Mini Unit Study: The Legend of the Candy Cane

We are doing a mini unit study on The Legend of the Candy Cane one of our favorite stories. But as always the major question is "How do they make that?"

We have found some nice supporting videos.

History Channel-Candy Cane


How Did They Do That- Candy Cane

The Week In Pictures

Studying the human body.

Making gifts for others.

We are done and just need to mail them.

Live Drive-Thru Nativity with the whole family.

Family Dinner Questions

Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is giving away Our Family Dinner Questions. During the holidays with family and friends visiting for dinner this is a great way to break the ice and share memories.

Thanks Jen!

This Month Goal:10 Points of Joyful Parenting

I am currently reading One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.



It has been on my "To Do" list for a year and I am determined to finished it. There has been a lot of strife, anger, depression and loneliness in our lives this year, but there has also been great strides, joy and progress. I want develop my ability to focus on the gifts of life and live in mode of Jesus.

Also she has a wonderful short study about the joy of parenting. It is a great reminder that children are a blessing and the act of parenting is joy-filled.

October Field Trip: Apple Picking

Lego Quest- 2 Brick Challenge

We completed our first Lego Quest Challenge. It was fun for the whole family.

Praise Report

So we just got back from running errands, so it is Quiet Time in house. Ironhide has the option to color, read a book or create crafts. He decides to pull out his AWANA manual just to read. Then he gets his bible to look up scripture passages they are discussing in that section because he says he wants to understand lineage of Timothy in 2 Timonthy. THEN he pulls out a notebook and starts making notes about it "kinda like the Jesse tree mom."

Just watching him sitting at the table engrossed in God's word filled my heart to bursting. All on his on...he has a love for the WORD!

I told him that it is good to understand the word and what it means, he then said that's what they learned in 2Timothy 3:15.

I try to document these days because all to often we focus on the days like earlier this week where we want to send them to their rooms until they are 18.


Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Fall

Simply House Keeping

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Day Art

Art project found at Art Projects for Kids and Kathy Barbor.

First Week of School 2011

Our first week of homeschooling is two weeks behind us. It was a good week with a field trip and learning new tools. It was not a full fledge workboxes out and six subjects week. I decided this year to keep things simple and cover the basics.

We awoke and had pancakes while discussing our day. The expectation was set with the following sign.

During the summer we started the day with breakfast while watching an hour of TV. That's right breakfast was over an hour long. An hour for breakfast is not a great way to start a homeschooling day.

Then we completed two chores and sat down at our new IKEA desk to begin our daily devotional. This desk is setup up stairs looking out a window so he has plenty of sun light and is not distracted by the kitchen, frig, TV or couches. The table is adjustable so he always has an age approiate writing surfaces. It even tilts so he have a drafting desk.

Week 1 Summary

Bible

We are disussing Luke and the story of Jesus this month.

Math

We are using Mammoth Math. During the summer we completed at least one page everyday of math. It is easier to start back when you have been practicing all summer. The first day Ironside completed three full pages without a single prompt and was signing while doing his work. GOAL!

Science

At his request we have been studying storms and natural disasters for the first week of science. This is because in the week before school we experienced an earthquake and the edges of Hurricane Irene. As an adult I was shaken so just imagine what a child feels with these events so close together. I used science to discuss his fears and give him pro-active plans for living through a diaster.

Our resources were:

Bill Nye -Storms

Brain Pop- Weather

Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll (An old favorite.)

We also discussed how God has a plan, a big picture which we do not have access to but he promises it is all for our good.

History

Field trip to Newusem and MLK memorial.

Fine Motor

These activties were a lot of fun and a great way to get warmed up for handwriting.

• Theraputty scavenger hunt with buttons, pearls and mini-figs.
• Geo-Board: Stretch rubber bands over the pegs of a geo-board to make artistic designs, letters and patterns then copy the design on grid paper.
• Whiteboard shape race while crossing the midline of your body.

Physical Education

Martial Arts

It was a good week but we did not see a lot of friends because they were either sick or still on vacation or started public school. Social time will pick up next week with the return of homeschool activties.

Blessings,

First Field Trip 2011 Part 2: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Our first field trip was to Washington D.C.'s newest addition to the national mall, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

This was such a moving experience for the whole family. I just keep thinking about my grandmother who was a civil rights activist in Mississippi from 1950 well into 1970. She would have been so proud.

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

We got to see a newsperson at work while we were visiting. Earlier we visited The Newseum to learn how reporting started and captures history. This was a great learning tie in for Ironhide because he got to she her use all the equipment we just learned about.

It was a beautiful day that we will remember forever.

Composer of the Month:Georg Philipp Telemann

Georg Philipp Telemann

We are continuing our study of the Baroque period composers with the most of productive composer of that time Georg Philipp Telemann. We will be listening to his music and completing the activities provided by Classics for Kids.

This Week's Prayer

Father we ask your blessing on our day as mothers, educators, wives and sisters in Christ. Father help us to remember our children as pure potential and not get caught up in their current isses. For Father you have a great plan for them.


In Jesus we pray Amen.

Wordless Wednesday: Handwriting

Good Advice for Starting School

Melissa Morgner at Half Dozen Mama has some good advice about starting school. The statement stayed with me was number 4.
4. Don’t be discouraged by the tears. Yours or theirs. They will cry, most likely. You might, or will at least feel like it. It’s hard for everyone to get back into a routine. Give your children and yourself LOTS of grace.

Things that make you go hmmmmm

Saturday Smile

I found this on This Funs For You website while searching for proverbs for the kid.

The teacher of a first grade class collected well known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Here are the results:

• Better to be safe than . . . . . punch a 5th grader.
  
  
• Strike while the . . . . . . bug is close.
  
  
• It's always darkest before . . . . . . daylight savings time.
  
  
• Never underestimate the power of . . . . . . termites.
  
  
• You can lead a horse to water but . . . . . . how?
  
  
• Don't bite the hand that . . . . . . looks dirty.
  
  
• No news is . . . . . . impossible.
  
  
• A miss is as good as a . . . . . . Mr.
  
  
• You can't teach an old dog new . . . . . . math.
  
  
• If you lie down with dogs, you'll . . . . . . stink in the morning.
  
  
• Love all, trust . . . . . . me.
  
  
• The pen is mightier than the . . . . . . pig.
  
  
• An idle mind is . . . . . . the best way to relax.
  
  
• Where there's smoke there's . . . . . . pollution.
  
  
• Happy the bride who . . . . . . gets all the presents.
  
  
• A penny saved is . . . . . . not much.
  
  
• Two's company, three's . . . . . . the Musketeers.
  
  
• Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and . . . . . . you have to blow your nose.
  
  
• Children should be seen and not . . . . . . spanked or grounded.
  
  
• If at first you don't succeed . . . . . . get new batteries.
  
  
• You get out of something what you . . . . . . see pictured on the box.
  
  

Wordless Wednesday: Library of Congress

Just the Basics, M’am

Tricia has a great post at Heart of the Matter this morning about ramping up the school year. It speaks to my heart because that is my plan for the year.
Just the Basics, M’am