Lextin Academy of Classical Education

Don't color on me!

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Big sis thought her forehead would be a good coloring book. Ladybug did not agree!

Overdoing It Part 2

2012-02-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

Ok, here's my list of subjects with the reality behind them:

Geometry-We own shape blocks. Tiger sometimes using them to set up his own mini-golf course.

Algebra-This is all about studying relationships that vary over time. I have this covered in the sibling rivalry category.

Basic Mathematics-There are two cookies left. What do we do? At our house, we scream and throw a fit. Then mom eats them all. Simple math.

Spelling-Whenever mom and dad try to have a conversation in front of the kids, we have to spell words so they can't understand us. Our spelling lesson is the guessing game that follows. Sadly, they often discover our code words.

Vocabulary-Sometimes mom and dad try to use big words as part of our code-speak. Curly owns a dictionary. We are busted!

Grammar-Analyzing the structure of language. This comes in very handy during the "he said/she said" sessions when I try to catch them. Grammar helps you say what you mean and mean what you say. Slip ups often expose the true culprit at our house.

Reading Comprehension-I give them a list of the chores they are supposed to do. Then they do them and check them off. If they're not done correctly I know we have a breakdown in our reading comprehension. Or possibly our obedience. Either way, it's a good test.

Literary Analysis-We have little people who love to ask why. When I read a picture book to them, I am the victim of the why questions. Therefore, we analyze books.

Literature-This is me reading aloud during every meal. It keeps everyone quiet and seated at the table. So they eat and are enlightened at the same time. Everyone wins. Except me, when do I eat?

Narration-This is when I get to be the "why" person and ask them never-ending why questions after reading a book. I love this part!

Dictation-If I say it, you better take notes. Good life lessons for kids to learn.

Handwriting-Even if my children are doctors, I insist that their handwriting be legible. Dry erase boards and colored pens make this subject more exciting.

Copywork-I type out lovely poems and Scripture passages and Curly copies them. I get a short break and she improves her handwriting. This is also part of handwriting, but if you list them separately it sounds more impressive and mysterious.

Memory Work-And if you haven't memorized those poems through the copy work assignments, I'll help you by asking you to recite them to me.

Astronomy-We own a telescope. Enough said.

Anatomy-We get lots of boo-boos. To save money on bandaids, I've told the kids all about platelets and how they are our bodies' own bandaids. They are way cooler too.

Entomology-You can't go outside here without being attacked by some type of bug. Here we don't use the names of seasons or months, but we know what time of year it is by which bug is attacking us. It's love bug time! No, it's June bug time! Ooops, now it's May Fly season.

Botany-Go pull weeds, rake the leaves, and pick up the pinecones before Daddy mows. Simple!

Bible-I read it, we discuss it, we obey it.

Bible Memory Work-We also memorize it.

Violin-We play it.

Piano-And this too.

Art-Finger paint. Coloring your little sister in marker also counts.

Home Ec-This is when you help me bathe said little sis to get the marker off. This also means you take your dishes to the sink and clothes to the hamper. Chores are important!

Art Appreciation-I hang the finished product up on the wall. Not the sister of course, the art that actually made it on the paper.

Etymology-I once discussed what AM and PM meant. That's Latin!

Logic-Trying to reason with a younger sibling gives us great practice in this area. We've learned that little people do not in fact possess any of this.

Analogies-Comparing 2 things. There are two pieces of cake on the table. They compare them to argue over the seemingly bigger piece.

Map Work-One book talked about Kansas. We found it on a map.

Geography-When we drive, the kids watch the rear view mirror for it to tell us which direction we are traveling. We're learning geography! We can also find Kansas.

Critical Thinking-If mom said no to something already, how can I convince dad to say yes?

Ancient History-Thinking back to all the times your little sibling wronged you in the past month and then tattling to mom and dad. We don't need to hear it!

Biblical History-Yes, this is technically part of Bible, but we'll make it two categories.

Theology-When I answer all of the why questions that I am asked following our Bible time, that's when we cover theology, or I simply tell them to ask God that one when they get to heaven.

So, it's easy to make any day sound more than impressive. It's all in the marketing. So, for those moms who flaunt it. Don't think that the rest of us homeschool moms aren't on to you! We know exactly what you're doing!

Overdoing It

2012-02-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

I have already admitted to serious overkill in the curricula category. Yes, I sometimes supplement my supplements. But, really, our school days are filled with twice as much free and imaginative play. I don't feel like we're overloaded. You might think so. But I think it's all in the presentation.

On a homeschool forum the other day, one mom bragged shamelessly about doing 20 subjects a day with her two kids who are around 10 years old. 20! What in the world? One of my friends called in a panic to make sure that I (the OCD and overachieving one) did NOT do 20 subjects a day as well. I didn't even know there were 20 subjects. Then I read over the mom's list and she has things like "50 states study" and "historical novel reading". Well, the first one would be part of geography and the second one should either be grouped in with history or with literature. That's not 20 different subjects, dearie!

Hello! I could make my schedule sound totally awesome and very academic too, through big words and vague descriptions. I can be a snob and insist that I do more than 20 subjects a day! My children are brilliant and overachieving! In case you were having a rough day or felt slightly insecure, let me rub it in your face just a little. Isn't that what sweet jammie-clad homeschool mommies do? So, to flaunt our academic success and make you feel bad about yourself, here is our list of all the subjects that we cover (and that you should be covering too):

Geometry
Algebra
Basic Mathematics
Spelling
Vocabulary
Grammar
Reading Comprehension
Literary Analysis
Literature
Narration
Dictation
Copywork
Memory Work
Astronomy
Anatomy
Entomology
Botany
Bible
Bible Memory Work
Violin
Piano
Art
Home Ec
Art Appreciation
Etymology
Logic
Analogies
Map Work
Geography
Critical Thinking
Ancient History
Biblical History
Theology

So, I do in fact do much more than this other mom! And yes, my child is six. I guess I could brag about it too.....or I could be truthful and explain each one fully and also post about our daily schedule. Then you would know that what we do is actually somewhat typical with some academics thrown in. I could come up with fancy names or I could even list the curricula that I use, along with any supplements. It does sound like a lot. But it's very doable and actually fun. Our days are a comfortable routine and filled with play. Come back tomorrow for a dose of reality as I outline our "real" list of subjects.

And don't brag. Don't compare. There's no reason for it and no point to it all. We're glad for you that your child will enter college at age 4. Really. That's nice. We're glad that you have a wonderful schedule and you have discovered the keys to academic success. But there's no reason to post it all over the internet as a shove in our face. We don't need you as a measuring stick. That just makes the rest of us feel bad (and might relieve you of a few friends). We don't need help to feel insecure. We're all working diligently to find the balance between mommy and teacher and wife. It isn't easy. Insecurity loves to sneak in. Maybe though, if you feel the need to flaunt your pretentious-sounding schedule, we should worry more about your insecurities than our own.

Homeschool Humor

2012-01-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

Here are some homeschool moms who have a great sense of humor as they sing about the most commonly-asked questions about homeschooling. Enjoy!

Blog Break

2012-01-10T00:12:00.000-06:00

Well, I took an unintended blog break but it was wonderful to keep my computer off for much of the Christmas holiday. We did lots of allergy-free baking and cooking. We traveled and saw family. Family traveled to see us. We enjoyed long weekends with Daddy. We read lots of wonderful Christmas books. We did fun Christmas projects.

We're still slowly trying to find our routine again. Hopefully I'll be back this week or in the weeks soon after. But, we are still here, just enjoying some rest after the holiday.

Christmas is coming!

2011-12-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

TOG Year 1 Week 10

2011-12-13T12:49:00.000-06:00

Hooray for a new culture! Welcome to the Indus Valley! This week we studied the Indus River Valley-which is actually in modern Pakistan. I was so prepared for lots about India! Yes, parts of the river do flow through India but I was disappointed. So, I added lots about the Ganges River too!

We read The Indus Valley and Little Babaji as we studied Pakistan and India. I introduced Buddhism and we compared it to our Biblical beliefs. He also discussed Hinduism and the culture of India. We watched videos about the Ganges River and about elephants. We saw beautiful Hindu Temples and of course, the Taj Mahal.

For our project we learned how to play Pachisi! It's always interesting to teach little kids new games, but Curly caught on well. Tiger and Bee need quite a bit of help still. We also rode elephants down to the Ganges River (which just happened to be flowing through one of our bath tubs). We lit some candles and floated them down our river while we prayed for the people of India. The kids favorite part of our study was to watch videos about the culture of India-the dress, the language, the music, and the dancing. The kids ended our week with a dance contest in our living room. They wore brightly colored scarves and blankets and twirled until they crashed into one another.

TOG Year 1 Week 9

2011-12-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

We have made it to the end of our wilderness wandering and the end of our first Tapestry Unit! May I be honest and say that I'm glad some of the Old Testament portion is past? This plus our regular Bible studies was making me feel a little like a broken record. It probably didn't help that our Bible studies had us covering Joseph during this study. I felt like we were jumping around in the Pentateuch.

This week-Passover! Thankfully this is one Jewish holiday with which I'm somewhat familiar. All the others were starting to blend together in my poor little brain. We continue reading in Celebrate: A Book of Jewish Holidays and Dance, Sing, Remember: A Celebration of Jewish Holidays. We were really missing the wonderful literature selections. I think next time we rotate through this year, I'm going to find some literature selections that correspond to some of what we're doing. We needed more reading!

I had grandiose plans for our Unit Celebration-maybe a Seder meal in costume. No, that was not going to happen. We were feeling tired of the Israelites and we didn't want to dress like them. And we didn't really want to eat like them either. We decided to settle for celebrating Shabbat or Sabbath. I cooked dinner (although I'm sure it wasn't exactly traditional Jewish fare or even Kosher-it was allergy-free though). I was going to make braided bread but our bread turned out to be a simple round loaf. (Have you ever tried to form gluten free bread into anything other than a big loaf?) We lit some small candles at the table and ate by candlelight. Yes, they were tea lights, I was too afraid that any other type of candle would bother Prince Charming's asthma and Baby Bee's allergies.

We discussed the Israelites and their traditions and Prince Charming prayed over our meal. When he lit the candles all 3 kids bolted from the table-apparently they decided they were all deathly afraid of the candles and the "fire." I didn't know tea lights were so scary! Eventually we got them back to the table when they were reassured that the house would not burn down around them. Eating by the candlelight and spending the family time together was special as a hush was over the table. The kids were extra obedient and polite as they seemed to sense the sacredness of the Sabbath celebrations.

Now that we are out of Egypt and out of the wilderness, we can't wait to move on to some new cultures with lots of literature books!

Lacing Cards

2011-12-10T21:19:00.000-06:00

Little Bee is really into lacing cards so I've been searching for some printable cards. Here are a few that I've found for her to enjoy:

Lacing Cards

3 lacing cards

Dress up doll lacing cards

Dress up boy lacing cards

Animal lacing circles

Alphabet lacing cards

Number lacing cards

Quilted animal lacing cards

Alphabet lacing cards

Free lacing cards from ABC Teach

TOG Year 1 Week 8

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

We are still wandering in the wilderness this week! Ok, I must admit, that I was ready to find something else to read about. All the Jewish feasts are wonderful and contain amazing symbolism and imagery, but most of it is lost on my crew.

This week, we kept up our tent and did lots of playing in it. We camp in the wilderness of our homeschool room! Exciting stuff!

We discussed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and studied the purpose behind sacrifice. It was a great week to introduce the message of the Gospel.

Our favorite book this week was The Hardest Word. And what was the hardest word you ask? This is a SPOILER ALERT, so if you don't want to know, you'd better skip the next paragraph!

The hardest word was sorry. Yes, that is one difficult word to speak. So, to branch off of the wilderness/tents/camels topic, we focused more on character. We had lots of opportunities to discuss disobedience and sibling rivalry. As always in our house, we also had lots of opportunities to apologize.

For this week, we made breastplates and trumpets and even the hat of the high priest. The kids enjoyed making the projects but were not enthusiastic about wearing them-hence the lack of pictures. Sorry!

Overall, it was a sweet time delving into character issues and discussing apologies and forgiveness-especially the One who always forgives us.

Too Cool for School

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

School at Home

2011-12-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

You would think my kids get enough of school. Nope. Apparently not. They play school whenever they think I'm not looking. Curly is usually the teacher-no surprise there! She sets up desks and teaches Tiger and Bee. She gives them coloring pages and lets them write on the marker board. She has taught Tiger some addition facts and Bee can now count to 20. Obviously, she's pretty good!

Sometimes, they all work together to teach Ladybug and they call it baby school. They bring her toys and make obstacles for her to crawl over. They make me sign her in and out when I pick her up. I even send her with some small snacks they can feed her.

I guess they don't think our school is too bad! That's good news for me!

Right Start Math Level A

2011-12-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

We recently switched to Right Start Math. I went with Level A, knowing that some parts would not prove challenging to Curly, but hoping that Tiger could tag along some. Well, it was a great decision and we are loving Right Start.

I ordered the full kit that came with all the copies made and all the little manipulatives. I put everything in a tub and I pull it all out at math time. The lessons are open-and-go for me and don't require any advanced planning. I LOVE that! It's also fairly scripted so I know what I'm doing. It even gives some teacher's notes throughout the lessons to explain why you are teaching a certain concept.

At first, I thought some of the exercises were too simple. I'll say a number; you say the number that comes before. Or I'll tap a pattern and you tell me how many taps you heard. Or I'll build numbers on the abacus and you tell me what they are. Or We'll skip count using the abacus so you can see what numbers we are counting.

Well, I was wrong to think these activities were too simple or did not serve a purpose. Curly's mental math is amazing me every day. I cannot believe what she has learned through our simple math games and using the abacus and other manipulatives. Even Tiger is catching on and doing some addition in his head. He is even understanding the concept behind addition.

The Right Start Lessons are somewhat spiral. You begin with a review. You move into the lesson (which could be done in 2 parts on 2 days if needed). The lesson often introduces more than one concept. Then you often end with a game or other activity on most days.

I didn't realize how much we would enjoy a gentle spiral program rather than a program that was strictly mastery-based. Having new concepts throw in has reinforced older concepts and has given us some much-needed variety in math time. Tiger and Curly love the math games and think they are so fun. They ask to play them daily. I thought some of the games were fairly simple but they continually want to play them and I can see how much the games have improved their mental math abilities. Right Start has shown me several ways of looking at the same concept and I feel like I am a much better math teacher. And I won't lie, the manipulatives and all the fun doo-dads are exactly what we need right now. Yes, it's more stuff to store and keep up with, but it is so fun and keeps each lesson fresh.

We hope to finish Level A this year and then take our time moving through Level B. I'll take Tiger back through A either next year or the following year as he masters everything on his own. Right now he's just picking up some of the concepts as he listens to Curly.

Linked up with the other bloggers at the Hip Homeschool Hop!

Happy Birthday Curly!

2011-12-04T18:57:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to the oldest princess! Curly is 6 today! That should not be possible!!!

And yes, in case you were wondering, their birthdays really are a day apart. No, that wasn't planned. It makes for a busy December for us!

Our sweet little preemie with a head full of black hair

Just waiting for your release from PICU so we can take you home for the second time!

The stylish one

The sometimes sleepy one

The infamous bucket-head

Full of smiles

Always ready to read a book in the rocker

Enjoying time with your very favorite person

The dress-up queen from even the youngest age

The swimming girl

One who does not like to be messy

Always putting on a show

Sometimes thoughtful

And other times mischievous

Prepared for anything

One who loves school and asks to do it every. single. day

Always ready for a photo-op

Sometimes pouty

The artist

The helpful big sis!

One who will occasionally try new things....

Happy Birthday Curly girl!

Happy Birthday Tiger!

2011-12-03T22:03:00.000-06:00

Today, our little Tiger turns 4! Happy Birthday to our great guy!

Four years of fun memories!!

Our sweet fighter pilot....just waiting to hold you!

The first time Daddy held you! So proud!

Couldn't believe they let us leave with a tiny 5-pound baby! There wasn't an outfit that would fit!

You sure grew fast! Maybe that's because you loved to eat!

And you've always been stylish....

and mischievous too!

You love anything that might be considered a ball

And your front teeth have been chipped from babyhood

The typical messy boy who is always, always hungry!

One who adores big sis and loves to be her reading buddy

Did I mention you've always been messy?

Ever the explorer

And capturer of bugs (or pinecones)

Great hider and seeker

And sometimes all worn out

My little game partner....ever competitive

You march to your own beat (and ride to it too)

The loving protective brother to all 3 sisters

The master sand castle maker

And the builder

Happy Birthday to our favorite little guy!

Halloween Party

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ohh no! I never posted about our fun Halloween party that we had! I forgot! Here is our fun annual family Halloween party. The kids look forward to it every year!

Ready to begin the search for the perfect pumpkin

Taking a short break-pumpkin hunting is hard work!

Proud to have found her pumpkin

Still looking.....

Pin the nose on the pumpkin!

Getting dizzy!

Cheating! Try again!

Still peeking!

Mummy wrap

The elegant mummy

Poor Daddy!

The boys' pumpkin

Bee's stained glass pumpkin

Pumpkin outline and contact paper makes a fun project

The girls' happy pumpkin

Glow-in-the-dark bowling! Water bottles and glow sticks and a basketball

Christmas and Winter Printables and Activities

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun with the Thanksgiving printables and games that I decided to do the same thing for some of our December fun. BUT-I planned in advance this time! I'm learning too!

ABC Christmas-Themed Coloring Book

Nativity Preschool Pack

Gingerbread Lapbook

Winter Wonderland Printables and Activity Ideas

Math Games!

Prince Charming was so sweet to laminate them all for me and now I'm armed with ziploc baggies of fun things to add in to our lessons!

Night Time Hunter

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Chores

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Chores are important around here. Our house would not run if everyone did not pitch in and help. Here's our chore breakdown:

Curly: Help with laundry-she sorts it and starts the washer and dryer. Help clean up the homeschool room in the evening. Take dishes to the table and clear table.
Tiger: Help with laundry-he takes clothes from the washer and puts them in the dryer. Help pick up the living room in the evening. Help set the table.
Bee: Help with laundry-she dumps the hampers in the laundry room and helps put clothes in the washer. Help mom and dad clean up in the evening. Distribute-Bee has the job of taking items that we give to her and putting them in the correct rooms. She's our little errand girl. She often does this with her shopping cart.

Sometimes I give the kids spray bottles and rags and they tackle the counters, the bath tubs, the chairs, and the tables.

But laundry is a joint effort and we do about a load a day, if not more. I'm so thankful for little laundry helpers!!!

Sometimes our room looks like this:

But that's when Prince Charming steps in and folds and puts away all the clothes to surprise me. Yes, and that's why we call him Prince Charming!

Advent Calendar

2011-11-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

Well, I did it! I made us a Christmas Countdown Calendar for Advent. We are starting on December 1st and counting down the days until Christmas. (Yes, I know that advent starts before the 1st; I just didn't want to begin until the month of December-plus I had to have time to actually MAKE the calendar).

So, here is our cute calendar which is still lacking the title. I can't find stupid brown letter stickers. I'm still searching for anything that's in brown.....

This calendar caused me much angst and frustration. Let's face it; I'm just not crafty. The measuring, the cutting, the agonizingly awful decisions about which papers to use, coordinating the cardstock, dealing with super, super sticky scrapbook tape....It was just terrible! The perfectionist in me came out in full force, and coupled with the exhaustion of post-Thanksgiving clean-up and birthday party planning for Tiger and Curly, I cried over this calendar. Prince Charming even had to take it away from me for a time. He had to rescue me more than once and he even fixed it the several times that I messed it up. What a guy!

So, now the calendar is done! NEVER AGAIN! It had better last for years!

And if you're wanting to make one of these (what is wrong with you???), I got my idea here. But don't use her measurements..........not all of them are correct. Hence, much of my angst and many tears. Just eyeball some of it, really, it's easier. Tell the perfectionist in you to just get over it. Put away the ruler.

Then I had the fun job of choosing activities for each day of our calendar and putting the little cardstock activity cards in each tin. I kept the activities simple and doable for everyone in my crew (well, except Ladybug of course). The last day begins a search through our house for the kids' Christmas Eve presents which are always new jammies to snuggle in for the night. So, I gave the first search instruction in the last tin.
Here is our Christmas Countdown:

1 Put together foam gingerbread house

2 Bake gingerbread cookies

3 Cut out snowflakes

4 Read Christmas books as a family

5 Make a salt dough ornament

6 Make snowmen outlined with mini marshmallows and paint

7 Paint with puffy snow paint and glitter

8 Play Christmas math games

9 Make Christmas cards

10 Make Rice Krispie treats

11 Sing Christmas carols around the piano

12 Stamp and paint snowmen with big marshmallows

13 Paint with Christmas cookie cutters

14 Put together foam Christmas ornaments

15 Deliver Christmas cards

16 Say Christmas Bible verses

17 Read the Christmas story

18 Play games as a family

19 Play with fake snow

20 Paint Christmas ornaments

21 Make clothespin reindeer

22 Act out the Christmas story

23 Make Christmas cookies

24 Look in our bathtub

Linked up to the Hip Homeschool Blog Hop to join in the fun!

Advent Ideas

2011-11-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

We are going to do some advent activities this year! I think we'll start on Dec 1st and end on Christmas Eve. I just can't force myself to do Christmas stuff until December is actually truly here. So, we'll follow our own schedule. I'm thinking we'll do a Jesse Tree and skip the wreathy flower thing. Why? Because my kids hate candles and I do too! They stink and they bother Bee-that's just the honest truth! So, a tree with ornaments is much much better for us!

This is a great explanation of Advent and Jesse Trees. Here's more about Jesse Trees.

Here's a free activity calendar with printables

Another great advent calendar with discussion and Bible verse ideas

Free printables for Jesse Tree

This is a series of books about Advent that would be great for an older audience.

A Jesse Tree book by Ann Voskamp (You will have to become a follower of the site to receive the link to the free book.)

Amazing advent calendars-and the instructions for how to pull them off. For the crafty ones!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone has a wonderful day filled with good food, family, friends, and fun! And of course, all the things you are thankful for!

How will we be spending our holiday??? My parents are coming into town to celebrate with us. The kids are excited to see Pops and DiDi (or Popcorn and DoDo as they are also known). We are going to enjoy an allergy-free Thanksgiving meal and fun family time together. And while the kids are busy with grandparent fun, Prince Charming and I will begin preparations for Curly and Tiger's joint birthday bash the following weekend. We have lots to do!

This week we are enjoying Thanksgiving break with a week off of school. Although, if you homeschool, you know that learning never stops (therefore you really do school every day, right?). So, I actually got my act together and printed off some Thanksgiving printables and games. Prince Charming even laminated them as I cut them out. We've hit the park, played in the rain, played with legos, read Thanskgiving books, created some simple Thanksgiving crafts, colored some turkey coloring pages, and played some Thanksgiving-themed games. Ohhh, and we've cooked and baked too. What a week!

Here are a couple places where I got my simple (and free!) ideas and printables:

Making Learning Fun has craft ideas and printables

Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations always has wonderful stuff. I want her to come teach at my house!

Tiger and Curly enjoy playing Turkey Bump!

Here are a few turkey facts and activity ideas

A simple number recognition game for the littles

Preschool math activities and printables with a Thanksgiving theme

1+1+1=1 always has great printables!

Thanksgiving literacy ideas-several alphabet games

Have a great Thanksgiving! This Thanksgiving I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be home with my kids and see them make new discoveries.

Who Me???

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Planning Tapestry of Grace

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

We are using Tapestry of Grace this year. And we love it! The books are wonderful and there is enough information, project ideas, and mapwork to keep us very busy. My biggest problem is figuring out a way to plan Tapestry......to organize Tapestry.......to emerge from the TOG FOG.

So, I've again revamped how I plan for our weeks. Here is our current plan:

At the beginning of each week I make a Word document with all the information I need for the week. I was spending too much time flipping between assignment charts, reading charts, activity ideas, etc. that I was forgetting things. Now, everything is organized in one document with 8 categories:

Read-This is where I list the books we are going to use for this week. This is helpful because I often add in some extra resources that were not originally in Tapestry. Now, I have a master list of the Tapestry books and extras we are planning to use.
Do-Here is our list of activities for the week.
Write-We've been using the Tapestry writing assignments at a minimum but are slowly doing a little more with then as we go. Here I list what portion of the writing assignments we are going to complete for the week.
Watch-This is Tiger's favorite part of our Tapestry week. Here I list links for any YouTube or Netflix videos that we will watch to enhance our studies.
People-Here I list the people that we are going to study that week with a brief description. I plan to get a timeline to help us visualize each person's place in history, but for now we make sure to review the person and their historical significance as we go.
Vocabulary-I list the vocab words we are going to define that week. I also include the definition listed on the Loom as a cheat for myself.
Note-As I read the Teacher's Notes, I make a brief outline of the main points I want to cover with Curly. This way I can connect all the dots for her and make sure she gets the big picture of our studies.
Discuss-I type some critical thinking questions for us to have short discussions on our readings. I hope this will prepare her as we move into the upper levels in later years. Some discussions are included in the assignment sections, and if so, I copy those into my document.

These teaching notes for myself have been a huge help. I no longer feel like I am forgetting anything and I know exactly what parts of the week plan I have chosen to cover. It also lets me check off each item as we finish. I have Tapestry check boxes...........it is possible!!!!!

Zoo Day

2011-11-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

With (slightly) cooler weather, I have felt strong enough to brave the zoo. We made it to the zoo on one overcast day and were 1 of 5 people who were crazy enough to go. People down here think it's cold! What is wrong with them?? Anyway, I enjoyed the absence of crowds.

We began our day with optimism! Well, Curly was optimistic. The other two were.....at least looking in my direction.

Look at the camera Bee! Tiger is so over the picture-taking.

Why are you frowning Buddy??

Ladybug also decided that she no longer enjoyed her stroller. Whenever I set her down, screaming ensued. I spent the entire zoo day with a baby strapped to me. And if you've seen Ladybug lately, you'd know that she is not a light load!

We wandered through bamboo forests

We befriended lions......and began to get a little sleepy.....

And we ended our trip like this. Do you have any idea how heavy they were??? And I'm still toting around Ladybug. That was my workout for the week!

And for more homeschool fun, check out the other bloggers at the Hip Homeschool Blog Hop!

Babies and Little Brothers

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

We had a fun spontaneous playdate with some friends over last weekend. They came to our house to play and all the little girls were playing with baby dolls. Unfortunately, there were more little girls than dolls so Curly decided to rectify the situation:

C'mon, I'll show you where the babies come from!

I think the other mom nearly had a heart attack!

Curly was referring to her room. The babies come from her room, of course! Where else would they be in the house?

The mom was greatly relieved and recovered from her shock. She commented that she had been worried that our science classes were more advanced than hers. Nope, don't think so!

The other night Curly and Tiger were arguing in the backseat. Tiger kept taking Curly's teddy bear and Curly kept taking his book. Back and forth they went. Then came the complaints from Curly:

Mom, he's annoying me!!!!!!!

All I could hear was devious laughter from the backseat. Then Tiger's little voice giggled:

But Mom, I love to annoy her!

Such honesty! What could I say to top that!?

Prayer Requests

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

We recently began a new way to keep track of prayer requests. We have a prayer jar!

I cut out small squares of colored paper and each person is assigned one color. During our family worship, the kids can list prayer requests and we write them on the square that is their color. Each worship time, we draw out a few to prayer over. Then, when they are answered, the kids can remove them from the jar.

We hope this will help us consistently pray over some of the requests, even if it is not daily. And what a blessing to have the kids pull out a paper of their color and remember their requests from weeks gone by-and then to see that request answered!

It's tough being the teacher's aide.....

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

TOG Year 1 Week 7

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

This week was more Biblical history but we were done with our crazy flashbacks. We are getting out of Egypt. Let my people go!!!

We began this week of a review of the Exodus. We read about the 10 plagues and the Passover night. We told Pharaoh to let God's people go, and we got out of Egypt.

This week was about the wilderness wandering, the Tabernacle, and the Law. We also studied Shabbat (the Sabbath) and its importance to Jewish law.

We read in the storybook Bibles about the Exodus, the Tabernacle, and the Wilderness wanderings. We also read the sections about Shabbat in Celebrate: A Book of Jewish Holidays and Dance, Sing, Remember.

Curly and Tiger painted stone tablets and I wrote the 10 Commandments on their tablets as we learned the importance of each one. We discussed the Sabbath and the Jewish customs. Curly could not believe that their Sabbath was on Saturday. We also drew diagrams of the Tabernacle and I explained the significance of each item in the Tabernacle. We studied the Israelite leaders-Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb and the kids drew pictures of each.

Curly learned to define covenant and came to understand that when God makes a covenant with us, He never breaks it. However, we never keep up our end of the bargain. This lead into a wonderful discussion of the sinfulness of man and the perfection of God. Curly learned the importance of forgiveness and the role sacrifices played in atonement. This was a week of sharing the plan for salvation and the freedom we have from the law through our salvation.

Reading Buddies

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Curly can read! Her reading has taken off in the past few months. She has gone from reading the very beginning readers to reading early chapter books. She reads everything!! She reads to anyone who will listen. She reads in the car. She reads in her room before she comes to breakfast. She reads in her bed at night before falling asleep. She is a bookworm! I love it!

Tiger is often a willing victim. He loves being read to.

This is her "I don't know this word" face. Sound it out Curly! Just sound it out!

TOG Year 1 Week 6

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm a little behind in my TOG blogging, so I'll try to catch up. We've spent weeks 6-9 covering Biblical history and to be honest, I wasn't always loving it. Some of the symbolism was a little difficult to grasp and our TOG studies felt like such an overlap of our Bible studies that it was beginning to feel like overkill. We felt like we were wandering the wilderness along with the Israelites. And there aren't enough good picture books about this time period, so we were missing the fun literature books.

Week 6 was a another flashback which I didn't know would make me crazy. But it did. I guess I really can't stand to do things out of order. Week 4 was Creation, Week 5 was the Tower of Babel, and Week 6 was about the Patriarchs. This is all AFTER we studied Egypt.

We began reading about Abraham and read all the way through Joseph when he was sold into slavery. We read in two different Bible storybooks and also the Victor Journey through the Bible which has some great historical information and wonderful pictures for reference. I also added in Joseph by Brian Wildsmith which was a favorite book with vividly stunning pictures. We read that book every. single. day. Sometimes two or three times a day.

We learned facts about each of the patriarchs and their wives. Curly had a difficult time keeping them all straight and Tiger would just throw out random Bible names if you questioned him. In the end, we were able to sort through the wives and children and see the beginning of God's Chosen People. But we focused on God's plan and His provision. We studied His promises to the family of Abraham and how God kept those promises each time. Curly was in awe that Jesus was from this family and that we could trace history through the Israelite nation.

There weren't many projects that we could complete with regard to the Patriarchs. We did lots of playing in our play tents as we talked about their tent houses and their long travels. We began learning about the Israelite culture and family units. We ended the week with a discussion of God's faithfulness. He is faithful to the Israelites even when they are unfaithful. He is faithful to us when we are likewise unfaithful. Through studying the lives of the Patriarchs, much of God's character is revealed.

The Phonics Road Level 1

2011-11-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

We are back to using the Phonics Road each day. We began the curriculum last year but came to a standstill with it. We have started over at the beginning and are now making great progress. Curly was not ready to move forward in Level 1 until now. I really enjoy using this curriculum and find it easy to teach and the rules are memorable for Curly. We are going to keep pressing forward this year.

So, here's what Phonics Road looks like in our homeschool:

We begin our time by introducing our new words for that day. I spell the words out on the white board while Curly writes them in her notebook. We mark each word as we go and sing the rule tunes.

If there is a building code page to complete (a page which outlines one of the spelling rules) then we work on that page. I write on the board while Curly writes in her notebook.

If there is not a building code to complete that day, I pick one topic for review. We review a spelling rule or a grammar rule that I choose. I write the rule on the board and we think of examples of that rule.

I then test Curly on a few words from previous weeks. She writes these words on a paper, on her own whiteboard, or spells them using the letter tiles from All About Spelling.

At the end of some lessons, I give her a sentence or two of dictation. I make up the sentences using spelling words from previous weeks. Sometimes we review a few of the phonograms and think of words that use those phonograms.

Our spelling/grammar lessons usually only take 20-30 minutes each day. Curly is remembering the spelling words well and is applying to spelling rules to new words that she has not yet learned. I have been so pleased with how well she is doing.

In a few weeks we begin Weeks 13 and 14 which will introduce some new phonograms and writing capital letters. After that, the curriculum adds in the readers. Since Curly can already read fairly well, we will probably use the readers to reinforce grammar and might use the sentences as dictation exercises.

To prepare for Phonics Road I watch several lessons worth of the DVD's ahead of time. I usually watch them in fast forward mode so poor Barbara Beers sounds like a chipmunk. The key to watching the videos is to take detailed notes so you can refer back to them when you teach. There is a wealth of information contained on the DVD's, and I forget more than half by the time I try to teach it to Curly. My detailed notes have been so very helpful and will be valuable when Tiger starts the Phonics Road in a few years.

I can't wait until we are past Week 15 and are into the more meatier portion of the program in which grammar is introduced. The first 14 weeks are lots of phonograms and lots of spelling words. It can be tedious. But our hard work is paying off!

The Baby Ate My Homework

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Can that be an excuse??

Home Office

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

The kids decided to play "office." We've played restaurant, beauty shop, vet, doctor, and school. But we've never played office before. The kids made cubicles for themselves; brought in some chairs; got papers, pencils, and books; and set up their work space.

Bee was very, very busy with her note taking

Curly put her high heels on with her jammies to go to work

She also stated that she could not work without her phone and her coffee.......oh my......

And Tiger apparently works with sharks. His desk was all set up but he never actually sat down. I can't see him being the "office" type.

Totschool Fun

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

We try to keep little Bee busy but the bigger kids like to join in too! Her school is Totschool and she enjoys being a big kid and doing "school."

Ready for the bean bag toss!

Into the hampers and trash cans!

Finger painting is a favorite!

And the parachute and beach balls!

Run under!!

We ice skate with shoe boxes

And we love markers!

And sidewalk chalk too!

I'm not sure who enjoys Totschool more.........Bee or the big kids!

Family Portrait

2011-11-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

We recently had some family pictures done by the photographer who's done the last several sessions with us. They are beautiful-of course! She does a fantastic job and the sessions have been so stress free! And the results are amazing. I do realize that I'm a little biased toward my own little family, but there's nothing better than documenting the smiles and the laughter.

Looking through my set of pictures for the fifth-or maybe hundredth-time, I had a thought (every once in a while I have a quiet moment and can actually think).

Our family looks so perfect, so happy, so together, so peaceful. The smiles, the balloons, the tiny chairs, all back-lit with the morning sun. It's blissful!

I've blog hopped my way around during some late night nursing sessions with Ladybug and I've seen amazing blogs with stunning family pictures. They look perfect. But behind each shot there is a story of a family that is less than perfect.

Families are messy. It is tough work. I don't think anything can possibly prepare you for all that family life entails.

You see the gorgeous engagement, wedding, baby, and family pictures and you crave that perfection and togetherness. You don't see any of the mess outside of those frames.

I think in our busyness, our over-committedness, our rushing around, and our self-importance we often try to create an image of perfection as we strive to maintain that picture perfect portrait of our family life.

All gorgeous family pictures should come with a disclaimer: Here we are, but only the very best shots. This is our family in front of the camera. But behind the scenes we are sometimes cranky, messy, irritable, and generally less than perfect.

Isn't it easy to think the grass is greener in their family pics? Well, don't measure yourself against the beautiful sun-kissed photo shoots. Know that there are more moments of imperfection than not.

So, with that being said, here are our family portraits.

Musical Beds

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

This was a post from the beginning of our school year that got overlooked. So, here it is, a little late. We had some rearranging to do before we began the new school year.........

It was time for Ladybug to move out of our room! I want my sleep back!

Unfortunately, with the addition of Ladybug, we had more kids than bedrooms. So, someone had to double up. The big girls were chosen to share a room and the search was on for bunk beds. Prince Charming found a great bunk with stairs (that have drawers for storage!). We placed our order.

The bed came in a million pieces that were unlabeled. Yikes! I chose the job of project supervisor and kept the kids away from all the screws, nails, and bolts while hubby grabbed his drill and actually read the instructions. Thankfully, his parents were in town that weekend so they helped with the projects. Hours later the beds were put together and the girls were thrilled.

Then we had an epiphany. Mattresses! So began a frantic search for two twin mattresses. One store kept trying to sell us a single twin mattress. Umm.....we'll take 2 please! They only had 1! We found another store about 5 minutes before closing time and were out the door 5 minutes later with new mattresses.

We're still working to keep the girls in the beds and quiet, but I guess that will take some time. During all the moving and putting together, Tiger got himself a big boy bed with a new comforter. He's a happy camper! And Ladybug is in the big crib in her own quiet room. Our room is child free. Now, I can no longer use the sleeping baby as an excuse not to jump on the treadmill.

Trying it out for the first time!

Daddy's helper

Big guy!

Stereotypical Homeschooler

2011-11-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Before I homeschooled I always thought there was the stereotypical homeschool mom. What first comes to mind? A denim jumper? Poufy hair?

Of course, there are homeschool moms who fit that description. And I had met some. (who were all wonderful people by the way.........)

However, I knew that most would agree with this description as the stereotypical homeschool mom. But what about everyone else? There's an entire community of moms who don't fit that first mold, but I just lumped them together as the "other" homeschoolers. I had no idea there was such diversity among that group of others. I've learned a thing or two and found that it can be hard to find your niche, and that as a homeschool mom, you often don't fit in with other homeschool moms.

So, this post might step on a few toes (more on that later), just so long as they're not my freshly-painted hot pink ones though, right? Sorry about that!

Now that we are more "officially" homeschooling, I have had the opportunity to meet many other homeschool moms. And I've discovered that the stereotypical homeschool mom viewpoint is very narrow. There are in fact, just as many varieties of homeschool moms as there are public school moms. We are very different too. Wow! This was news to me, and I bet many outsiders would not even begin to believe me.

You just can't put homeschool moms into a box. There isn't the stereotypical homeschool mom. She doesn't exist.

There are those who homeschool for purely religious reasons, for academic ones, or for both- or for a host of other reasons (food allergies anyone?). There are those who use the boxed curricula, who make their own curricula, or those who piece together curricula. There are those who are Charlotte Masonish, or Classical-ish, Unit Study-ish, school-at-home-ish, or unschool-ish.

As a new homeschooler it can be very difficult to meet other homeschool moms, especially ones that share your viewpoints and who are "like you."

So, I thought about writing a wanted ad to find someone more like me. Is there a Homeschool Match dot com?
Wanted: Homeschool mom of little people. A religious, health-food conscious, crunchy granola, non-TV watching, suburbia-living, capri-pant wearing, piece-it-together curricula, classical, Charlotte-Masonish bookworm with well-behaved kids.

But Prince Charming came up with a much simpler way to classify homeschool moms. He noticed a trend that I had overlooked. He noticed that I meshed most with homeschool moms with painted toes, preferably the fire-engine red or hot pink variety.

So, I guess what I'm looking for is a mom with a pedicure, whether do-it-yourself or not.

Morning People

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I think the only morning person at our house is Prince Charming and he's up and out the door before the kids are up. But I just might be able to be a morning person if these slightly sleepy, cute little creatures come to find me each morning...........

Bossy

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been told that when I was growing up I was rather bossy. Could anything have prepared me for the curly-haired mini-me that tries to run my house? Nope!

Curly has trouble remembering who's in charge. Wow! Is she bossy sometimes!

She dictates what everyone should do, where they should be, how they should do it, and what they should be wearing. When Tiger or Bee fall out of line, she throws a huge hissy fit. Sometimes, they just give up. Sometimes that's just easier. It's easier to go with the flow than experience Curly's wrath. Poor little guys! Maybe I should rescue them..........

Please save me....

Umm, why haven't you rescued me yet?

Is this building character? Can that be my excuse?

Job Security

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I just might be out of a job soon! Curly was doing an amazing job helping Tiger with his "school" workbooks.

"That's right buddy! Good job!"

I guess I don't have job security! I better step up my game!

Toddler Talk

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

The little people and their cute conversations.........I just can't get enough!

Tiger: Watch out! I have a pee-pee gun!!!
He totally meant BB gun, but I was rolling on the floor after that one.

Bee: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 14, 14, 15, 14, 15, 15, 16!
We're almost to 20!

Curly: Tiger needs to learn sign language because he's always splitting his lip and then can't talk.
It's true......he's bruised and bloody at least once a week if not more. Curly just gets so exasperated with him and having to clean up after him. And Tiger, he doesn't even seem to notice his bumps and bruises.

Bee was sitting on the potty just taking her sweet little time when she sighed and said, My poo-poo very stinky. So true, so hurry up!!!

Curly was furious with Tiger the other day during math time when he kept answering all of her math questions. Stop answering MY questions! Why is he thinking about them faster than I can?
The little guy must be listening in and catching on to more than I realized. Maybe I need to start doing some more advanced things with him too!

Curly was talking to Daddy about what she had learned today. They were discussing the sun and the stars. Curly sassily quipped, Stars are gasses and that's the answer to that!
Then she flounced out the room and that conversation was over. Such attitude!

Give me a break!

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Come Backs

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't you get tired of all the disparaging remarks about homeschooling? Or really about children in general?

Lately, I've had so many "bless your hearts" and "you have your hands full" and "I just don't have the patience." I usually just smile and nod and move on. But I think I'm going to have to come up with some little come backs. These people are going to have to find someone else to pick on.

Thinking about some come backs made me wonder what the kids think of all these comments. Because when we're all out together, these comments are always made right in front of the kids. I never thought about these remarks through their little eyes and ears. But how would it feel to be looked at as a bother or as a source of frustration? Yes, I've got to get some come backs.

So to the "bless your heart" crowd: God has, 4 times over......
I see my kids as blessings, and I want others to get that message. If they don't view their own that way, it's their loss.

And to the "you have your hands full" gallery: Yes, full of good things
My kids are pretty darn sweet (most of the time) and I don't appreciate people acting like they should be a constant source of exasperation.

What about the "I don't have the patience" mob: I don't either. I have a conviction and God equips me with the patience.
Who does have the patience? If you do, I'd love to meet you. Maybe you should come parent and homeschool my kids too. God gives me the patience to get through each day, days full of mistakes and forgiveness, but lots of learning opportunities.

And the "I just couldn't spend all day with them" group: If my kids acted like yours, I wouldn't blame you!
No, would I really be that brave? Tempting.........very, very tempting!

TOG Year 1 Week 5

2011-10-24T07:24:00.001-05:00

We have survived the flood on the ark and now we are building the tower of Babel.

This week we discussed the sons of Noah and the various cultures from his family. We looked at maps of the Tigris and Euphrates. We found where ancient Babel may have been located. We studies pictures of ancient ziggurats. Then we began building. Now, our tower was slightly more colorful than theirs may have been, and maybe not quite as tall, but it surely was just as impressive.

Then came the wrath of Bee which destroyed the tower and did effectively scatter my two builders to the far sides of the house. I didn't need gibberish-speaking little ones, just angry ones, in order to get them to scatter.

We enjoyed reading Tower of Babel by Allison Greengard. Well, most of us did. Curly could not get over the fact that the book was written back to front. She was very bothered by this backwardness.

We studied cuneiform and compared it to hieroglyphs. We used playdoh as tablets and made our own cuneiform markings with sticks. Then we made a cylinder seal with toilet paper rolls, yarn, and lots of glue. Their seals were rather abstract in nature, which is to be expected I guess. So, Queen Curly, King Tiger, and Queen Bee wrote out royal proclamations then rolled their seals in ink and sealed their documents.

Enjoy the creativity of some other homeschool moms over at Hip Homeschool Hop!

Day in the Life October 18

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite blog posts to read are the "day in the life" type posts. It is fun, interesting, encouraging, and often hilarious to read accounts of a homeschool day. So, to keep a record of the chaos here and to one day be able to look back with a smile, here is our day....
7 am - Oops! I overslept........again! My hubby told me the alarm went off 4 times and I slept through it all. Must buy mega-alarm clock!
7:30 am - Hungry baby. And then I'm attacked by 3 other little hungry people.
8 am - Breakfast. Oatmeal. Not very original, but it works. During breakfast, I bounce Ladybug on one leg while I read science, Bible, and history to Tiger.
8:30 am - I try to actually eat some of my breakfast and Ladybug works really hard to help me. Narrowly avoid a broken dish.
9 am - The kids are taking over the living room which is now a restaurant in outer space, and they are serving up food from their shopping carts. I can see half the floor. But thankfully, it is Ladybug's naptime. Then I try to convince the kids to do some school for an hour before Ladybug is awake again.
9:15 am - We get through Tiger's All About Reading lessons and learn about the letter M. Then he and Bee make a huge mess with a piece of yellow construction paper, a hole punch, and glue. It's Swiss cheese! (M for mouse)
9:30 am - While Tiger and Bee are busy, we begin our Phonics Road lesson. First up, new spelling words. Then we review some spelling rules and words from previous weeks. Then we cover some grammar. During this time, I helped with the hole punch 4 times, unclogged the glue twice, and rescued Bee when she fell off the art table bench.
10:15 am - Ladybug is awake again. Teething isn't fun! I let the older kids lose to finish the mess they began in the living room and I feed Ladybug.......again.
11 am - I trap all the kids in the homeschool room for Bible time. They are actually willing victims when it comes to Bible-it's a favorite subject for everyone. Bee and Tiger color while we begin with the timeline cards. Then we review some previous lessons before beginning our study on the life of Jesus. Today, we learned about Jesus' trip to Jerusalem and his teachings in the temple. Ladybug hangs out on my hip and pulls my hair as we finally get to the song portion. The kids sing at the top of their lungs as we dance around the room......"He's got the whole world in His hands..." During Bible time, Bee only fell of her bench twice and then got stuck behind the schoolhouse tent.
11:30 am - Time for a short piano lesson. Curly plays one song. Tiger pounds for a minute. Then Bee gets a turn. And on and on and on while Ladybug tries to eat my shoulder. Bee and Tiger do eventually get bored and leave us to finish our lesson in peace. Then our lesson is interrupted by a streaker.....time to move on to something new as that eliminated our concentration. I chase down the little person who is sans clothing and we have a re-dress after a potty break.
12 pm - Lunch! Finally! I warm up some leftovers (what would we do without leftovers???) and we settle around the table. We watch some episodes of "How It's Made" on the iPad while we eat, I think we watched how soap, flutes, candles, and mirrors are made. It's educational!
12:30 pm - The kids are off to play while I clean up Ladybug, read her some books, and settle her in for a nap. And the nap seems to be successful.
1 pm - We all pile on the couch to read picture books, art books, and some of our read alouds.
1:30 pm - Rest time for Bee. How many times will I have to take her back to her room today?
1:45 pm - Math time! First for Tiger, then for Curly.
2:15 pm - Science. Today we're reading about the moon! We go in to the closet with a flashlight and a CD to talk about reflection. They take turns being the moon and the earth, and of course, argue about who will be the sun. I get hit with the flashlight and call an end to our dark closet adventure.
2:30 pm - Tiger has some rest time. During this time, he destroys his room. Curly does some history reading, workbooks, narration, lapbooks, and then reads to me from one of her readers.
3:15 pm - Curly is finishing her work when Tiger reappears. He sneaks up on me bringing several guns made of interlocking cubes. He joins us for our history project.
3:45 pm - We wake Bee for art time. She refuses to get out of bed until bribed with the thought of art projects. Now she's up!
4:00 pm - Ladybug is awake and she gets to eat again while the kids finish their art projects.
4:30 pm - Everyone has a snack and then we head outside to wait for Daddy. We decorate the drive way as we wait. Then we collect pine needles. Wouldn't Charlotte Mason be proud??
6 pm - We've been so busy playing with Daddy outside that we didn't realize it was dinner time. Inside for the dinner of champions-cereal!
6:30 pm - A quick grocery trip before bedtime.
7:15 pm - Home again. Jammies on, teeth brushed, baby fed, and everyone on the couch. Praise and worship time! Bible songs, AWANA verses, and prayer time.
7:45 pm - Daddy puts the littles to bed and Curly has violin time with me. She also finishes up a little work from the day and we enjoy the peaceful time together.
8:30 pm - Bedtime for them! Treadmill and blog time for me!
Whew! Then it's time to do it all over again tomorrow!

So close, but yet so far

2011-10-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

Tiger has a brand new big boy bed! Yay! He's so proud! However, we have one problem...we don't always quite make it. Just a few more steps!

TOG Year 1 Week 4

2011-10-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

This was a week of Biblical history in Tapestry. We began with creation and ended with Noah and the flood. All the kids enjoyed reading from the picture Bible as we covered some of the highlights of Genesis. Curly finally remembers the days of creation in order and even Tiger was able to remember them.

Some of the lesson suggestions were to study Pangaea and even measure Noah's ark. Well, I didn't think Curly was ready to learn the details of the theory behind Pangaea and I wasn't sure I wanted to venture into lessons about the earth's structure. We bypassed that portion. And I didn't feel like trying to explain the cubit by cubit of Noah's ark. It was a big boat. He could fit several elephants on there. End of story. The kids were completely satisfied with that explanation.

This was definitely a curl-up-and-read type week. I think we read the stories from three different picture Bibles. The kids enjoyed coloring some pages out of A is for Adam coloring book and the book Noah's Ark by Peter Spier was a favorite across the board. Curly decided that the ark was really messy and she understood why Noah must have been tired. Tiger was very concerned that the tigers might try to eat the other animals. Bee enjoyed "reading" this book to us. Wordless books are wonderful!

For her project, Curly made a creation book to go in to her lapbook and she also made her own booklet illustrating the days of creation.

Then we took a step back to Egypt and the kids became the Israelites on Passover when they plundered the Egyptians and began their journey to Canaan. Daddy was the Egyptians. The kids were the Israelites. I enjoyed the part of the narrator and picture-taker. Daddy then took on another role as God, leading the Israelites by a pillar of fire by night. Then the kids camped out in the homeschool room in their school house tent. After 3 hours of giggling, they were eventually shipped off to their own beds so that we could all get some sleep.

Here are the Israelites packed and waiting to leave Egypt. I can imagine them escaping with shopping carts full of loot can't you?

The kids had made timbrels to use in their celebration as they left Egypt.

They plundered the Egyptians on their way out. Bee's shopping cart was getting overloaded and the backpacks on wheels were a little difficult to maneuver through the desert.

God lit the way by night as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness. He was pretty bright....

Time for some celebration!

Then it was time to make camp. The Israelites had to "rough it" for 40 years in that wilderness. Or maybe they had pink pillows, purple blankies, and read bedtime stories about mice and cookies. Either way, I'm sure it was always interesting....

Vocabulary Lesson

2011-10-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

You would think I would learn! But no, apparently not! If the kids are quiet for more than 10 seconds, my life is over. Disaster!

However, sometimes I have to do dishes or laundry or take a phone call or feed the baby. This time it was the dishes. I was just trying to get them in the dishwasher. I knew the sink was somewhere under that mountain and I was determined to find it!

Silence. And then more silence. I was working at break-neck speed. Still silence. Then blood-curdling screams. Yup! Disaster!

I found Bee in the hallway with the mop, drenched with water. She was happily mopping the hall by her bathroom. Tiger was following along behind her with the little wet vacuum. And Curly had ice skated down the sopping hall and landed right on her rear, hence the screaming. As I went sailing down the entry hall, I quickly learned that they had soaked more than one hallway. Bee and Tiger turned to run and you can you guess what happened next. Crash!

That took quite a bit of clean up and most of the clean towels. After that, I had to add laundry to my growing to-do list. That was right after dishes which were still not done.

The halls were soaked, part of the wood floor was soaked, the bathroom was soaked, the cabinets were soaked, and the counters were soaked. What a mess! But the floors were very clean after that.

However, I, being ever concerned about learning opportunities, taught them a new vocabulary word-hazardous. And for the rest of the day they used that word every chance they got. Ha! I can be an unschooler when I want to be!

Check out the other homeschool styles on the Hip Homeschool Blog Hop

Easily Entertained

2011-10-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Magnets plus cookie sheets equals hours of fun................

Precision with pattern blocks...........

And there's always just plain ol' boxes..........

Yet, somehow it's still hard to keep them out of trouble!

Bible Study Guide for All Ages Review

2011-10-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

I looked at this curriculum several times but could not figure out what I would need to order to make it work. It just seemed.......overwhelming. Then I talked with a mom who used it and she steered me in the right direction so I took the plunge and ordered it.

I have the beginner student pages for Unit 1 which consists of 104 lessons.

I ordered the Beginner Timeline.

And the CD of memory work songs.

Each lesson begins with Learn the Basics which directs us to a timeline page to learn.

Next is the Sing and Remember section. Here you review a song or two from the CD and work through the review questions from previous lessons as well as do any memory work, such as books of the Bible.

The Get Active section lists some hands on ways to demonstrate the principles of the lesson using blocks or other simple items.

After completing these sections on the front of the page, you turn the page over to the Discover the Bible section. The left column is a narrative of the Bible story and the right side of the page contains the picture version of the story. Each picture box is labelled with a number to correspond to that section of the narrative story. The narrative also contains simple directions like "color Joseph blue" or "circle the picture that shows what Joseph did next." The top of this section lists the Biblical reference for the story if you choose to follow up the narrative with reading the Scripture aloud.

For the close of the lesson, you would turn the page over to the front and complete the Apply It section. This section helps the student apply the principles or character qualities demonstrated in the lesson to their life. The picture on the front page goes along with the lesson from this section.

What did we think? The Timeline cards and Memory Work CD are great aids to help my children remember people, places, and events in the Bible. Even my preschoolers are picking up on many facts from the stories.
The stories are written simply, but closely follow the text of the Scripture. The simple pictures that illustrate the story are an excellent visual for helping Curly understand and follow the story. The program contains excellent review and a detailed coverage of the Biblical stories.
Overall, Curly loves her Bible time and looks forward to the review and the new stories. She enjoys coloring the pages and completing the simple instructions which help reinforce the lessons. So far, she has retained everything we have covered and asks for Bible time.
I have found the program to be thorough yet fun, but more importantly, doable. Bible is getting done, character lessons are being applied, and Bible facts are being retained. For us, this program is open-and-go and takes about 20-30 minutes to complete a lesson. We cover 4 lessons a week and our fifth day is reading the Bible stories out of a storybook Bible to reinforce the material we covered that week.
I am so excited to have found this program and plan to continue using it, especially when the other kids begin to join in. Being able to study the same Bible stories with each child, just at their varying levels of understanding, will simplify our Bible time and allow us to have our time together.

Artsy!

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Homeschooling and Teaching Mythology

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

As Christians, should we teach mythology? And if we feel we should study mythology, when should it be introduced?

I've noticed that in some homeschooling circles you can get yourself shunned pretty quickly if you are studying the legends and myths of other cultures. On the other hand, there are other circles in which the children are so well-read in classical literature that I would be intimidated to get too deep into a discussion of mythology and other cultures.

So, where do we fit?

We're mostly classical homeschoolers, so I plan on teaching the great works and introducing the myths, legends, and religions of other cultures. I'll even introduce them at a young age. We've already started learning about them.

So why do I teach mythology and why do I start now?

1) I want my children to be aware that there are many who do not share our values and beliefs. We don't live in a bubble and we encounter those individuals frequently.
2) Learning about other cultures and religions demonstrates how and why our beliefs are different. I feel that this understanding deepens the foundation of their faith.
3) Since we will meet those who believe differently than we do, and we will also encounter references to other gods and to mythology; I would rather my children learn the differences from me.
4) Learning about other religions and other gods gives me more opportunity to point them back to the Bible and to teach them absolute truth and where to find that truth.

As my children become older I hope to further explore the differences in Christianity and other religions. I want my children to be prepared to defend their faith; however, I believe we can begin simple apologetics right now.

And if I was worried that the introduction of other religions, myths, and gods has confused my children, the latest comments from Curly have dispelled that fear:

Curly was having a discussion with her grandma about ancient Egypt and she matter-of-factly stated: Some people believe differently.

She also told me: The ancient Egyptians were confused. They must not have read the Bible. They did have really good imaginations though!

People believe differently. We don't have to agree. We know what we believe and where to find truth. Yet, we can still be courteous.

Yes, mythology can be introduced at a young age.

Typical Boy

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tiger is a typical boy. He's had stitches. He has chipped teeth. He shoves things up his nose. He's had more "boo boos" than I can count.

He runs, he jumps, he climbs, he bites, he hits, he spits........and apparently he leaves a trail behind him - a trail of snot - on my couch. I did not sign up for this!

Girl Talk

2011-10-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

My girls are funny and since they never stop talking I have lots of opportunities to hear how their little brains are working.

Curly: Mom, I am just so excited! I can't wait to go to ballet! I think I'm just exhilarated! Wait, what is exhilarated? Did I use the right word?
Me: Exhilarated means very excited so you used the right word.
Curly: Well, then, I'm really exhilarated! - as she twirls from the room.

I love her vocabulary! She never ceases to surprise me with words she remembers.

Today I gave Bee a quick kiss on the cheek and this was our conversation following the kiss:
Bee: You kiss me!
Me: Yes I did! Can I have a kiss too?
Bee: No
Me: Can I have a small kiss?
Bee: No
Me: If I had a boo-boo would you give me a kiss?
Bee: Yes, let me 'spect you for boo-boos.

She grabbed a handful of old makeup brushes and proceeded to 'spect me for boo-boos (inspect me for freckles). She found several and carefully observed them while using her brushes.

Bee: They might bleed.
Me: Well, then I might really need a kiss.
Bee: OK.

And I finally did get my kiss!

Bee, ever the doctor, used her expertise on herself too-although I would like to mention that her boo-boos are only imaginary.

Progressive Phonics

2011-10-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

I like to supplement. Then I like to supplement the supplements. Then I supplement those. I have a problem! But there are too many fun things out there and I want to use a little bit of them all.

So, I found a new phonics thing. But let me back up, and tell you why I was even looking at more phonics things. It was because I was looking for phonics help. Curly loves to guess at reading. And her guesses have been getting off the wall crazy! I want her to sound it out, not look at me and rattle off every word that starts with the same letter as the word she's trying to read (and even some words that start with different letters). I decided that we needed to reinforce our basic phonograms and back up a ways. Then I found Progressive Phonics (which is great with Blend Phonics, by the way).

You can register at Progressive Phonics for free! And free is great. Although, I have found that sometimes you truly get what you pay for....however, this is not true in the case of Progressive Phonics. There are readers that you can print and read or read straight off the screen (thank you IPad!). They focus on certain phonograms and a particular sound of a phonogram and have lots of practice.

Curly and I are going to start going through them one at a time and reviewing her phonograms and taking the time to sound everything out. The guessing game must stop! Having her slow down and start over has been making a huge difference and we are moving forward again.

Progressive Phonics even has tools for learning letters, so I'm going to implement that portion of their site with Tiger this fall.

Yummy!!

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

She knows her stuff.........

2011-10-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Curly came to me all upset the other evening.
Daddy said Upper Egypt is really Lower Egypt and Lower Egypt is really Upper Egypt. But that's not right. He doesn't believe me!!!!!

I pulled Prince Charming aside and asked if he and Curly had a history discussion recently. He told me about the Egypt talk and how she was a little confused on her directions. I calmly told him I thought he might want to reconsider arguing with Curly about Egypt and that I thought he was going to lose this one. So, we grabbed a map and hashed it out. And yes, Curly was right.

Lower Egypt is actually the northern part of Egypt while Upper Egypt is to the south. Why? Because the directions are tied in with the flow of the Nile River which flows to the North.

Prince Charming found Curly and told her that he believed her. He explained that he was thinking in terms of directions on the map and not thinking about the Nile River. When he was done talking, he asked her if she understood why he had been confused.

Yes, Dad. But the Nile River starts in the mountains of Ethiopia and flows down through Egypt all the way to the Nile Delta into the Mediterranean Sea. That's the way it goes! And Dad........do you know why the Pharaoh wears a double crown? Because both Egypts became one!

I think Dad got a little more than he bargained for, and he might think twice about talking to Curly without consulting an encyclopedia first.

TOG Year 1 Week 3

2011-10-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

We are still in Egypt and this week we lived the Egyptian life. No AC! Boy was that fun! We learned first hand why the Egyptians might want to cook outside rather than in their house. We also learned that the Egyptian life was not for us!

Our Week 3 was spread over 2 weeks because we started ballet, co-op, had no AC for several days, and all got sick. What a disaster!

I learned how flexible Tapestry can be and how easy it is to tweak the plans. The past 2 weeks made me thankful that TOG wasn't a daily grid plan with check boxes because most of our boxes would be very blank and I would be feeling like a failure. Instead, I skimmed over the reading assignments and the threads and chose what was most important and then we fit it in however we had time. No blank checkboxes, no failed daily plan-just a flexible week plan that could be completed on any day that we could get to it.

This week we studied the unbiblical beliefs of the ancient Egyptians and compared it to the Word of God. We examined the life of Moses, the 10 plagues, the Passover, and how the plagues overpowered the various gods of Egypt, thus proving the God of Moses to be the all-power Creator God.

Studying the plagues during our time of disaster was pretty ironic....dontcha think? But it was encouraging to have the reminder that our God is greater, our God is healer, our God is stronger.

The favorite book this week hands down was Tutankhamen's Gift with the beautiful pictures and engaging story. Curly was thrilled to read us Egyptian Gods and Goddesses and we read the Egyptian tale A Shipwrecked Sailor which includes the hieroglyphic translation of parts of the story.

For our history projects we made a booklet about the 10 plagues.

We practiced writing some hieroglyphs on paper that we distressed to look like ancient papyrus-dab it with a tea bag and then burn the edges. Prince Charming was in charge of the oven for this one.

We made some Egyptian jewelry and instruments.

The Biblical worldview portion and the discussions that Week 3 sparked with Curly were priceless. She was able to see the power and might of our God in a Biblical and historical context.

Resources for Writing a Novel

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a fun and free resource to guide your student in some creative writing endeavors. There are 3 levels-elementary, middle, and high school. These contain worksheets to spark creativity and even information on getting a novel published. I'm saving these to use in a few years!

Scheduling and the Block Schedule

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered the Block Schedule. I know, where have I been? This is making my life so much easier (and also less boring).

Before I talk about my new schedule revolution, let me explain how I plan. I plan by the week. I have a grid with 4 rows-one for each week. At the top, I have a subject listed for each column. Then I simply put in what we need to complete for that subject for each week. I can't plan by the day because I will always be changing my plans-some days we do more, some days less, some days we even finish most of what I had planned for one subject for that week. I don't like those daily grids! They just make things too inflexible and make my days feel choppy. So, I plan by the week.

I also plan some breaks into my schedule. About every 6 weeks, I plan a review week. If we've survived the previous 6 weeks, we take a break during that week and read and do extra projects or unit studies or take some extra field trips. If we had a train wreck week, then I always know that there's a review week coming soon where I can make up for lost time. No stress, right!?

But I was having trouble wrapping my brain around planning for Tapestry of Grace. What do you do for your first week? Why, Week 1 of course! But..........how? Where do you even start? Then I read some advice from a TOG mom who said she used a block schedule. That just simplified my planning!

I use my daily schedule and during our history time I use my little block schedule to know what we need to cover for history that day.
Monday: Vocabulary and History Reading
Tuesday: People and History In Depth
Wednesday: Mapwork and Literature
Thursday: Lapbook and Extra Resources
Friday: Narration and Projects

Of course, we usually end up reading most of the books nearly every day as my kids are loving our reading times. But with our block schedule I feel like we cover what we need to for each week, and it keeps each day a little different. I like the variety!

The block schedule is working so well with history that I've used it in a few other areas as well. Our Totschool has a block schedule:
Monday: Music/Circle Time
Tuesday: Art
Wednesday: Ideas from Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready
Thursday: Hands On Ideas (playdoh, sensory tubs, etc)
Friday: PE (balls, parachute play, bowling down the hall, jumping on the couch) Can you tell that we're usually a little crazy by Friday?

Block schedule for Art:
Monday: Art in the style of a famous artist (We use this series for reference.)
Tuesday: Art ideas from Preschool Art
Wednesday: Free art with music (we paint, we glue, we cut, we stamp, we get very messy!)
Thursday: Art ideas from Preschool Art
Friday: Artistic Pursuits

And I'm also using it for Curly's workbook schedule:
Monday: Logic
Tuesday: Geography
Wednesday: Logic
Thursday: Vocabulary

Clearly, I've gone a little block schedule crazy but it is working so well for us. Variety!! Why did I not think of this sooner?

That kind of day.......

2011-09-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Bee: You catch me! I run! he, he, he..... (I did eventually catch her, but not before Ladybug awoke)

Tiger: Naphtali, Levi, Judah!!!!!! (screamed at the top of his lungs while tearing around the house, all while Ladybug is napping, naturally)

Pluses, Bee got in some added PE today (as did I) and Tiger learned something from Bible time today.
Minuses, my ears are still ringing and Ladybug's lack of nap did not make for a pleasant evening.

And then, while I'm trying to corral Bee, who I'm still trying to catch, and while I'm holding Ladybug who wants to eat, Tiger comes in and announces that he is bored and everything is boring!

I can't win! While we're doing school they interrupt, talk over me, scream, roll around on the floor, and act as uninterested as possible. When we aren't doing school they are bored out of their minds.
However, I guess it's clear they are actually listening and learning something. So, again, I plan and get ready for another school day. One day they will appreciate this, right?

Devotions and Kids

2011-09-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

One of the favorite parts of our day is our history time. We are loving Tapestry of Grace which I'm still trying to figure out...
We are covering early Biblical history right now and today we read the story of Noah. We read about the ark, the animals, the flood, and Curly was struck by the fact that God closed the door of the ark.
But how did he close the door? I bet He just spoke and the door closed because He is that powerful. Do you think Noah saw the door shut? I would look.

Childlike faith and wonder. She noticed the miracle in that story-one that I overlook each time I read that passage. She saw the power displayed in the miracle and marveled.

When was the last time I noticed each little nuance of the story and took the time to marvel at the miracles? It was such a sweet reminder of how much I can miss in my rush to fit in devotions before the kids wake up or before I fall asleep.
Sometimes the best I can do is to have my devotion time with my kids, but those are often the moments when I often receive the biggest blessing.

Success!

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Out of the mouth of babes....

2011-09-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Baby Bee is starting to talk in sentences and it's so fun to see how her little brain works. So far I've discovered that she is absolutely the most mule-headed little thing on earth. She is also one of the most hilarious little minds-and she knows she's funny! How can you possibly resist her impish grin? You can just tell she is up to no good....

Tonight I was trying to help her put pj's on between her screams of "Help me!" and then "Me Do It!" Poor child can't make up her mind!
Well, during our tug of war she let out one big toot! Then she began to laugh hysterically and started to make all kinds of grunting noises. What on earth was she doing? I just changed her diaper and she had better not make this one dirty because it's almost bedtime and I did not want to have to change yet another dirty diaper. So what was she doing?

Mom, I toot 'gain! That good plan?

Great plan, Bee! Great plan! As long as you do it somewhere else!

Student Schedules

2011-09-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

The kids are always asking me, What's next? and When are we going to do such and such?and What is after such and such? And even if I answer their question 50 times, it still pops back up. Rather than try to recite the schedule 20 times a day, I made them their own schedules.

I typed Curly a simple schedule into a table on Word. It lists what she is doing for each 30 minute block of our day. She is able to consult her schedule and figure out for herself what is coming next or when art time will be. I know she'll soon have it memorized, but I hope it will help us get through the first few months so I won't have to sound like a broken record.
The good: She doesn't ask me the constant question of what will be next.
The bad: She has become the schedule police and informs me any time she thinks we are "off schedule".
The schedule is a guide and I can modify it or I can change it-I'm the boss! She doesn't quite understand that yet. Flexibility is not her forte....

I thought I would make Tiger a schedule as well because he chimes in right after Curly with the endless questions. Since he can't read, his schedule is picture-driven. It only took me going through the schedule twice with him before he understood exactly what each item meant. Now he has become as much as a slave driver as Curly. He enjoys telling Bee exactly what to do after consulting his schedule.

However, the schedule has cut down on the fussing when we change activities because they already know what is coming next and we're consistent. I just let the schedule be the bad guy and it's amazing what we can accomplish. Maybe soon the kids can have their own planners and do their own planning.......but then I think I would miss the planning.

Back to School Time

2011-09-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Summer has ended (at least in most parts of the country it has, in my part it's still way too hot!). It is back to school time. I guess a few kids might be excited about heading back to school. However, their parents are thrilled, actually beyond thrilled; they want those little terrors out of the house! At least that's what I can gather from those I've spoken with, some who have posted ecstatically on Facebook, and a few I've overheard at the grocery store. Some parents speak of their children in such derogatory language. They can't wait to get rid of them for the day. It's sweet relief for them. Those comments just pierce my heart!

I see all the back to school pictures of tiny tots and cute kids headed off to full days of school or preschool. I ache for them. What will they encounter in that environment? A label of a learning problem because they'd rather be running, jumping climbing? A bully who is unrelenting? A teacher who is condescending? Will they retain their sweet childish innocence, their unclouded view of the word, their precious optimism, and their insatiable curiosity? Or will they be forced to sit still, line up, walk quietly, and conform, all while losing small pieces of individuality and wonderment? Yes, I do ache for them.

But what I truly cannot fathom is the sheer glee with which these comments are made and these pictures are posted. (Of course, I don't try to put every parent into this category). Some parents cannot wait for their break, their time, their freedom! Finally! That big yellow bus comes around the corner and they cannot pawn their children off fast enough. No more kids to bother them for that day! Admit it, you've encountered at least one parent like this lately.

Why are they so eager to get their children out the front door to every activity imaginable, just so long as they get a break from them? They are just "not cut out to stay home" - their words, not mine. They might not be "kid people." And after reading this post, I have to agree, that maybe the problem you have with your kids is actually a problem with you.

I live in the trenches, surrounded by piles of dirty diapers, dishes, and laundry, and I spend my days chasing, hugging, doctoring, and discipling 4 little people. It's not easy-I can speak from experience. I don't get breaks or sick days. I don't get quiet. But what a privilege and ministry to be a parent! What an awesome task that you only get one chance to complete. My children are blessings. Some days might be more difficult than others, but that doesn't mean there is something wrong with them. It's all in how I handle it. If I view them as the problem and the frustration, then that really indicates that the underlying problem is with me.

So, if you've said some of these words, maybe you should reexamine your heart. Maybe the problem lies with you.

TOG Year 1 Week 2

2011-09-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Pharaohs. Pyramids. Mummies. Moses.

Another amazing week. Curly is obsessed with mummies and loved discussing how they were made, Tiger enjoyed hearing about pyramids and how they were built, and Bee is terrified of pictures of Anubis-the jackal headed god of mummification and the afterlife.

This week it really hit me how much information is contained in a week plan. Wow! I initially totally overlooked the worldview section with the Bible and Church History. I saw that segment at the last minute and added in some Moses studies to our Bible times with a story book Bible. It was amazing when Curly made the connection-Mom, were Jacob and Joseph made into mummies? Did Moses worship the Egyptian gods? The Bible stories just came alive for her!

Our favorite books this week were You Wouldn't Want to be a Pyramid Builder and Mummies Made in Egypt. Curly enjoyed the humor in the first book and Tiger was fascinated with the various building facts. And Curly could not get enough of the second book. She is still talking about the process of mummification and burial. Not exactly a topic you would expect from a curly-headed, princess-obsessed, drama queen. Whatever works!

For week 2 we finished our salt map and learned about various kinds of landforms.

We made bricks out of clay, mud, sand, and straw. Lots of messy fun!

I froze some toy dinosaur skeletons and we excavated those from the ice like an archaeologist. Careful, meticulous, and gentle are not in our vocabulary. Archaeologists, we are not!

We are also attempting to mummify an apple.....so far it only looks rotten and very unappetizing. At least it is better than mummifying a chicken-there are only so many things I will do for the sake of learning and that's not up there on my priority list.

And because the kids loved the salt dough so much, we made salt dough amulets.

Ladybug Update

2011-09-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

So, how's Ladybug doing with all the back to school fun? She's enjoying every minute! She is chubby, slobbering, squealing, squirming, rolling, smiling, and laughing. She takes wonderful naps and sleeps through all the chaos. However, when she is awake I spend my time rescuing her when she's rolled away and gotten stuck. Or, I find myself yelling over her squeals so that the other kids can hear me. So, read-alouds when she's awake? Those are never going to happen! But she sure is cute, or at least I think so!

When homeschool doesn't go as planned.....

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our week didn't start off on the right foot.....Daddy worked all weekend on part of his comprehensive exams for his PhD program. The AC didn't feel like it was cooling the house quite like it used to. By late morning on Monday, the AC was officially not working; parts were ordered; we were told to wait until Tuesday. With only one AC working all the kids slept in Ladybug's room on the floor, and Ladybug slept in my closet. I'm not sure anyone slept well. Can you say tired!

Tuesday dawns, thank goodness! Everyone refuses to eat breakfast. What is going on??? I check temperatures-Tiger over 100, Bee just under 100, Curly none. Tiger cries for his bed and Bee wanders around the house crying for her babies. They go back to bed in the pallet on the floor. Thank goodness Curly is ok. Then comes the emergency bathroom run. After 3 emergency bathroom trips, I'm convinced that Curly is also sick. And to make things more exciting.........I am fading fast with whatever virus the kids have.

What do you do when you have amazing plans and then things don't go at all like you've envisioned? You remember the reasons why you homeschool. You remind yourself that family is the most important. The plans will get done, just later than you anticipated. There will be make-up days, lesson-plan tweaks, and flexibility will be learned.

Then when you begin again you will be more flexible. You will have a new sense of gratitude for the little things in life. You will have a renewed sense of purpose as you tackle the lessons that have been put off. And you will know that even on stressful school days, that things could always be worse-and you're so thankful that for today, they're not.

Earrings!

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Right Start Math

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

We've been using Math-U-See, and I do like it and Curly does seem to like it but.........I spent too much time on the Well-Trained Mind Forum Curriculum Board. Oh dear, that's one dangerous place to be! But what else to do while I'm nursing Ladybug early in the morning?

Anyway, my time spent there has been rather expensive. Now I know about all kinds of neat curriculum that I had never heard of before and that I never knew I needed. But I do need it!

I've tried to restrain myself and not curriculum hop, but the Right Start Math just looked perfect for us. So, I did it....or rather Prince Charming allowed me to do it.....and it's ordered; it's on its way to our house right now in those wonderful big brown trucks. Hurry, hurry little man in brown shorts! I haven't seen you in a few weeks and I want my box soon!

While we do enjoy Math-U-See, there just doesn't seem to be enough hands on for us. We like lots of manipulatives- do dads and thing-a-ma-jigs I call them....I like to have options and choices and just, well, stuff. It's a problem. And I seem to have picked the most teacher intensive curricula available. Why do I make my job more difficult!? But it sure is fun! And this is the age where they need the interaction-and hey, they want the interaction (parents are still cool at this age). So, I'm going to take advantage of these moments; I will be busy all day long, but it will be so worth it.

I'm still waiting for that truck, but I'll be sure to post when my big box arrives. It's going to be exciting! And I'll let you know when I find time to fit in all that fun stuff. It's just a good thing my kids ask to do school on the weekends! Now we'll have plenty to do!

I'll fly away...

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

We had a recent visit from grandparents who flew in to see us. The kids had a wonderful time at the airport, sitting in their plane, and then watching them take off.

See you next time!

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-09-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, this post is actually a flashback. I'm a little behind in going through all my pictures. Something about the convenience of a camera in a cell phone-I take so many pictures.

To cap off our school year we had an awards ceremony. We also celebrated Curly's graduation from Kindergarten. All the grandparents came for the occasion and even a great grandma. We had a noisy house that day!

Our ceremony was just one of the many traditions we try to implement in our homeschool to make cherished memories and to celebrate the kids achievements.

Curly wore a new dress for her special day.

The little princess kept "posing" for all of her pictures!

This is our "Meme"

She looked precious in her little cap and gown.

She looks so grown up! Sigh....

The kids were thrilled with their achievement awards and character awards. Curly was awarded for her Creativity, Tiger for his Loyalty, and Bee for her Compassion.

Curly was presented with her diploma and some flowers from Daddy.

She was beaming...

I think the grandparents were excited and we were so glad everyone could make it. How could we resist a chance to show off our kiddos and all the progress they made throughout the year?

What a blessing to be able to teach them, learn with them, disciple them, and cherish each moment. Homeschooling is really about family togetherness and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Preschool Website

2011-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I need a moment of quiet I turn to a short DVD or an educational website. My little people love Disney Jr with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the Sesame Street website but those do get old-at least to me. I let them play on Starfall.com with big sis sometimes and they enjoy playing JumpStart Kindergarten all together.
Today I found another fun website that is free! Kabongo
My kids love to play on the site and the activities are perfect for Tiger so that he can play without being frustrated.
It's free; it's educational; it's entertaining; it gives me a few moments of peace when I need to catch up on laundry. Everybody wins!

Wiggle Worms

2011-09-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Kids were made to move, touch, explore, experience, and create. Not to sit at desks all day and do endless worksheets with even more homework when they get home. Not to line up in single file lines all day, marching from one room to another. Not to sit quietly and sit still while listening to lectures.

Kids learn by doing. Curiosity is piqued by experience. And that's when learning happens.

This article was a perfect reminder and an encouragement to continue in our journey. Learning should be effortless and exciting. Each day should be a new adventure. Remember to revel in the simple things and to cherish the innocence and discoveries of childhood.

Tin Man Press Review

2011-09-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

We were in need of a summer activity and I found Tin Man Press through the Well-Trained Mind Forum. Now, that is one dangerous place if you ask me........it's the hang out of every homeschool mom curriculum junkie and those moms are bad for your budget!

Tin Man Press provides enrichment and thinking-style activities for elementary students. I purchased one of the enrichment packs which are grouped by grade and contain four separate books in each pack. Each book focuses on a separate skill. The pack I purchased was the first set which is aimed at grades K-2 and contains the books: Listen Up!, Smart Art, Take Aways, and What's That?

Listen Up! contains instructions to be read to the student. The student then completes the step-by-step instructions on the provided worksheet page. The aim of this book is to improve listening and direction-following skills.

Smart Art provides prompts asking the student to draw something specific or to complete a provided picture on the worksheet in order to promote creativity.

Take Aways involves scissors and lots of cutting. The provided page looks like a mosaic with a word written on each outlined shape. The top of the page provides categories and the student cuts away the pieces that fit those categories until only one piece is left. This activity is for improving deductive thinking.

The What's That? pages contain a numerous symbolic drawings and the student must match each drawing to a description. This activity promotes analytical thinking skills.

So what did we think?

Although these activities are aimed at the K-2 age group, I would think these were most appropriate for the younger age range. The activities were not overly challenging to Curly and Tiger was able to complete many of the pages with very little help from me.

Curly enjoyed Listen Up! and I felt it did help her slow down and think through each step rather than rushing through to finish.
Smart Art was enjoyable for her as she was able to use her creativity. The prompts gave her a great starting point and her drawings became more detailed through the course of completing the book.
Take Aways was the most time consuming activity booklet as it took Curly quite some time to cut away each small piece until she discovered the last piece. This was a wonderful activity for motor skills and improved her ability to use scissors. We were also able to discuss a few new vocabulary words as I had to define some of the words used in the activities.
What's That? was a favorite of Tiger's. He was able to correctly identify many of the drawings and he and Curly enjoyed working this book by themselves.

Overall, the kids enjoyed the thinking activities and it was a perfect summer activity. It is definitely not typical logic activities and does require some out of the box thinking with a strong emphasis on creativity. However, I did not think it was challenging enough for Curly and I would use these books for the younger age range listed. Curly did ask to do a page or so every day and I plan to get another packet next summer.

TOG Year 1 Week 1

2011-09-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

It is no secret that I have started Tapestry of Grace with the kids this year. I have been coveting this curriculum for a few years (after seeing it on another blog), and I have been impatiently waiting to begin. This year, we decided to go for it and enjoy the Lower Grammar level with lots of read alouds and fun projects. I have been trying to overcome TOG Fog in order to plan our year. But we jumped in and completed our first week and I think I can see how it all comes together now that we've started going through it. (I did have a small breakthrough in the fog that I'll have to blog about later.)

We began in Egypt with some geography studies and an intro to Egypt and the Nile River. And true to my over-planning, book-loving, over-achieving nature, we added in a few extra books to our week 1 line up.
Curly loved Archaeologists Dig for Clues and is convinced that she will be an archeologist. We'll see how long that lasts. Can't you just picture my Curly-headed princess digging in the dirt? She would actually have to get dirty, and that's not ever going to happen!
Her other favorite from the week was the Egyptian Cinderella. How did I ever guess that would be a hit? Strangely, that was also Tiger's favorite book because it mentioned pirates.

We began a salt dough map of our very own country which is yet to be named. Everyone contributed their own unique landforms to our map and we're in the process of painting it. We used Geography from A to Z to give them some ideas for landforms as well as a visual example.

We also made Egyptian paddle dolls. Tiger and Curly each made one and I made one for poor Bee so she wouldn't feel left out. The kids each strung their own beads to make the hair and Bee took forever as she painstakingly threaded each bead on a pipe cleaner. Good for motor skills. Good for motor skills. That was my mantra as I tried to sit patiently with her for 30 minutes. If you notice, her doll has less hair than the other two because after those 30 minutes I tried to persuade her to do something else so I could clean up all the beads she dropped. However, I do think they turned out pretty cute!

After our week, Tiger is obsessed with the Nile crocodiles and Curly is baffled at Egyptian art and the way people are depicted from the side. So, we've got lots of crocodiles and paintings with a view from the side. And that's what they got out of the week.....ohh, and the pirates from Cinderella. This is going to be fun!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-09-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

I thought I would link up to the Homeschool Mother's Journal on the Homeschool Chick blog. This is my first time linking but I hope to connect with some other bloggers listed there. So, here are a few details from my week.....

In my life this week…

The week started off right with my birthday! However, I insist that I don't feel older...I spent much of the week agonizing over which extracurricular activities to join. I think I have it narrowed down and we are signed up. That was complicated! I discovered Pinterest this week. A certain couple of "friends" encouraged me to join. I'm not sure if I appreciate their suggestion or not. Is that thing addictive or what??? But it's an awesome way to organize my homeschool and craft ideas. I actually got a few crafty things done all because I could easily find my ideas on Pinterest. A blessing and a curse! I also helped my poor hubby study statistics for his comprehensive exams for his PhD program-or maybe it should be poor me! That was awful!

In our homeschool this week…

We completed our second full week of homeschooling! This week was much less eventful than the first week, for which I am very grateful. We survived the longest co-op orientation meeting ever-and we even snuck out early due to a hungry baby. Curly's violin bow broke, but she did get her new music book of Christmas songs-which she can't play until her new bow comes. I ordered her a new math curriculum but of course it's on back order! Ah! Tiger is loving his math and it's absolutely perfect. Bee learned the alphabet song and there's nothing cuter than hearing her sing it all day long-well, some quiet moments would be nice too.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Don't spend so much time planning that you miss out on the implementation aspect. How many times do I do this? I need to simplify my planning and know that by just being involved with the kids and spending time with them, they are learning and enjoying. Don't over plan! I need to keep reminding myself of this.

I am inspired by…

A sweet friend and fellow blogger with whom I enjoyed a long late night chat to share frustrations and to discuss all things homeschool-the good, the bad, the ugly, and the inspiring. Her optimism, understanding, and excellent advice was wonderfully encouraging.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We start co-op this week, so we'll be seeing lots of homeschool families and making new friends. Curly will also start ballet this week so we'll be heading to her new studio and also ordering her ballet outfit. She will be so excited!

My favorite thing this week was…

My birthday! The kids got me singing cards, Prince Charming cooked dinner for the kids, and they all pitched in the clean the house. We even had a late date night after the kids ate dinner.

What’s working/not working for us…

Math just isn't working for Curly right now. We've hit a wall and we're both bored. We're going to be switching up our curriculum and trying something new next week!

However, All About Reading Pre-Level 1 is working wonders for Tiger. He loves it! He loves the puppets, he loves the rhyming games, he loves learning his letters, and Bee loves joining us! It's amazing how quickly they are both learning. And it's just downright fun!

Questions/thoughts I have…

How to organize TOG?! I'm still working on the learning curve on that one. There's so much information for the week that I am still trying to figure out which parts we want to cover each week. Plus, I'm learning so much that I have a hard time keeping up!

Things I’m working on…

Staying calm when everyone in the house is yelling. Do I join in so they can hear me? Or do I speak softly and be ignored? Does anyone have an inside voice?

I’m reading…

Delight in Your Child's Design

I’m cooking…

I hope to make another round of allergy-free blueberry bread. It was a hit last week and I'm going to tweak the recipe slightly and try again. It was almost perfect.

I’m grateful for…

A wonderful hubby who is such a help around the house and so hands-on with the kids despite being in the middle of his exams for his PhD.

I’m praying for…

My hubby as he balances work and preparing for his exams. September will be a long and stressful month!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

The force is strong with this one!

I need a holiday....

2011-09-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Labor Day!

I had planned to start school after Labor Day. I had planned to have a fun back to school day with Daddy. I had planned to use the weekend before to finish supply shopping and to get ready. I had planned to have all my planning done and feel so organized. I had lots of great plans. Unfortunately, life didn't work that way....
The kids begged to start school NOW! So we started August 22nd.
Our back to school fun day with Daddy is a day of recovery. Prince Charming took his first round of exams this weekend for his PhD. Two more rounds to go for him. So, with all that stress and the late nights, we are going to recover today.
I still need to do some supply shopping to feel prepped and ready for our year-which is already in full swing. There's nothing like feeling somewhat behind.
I'm also still planning my year. So, now I'm just planning a little as I go. What else will I do while hubby studies?

Either way, it's working out and we're enjoying the journey. It just looks a lot different than I pictured it would be.

And if you think about us in the month of September, please say a prayer for Prince Charming as he writes ridiculously long essays for his exams, and for me as I make endless pots of coffee and keep the kids quiet. I even helped him study statistics to prepare. Wow! Was that ever boring! I needed some chocolate after that one!

Immediate Obedience

2011-09-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

One of the rules at our house is to obey the first time. (I'll share our short and sweet list of rules some other time).

When I ask the kids to do something, the request is sometimes met with screaming, fussing, whining, complaining, or arguing. Each kiddo has a typical response:
Bee-a dig-your-heels-in stubborn and emphatic (complete with screeching) "NO!"
Tiger-a whiny, grumpy, pouty, sulky fit which is made even more fun when he stalks off or decides to ignore the request completely
Curly-a skillful argument complete with thought-provoking questions and a list of reasons why she should not have to do whatever the request was

By the time they've each shown their unique personalities, I'm usually left standing in the midst of the mess and realizing that no one has done anything I've asked them to do. Even if the requests are eventually completed I don't feel like much has been completed. Usually, the fact that more clean up is needed has been discovered in the aftermath of their fits. No progress there.

So, enter our rule - Obey the first time.

I can't count the amount of wasted time, lost privileges, time outs, and the sheer frustration I've felt. If they would only obey the first time, there would be more time for fun games and art and other privileges. There would simply be less work for everyone involved. It sounds so simple!

As I was having one of our many discussions about this particular rule, it hit me. Here I am extolling the benefits of immediate obedience to my children as some type of expert. I sound like an authority on the issue. How hard is it really?

I thought about all the times that something was tugging at my heart-do this, do that, call this person, write that person, go here...Many of those times I put that thought in the "later" category, only to have it completely forgotten or to have realized that "later" was too late.

I've learned the hard way that some of God's tasks for us are time sensitive. And if we're not willing to get up and get busy then he'll find someone else who is. Then we'll miss out on the blessing of being used by Him. How many blessings do we miss by being tardy in our obedience?

Psalm 119:57-60

The LORD is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words.
I sought Your favor with all my heart;
Be gracious to me according to Your word.
I considered my ways
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
I hastened and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.

Sweet Dreams

2011-09-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Shh......Ladybug is sleeping!

Ohh, it's so hard to wake up!

Why, hello bright eyes!

Nevermind. That didn't last long!

Schedule

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

After looking through all the curricula for this school year I had a moment of panic thinking that it was way too much. So, I typed out a schedule to help us make sure we cover the things we need to each day. I divided up our day into 30 minute blocks and planned what each child would be doing during each block of time-and who I would be working with during those times.

I tried to schedule breaks of play time and game time between some of our subjects to help break up the day and to burn off some extra little people energy.

I also scheduled time with Bee first thing after breakfast so I make sure she gets some quality time before we begin other things.

I kept the schedule short with 30 increments for each item to account for the short attention span and to keep the flow of our day moving. This means less opportunity for boredom and less fighting!

I even color-coded my schedule! Actually, let's be honest, Prince Charming made the spreadsheet, typed most of it in there, formatted it, and color-coded it. And then he fixed it when I messed it up.....twice. But hey, I did at least come up with the schedule!

So, here's a link to what our day looks like.............

Thursday Night Science

2011-09-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

This summer I promised myself that we would do better with science. I will do science! I will do science! I will do science!

I don't know what it is about the science projects and experiments, I just put them off until I skip them entirely. I am not a science fan and would rather do any other subject.......but in the interest of making sure that the kids do not turn out like me, I have tried to re-prioritize and move science up a notch, or two....

So what did I decide to do? DELEGATE! I sweet-talked the hubby into doing some science things with the kids. I took a deep breath and let go and allowed someone else to take over. And he did science his way.........and it was amazing!

He dubbed Thursday night as science night and he grabbed the Usborne book, glanced at it for 2 seconds, threw it on the floor, and ad-libbed the rest of the way. Not how I function, but the kids loved it and they even learned some things along the way. He even cleaned up the mess. How's that for perfect? He can sub for me anytime!

Nasal Cavity

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Moms love to share their horror stories about their kids-the stitches, the broken bones, the ER visits. We've had stitches and many ER visits with Bee, but no broken bones yet...........But the one story I never understood was the item-up-the-nose story. I mean, what kid does that? No way my child would do that!

Oops, spoke too soon.

Never leave the children unsupervised! Right? That's when disaster strikes. So I placed the dollhouse in the piano room and supervised the playtime while I cleaned the kitchen. That's a win-win!

That day it was a lose-lose! Tiger began to scream hysterically and came running to me with his finger up his nose. I calmly told him to stop picking his nose and gave a gentle reminder not to eat it (we're working on that. Boys! Gross!) Then I patiently asked him what was wrong.

I can't get it out!!!!!!!!!!

What? The booger? What are you talking about?

I can't get it out!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get it out!!!!!!!!!!!

Then more hysterical screaming. At this point, I was about to start screaming too. Curly ran up (to gleefully tattle) and informed me that he stuck "it" up his nose. What was it??? A piece of her dollhouse, some little item from her kitchen.

I grabbed the screaming child and put him on the counter, grabbed a flashlight, and took a look. Alright. Pink casserole lid cover up the nose. Nice! And it wasn't just up his nose. It was WAY up there.

I got Tiger to sneeze multiple times, but that little pink piece did not budge. I called our pediatrician. Closed for lunch! What else would you expect? I called Prince Charming in a total panic. He ran to his car to head our way. Then I called 911 and tried to ask a coherent question. It was really hard to talk over the screaming. I thought I heard them say "on their way."

Prince Charming pulls up. The ambulance pulls up. Nobody can get that casserole cover out of his nose. The EMT comments that it's too far for him to do anything. So, this guy can save your life but he carries no tool to get a miniature casserole lid out of a nose? C'mon!

So, Prince Charming buckles Tiger into the van and off they go to the Minor Care. Thankfully, hubby was able to calm Tiger and talk him into going with him willingly. And thankfully again, the Minor Care doctor was extremely nice and well-equipped to remove "foreign objects from nasal cavities."

The boys came home and hubby headed back to work. I tried to restore order but failed miserably. At least, I had a talk with Tiger about his nose. He agreed not to put anything else up there. I hope he really means that!

Why NOT to homeschool

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

You are often told of the many reasons why you should home school-and I could compile a huge list myself. But what about some reasons not to homeschool?

Don't home school if you aren't planning to learn some things along the way.

It's going to be a humbling journey!

We're working on first grade (and preschool) here and I've learned so much already. I didn't realize that I would be educating myself. I didn't even realize how many things I didn't learn. I wasn't prepared for how many times I would have to answer "I don't know." I didn't know my tiny tot crowd would be teaching me a thing or two. No one told me that when I began homeschooling! But yet, it's so exciting that I get another chance to learn along the way!

Happy Birthday...........

2011-08-29T23:22:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday! I bet you can guess what my birthday present was..........a new blog design! Thanks to my awesome blog designer, Laura Jane, and to my hubby who is so wonderful and sweet to get me such a fun present!
Now that I have a beautiful blog, maybe I will blog more consistently!

Day 2 and Beyond

2011-08-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

We had a great first day! Hooray for a new school year! So, how long can that enthusiasm last? Around here it can last for a day. Yes. One. Day.

Day 2-Mommy was hit with a massive migraine and we had couch school, floor school, bed school, and bean bag school - rounded out with some Sesame Street and lots of quiet play time. Not a pretty day!

Day 3-This was the day of the post-migraine fog. I actually don't remember anything from this day. What did we do Wednesday? I think we read lots of books. Then the kids rode bikes.

Day 4-I don't think I even got the chance to get dressed that day. I know I didn't get lunch. After our routine was completely derailed on Tuesday, we still hadn't recovered. We worked hard to find our routine and tried valiantly to look productive. Bee was totally uncooperative and did not take a nap. She and Tiger ended up outside having a sand-throwing war. That didn't end well and resulted in midday baths for them. By the time Daddy came home, I was frantically searching the yellow pages for an exorcist. A certain someone went to bed at 7 that night and the entire crew slept until 8 the next morning. Were we out of sync or what?

Day 5-I was dressed and even got lunch that day. It must be a good day! We miraculously completed most of our work for the week by the end of day, including several art projects. Bee took a nap! Then the kids all wore themselves out running through the sprinklers. And taco night. How can that go wrong?

We're wrapping up a few projects over the weekend and doing some extra hands on things while Prince Charming is here to lend a hand. We might even do some allergy-free baking. Weekends are wonderful!

So, our first week was strangely successful but not quite how I envisioned it to be. I know we're called to home school. Both hubby and I agree that this is exactly what we're supposed to do with our family right now. We're obviously on the right track or I don't think someone would be working so hard to derail our plans and frustrate us. But God knows the plans He has for us, and He will help us prosper and overcome. We're going to have some crazy times, but in the midst of the chaos I can still see the blessing of being with my family and making the most of teachable moments.

iPad Fun and Homeschool

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Prince Charming got me an iPad. I haven't figured out how to turn it off yet, but I have been able to use it for a few things.

The kids can watch "educational" YouTube videos when we need some down time. There are also about a million apps and when I find some good ones I'll download them for the kids. I just have to find some first. (How?) Until then, there's always Angry Birds or "Angie burds" as Bee calls it.

The other day we had a few desperate moments and we discovered the Photobooth. Yes, I'm behind the times, but don't tell the kids that. They played with that app for an hour and laughed until they cried. Perfect when you're having one of those days.

Space-Themed School Room

2011-08-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Last year our school room was a jungle theme as chosen by Curly and Tiger. This year, we went for a space theme to correspond to our science studies.

Prince Charming built the kids a cardboard rocket ship. They love to climb in and read or play during school time.

I discovered wall stickers. That was a dangerous discovery!

The reading corner and art area. Perfect!

There's my desk and look how clean it is!

Those are our new shelves thanks to Prince Charming. I love them! They hold my binders, our file boxes, the workbooks, math manipulatives, art supplies, puppets, and reference books-and are the perfect height for little people.

Our work table and our supply cabinet.

Welcome to Lextin!

First Day

2011-08-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

We did it! We're still alive! We had no tantrums! I had no meltdowns! We had a successful first school day for our new school year. It was fun; I think I still like all the curricula I chose; I'm excited about tomorrow.

Our day began with homemade GF/CF cinnamon rolls that were so yummy. (If you want to know why I cook allergy free, you can check out my other blog, Hives in the Kitchen. It is not by choice that I cook allergy free, and it's not just to make my life more difficult that I make things from scratch. I'm an overachiever but I'm not quite that bad, really.)

The table was set with plates and napkins in our school colors. I printed a card for each child and placed it at their spot to commemorate their first day.

Our principal stopped by for a few minutes to join us for breakfast. He heads out for work super early so he can come home and see us before dinner time. He misses me..........sweet, I know!

We took some pictures on the porch and everyone was cooperative. What happened to my children??

Then I consulted our schedule (which I'll blog about later) and off we went.

We had Totschool, phonics, reading, Bible, math, Spanish, science, history, art, game time, play time, and piano. We even had our weekly violin lesson in the evening. (Wow, typing that out makes it look like a ridiculous amount of work. I'm pretty certain we covered an entire month's worth of public school lesson plans in one day.)

Our day was wonderful! Can tomorrow be this good?

And as a side note, I'm behind on posting pics and updates from the end of summer-such as our graduation and awards ceremony. Those will be scattered throughout the next few weeks. Sorry for the posts that are not in chronological order. I'm still going through all the pictures, but they are too cute not to share.

Not Back to School

2011-08-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the big day! We are not going back to school-we will be busy learning, exploring, playing, and making messes. We'll celebrate with cinnamon rolls and new pjs. We'll get to crack open all the new books. I'm not sure who's more excited...........the kids or me!

Blog Break

2011-07-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm hitting up a homeschool convention this weekend and going to be out-and-about for a week, so I'm taking a short blog break!

I'm also having my blog redesigned this week so come back soon to see the new design!

Butterflies

2011-07-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

We had some special visitors stop by! I have been meaning to do our butterfly project for months and we finally had 6 weeks to watch the transformation. I can't say I was a fan of having caterpillars in cups on my kitchen counter, but watching them spin the chrysalis was so exciting. We waited and waited and finally 1 butterfly emerged. That little guy was on his own for an entire day and the next day the other 9 butterflies made their appearance. The kids were so excited! We kept the butterflies for only a few days before releasing them. The kids are already planning to do it again..........

Watching the wings unfold

Ready to fly

Having a sugar water snack

Drinking some orange juice before flying away

Ready to unzip

There it goes!

Seeing the wonder of the experience through their eyes was priceless!

Rosetta Stone Review

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rosetta Stone has been discounted recently, so we took advantage of the lower pricing and ordered all 5 levels of the homeschool version.

Complete homeschool language curriculum
Rosetta Stone Homeschool features a foreign language curriculum specially designed to provide homeschool students with a rich, fully interactive and engaging language-learning experience, while giving parents the tools and resources needed to manage student progress without extensive planning or supervision.
Rosetta Stone Homeschool is self-paced and designed to make it easy for parents to offer language learning even if they don't understand the language their students are studying. Students are instantly captivated by Rosetta Stone so they stay engaged. Plus, with positive reinforcement and quick results, their language-learning confidence soars!
A solid foundation for fluency
Rosetta Stone provides up to five levels of instruction in select languages, beginning with a foundation of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. With Rosetta Stone, your children will do more than learn about a language. They’ll learn to use it.
Parent Administrative Tools
Parent Administrative Tools let you track your student’s progress with just a few mouse clicks. You’ll see which exercises they have completed, assess how well they’ve done and determine how long it took them to finish. You will also be able to select predefined lesson plans and generate progress reports, documenting student achievement for college and job applications.

Rosetta Stone uses the Immersion Method and does not provide translations of words. By using pictures and context clues, you are able to decode the meaning of each word.

With the homeschool version, each level covers a full year's curriculum with plenty of review. You can also select your course of study choosing either a shorter course track which focuses more on listening and speaking or the full curriculum with the grammar and writing added in as well. Curly is using the shorter version so she does not have to do any writing and she does less grammar and reading, while I am using the full curriculum. You are able to add multiple users to the program and each user can be on a different track and at different points in the lesson. The program tracks the progress of each on an individual basis.

The program also comes with an audio CD which we have not yet used.

I do have a complaint about technical issues. Before I write what we thought about the program, I wanted to mention several technical problems we have had with the curriculum. Apparently there have been two updates since the new lot of CD-Roms were made. When my version tried to automatically update to the newest update, I began to get error messages and the program would no longer run on my computer. After calling them and spending over 2 hours working to resolve the issue (trouble-shooting, uninstalling, reinstalling, reactivating), I finally had a working program again. I had to update the program manually with the previous update and then allow the system to update with the newest update. Finally, the program was working again and I still retained my progress information. A few days later I began receiving other errors with the program and the program would not open. Back to technical support I went, and this time I had to reset security settings and reconfigure some programs on my computer which were causing problems with Rosetta. With as much as you spend on Rosetta, these type of problems were a huge disappointment. However, after my multiple calls to technical support and the updates and reconfiguration, we decided to upgrade to Version 4. They do not have a homeschool version for Version 4, but the glitches with updates are gone. The program is basically the same with a slightly different layout on the home screen. So far so good with Version 4.

Version 4 is similar to the earlier version that we had. You can still choose the track you want to complete, it shows your progress path with check boxes as you complete each portion, and you can add up to 10 users (by installing the program on two separate computers-5 users per computer). I'm not finding too many differences between the homeschool version 3 and our new version 4.

The Pros: The software is colorful with bright pictures that make decoding the words fairly simple. The words are spoken clearly with an option to have them repeated as many times as you wish. The program lays out a timeline of the lessons you are to complete in each unit and shows checkboxes on each completed segment. This allows you to easily track your progress and see how much more you have for each unit. There is plenty of review, ensuring that you do not forget the words you have previously covered. There is also a good variety of exercises with some asking you to choose the correct picture for the word or phrase, to speak the correct phrase according to the picture, to type the correct phrase, or to choose the correct form or conjugation of a word.

The Cons: Obviously, we have had some frustrating technical issues so this was a huge time-waster for me. You can eliminate this by heading straight for Version 4.
The program often uses the same pictures for each phrase so you can get into the habit of memorizing which picture goes with the appropriate phrase rather than truly understanding the meaning of the words and phrases.
The speech recognition portion can refuse to recognize your speech. This has probably been the most frustrating aspect for both myself and for Curly. You can change the speech recognition settings to "easy" where it is more likely to recognize your pronunciation and accept it as correct. But at times, the program will not recognize my words or phrase as correct. There have been many times that I know I'm saying simple things correctly (such as "seis" or "si"), but the program continually indicates that my pronunciation is not correct. At this point, I have started skipping that word and moving on to other words. If you didn't skip this portion, you could be stuck saying a word more than 20 times. Obviously the speech recognition has a more difficult time with Curly's pronunciations but there are many times when it does not recognize mine or my husband's pronunciation.

What we think: Curly loves doing her Spanish and I'm amazed that she can decode the words without the translation. She has picked up on so many words and phrases and has begun using them throughout the day. She has been able to easily retain what she has learned and the amount of review in the program seems to help her tremendously.

Because I can choose which program track to complete, Curly is able to do much of her Spanish independently since no typing or writing is required of her program track. This allows younger children to begin Spanish with the option of completing the full program when they are older.

The program introduces many phrases and questions which demonstrate various verb conjugations. The program moves at a fairly quick pace with some of these conjugations so it could be difficult to keep up with the changing verb forms if you were not already familiar with Spanish conjugations. I had to explain to Curly how and why the verb forms change and now she is able to follow along more easily. For an older student, a grammar supplement might help them understand how and why to conjugate each verb form, especially the irregular verbs.

Overall, we have been pleased with the program. Curly thinks the Spanish is fun but it is also challenging enough for her. Because she can hear the pronunciations multiple times, she has been able to successfully begin speaking Spanish with us and she is confident in trying out her new words. I have enjoyed going through the extended version of the program and feel like I am able to retain most of the vocabulary as well as learn some phrases with conjugations.

The program is very interactive and works well for students of all ages. Curly enjoys it and even Tiger likes to watch her complete her lessons while listening in on his own headset. Learning Spanish together has been a fun family endeavor and I would recommend Rosetta Stone.

What Have We Been Up To? Part 2

2011-07-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

We've been riding in tractors

Enjoying the shade

We bought a couch big enough for the whole family

Tiger learned to ride his new bike

Curly got her "big girl" bike

Ladybug found her thumb

We've been swimming!

Bee has been caring for her animals and her babies

We've been painting

We've been visiting the beach where Bug likes to nap

And we've taken swim lessons!

We've been busy! And summer's not over yet!

Redecorating

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

We have started redecorating our homeschool room for the upcoming year. The jungle theme is gone. Can you guess our new theme?

I'll post more pictures once our room is complete!

Blending Phonograms

2011-07-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

We've been using the Phonics Road and I really enjoy the program. It's wonderful for spelling and it introduces grammar later in the first level. It is a complete language arts program.

We've been very slowly starting level one. However, we seem to have hit a brick wall, and Curly is struggling with her reading. Now, the program emphasizes learning to spell first using the spelling rules, and then applying what you've learned to read. It's a great approach. But Curly wants to read now!

So, I think we're going to branch off a little and work on some reading skills using the phonograms that we know. If we can get proficient in reading some beginning readers, Curly will be happier and I will be too. Then we can go back into the spelling and continue on with the rules and the grammar portion.

Reading Made Easy with Blend Phonics was recommended to me as a way to focus on phonics and blending the phonograms. I think Curly's biggest struggle is with blending the sounds. We're going to try this resource starting in the fall and then possibly start over with Phonics Road Lesson 1 in the fall. I'm hoping things will click this time and her reading will take off!

I've also ordered the phonogram cards that come with the All About Spelling program. These will add another fun hands on element to our learning. I could have made them like this blogger........but it was too easy to add them to my Rainbow Resource order. We even had the same idea. I have magnetic strips and small cookie sheets. Letter magnets!

What Have We Been Up To?

2011-07-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Driving tiny fire trucks

Playing a new game with Daddy

Torturing poor Tiger with dresses and bows

Watching huge tankers

Freezing in cold water

Being the one boy bucket brigade

Making Rice Krispie treats

Taking Ladybug on her first zoo adventure

Befriending a dragon

Marveling at creation

Chugging along on choo-choos

Dressing alike

Driving tractors

And playing the day away

Recipe Box Files

2011-07-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Isn't it fun when you forget all the things your child is supposed to be memorizing? I don't mean you forget the passage or Bible verse that they are memorizing. I'm talking about when you totally forget you were working on memorizing something and you don't review it for, ohhh, weeks or months. Then you have to go back and relearn the entire thing. Or when you forget about some past spelling words and then they are magically gone from the child's mind.

How do I keep all this straight? Not only can I not remember the words to the verses we are memorizing (hence my cheat sheets). I can't remember that we're even working on something.

First, I have a......wait for it.....comb-bound notebook of our memory work. We have a new passage each month-either a Bible passage, poem, or historic speech. I love comb-binding! We review these passages each day at breakfast. I've even learned a few of them.

Then I bought some recipe card file boxes with dividers and lots of index cards. I have 3 boxes:
Phonics Road
Memory Work
Vocabulary

Phonics Road
In this box I have cards of our spelling words from the program. I have 3 files (so far): Review, Mastered, Rule Tunes. Instead of writing one word on each card (then my box would quickly explode), I write 4 or 5 words on each side of the card. Reviewing 8 to 10 words each day is a perfect amount for Curly. Each day I pull out one card and we review those words. If she makes it through each word on the card perfectly we move that card to the Mastered section. If not, it comes around again. This way we hit all the words we need to work on and I don't forget any or leave them out.

Memory Work
This box has lots of sections. There are sections for each of our other studies. I have a section for Tapestry of Grace Year 1 and Apologia Astronomy as well as other things we will cover this upcoming year. Anytime we have a list or important facts to remember from that subject, I will write it on a card and file it away. We can go through and review by subject or pick one card from each subject.

Vocabulary
We spend so much of our time reading together-for all of our subjects. We constantly encounter words that are new to Curly. Until now I have been providing a simple definition and moving on in our books. She was retaining many of the definitions but I wanted to introduce her to dictionary work so we added a box for vocab cards. I keep a running list of new words that we encounter during our daily reading. I still provide her with a brief definition and continue the story. Later that day, we pull out the dictionary and make our cards. She looks up each word in her new dictionary and I write the word and definitions for her. Then we talk about how that word was used in the book we read. This is the hard part for me. Mom has to have been paying attention when I was reading and then later remember how the words were used in the story. Later, she illustrates the card to help her remember the definition. Some of her illustrations are amazingly creative!

We will be organized now, right? And I will never forget memory work again! I will forget what we are memorizing but at least I'll know where to find it!