Wrapping up summer with a Lego-fest

Wordless Wednesday- Is it Fall yet?

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mixes ROCK!

We have been gluten free here at the Sandbox for about 18 months. In that time we have all experience a drastic improvement in our overall health most directly with our yearly allergies. We have gone from almost daily doctor visits during high allergy times to monitored check-ups. It has truly been a blessing.

Now the journey has not always been a tasty treat. One incident with gluten free croissants has become a cautionary tale in our home. We have tasted some incredible food and learned to appreciate cooking from scratch. But there is a lot to be said for time saving good gluten free food. This is where Betty Crocker comes in…..

In the past I would buy three types of flour and mix my own cake flour to avoid that grainy taste you can get from a lot of off the self gluten free cake mixes. This was time consuming but well worth the effort. Then imagine my surprise when we found Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mixes at Super Target. It was not organic but very few birthday cakes are these days. So we decided to give it a try. Everyone LOVED them. Of course we did alter the directions rice milk instead of water and little bit more vanilla extract.

TS did all the measuring and read the directions too. He says now he wants to be like Alton Brown. LOL

Wordless Wednesday - New Craft Table Cheap

Our Homeschool School Room

This is "School Room" week at Life with My 3 Boybarians . Darcy will be doing a four week Not Back to School blog hop. This gave me a personal goal to have our room put together in time to share it. We have officially been in our new home here a little over two months. Yes, there are still boxes unpacked and pictures are not on the wall but we are working slowing toward normal.

First let's start with my homeschooler planner. All the sections were pulled from Donna Young's Free Homeschool Planner as well as organization charts from Sue Patrick's Workbox System.

Each month is colored to match the files in our Five In A Row planning box.

I have printed out all the lapbook material for each book. This works because I can load up the workbox system without a marathon night before printing session. Kendall from FIAR Forums shared this great planning system last year.

We downsized with this move which has been a blessing and adjustment. You will be amazed how simple life can be with less stuff. TS desk is the right fit and can grow with him. Next to his desk are the workboxes waiting for work. We were also gifted a digital microscope that will be using on the kitchen table.

Our world map is going up this weekend in this cozy spot with the easel and library and coloring books.

We have been so incredibly blessed with this move and look forward to an exciting year of learning.

We Love Legos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

During our exploration of our new environment we discovered the Lego store. Joy pure and utter joy! Dad and son were beside themselves. As were most of the kids in the store. This was a great find. As most of you know TS has been a Lego kiddo for about two years now. He takes the kits assembles them and then pulls them apart to make his own wonderfully inspired designs. So imagine his extreme pleasure to find this wall of spare parts.

(This photo is especially for my THL sister KK !)

"Mom I can create anything!!!"

2009-2010 1st Grade Homeschool Plan Version 1.0 (Subject to change based on life.)

After much prayer and review here is our official plan of record for the 2009-2010 school year. I wanted share this with the great folks at The Homeschool Lounge who have been a source of inspiration and support during our homeschool journey. Please click over to find the one of the best homeschool resources on the web.

Like everyone our challenge for this school year will be doing more with less money in a new location. However with some creative planning, sharing, swapping, re-purposing and fieldtrips I think it is going to be a year full of adventure. We will also be using Sue Patrick's Workbox System.

Also note that while technically TS is a first grader we will included some activities that are designated for 2^nd grade and above during this school year.

Core Curriculum

• Five-in-a-Row
  

Read Alouds

• TS choices from the library which right now includes the following series:
  
  • The Magic Tree House
    
  • Transformers DK Level 4
    
  • The High-Rise Private Eyes
    
  • Henry and Mudge
    
• Five-in-a-Row read alongs
  

Phonics

• Hooked On Phonics 2^nd Grade
  

Grammar

• Scott Foreman's Online Grammar
  

Handwriting

• Handwriting Without Tears 1^st Grade Printing Book
  
• TV Teacher for drawing Scenes
  

Math

• Horizons Math 1s Grade
  
• Stuart J. Murphy Math Start for Visual Learners
  
  • Collecting Data
    
  • Area
    
  • 3-Dimensional Shapes
    
  • Rounding
    
  • Subtracting
    
  • Regrouping
    
  • Timelines
    
  • Understanding Halves
    
  • Symmetry
    
  • Addition Strategies
    
  • Comparing Numbers
    
  • Calendars
    
  • Probability
    
  • Perimeter
    
  • Making Predictions
    
  • Counting by 2s, 3s, 4s
    
  • Measuring
    
  • Tally
    

Art

• Five-in-a-Row
• Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Master’s

Music

• Classics for Kids Composer of the Month
  
• Local music venues
  
• Locate a drum class
  

Bible and Character Development

• Five in a Row Christian Character Bible Study Supplement
  
• Gotta Have God: Cool Devotions for Boys Ages 6-9
  

Geography

• Five-in-a-Row
  
• Lapbook in Virginia and Washington DC
  

Science & Nature

• Five-in-a-Row
  
• Fieldtrips to zoo, aquarium, natural science museum and nature walks
  
• Co-op
  

History

• Start Family Tree and timeline study
  
• Fieldtrips to historic venues
  

PE

• Tae
  Kwon Do
  
• Sports Galore Class
  

Fine Motor Skills

• Lego Creative Building
  
• Activities found at
  
  • My Montessori Journey
    
  • Skill Builders
    
  • Homeschooling The Chaotic Family

Our primary record keeping will be using Lapbooks with the exception of History which will be notebooking with the goal to turn it into electronic media for a family resource.

Getting Back To The Basics: Homeschool planning 2009

This week was originally meant to be my homeschooling planning and printing week. Last year I had a comfortable chair, a desk, headphones and time to listen to the homeschool conference as I printed out material for the next year. It was a peaceful beginning to a rather peace first half of our school year. This time things are different…much different.

I have been in whirlwind all week trying to find the right planner and to pull together the "right" curriculum because this year it counts. TS is first grade and with new state laws he will be tested at the end of the year. In my mind I had to cover it all, not miss a thing because this year is the beginning of "real school". But I have found myself tied up in knots and can't seem to make even the simplest decisions.

Homeschool planner: Should I buy it or custom make it? Should I do online? Should it be bond or spiral?

Homeschool curriculum: Should we stick to what was working and add in elements or go totally with a boxed curriculum? I printed out the school curriculum how am I going to teach all of this with my current curriculum? How do I fit co-op into our day? How we going to fit lunch into our day?

Homeschool location: Since we have moved we no longer have a homeschool classroom.

Old Classroom

How will that effect TS's concentration? I still have boxes unopened and things to unpack to make this place a home. How can I do that while homeschooling? How is the workbox system going to work in this small space?

I have spent hours blog hopping looking for answers and making list. You should see my bookmark list from this week alone…..89 entries for just planners. I felt so helpless and swamped I actually considered public school. I think public school is great if it fits your child. It does not fit our child and I know he would be miserable after the social aspect wore off.

So last night after a marathon of printing and planning I went to bed praying for guidance and this morning I got this in my email from Alpha Omega:

"If you're starting your new school year depending on your own abilities, be careful. Only the Lord can show you those things that will make your homeschooling truly successful. As you depend on the Holy Spirit, you will not only discover wisdom to teach, but you'll also have your eyes opened to see all that God desires for your family. "Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God" (Psalm 123:1-2a). Lord, forgive me for my foolish pride that fails to acknowledge You as Lord. Open my eyes to see Your plans for our family this homeschool year and teach me to constantly depend on You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Homeschool Conference In Your PJs-August 3-7 2009

Last year I was blessed to have won a free ticket to attend the Heart of The Matter Online Homeschool Conference. It made the first year of homeschooling a lot easier because I had a "real view" of homeschooling. I did it all from the comfort of home.

Come on by to learn, laugh and share the Homeschool LOVE!

Now what to wear hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

This Month's Mom Read: Encouraging Homeschooling Mothers

The Spiritual Power of a Mother: Encouragement for the Home Schooling Mom by Michael Farris

School's Out ....or it was

TS was so excited to write this.....

We stopped school the minute the house actually sold. I am proud to say with all that was involved with getting the house on the market and getting it sold we managed to complete over 140 days of school. In Texas there is no minimum number of days you are required to homeschool. I set a personal goal based on material from What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know: Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning (Core Knowledge Series) by E.D. Hirsch Jr. I also focused on some areas such as fine motor skills and character building activities.

Lapbooks on the Left and other work on the Right

The Lapbook storage system is the brain child of Erna at Simply Lapbooks. She has great material!

Last year's work is capture in binders, scrapbooks and this blog. Nice and neat. This blog has been a major help in keeping me focused and helped us all see improvement in skills over time.

Next year we will continue with lapbooks, maybe some notebooking along with Sue Patrick's Workbox System.

Homeschooling with Target's Dollar Spot

Apparently it is beginning to smell a lot like "Back To School Time" at Target. I am really trying to keep things simple this year. I don't have a lot to buy just one book and maybe glue sticks. After decluttering and hitting the sales last October I don't need any supplies. But I could not resist Target's $1 school items. I used everything from last year's bargins to create wonderful lapbooks and save printer ink.


Here are some of the goodies I found....

Nice upper level readers.

Nice United States Map and notebook foldout with all the state maps.

These will be used in lapbook and notebooks.

Nice unit study on the presidents.

TS is very into animals right now. I see a lapbook on lions, sharks and whales in the future.

Yes, I whole book of science experiments, more animals activities for lapbook.

Oh we are going to have so much fun. Thank you Target.

Thank You for The Love

Thank you so much friends for your love and support. It has been a season of growth and change here at the Sandbox. Prayerful we move forward .......

This has always been one of our favorites songs by a fellow alumni.

Well done, good and faithful servant

"His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord." Matthew 25:23

Grandpa served the Lord for over 80 years. He was a minister, husband, father to his children and his grandchildren and a beloved friend to many. His quiet manner belied the humor and strength that dwell beneath. Grandpa could tell a story that would have you laughing until you cried but taught you something at the same time.

He shaped the man that I love. He joined us in Holy Matrimony 15 years ago and provided wisdom since that September day I first met him 17 years ago.

I will miss his smile, his sly humor, wisdom and courage. But his work here was done and now he lives in our hearts forever.

How do you Homeschool on your own while selling your house and moving across country?

The real answer is with Grace of God with a healthy dose of constant prayer and support from family and friends. What that looked like daily is still to fresh and raw for me to get into right now. I have not blogged steadily for months now because I was faced with one of the biggest challenges of my adult life. In the last six months I have completed the following:

• Packed up my spouse to live 1500 miles away
  
• Homeschooled as a single parent
• Suffered from stomach virus with kid (oh ..that is a story)
  
• Decluttered and staged our primary residence for sale in a slow market
  
• Sold said home in under 14 days!!!!!!
  
• Nurtured my son through the turmoil of moving and missing his father
  
• Dealt with less than honest contractors
  
• Uprooted my son from everything and everyone he knows to a new face pace environment
  
• Had one ER visit because of stress attack
  
• Learned that another close family member is living through a life threatening disease
  
• DS graduated from Kindergarten
  
• Prayed with five friends who have lost jobs, homes and businesses
  
• Moved the entire family from Central Texas to Washington DC metro
  
• Moved into a new home, with a new climate
  

Bless the military moms who do this every day with multiple kids because there were days when I didn't know if I could take just one more thing. I wasn't my best a lot of days because I don't ask for help like I should. There are days when I wasn't the best mom or wife, sometimes I yelled or cried or both. Some days I could not see beyond the next thing to do on the very long and every growing "To Do" list. There were days when the look on my child's face …begging me to spend some time with him cut my soul, but I had to get things done for all of us. But God sent his angels and his grace.

People just helped where they could. Packed boxes, came over and played with ds or just listened to me on the phone. Through it all I learned to praise God and understand that I can't do it all, that's His job. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about what is important. In the coming months I will share some of that but right now we are just enjoying life as a family.

So you are now all caught up. Just in time to start planning for the next school year.

Happy 4th of July

For those keeping count our country is 233 years old today.