Fall Inspired Simple Kitchen Mural

We had this wall that was just... there.  We want to eventually build a shallow counter top and cabinets there for all of our counter top appliances that we use/want to use often (blenders, crock pot, juicer, mixer, pop corn popper) because it gets tedious always having to lug them in from the garage/pantry.

Anyway, I got inspired the other day and decided that for the time being, I'd paint a tree on the wall... I used the same pink and orange from the other walls in the kitchen:

I wish I could get a good photo, but I guess I'll have to do a video walk through at some point.  I love that in parts of the kitchen, you can see the teal of the living room ceiling, the green of the front room, and the pink and orange of the kitchen all at the same time!

Inspired by the trees in our back yard changing suddenly... I LOVE this weather!  Getting ready for company tonight, we're going to sit on the deck and eat chili... then build a fire in our temporary fire pit and have S'Mores!

What is your favorite fall activity?

Epic Online Charter School Review... a Peek Inside our Homeschool Day

We've homeschooled the kids almost exclusively since they've been born, really.  Learning doesn't start at some specific age as far as I can tell.  Out of my five kids, not one of them seems to learn the same things at the same rate.  They're so incredibly different, I'll admit its been a challenge to be their teacher.

Back to School!  Wonderful weather, so we can do work on the deck!

Sprite, the oldest, graduated a couple of years ago, having homeschooled the whole way through.

Kainan, my one child who thrives on schedules and structure (both of which are my biggest weaknesses), decided that he wanted to try public school last fall.  He's thriving in the public school system and loves it.

Kainan (middle) and his friends hanging out after school as usual.

Jaedin, Paris and Abyni are all still at home.  This year, however, we're using a virtual online charter school.  We tried to sign up for one last year and had so much trouble trying to even register that I finally gave up.  This year my friend Momma Jorje highly recommended Epic Charter School.  I decided to give it a try...

And so far, I love it.  I love the local teacher that is assigned to the girls and Jaedin's teacher is awesome as well.  

The way it works is that you sign up and get a learning fund once your transfer is approved.  The learning fund allows you to then buy curriculum for your child.  There are several curriculum options to choose from.  The girls (5th & 9th grades) chose "Compass" and Jaedin (a Senior at 16) chose "Advanced Academics".  Then you're assigned a local teacher who can meet with you and your student to do things like benchmark testing, reviewing assignments in person (like physical artwork type assignments or experiments, etc).  They're "on call" and our teachers have been AMAZING with responding to questions from the kids.  I really appreciate these teacher's patience especially as we work through the kinks of learning this new process!

I love the fact that I don't have to do lesson planning.  I don't have to do the grading, and we still have all of the benefits of homeschooling.  Jaedin, a super self motivated student, can work at his high speed rates and power through a year's worth of school in one semester.  The girls can work at their own pace, as long as they keep up... and even though we got a late start, they're catching up quickly.

The learning fund even allows for the rental of one of their laptops, which is a godsend for us!  The laptops are far more powerful than any of our home computers, so Paris can even use her for her elective... video editing & filming (Yep, they can even use a hobby that they want to learn more about as an elective in high school!)

**I will add that the curriculum that the girls chose (Compass) has been FULL of glitches, especially for Paris.  There are tons of things that aren't working, causing severe stalls in learning and a small pet peeve of mine, spelling errors in the English lessons.  I definitely will try Epic again, because their support has been awesome, but I will not choose Compass as a curriculum again.

Benefits of homeschooling?  Its different for everyone.  For us...

• Getting to run in the yard with the dogs for P.E.
• More family time

I love how well my kids get along and how close they are!

• (My personal favorite) More time spent learning what they love to learn (Paris' special effects makeup, video filming & editing; Sewing & fashion design, yep!  Jaedin's guitar and piano lessons?  His Airsoft gun repair and business?  Yep!

• 

  One of Paris' most awesome SFX makeup styles yet!

• Being able to work around our own schedules.  We are decidedly not morning people, but we can start school at 10:00 and still we're usually done by 3:00 every day, which is right around the time Kainan gets home from the Senior High!  Perfect timing!
• Being able to work around different learning styles.
• Not having to worry about unwanted daily influences that we don't want our kids exposed to on a constant basis.  Plus, as a benefit to others, my crazy kids aren't out there regularly influencing other people's children either... unless they're watching them on youtube.  Then, no guarantees.

She was able to learn and film several fun and interesting Halloween looks for her elective.

She uses Windows Movie Maker for editing video this year.  Next Semester, we may use the learning fund to invest in some photoshop software so that she can do more.

Taking Diva for a run = P.E.

Teaching Diva to fetch = Recess

Teaching Diva to fetch = FAIL.  Diva just looks at Abyni like she's nuts.  "Why do you keep showing me this toy and then throwing it away?  DO you think its coming back?"

Running with Paris and Diva because girls tire out faster than dogs.

And Diva can still be close by.  Thank goodness!

Jaedin, who is set to graduate early this year has taught himself guitar, Airsoft gun repair and is now working on voice and piano!

A Day in the Life Picture Post: Fall, Campfire Dinner and Family Time

This weekend, while the kids worked on yard work and helping Patrick get wood hauled in, I worked on artwork for Bean's Monkey Business on our deck.  I feel VERY spoiled with such a gorgeous view and PERFECT weather!  (Notice that small pile of wood from early in the day? You can see how much it grew at the end of this post!)

Patrick found these landscaping lights marked down from $13.99 to $1.00!  We got a bunch and now have fancy solar powered lights for around the deck and walk ways.  This will definitely help make our family & friends get togethers a little safer!

We borrowed a chain saw so that Patrick and the boys could chop wood from the creek.  We plan to use our fireplace this winter, as well as enjoying nights around the fire pit with friends as often as we can!

The Beginnings...

Patrick took a break from yard work to help Abyni make arrows for the Bow that they made earlier this fall:

 It works!  We just need to add arrows so that they'll fly farther (and straighter!)

Jaedin stayed busy burning leaves between chopping and carrying wood.  The wood pile is growing!

Look at all of that wood!  DANG!

 For Dinner:  Steak/Fish and Fire Baked Potatoes and Onions... YUM!

Diva, waiting and hoping for some treats from Paris' dinner.  Hey, she's not at the table, right?  Technically no dogs at the table rules don't apply!

The kids chillaxin' by the fire after a hard day of work!

The view from the back side of our yard... ahhhhhhhhh!

I LOVE Fall!

Fun Zombie Make Up for Halloween & More

My daughter, Paris, figured out some amazing make up techniques this year.  She did a bunch of Halloween tutorials on her youtube channel... and she did three different looks for her, her sister and her dad.  The end result was crazy awesome!

Abyni as Cruella DeVille

Patrick & Paris as Father of the Zombie Bride

Close Up... Ewwwww!!!!

 And Jaedin as "Edward Cullen" 

(This was my makeup job.  I'm sure Paris would have been more thorough!)

Do you and yours dress up for Halloween?  We had a BLAST with costumes this year!

We even had a bonus night for costumes when the kids went to a friends party:

Dress Up Photo Shoot

Paris aka MsFashionablyChic is my 14 year old daughter.  She does makeup tutorials on her youtube channel and comes up with some super fun looks and effects.  She's studying makeup special effects on her own and has come a long way in a short time.

I've been wanting to do a photo shoot with her for a while with her smoky eye look, so the other day, the lighting hit just right and we were between projects, so I told her to go put on something sparkly and we'd take photos.

I am not claiming to be a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination, I just really enjoy doing fun, funky and dramatic photoshoots with my girls.  Paris and Abyni both are so incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, so they make great models.  These are some of my favorite shots from the shoot:

It was a super fun day!  We're wanting to do another shoot soon, with a completely and totally different look... any suggestions? 

Two Toned Pink & Brown Deck

If you've been reading much of anything I write, you probably have a clue that I like color. Lots of color.  Bright colors, unusual colors, whatever...

We this weekend, we finished our deck.  Last week Patrick and the boys finished power washing it, and it made SUCH a difference, I couldn't believe it!

Patrick looked everywhere for stain for me, but we couldn't find any "interesting" colors in stain without paying 4 times as much as for a 'natural' color.  Our budget doesn't allow for spending even 2 x for my oddity, so he went ahead and got brown stain and started on the top level...

Then I decided that although it definitely looked "nice"... it just looked too... normal.  I had to try something. So, I took the pink paint from my kitchen (exterior paint) and watered it down and used that as a 'stain'...

I am THRILLED with our new deck.  I LOVE it!  The pink is colorful, and it just makes me smile every time I walk outside.  We had a party Saturday night and hung out on the deck in what was quite possibly the most perfect 'sit on the deck' weather ever.  Yay!

Whoo Hoo!!!  Happy dance!  I have a colorful deck!  Yay!