, for example.

As a mom that limits the use of technology in our house, I really loved the feature of setting a timer for the kids. The program is very easy to use, my four year old had no trouble getting from one place to another. I love that the instructions are read to her, so that I could set her up with the computer while tending to my older child and his lessons. I also love that she could see when she had completed a section - it made her feel accomplished and proud.

Now my third grader had more challenging tests and he got frustrated a few times, especially in Math when he came across something that he hadn't learned yet. Nonetheless, it is easy to get around for him, too. At his level, the program is also keeping records of the things he has started and finished. So as a parent, I could go in and see which lessons were not finished yet, where he had problems, and what we needed to talk about later.

The kids really enjoyed their time, even thought we only used it a few times, not every day. 

Subsequently, we will not use this as part of our curriculum for NOW. Partly, because we spent money for this year's curriculum and I want to use it all up before I spend more money for something else.
Here, I would like to mention what my friend has shared with me: the program is very affordable, and one very positive thing is that you pay monthly. No big payment at the beginning of the year (like I did) but monthly. And I can totally see that this is a plus.

Secondly, we are a Christian family and I like the idea of integrating our faith in every subject. I have not come across anything offending at all, but I have read about other people that did. So I am a bit worried about that if we were to use this as our only curriculum.

One reason for our family to home school is that we like to spend time with each other. I love to interact with the kids, teach them, and also jump in when I see a problem arising before it becomes frustration. I would be worried about them spending too much time in front of the screen. I'd rather see them with their noses in a book  for that same amount of time.

It is a great program, and even though it is not the right fit for our family at this time, we will come back to it in the future, maybe as a summer program or in the case that I should ever fall ill for a longer period of time.

What we are learning this year

We finally finished Second grade a few days ago - well, we both, my son and I, decided that it is time to let go and start something new. We were both excited to call it quits and start our journey to NEW adventures.

Last year, we used the full curriculum from Abeka. It was my first time buying an entire box, because I figured with the baby I needed extra 'help' with planning, or not planning at all because it was done for me. In retrospect, we had a great year. A year that left us with a great experience, lots of things that we learned, and the knowledge that we will never buy a full box again.

Talking to other homeschooling moms and reading many blogs made me curious about what else is out there. When I started researching, I got quickly overwhelmed by the MANY choices. Wow, there are so many great curricula, it's amazing and wonderful. Yet, it makes it hard to choose.

One night last year, the Hubby and I sat down and talked about what we liked in the past year and what we didn't like. We discussed what is important to us. Then we chose curricula subject by subject. It was a great night working together. And then I started buying.....

So we have come up with the following:

* We do Abeka Math again - Coqui thrived with it last year, so we wanted to do it one more year, at least. Additionally, we supplement with Singapore Math workbooks for extra practice.

* I was not thrilled with the entire English approach last year, so I switched to Bob Jones University for English and Spelling - and so far,  we both totally love it.

* I also decided that I didn't need a Reading program, that we would just read what we came across during certain unit studies. But then the entire set of Abeka books literally fell into my lap, so we are reading those. Coqui also loves chapter books like The Magic Tree House, the Magic School Bus, Flat Stanley, and others.

*Again, we supplement with some Scholastic Grammar books.

* I liked the Cursive Writing Curriculum from Abeka, but it was very intense last year. So much, that we got maybe 25% done so far.... But when I went to a conference and held the book for Third Grade in my hands, I loved it. So we are using it, and Coqui loves it, too. 

* I really liked the idea of teaching some Latin, but I thought that he was still too young. When I saw English from the Roots Up, I knew I had the right start for a better understanding of the English language, as well as a great way to introduce a foreign language that I want him to learn later. He likes it so far.

* At the end of last year, I heard about Apologia, and when I looked into it, I knew I wanted to try it. After talking to homeschoolers that have used it, we decided to start with Astronomy. Last week was our first day and Coqui loved it.

* For History, we chose The Story of the World. Actually, we have not started this one yet, but I can't wait to see what Coqui thinks. Ancient Times are not my favorite, so I guess I am a bit procrastinating here, but I also didn't want to start everything at the same time. We both like the idea of easing into ALL of the subjects.

* Coqui is really good in Geography, so I just got him The Complete Book of Maps and Geography.  He loves doing it all by himself. We also use Geography Through Art, but only to supplement with it. It was highly recommended by a fellow homeschooler and we enjoyed it last year when we did a few pages for our Introduction to Art lapbook.

* Art kind of happens around here. We are also going to a weekly co-op to learn and experience Art there.
   I am kind of sad that we haven't found a music curriculum yet. I would love to include that, as I remember to love it in school. So if anyone knows of something good, please share.

* We are also learning Spanish and German. My personal experience has shown me that learning a foreign language from a book is not only boring but also impractical, so we are learning from native speakers. It's also more fun this way.

So there is our list. It seems like a long list, but please be assured that we are not doing this every single day. My motto is that Math and English have to be done every day. Then, depending on time and other circumstances, we are flexible with the rest. At this age, science and social studies don't have to be done every day. And still, they get in alot of playing with friends, doing field trips every week, and playing sports.

A constant source of joy

When I look into her eyes,
when I feel her hug me tight,
when she calls me by my name,
when she smiles as only she can,
when she throws her head on my shoulders,
and when she falls asleep on my back,

then I know... that I have been so blessed.

With a little girl that took away all those years of grief and sadness, just as it is said in Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." God kept His promise and I am honored to be able to see it every day right in front of my eyes.

She is beautiful. She is happy. She is mine.

I don't know where to start as I am constantly amazed by her and my heart literally overflows with pride.

Munchkin has been with us for a little over a year but it sure feels like it has been forever. She completes our family. She is a little firecracker, and yet gentle and caring. Anything that she is exposed to, goes right to her brain and is applied. Clapping, High-fives, throwing a ball, climbing up the stairs and scooting back down on her bottom, pretend-reading, sorting shapes, doing puzzles, and yes, eating with a fork. 

She interacts so well that I could easily forget how old she really is. She shows so much compassion for her siblings. If one of them gets hurt, she comes over for a pat on the back and a long-lasting hug of comfort. When one of them cries, she cries, too. They play kitchen, she has to be right next to them. We go outside to play soccer, she grabs her mini soccer ball and kicks it - just like the big kids!

Her small motor skills are incredible. One of our little routines, when I want to go to the bathroom, is to give her a small piece of toilet paper (clean of course!). In hand, she runs of to the stairs and rips it into microscopic small pieces. Nope, she does not put a single one into her mouth! And then she brings them over for me to throw them in the garbage.

And none of this goes without verbal communication. I am absolutely blown away by the things coming out her of mouth. At one year old, she knew every member of her family, including the extended family of grandparents and aunts and uncles - by name. Of course, like with Peanut, I am trying to teach her baby sign language, but really, it is in vein as she signs AND says it at the same time. Signing more and saying 'mo', so Mami and Daddy really get that she wants more!

Words that I have heard her say include: 'hi', 'bye-bye', 'baby', 'water', 'waffle', 'cereal', 'shoe', 'nigh-nigh, 'go', 'peek-a-boo', 'ba' (for bath), 'wow', 'than you' and 'please', 'wau' (German for woof), 'doggie', 'meow', 'lalala' (for music), and her newest thing: 'are you?' (for where are you?).
I do not remember my other kids being that talkative at this age.

She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it by asking for it. She understands pretty much everything I ask of her. When she stands up in the bathtub or her high chair, I ask her to 'sit down' and she sits. She drops a toy (and Mami does not feel like playing the pick-up game) and I ask her to 'pick it up', she does it. It feels like with child number three, I have really gotten a hang of parenting - at least SHE makes me look like it.

Thank you God for our little Munchkin, for blessing us with her presence - it is a gift that we cherish each and every day.

Vegan Sugar Plum Cake

When I went shopping on Saturday I had a great find: sugar plums. I had never seen them in America until then. While I grew up with them and missed them (but not enough to go on a big search), it seems they are less popular over here. So I bought them.

Tonight, when I was washing them, prepping them for tomorrow's snack, I got the urge to make a plum cake. Like the one I remember from when I was a kid and my aunt would bake it - she is a great baker! Mmmmh.

My search was successful: on a German site (the link is here in case you want to check it out). I had to quickly change the metric measurements into the American units - with alot of guessing. And it has a special ingredient that I was dying to try out: it's what we call in our house bubbly water, aka seltzer. We drink it every day (it is a very common drink in Germany), but I had never baked with it.

Also, I just bought my first spring form, so I really wanted to use it! ;-)

Let's see how it turns out when I take it out of the oven.

I followed the recipe almost to a T (big surprise):

For the cake mix:
2 cups of flour (I used my regular all purpose flour)
1 cup of sugar (Vegan!) - it seems alot, so I need to taste and see if it could be reduced to half a cup or 3/4
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup of seltzer

For the Streusel (aka crumb topping):
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons of vegetable oil

In the middle:
enough sugar plums - according your own liking
I couldn't tell you how much I used - maybe about 15 in total

Making the cake:
* mix all dry ingredients in a bowl
* then mix in the seltzer
* grease the spring form
* put dough into the spring form, raise it a bit on the sides
* wash, clean, and cut the sugar plums
* spread the plums all over the dough, as thick as you like
* make the streusel in a different bowl, mix all dry ingredients together, then add the oil little by little
* you want the crumbs to be wet enough to stick together
*spread those over the plums
* bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes

Guten Appetit! 

 Mmmh, Lecker!