25 Manners Kids Should Know

While browsing my new favorite website, I came across this on my friend Sarah's boards. I really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd share it with you.

25 Manners Kids Should Know

1. When asking for something, say "Please".

2. When receiving something, say "Thank you".

3. Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.

4. If you do need to get someone's attention right away, the phrase "excuse me" is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.

5. When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.

6. The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, out of the earshot of adults.

7. Do not comment on other people's physical characteristics unless, of course, it's to compliment them, which is always welcome.

8. When people ask how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.

9. When you have spent time at your friend's house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had,

10. Knock on closed doors - and wait to see if there's a response - before entering.

11. When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.

12. Be appreciative and say "thank you" for any gift you receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.

13. Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.

14. Don't call people mean names.

15. Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.

16. Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit thru it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best.

17. If you bump into somebody, immediately say "Excuse me".

18. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don't pick your nose in public.

19. As you walk thru a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.

20. If you come across a parent, a teacher or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say "yes", do so - you may learn something new.

21. When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.

22. When someone helps you, say "Thank you". That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers.

23. Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do.

24. Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.

25. Don't reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

What other manners do you think kids should be taught?

In The Kitchen - Soup's On!

There's just a touch of fall in the air in the early morning hours here at our house and I love it! It's still hot in the afternoon, but those cooler mornings have me longing for a big pot of soup simmering on the stove! So today, I'd like you to share your favorite soup recipes!

Two of my favorite soups are Taco Soup and Baked Potato Soup (which I once forgot to use baked potatoes for, but that's another story!). I have no idea where I got the recipe for Taco Soup, but the Baked Potato Soup recipe came from allrecipes.com. Here are the recipes, in case you'd like to try them out soon:

Taco Soup

2 lb. ground chuck, browned and drained

1 medium onion, chopped

4 (16 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (16 oz) can pinto or kidney beans, drained

1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, undrained

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 qt. water

Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with corn chips, shredded Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Baked Potato Soup

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup all purpose flour

7 cups milk

4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 green onions, chopped

1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and green onions (reserving a few for garnish). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in bacon (reserving some for garnish), Cheddar cheese (reserving some for garnish), sour cream, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese in melted. Serve topped with reserved green onions, bacon and Cheddar cheese.

If you'd like, I love to hear your favorite soup recipes! If this goes well, I'd like to make this a weekly feature here on my blog - a place to share our favorite recipes.

Homeschooling your Preschooler

We have decided to do "preschool" at home this fall, starting sometime after Labor Day. B is almost 3 1/2 and while we have always taken learning opportunities as they come, we will be doing a more structured "school" time.

I purchased four Pre-K books from The Mailbox to use as our "curriculum". This year, we will focus on the Alphabet, Numbers and Colors & Shapes. While B is fairly proficient in these areas already (he can recognize and name all the letters of the alphabet, count to 15 - as well as count objects - and can recognize and name all of the basic colors and shapes), we will be working to solidify these for him, as well as begin working on the sounds the letters make, learning our numbers to at least 20, etc.

I also bought a Day-by-Day lesson plan book for Pre-K. Each week we will have a different "theme", such as weather, community helpers, getting along with others, etc. The plans include craft ideas, books to read, corresponding activities.

I am excited about "school" this fall and think this will be a great learning experience, and a trial period to see if homeschooling is really the way we want to go for our kids. I am interested if any of you have homeschooled your children, and if so, any tips you may have. We are totally new to this and while we've researched homeschooling quite a bit, we have so much to learn.

And with that, I'll leave you with a picture of my beautiful babies, taken this afternoon...

P.S. - Did you know it's hard to get a picture of a teething baby without her hands in her mouth? Or chewing on her shirt? I gave up on trying!

My New Favorite Website

So I have a new favorite website. It's called pinterest.com. Have ya'll heard of it? I hadn't until a few days ago when my friend Tara told me about it. It's great! I don't know of another way to describe it than to call it a virtual bulletin board.

Here's how it works - say you're surfing the web and you see something you like and you think "Hey, that's a great idea. I need to bookmark that or print it off and file it so I'll remember it". But then your computer crashes or you forget you printed it off. With Pinterest, you "pin" the website to a "board" and it's always there. You can have as many boards as you want, too. I've got boards for homeschooling ideas, crafts, recipes, house ideas, kids, etc.

I know it sounds confusing, but trust me - if you just try it, I know you'll love it! If you'd like to try it, just shoot me your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite! (I don't know if you can sign up on your own - you probably can, but my friend sent me an invite).

A Fresh Start

So, can I just tell ya'll? I totally abandoned this blog last year. And I miss it. So I've decided to start over - a fresh start, if you will! So join me - sit down, grab a cup of coffee and follow along as I share about our life. You can also follow me on Twitter @ stella_clark.

Check back often as I blog about anything and everything!