ACK! NO CHILDREN'S BICYCLE'S IN STORES? WHAT?

Last week, our friends at Hands and Hearts, were informed of a new law going in on February 10th. Remember all the toys will lead in them coming from CHINA?? Well, under pressure the congress and the president has signed a bill into a new law. This will require EVERYTHING that is used for children to go through a $500 lead test, even things that don't include lead.

Let me be a little more specific so you know how it will effect us. Did you know that children's bicycles will no longer be for sale in the stores? WHAT? Why? Because they have a little tiny valve on the tire that might contain led. Many smaller businesses, homeschool based businesses and ANY resale shops will be out of business. Like going and buying clothes and toys on ebay? Will that won't happen! It will be illegal! Like buying handmade goods on etsy? That won't happen either because every piece of fabric needs to be tested. Like going to the thrift stores and buying things used? That won't happen either.

Many companies like >Learning Resources, a HUGE HUGE company that devotes itself to providing educational prodcuts will be going out of business in February! Many many of my friends that are homeschool companies that are owned by families are going out of business. Any of them that are providing self pubished books, will not be able to do that any longer. Any organic companies that provide Organic fabrics. This law states that ANYTHING meant for children, needs to be tested. Europe has the most strengent rules and regulations, but they have come out just fine.

I saw the outcry. There will be major people out of jobs. No one will be able to buy used anything anymore. The hit on the landfills will be untolled.

What is wrong with this? The law is too broad and not specific enough. I with others think that this law will be amended, eventually. But, when and will it be before we see an economic collapse?? Umm! Let's see! We have a new administration coming in on January 20th and the law goes into affect February 10th! Unfortunately all of the senators and congress voted for it, excpet for Ron Paul! There will be things in the future that I will be posting that you can do. For now, educate yourself on these items. The more people that know about this the better! Contact all media if possible!

National Bankruptcy Day
Another Article
Costs of New LAW

As you can see from our blog, we are back from our vacation to Virginia and DC. I was able to get out and start back to our 30 days of Joy as a ministry to those around us. We kept one of the same neighbors we did last year, but changed one. Both of our neighbors are elderly and are just so sweet. I tend to try to keep an eye on them, although when you are trying to sneak around little gifts it can be difficult to figure out when they are not there.

Last year at Christmas, I went shopping the day after and day(s) after. Some things that I found were Christmas dishes for 75% off. They had snowmen on them. I got them at Kohl's. I was able to find plates, bowls and cups.

So yesterday, I used the plates. I baked this recipe and put the Peanut Butter Bars on the plates. I bought inexpensive "cookie bags" from the Dollar Store and put those around the plates.

Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Bars:
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 cup butter (I use real)
1 1/2 cups Sucanat (I use 1/2 honey and 1/2 molasses)
2 eggs
1 1/4 c freshly milled flour (I used soft white wheat)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix Dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients until well blended. Mix into a 9x13 well oiled pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cut into squares. This is so yummy warm and with vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!

There's No Place like Home!

We left at a decent hour from our condo, yesterday morning. We thought we had a 8-9 hour trip home, but when we plugged in the coordinates it showed a 10-11 hour trip and with stops a 12 hour trip home. We had to make concessions and one of those concessions was Mannassas Battlefield. It was 30 miles off of the highway and we decided not to go there. We did decided to go to the Stonewall shrine.

**This stop was NOT in the Kids Love Travel book** We just saw it as we drove up and stopped.

The Stonewall Shrine is the acutal house that Stonewall Jackson died in. It is authentic. The room was written with exact instructions from the daughter of the owners. The bed and clock are original to the home at Stonewall's death. The bed frame is the actual one he layed in and died.







We had an uneventful and safe ride home. The boys were so glad to be home and so were we. After spending a week in hotels and a 1 bedroom/1 bath condo, they were so thankful to be in their own beds and their own bathrooms.

We figured it out. We traveled thousands of miles and out of the 10 days that we had available to visit (2 days in a addition were for travel) we saw 40 sites. We were thankful to the Good Lord for us being able to go. It was a great time of year and we had such a good time. We built memories for a lifetime.

Today has been a catch up day with baking, cleaning, doing laundry and piano. The normal routine.

Holiday Savings at Vision Forum!

Now through December 17h, Family friendly and Christ Centered Vision Forum will have another 20-50% off sale! Some of their most popular items, including the Geneva Bible are 50% off and you get free shipping to boot! Just click on HERE and see what is there! Happy Shopping and Saving!

DAY 10

ODDS AND ENDS

**First of all, I highly recommend the book we have used on this journey. It is called "Kids Love to Travel and we have the Virginia version. It is broken into states and down by areas of the state. It is then in alpha order. It has been a GREAT resource. It is written by a great homeschooling family that RV fulltime.**

If you would like to start at the beginning, you can click on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3,Day 4,
Day 5,
Day 6, Day 7,
Day 8 and
Day 9

Well, today is exactly that. An odds and ends day. Time for stuff we wanted to do and haven't and get some shopping done. We first went out to Mt. Vernon where they have a fabulous gift shop. We have looked all over and they had the best selection and pricing on many things, so we went back. Also while in Alexandria, we had heard about a great place with all you can eat pizza and salad called Bugsy's. We finally went and the kids enjoyed it. It was $6.95 but the pizza is thick and reminds us of Godfather's pizza.

We then went to the Peterson House. The Peterson house is right across the street from the Ford's Theatre, in downtown DC and is the place where Abraham Lincoln took his final breath. Also, just to the left of there is an inexpensive place for souviners!

The Parlor room where Mary Todd Lincoln stayed. She was not in the room when Lincoln died:


The room where Lincoln died with the boys. The bed is off to the right:




We then went to the US Postal Museum. It was a cool interactive museum involving the Postal service. I was surprised at how much the boys loved it.

Benjamin Franklin:






Well it was then my goal, to get more pictures of DC but I wanted them at dusk and night. I am pleased with them and I will share them with you as we bid goodbye. We are leaving in the morning. We will be stopping by Manassas Battlefield and the Stonewall shrine (the house where he died) on the way home.

Day 9

**First of all, I highly recommend the book we have used on this journey. It is called "Kids Love to Travel and we have the Virginia version. It is broken into states and down by areas of the state. It is then in alpha order. It has been a GREAT resource. It is written by a great homeschooling family that RV fulltime.**

If you would like to start at the beginning, you can click on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3,Day 4,
Day 5,
Day 6, Day 7 and .
Day 8


Today we woke up and got going early, yeah! We left here and headed for the Library of Congress. What a place. It is actually Place(s). 3 buildings!! It is completely magnificant! Books everywhere. Architecture all over. It holds the Mainz bible and the first printing Gutenberg Bible. It also houses the first psalter printed which we will go and look at tomorrow. We were able to see an Aztec exhibit and the first map that uses the word "America". Also we were able to go into the Thomas Jefferson Collection. He saved everything! Letters from so many, documents, etc. Also 1/3 of his 6,000 books are on display. It took us a long time because we wanted to look at all of them :o) Of course we weren't able to look at all, but we sure did try. Unfortunately, in the exhibits, we weren't able to take pictures, but I do have others from the LOC. We could have spent DAYS in there. No kidding!












This is the Gutenberg Bible. It is one of 3 that is in vellum paper and the only one in the USA.



We then walked over to the Capital bulding's new visitor's center. It has only been open a week. It is beautiful. After getting through the security and being welcomed through the door, we noticed alarms going off and the workers telling us to leave and to be up on 1st street. We figured out that it was a fire alarm. We knew it would be a while, so we tried to figure out an alternative plan.



There were firetrucks there quickly and the media? Well the story was on CNN in oh, about 10 minutes! Of course, they just knew the alarms went off and they didn't know what it was. (When we were allowed back in there, a welder was welding somewhere and had started a fire. Don't know where but they got it taken care of quickly).

Not wanting to waste any time, we went to the Supreme Court Building, across the street. It was beautiful and they let us see the court room. Here are shots from that:





That was a fairly short trip, but the Capital was shut down still and it was FREEZING outside! SO cold. We luckily had packed a lunch, so we went up a block and ate our lunch inside the van. By the time we were done with lunch, they had re-opened the Capital Visitor's Center.




We went back in to the building and signed up for a tour. (We did not go through our rep just a regular tour). We started off with a great movie and then we took a tour of the rotunda and other areas. While in the rotunda, the guide finds our middle one, Joseph. There are, oh about 12-15 statues of presidents and famous people in the room. He asks who some of them are. He points to them, and goes around the room, naming all, but Alexander Hamilton (whom Joshua named). He then, stopped for a minute, looked at me and said we were doing a good job, and asked if Joseph would like to do the tour, that he was impressed. Everyone was wearing headphones, so everything he said went into the headphones. He then asked where he went to school. With a deep breath, I said they were homeschooled. It took the "wind out of his sails" as he put it. We did alot of walking. We toured through the rotunda, the old location of the house and senate floor and then the old court room for the Supreme Court.





I know it is hard to see, but this is Joseph with Ulysses S. Grant. Someone stepped in my shadow.




This is Daniel Webster, a distant Relative:



Luke with his guy, Robert Edward Lee:



The original Supreme Court:


We then left, and went to the Union Station. It was okay. Joshua got his Presidential dollar he wanted from the US Mint. We looked for ornaments, but we were so overwhelmed with Obama stuff everywhere, it was sickening. We left and came back here. We did dinner and are already starting to get stuff ready to pack for the home strech on Sunday. We will have a full day tomorrow and then leave. We will stop at Mannasass battlefield and the Stonewall Shrine on our way home. I am loving our trip, but I will be ready to get home. So will everyone else. But I look at it this way: We are making memories!