HopeSprouts Homeschool

Give Me Soup!

2012-01-06T23:38:00.000-05:00

The cold is setting in and I am craving soup. Nothing warms the body like hot broth. Tonight we had Campbell's Tomato Soup and grilled cheese. Now I am on the hunt for recipes so I can make some from scratch!

Here are some I plan to try:

Homemade Tomato

Greek Lemon Rice

Broccoli, Bean and Cheddar

Italian Egg Drop

Beef and Bean Chili Verde

Leek and Potato

Minestrone with Endive and Pepperoni

Ravioli and Vegetable

Chicken and Spinach

Black Bean

Curry Squash and Chicken

Japanese Chicken-Scallion Rice

Sweet and Sour Beef Cabbage

Here are some we already love:

Taco Soup

Lentil

French Onion

Italian Wedding

Split Pea

Chicken Noodle

Chicken Tortilla

Teaching Textbooks

2012-01-04T23:13:00.000-05:00

This marks the first week with Teaching Textbooks Math 3. Bels is loving it! From what I can tell, TTM3 picks up at about 1/2 way through the Saxon Math 2 book. So there is a little review for her, but I think that is good as she is learning to use the program.

The layout is simple for her to use and for me to check in on how she is doing. She has actually enjoyed it so much that she is doing 2 lessons a day on her own. I have only assigned one, but she wants to work ahead. Since I can reassign the lessons if she isn't learning the material, I don't mind her doing as much as she likes.

I can't tell you enough how much I love this program already. The Saxon Math k-3 books are wonderful curriculum, but they require so much from the parent. With an emerging reader, I can definitely use the extra time. Though I feel a little funny about just sending her off to learn on her own, I have to admit that I am also relieved. I have never enjoyed math and it has always been an area I have worried about in homeschooling- both in teaching it and being consistant. I think this was just what we needed.

Cookie Season with Recipe

2011-12-15T13:17:00.002-05:00

It is Christmas cookie baking season at our house again. The Betty Crocker cookbook is open and the counters are filling with treats. Both girls took cookie boxes to their ballet teachers this year and also to the piano teacher. The piano recital for Bels also required a dozen piano shaped sugar cookie cutouts frosted with Nutella and topped with sprinkles. For fun, we also made guitar shaped cutouts for my husbands guitar students' recital.

We have baked thumbprints and butter pecans, Nutella blossoms with candy cane kisses, and sugar cutouts and chocolate chip cookies. I still want to make Christmas mice, cereal wreaths, peppermint flavored candy cane cookies and fudge. There are gingerbread houses waiting to be built and last, but certainly not least, a birthday cake for our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

This year, I experimented a bit and now I have a new sugar cookie cutout recipe. This recipe rolls easily, is not sticky and lifts well from the counter and the pan. It also tastes delicious! I do all the mixing by hand. It makes for a better cookie.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

1c Butter, softened but not melted
1/2c Shortening
2c Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
5 1/2c All Purpose Flour
1c Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Cover and chill at least one hour in the fridge. You can also leave it overnight.

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. I prefer to use half flour and half powdered sugar. Roll to 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on sheet a few minutes before removing for best results. I like to use a pie server to pop them off. The pointed tip often works better than a wide flat spatula.

Love

2011-11-28T11:57:00.001-05:00

Today, Ava, my 4 year old, came to me. She sat on my lap, looked at me and said:

Ava- "Mommy do you know who needs lots of love?"

Me- "Who?"

Ava- "Satan. He needs lots of love so he can be nice and be an angel and not be scarey and try to trick us. He needs love."

Funny how the whole love thine enemy is so hard for us as adults, but for a child it is quite simple. Give them love, so they will have love in their hearts too. Amazing.

Math Genius (Cont)

2011-11-18T09:10:00.001-05:00

Another math genius moment in our house....

I am trying to condense the lessons in our Saxon Math 2 book and get into our Sax Math 3 book, because we haven't been diligent in doing the bookwork. I feel like we have still been learning math though. I saw more evidence of that today. Here is the conversation I had with my 6 year old.

I am paging through my Saxon Math 2 teachers manual, grouping lessons to do more of a mastery approach when I see a lesson on dozens and 1/2 dozens. I think, I am pretty sure she knows this...

Me-- Bels, do you know how much is in a dozen?

Bels-- Yeah, 12

Me-- Do you know how much is in a half dozen?

Bels-- 6... and 3 in a quarter dozen.

Me-- Ok, thanks...

Ava-- Isabel, how much in a dozen and a half?

Bels-- Hold on, um... 18.

So, I have decided to breeze through the fraction lessons and the lesson on dozens. I was pretty sure she knew everything Saxon Math 2 could offer on fractions and I was right. I just hope Saxon Math 3 offers more because we will be into that book very soon.

My Daughter is a Math Genius

2011-11-15T15:59:00.001-05:00

Okay, so maybe genius is a bit of a stretch... but I am constantly amazed at how she just knows things. It is like math concepts just make sense to her. Now a timed math facts test will make her cry from the pressure of expectation, but hand her a grocery list and she goes math crazy.

I have always been amazed at the way she just "gets it" when it comes to math. Math was not my subject. It still isn't. I am pretty sure her math gene came from my husband.

I got to thinking about this more yesterday, when I took her grocery shopping with me. She was multiplying numbers, having no idea she was doing it, and fast. Well, fast for someone who has never heard of multiplying.

"We need 4 of those 2lb cans."

"They are 2lbs and we need 4 of them? So, 8 pounds, right Mom?"

"Uh, yes"

This happened up the pasta aisle, down the mexican food aisle and through the frozen foods. And not every problem was as easy to solve. But she would just tell me, without pause, the total pounds or ounces.

These are the moments when I realize that my kids are learning, with or without me.

Meal Plans for November and December

2011-11-10T12:58:00.001-05:00

I have not been very good at meal planning so far this fall. Some how, things just seem to be getting away from me and I feel like I am slowly regaining control. I suspect it has something to do with adding more to our homeschooling year, but that is for another post.

We buy most of our beef from my grandparents. While their farm is not certified organic, they run an organic property and there aren't other working farms bordering their land. Plus, their grass fed beef is very lean. I recently called my gram to ask if we could order some more beef and she told me they had 10# waiting for us as a gift and we could buy more ground beef for $2/lb. Yes, I am very blessed.

Picture a freezer full of ground beef waiting to be made into meals. Feeling inspired? Me too. I finally sat down to make some meal plans. Of course, I snuck in some chicken too, just to mix things up.

For the months of November and December we are having:

Goulash
Wet Burritos
Chicken Parmesan
Tater Tot Casserole
Sesame Chicken with Rice and Veggies
Chili
Beef Stroganoff
Taco Soup
Chicken with Peanut Sauce Noodles and Veggies
Cottage Pie
Beefy Mac 'N Cheese with Peas
Mexican Rice
Sloppy Joes
Mexican Lasagna
Baked Pasta

We will still do a Turkey Feast for Thanksgiving and a big Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch. Leftovers are planned for all Thanksgiving weekend and I make enough food to be sure it will feed us for a few days. Dinner leftovers are packed as individual lunches. I also planned for one day each month where we would eat out or order delivery.

I try to plan a certain meal or meal type for each day of the week. Sunday is chili, Monday is casseroles, Tuesdays is Goulash, Wednesdays is Mexican, Thursdays is Chicken Parmesan, Friday is Meat and Potatoes, Saturday is Chinese.

I choose things that work best for us on those days. For instance, Tuesdays we are busy in the late afternoons and evenings. Goulash is easy to make and can be tossed into the crockpot on "keep warm" so we can just walk in and eat when we get back from piano and ballet and before my husband teaches guitar lessons.

Planning ahead always makes life a little easier.

Up Too Late

2011-10-28T09:27:00.000-04:00

I love to read.

Last night I stayed up WAY too late. I just had to finish my book. Then I just had to start the next in the series. I am paying for it this morning!

I woke up to find Bels half way through her Rod & Staff for the day. She got an early start just so she can watch more cartoons today. The girl is very self motivated. And a morning person.

I actually think Ava is more like me. She is less a morning person, more a give-me-an-hour-before-I-am fully-awake person. But she goes to bed at 7:30pm. I should try that.

For now, though, I guess I just need another cup of coffee.

Oh messy house!

2011-09-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

School went well this week. The housework, not so well. I am finding with two in books it is much harder to get things done. I think it is also the fact that we are doing school in the basement, so I can't do a little picking up while being within earshot of the girls if they need help. Instead, I sit quietly and read ahead in the Apologia Science book or recreate the remaining Saxon Math sheets that I can't find.

I am thinking of getting two file crates, one for each of the girls. Maybe one for me too. They would hold all their books. Then, perhaps we will move back upstairs to work on school. My husband made me a great library cart to hold most of our other books and supplies. I would need to bring that back up too.

Or perhaps we will just continue as we are and I will take part of a Friday to clean what has been left undone the rest of the week. I guess only time will tell what will work best for us.

Preparing to Start School-- Our Schedule

2011-09-01T13:49:00.000-04:00

This is what our schedule will look like this year.

6:00am Get up and start the oatmeal/put breakfast in the oven. Fill the sink with hot soapy water.

6:15am Exercise with my husband.

7:00am Breakfast with the family at the table.

7:15am Girls get dressed and ready for the day. I spend sometime reading my Bible and journaling.

7:30am Husband leaves for work, girls start morning chores, I shower and dress for the day. Check email.

8:00am I start a load of laundry and run the dishes if they were forgotten last night. Give the girls a 15 minutes until school reminder.

8:15am Start school.

Bible and memory work together
Reading with Ava (K) while Isabel (2nd) reads and works independently
Reading, Grammar and Spelling with Isabel while Ava works on worksheets and puzzles
Calendar together
Math lesson with Isabel while Ava does math activity
Math lesson with Ava while Isabel does math worksheet
Science (Tues/Thurs) or History (Mon/Wed/Fri) together
Spanish for Isabel, Ava free play
Piano for Isabel

11:30am I start lunch. This may be while Isabel is still working on Spanish or piano.

12:00pm Lunch together.

12:15/30pm Free play time for the girls. I finish up the days laundry and do some cleaning while catching up on my Netflix or Hulu queue. If I have less cleaning, I may read for an hour or prepare something for the next days lesson.

2:00 pm On Wednesdays and Thursdays we prepare to go to piano and ballet. I run errands after class.

4:00pm Girls do their afternoon chores. I start dinner.

5:30pm My husband comes home and I try to have dinner waiting.

7:15pm The girls do their evening routine of getting ready for bed.

7:30pm Girls go to bed. My husband reads good books to the girls for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preparing to Start School- Putting Up Meals

2011-09-01T09:50:00.002-04:00

Before any large change in our house, I like to put some meals in the freezer to make my busy days a little easier. Last night I headed to Costco to assemble the ingredients I would need-- including 15 pounds of hamburger!

I now have 8 meat loaves in my freezer as well as a 9x13 food storage container filled with seasoned hamburger patties. I separate the layers with foil and the premade patties make it easy to take out as many or as few as I need. The meatloaves I can toss into the crockpot on very busy days. I top with a sprinkle of cheese and some ketchup and cook all day.

Today I hope to put up several other meals. Chicken soup made in the crockpot, refried beans, cooked pinto, kidney and black beans (from bags of dried) to be tossed into soups and salads easily, split pea soup, and taco seasoned lentils. Have you ever used lentils seasoned with taco spices in your tacos and burritos? They make a delicious alternative to ground meat.

In the past, I have also put up chili, large meatballs, baked pasta dishes, cabbage rolls, real mac and cheese, premade bean burritos, cooked shredded chicken and pork, Italian wedding soup and marinated meat. I also try to bake extra muffins and bread so that some can go into the freezer.

If you don't especially enjoy cooking, a great alternative for you may be Gordon Foods or a similar restaurant supply store. They offer great foil pan dishes that are oven ready in their freezer section. I can often find lasagnas for less that $10 there and they feed our family 2 meals or with company 1 meal. They also offer frozen premade soups that are delicious. You may be able to find some of these at Costco or Sams, but I find Gordons to be much more reasonable in prices for these types of meals. They also offer #10 cans of beans, tomatoes and many other things you often can not find canned at Costco or Sams.

My Reading List

2011-08-30T10:43:00.001-04:00

These books are topping my list to get through (some for a second time)this year. Anything I should add?

Preparing to Start School - Pages on My Favorites Bar

2011-08-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

Here are the websites I have added to my Favorites Bar for the kids this year.

PBS Kids

Starfall

His Kids

Tumble Books

Discovery Kids

National Geographic Kids

National Gallery of Art Kids

Preparing to Start School- Making a History Workbook

2011-08-26T13:30:00.002-04:00

We made beautiful memories last year doing history. Salt maps. Narration pages. Maps. Lapbooks. Lots of learning and loving and doing. And I have proof! It is all piled up in a paper box in my basement.

This year, I created a pre-bound workbook for history. I am hoping this will keep control of the paper work, cut down on the sheet protectors, and allow myself to let go of the bulkier projects earlier. It will also give me less to do at the end of the school year. I will just punch additional sheets we may have had, open the comb binding and in 10 minutes, everything for the year will be in one place. So much faster than pulling all those sheets out of page protectors!

We use a Charlotte Mason approach to our classical rotation of history. We read stories, biographies and other texts then record what was learned in the form of narrations and illustrations. We use black line maps to chart areas we are learning about and salt dough for creating 3D versions for deeper study. We also try to play games or make other crafts that go along with theme we are studying.

The history notebook I created this year contains space for all of these things, as well as some additional pages copied from Tapestry. A single hanging file folder in a drawer will house anything additional to be added later and any lapbooks we decide to create.

Each week includes-

A cover sheet stating the week number (corresponding to the lesson in Tapestry not the school year).
2 Narration pages from Donna Young. I print this one on the front and this one on the back for additional space.
A blackline map from our Tapestry Map Aids. You could also use maps from the Story of the World activity guide or something you found online. We have previously used the SOTW Activity Guides and really loved them.
An Activities and Artwork page, modified from Donna Young. I used this page, printed on both sides. To the front I taped on a printed title that reads "Art and Activities This Week." Then I copied the page. I plan to attach photos of our bulky projects here with a description of what was done as well as photos from any field trips or games that related to the week.
Copies of additional worksheets from Tapestry's literature section.

2011-2012 Curriculum

2011-08-24T13:26:00.002-04:00

This year we are using:

Bible-
Bible Stories for Children
Supplemented with memory work using the Simply Charlotte Mason file box system and various printed color pages, mini booklets, etc.

We will also be working on memorizing:

The books of the Bible
The Lord's Prayer
The names of disciples
The 10 Commandments (in short form)

History and Science-
We are back to Tapestry of Grace this year for History.

Since we did not get all the way through as well as I had hoped, we are repeating Units 3 and 4 of Year 2. I am planning to let each week take two weeks to complete. If we finish faster, I will just order Year 3 and move on.

We had a change of plans and instead of Apologia Science: Botany, we are going to do Apologia Science: Zoology 1 this year. I am planning for it to take all year. If it doesn't, we will move into Zoology 2. I made the change because of Isabel's love for all things animals right now. Especially the show Wild Kratts on PBS. (Isn't that one of the greatest things about homeschooling?!)

Math-
We are sticking with Saxon this year. Finishing Math 2 and digging into Math 3. Ava is also going to make a slow start at Math K.

Phonics/Reading/Grammar-
We are making a switch this year to everything Rod & Staff. Ava will do Level 1 of the Phonics and Reading, Bels will do Level 2. Bels will also we doing Rod & Staff Grammar and free reading.

Spelling-
We are trying out Sequential Spelling this year. It will be our first year with a formal spelling program. I am feeling good about Sequential Spelling as it came so highly recommended by many homeschoolers I know.

Spanish-
We are using Rosetta Stone for spanish.

Piano and Ballet-
We are continuing with Bels in piano this year and both girls in ballet. They love these classes and we have seen such a benefit of both.

BOTANY LAPBOOK -- FREE RESOURCES

2011-06-08T12:25:00.000-04:00

I am assembling the pieces to what will be our Apologia Science Botany lapbook as well as a garden/plants lapbook for my emerging kindergartener.

Here are some great free resources I have found so far.

Parable of the Sower worksheet

Lot of Mini Books from Homeschool Share

Botany printables and games from Ellen McHenry

Mini Book on seed germination from Ellen McHenry

Leaf Cross Section coloring page from Ellen McHenry

Parts of a Seed shaped minibook

Parts of a Plant Mini Book

Parts of a Flower Mini Book

Cut and paste, My Flower Book, Mini Book

Garden Vocabulary

Garden Poem Copywork minibook

Parable of the Sower QA envelope Minibook

Homeschool Share COMPLETE Botany Lapbook in one file

Flower ABC dot to dot

Flower Garden Color by Numbers

Mapskill Daisy Color Grid

Teeny Tiny ABC Garden Book

Several Plants Lapbook pieces

Here are a few nice looking books to give you ideas:

Mrs. Woody's Wonders

My Father's Sheep

Shower of Roses

I will post up and share what I make in addition to these :)

Week 40 Lesson Plans

2011-06-06T13:05:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Work on memory verses. Choose favorite stories for reading.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2

Review Unit Two

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Finish Lapbook
Use lapbook to review what we have learned

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Finish reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Week 39 Lesson Plans

2011-05-29T13:05:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about John Knox

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 19

Golden Age of England: Elizabethian Era

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Assemble Lapbook

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Ava's 4th Birthday

2011-05-27T15:39:00.000-04:00

We recently celebrated Ava's 4th birthday. This was her first big party with friends and we all had such a great time. There were 16 children including my two. Since Ava loves Jessie the cowgirl from Toy Story, we had a cowgirl theme. She was so excited!

For lunch, we served:
Corn dogs on sticks
Baked Beans
Squished Apples (applesauce)
S'mores on a stick
Chocolate Milk/Root Beer/Lemonade

Games we played were:
Snake in the Boot toss
Panning for Gold (panning for candy mixed into rice and flower)
Pin the tail on the donkey
Feed the horses (pouring grain down a line from cup to cup to fill a bucket at the end)

Jessie Birthday Party

2011-05-25T21:27:00.000-04:00

Week 38 Lesson Plans

2011-05-23T13:04:00.002-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Review New Testament and reread favorite stories in Standard Bible Storybook

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about John Calvin

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 18

Introduce William the Orange
History of the Netherlands
Huguenots (French Protestants)

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 14 Space Travel
Make lapbook pieces

Sputnik matchbook
The Space Race
Space Station- International Space Station- Life on a Space Station Layer Book
Becoming an Astronaut

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Week 37 Lesson Plans

2011-05-15T13:04:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 394-end in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Acts 19, Acts 20:7-12; Acts 21:17-22:29; Acts 22:30-27:12; Acts 27:13-44; overview of Revelations)

Do short narrations and illustrations.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

John Calvin

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 17

Henry VIII and his 6 wives
Life and work of Rembrandt

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 13 Stars and Galaxies
Make lapbook pieces

Add Psalm 147:4, Job 38:31-32 and Psalm 19:1-2 to verse layer book
Constellation mini book
Polaris Matchbook
Sirius Matchbook
Life cycle of a star
Star Category Layer book
Galaxy accordian

Create a constellation

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Week 36 Lesson Plans

2011-05-08T13:04:00.003-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 382-394 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Acts 13-16; Acts 16:11-15; Acts 16:16-40; Acts 17; Acts 18)

Do short narrations and illustrations.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about Martin Luther

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 16

Focus on Martin Luther, his ideas and life
Watch the Martin Luther documentary on Netflix
Create a timeline of Martin Luther's life and map his travels

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 12 Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
Make lapbook pieces

Kuiper Belt matchbook
Pluto- 8th 9th or not at all?
Record day and year in Earth days
New horizons
Plutos orbit
Charon

Discuss freezing point and make homemade ice cream

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Week 35 Lesson Plans

2011-05-01T13:04:00.002-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 371-381 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Acts 9:20-31; Acts 9:36-43; Acts 10; Acts 12:1-19)

Do short narrations and illustrations.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about Martin Luther

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 15

Pieter Bruegel
Northern Renaissance

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 11 Uranus and Neptune
Make lapbook pieces

File folder on Uranus and Neptune
Record days and years in Earth days
Moons tab books
Great Dark Spot Matchbook
Define geyser

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Week 34 Lesson Plans

2011-04-24T13:04:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 357-370 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37; Acts 3:1-10; Acts 6:6-7:60; Acts 8:26-40; Acts 9:1-19)

Do brief narrations and illustrations.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 14

Study Aztec and Incas before Spaniards
Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlan
Reintroduce Mayans

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 10 Saturn
Make lapbook pieces

Accordian of Moons
Mini book about rings
Record days and years in Earth days
Cassini

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games
Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos
48 pieces puzzles

Jessie the Cowgirl Chaps

2011-04-19T09:25:00.000-04:00

I also made these Jessie chaps for Ava. They are not pants, they tie on like an apron. I am going to put velcro on the straps so they are easier for her to put on herself.

Strawberry Dresses

2011-04-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

I found this adorable strawberry print at the fabric store last night and couldn't resist making some quick sundresses for the girls.

Holy Week Activities

2011-04-18T13:59:00.000-04:00

This week will be filled with fun and crafting at our house as we prepare for Resurrection Sunday.

We will be making Light of the World candles, using our Resurrection Eggs to tell the story of Jesus' sacrifice and triumph, baking Resurrection Rolls, reading in our Bible, naturally dyeing eggs and hopefully we will also be creating a Resurrection Garden.

Is your family doing anything special this week to celebrate?

Natural Egg Dyes

2011-04-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

Today I have a post at the Homeschool Classroom. I share some tips and tricks to get great colored eggs using natural dyes from items already in your kitchen. Stop by and check it out!

Week 33 Lesson Plans

2011-04-17T13:03:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 346-356 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:33-49; John 20:19-31; John 21:1-14; John 21:15-17; Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-11; Acts 2:1-42)

Talk about Jesus setting up the church here on earth
Discuss how Jesus prepared his disciples for ministry

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about Joan of Arc

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 13

Review Columbus
Focus on Ferdinand Magellan
Review maps skills

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 8 Jupiter
Make lapbook pieces

List of moons accordian
4 Biggest Moons tab book
Matchbook Great Red Spot
Record day and year in Earth days
Galileo

Visit NASA site on Jupiter
Hurricane tube

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Start reading Farmer Boy
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games

Start Spring Lapbook
Starfall.com
Tumblebooks
LeapFrog Videos

48 pieces puzzles

Our Homeschool Style

2011-04-15T17:45:00.000-04:00

While doing some cleaning, I pulled out my old copy of The Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling. I remember when I got this book. It was 5 years ago and Bels was not even potty trained yet.

I paged through the book, looking through the homeschool methods and learning styles. Remembering how in awe I felt reading it the first time brought a smile to my face. Do you remember those days?? When you first thought to take on what seemed like this enormous step?

I know that I felt like I needed to have it all figured out before we got started. Everyone talked about their "Homeschooling Philosophy" and the goals they were setting. I tried drafting it all out, but in truth, I had no idea what it was I wanted, because I had never "schooled" my kids before.

As my little girl went from toddler to preschooler to elementary-leveled, I slowly began adding in resources. It was kind of a crap-shoot. I read all the reviews, but honestly, I had never taught math to anyone so I had no idea what I would like. I had not used anything formal with my daughter, so I wasn't sure how she would learn. We just picked something.

Over the past 3 years, I have learned so much about my oldest daughter. I know that while I dislike dragging out all the pieces to do Saxon Math, my daughter loves it. She begs for more. She is learning. So Saxon Math works for us. I am secretly hoping it is going to work as great on Ava, otherwise, I have no idea what I am going to do. Probably borrow something from a homeschooling friend.

I know my girls love nature. They love to draw in their nature books and they love to figure out the types of flowers and trees with our fandex. They also love to play with grass and leaves and pretend to be princesses and fairies. They love to make up stories.

Both of my girls love books. They love to be read to and Bels likes to read. I see her reading to her sister and Ava sits captivated. She has asked to learn to read too. She wants to discover the stories all by herself.

So what is our homeschool style?? I guess I still haven't figured it out. There is so much we have yet to experience and I am still not sure what is going to be best for my children. I guess then, you would label us eclectic. A little Mason, a lot classical, a little Waldorf and Montessori...

Case of the Crazies

2011-04-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

Lately, I have had a case of the crazies. I feel like I am losing my mind-- just a little. Our lives are so busy right now.

We are still trying to sell our home while homeschooling full time. This in itself is very hard for me. I loved having everything in a single spot. Now I find myself searching the house for books and supplies that have been moved because of a showing. It is just not ideal. I am trying to keep my eyes on the prize, though. The new house will have a heated, windowed space for homeschool. And after this year and half stretch of trying to sell, I am sure I am going to appreciate it even more.

I am saving and preparing to have a tubal reversal in late June/early July so that we can have more babies. I had my tubes tied during my c-section with Ava. We didn't think we would want more children and I wasn't sure I could handle another 7 months of all day sickness. God has changed our hearts and now I stand waiting for the opportunity to have another child.

We recently obtained an LLC for our one Beagle kennel and have started showing her. We plan to breed her to a great stud dog that it seemed to take forever to choose. I plan to keep one female from the litter and also to purchase another female from another breeder. All of this is a big learning experience for me-- even after 12 years in small and large animal 4-H. Not only am I still learning about the breed, I am also learning about showing and whelping a litter. Lots to take in. God has brought some amazing people into my life through the choice to breed Beagles, though. And for that I am so grateful.

Did I mention my husband has gone back to school?? He is working on his Masters right now. I am very glad that the going to class and homework are all his. Honestly, I have no idea how he does it all, but he seems to take it all in better than me. I have started biting my nails again...

So, I apologize for the past year of sketchy posts and hit and miss sharing. I am slowly learning to juggle all these pieces

Week 32 Lesson Plans

2011-04-11T01:03:00.002-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 330-345 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Luke 22:54-71; John 18:12-27; Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Matthew 27:11-33; Mark 15:1-22; Luke 23:1-26; John 18:28-19:17; Matthew 27:32-61; Mark 14:21-47; Luke 23:26-56; John 19:16-42; Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18; Luke 24:13-35)

Chart the events of Holy Week
Talk about forgiveness and salvation
Discuss sacrifice

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 12

Focus on Columbus
Chart Columus' voyages
Read about Portuguese explorers
Chart their voyages
Line of Demarcation

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 8 Space Rocks
Make lapbook pieces

Define Comet, Meteorite, Asteroid
Comet Orbit
Famous Comets tab book

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading The Little House on the Prairie
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games

Complete winter lapbook

Leap Frog Videos
Starfall.com Alphabet Games
36 and 48 pieces puzzles

Homeschool on the Road

2011-04-07T16:46:00.002-04:00

Read this amazing story of a homeschool family traveling the world.

Things Kids Say

2011-03-30T13:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Ava and I sat in the car waiting for Bels to finish her piano lesson. Ava was looking out the window and noticed several bushes with colored leaves. She said, "Mommy, leaves are supposed to be GREEN! Why aren't those leaves green?"

I told her that some bushes and trees have more red or golden leaves. Some even have multi-colored leaves. It was just the way God made them.

She responded with, "Why did God make them that way?"

I said, "I don't know... I guess we can ask God when we get to heaven." Pause... "You want to know what I think?? I think that God-"

"STOP!!!! Don't tell me!!! I want you to keep it a secret!!" Ava yells from the backseat, hands over her ears. She continued, "I will just ask God when I get to heaven! Don't tell me!!!"

Stunned, I uttered something like, "umm.. ok" and dropped it. Then I realized how hilarious her reaction was and fought off the laughter that was burning inside me.

She must have also pondered her strong reaction, and how it might have hurt my feelings or something. After a minute, she said a bit softer, "But Mommy, if you want to tell me what you think AFTER I talk to God, then you can. Just keep it a secret until then."

Week 31 Lesson Plans

2011-03-27T13:03:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 316-329 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36; John 12:1-8; Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-50; Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-10; John 13:1-17; Matthew 26:36-56; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-14)

Talk about Jesus' ministry on earth. Why did he spend time here?
Read about the preparation for His death. Discuss Last Supper and Communion.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U2, Week 11

Study Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and da Vinci
Talk about strides in learning- Age of Exploration
Look at pioneering artists like Giotto, Brunelleschi and Donatello

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 7 Mars
Make lapbook pieces

Compare weights on Earth, Mars and Moon
Record length of day and year in Earth days

Build Olympus Mons

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading The Little House on the Prairie
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games

Complete winter lapbook

Starfall.com Letter Games
36 pieces puzzles

Have you heard of a "Bible curriculum" by Peter Enns? If so, you should probably read this.

2011-03-24T09:26:00.000-04:00

I recently came across a review of a product in the Old School House Magazine. As the magazine has apologized for even allowing the ad to run and promised not to run any further ads by the author Peter Enns, I though the review warranted sharing.

Please read Anne Elliott's review of Telling God's Story, published by Peace Hill Press (who also publishes the Well Trained Mind materials). She also links to another review of the book by LeaAnn Garfias, in a blog post entitled “Home Educating in Biblical Truth.”

Being a Little Selfish

2011-03-23T09:07:00.000-04:00

This morning, I started feeling a little selfish. I spent a few minutes thinking about the things I want to do in life just for me. Not to be a better wife or mother or teacher. Things to be more of the person I want to be. To indulge in the things I want to learn and make a part of myself.

Do you ever spend time dreaming about what you would do if you had to spend 2 hours a day on yourself? How about a whole week?!

Wondering what is on my list? I will share a few items with you.

Learn to speak Korean
Read the Bible cover to cover over a series of a couple days/weeks
Take up yoga and really master the poses
Learn to dance
Pottery
Paint on canvas with "real" art supplies
Nap in a hammock
Bake cakes and decorate them just for the practice
Learn to sing well
Make a starburst quilt

The silly thing about this list is that I could do many of these things. By getting up a hour or two earlier, I could gain some real quiet time for myself to learn or have time to do some of these. Perhaps that should be my goal. Make time and actually do things I want, just for me.

What are some of the things you want to learn or find time to do, just for you?

Week 30 Lesson Plans

2011-03-21T09:36:00.000-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 303 - 315 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are John 11:1-44; Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25; Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-13; Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:47-51; John 6:16-21)

Talk more about miracles.
Read passages about miracles in missionary booklets.
Write short narrations (then illustrate) for each miraculous act to assemble into a book.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about John Wylcliff
Watch the Wylciff video on Netflix

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U1, Week 10

Review Unit 1. Recap the fall of Rome and compare it to the ending of the Middle Ages.
Talk about the movement towards Renaissance and Reformation.
Read abotu John Wycliff, Jan Hus, and Johannes Gutenberg

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 6 The Moon
Make lapbook pieces

Accordion fold of moon phases
Trip to the moon mini book
Moon gravity/weight on the moon chart

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading The Little House on the Prairie
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.
Use addition keys to practice facts.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games

Complete winter lapbook

Practice counting with beans and muffin tin

36 pieces puzzles

Putting it in Storage

2011-03-14T22:24:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of trying to sell our house. It has been a long journey so far-- especially since we listed it over a year ago. This weekend we had our first showing since winter started. From the Realtor's remarks, we are pretty sure it was a no-go for the people who saw our home. *sigh*

This past week, we did something remarkable. We cleaned out the house. We removed most of the non-essential furniture. We boxed up odds and ends. We removed things from walls and filled holes. Some of this we had done before, but not to the degree we did it this time. This time the house was spectacular when it was finished. I had forgotten just how much space there really is in this house.

Now, with our words echoing off the seemingly empty rooms, we spend our evening just hanging out and talking. There is less to clean, as there is less to get out. The children love spreading out to play now there there is so much more floor space. (We removed a sofa from the living room and a buffet and china cabinet from the dining room) Life just feels less chaotic without all the junk.

I have no idea how long it will be until our house sells. I pray everyday that God would bring the right buyer soon or give me the patience to wait. So far, I have a contented heart and I am not feeling terribly desperate. I may be in for a wait :) But I am hoping that through this time of waiting, I will get used to living with more space and less stuff. Maybe so used to it, that when we do finally move, I will have the strength to part with our unneeded things.

Giveaway: K/1st Phonics Museum from Veritas Press

2011-03-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

Here is a giveaway I found that I thought I would share.

Veritas Press is generously giving away an entire Kindergarten/First Grade Combo Kit of their Phonics Museum reading curriculum to a Raising Homemakers reader! It is two years of reading curriculum.

Week 29 Lesson Plans

2011-03-13T12:49:00.002-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 292- 302 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are John 9:1-34; Matthew 9:1-7; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-25; John 4:46-54; Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10; Luke 17:11-37)

Discuss what a miracle is.
Write short narrations (then illustrate) for each miraculous act to assemble into a book.

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about Joan of Arc

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U1, Week 9

Growth of towns in the High Middle Ages
Guilds and their importance to craftsmen training and as a governing body
Wars, plague and famine in Europe
Joan of Arc and her adventures

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 5 Earth
Make lapbook pieces

8 segment wheel about how Earth sustains life
Diagrams of earth's layers and hemispheres
Add more Bible verses to layer book
6 flp book on Earth's Amazing Atmosphere

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading The Little House on the Prairie
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games

Complete winter lapbook

Practice counting with beans and muffin tin

36 pieces puzzles

Week 28 Lesson Plans

2011-03-09T12:34:00.001-05:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar -

Add date to calendar.
Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Discuss activities for the week.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Today's weather

Bible-

Read pg. 285-291 in Standard Bible Storybook

(Correlating scripture passages are Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4; Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27)

Talk about Lent

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Church History-

Read about Peter Waldo and Elizabeth of Hungary

History-

Tapestry of Grace- Y2, U1, Week 8

Learn about Marco Polo's life and travels
Begin learning about Ghengis Khan and Kublai Khan, the Mogol Empire and subjugation of China.
Discover Mongol and Chinese cultures and histories
Marco Polo's effect on Christopher Columbus
Medieval Japan

Science-

Apologia Science Astronomy

Read Chapter 4 Venus
Make lapbook pieces

3 tabbed minibook about Venus titled "Twin?" "Hot!" and "Phases"
New piece for bradded flag book about spacecrafts for Mariner 2

Make lava using melted butter and flour
Find Venus in the night sky
Use Pin-Art Toy to discuss radar

Reading-

Read aloud one chapter each day from The Boxcar Children.
Review using The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
.

Literature-

Continue reading The Little House on the Prairie
Make correlating lapbook piece from this FREE lapbook at HomeSchool Share.

Saxon Math 2-.

Weeks lessons
Practice skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's.

Practice counting down up and down from various spots between 100 and 400.

Piano-

15-20 minute practice daily

Ava (Preschool):

Review letters with letter matching games

Complete winter lapbook

Practice counting with beans and muffin tin

36 pieces puzzles

Ladybug

2011-03-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

This morning, school came to a stop when a ladybug crawled across our table. I contained the urge to scoop it up and toss it outside, letting the children watch her crawl. When I could no longer stand the sight of the insect on my table, we moved her into a cup with a lid. Needless to say, we may not finish everything this morning, as this unexpected spring surprise has stole the attention of the children. Perhaps we will get out our nature sketch books instead.

Creating an Hour of Time For Bible Study and Prayer

2011-03-07T20:34:00.000-05:00

Life is busy. There is no way around it. As homeschoolers, our lives are even busier, because we bring work home- and to the grocery store, to Home Depot, to the bank, even in the car during the commute. Even when we aren't "doing school" I often find myself looking at the world through "homeschool glasses." Hmm... I wonder if they would let us do a field trip here...That would make a great science lesson... What was that author's name?

I try to make time to pray and spend time in the Word everyday. I wish I could say I do it everyday without fail, but the only thing I can honestly say is that I am a work in progress. Even though I do make time to spend with the Lord, there are a lot of other things I really want to learn and try in my life, and often finding time for them just doesn't happen.

To create an hour out of seemingly thin air, I came up with some ways I either already save time, or could start saving more time. After all, a couple minutes here and there sure does add up!

1. Use Hulu for TV. My family doesn't watch a lot of television, but there are a couple shows I really like. By skipping regular TV and watching my shows a day or more later on Hulu.com, I save almost 20 minutes on an hour long show. How? Commercials. There are less (and sometimes none) on Hulu. So I can watch an hour long show and a half hour show in just one hour.

2. Edit email and Facebook hours. By changing my habit of checking my email and Facebook each time I pass the computer to say, once in the morning, once at lunch time and once in the evening, I could probably save myself 10-15 minutes daily.

3. Save errands for once a week. I see girlfriends of mine running here and there all the time. Plan trips around when you have to go out- pick up milk or drop off library books while you are already out for ballet or only run errands on a certain day.

4. Don't answer the phone. Let the machine get it. Only pick up if it is important and return all calls later. Then you won't have the distraction and it won't take you 10 minutes to figure out what it was you were doing when the phone rang.

5. Get up earlier. I know. I hate it too. But waking up 10 minutes earlier would give me a jump start on my day. I could do a few things I would normally do later, then later, I will have that time for something else.

6. Bring it along. I get most of my Bible time in while waiting. At ballet, piano, the grocery store, etc. I pack a small New Testament in my purse and a little devotional and pull it out while I wait. I also bring along other reading or small tasks I can do when I know I will be waiting.

7. Soak the dishes. Filling my sink with very hot soapy water in the morning makes the day easier. I toss in bowls, cups, etc. and nothing gets stuck on. When I make a phone call or listen to Bels read, I grab a rag and quickly do up whatever is in there. No fighting stuck on anything.

8. Let go of stuff. I have cut down on my cleaning time just by donating junk that I only ever seemed to dust or move from spot to spot. Same for clothes we never wear. If it isn't there, I don't have to wash it, fold it, dust it or pick it up.

How do you add a little time to your day??

Studying Astronomy, Part One: Lapbooks

2011-03-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

We are studying astronomy this "semester." So far, it has been just awesome. We were recently introduced to Apologia Science books. I love, love, love these! The reading is conversational making it easy for my daughters to understand. It is also written from a Creationist point of view, so everything is Biblical. They have even included many verses within the text.

To supplement our reading and the experiments within the text, we are also making lapbooks. I am creating some of my own pieces (available soon) and also using lots of free stuff. Here is what I like that I have come across. We are not using it all.

LAPBOOK PIECES-

Solar System Lapbook from HomeschoolShare

Maria's Comet Lapbook from HomeschoolShare

Apologia Astronomy Lapbook from Live and Learn Press

Magic School Bus Space Explorers Lapbook from Yee Shall Know

3..2..1 Lift Off! Educator's Guide from NASA

Astronaut Lapbook from Homeschool Helper Online

Jimmie's Squiddo lens on Space Lapbooks
Including:
constellations
some older pieces I created
moon phase flip book
Planet coloring sheet that could also be cut outs
rocket shape accordion book
NASA Sun book that could be a mini book or cards
parts of a space shuttle
satellite and space probe accordion
paper sundial
NASA printable storybooks
Zodiac constellation mini book
my age on other planets
my weight on other planets
pictorial history of rockets

Link to Cloth Diaper Giveaway

2011-02-23T09:19:00.000-05:00

Cloth Diaper Addiction is having two giveaways!! You can enter to win FREE cloth diapers from Apple Cheeks and Snugglebottoms Fitted from Baby Bunz & Co.

LENS Photo Challenge-- Spinach

2011-02-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

I love spinach. Love it. I am aways looking for ways to use it in my cooking. Recently, I make some homemade spinach pasta. YUM. Not only did it taste fantastic, but it also looks great. There is nothing like the green dye that come from spinach.

Link up your close up photo at the LENS Photo Challenge- Micro edition.

President's Day Lessons and Activities

2011-02-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

President's Day is on the way. Here are somethings we will be doing.

LAPBOOKS & ACTIVITIES
Using some free online resources and some blank pre-made lapbook pieces, we are compiling a lapbook of Lincoln and Washington. These are the sites I am using for free mini books, printable activities, coloring sheets, etc.

TeacherVision I subscribe to this awesome assortment of teacher resources. If you don't you can still download a few printables each day for free. I especially liked:

Lincoln printable booklet
Washington printable booklet
Washington pop up booklet
Presidents mini book
Log cabin pattern for a shape book
Lincoln Timeline worksheet (I plan to make this into an accordion book)

DTKL President's Day Activities

First School

Enchanted Learning I do not have a membership here, but if you do, they have lots of great resources.

Alphabet Soup This is mostly coloring pages, but they will make great activities for my preschooler.

CRAFTS
There are some great ideas on Kaboose and Artists Helping Children. Here are some additional ones we will be doing.

Cherry Tree - Trace each child's arm and hand (think elbow to fingertips) onto a large sheet of construction paper (or several sheets taped together). Then let them use paint or crayons to add leaves, bark and of course--cherries! Here is another variation on the same idea.
Stovepipe Hat - Use a cardboard oatmeal container as the tall stove pipe. Wrap the container in black construction paper. Use extra black paper to form the brim of the hat. If you don't have an oatmeal container, you can also form the stove pipe from just construction paper.
Log Cabin - Either this edible log cabin or this paper and popsicle stick one.
Three Cornered Hat - You don't need a pattern for this, but here is one and here is another one anyway :)

SNACKS

Cherry "Pie" Cups - Crushed graham crackers in the bottom, vanilla pudding, top with cherry pie filling.

Pretzel Log Cabin - See above. You could enjoy this with peanut butter.

BOOKS

QuackBack Review and Giveaway!!

2011-02-16T17:52:00.004-05:00

My 3 year old recently received three pairs of panties in the mail. Actually, they weren’t just panties, they were QuackBacks. If you have never heard of them, QuackBacks are basically “greeting card alternative” underwear. When Theresa, founder of QuackBack, LLC, asked me to review a pair I was so excited!

According to their website, QuackBack, LLC exists to provide a fun and unique way to encourage your girlfriends, sisters, mothers, and daughters. Our products offer a unique alternative to sending cards, flowers, or chocolates, with the added benefit long lasting inspiration.

In addition to traditional or organic panties, QuackBack also offers tanks, onesies, mugs, or bibs customized with one of their signature duck images. Their sassy little ducky, Zivah, comes in 12 designs to fit any occasion.

You might think, What occasion would I have to send panties? After a few minutes on the QuackBack website, I started to come up with tons of ideas of opportunities to send them: birthdays, job interviews, recitals, potty training, hospital stays, new babies, encouraging someone with the blues, engagements, or just for fun, the list goes on and on!

What I really love about these is that they are practical and fun. Ava loves her Princess and the Pee QuackBacks. Every time she comes out of the bathroom she wiggles her bottom and tells me about her ducky. The excitement of these underpants has already lasted a lot longer than any card or small gift she has received. Each time she goes potty, she sees Zivah and is reminded how proud I am of her being a big girl who goes potty all by herself.

As far as underwear go, I was happy with the QuackBacks. The actual panties were Hanes and the graphics were great quality and vivid in color. I have no doubt they will wash and hold up well. I received the pretty pink package in the mail only a couple days after placing the order. It was fast!

I also love that they aren't super expensive and shipping is included. Flowers are so pricey to send and I don't always have time to run to Hallmark and pick out a card. I can send QuackBacks with a personalized note, from my couch, for the price of a coffee date. That is what changes good intentions to reality in my house.

Now I want YOU to try them!

QuackBack, LLC is giving one lucky reader a FREE item your choice*

To enter to win, you MUST leave a comment below telling me who you will send them to if you win (or perhaps you want them for yourself?!). For three more entries, visit the QuackBack website and leave another comment here telling me which pair you love the most, follow QuackBack LLC on Facebook and leave me a comment letting me know, and then blog about this giveaway and then come back and leave me the link.

A winner will be selected at random (using Random.com) on February 28th.

(*organic excluded)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Congrats to Bryssy who won!

Interesting....

2011-02-10T07:57:00.001-05:00

An article on children and patience, based on an experiment I wouldn't mind replicating.

Coin Stamps

2011-02-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

I bought these awesome coin stamps at our local teacher store for $2.99. At the time, I thought they were neat, but had no idea we would use them so much. The set came with a penny, nickel, dime, quarter and dollar coin stamp.

Bels is currently doing Saxon 2 math, and we use these daily. While we do still sometimes use real coins, these are so much more fun for her and they are easy to keep in one spot. Plus, we can continue even more activities if she has interest without searching for more change.

I give this handy little things two thumbs up!!

Snow Days

2011-02-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am not a winter person. Not at all.

I am almost ashamed to admit that it is my husband who does 99% of the snow play with our children. I just hate to be cold, I hate the heavy boots and coats... I am just not a winter person.

So while my family plays out in the cold, I make them cookies. I make homemade hot chocolate. I warm up their rice bags. I read my book and occasionally snap some pics out the window. Mostly, I stay inside.

Every once in a while, we take the kids to the big sled hill. Then I participate in the sledding. And I always have fun.

Do you like winter?? Or are you like me??

Lollipop Bouquet

2011-02-05T16:27:00.001-05:00

Here is another favorite of ours. I have seen these starting to pop up all over now, so if you haven't made any, you should!

Fold a square of paper into quarters, then fold across the diagonal. Pinch in two diagonal corners, then the other two. Press flat into a diamond. Fold in half into triangle. Cut half a heat along the open edge, then trim the folded corner. Open and slide a lollipop into the hole.

If you can't figure out the folds, just fold into quarters, then fold again into a triangle (similar to making paper snowflakes) then do your cutting.

I use rice inside a container to hold them up and together.

Valentine's Day Wreath

2011-02-03T16:14:00.001-05:00

This is a fun and simple craft to do with your children. If they can tie a knot, they can make this wreath. Simply cut out a heart shape from a piece of cardboard or foam board. Then cut strips from leftover fabric.

My heart was about 1 1/2 " wide, and my fabric was cut into 1"x6" strips. You can use any kind of material. Leftovers, remnants or thrift find are all great for this. Or you could buy some in coordinating colors.

Then wrap the strip around and double knot on one side. I chose to knot all on one side, but you could vary it. Or if you used a foam form, you could knot to the outside edge.

To hang, I tied a ribbon to the top and used a Command hook.

Cooking Class

2011-02-02T16:05:00.001-05:00

We have been doing a lot of baking this year at our house. After all, in January and February, what else can you do?

The girls have had so much fun getting their hands messy and learning new kitchen skills. Here are a few of their favorites.

1. Cracking eggs. Even Ava at age 3 can crack eggs. Let your child crack them into a separate bowl. Then fish out shells, if any, then deposit the egg in the batter. Repeat for next egg.

2. Measuring. Even if you child doesn't know all her fractions, most kids can match the fraction in the recipe to the one written on the spoon or cup. Let them find the ones they need at the beginning and then go for it!

3. Pouring liquids. Put water and oil into an easy to handle cup and then let your child pour it into the measuring spoons and cups. They will love doing it alone, and you will love not cleaning canola oil from the floor.

4. Let them stir by hand. Sure, a mixer does the job in 1/10th the time, but is it as much fun? No! Give them wooden spoons and a whisks and let them stir until their little arms are exhausted. Then, let them scrape it into the pan.

5. Use scoops for cookie dough. You can use ice cream scoopers for big cookies or cookie scoopers for smaller ones. Or even a melon baller. Having the right tool for the child will give them the freedom to go it alone and you the neat little same-sized cookies you desire.

6. Buy premade bread dough or make it in the bread machine but don't bake it. Then let the kids go wild deciding what to make. Roll it out for cinnamon rolls, braid it and brush on herbed butter, make small balls for bread bowls, fry it for elephant ears or doughnuts. Try to let the process be what is important. Think of an edible finished product as a bonus.

Astronomy:Solar Flare Video

2011-02-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

We are currently using Apologia Science Astronomy and we love it. I found this video to share with the girls about solar flares. You can also Google Aurora for some fantastic images. I have found the Giant Science Resource Book and my Solar System book to both be great supplements . They are providing pieces for our lapbooks. I am still trying to decide if I should have Bels do a Solar System lapbook that is all encompassing or do a general one, then separate books for the sun, moon and each planet as well as other bodies.

Bean Counting

2011-02-01T15:54:00.001-05:00

This is a super easy math game for preschoolers. You put the numbers and correlating number of dots on each paper cup. Then the child can either identify the number or count the dots to identify the number, then deposit the correct number of beans in the cup.

I have also done this by putting small circles of construction paper in the bottom and letting my daughters sort small objects by color.

With a muffin tray, there are endless possibilities!!

A Few Sanity Savers

2011-01-31T15:30:00.002-05:00

1. Library card numbers taped to my desk

2. Email reminders for library books.

3. Cloth tote bags for every extra curricular, including church.

4. Costco or Gordon Foods ready-made, just put in the oven and serve, dinners. Like lasagna. Mmmm...

5. Netflix documentaries, Leapfrog DVDs and VeggieTales (now on Netflix).

6. Amazon Mom free two day shipping.

Learning to Knit

2011-01-15T15:41:00.001-05:00

I am not proficient as a knitter. I am just now able to do a single standard knit stitch. While it seems that this single skill has taken me months to learn, Bels has picked it up almost without effort. Oh learn as a child again! She watched me once or twice, and said, "Mommy, that looks easy, can I try?" I handed it over and to her, it was easy.

Unremarkable Days

2010-12-20T07:25:00.000-05:00

I feel like lately I have had so little to blog about. Our days have been busy getting ready for the big vacation we just returned from and school as been more "get it done so I can do other things" than enjoying the journey. I can't say enough how excited I am to be back home and back to our routines. I am looking forward to cracking those books back open and starting again.

Something I have been struggling with lately is just feeling like our days are completely unremarkable. I am glad to say, I think being on vacation cured this for me. As our trip wound to a close, I found myself eager to leave the crowds and unplanned days and yearning for the quiet predictability of being home with the girls each day. Even though every day doesn't feel peaceful at home, I think there is a quiet peace in being home each day and knowing your children are safe and cared for.

Gearing up for Advent

2010-11-26T08:11:00.001-05:00

The Advent season at our house is going to be different this year. We are planning a trip to Disney World and it will fall over a few Sundays of Advent. This means we will no longer be doing our normal traditions- like the Jesse Tree or the Advent wreath. We also won't be participating in services at our own church.

Instead of forgetting the season due to travel, I am planning ahead so we can still experience the season. We will be finding a local church to attend on Sundays (and maybe Wednesday nights). I am also planning some travel friendly crafts and activities for us. I am packing a couple Christmas cds for sing alongs in the car, our family Bibles marked with passages leading up to our Savior's birth, I am making a travel sized Advent calendar and compiling a travel art case with printables.

What are you preparing for the Advent season?

Travel Sized Advent Calendar

2010-11-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

We are traveling this Advent season, so we won't be using our Jesse Tree. I don't want to lose the magic and excitement it generated. I also want to keep all of our minds on Christ during this very material driven time of year. So I am creating a travel sized Advent Calendar for each of our girls.

I am using a 28 compartment case for each child. There are tons of these available in different sizes. You can use pill cases or bead cases for some compact and durable. Then I am using labels, cut to size, to number them as I would like and stickers to decorate.

Inside each box, I will place tiny treats and gifts as well as a Bible verse. The Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Party City and Family Christian are great stores to find tiny gifts. Here are a few I have thought of so far:

mini erasers
M&Ms
beaded braclet
rings
small peanut butter cups
stickers
Hershey's kisses
Strawberry Shortcake doll outfit pieces
keychains
small wrapped candies
hairbands
tiny plastic toys
finger puppets
nail stickers
Netflix instant movie coupon
sticker back gems

Each day the children will open one box and get a treat. We will then work on our Christmas memory verses and listen to a portion of scripture read. As soon as I get them finished, I will post up the finished product!

Preparing for Thanksgiving Week Lessons

2010-11-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

In preparation for Thanksgiving, I am planning something different for next week. We will not be doing our regular history lessons or science lessons or even reading lessons. Instead, we will be reading The Magic Tree House: Thanksgiving on Thursday. We will also use the Research Guide: Pilgrims.

If you are not familiar with the research guides in this series, I highly recommend you check them out at your library. They are great books and I have found they work great as a spine text for many areas. They also make creating a lapbook from the material very easy for younger grades.

We will be making a Thanksgiving lapbook to compile what we learn. I will post any printables and pictures when we complete it.

We will also be making some crafts. My girls love anything made with glue and scissors or that is edible. I usually try to follow their lead. If they are really into something, we find a way to make it a craft or activity. Here are somethings I have planned if we need more than they come up with...

Designs with Heart has a great stand up turkey and turkey mask we will try. The .pdf patterns make preparations simple. We might add some feather to the mask.
Woman's Day has the cutest pilgim hats made of small peanut butter cups and chocolate wafer cookies. I might use upside down Fudge Strip Cookies instead of the wafers.
Something with the adorable pilgrim pair I found.
Better Homes and Gardens has instructions to make adorable pilgrim hat place cards out of tiny flowerpots. I have some in my garden box in the garage, so I know we will try them!
Joy Of Baking has a pumpkin cheesecake I want to make with the girls. Okay, they have tons of holiday desserts I wan to make, but I will start with the pumpkin cheesecake.
Nestle also has a way to turn a chocolate chip cookie into a turkey. Even Ava could do these. The best part is, we can freeze the extra cookies and only make a few into turkeys.

We will also be gearing up for our annual Thanksgiving play. Each year, while I cook Thanksgiving dinner, my husband keeps the children busy creating a play to perform after dinner. They make costumes and gather props and write out the script and practice. It is fun for me, because I am always in it, but I have no idea what I will be saying or doing until we are doing it!

Are you doing something special for Thanksgiving?

Homeschool Roller Skating Days

2010-11-12T08:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the girls and I went roller skating. Well, the girls skated, I walked with them. I love these "homeschool days" at various locations. If ever there was a spot forthat was ripe for picking new homeschool mom friends, it is these events.

While I turned the corner on the slightly dulling wood floor with my 3 year old clinging to my arm, I saw the ladies that have become such a deep part of my heart smile and laugh together at one of the tables. Just then, my almost 6 year old passed us while holding the hands of another friend (who could skate backwards) and I offered up yet another silent prayer of thanks. Not only do these women love me, they love on my children as well. Thank you, Lord.

I am usually terrified to go places the first time alone. If you are like me, grab a friend, a book, whatever you need to gather courage, and just go. Not only will your children thank you for the fun, you just might meet your new best friend.

Layers of the Earth Pizzas

2010-11-09T14:51:00.000-05:00

While I was away enjoying an overnight slumber party with my homeschool moms group, my husband and the girls made some pizza models of the layers of the earth. The crust was the crust, mozzarella cheese the mantel, colby jack for the outer core and a pepperoni for the inner core.

I asked what the sauce was and my daughter responded, "Nothing, but what is pizza without sauce?!?!" I guess that makes sense. They had a great time doing the review and made dinner at the same time. Not bad for a night in with Dad!

(Sorry for the blurry shots. I had the digital camera, so these were taken by the webcam.)

Trivia Answers

2010-10-27T00:00:00.002-04:00

What color does the moon appear to turn during a lunar eclipse?
Red
What animal's head does the legendary Greek minotaur have?
A bull

What day of the week are there no TV programs broadcast in Iceland?
Thursday

Why can't trees grow above the tree line on a mountain?
It's too cold.

What is a person suffering from panophobia afraid of?
Everything

What American artist's works feature paint drippings on large canvases- Norman Rockwell's, Jackson Pollock's or Grant Wood's?
Jackson Pollock's

What does Peter Rabbit catch the buttons of his jacket on while trying to escape from the garden?
A gooseberry bush net

Which king in a standard deck of cards doesn't have a mustache?
The king of hearts

What were the priests of pre-Roman Britain called?
Druids

How many symphonies did Beethoven write?
9

10 Trivia Tuesday

2010-10-26T00:00:00.002-04:00

What color does the moon appear to turn during a lunar eclipse?
What animal's head does the legendary Greek minotaur have?
What day of the week are there no TV programs broadcast in Iceland?
Why can't trees grow above the tree line on a mountain?
What is a person suffering from panophobia afraid of?
What American artist's works feature paint drippings on large canvases- Norman Rockwell's, Jackson Pollock's or Grant Wood's?
What does Peter Rabbit catch the buttons of his jacket on while trying to escape from the garden?
Which king in a standard deck of cards doesn't have a mustache?
What were the priests of pre-Roman Britain called?
How many symphonies did Beethoven write?

Blessing of Homeschool Moms Groups

2010-10-21T13:25:00.001-04:00

I am incredibly blessed. Life hasn't always felt that way. I can remember, not so long ago, being at home for days without seeing another adult except my husband. I never had other women to talk to, play dates for my kids or outside support. I was new in town and feeling so lost.

Then something amazing happened, someone told me to go to this homeschool moms group. I went and everything changed. At first, it was just coming home from that first time feeling like there was hope for me yet. Now, a year and half later- I have annual overnighters, monthly homeschool moms nights out at restaurants and play dates. I have people who offer support in many forms-- food, babysitting, listening, etc.

I can't tell you how I have changed as a woman since finding other homeschool moms. In this crazy journey, there are few like us-- and it is important we support each other. It is essential we give us the cliques and competition of junior high and high school and embrace each others strengths. One day, we will each feel weak or lost and it is so much better knowing there is someone stronger you can reach out to. Living our lives pretending we have it all together only hurts ourselves.

If you don't have a homeschool moms group you belong to, check out the links on the side of my blog. Start with an online support group-- then reach out to people in your area and find other homeschool moms. Hang out at the library, zoo or grocery store while public schools are in session, you'll find the other homeschoolers. Then ask if they know of support groups or coops. Your librarian may even be able to point you in the right direction.

Trivia Answers

2010-10-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

What shape is a Bermuda sail- rectangular, square or triangular?

Triangular

How many inches are there in a yard?
36

What's the standard unit of measure for weighing gems?
The carat
Do underground rivers ever flood?
Yes

What kid's book character says "Pooh-pooh" to the tiger in the zoo?
Madeline

What barrier was US Air Force pilot Charles Yeager the first to break?
The sound barrier
What is the largest creature on Earth?
The blue whale
How many Things come out of the Cat in the Hat's red box?
Two

Would you be running a fever if your body temperature was 37 degrees Celsius?
No
What's the name of Samuel Whisker's wife in the Beatrix Potter tale?
Anna Maria

Family Changes and Stress

2010-10-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

Recently, I have been away from here. Our family has been making some decisions and things have been a little stressful. I am sorry to say, not much more than the basics have been conquered homeschool-wise lately. I am hoping that will change very soon and we will be back on track for all the fun we have been planning!!

We are in the 8th month of trying to sell our house. It hasn't gone well so far, but we are still praying that God would work this out for us. We are very blessed in that we do not have to sell. Our home is small, but we could make it work for another 2 years if we had to.

My husband and I recently made a decision to have another child. I had a tubal ligation (tubes tied) after our second daughter. I never thought I would ever want to be pregnant again. After 6 months of praying about another child, God took my heart from considering adoption to wanting to be pregnant and have another one naturally. I approached my husband about it (we had talked a little about adoption) and was surprised at his warm reception to the idea. God had prepared his heart and made our hearts the same. He is so good and faithful!!

Next week, I am meeting with a doctor about a tubal reversal. Since I am still in my 20's, the chances of a successful pregnancy are pretty good. I never thought I would be in this place, but as I am learning- when you leave the leading to the Lord, you often end up in unexpected places!!

Has anyone had any experience with tubal reversals? I would love to hear your stories.

10 TRIVIA TUESDAY

2010-10-19T00:00:00.002-04:00

What shape is a Bermuda sail- rectangular, square or triangular?
How many inches are there in a yard?
What's the standard unit of measure for weighing gems?
Do underground rivers ever flood?
What kid's book character says "Pooh-pooh" to the tiger in the zoo?
What barrier was US Air Force pilot Charles Yeager the first to break?
What is the largest creature on Earth?
How many Things come out of the Cat in the Hat's red box?
Would you be running a fever if your body temperature was 37 degrees Celsius?
What's the name of Samuel Whisker's wife in the Beatrix Potter tale?

Trivia Answers

2010-10-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

Here are the answers from yesterdays 10 Trivia Tuesday.

What year did all Native Americans become US citizens by law- 1904, 1924 or 1944?
1924

What color is the bar across the bottom of California's flag?
Red

What's the last word Charlotte writes in her web?
Humble

How many moons does Mercury have?
Zero

What state borders only Idaho and Oregon?
Washington

Who introduces Mole to The River in The Wind in the Willows?
The Water Rat

Is 10 a cardinal or ordinal number?
Cardinal
What is the name of Dick and Jane's dog?
Spot

Do porcupine's hibernate?
No

What early President called the job "a splendid misery"?
Thomas Jefferson

10 TRIVIA TUESDAY

2010-10-12T00:00:00.001-04:00

I will be posting up 10 trivia questions on Tuesdays, just for fun. I will post the answers on Wednesday. See if you know the answers!

Here are todays 10.

What year did all Native Americans become US citizens by law- 1904, 1924 or 1944?
What color is the bar across the bottom of California's flag?
What's the last word Charlotte writes in her web?
How many moons does Mercury have?
What state borders only Idaho and Oregon?
Who introduces Mole to The River in The Wind in the Willows?
Is 10 a cardinal or ordinal number?
What is the name of Dick and Jane's dog?
Do porcupine's hibernate?
What early President called the job "a splendid misery"?

Leaf Placemats

2010-10-11T15:34:00.000-04:00

Harvest Party Ideas

2010-09-27T09:19:00.000-04:00

Every year, we host a Harvest Party for our children and a dozen of their friends. It is always a very enjoyable time of crafts, snacks and games. Each year, I begin wondering what the weather will be like and if anyone will show up. It always holds nicely and we always have a garage full!

I have done many different types of snacks for the children. One year, I used a cookie cutter to cut out pumpkin shaped sandwiches and then placed them under the broiler to make grilled cheese. I also heated a large pot of tomato soup on the stove (I could have planned ahead and used the crockpot). Each child received a sandwich in a napkin and a cup half full of soup.

I have also had the children make fresh butter by shaking heavy cream in empty peanut butter jars. We ate it with fresh, warm cornbread. There is also a variety of sweets and other treats like pumpkin donuts and warm cider available.

Activities are also abundant at our parties. Here are some we have done and plan to do.

Pumpkin Rolling. Divide the children into age groups. Give them a pumpkin and have them race by rolling it to the finish line. Because pumpkins are not perfectly round, they tend to wobble this way and that, making it a challenge to guide them.
Pumpkin Walk. Remember the good 'ole cake walks? Same idea, new prize. Lay down some different colored/numbered squares. Play some music and let everyone walk. When the music stops, draw a number/color and that person picks a pumpkin. This is a good way to let every child get the pumpkin they will decorate.
Small Pumpkin Decorating. Get a box full of little pumpkins and gourds to decorate. Bring out the paint, google eyes, feathers, flowers, and hot glue. For little ones, just some paint and shaped sponges or brushes is enough. Little ones also love to glitter them.
Musical Bales. Musical chairs with bales of straw.
Bobbing for Apples. This favorite is a must. I suggest using a shallow pan for little ones. Your bobbers will appreciate warm water. Provide lots of towels for drying off, as you don't want anyone to get a chill. Use the apples for eatting or the following two treats.
Caramel Apples. After bobbing for those apples, make them into caramel apples! You can buy the caramel wrappers at the local grocery, or you can order a 5lb block of caramel for melting and dibbing on Amazon for under $20. Don't forget the sticks, waxed paper and some nuts or sprinkles.
Make a mini pie. Let the children roll out their pie crust and put it in the mini pie tin. You can usually find them at Walmart or the dollar store. Then, open some cans of pie filling and let each child scoop in some of their choice. You can also get a bushel of apples and a peeler/corer/slicer and let them crank out some of their own apple pies. Provide bowls for mixing in the spices. Bake and send home.
Turkey in the Straw. Cut out a turkey from cardstock or foam and hide it in a pile of loose straw. Let the children search for it in groups by age. The one to catch the turkey gets a small prize. Suckers, candy bars, stickers, etc. all work great.
Scarecrow Race. Grab some old clothes from your closet, or hit Goodwill for some cheap, odd looking stuff in an array of sizes. Put one full outfit in each paper bag. An outfit should consist of pants/dress/skirt, some type of shirt or sweater, a jacket or shawl and a hat. Divide the children into groups of 3-5. It is a good idea to mix up age groups evenly so the biggers and help the littles. Then, put half the team on one end and the othe half at the other end. In this relay, each person must put every item in the bag on and run down to the next person on their team. Then, they take everything off and the other person puts everything on. This continues until the last person crosses the finish line. If you have uneven teams, some can go twice.
Apple Tasting. Buy a variety of apples, slice into thin slices and see who can identify the apple. Orchards will often sell you 2-3 of each. Get at least 5 kinds if you can. We love the Honeycrisp, Macintosh, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious.
Popcorn Race. Fill two clear/semi clear containers with popcorn and a large ladel. Put empty containers of the same type at the other end. Divide the children into teams. They will each fill their ladel with popcorn and run down to fill the empty container. For little kids, use a cup instead of a ladel.
Hanging donuts. Hang donuts on strings from the laundry line. Blindfold each child and instruct them to keep their hands behind their backs. The first to eat their donut wins. For smaller children, donut holes are perfect.
Tukey, Turkey, Dinner. Same as duck, duck, goose.
Guess the Candy Corn in the jar. Pretty self explanatory. Have everyone write down their guesses as to how many pieces of candy corn are in a mason jar. The closest wins the jar. I have also used orange and black M&Ms, Tootsie Rolls and candy bar minis. It is a nice way to bring everyone back together at the end.

Fall Reads

2010-09-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

We are enjoying some great fall reads. Here are two of our Favorites this week.

Applesauce Season is a wonderful story told by a boy whose family has a tradition of making applesauce every fall. His story walks the reader through the process of making applesauce, sharing names of lots of different varieties of apples. Some we hadn't even heard of. He tells how different apples have different flavors and each batch of sauce comes out tasting a little different. It really put us in the mood to head to the orchard and experiment with a couple batches of our own!

Saying Grace is a beautifully illustrated and told story of a pioneer girl named Grace and her very thankful and loving heart. I really enjoyed reading this book to my daughters. The author, Virginia Kroll, does an amazing job expressing joy and faith through words. The characters are kind and gentle with eachother. I will buy this book for our collection.

Reasons I LOVE Homeschooling

2010-09-15T12:51:00.000-04:00

Today has been one of those days that really affirmed our choice to homeschool.

Isabel asked at lunch "Is there a really rich guy that pays Daddy at his job?" We spent the next 20 minutes explaining land taxes, government grants for public universities, private companies, student tuition and basic government to her. She had so many questions, and really soaked it up. It is amazing what children as young as 5 or 6 think about and really do care about.

While we were walking to the Farmers Market, Ava was looking at the pine trees with Daddy. I told her they were coniferous trees because they had cones. She said, "They are con-poky trees! Because they are poky!"

Link to Stroller Giveaway

2010-09-15T08:13:00.002-04:00

Week Five Lesson Plans

2010-09-05T16:09:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar & Weather Chart-

Add date to calendar. Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Letter of the Week
Color of the week
Today's weather
Chart and graph weather
Make the date in coins and words
100 days of school

Bible-

Read Isaac and Rebekah from Bible Stories for Children.
Color Issac and Rebekah at the well color page from Bible coloring book.
Camel craft using this cutout.

Church History

Read about St. Patrick in Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola.
Color pictures of St Patrick. (Three Leaf Clover) (Snakes) (Info Page)

History-

START USING TAPESTRY OF GRACE!!! (Week One)
Review the Roman Empire. Also read about Alaric the Visigoth, Attila the Hun, Genseric the Vandal, Theodoric the Ostrogoth and Clovis. Spend extra time on Clovis and do a narration page. Omit others if there isn't enough time. Begin reading The Middle Ages by Jane Shuter.

Science- Geography and Landforms

Read DK First Science Encyclopedia p 106-107
and The Usborne Internet-Linked First Encyclopedia of Our World p.30-33, 40-41.
Have Bels read aloud Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney. Look at our large maps. Find and name the continents and oceans. Find where we live and relatives live.
Read Geography from A to Z. Find some of the landforms on our world and USA maps.
Begin creating a Landform Picture Dictionary.
Landorm worksheets from the Giant Science Resource Book. (This is my favorite reproducible resource!)

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):
Reading-

Pick out Level 2/Level 3 readers from the library.
Read aloud 15 minutes per day, read silently 15 minutes per day.

Literature-

Read Brigid's Cloak by Bryce Milligan
Begin reading Tales of King Arthur, omitting parts/stories that are not age appropriate.

Saxon Math 2-.

Lessons 28-32.
Fact Test
Practice skip counting 10's, 5's, 2's.
Practice counting down from 100.

Spelling-

Word List #5 Follow week plan. (See more on our weekly spelling plan here.)

Grammar-

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Levels 1 & 2) Lessons #121-125.
Adjective Worksheets. (I get grammar worksheets from SuperTeacherWorksheets).

Writing-

Grammar copywork
Bible Verse: 1 Corin 10:11-12, Rom. 15:4

Piano-

15-20 minute Practice

Ava (Preschool):
Letter of the Week-

Learn letter "G g"
Starfall.com letter "G g"
Assemble grasshopper cut out.
"G g" coloring page (cover with gold glitter)
"G g" Starfall worksheets
Make a snack of graham crackers with green frosting and gummy bears.

Pre-Math-

Match numbers and quantities
Up/Down, In/Out, Front/Back, Over/On/Under
Shape review and collage

More ABC Books. Some of our favorites so far:

Starting Tapestry of Grace (Year Two)

2010-08-31T11:55:00.003-04:00

In a week, we will begin using our Tapestry of Grace material. I am so excited. This week, I picked up my huge stack of holds from the library. After reading through these, I thought I would share a list of books on the Middle Ages that I am very excited about.

The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley
Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola
Medieval Projects You Can Do! by Marsha Groves
Draw! Medieval Fantasies by Damon J. Reinagle
Tales of King Arthur by Rodney Matthews
Kingfisher's The Medieval World by Phillip Steele

These are just from the holds I have picked up. As I find more I really like, I will post them up too!

Week Four Lesson Plans

2010-08-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar & Weather Chart-

Add date to calendar. Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Letter of the Week
Color of the week
Today's weather
Chart and graph weather
Make the date in coins and words
100 days of school

Bible-

Read Abraham stories each day from Bible Stories for Children.
Make a desert tent.
Make a Popsicle stick star with each girls picture inside, Bible verse written around the edge.
Color the Abraham pages from DLTK
Talk about God's promises and covenants with Abraham.

History-

Review The Story of the World (Vol. 1) pages 310-316. Study all the review cards.

Science- Atmosphere and Clouds.

Read about the atmosphere and cloud types in our DK First Science Encyclopedia p.116-117
and The Usborne Internet-Linked First Encyclopedia of Our World p.5, 17.
Create a labeled paper model of the layers of the atmosphere.
Make cloud types on index cards with cotton. Attach labels.
Watch videos on Clouds and Atmosphere

Here

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):
Reading-

Pick out Level 2/Level 3 readers from the library.
Read aloud 15 minutes per day, read silently 15 minutes per day.

Saxon Math 2-

Review doubles, +1, +2.
Lessons 21-25
Fact Test
Practice skip counting 10's and 5's.
Practice counting down from 100.

Spelling-

Word List #4 Follow week plan. (See more on our weekly spelling plan here.)

Grammar-

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Levels 1 & 2) Lessons #116-120.
Noun and Verb worksheets. (I get grammar worksheets from SuperTeacherWorksheets).

Writing-

Grammar copywork
Bible Verse: Romans 12:10

Piano-

15-20 minute Practice

Ava (Preschool):
Letter of the Week-

Learn letter "F f"
Starfall.com letter "F f"
Assemble frog and fish cut outs.
"F f" coloring page (cover with feathers)
"F f" Starfall worksheets
Make homemade french fries
Watch Leap Frog alphabet DVD

Pre-Math-

Match numbers and quantities
Sort long and short
Play with scale and big bear/little bear counters

Nursery Rhymes

Week Three Lesson Plans

2010-08-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar & Weather Chart-

Add date to calendar. Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Letter of the Week
Color of the week
Today's weather
Chart and graph weather
Make the date in coins and words
100 days of school

Bible-

Read Noah's Ark and Tower of Babel from Bible Stories for Children.
Make an ark using crafts sticks. Maybe order this model.
Use our Little People ark and toys to reenact the Bible story.
Color the Tower of Babel page from DLTK
Build a tower out of Mega Blocks.
Discuss the differences between Noah (obedient, selfless, sacrifice) and the people of Babel (selfish, prideful)

History-

Review The Story of the World (Vol. 1) pages 288-309

Science- Air.

Read about the air in our DK First Science Encyclopedia
and The Usborne Internet-Linked First Encyclopedia of Our World.
Blow up balloons to show that air takes up space.
Make a scale with a dowel rod and string. Attach balloons to each side (one side inflated and the other deflated) to show air has weight.
Use straws to blow objects across the table to show air does work.
Air worksheets from the Giant Science Resource Book. (This is my favorite reproducible resource!)

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Reading-

Pick out Level 2/Level 3 readers from the library.
Read aloud 15 minutes per day, read silently 15 minutes per day.

Saxon Math 2-

Review doubles.
Lessons 16-20 in review.
Fact Test
Practice skip counting 10's.
Practice counting down from 100.

Spelling-

Word List #3 Follow week plan. (See more on our weekly spelling plan here.)

Grammar-

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Levels 1 & 2) Lessons #111-115.
Noun and Verb worksheets. (I get grammar worksheets from SuperTeacherWorksheets).

Writing-

Grammar copywork
Bible Verse: Philippians 4:13

Piano-

15-20 minute Practice

Ava (Preschool):

Letter of the Week-

Learn letter "E e"
Starfall.com letter "E e"
Assemble elephant cut out.
"E e" coloring page (cover with google eyes and egg shells)
"E e" Starfall worksheets
Make a rubber egg with an egg and vinegar
Make elephant ears.

Pre-Math-

Match numbers and quantities
Sort Big and Little
Play with scale and big bear/little bear counters

Nursery Rhymes

Chime In-- The Allowance Debate

2010-08-13T10:46:00.000-04:00

There are hundreds of schools of thoughts on how allowances should be given. There are even some schools that say no allowance is better. Here are some popular thoughts I have heard recently.

Children earn an allowance by doing chores. If they don't do their chores, they don't receive an allowance.
Children receive an allowance and are required to do chores, but one doesn't affect the other.
Children receive money for chores done above and beyond their normal responsibility, but no regular allowance.
Children receive a regular allowance and additional income for extra chores.
Children are not paid for any chores.
Children are given a regular allowance and are required to do regular chores. Allowance is not dependent on chores, but children are charged hefty penalties for chores they do not complete, payable to the family member that did the chores.

How do you deal with allowances and chores in your house?

Math Manipulatives to Print

2010-08-12T14:25:00.000-04:00

I recently came across this link. I wish I could remember where I found it.

http://lrt.ednet.ns.ca/PD/BLM/table_of_contents.htm

If you are looking for blackline masters to create your own math manipulatives check it out.

You will find:

Base 10 "blocks"
Tangrams
Fraction Circles
Add/Subract Cards
Scales
Clocks
Shapes
Geosolids (patterns to make)
Thermometers
Geoboards
Multiplication tables
Number Charts
Number Lines
Pattern Blocks

and lots more...

My only note is that it is a Canadian site-- so expect metric.

No Water Treatment Plant

2010-08-11T14:21:00.000-04:00

This week has been going well. We have had some distractions and the weather has been terrible, but we are accomplishing things.

I had called last week to talk to my contact at our Water Treatment Plant. Unfortunately, because of some upgrades they are doing, we can no longer do a tour this week. The good news was, though, she will accommodate us and all our homeschool friends later in the year. So I am already looking forward to that.

This whole thing has me getting more excited about field trips. Usually, I am more of the stay-at-home type. Lately, though, I have been wanting to get out and DO something. Not having to cart a diaper bag or stroller anymore has lightened my load a lot and I think it has made me more brave as well.

So to kick off this new side of me, I am investing in a one year family membership to a local garden and sculpture park. It is a bit of a drive, but I am hoping the new location will provide lots of opportunities for exploration. It will also provide us with more opportunities for nature study.

I am also going to renew our zoo membership. Though our trips have been few this year, we always love the zoo. The children love to draw the animals in their sketch books and I love all the special parties and other opportunities they offer. Isabel will be able to participate in some of the zoo classes this year, so perhaps we will try those too.

The one place I wish I had the courage to brave alone is the beach. We live only 20 minutes from a large lake and beautiful beaches. There is something about the location that, to me, requires 2 adults. I will have to call a friend and make a beach play date.

I am currently planning a trip to our recycle center. I meet with a large group of other homeschool moms for dinner and dessert once a month and I am hoping to recruit more families to join us. Recycling Centers are so much fun. Afterwards, I plan to do some recycling projects and crafts back at home.

Do you have any field trips you are looking forward to this year?

Week Two Lesson Plans

2010-08-08T13:25:00.000-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar & Weather Chart-

Add date to calendar. Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Letter of the Week
Color of the week
Today's weather
Chart and graph weather
Make the date in coins and words
100 days of school

Bible-

Read Adam & Eve and Cain & Abel from Bible Stories for Children.
Make Adam and Eve puppets using People-Shaped Wood Craft Sticks
Make Adam and Eve mini book from DLTK

History-

Review The Story of the World (Vol. 1) pages 254-287

Science- Water Cycle Unit.

Read about the water cycle in our DK First Science Encyclopedia
and The Usborne Internet-Linked First Encyclopedia of Our World.
Perform an experiment to show the water cycle using a bowl of water covered with plastic wrap.
Make a rain gauge.
Water cycle and states of water worksheets and cut & paste diagrams from the Giant Science Resource Book. (This is my favorite reproducible resource!)

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):

Reading-

Pick out Level 2/Level 3 readers from the library.
Read aloud 15 minutes per day, read silently 15 minutes per day.

Saxon Math 2-

Review doubles.
Lessons 8-14 in review.
Practice skip counting 10's.
Practice counting down from 100.

Spelling-

Word List #2 Follow week plan. (See more on our weekly spelling plan here.)

Grammar-

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Levels 1 & 2) Lessons #106-110.
Pronoun worksheet. (I get grammar worksheets from SuperTeacherWorksheets).

Writing-

Grammar copywork
Bible Verse: John 6:48

Piano-

15-20 Practice

Ava (Preschool):

Letter of the Week-

Learn letter "D d"
Starfall.com letter "D d"
Make dog puppets from DLTK
"D d" coloring page
"D d" Starfall worksheets
Play with dolls
Make dirt (chocolate pudding and crushed oreos)

Pre-Math- Review Circles, Diamonds, Hearts, Squares, Triangles and Rectangles:

Play shape bingo and shape "Go Fish"
Pattern blocks and pattern cards

Nursery Rhymes

Field trip this week to the Water Treatment Plant.

Weekly Wrap Up- Week One In Pictures

2010-08-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

Week One Lesson Plans

2010-08-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

Here is what we are working on this week.

Together:

Calendar & Weather Chart-

Add date to calendar. Review Days of the week and months of the year.
Review the week's Bible memory verse.
Letter of the Week
Color of the week
Today's weather
Chart and graph weather
Make the date in coins and words
100 days of school

Bible-

Read creation story from Bible Stories for Children.
Make Creation Mobiles from DLTK
Make Creation mini book from DLTK

History-

Review The Story of the World (Vol. 1) pages 198-253.
Put together and color/paint Great Wall model.

Science- Weather & Seasons Unit.

Read about weather in our DK First Science Encyclopedia
and The Usborne Internet-Linked First Encyclopedia of Our World.
Read What's the Plan? and What's Going on? to learn about scientific method and conducting an experiement.
Review scientific method using worksheet from TimeforKids.com.
Perform an experiment using thermometers to learn how to read and properly use them. Build a weather vane and perform and experiment to measure wind speed. (These experiments can be found in the samples offered by Pandia Press).
Paste seasons worksheet (Ava Only).

Bels (1st/2nd Grade):
Reading-

Pick out Level 2/Level 3 readers from the library.
Read aloud 15 minutes per day, read silently 15 minutes per day.

Saxon Math 2-

Review doubles.
Lessons 1-7 in review.
Practice skip counting 10's.

Spelling-

Word List #1 Follow week plan. (See more on our weekly spelling plan here.)

Grammar-

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Levels 1 & 2) Lessons #101-105 (Noun and Verb Review).
Common/proper noun worksheet. (I get grammar worksheets from SuperTeacherWorksheets).

Writing-

Grammar copywork
Bible Verse: Col. 3:20

Piano-

15-20 Practice

Ava (Preschool):
Letter of the Week-

Learn letter "C c"
Starfall.com letter "C c"
Counting caterpillar craft from DLTK
"C c" coloring page
"C c" Starfall worksheets
Play with cars
Make cookies

Pre-Math- Rectangles and Triangles:

Sort and count rectangles and triangles
Paint shapes
Pattern blocks and pattern cards
House craft (using rectangle as base and triangle as roof)

Nursery Rhymes
Our Library List for Weeks 1 & 2:

Weather and Seasons by Lynn Cohen
Wind (A Ready to Read book) by Marion Dane Bauer
Wind and Us by Jillian Powell
Rectangles by Esther Sarfatti
Triangles by Esther Sarfatti
Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra
Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet
A Pop Up Book of Nursery Rhymes by Matthew Reinhart
Nursery Rhymes Sing-A-Long CD
Favorite Nursery Rhymes of Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson
Crafts from your Favorite Nursery Rhymes by Kathy Ross
What's the plan? by Natalie Hyde
What's going on? by Kylie Burns

Back to School This Week!

2010-07-31T19:04:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe it is that time already! Monday morning we go back to school. We have switched to a semi-year round schedule this year, taking only July off as a summer break. We will also take off 3 weeks in December.

I am very excited to start the year, but I also feel unprepared. Sure, my lessons are planned, we have the resources we need, and I really believe the kids are ready to get back to a planned out day... but I just feel like I need more time to feel, I don't know-- over prepared??

This year, I have decided to only generally plan our school year. I have marked out where I would like to be roughly for each 6 week period, and I have made a rough draft of what the first 6 weeks will look like. I have promised myself not to plan too far into detail more than a week or two ahead. I want us to be flexible, to focus on learning-- not on completing-- and to really enjoy what we are doing.

This first 6 weeks will be a fun start. We will be doing a lot of math and history review. Grammar is also a lot of review this year. Isabel is working at a 1st/2nd Grade level across her subjects. At week 5, we will begin Tapestry of Grace for the first time, and I am very excited for that to happen. Ava will begin preschool this year, with a focus on beginning phonics (learning letters and their sounds). I have lots of new things planned for her that I think she will enjoy. All in all, I expect it will be a very fun year.

Fishing

2010-07-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

This summer, my grandparents took our girls (and us) fishing at a trout farm. It was our daughters' first time fishing. They caught 8 fish in 15 minutes. It was very exciting!

While this type of fishing probably isn't for the average fisherman, it was perfect for us and our first trip out as a family. We do not own any equipment of our own, and Ava still has a relatively short attention span. This made things exciting and easy-- they even baited our lines with corn and took the fish off.

Later, my grandmother cooked the trout and we had them for lunch. It was a great day!

What about Phys Ed and exercise??

2010-07-19T15:55:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest challenges in my life as a mother has been trying to get back to being active. Somewhere along the way, I lost the piece of myself that runs everyday, eats only healthy food and just generally takes care of myself. I know I need to get back there-- and on that journey, I want to take my daughters along, teaching them healthy, active living and preparing them for a lifetime of good choices.

I am also a homebody. I am not sure if my decreased activity has driven me to this point or if it really is my preference. I would love to be the mom that goes to the park to play each day, but I am not. We live on a busy street, so walking and bike riding near home isn't really safe. And though we do take the children to hike at the nature center and ride bikes on the university campus where my husband works, it just isn't regularly enough.

So what can we do to incorporate some more activity into our day?

Well, I can walk on my treadmill more. The children love to walk on the treadmill. They think the moving belt is the neatest thing and will walk and walk and walk. So, for the fall, I am hoping to move it to an area where we will use it more.

DVDs are another option. I have a few workout DVDs for myself that I really do enjoy, but often forget about. The children also have Yoga Kids, Vol. 2: ABC's for Ages 3-6 they enjoy and we can do together. It reinforces letters (though I try to explain and navigate a Christian spin on things like "ooohhhmmmm") and uses animals to make learning poses easier.

I recently ordered Body By Bethenny for myself, as well as Sesame Street - Zoe's Dance Moves and Tinkerbell Dance Studio: Learn Ballet - Step-By-Step for the girls. Since Isabel takes ballet instruction (and Ava is desperate to copy her) I thought the girls would enjoy the ballet as an addition to the weekdays when there isn't class. I will let you know how we like the videos after we have tried them out a few times.

We are also adding a trampoline with safety bar to our classroom. I have had friends tell me that "bouncing out" math facts and spelling words has helped their children burn some energy and concentrate better in other subjects. It was also helpful when they had the wiggles. A friend of mine sets a timer for 5 minutes of bouncing before reading time to help her son settle in with a book. My girls love to jump, so I am hoping this will be a well-loved addition. I am also thinking some rebounder work might be good for me.

I will continue to do nature center hikes, park days and bike riding at the university, but I hope this will add some more motion to our days.

How do you fit exercise into your day?

Preparing for the 2010-2011 School Year

2010-07-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

This will be our first "legally required" school year. Our state has very minimal requirements for homeschoolers. We are not required to make any type of contact with the schools or government unless you are removing a child that was previously attending public or private school. There is a required list of subjects, but there are no verifications required. All in all, it makes things here quite simplistic.

This year is also the biggest work load we have carried, yet. Though I guess that will probably be true each year. I am very excited to be switching to Tapestry of Grace. I am sure it will take us a while to find our stride in what and how to use it to best fit us. Just in planning, though, I have found myself loving it more and more.

I am planning 4 weeks of review before we get into all the new stuff. With Tapestry being such a huge part of our studies, and the fact that we are starting in Year 2, I feel like we need to back up and review to get started strong. During the first 4 weeks of our new school year, we will review math and history. We will start our new spelling and science units and begin more writing. We will continue on with piano, grammar and reading.

At week 5, we will switch in to Tapestry mode and add more. We will study Bible and history (and church history) more intensely. We will also add regular geography studies.

Are you preparing for next year? What are you most excited about?

Things I Would Change (If I Could) To Make Homeschooling Easier and Cheaper

2010-07-13T19:48:00.000-04:00

Are there things that drive you nuts? Do you have days when you are so annoyed by something (even if it is trivial) that you just can't seem to shake the feeling?

I recently had one of those days. It seemed like every nonsensical thing in the world surrounded me. I spent most of the day just laughing at it all.

Here are some of my list toppers:

Ink Cartridges

While using my inkjet cartridge refiller to refill the same black cartridge for the 3rd time, I was reminded of something a friend told me. She began buying new inkjet printers during the sales because they came with free ink, and often ink coupons, and it was the same price (and most always cheaper) to buy a whole printer with ink than to buy a new color and black ink cartridge. Then she just donated the brand new printers (sans ink) box and all to Goodwill.

My techie husband tells me the ink is where the money is for these companies. That is why free printers always come with a computer-- if they give it to you free, you will use it and buy their ink. And it will cost you a small fortune for the life of the printer. Especially if you don't pay attention and you buy the low or moderate yield cartridges that print half the pages of a high yield one. That's right, some of those little blastic boxes aren't all the way full when you buy them!! Beware...

BTW- I got the cartridge refiller on clearance. I actually bought 3. The lady in the store said they are no longer going to carry them. Grrrrr!!!

Bulk Supplies

Why is it that you can buy almost anything in per pound bulk, but not craft supplies? While shopping recently, I thought how badly I would love those big bins with scoops to be filled with glitter, pom poms and multi-sized googlie eyes. I would be glad to bring my own containers and just buy the amount I wanted at a fair price.

Free Curriculum Trial

All Curriculum should be like Pandia Press. They should give you the first 5 or so weeks up front to use- free. If you like it, you buy it. If you don't, you move on. I know many give a free sample lesson-- but how realistic is that, really? Am I going to study a random piece of mid-year history or science to test it out? Give me a couple lessons, and start at the beginning. I want to give it a real shot.

More Mid-Day Homeschool Discounts

I already recieve discounts at piano and gymnastics for being able to come to "homeschool hour classes." Those are the ones that run during public school hours. Why not extend this discount to more places? I would love it if ballet offered some earlier hours and better rates.

Dead Batteries

Ok, technology today is so past just getting a man on the moon. Can't we do something to identify dead batteries? You used to be able to buy them with the dots you pressed to check them. Can we further that idea with a color change dot or something? Maybe green for full, yellow for low and black for dead? Or put those strips back on ALL batteries? Everytime I open a drawer and find a battery, I have to sit there and wonder-- Is it dead? Could it power the remote but not the baby monitor? Maybe it is new and fell out of the pack... Enough!! There has to be a better way!

Alright, I am going to stop my rant there. Thanks for listening :)

Practicing Spelling Words-- In fun new ways!

2010-07-12T17:12:00.000-04:00

It is time to give up on writing words 10x each! There are so many great new ways to practice spelling words, and this year, we are taking them all in.

Our spelling week:

Monday: Pretest, Copy List

Tuesday: Stamp It

Wednesday: Write It

Thursday: Make It

Friday: Test, Rewrite Misspellings

Ideas for Stamp It:

Stamp out the words using rubber alphabet stamps and ink
Stamp words into clay
Use alphabet punches (OK, so technically it would be a "punch it") to punch out the words on strips of paper
Glue foam letters on box bottom in "mirror image" to form spelling words, them use as stamps and stamp out the list

Ideas for Write It:

Smear shaving cream on table and write words in it
Put paint in a zipped baggie, write by pressing on the baggie
Use crayola window markers and write them on patio door
Rainbow words. Copy them once, then trace over three times with different colored pencils.
Write them with a white crayon and watercolor over the top to "reveal" the list
Write the words using finger paint
Write the words using a Q-tip (or fine tipped brush) and Elmers glue then pour glitter over top

Ideas for Make It:

Roll out playdough "snakes" and form letters for words
Spell them out with ABC pasta or cereal
Make the words with letter tiles (use scrabble pieces)
Cut letters from magazines and piece together words
Bend pipe cleaners into letters to make words
Write the words on a cookie sheet with magnetic letters
Use letter beads to make words on a string, placing a blank between the words

How do you practice your spelling words??

TOG-- Finally Got It!!

2010-07-08T14:55:00.000-04:00

Well, it is official! We are now Tapestry of Grace users. I just picked up our set of Year 2 from another homeschooling mom in our community. I can't tell you how excited I was to purchase it used and save a little cash.

I have not looked through it very much yet, but I will tell you all my thoughts and fears after I give it a thorough once over. I have downloaded the sample lessons from the Tapestry website, as well as their starter guide. So far, I am very impressed.

If you aren't familiar with Tapestry of Grace, check out this review by Kristen or this one by Karista at The Curriculum Choice or head on over to their site and watch the video.

More later!

Astronomy Resources

2010-06-30T11:31:00.001-04:00

As I am preparing our astronomy resources for next year I am looking online for printables and activities to enrich our learning. Here are some great things I have found so far that I just had to share!

TIME for Kids -- Exactly what you would expect from TIME magazine. Well put together worksheets (some correlate with the issue of TIME for Kids, so don't) covering science and social studies. Tons of free stuff categorized by age and topic.

LearningPage.com -- Fact Files on the planets and other celestial bodies. They also offer "scaled" printables of each planet, which I will use to create a space mural. If you piece together your own Science curriculum, as I am doing, they also offer some lesson and activity plans that give books to read and information to accompany the lesson. Some of my favorites are the Galatic Cookies and the assortment of balls (from shooter marbles to pilates balls) to show scale of the planets in relation to eachother. This site requires membership, but it is FREE. *This site also offers plans for dinosaurs and many types of living creatures, as well as writing practice.

Your Weight On Other Planets -- Find out what you and other objects would weigh on the Sun or another planet. Input the weight, and it calculates.

Astronomy.com -- This site is just full of neat things. My favorite is the SkyDome. You can input your zipcode and see what will be in your sky that night. It even connects the constellations. You can also see what time sunrise and sunset is on Earth and other planets.

Blog Overhaul and Getting Back To It

2010-06-29T10:57:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed how blog-lazy I have been. It seems like life took over and I haven't been able to find time (or sometimes even a computer) to blog. We are still working on creating a new homeschool space this for this year and I thought my blog deserved a little "pick me up" also.

I hope this new format and look makes it a more enjoyable place for you to come and read and share with me. I know I like it a lot better. And I am not quite done yet.

More than anything, I want to get back to sharing what we are doing and how this adventure is changing and growing me (and my family). I just bought a new camera. My Kodak was draining batteries and giving me trouble. The new one seems promising, so I hope to offer you more pics as well! :)

So, I apologize for being MIA and blog-lazy. But I am back! And I am so excited to get back to sharing!

Curriculum for 2010-2011, First/Second Grade and Preschool

2010-06-25T11:11:00.000-04:00

I have learned so much over the past year. Not only do I now have a better idea of what is practical for us, I also know what we really enjoy-- and what we don't. I am hoping that is going to make this year easier and even more successful than last year.

Right now, I am still making some decision on our curriculum for next year.
Here is what I am thinking so far:

History
We have been using The Story of the World. I loved it for Ancient History, and so I ordered the text for next year (Medieval to Early Ren) but I found that I did not like this text as much. With the introduction of so many religious issues as well as many more existing world religions, I really wanted something with a Biblical base. After much thought and prayer, and discussing the cost with my husband, I have decided to try out Tapestry of Grace this year. I will also be purchasing the Lapbooks and Map Aids they supply to go with it. I am hoping it will make the transition even easier. We will be using this for our copy and memory work as well. We will also be reading some Magic Tree House books and their Research Guides.

Science
For Science we will be studying the Earth and Astronomy. I am using several resources, including:

Bible

Bible Stories for Children. Excellent illustrations and text. This is one of the best children's Bibles I have been able to find. It doesn't "dumb-down" the text or try to push a certain theme. It just tells the story.

Math
We will be continuing with Saxon Math this year. I will be modifying the content, using mostly just the lessons and some of the evaluations. We will not use the student books or the meeting book. Calendar and weather charting will be done together with both students. I purchased some School Zone Grade 2 workbooks to provide some independent work. I will also be printing some of my own worksheets off the computer. I hope to make regular math practice as activity and game based as possible this year.

Foreign Language
I am hoping to start Rosetta Stone Homeschool Spanish (Latin America)
Stone sometime in the late Fall or early Winter. We will be using the Spanish (Latin America). I am very excited about adding this, as Bels has been requesting to learn more Spanish.

PE
Bels will be continuing on with ballet this year. I am also adding a trampoline to our classroom space to help the girls burn some energy. We also use ABC Yoga.

Music
Bels will be continuing with piano lessons.

Reading
We will be reviewing reading rules with The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. We will also continue with leveled readers, StarFall and Tumble Books.

Preschool
We will be doing Letter of the Week again this year. We will also be using Starfall and Tumble Books. We also have puzzles, games, lacing cards, dressing boards, file folder games, etc.

Art
We didn't do a lot of art- just for the sake of art- this year. I would like to add in some opportunities for maybe an artist study and exploration of different artistic mediums. The girls painted ceramics for me for Mother's Day and loved it. I am hoping to try more of these during the winter months when it is too cold to play outside long and we need fun things to do.

Field Trips
Apple Orchard
Pumpkin Farm
Planetarium
Zoo
Ceramics Painting Store
Post Office
Nature Center
Florist and Nursery
Local History Museums
Astronomy Department at Local University
Ballet

This too shall pass

2010-06-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

I have been tired for close to 5 weeks. I am not sure if it is the never ending humidity, the fact that we have been spending too much time in our non-daylight basement or lack of exercise. Probably a mix of all three. But this fatigue is getting old, fast.

For the first couple weeks, I would down a few cups of coffee through out the day. I know it isn't healthy to run on caffeine, but lying around wasn't really an option either. Then the good coffee ran out. So I downed a little not-as-good coffee, until the creamer ran out. I swore to myself, I would make it until grocery day to buy more of the good stuff and creamer.

So now I am battling the yawning and my body is moving a little more slowly. While I look forward to grocery day, I also am confronted by the fact that I need to exercise more. Perhaps when I buy some coffee, I will have the energy to face the treadmill.