ha ha! like that title? since i haven't done a week in review for a while, i thought it appropriate. heck, i may even do monthly reviews instead of weekly and that way i will have at least 12 posts by the end of 2010...tee hee!
but, seriously...
december 2009 was a tad unkind to us. we didn't make it to church until the very last sunday of the year due to illness and travel. the beginning of december saw all of the kids getting ill...twice!
tic-tac started it off with a fever following our bible study. and by fever i mean 104 and climbing. it lasted 24 hours and then was gone, followed by the lovely congestion and headache that seems to accompany the flu this year. then bonobo got it 2 days later...same fever and other symptoms. i thought stinkerbell was in the clear til she started vomiting 4 days later. and she had a lovely fever that wouldn't come down below 102 despite all our best efforts. she is miserable when she is ill, let me tell ya!
we finished up our fevers just in time to travel 15 hours in a minivan to northern california to visit friends and family. we were there 10 days and then traveled back the grueling interstate another 14 hours. daddy had to start back to work the very next day, so needless to say...we were all wiped out.
Christmas was amazingly peaceful at our house. thankfully we didn't have any repeat performances of our hospital stay with bonobo last holiday season. we did, however, have a repeat performance of traveling to the local wal-mart for last minute gifts because i didn't have all my ducks in a row before we left (remember the illness?). i don't know what it is about wal-mart and humanity at christmas time, but it usually is not a pleasant experience.
all this to say...school didn't happen in december...just life :) which is kind of like school, right??
if you are still reading this, thank you! i pray that you had a merry christmas and are going into the new year with hope in your hearts. we are holding fast to our faith in Jesus Christ that we are traveling on the path He has for us, as imperfect as we are. we know that in all things, He is working for His glory, and i am so thankful to be a part of that. blessings to you all in the new year!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Down Down the Mountain- FIeld Trip
we finished off our FIAR with a visit to a pioneer museum. it was so much fun! we had a blast looking through the old log cabin homes, seeing people dressed in period attire, and watching a gunfight! the gunfight was a bit loud for Little A, so i didn't get any pictures of it as i was busy holding her ears! below are some pictures of our morning. we got to eat a picnic lunch on the town green, and then listen to one of the moms read our story.
this was my favorite thing of the morning! we got to watch the blacksmith make a nail! i was amazed!
the printing press office was pretty amazing. it was fun to watch the kids' faces when i explained that each letter had to be put into the template before they could print out the newspaper! they couldn't believe they couldn't just point and click!
my ha-ha moment of the day was when one of the girls had a conversation with me about the cameras in the old days...you know, the ones with film that you had to take to the store to have developed...boy do i feel old!
this was my favorite thing of the morning! we got to watch the blacksmith make a nail! i was amazed!
the printing press office was pretty amazing. it was fun to watch the kids' faces when i explained that each letter had to be put into the template before they could print out the newspaper! they couldn't believe they couldn't just point and click!my ha-ha moment of the day was when one of the girls had a conversation with me about the cameras in the old days...you know, the ones with film that you had to take to the store to have developed...boy do i feel old!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Week in Review :)
wow..does it feel good to write that title!!!
we have been away from school for waaaayyyyy too long!
we began our rowing this week in earnest :) thanks to a few helpful websites from a friend we were able to start rowing our co-op book (even though we didn't have our manual yet):
i decided to start the kids off with a lapbook, and boy was it a hit! both boys enjoyed making a floor plan of Hetty and Hank's cottage, finding the Blue Ridge Mountains on a map of the US, doing vocabulary word matching, and listing foods found in the story and deciding which was their favorite.
today we worked on word problems. the boys have never seen math done that way before. we got down on the floor with counting blocks and did several addition and subtraction problems and introduced the concept of one-half. both the boys had so much fun, and before i knew it, almost an hour had passed!
what a difference FIAR has made for us. i actually enjoyed doing school with the boys this week!
we will wrap up our week with a trip to a semi-local pioneer museum. saturday, we are going to have a lunch of johnny cakes and hot dogs (don't have any ham on hand).
i am eager to start prepping for our next book. i am not sure if we will do another lapbook, but the boys have had such fun showing their dad all the cool stuff in it, it may be the way we experience rowing :)
my highlight of the week:
Joel was able to pull out his vocabulary matching cards last night for dad and get every one of them RIGHT! woo-hoo!!!
we have been away from school for waaaayyyyy too long!
we began our rowing this week in earnest :) thanks to a few helpful websites from a friend we were able to start rowing our co-op book (even though we didn't have our manual yet):
Down Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle.
i decided to start the kids off with a lapbook, and boy was it a hit! both boys enjoyed making a floor plan of Hetty and Hank's cottage, finding the Blue Ridge Mountains on a map of the US, doing vocabulary word matching, and listing foods found in the story and deciding which was their favorite.
today we worked on word problems. the boys have never seen math done that way before. we got down on the floor with counting blocks and did several addition and subtraction problems and introduced the concept of one-half. both the boys had so much fun, and before i knew it, almost an hour had passed!
what a difference FIAR has made for us. i actually enjoyed doing school with the boys this week!
we will wrap up our week with a trip to a semi-local pioneer museum. saturday, we are going to have a lunch of johnny cakes and hot dogs (don't have any ham on hand).
i am eager to start prepping for our next book. i am not sure if we will do another lapbook, but the boys have had such fun showing their dad all the cool stuff in it, it may be the way we experience rowing :)
my highlight of the week:
Joel was able to pull out his vocabulary matching cards last night for dad and get every one of them RIGHT! woo-hoo!!!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
I'm in love...
well, sort of...
i am definitely becoming an admirer, and i don't think it will be too long before i am in love.
what am i in love with?
Five in a Row.
i am discovering that i am not the teach at the table with workbooks kind of teacher.
my kids are simply more hands-on kind of kids.
although tic-tac likes his workbooks to an extent, it only holds his attention for say, 10 minutes at best.
and bonobo just can't do them at all... sigh
i was getting so discouraged as of late with our "failure" at staying on task these last several weeks. i had just lamented to my husband about how much i was feeling like i just wasn't capable of teaching our children.
it was a 'bus day' for sure.
you know, when you were wishing you were a traditional schooling family and the bus came and carted your kids away for 8 hours.
i only have them in my most desperate of moments.
and then, like God is so apt to do, an answer came in the perfect time.
a woman who is in my bible study and i were talking and i was just sharing with her my recent frustrations with our curriculum and my, well, my angst over my own abilities.
she asked, have you ever heard of Five in a Row?
i told her we had the first volume, but hadn't done much with it, because i was so stuck in my rut.
she graciously invited me to her home that friday to share in their FIAR co-op! they have been praying for another family to join, so she asked me to come and check it out!
isn't that so like God?
so, anyway. we went and heard a wonderful story, then played outside acting out elements of the story. we also did a craft emphasizing the desert landscape that was so much a part of the story. it was a joy to watch my kids living out the story. it really cemented the elements into their minds.
they talked about it all the way home and then got to share with daddy about how much fun they had.
wow! my eyes were really opened up to the possibilities that exist with FIAR. i am hooked, and just might be in love. thanks, julie, julie and yvette for opening your co-op to me and letting us get creative with you! i had so much fun, and came away with a lot of ideas :) i hope to do it again soon!!
oh, the book we read? Roxaboxen, by Alice McClerran. definitely a keeper!
i am definitely becoming an admirer, and i don't think it will be too long before i am in love.
what am i in love with?
Five in a Row.
i am discovering that i am not the teach at the table with workbooks kind of teacher.
my kids are simply more hands-on kind of kids.
although tic-tac likes his workbooks to an extent, it only holds his attention for say, 10 minutes at best.
and bonobo just can't do them at all... sigh
i was getting so discouraged as of late with our "failure" at staying on task these last several weeks. i had just lamented to my husband about how much i was feeling like i just wasn't capable of teaching our children.
it was a 'bus day' for sure.
you know, when you were wishing you were a traditional schooling family and the bus came and carted your kids away for 8 hours.
i only have them in my most desperate of moments.
and then, like God is so apt to do, an answer came in the perfect time.
a woman who is in my bible study and i were talking and i was just sharing with her my recent frustrations with our curriculum and my, well, my angst over my own abilities.
she asked, have you ever heard of Five in a Row?
i told her we had the first volume, but hadn't done much with it, because i was so stuck in my rut.
she graciously invited me to her home that friday to share in their FIAR co-op! they have been praying for another family to join, so she asked me to come and check it out!
isn't that so like God?
so, anyway. we went and heard a wonderful story, then played outside acting out elements of the story. we also did a craft emphasizing the desert landscape that was so much a part of the story. it was a joy to watch my kids living out the story. it really cemented the elements into their minds.
they talked about it all the way home and then got to share with daddy about how much fun they had.
wow! my eyes were really opened up to the possibilities that exist with FIAR. i am hooked, and just might be in love. thanks, julie, julie and yvette for opening your co-op to me and letting us get creative with you! i had so much fun, and came away with a lot of ideas :) i hope to do it again soon!!
oh, the book we read? Roxaboxen, by Alice McClerran. definitely a keeper!
Friday, October 9, 2009
life school, fall break, and one tired mama
so, we haven't been 'schooling' lately.
at the end of august, we found out we were expecting our fourth little blessing. we have officially crossed over into the big family realm.
you know, when people start to look at you funny and ask silly questions like, "don't you know what causes that?"
ahem. yes.
but i digress.
anyway. this first trimester has been especially difficult. the all-day sickness has been pretty awful. i even lost 7 pounds in the first few weeks. doesn't make the OB too happy. oh, well.
i have been overwhelmingly tired...man, about 1 pm i just want to fall over and stay in bed for the day which i can't.
i am supposed to be schooling my kids.
eeek.
we haven't done a lot of workbooks lately. i have been trying to at least get their Bible in and continue on with the TOG curriculum. we should be well into the 2nd unit, but we are still stumbling along in the 1st.
we are doing more life school and character training, which i think we would have had to do anyway as the boys are really having a hard time being kind to each other these days.
i am feeling pretty down about how 'behind' we are. and then i remind myself that tic-tac is only 6. i think we can slack a little and still do just fine. we will just call it our "fall break"
they have "fall break" out here. i had never heard of it before. they take a whole week off (sometimes 2) just like a spring break. seriously?
happy schooling! i hope you are doing better than we are :)
at the end of august, we found out we were expecting our fourth little blessing. we have officially crossed over into the big family realm.
you know, when people start to look at you funny and ask silly questions like, "don't you know what causes that?"
ahem. yes.
but i digress.
anyway. this first trimester has been especially difficult. the all-day sickness has been pretty awful. i even lost 7 pounds in the first few weeks. doesn't make the OB too happy. oh, well.
i have been overwhelmingly tired...man, about 1 pm i just want to fall over and stay in bed for the day which i can't.
i am supposed to be schooling my kids.
eeek.
we haven't done a lot of workbooks lately. i have been trying to at least get their Bible in and continue on with the TOG curriculum. we should be well into the 2nd unit, but we are still stumbling along in the 1st.
we are doing more life school and character training, which i think we would have had to do anyway as the boys are really having a hard time being kind to each other these days.
i am feeling pretty down about how 'behind' we are. and then i remind myself that tic-tac is only 6. i think we can slack a little and still do just fine. we will just call it our "fall break"
they have "fall break" out here. i had never heard of it before. they take a whole week off (sometimes 2) just like a spring break. seriously?
happy schooling! i hope you are doing better than we are :)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
what happened to 3, 4 and 5???
so, what happened to weeks 3, 4 and 5? well. life. life happened.
messy, crazy, not too predictable life.
and it isn't promising to get any better in the near future.
we have managed to get some schooling done here and there.
we got through the story of Moses and the Exodus and are now focusing on Creation in the TOG curriculum.
bonobo managed to slowly (painfully) wade through the letters M and K before stalling out completely.
we couldn't get through a week of The Rag Coat to save my life, and i tried for 2 weeks! argh!!
tic-tac got through several pages of math (thank goodness he loves to do workbook pages).
as for the rest of it, well. we are behind.
sigh.
i am hoping to get back on track soon.
this week, no go, as we have two full days of bible study training for our CBS group. very long days. we took monday off, too, of course, since daddy had the day off.
sigh.
it gets better, right?
school, that is? i know life just gets in the way and will continue to do so.
messy, crazy, not too predictable life.
and it isn't promising to get any better in the near future.
we have managed to get some schooling done here and there.
we got through the story of Moses and the Exodus and are now focusing on Creation in the TOG curriculum.
bonobo managed to slowly (painfully) wade through the letters M and K before stalling out completely.
we couldn't get through a week of The Rag Coat to save my life, and i tried for 2 weeks! argh!!
tic-tac got through several pages of math (thank goodness he loves to do workbook pages).
as for the rest of it, well. we are behind.
sigh.
i am hoping to get back on track soon.
this week, no go, as we have two full days of bible study training for our CBS group. very long days. we took monday off, too, of course, since daddy had the day off.
sigh.
it gets better, right?
school, that is? i know life just gets in the way and will continue to do so.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
In the Car...
our latest audio selection is
How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell, read by Jay O. Sanders.
i read this book as a girl in elementary school and remembered it to be pretty funny, and just a tad gross.
which is right up our alley! my two boys hooted and hollered throughout the playback, and more than once we had to sit in the driveway or in the parking lot at wal-mart so that the chapter could finish.
i thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Week 2 :)
this week was pretty low key. we started strong on monday, and then hiccuped some when we got ill one child per day. by the end of the week, we were all hacking and dripping everywhere, even mom! needless to say, we kept school to a minimum toward the end of the week. dad had friday off, so he pitched in and did all the kids reading with them.
i am SUPER glad i am not working off a calendar, because i would feel pretty defeated and behind right now. as it is, we will just continue where we left off and check items off the list as we go :)
we did manage to get some things done, though!
focused on learning about pharaohs from the Pharaohs and Pyramids book by Time Travelers.
he did several worksheets from Horizons math, although i am getting less and less excited about them. there is very little hands on and i am starting to think he will do better with more manipulatives.
our science experiment for the week was nixed because it involved the outdoors and it was darn hot. maybe when it gets cooler (like in november!).
we finished up our Deserts book.
we continued learning verses. he has the first 4 down pat from our Truth and Grace book. we are also moving along in our catechism, and daddy has taken to reviewing the verses/questions with the kids at night during family worship time.
we focused on the letter B and reviewed the letter F. we have these great books i got from ebay a few years ago by J. Moncure that emphasize each letter and sound with the entire theme of the book. they are amazing!!! she has several series of phonic books, and i have yet to see a bad one. they are great for little ones just learning their sounds and letters :)
our FIAR book for the week was Lentil by Robert McCloskey. this book is absolutely wonderful. JoJo really enjoyed playing his harmonica in the bathtub for the acoustic experiment!
we all had fun making our Egyptian Paddle Dolls from the Old Testament Days craft book. the boys put them on their walls, and little A had been running around with hers all week. i am hoping to download the pictures sometime this week.
even though we were sick, we managed to get some stuff done. big N had some issues this week with his attitude, and we have had several discussions about being teachable and what that looks like. all in all, i feel like we all made at least one step forward despite all our setbacks.
i need to get cracking on preparing the next two weeks. i need to go through the next few weeks on our TOG and get the books from the library reserved.
i need to prepare the science experiment for the week.
i need to get stinkerbell's tot trays ready. (haven't heard about tot trays? check out carisa at her blog for some AWESOME ideas on school for the little ones! she is amazing!)
have a great week :)
i am SUPER glad i am not working off a calendar, because i would feel pretty defeated and behind right now. as it is, we will just continue where we left off and check items off the list as we go :)
we did manage to get some things done, though!
tic-tac
focused on learning about pharaohs from the Pharaohs and Pyramids book by Time Travelers.
he did several worksheets from Horizons math, although i am getting less and less excited about them. there is very little hands on and i am starting to think he will do better with more manipulatives.
our science experiment for the week was nixed because it involved the outdoors and it was darn hot. maybe when it gets cooler (like in november!).
we finished up our Deserts book.
we continued learning verses. he has the first 4 down pat from our Truth and Grace book. we are also moving along in our catechism, and daddy has taken to reviewing the verses/questions with the kids at night during family worship time.
bonobo
we focused on the letter B and reviewed the letter F. we have these great books i got from ebay a few years ago by J. Moncure that emphasize each letter and sound with the entire theme of the book. they are amazing!!! she has several series of phonic books, and i have yet to see a bad one. they are great for little ones just learning their sounds and letters :)
our FIAR book for the week was Lentil by Robert McCloskey. this book is absolutely wonderful. JoJo really enjoyed playing his harmonica in the bathtub for the acoustic experiment!
we all had fun making our Egyptian Paddle Dolls from the Old Testament Days craft book. the boys put them on their walls, and little A had been running around with hers all week. i am hoping to download the pictures sometime this week.
even though we were sick, we managed to get some stuff done. big N had some issues this week with his attitude, and we have had several discussions about being teachable and what that looks like. all in all, i feel like we all made at least one step forward despite all our setbacks.
mom
i need to get cracking on preparing the next two weeks. i need to go through the next few weeks on our TOG and get the books from the library reserved.
i need to prepare the science experiment for the week.
i need to get stinkerbell's tot trays ready. (haven't heard about tot trays? check out carisa at her blog for some AWESOME ideas on school for the little ones! she is amazing!)
have a great week :)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Week 1 :)
we schooled 3 full days this week. here is the breakdown :
tic-tac
- read Egyptians and Deserts this week, vocabulary words in line with each
- finished the Handwriting Without Tears workbook from last semester
- worked on several pages of our Horizons Math workbook
- memorized Genesis 1:1 and Matthew 22:37; copywork of verses
- 30 minutes of private reading time daily
- science: learned about lightning, thunder, and rainbows
bonobo
tic-tac also participated in the reading of Ping throughout the week and learned right along with bonobo.
each of the boys really enjoyed their week! next week i hope to incorporate crafts and a field trip. next week we will also go four days instead of 3. i think we will stick with a four-day week so that fridays can be used for errands, playdates, etc.
i think.
that is the fun of home-schooling, right?
flexibility, baby!
- Five in a Row book: The Story About Ping
- Get Ready for the Code :letter 'f'
- memorized Genesis 1:1 and Matthew 22:37
- reading time with mommy
- science: reflections
- art: composition and water
tic-tac also participated in the reading of Ping throughout the week and learned right along with bonobo.
each of the boys really enjoyed their week! next week i hope to incorporate crafts and a field trip. next week we will also go four days instead of 3. i think we will stick with a four-day week so that fridays can be used for errands, playdates, etc.
i think.
that is the fun of home-schooling, right?
flexibility, baby!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
First Day of School...
wow! it is august already! i am soooo excited to start with our first day of school, i am blogging about it a day early :) i realized that i hadn't posted my curriculum choices yet, so i thought i would start with that and then (hopefully) do weekly summaries about our days...
tic-tac is 6, going on 7 in december. we homeschooled very, very loosely with him last year, hit many bumps in the road, and basically, i gave up trying to follow our Sonlight curriculum. it was just too much and didn't have any clear connections between subjects. my husband and i talked, reviewed and basically gave it up to God, and then he let me choose what we would be using this fall and we chose:
Tapestry of Grace as our core unit study
Horizons math (he still has to finish last year's workbooks before i feel good about purchsing anything new)
Handwriting Without Tears
Sonlight Science K (i really liked their resources!)
Truth and Grace/Catechism for Boys and Girls
Put On workbook put out by DoorPosts
The 21 Rules of this House (i will edit and let you know the publisher when i get a chance).
Luke, a bible study put out by Community Bible Study
it seems like a lot, but i have our schedule blocked out pretty nicely. we plan on going year-round this time since it is so blessed hot here in the valley during the summer and we don't have a pool :) i felt like we really could have gotten a lot done these last few months if i had just gotten my act together!
i am also really trying to focus on biblical characteristics and godly living this year. i hope to see some significant growth in each of my children (and ME!) this year as we dig into the bible together and learn verses, and write God's Word into our hearts.
for bonobo, as he just turned 4 in april, we are really taking it easy, but i don't want him to feel left out. he is eager to read just like his older brother, and i hope to use an adapted workbox system to foster some independent study on his part. his core curriculum is
Five in a Row...if you haven't ever checked out this curriculum, i HIGHLY recommend that you do. it is inexpensive, and encourages children to get completely involved in the story. you read the book (all priceless selections) every day for five days and then each day focus on a different aspect of study (social studies, geography, art, music, math, science, etc)...even has suggested field trips! i LOVE it!!! we have been able to get several of the books ahead of time from the library.
Explode the Code, primer A, B, C
stinkerbell is only 2, but i went ahead and got Before Five in a Row for her since she is showing so much interest in reading books. i am also working on her Tot Trays for her to work on her own with fun toys while i am occupied with the boys.
that is our curriculum in a nutshell. ha! i will let you know how it is all going as soon as i come up to breathe!!!
have a great first day of school :)
tic-tac is 6, going on 7 in december. we homeschooled very, very loosely with him last year, hit many bumps in the road, and basically, i gave up trying to follow our Sonlight curriculum. it was just too much and didn't have any clear connections between subjects. my husband and i talked, reviewed and basically gave it up to God, and then he let me choose what we would be using this fall and we chose:
Tapestry of Grace as our core unit study
Horizons math (he still has to finish last year's workbooks before i feel good about purchsing anything new)
Handwriting Without Tears
Sonlight Science K (i really liked their resources!)
Truth and Grace/Catechism for Boys and Girls
Put On workbook put out by DoorPosts
The 21 Rules of this House (i will edit and let you know the publisher when i get a chance).
Luke, a bible study put out by Community Bible Study
it seems like a lot, but i have our schedule blocked out pretty nicely. we plan on going year-round this time since it is so blessed hot here in the valley during the summer and we don't have a pool :) i felt like we really could have gotten a lot done these last few months if i had just gotten my act together!
i am also really trying to focus on biblical characteristics and godly living this year. i hope to see some significant growth in each of my children (and ME!) this year as we dig into the bible together and learn verses, and write God's Word into our hearts.
for bonobo, as he just turned 4 in april, we are really taking it easy, but i don't want him to feel left out. he is eager to read just like his older brother, and i hope to use an adapted workbox system to foster some independent study on his part. his core curriculum is
Five in a Row...if you haven't ever checked out this curriculum, i HIGHLY recommend that you do. it is inexpensive, and encourages children to get completely involved in the story. you read the book (all priceless selections) every day for five days and then each day focus on a different aspect of study (social studies, geography, art, music, math, science, etc)...even has suggested field trips! i LOVE it!!! we have been able to get several of the books ahead of time from the library.
Explode the Code, primer A, B, C
stinkerbell is only 2, but i went ahead and got Before Five in a Row for her since she is showing so much interest in reading books. i am also working on her Tot Trays for her to work on her own with fun toys while i am occupied with the boys.
that is our curriculum in a nutshell. ha! i will let you know how it is all going as soon as i come up to breathe!!!
have a great first day of school :)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Read and Share
i started a group several months back called Read and Share for Kids.
the basic premise was to be that kids would read a book in keeping with a monthly theme, come share about it with a group of kids and moms, and then trade the book at the end of the morning.
the sharing of the books worked beautifully, but the trading didn't.
the kids often wanted to share one of their favorite books, but weren't quite willing to part with it, and there were several times i ix-nayed a book choice because i didn't want to let it go off our shelf.
so we dropped the trade aspect, and it seems to work just fine now!
in fact, we often share books from the library that we choose specifically for the event.
we meet once a month at a library, house or park. the kids all get together to share and enjoy hearing about the other's selections.
children as young as 3 have participated! it is so much fun.
this morning was our day, and we had 5 children share. afterward we had snack (provided by the host mom, thanks, heather!) and some play time. i think the morning went beautifully!
i love how it has opened up my 6 year old to new possibilities. he is reading with a passion right now, and loves picking out a book to share. we are going to start focusing on story elements so that he can start to identify them. my 4 year old really got into it this morning, too!
i am hoping that others will read this and be inspired to do something similar in their circle of friends. i love that it brings together children with a common theme. i hope we can grow our group in the upcoming months! i hope to incorporate some crafts or other themed activities to make it more meaningful for the kids (and moms!).
thanks to all the families who are participating! any ideas on some themes for the next few months?
the basic premise was to be that kids would read a book in keeping with a monthly theme, come share about it with a group of kids and moms, and then trade the book at the end of the morning.
the sharing of the books worked beautifully, but the trading didn't.
the kids often wanted to share one of their favorite books, but weren't quite willing to part with it, and there were several times i ix-nayed a book choice because i didn't want to let it go off our shelf.
so we dropped the trade aspect, and it seems to work just fine now!
in fact, we often share books from the library that we choose specifically for the event.
we meet once a month at a library, house or park. the kids all get together to share and enjoy hearing about the other's selections.
children as young as 3 have participated! it is so much fun.
this morning was our day, and we had 5 children share. afterward we had snack (provided by the host mom, thanks, heather!) and some play time. i think the morning went beautifully!
i love how it has opened up my 6 year old to new possibilities. he is reading with a passion right now, and loves picking out a book to share. we are going to start focusing on story elements so that he can start to identify them. my 4 year old really got into it this morning, too!
i am hoping that others will read this and be inspired to do something similar in their circle of friends. i love that it brings together children with a common theme. i hope we can grow our group in the upcoming months! i hope to incorporate some crafts or other themed activities to make it more meaningful for the kids (and moms!).
thanks to all the families who are participating! any ideas on some themes for the next few months?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
tic-tac's library pick of the week...
we spend a lot of time picking out books at the library.
quite a bit, actually.
i am always looking for new books to read that my kids will be interested in. it never fails that the ones we read over and over are the silliest out there. sometimes i don't get the humor. like why my husband actually likes the old Monte Python series...but i digress...sorry...
since i am always looking, i thought i would share our library pics of the week for tic-tac (boy, age 6) and bonobo (boy, age 4). i am highlighting tic-tac's since bonobo hasn't settled on anything thus far.
tic-tac's read of the week is (drum roll, please...)
Shel Silverstein's Runny Babbit, A Billy Sook
as the title implies, it is indeed a very silly book. it is incredibly difficult to read aloud for my overly trained adult brain (not to say i am super smart, but our minds get used to seeing words in the right order, the right spelling, etc, and to see them jangled a little with only switching out the first sounds of a few words in a sentence, well, the mind plays tricks on you and you try to read it right, not in Runny Babbit fashion).
my children all laugh and giggle uncontrollably at phrases like "sea poup" (pea soup) and "his taws are sticky, poo" (his paws are sticky, too). imagine a book full of poems that are written in this fashion! so much fun to read and try to puzzle out, especially for early readers.
it is written in classic silverstein fashion, and the illustrations are right in line with other silverstein books. he worked on this book for over 20 years, and his family published it after his death. it is a must-read, and even a must-have on your bookshelf.
and here is a poem from the book to whet your appetite:
see what i mean? spell check is really irritated with me right now!
have a great wednesday!!
quite a bit, actually.
i am always looking for new books to read that my kids will be interested in. it never fails that the ones we read over and over are the silliest out there. sometimes i don't get the humor. like why my husband actually likes the old Monte Python series...but i digress...sorry...
since i am always looking, i thought i would share our library pics of the week for tic-tac (boy, age 6) and bonobo (boy, age 4). i am highlighting tic-tac's since bonobo hasn't settled on anything thus far.
tic-tac's read of the week is (drum roll, please...)
Shel Silverstein's Runny Babbit, A Billy Sook
as the title implies, it is indeed a very silly book. it is incredibly difficult to read aloud for my overly trained adult brain (not to say i am super smart, but our minds get used to seeing words in the right order, the right spelling, etc, and to see them jangled a little with only switching out the first sounds of a few words in a sentence, well, the mind plays tricks on you and you try to read it right, not in Runny Babbit fashion).
my children all laugh and giggle uncontrollably at phrases like "sea poup" (pea soup) and "his taws are sticky, poo" (his paws are sticky, too). imagine a book full of poems that are written in this fashion! so much fun to read and try to puzzle out, especially for early readers.
it is written in classic silverstein fashion, and the illustrations are right in line with other silverstein books. he worked on this book for over 20 years, and his family published it after his death. it is a must-read, and even a must-have on your bookshelf.
and here is a poem from the book to whet your appetite:
Runny Heeds Fimself
When Ramma Mabbit started teachin'
Runny how to eat,
He ficked his pood up with his ears,
He wasn't nery veat.
The sood all flipped, the drilk all mipped.
"That's pot nolite," said Maw.
"Never use your ears, my dear-
That's why Pod gave us gaws."
When Ramma Mabbit started teachin'
Runny how to eat,
He ficked his pood up with his ears,
He wasn't nery veat.
The sood all flipped, the drilk all mipped.
"That's pot nolite," said Maw.
"Never use your ears, my dear-
That's why Pod gave us gaws."
see what i mean? spell check is really irritated with me right now!
have a great wednesday!!
Friday, July 24, 2009
In the car...
i am finding that we are spending a lot more time in the car as the kids get older. this fall will be no different. on monday and wednesdays, we will be traveling about 30 miles to a bible study that we participate in as a family and that i will be serving in. as much as i love this study, i am a bit fearful for what it will do to our routine. i am also considering our PE co-op again this year, which is on tuesday and thursday afternoons. i am thinking it is important for us to get more connected with other homeschoolers so that when educational opportunites arise, we are more attuned to them. it also forces me out of my comfort zone and gets me around like-minded women. this is definitely a season in my life when i have been slowly wooed by the "take time for me" philosophy. i plan on addressing that on Manna for Mamas very soon.
anyway...about this post!
i have decided that listening to the radio in the car is pretty counterproductive. especially when you think that what you are listening to is relatively safe in content, but your four year old starts singing "she thinks my tractor's sexy." ahem... and the commercials! i usually tune them out, but as you know, well, the little pitcher's have big ears philosophy is oh, too true!!! needless to say, radio is not a good option.
i am also not a fan of the toddler tunes. i can only handle so much 'wheels on the bus' ya know?
so we are getting into audio books. wow! we have had several in our car, and i must say, they are lifesavers! they force my kids to pay attention, causing them to be peaceful in the car :) i actually have enjoyed listening to selections like "Henry Huggins" and "Curious George." we recently finished listening to "The BFG," by Roald Dahl and i was so entertained that even when the kids weren't in the car i was listening to it! it was a tad scary in the beginning for the 4 year old, but he got over it pretty quickly. the language in it is so creative and makes you listen very closely so that you don't miss out or miss the meaning. i was enthralled. after we were done with it in the car it has made it into the boys' bedroom for further listening enjoyment.
at our trip to the library today we picked up "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." we are at chapter 3 and they are not convinced that it is a good listen yet, but i know they will be entranced soon!
how about you? what do you do in the car to keep entertained?
anyway...about this post!
i have decided that listening to the radio in the car is pretty counterproductive. especially when you think that what you are listening to is relatively safe in content, but your four year old starts singing "she thinks my tractor's sexy." ahem... and the commercials! i usually tune them out, but as you know, well, the little pitcher's have big ears philosophy is oh, too true!!! needless to say, radio is not a good option.
i am also not a fan of the toddler tunes. i can only handle so much 'wheels on the bus' ya know?
so we are getting into audio books. wow! we have had several in our car, and i must say, they are lifesavers! they force my kids to pay attention, causing them to be peaceful in the car :) i actually have enjoyed listening to selections like "Henry Huggins" and "Curious George." we recently finished listening to "The BFG," by Roald Dahl and i was so entertained that even when the kids weren't in the car i was listening to it! it was a tad scary in the beginning for the 4 year old, but he got over it pretty quickly. the language in it is so creative and makes you listen very closely so that you don't miss out or miss the meaning. i was enthralled. after we were done with it in the car it has made it into the boys' bedroom for further listening enjoyment.
at our trip to the library today we picked up "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." we are at chapter 3 and they are not convinced that it is a good listen yet, but i know they will be entranced soon!
how about you? what do you do in the car to keep entertained?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Home Educator's Conference
we attended our annual home educator's conference for the first time this year. and by 'we' i mean 'me.' my wonderful husband stayed home with the kids so that i could go and be 'free' to listen and engage.
i wasn't disappointed!
the keynote speaker, Dr. Voddie Bauchum, Jr. was challenging, encouraging and didn't pull any punches. homeschooling has always been what we were going to do. but in the back of my mind, i always thought that if i couldn't hack it, i could send my kids to a private school maybe.
not anymore. i will not even consider that as an option. it will no longer live on the horizon of educational choices for us. no way. i learned so much this saturday about the benefits of homeschooling i am all in!
some other gems i picked up this weekend:
Melanie Young is a mother of 8 who has homeschooled through 7 high-risk pregnancies (read: bedrest for 7 of the 9 months each time). wow! she was funny and had some awesome tips for bulk-cooking and freezer meals. i plan on implementing a few of her suggestions in the upcoming weeks! website: www.YoungandSons.com
Accountable Kids is this awesome chore tracking system. i am so excited to implement it it isn't funny! my two oldest are in love with checklist style chores and to-do's so i know this will go over well with them. i like that it focuses your kids on their successes, but also allows for negative consequences. we say 'NO' so frequently in our house, i often forget the praise! i think this will help me stay on track as well and won't let me slide when i am not on my game.
have you ever checked out Doorposts? this site has amazing tools to help you stay consistent with your discipline, reward your children with blessings and teach scripture through character building. we ordered their new "Put On" chart for our wall that focuses on the Colossians 3:12-14 verses :
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one have a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these, put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
we use several of their wall posters (Go To The Ant Chart, If-Then chart, Brother-Offended Checklist) to aid in our day-to-day life, and i expect that this new poster will serve us well. i can't wait for it to arrive :)
that is all for now! i plan on putting together our first unit schedule this week. i will post it when i am done. have a great day :)
i wasn't disappointed!
the keynote speaker, Dr. Voddie Bauchum, Jr. was challenging, encouraging and didn't pull any punches. homeschooling has always been what we were going to do. but in the back of my mind, i always thought that if i couldn't hack it, i could send my kids to a private school maybe.
not anymore. i will not even consider that as an option. it will no longer live on the horizon of educational choices for us. no way. i learned so much this saturday about the benefits of homeschooling i am all in!
some other gems i picked up this weekend:
Melanie Young is a mother of 8 who has homeschooled through 7 high-risk pregnancies (read: bedrest for 7 of the 9 months each time). wow! she was funny and had some awesome tips for bulk-cooking and freezer meals. i plan on implementing a few of her suggestions in the upcoming weeks! website: www.YoungandSons.com
Accountable Kids is this awesome chore tracking system. i am so excited to implement it it isn't funny! my two oldest are in love with checklist style chores and to-do's so i know this will go over well with them. i like that it focuses your kids on their successes, but also allows for negative consequences. we say 'NO' so frequently in our house, i often forget the praise! i think this will help me stay on track as well and won't let me slide when i am not on my game.
have you ever checked out Doorposts? this site has amazing tools to help you stay consistent with your discipline, reward your children with blessings and teach scripture through character building. we ordered their new "Put On" chart for our wall that focuses on the Colossians 3:12-14 verses :
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one have a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these, put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
we use several of their wall posters (Go To The Ant Chart, If-Then chart, Brother-Offended Checklist) to aid in our day-to-day life, and i expect that this new poster will serve us well. i can't wait for it to arrive :)
that is all for now! i plan on putting together our first unit schedule this week. i will post it when i am done. have a great day :)
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