5 Things Public School Taught Me

Hi guys!

Sorry this is a day late, my parents are in Mexico this week (jealous!), and I'm helping my Aunt Arielle watch my siblings and her kids. Its been super busy.

So, this past week alone, I spent all day learning songs for the District Honor Choir and then performing them the next day. We did five fantastic songs, the first of which was called "Alfred". It was a cute little vocal warm up song that we decided to open with. The second was called "Zion's Walls", that was an epic song. I really enjoyed it. Third up was "Set Me As a Seal", based upon the famous verses in Song of Songs. It was a truly gorgeous song. Fourth was "Veniki" a classic Russian tongue-twister about Brooms. And last, but certainly not least, was "Letter From a Girl To The World". I definitely recommend listening to all of these, but especially "Letter". I also quit school. I've had some anxiety, issues with friends, and, well, it's really time consuming. So I pulled out. Plus, we love to travel and the powers that be at RRHS probably wouldn't be happy if I was gone for a few days every other week.

So, in light of the past few months, I thought I'd share a few things Public School taught me.

1. True Christian teenagers are a dying breed.
This is a little sad, but it's true. Most of the people who I met that claimed to be Christians didn't live that out. Sometimes, that included me. When everyone around you is different, its hard to stay strong. I still held on to the big things, like refusing to take part in crude humor, or dating, and things like that, but the small things quickly evaporated. I've heard all my life about ways to reach out and show Jesus to my school friends, but as soon as I began to go, it all disappeared from my head. And, its sad to say, the very girl who I thought could be a good Christian friend to me, turned into a drama-prone friend who refused to be there for me.

2. Real friends will care if you're uncomfortable.
Most people, even my "friends", really enjoyed making me uncomfortable with their crude humor and other subjects that shouldn't be discussed in public. But the people who were really my friends- even if those things didn't bother them- would refrain from those subjects and ask others to stop on my behalf when I was to embarrassed to show my face, much less say anything. There were only two, maybe three, people who would do that for me, and I know I'll keep in touch with them because they were real friends.

3. School Dances are NOT the place for Christian Homeschoolers.
I  went to homecoming, and while I had a good time, it was NOT the dance that provided it. First off, I can't dance AT ALL, much less dirty dance. I should've thought it through, OF COURSE there would be dirty music and dirty dancing. OF COURSE. I happened to make a friend and hang out with him at the dance, but that dance was an experience I could've lived without. There, I learned exactly why I didn't fit in, and for about 20 minutes I was lonely and miserable. Thankfully there was a half-decent guy there willing to talk to me, so I had a nice time, but I'm never going to another Public School dance as long as I live.

4. It is a blessing to be so sheltered.
I was BY FAR the most sheltered kid in school and boy am I proud of it. I have my pride, innocence, sanity, and dignity (mostly) in tact. I never made an enemy, not even a person who slightly disliked me, and nearly everyone loved me (not to be prideful). But I owe all of that to the kind person my parents raised (and sheltered) me to be. I haven't lived a life totally free of hardship, but those experiences helped me grow into a person that I am proud to be. I have been sheltered, more than most I know, but I have also had experiences (with and without my parents' blessing) that have helped me know that my parents' rules and decisions were for my good. I can live without watching R rated movies- gore, blood, ghosts, demons, and the like I am much, much, better without- and the other reason movies are rated R, everyone can live without (just to be clear, I have NEVER seen an R rated movie). This applies to everything from not going to Public School to not dating until I'm 16. My parents know what they're doing, even when I don't.

5. A one-size fits all learning system is not the best way to grow intelligent, productive members of society.
Time is so wasted in public schools. They spend too long in a class that does not have time for the teacher to focus only on them and help them. There is little time left for socializing, growing skills schools do not teach, and figuring out what you want to do, after the long school days and endless mounds of homework. Students have to wake up at 6:30 in the morning at the absolute latest, be in 1st period by 7:15, end school at 2:30, do extra curricular activities for hours, go home, eat dinner, and do homework until midnight. And some people do more extra curricular activities BEFORE school. I don't know about you, but I think time is wasted at school big-time. And I, personally, enjoy having time for hobbies and social activities on weekdays.

I learned so much at school, much more than I can think of to put here. I would do it again, but I am glad its over. I kind of need those five hours back.

Love, Kate!

P.S. In case you were wondering, I really am a teacher's pet :)

Reasons why I love Disney:)

Hi guys this is Bailey this past month has been very crazy first off my mom had Evan and my Aunt  Becky(Julia and Kate's mom) and Papa Harry(My mom's dad) came to see Evan. It was so crazy I almost forgot about my blog post.

 I've decided to write my blog post on Disney. There's only a couple more months left till I go and I just couldn't wait any longer to write about Disney so here is reasons why I'm obsessed with Disney.

1. It's magical
 Since I was a little girl I've always loved going to Disney. I'm a complete Disnerd. I have definitely learned that all magic comes with a price.

2. The princesses
I've always loved Belle I don't know why because I'm nothing like her.
Ever since I was a little girl I've liked her!

3.Spending time with Family
Whenever my family go's almost every time we go with Julia and Kate!
When we don't go with Julia and Kate I'm still spending time with my siblings.

4.The rides
My favorite rides to go on at Disney are The Mad Tea Party, Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tomorrow Land Speedway(or as I like to call it autotopia).Julia is trying to get me to ride Tower of Tower when we go in January, I think I might just go on it.:)




5.Clothes
 I have 11 Disney shirts and love them all, When we go in January I'll be able to wear one everyday were in the park and have one left over. I also have a set of pajamas.

                      
                    


                                See you next month for my blog post until then see you later.

                                       Do you have any favorite things about Disney
                                                           Comment Down Below.

10 reasons why Fall is my favorite!

Hey guys, Julia here! This past month has been awesome! Our family friends from Illinois (as well as the Cassady’s) came for my birthday party and the balloon fiesta.

My birthday party theme was Murder under the Big Top. It’s a mystery party we bought off of http://nightofmystery.com/ . The packs are a little expensive but they make very fun parties; I was tied between Murder under the Big top (a circus), a pirate one, and an eighties class reunion one. Ultimately I picked the circus because I got to be and acrobat!
 
The balloon fiesta was pretty cool. The balloons never went up but we saw some pretty cool balloons. My favorites were a rainbow one, Spider Pig, and the dead cat.



From left to right:
Bailey the Lion Tamer
Julia the Acrobat
Avery the Tightrope walker

Avery, Bailey, and I made this awesome
ticket booth by taking a really big box,
painting it white, and duct taping it
for the stripes.

Balloon fiesta!

 

 

 

10 reasons why Fall is my favorite!

My Anna costume turned out awesome!

1. My birthday!

Obviously.

2. Crisp air and colorful leaves!

Especially when I lived in Illinois, it was cold, and colorful! A little less here in New Mexico, so that's something I'm going to miss.

3. Fall clothes!

Oversized sweaters, jeans, boots, and scarves! I love it!

4. Apple orchards and pumpkin patches!

In Illinois there was an apple orchard we went to every Fall. Now here in New Mexico, they have a few cool pumpkin patches.

5. Pumpkin carving!

This year I carved a pumpkin all by myself for the first time (It was Olaf)

6. Making costumes!

We always make our costumes.

Thrift shopping, fabric shopping, sewing, and painting. Always fun!

7. Trick-or-treating!

Yes, I know. I’m 13; most people my age think they’re too old for trick-or-treating. I actually had someone say to me (when I was reaching for candy) “No, not you, you’re like 24!”

8. Trading candy!

A Halloween tradition. Trade candy you don’t like (tootsie rolls, dots, etc.) for candy you do like (Reese's, jolly rancher suckers, etc.)

 9. Balloon Fiesta!

Something fun to look forward to every fall

10. Thanksgiving!

Getting to eat raspberry jello, sweet potato soufflé, ham, and turkey! What could be better?

What do you love about fall? Let us know in the comments!!

See you next month!

The Pros and Cons of Being an Army Brat

Hey guys! It’s Emma again!

In the last month, I crocheted these lovely little dolls for Kate & Julia’s cousins, Abbey and Maddey. They wanted them to look like “princess versions of themselves”, and that’s what I made! I’m so happy with how they turned out, and the girls love them.

 

I’m still working on a custom order for our Etsy shop, and I should have pictures of the finished product up next month! I am also hoping to put several new listing up on our etsy shop soon!

In other news, I’ll have a new little brother by Novemeber 5^th! If my mom doesn’t give birth to Evan before then, she’ll be induced.

This month, I’ll be talking about being an army brat! So without further ado, here is my newest blog post!

The Pros and Cons of Being an Army Brat

When I was 7, my dad joined the Army and did some schooling to become a Chaplain. We moved from Illinois to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Since then, life has been an adventure! I’ve lived in 6 states and a foreign country! I’ve also been able to visit many different places, like state parks, national monuments and landmarks in America as well as other countries.

Because of the army, I’ve been able to snorkel in Hawaii and climb the Great Wall of China. Because of things like that, I absolutely love being in the army, but there are many more pros and cons as well, which is why I decided to write this post.

Pros:

1.       You get to make & have friends everywhere

Because of moving, I have lost several friendships, but you really figure out who the great friends are when they keep communication with you. I’ve become pretty good at maintaining long distance relationships with really wonderful people. I meet one of my best friends, Ashley more than 2 years ago. We lived really close to each other for 6 months and then we both moved, but we still keep in contact, and I love her to pieces!

2.       You get to taste new/different foods

After trying clam chowder in Monterey, California, it became one of my new favorite foods! I’ve even had real Chinese food in China, but have also eaten at some of the best Chinese food in America. While living in the south, I fell in love with sweet tea. I’ve also had a nice assortment of food oddities, such as deep fried Snickers, bacon soda,

3.       You get to see the world!

I kind of already talked about this in my entry, but it’s one of the best parts of being in the army. I know some people who have stayed in the same place for a while, but I know plenty of people who have seen more of the world then I have because of the army. I love the road trips we take to get to our new assignment! Even if we just drive through states and don’t stop a lot, it’s still a great experience.

4.       You find new things to do where you move

Every place we move to has plenty of sight seeing, and we do our best to see a decent amount of what that place has to offer.

5.       You become a master at unpacking

The army does provide for packers to come and box everything up, but we have to do the unpacking part. I’ve become really good and figuring out where my furniture will go in any new house, and I can unpack and put away pretty quickly.

6.       All bases have similarities, so something is consistent

If my family moved around a lot not in the army, I think I would go insane. Just the fact that all bases have a commissary and a Chapel Next keeps me ok. I also love living on base because everyone gets what it feels like to move around a lot!

 

 

Cons:

1.       Pets

When you are in the army, having pets becomes a little more…..interesting.  When my dad first joined the army, we moved from Illinois to North Carolina, which meant that I had to get rid of all my cats! Then when we moved to Korea, our Uncle watched our dog, Chewy and lizard, Leo. When we came back to the states 2 years later, we got Leo back, but not Chewy. I brought my hamsters (Dr. Pepper and Sprite) on the long drive from California to South Carolina, with several stops in between, only to have them die the first day we were in South Carolina.

2.       You have to leave friends and family.

Right now I live 5 hours away from Kate and Julia, and that is the closest we’ve been since joining the army! That in itself is terrible, but I hate saying goodbye to friends every time we move. I’ve met so many awesome people, but moving away from them is the worst.

3.       You have no (or very little) control over where you move to

Whenever we need to move, my dad writes out his top places that he wants to move to, and gives it to whatever army people decide where to move us. So my dad does have some input, but that doesn’t mean that the whole family is content. I really didn’t want to move to Colorado (although I love it now, and I don’t want to move). When we moved from North Carolina and California, I was ready!

 

I hope you enjoyed my blog post, and that you learned something new about military life!

Kate's Top 4 Beauty Treatments

Hey everyone!

We're going to take a break from the "Who Am I?" series this week, but don't worry- I'll continue it next month!

So today I'm going to tell you all about my top 4 tried-and-true beauty treatments.

#1 The Burning Face Mask
The burning face mask is a practically fool-proof way to get rid of acne, clogged pores, acne scars, and more. If you're serious about getting rid of hard-core acne or scars, Babble (see below) recommends using the mask twice a week for 10-30 minutes.
I, on the other hand, use it less often- between once a week and once a month.
Ingredients:
Honey
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Lemon Juice (for non-sensitive faces only)
Instructions:
Soften the honey for a few seconds in the microwave, and then add the lemon juice if you have non-sensitive skin. Then add the nutmeg and cinnamon until it forms a thin paste. Apply to face and/or effected areas (back, chest, shoulders, etc.), and leave on face for at least 5 minutes, at which point your face should stop burning. Of course, it is recommended to leave it on for 30 minutes instead. Wash your face well and moisturize when you're finished.
(for more details on why this works, and for a more precise recipe, click here)

#2 The Banana Face Mask
This one is an oldie but goodie- I've been using it since I was a girl scout in the 3rd grade. It moisturizes your face, is good for sensitive faces, and is incredibly easy to make.
Ingredients:
Banana
Honey (optional)
Instructions:
Mash up the banana until there are no chunks, and add slightly melted honey if desired for additional anti-bacterial and moisturizing benefits. Leave the mask on for as long as desired and mask off. I recommend washing this mask off in a kitchen sink, bathtub, or shower, as the banana can be difficult to wash down a bathroom sink.

#3 The Self-Tanner
This is one of my favorites. It is a do-it-yourself self-tanner. If you're looking for a dramatic change of skin tone, this may not help. But if you're looking to darken your skin slightly, or tan your white upper arms and thighs for a winter trip to an indoor waterpark, this will do the trick. This self-tanner will never leave your skin orange or tinted orange.
Ingredients:
Cocoa Powder
Lotion (face lotion or body, it makes no difference)
Instructions:
Mix the cocoa powder and lotion together in a container until it is fairly frothy, and not too thick. It should be just a little thicker than regular lotion. Rub it evenly all over the desired area- I'd recommend doing your whole leg, and if you do your arms, do your hands too. If you do your whole body, include all of your tan lines, in order to obtain the most natural-looking tan. Leave on for at least 2 minutes, but be weary of surpassing 10 minutes, because that is my record. Rinse off and wash well.
You may not notice the results of using this on your own, but it will leave your friends wondering how your legs are so tan even in the winter.

#4 The Best Exfoliating Scrub
This always, always, leaves my legs smooth, soft, and comfy.
Ingredients:
Sugar
Oil (Olive and Coconut are my preferred types)
Essential Oils (optional)
Instructions:
Mix the ingredients together, without any excess oil peaking over the sugar. Shave legs and rub on to exfoliate. Rinse. Repeat if desired, but it is not necessary. Shaving again serves the purpose of making sure everything is shaved, and taking of the extra skin.
Make sure to apply liberal amounts of lotion to your legs to assure they will stay extra soft and won't dry out.

Do you have any favorite beauty treatments? Let us know in the comments!

Columbus Day Weekend

                                 This is Bailey for my third blog post

My family and I went to ABQ, NM over Columbus day weekend for Julia's 13th birthday party and a balloon fiesta. Her birthday party was a murder mystery party (it was really fun). I was a lion tamer it was really cool dressing up. Kate was the victim and my brother was the murderer. Julia, Avery(her best friend who also came for Julia's birthday)and I all slept on Julia's queen size bed which was very interesting.

 
     For the balloon fiesta we had to wake up at 4:20 in order to get there find a parking spot and see the balloons launch off. We got to0 the fiesta and got to see the sunrise. Then we waited for them to put the green flag up saying the balloons could go up in the air they finally did. Which was very exciting because we were all a little bit cold. None of the balloons ended up going up due to the high winds. We all got to be really close to some balloons which was pretty cool. The next day we went home ( which is why I'm writing my blog post today).I had a very fun time at my cousins house this weekend .

  
                                       See you next month for my next blog post!
                     Comment down below what you did this Columbus day weekend!

5 Reasons to Stretch

Hey guys, it's Julia! This past month has been crazy but great! I got fitted for pointe shoes at dance, I saw the musical Wicked for the first time (I LOVED it, of course), and I almost mastered a front limber (handstand into a bridge)!

So let’s start with my blog post!

 

I’m a dancer and I also practice acrobatics and gymnastics tricks at home. Stretching and flexibility are a big part of dance, acrobatics, and gymnastics so I try to stretch every day. Here are 5 great reasons why you should stretch too!

1. Stretching helps dancers, acrobats, contortionists, gymnasts, runners, football players, and many other athletes.

2. Stretching improves posture and gracefulness which, by extent, improves confidence.

3. Certain poses improve strength (as in yoga).

4. Stretching gives you plenty of tricks to show off.

5. And what flexibility is all about; it increases your range of movement.

What do I wear?

This is pretty easy. Something comfy! Whether it’s sweatpants and a t-shirt or yoga pants and a tank top, just anything comfy!  It's a good idea to wear socks when stretching unless you are doing something like a bridge where you need to grip with your feet. Also make sure our hair is pulled up and clipped back out of your face and that you keep a water bottle nearby.

 



Some good stretches

Here are some tips for not injuring yourself when stretching:

1.  Make sure to get your muscles warmed up and blood flowing by doing jumping jacks or something beforehand.

2. Be sure to keep proper posture when stretching.

3. Start slow and stretch gently. Never push to the point of pain (there should be discomfort but not pain) and don’t bounce.

4. Make sure to alternate between pointed and flexed feet. Some dancers just perform stretches with the toes pointed and don't alternate between flex and point. This can create an imbalance in the body, if the feet do not get stretched the other way as well.

5. Hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds. I hold my splits and stuff for 2 minutes, but I'm pretty advanced

6. The mind controls the body.

That’s it for this month’s blog post! Here are a few websites to check out if you are interested in becoming more flexible:

http://balletshoesandbobbypins.com/flexibility

http://passionfordance.hubpages.com/hub/Stretching-Tips-for-Dancers

Also check out my Pinterest, I have a stretching board, dance board, and acro/gymnastics board:

http://www.pinterest.com/jrose2082/