Baby Steps: 2010

17 December 2010

Fix-it Friday #81

Used primarily Nelly Nero's "Poisoned Peach"

This one is more my own, rather than relying so much on downloaded actions, though there are still elements of Poisoned Peach in there, and Pioneer Woman's "Dim the Lights" really made it pop. But there's a lot of my own touches as well.

Here's the same thing, but I added ShadowHouse's "Difference Maker" texture. I can't decide if I like it better with or without the texture...

Weekly Wrap-up: Nearly Christmas Edition

at 1:41 PM

It feels like most of forever since I last managed to do a Weekly Wrap-up, but we've been doing pretty well! We're putting the finishing touches on our Christmas gifts, and generally enjoying the season. I love Christmas! Oh, and we're counting down the days to when we get our dog on the 27th. Gotta love that!

Here's some of what we've been up to:

He earned himself a kid camera a while back, and it looks like he's still enjoying it - and learning to view the world through his lens, something I picked up from my Dad.

Oh, and I'm giving away these adorable Nativity Tags, so you should go enter to win.

16 December 2010

What Are You Doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?

at 8:14 PM

There's so much beautiful stuff on Etsy, it just seemed natural to daydream about what kind of money-is-no-object New Year's party you could throw, built around this week's "inspiration item."

(Don't forget to enter the giveaway!)

15 December 2010

Art Print Giveaway Winner!

at 11:53 PM

Tianna, you win the art print! Congratulations!

Don't forget, there is still one more giveaway going, and the odds of winning are still very good! So click on over and check out the lovely Nativity Tags that are up for grabs.

13 December 2010

Forever Blowing Bubbles

at 11:41 PM

I've needed to remind Monkey that blowing bubbles in the milk isn't good manners recently (amazing, right!), so I was pretty sure he'd like this activity. It didn't disappoint.

Monkey Plays the Banjo

at 10:03 PM

Freedom Quotes

at 8:15 PM

“An unconstitutional act is not law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed.”

–Norton v. Shelby County, US Supreme Court

Decision 118 US 425, 442 (in 1886)"

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."

-Daniel Webster

We may debate how relevant the Second Amendment is in the modern United States, but knowledge of history settles the debate about the Framers’ intentions. For those who deem it superfluous in the modern world, the proper recourse is an Amendment to eliminate it, not a campaign to dilute it. The Constitution was designed to be changeable, but not to be pliable.

Dan, the Secular Constitutionalist

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”

-Patrick Henry

“If there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought, not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government.”
James Madison

12 December 2010

Candy Cane Bread

at 3:52 PM

We've been making Candy Cane Bread in my family for a long time now. Mom used to make the recipe when I was growing up, and I loved it so I took it with me. I've since given the recipe to two of my sisters and back to my Mom after she lost her copy. Somebody always It's delicious stuff, though the resemblance to a candy cane is purely geometric: there's no mint in this bread! And, it's a generous recipe, so there's always plenty to share.

I thought I'd share the recipe:

Candy Cane Bread

2 c sour cream
1/2 c warm water
1 1/2 t yeast
1/4 c water
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c butter
1 t salt
abt 6 c flour

filling
powdered sugar
milk

To make the bread:

Heat the sour cream over low heat until lukewarm. You should be able to put your finger in it comfortably. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in warmed sour cream, water, yeast, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and about 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth.

Mix in the remaining flour, until the bread is easy to handle, but not dry. Knead until smooth and elastic: 10-20 minutes. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a greased bowl until double (about 1 hour). Punch down. Heat oven to 375F. Divide dough into 3 balls, set 2 aside. Roll the 1st ball into a rectanglish oval, leaving the dough about 1/4" thick. With scissors, cut 2" slits down the long sides of the rectangle. It should look something like a thick fringe on both sides. Fill with apple pie filling, blackberry or strawberry jam, or whatever makes you happy. Straight chocolate chips is a little heavy, I don't recommend it. But the fruit fillings are delicious. Apple pie is a fan favorite around here. "Braid" the bread by overlapping the fringes you cut, pulling first from one side then the other. Tuck the bottom fringes in the best you can: they're always difficult. I often end up cutting off 1 or 2 at the very end. Bake 15-20 minutes. Brush with more melted butter, and let cool. Drizzle with thin icing made from powdered sugar and milk. Decorate with holiday M&Ms, M side down, arranged to look like holly, only more delicious.

Repeat with the other 2 balls of dough, then give those away. That's actually probably the most fun part: folks are always so excited to see these coming! You can put them on cake boards covered in tinfoil for a pretty presentation, but build them and frost them on your big cookie sheet: that frosting makes an unsightly mess! Make sure that it's well supported when you transfer it to the tinfoiled cardboard.

Enjoy!

11 December 2010

1000th Post Giveaway: Nativity Tags!

at 11:49 PM

I've reached 1000 posts! To celebrate, I've partnered with some Etsy shops to give some wonderful gifts to some lucky people! My third giveaway is from Paper Does It. Start out by going and having a look at her cute cards and stationary. Then come on back and I'll tell you what she's sharing with one lucky blog reader!

Up For Grabs:

Paper Does It is sharing a set of 12 nativity tags or, if you're like me, they may look like cute little bookmarks. These Whimpsy Primsy designs have been printed on white cardstock and then given a gruffy look and finished off with hemp ribbon. They're adorable. Here's what you do.

How to Enter:

Step 1: Go to Paper Does It and choose a favorite item.
Step 2: Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.
Step 3: Leave a comment on this post telling us what's your favorite & a link to your blog.

If you want, you can use this code to copy for a short post:

It will look like this:

Baby Steps Blog is giving away a photographic art print!!
Click to Enter.

Up to Two Extra Entries:

1. Add Paper Does It to your favorite Etsy shops. Leave a separate comment, including your Etsy login name, on this post.

2. People who follow this blog, whether you jumped on the bandwagon to day or last year, can also leave a comment on this post indicating that you follow Baby Steps.

Entries must be received by 11:59PM CST the 20th of December.

That's it! Good luck!
Don't forget to enter the photogoraphic art giveaway by Dec 13th!

eBook Winner!

at 11:41 PM

Congratulations, MoMo211! You're the winner of the Dying Fun With Children eBook from Syrendell! Leave a comment with your email address so your prize can be forwarded to you. And a Big Thank You to Syrendell for sponsoring this giveaway!

(Don't forget, the Photographic Art Print is still up for grabs!)

10 December 2010

Dying eBook Giveaway

at 5:22 PM

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win Syrendell's ebook, Dying Fun With Children!

08 December 2010

Classical Homeschooling Carnival #13

at 12:10 AM

Welcome to the December 8, 2010 edition of Classical Homeschooling Carnival. We have another good turnout and some great articles to share this time.

The Mama presents Rediscovered Love posted at Concordia Classical Academy.

Heidi presents Twaddle posted at The Mighty, Mighty Smiths.

Ritsumei presents On Classical Education posted at Baby Steps.

Kelly presents Fall 2010 Curriculum: What We Like posted at The Accidental Homeschooler, saying, "this is the first in a series of three."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Classical Homeschooling Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

07 December 2010

Fall Into Reading: Question 11

at 11:59 PM

If you happen to know how to count, you might notice that 11 does not usually come after 2, but life has been a wee bit busy around here, so that's how I'm counting on this project this time. Even if I'm not doing so hot on the fun questions she asks, I am making some progress in one of the books I wanted to finish off. So here's the question:

Do you ever read the end of a book before you actually get there? Have you sneaked a peek at the last page or two to find out what happens? Or do you faithfully avoid the final pages until you’ve “earned” them by reading to that point?

Nope, never. I never really thought about it as an "earned" thing, either. I just don't like to read the end of the book before I read the beginning. I also very seldom read a 2nd book before I read the first in the series. I find they don't make a lot of sense. And, there's a reason they call 'em "spoilers." It spoils things, knowing ahead of time. (Don't ask me how reading books repeatedly works, cuz I do that all the time, and it doesn't bother me then.)

06 December 2010

Cute

at 11:22 AM

I thought it looked like he was holding his head in a "what now??" kind of way, but his Grandpa thinks he's saluting. It's cute either way! What do you think?

04 December 2010

1000th Post Celebration: Art Giveaway! (Closed)

at 5:36 PM

I've reached 1000 posts! To celebrate, I've partnered with some Etsy shops to give some wonderful gifts to some lucky people! My second giveaway if from my own Etsy shop. Start out by going an having a look at my photography. Then come on back and I'll tell you what I'm sharing with one lucky blog reader!

Up For Grabs:

I am sharing a 5x7 photographic art print, called "All Things Testify!" Printed on glossy photo paper, the winner of the giveaway will receive the print ready to be framed to match your home.

How to Enter:

Step 1: Go to my store and choose a favorite item.
Step 2: Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.
Step 3: Leave a comment on this post telling us what's your favorite & a link to your blog.

If you want, you can use this code to copy for a short post:

It will look like this:

Baby Steps Blog is giving away a photographic art print!!
Click to Enter.

Up to Two Extra Entries:

1. Add RitsumeiArts to your favorite Etsy shops. Leave a separate comment, including your Etsy login name, on this post.

2. People who follow this blog, whether you jumped on the bandwagon to day or last year, can also leave a comment on this post indicating that you follow Baby Steps.

Entries must be received by 11:59PM CST the 13th of December.

That's it! Good luck!
Don't forget to enter the ebook giveaway, and check back soon for giveaway #3!

03 December 2010

1000th Post Celebration: Giveaway #1! (Closed)

at 10:00 PM

I've reached 1000 posts! To celebrate, I've partnered with some Etsy shops to give some wonderful gifts to some lucky people! My first guest is Syrendell. Start out by going an having a look at her beautiful yarns and handmade wooden items. I'll wait. If you happen to be in California, you might think about taking a seminar on what to do with all those beautiful yarns. Then come on back and I'll tell you what she's sharing with one lucky blog reader!

Up For Grabs:

Syrendell is sharing an ebook, Dying Fun With Children! A wealth of information on dyeing with natural ingredients, powdered drinks mixes, gelatin desserts and more! Looks like great material for handicrafts or just a bunch of fun afternoons with the kids. The ebook includes resources for families who want to get started with dyeing yarns, silks, eggs, fabrics at home. Written by master dyer Bjo Trimble of Griffin Dyeworks and published by Syrendell. This eBook will be emailed to you in .pdf format, and is for personal use only.

How to Enter:

Step 1: Go to Syrendell's store and choose a favorite item.
Step 2: Post a link to this giveaway on your blog.
Step 3: Leave a comment on this post telling us what's your favorite & a link to your blog.

If you want, you can use this code to copy for a short post:

It will look like this:

Baby Steps Blog is giving away a Syrendell ebook:
Dying Fun With Children!!
Click to Enter.

Up to Two Extra Entries:

1. Add Syrendell to your favorite Etsy shops. Leave a separate comment, including your Etsy login name, on this post.

2. People who follow this blog, whether you jumped on the bandwagon to day or last year, can also leave a comment on this post indicating that you follow Baby Steps.

Entries must be received by 11:59PM CST the 10th of December.

That's it! Good luck!

22 November 2010

Good Manners

at 2:57 PM

Monkey: Buuurp

Mom: What do you say when you blech?

Monkey: Oh yummy yummy yum!!

1000th Post Celebration!

at 11:48 AM

Here is another participating shop for my giveaway! Stop by and check her out - I'm getting very close to the 1000th post!

20 November 2010

Teaching Virtues

at 5:02 PM

We've been using our scripture box for about a year now, created with instructions on Simply Charlotte Mason. We haven't added the 31 numbered cards for the days of the month because we don't have enough verses learned well enough for that yet. Even after a year. And that's OK.

Don’t worry about how many days it takes for everyone to memorize the selected Scripture. Hiding God’s Word in your heart is not a race; it’s a lifelong habit.
-Simply Charlotte Mason

This box has surpassed my wildest expectations. I thought it would be a good thing. I anticipated that he would learn some scripture verses. But I didn't know the half of it.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
-Ephesians 6:4, emphasis added

One of the hardest things I've had to do as a parent is to teach my son to control himself, rather than trying to do it for him. Not only to get him to tell the truth, but to understand why it's important, to show him the value of truth, honesty, and integrity, or any other virtue I hope to see in him, so that it becomes important to him.

I teach correct principles, and they govern themselves.
-Joseph Smith

I believe that this sort of teaching is absolutely essential to helping our children to act, rather than to be acted upon. I also believe that moral agency - that is, the freedom to choose - is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children, next to life itself. Just as I would never endanger my children's lives, so I must guard against endangering their agency. This principle poses some substantial challenges to the parent hoping to see their child live a godly life! To make it work, I cannot be content to see proper behavior, I need to somehow ignite proper motivation. If Monkey sees the value in what I am teaching then the decision to comply becomes his, as it should be. One of the things that makes this difficult is, the heat of the moment is not a teachable moment.

Enter the scripture box. When I notice that Monkey is developing a habit that is not in accordance with scripture, I will often put a new verse in the scripture box that teaches the governing principle. Most recently, Monkey has discovered that by telling us he brushed his teeth already, we would move on to other things, even if he had, in fact, not brushed his teeth. When we discovered this, he happened to have just mastered the Articles of Faith we recently added, so there was room in the scripture box for teaching about honesty. I chose this verse to add to the box:

...that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.
1 Timothy 2:2

Learning this verse gave us the opportunity to talk about a number of virtues, including talking about what is honesty and why is it important. Since introducing it, Monkey has begun to learn to value honesty, and thus the lies have dropped right off. Because this teaching has happened outside of the moment of conflict, as a natural part of our established bedtime routine, frustration and defensiveness are reduced or eliminated. And because it is a part of our bedtime routine, we can revisit the idea of honesty several times and make sure it is really understood.

Giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime. As parents and gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help our children learn "to fish" and to become spiritually steadfast. This vital objective is best accomplished as we encourage our children to act in accordance with correct principles - as we help them learn by doing. "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God" (John 7:17). Such learning requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception.
-David A. Bednar
Watching With All Perseverance

Another wonderful thing about the scripture box is that it does all this good stuff within the confines of a young attention span. Because of the nature of the box, we began with a single verse, and have gradually built up to doing 4-5 verses a night. But because we are constantly rotating through verses previously learned, we've covered a great deal of ground with minimal effort or fuss. I like that too.

19 November 2010

Weekly Wrap-up: Home Again

at 11:14 PM

We went on a business trip with my husband this week, which was both challenging (kids in a hotel for a week) and rewarding (the family stayed together). We didn't really do anything remarkable, outside taking everyone along with Daddy, but I'm glad we went. Although hotel living has its challenges, I think we are happier when we're together.

While Daddy was at work, we explored the various buildings that were connected to our hotel by a skywalk network. Probably the coolest place we visited was this Barnes and Nobel.

Monkey picked out a Star Wars sticker book that kept him happily entertained in the hotel room (Yay!), and I got a dog book for further study so I know what to do when we bring this cutie home next month.

We tried to keep the basics of school going while we were gone. Monkey's reading is starting to take off, and we took some phonics games & Bob Books with to keep the momentum going on that. I think he's starting to internalize blending better, as well as building a small stock of words he's sounded out enough to recognize them when he sees them. It's so exciting to see him progressing! In addition to the CVC words that he's getting pretty good at, he seems pretty comfortable with the double letter words we've introduced: fell, sell, egg, Bill, Jill, and so on. I can tell they're still new enough to require concentration, but he's getting there.

We took a couple color by numbers for math, which was fun, and also our Castle Logix game. That's lots of fun, and he wanted to play again and again. At one point we thought we'd lost 4 of the 7 pieces, but they turned up again at the last minute. (I don't know why the picture isn't showing... I'll have to play with it later to see if I can fix that. It's a cool looking game & that's most of the reason for the link!)

I brought along our scripture box to try to keep that going. It seems like scripture study always suffers when the routine suffers. But this time we did well.

Now that we're home, I've got a whole bunch of things I want to blog about, including my 1000th Post Celebration that's coming up! We'll see how much time on the computer I manage to squeeze in with Thanksgiving this week!

Just Swinging

at 11:05 PM

I learned quite a bit the other day in a visit to the park that took less than an hour. In addition to learning about photography, I relearned the value of doing Nothing.

I'd planned to show him the creek I found. It's got fish and frogs and I was sure he'd love it. Not so much. He wanted to swing. So we did that, on an oldschool swing with a board, rather than the flexible ones you usually find. He thought it was pretty cool. Pretty soon, he's discovering things. Like, he makes wind when he swings, and the wind can push the leaves out of the way. Like, when he swings the stick at the leaves, it makes a cool noise.

Raven did Nothing for a while too. Monkey suggested that he'd like a stick to play with. Raven appeared to enjoy it, and tried to grab some stuff on the ground, though he's not quite that coordinated yet.

I believe Miss Mason calls the art of getting out of the way of our children's learning "Masterly Inactivity," but really, I think Nothing pretty much sums it up.