Decided to copy my facebook status archive.

thinks the best thing I could be doing is spending time enjoying my children who are growing fast! Dec. 5,2008

is in Boston, anticipating a snow storm!

9 years of marital bliss! Happy anniversary to us:)

Australia is the most beautiful place I have ever visited! I am loving it here, loving basking in His Glory with these lovely people! Life is beautiful

John is preaching the gospel to 35,000 people in India right now!!!!
Dec. 10, 2009

John is home from India, lots of good stories, lots of fishies in the boat!
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John hooked them up with cowboy boots on their road trip with Dad. How cute!
 

John surprised us and came home a week early! came home and found him hiding with a dozen roses! I am so happy!
October 5, 2010

coming out of our religious closet this year....Going to let the kids trick or treat! I think they will still love and serve Jesus at the end of the night:) Oct. 26,2010

a homeless man sat down with the kids at church last night and taught them how to make paper airplanes and how to weave a basket. He felt so special and needed! The kids loved it. Later that night we saw him sleeping on a table in the back:)
Nov. 29,2010

I like hotdogs. Is that cool with you guys? Just wanted to say something normal because it seems everyone posts ultra-spiritual statuses. Feels like I am in the Hallmark section of status updates:). Naturally super-natural guy's! Feb.10,2011

Nova's chalk art and her way of telling me that she wants a bird! Feb.12, 2011


Sent my girl to high-school today. I have home schooled her since she was 5 so it was a big deal for me. August 16,2011

My six year old makes me breakfast in bed for Mothers Day: a rice cake with chopped up banana....and blue marker stains from his dirty fingers. It's the thought that counts:)


Our Nova turns 9 tomorrow! We have a little baby bunny hiding in our bathroom for her. I cannot wait to see her face tomorrow! July 9, 2012

My beautiful Maile is 15 today! Her life continues to evoke such love and joy in our lives. I love you and I am so proud of you. — with Maile Crowder.
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John and I came home from a date night last night to this scenario: Dirty dishes on the living room floor, Twister game set up in the kitchen and my youngest woke up this morning with his chest decorated in sharpie mustaches, eyeballs around his nipples and the words"I AM HOT" written in red across his chest! Aug. 21, 2012

My wonderful husband takes my three youngest with him for four whole days!  With all this free time I made all these ambitious, productive plans....Finish my book, clean, organize, work out, finish new paintings....What have I done you ask???....Sleep, watch Parenthood, and scan Pinterest! Nov. 17,2012

Ezekiel brought this video up to me at the library. He said it would really help me out. You think I should check it out?


Watching my kids learn to ski — at Sitzmark.

It has come to this....I am now posting photos of baby animals!


Motherhood is awesome! I will be forever relentless in this claim. March 6, 2013

My son just paid me back for an iTunes purchase....he brought me a crumpled up five dollar bill and a TOOTH he just lost, said that should cover it! March 29, 2013

My Dad had a heart attack this morning. Please keep him in your prayers April 21, 2013

My children getting bigger! And more wonderful! Oh I love them!


Older and hopefully wiser:) good time with my John.


Nova in her first real- grown- up art class! She is totally in her element.


Going to the swimming hole on this 87 degree Mother's Day #Gardenofeden @Garden of Eden


My 8 year old son's Mother's Day card to me said: "Mom, I will never let you go cause you're my lady"- I found out he wrote me the lyrics to a song.
 May 13, 2013

Lovely walk on Pleasure Point tonight.


It is official! Been talking about it for a couple years now. The Crowders are moving to Portland Oregon! One more month in the Cali sunshine....Oh I will miss the sun and surf.....But a new and exciting chapter awaits us. May 16, 2013

Maile. Prom. They are friends:)

May 2013

Ideals. And finding your "groove" over the Holidays.

 Just a reminder to not get overwhelmed with to many things over the Holidays. Love you all!

Ideals.

I am sitting at a Birthday party for one of my children’s friends, just listening to the moms talk. One mom is going back and forth from Italian to English as she converses with her five year old, she is Chinese; so in all her children probably speak three languages. Another mom is telling the story of how she made the gluten free, no refined sugar cupcakes for the party; “I had to be very patient while making these cupcakes! I accidently broke my last two eggs so I had to sit and wait for my chickens to lay more eggs! The frosting has no food coloring in it as well, I used the juice from a beet in my garden to give it that red color.” I am speechless. I love healthy eating but that takes baking to a whole different level for me. I am even a little envious at the care this mom took to be all healthy and natural for the Birthday party. “Maybe I should get chickens and use beet juice to dye my treats from now on,” I think. Then I look over at the cupcakes, all sad looking- dense and not so much red, but a brownish burgundy color, and then I think, “Nah!”

We can busy ourselves with so much unimportant stuff. You moms probably know what I mean. You read the latest Martha Stewart magazine and feel the need to reorganize every shelf in your house with alphabetical labels, or hand sew special pillowcases with intricate embroidered initials for each of your children. You hear the other mothers talking about soccer practice, lacrosse team and basket weaving classes, calligraphy lessons followed up by Mandarin language lessons. You make sure every bite of food your family takes is certified organic, dye free, GMO free, cage free and packaged in all recycled containers. Parenting ideals have become so ridiculously extreme. There are so many blogs, pins, shows, and magazines with more great ideas than we know what to do with. Just when I have found the perfect candy to cook for Christmas a better recipe will be up on the internet faster than I can say, “Pinterest!”

There are a lot of other really good ways to serve for Christ too. We can volunteer in the nursery and soup kitchens. Put together care kits for the homeless. Make another meal for the mom that just had her fifth baby. I would love to open my home to foster children some day. John and I already have a children’s home in India and I feel guilty for not visiting the children there more often! The fact is there’s so many ‘good’ things we could be doing for others but we have to pause and ask God what to focus on for now. We can’t do it all, especially all at once. “One thing at a time mom’s, one thing at a time.”

Ask God to show you what is yours and what is just a good idea. He knows your heart and your good intentions. I am full of good intentions, but I also get burned out because I max myself out on to many commitments. My new best friend lately has been a two-letter word, “No!”

Not all of those ideals are wrapped in wisdom; some are distractions and dangling carrots interjected by other sources rather than the Holy Spirit. If you are feeling like your home isn’t matching the picture in your head, then ask the Holy Spirit to highlight what is the important stuff and what is just the “fluff” an unnecessary fillers in your day.  He wants you to find that zone and rhythm for your family. Sometimes our main obstacle in building our homes is in our minds. In the unrealistic goals and expectations that we have set for our family and ourselves.  

If you don't get Christmas cards out until Easter, It's ok! If all you are able to do this month is laundry and crock-pot meals for your family- Great! You are doing great mom's! hang in there. if I could Pin a picture of you sitting down in your bathrobe doing nothing, I would-cause that is a great idea!

run- away-train schedule. Finding a good family pace.

My thoughts on scheduling: On one hand I want those free days to be more numerous than not so we can be creative and explore with all the time in the world and no place to be. On the other hand, It is absolutely necessary to schedule events and lessons into our lives to develop skills and character. Music has to be practiced daily, team practice has to have a schedule. Dad has his work schedule. You have to eventually get everyone to the dentist. There is always something on that calendar. But lately I find I am a slave to our family schedule, always in a hurry to be on time to the next thing. It can feel frantic and the quality of our activities seem to dissipate. Sometimes I fantasize about moving to some rural area of the country to farm and live off the land with my family. But even Hezekiah has to get up at 4 AM to milk the cows.

I am learning to be sensitive to what is important for us as a family lately, trying focus on one thing at a time and not let my mental checklist get the best of me or take me away from the moment. It is good to have some days where you don't have to be anywhere! Take at least one or two of these days a week to let your lives unfold naturally as a family. Those are my favorite days.

Figure what works for your family, don't feel pressured to keep up with all the other families. It seems like now a days kids have to be professional soccer players just to join a local league! There is so much competition and pressure, it is insane! What happened to good ol" fashioned play?

I have found with kids, less can be more. Days focused on quality rather than quantity are really the best and most fulfilling.

I am learning to not feel pressured to have my kids in a million activities. picking one sport and one elective per season seems a good pace for now. I am making sure I have those "open schedule days" at least a couple times a week.



Blog article I found from http://steermerightscc.com:

I’ve been rethinking schedules. I’m getting really tired of them, actually. However, to be balanced I admit that they can be very helpful. I’ve lived it: My homeschool has sometimes hummed along the tracks of a well-planned schedule like the German Regional Express, allowing us to explore the hidden “villages” of science and literature, take field trips, eat a healthful diet, and even clean the house.

A well-planned schedule can take a homeschool through pleasant scenary at a peaceful pace.

On the other hand, a schedule can be a tyrant. All it takes is the desire to help our children reach their potential, with a little self-doubt and guilt thrown in. I’ve lived that, too.

Too busy!

Our culture promotes time management and good organization like a saving religion. The highest virtues, it seems, are over-activity and achievement. Both demand a rigid schedule. In addition, we homeschoolers often hear about the dazzling accomplishments of other homeschooled children. These stories are intended to encourage and inspire, and they certainly can; but taken as a standard, they can sow stress. They have at times compelled me to build ambitious schedules that drained the creativity from our homeschool.
A schedule is supposed to serve the family, not the reverse. When it blinds us to the creativity and freedom of real life, it has become a runaway train, endangering our relationships. We feel its relentless condemnation when we can’t keep up; or, if we do miraculously stay on track, we become smug and difficult to live with. We awake seeing only the schedule, not the day before us with all its opportunities and creative twists and turns.

Let the day unfold as it will. They’re only young once!

If your schedule is creating stress, I suggest hopping off the train for a while. Walk some interesting trails through the landscape of your children’s interests. Allow the days to unfold as they will. The results may be richer than anything you’ll reap from a demanding schedule.

Off the beaten trail – and the schedule!

What I can say about homeschooling so far

I have had so many people ask me about homeschooling so I am just going to post a few of my favorite material here and offer some good advice ( even though I still need lots of good advice myself:)

If you are new to homeschooling, I want to tell you that it is challenging! But if homeschooling becomes the best option for your family (and it is not always the best fit), and you really pour yourself into it, your moments of trouble will be overshadowed by the triumph of learning alongside your little ones. If I can home school successfully ( a highschool drop out and an extremely scattered type B personality) than anyone can home school, anyone!

My best advice in three sentences: 

1.)Remember that your main goal it to facilitate a love for learning, once you have done that, you have done your job! 


2.) Don't compare yourself to another family and their homeschooling achievements, the whole point of homeschooling is that it caters and facilitates your children on a personal and unique level, do what works for your family!


3.) Surround yourself with some sort of support, a home school  group or just another home school family. 

Take it one day at a time with Grace and a good sense of humor. It will be so rewarding, and I am not just saying that. You will love looking back at the years and saying, "I taught all my kids to read!" There is something super satisfying about experiencing that:)
 


Here is a random list of some of my favorite books and curriculum we have discovered over the years:

Full curriculum: 
Sonlight

This is a full curriculum or you can just use it for individual subjects. The main part of the Sonlight curriculum that I love is their readers, the book list for each grade is the best! We were exposed to such great literature through their book list, you can also view Sonlights book list for each grade and just order the books on Amazon or check them out at the library. The curriculum as a whole is pretty packed full and thorough and at times way to much, so I would feel free to skip a few things and cater it to your needs.

Here is a link to some of the literature:

Grade 1http://www.sonlight.com/1RP.html

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4/5

Readers D 

Readers E

All the advanced readers are here: http://www.sonlight.com/readers.html


Language arts:

 Sing, Spell, Read and Write
This is a super retro reading and early language arts curriculum from the 80's, but I swear by it!  My kids loved it! And the learning process is fun and engaging and thorough. 

Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Pretty simple, 20 min sit down lessons to teach young kids  to read.

 Bob Books












Spelling:

Spelling workout
My favorite spelling curriculum, and we have tried a lot!








Grammar:

Grammar Songs
Grammar memorization songs and workbook.


  





History:

  Beautiful Feet: History through litterature
These are the greatest history books and my favorite curriculum for history in the primary school years. I love all the Beautiful Feet history books, they are amazing!

Story of the World Vol. 1-4 (available in audio as well)
Fun narrative history accounts that entertain lots of ages. This is great to do as the main history but to supplement with other books and stories from the library.

There is also activity workbooks to go along with the reading:
Story of the World activity books




Geograpy:

Beautiful Feet; Geography Through Litteratrue
Fun stories that also take the reader on a clear, descriptive geographical journey.  My kids love these stories!

the Geography Coloring Book

Geography Songs
memorization songs and workbook and map to go along...I find myself singing these and it is really annoying! But it works:)

Window on the World
a peak into the lives of children in different countries around the world.

Trail Guide to World Geography












Writing:

Creative writing is important. Giving them a few writing prompts and letting them loose is so fun. Here is a links to a good writing prompt and idea site: In our Write Minds

I have had each of my children keep a journal since they were 5. I like these journals with blank pages because of the room to draw pictures. We have fun looking back at the old entries:

Hard Covered Blank Sketch book/ Journal










Poetry is endless....Get frequent poetry books from your library. Remember the classics as well as the modern poetry.

Science:

Not my strongest subject, but all my kids have loved anything scientific I have done with them.  We have tons of science book....Tons! And they learn from those. I would also recommend finding hands on science classes and field trips.

 

Sonlight Science kits and curriculum
We have had success with these kits and curriculum. 

My Body
I did this work book with all my kids in their first years, we loved it!









Math:

We use Saxon Math....Saxon Math

Bible:

Just read the bible, simple as that. We have some great bible history books and field guides, but I like to just have new scriptures and books that we go over together.


Well there you have it!  There are tons of great ideas out there and amazing books etc. You just have to find your families favorites.

Have fun, and when your not having fun, take that day off to go on a field trip. It is sometimes best to put everything down and go play!

Musicians Are Probably Smarter Than The Rest Of Us

First Posted: 7/20/11 08:15 AM ET Updated: 7/26/11 11:19 PM ET

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Healthy Living Health News , Healthy Living Mind , Music And Intelligence , Music And Iq , Musicians Are Smarter , Healthy Living News

Want to keep your mind healthy and sharp throughout your life? Pick up an instrument. A new study found that musicians might have brains that function better than their peers well into old age. Bet you wish you stuck with those piano lessons after all.
Researchers tested the mental abilities of senior citizens and discovered that musicians performed better at a number of tests. In particular, musicians excelled at visual memory tasks. While musicians had similar verbal capabilities to non-musicians, the musicians’ ability to memorize new words was markedly better, too. Perhaps most importantly, the musicians’ IQ scores were higher overall than those who spent their lives listening to music rather than performing it.
More from FYI Living:
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The experience of musicians also played a role in how sharp their minds were. The younger the musicians began to play their instruments, the better their minds performed at the mental tasks. Additionally, the total number of years musicians played instruments throughout their life corresponded with how strong their brains remained years later.
The study also found that musicians who took the time to exercise between symphonies had even higher-functioning brain capabilities. This finding supports another recent study that reported people who walk regularly maintain healthier brains. With that in mind, perhaps joining a marching band now will make you the smartest person at the retirement home in the future.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH:

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Musicians’ Brains Stay Sharp as They Age
Summary
While it is known that practicing music repeatedly changes the organization of the brain, it is not clear if these changes can correlate musical abilities with non-musical abilities. The study of 70 older participants, with different musical experience over their lifetimes, provides a connection between musical activity and mental balance in old age. “The results of this preliminary study revealed that participants with at least 10 years of musical experience (high activity musicians) had better performance in nonverbal memory, naming, and executive processes in advanced age relative to non-musicians.”


Introduction

Changing one’s lifestyle may postpone the onset of problems connected with old age, like Alzheimer’s disease. These diseases cause cognitive changes like loss of memory, reasoning, and perception. Adequate rest and physical exercise as well as a lifelong habit of stimulating the mind are favorable for clear thinking in old age. Musical activities, undertaken throughout the lifetime, have an impact on one’s mental health during old age. This has been studied in this current research work. Practicing music for a number of years brings about certain changes in brain organization. Comparing the lucidity in old age of those pursued music related activities and those who didn’t may help to understand the effect of the music-related reorganization of brain on successful aging.

Methods

-- Seventy healthy participants, aged between 60 and 83, were divided into three groups, based on their degree of involvement in musical activities, over their lifetimes.
-- 
The three groups were similar in average age, education, handedness, sex ratio, and physical exercise habits.

-- The first group, namely the non-musicians, never received any formal musical training. The second group, the low activity musicians, had one to nine years of training. The third, the high activity musicians, trained for more than 10 years and played regularly afterward.

-- All were tested for brain strengths such as memory, attention, and language prowess, using standardized tests. Their mastery on the use of language, ability to remember, and ability to express oneself were tested.
Results

-- Verbal intellectual ability and learning, as well as recall of verbal information, were found to be similar across the three groups.

-- The high activity musicians were significantly better at performing tasks based on visual inputs.

-- Although language prowess seemed to be similar across the groups, the high activity musicians’ memory for words was significantly better than that of non-musicians.

-- The age at which musical training started affected visual memory, while the number of years of training affected non-verbal memory.
Shortcomings/Next steps
High activity musicians have a better chance of retaining certain mental abilities in old age; however, preexisting factors that may affect their choices have not been considered in this study. Social influences like motivation should be considered in future studies. Effects of musical training on verbal memory need to be analyzed further, by considering changes in brain organization that set in with age. A study on whether the effects of music are generalized or whether they affect only specific parts of the brain could also be undertaken.


Conclusion
Engaging in musical activity for most of one’s lifetime significantly helps remember names, and enhances nonverbal memory, the ability to work based on what one sees, and mental agility during old age. The habit of physical exercise, in addition to musical involvement, further adds to mental lucidity in old age. Starting musical training early and continuing it for several years have a favorable effect on mental abilities during old age. Musical training also seems to enhance verbal prowess and the general IQ of a person, although it is possible that people with higher IQ tend to pursue music more seriously. It is advisable to think about our lifestyles and change them accordingly to have a better chance at a healthy, clear-headed old age.
For More Information:

The Relation between Instrumental Musical Activity and Cognitive Aging

Publication Journal: Neuropsychology, April 2011
By Brenda Hanna-Pladdy; Alicia MacKay
From the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas
*FYI Living Lab Reports Are Summaries of the Original Research.

Intelligent design, Creation Science, In the Beginning there was God.....

I have been on a quest to equip our family with some good scientific education on Intelligent Design, Creation Science and what we as a  Christian family believe about our existence and the explanation of the age of the earth and the cycle of all living things. Here are some cool sites and video's I came across and wanted to share, hopefully none of them have a conspiracy theory twist:)

Descovery Institute

Creation video survey

Here are some videos I just ordered from Amazon:the Intelligent Design Collection

End of the school year

This was such a great school year for me.  Last year, when we were living in GA, I was so isolated and homeschooling just added to that.  I asked God for a good net-work for my next year and that is just what he gave me.  After we moved to California, I asked some of my old friends with children if there were any home-school groups around the area, one friend recommended one that met once a week, provided all the curriculum except math and science and corrected all the papers!  It sounded perfect so I checked it out and found out that they met across the street from our house!  God is so good! 



So any way, the year was great, Jonas and Maile went to the school and I kept Nova back and worked on her reading a bit more.  They learned about medieval time period, so at the end of the year the put on a medieval feast, this is them at their feast.  We also dressed up and John was able to wear his monk robe for another occasion other than a meeting:)

I

I really do enjoy teaching them at home, even on my harder days I am so grateful of all the time I have had to learn with them and get to know them as individuals, I can honestly say that I, a high school drop-out, unorganized, so NOT a type A personality, has some very well educated kids.  It is pretty rewarding.
Covenant Family Tutorial This is the school, awesome teachers and wonderful families.