Camo Sunday

 I'm not a hunter. In fact, If you hear that I've killed a deer you should ask to see our mini van, because that's about the only way I'll have opprounity to kill one. However, hunting is huge in our area. One of our church members suggested that we have Camo Sunday and invite hunters who might not attend church to worship with us, dressed in camo. We also hosted a wild game lunch. It was a great success.

 This sweet church member outfitted our whole family in camo, which by the way, our kids love! So while I can't see me climbing into a deer stand in the wee hours of the morning, I can anticipate the day when my children decide they want to.

Windsor Zoo

A few weeks ago our local homeschool group got together at a local park and zoo.

 It was a beautiful day. The kids had a blast! There was a nice boardwalk that ended at a river bank.

  Josiah was able to take a few minutes to study the environment and cross off some things on his scavenger hunt list. I was so proud of him. I was concerned the list would be over his head, but he did really well looking for items and crossing them off himself. It brings me great joy to know that our kids will have the opportunity to learn in a way that will be outside of a classroom and in God's creation.

 Eden was also able to accomplish a first. She crossed the monkey bars all by herself.

She's growing so fast and is truly gifted athletically.

 And my sweet Titus, along for the ride :)

 

A pit stop for a group photo.

 

I've been in a crafty mood lately. Maybe it's the time of the year.  Maybe it's that my kids are getting old enough they can play while I work outside. Maybe it's that I felt had to do some of the things on Pintrerst I read about to justify the amount of time I spend online. Whatever it is, here is my latest creation. I found this dresser on a Facebook yard sale page. I primed it white and it looked great, but Eden wanted a pink dresser. This became our compromise. Watermelon pink and glossy white. My next project will be refinishing Eden's old dresser for Titus. Now to go find some masculine ideas on Pinterest.

Let the record show.....

...... How cool it is to use old records for purposes other than listening!

If you're like my parents, you've got a ton of old records laying around. You can't stand the idea of getting rid of them, because there are fond memories from decades ago that you've associated with the sounds on that vinyl. 

Now you've got reason to pull out those old records, and put them to some good use. 

A few weeks ago my siblings and I threw a surprise birthday party for my mom. I wanted use old records for decorations for the party. A friend gave me a bunch of records she didn't want anymore.  If you don't have an old stash, or a kind friend willing to help you out, Goodwill has them all the time for $1 each.  I used gorilla glue and glasses I found at Goodwill to make these cupcake stands. I picked cute martini glasses that looked neat upside down and had a large enough surface to glue the records. I also used some candle holders I found a the dollar store. I made a few single layered cake stands, and a multiple layered one with a 45 record on top. They turned out great!

Side note: I tried to use hot glue, but it just didn't work well. Gorilla Glue worked great, but took a lot of time to dry. So you shouldn't do it the morning of the party like I did. Learn from my lesson on hot glue not working, so you're not scrambling at the last minute. Your Welcome. :) 

 

 

Another cool thing I did was melt the records into party bowls. I picked out all kinds of different shaped bowls and pans. I turned them upside down and put them on a baking pan, baking them at 350 degrees for about 2-3 minutes and they were done.

Another side note: do this on a nice day so you can open your window. After the first few records were complete, my kitchen took on the funky smell of melted vinyl. But the fire alarm never went off, and I just kept working.

The records were able to be slightly molded after they came out of the oven. I pinched the corners or smoothed out edges.  Each bowl looked different based on the size bowl I used for the mold, the larger the bowl, the flatter the record bowl became. 

You can use the bowls for candy, nuts, chips whatever, you want for a party. You could also use them for a decorations or just to through your keys in it. The possibilities are endless.

Sorry I don't have more pictures, I sent the bowls home with my brother for a 80's themed party they were going to attend. These did turn out great and added an extra little oomph to make the party fun.

Map time

One on the fun things about homeschooling is all of the neat stuff you get to learn. Geography has never been a strong suit of mine. So I've decided to introduce it to my kids at an early age in hope of instilling a  knowledge of different countries and cultures. As an added bonus, I'm hoping for an improvement in my since of direction in the process!

One of the best bargains I have found was this world map at Wal-Mart.  I purchased it a while back, but finally got around to hanging it up this fall. If  I remember correctly, is was less than $5. A great price considering it's size and up to date information.

Did you know that in 2000 scientist named a new ocean? It was always there, but a bunch of smart people got together and named it, and poof, we have a new ocean for my kids to learn. If you can name what and where it is, you'll be as smart as my first grader :) For the answer you can click here.  See you learn cool stuff in home school!

The first day I had the map up Josiah goes over to explore it and responds,

"Look mom, Madagascar!"

 I call map time and send the kids climbing on the couch to find a place we're studying.

Eden finds Egypt!

and North Carolina.

So far it's been a big hit. The kids have enjoyed finding places. Eden has learned all of her continents and oceans. My since of direction is no better, but it's still the beginning of the year. :)

Ancient Egypt

The first three weeks of our history curriculum focused on Ancient Egypt. I've been able to find lots of hands on projects to help the kids enjoy learning about this time frame. 

 

I let the kids wrap up each other like mummies

 We built pyramids with mini marshmallows and toothpicks.
 

 Josiah ate as much as he built.

 

Savannah joined us

 

Eden thinking about how to construct her pyramid

 

I just love the look on Josiah's face. 

I wonder what he's thinking???

 Still building

 Still eating :)

 

Titus wakes up from his nap ( that would explain his hair)

  and decides pyramids look yummy.

Out of focus, but oh so cute!



We made a salt dough maps of Egypt that I let the kids paint.

They love anything to do with paint.
The toothpicks hold the place for the cities to be mapped.

Eden also completed a lapbook on Egypt.
I'm sure there will be a blog post on those in the future as well.

2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

After months of research, reading books like A Well Trained Mind by Susan Bauer, and  looking over countless blogs and online articles, we decided to follow a classical model of education for our kids. Eden is a first grader, so this was the perfect time to start. As you can assume every year has math, and grammar that build with difficulty. In addition, this year we will study Ancient History and Biology. Eden will get an introduction to Biology through the lens of history, her grammar is also integrated into history lessons. Eden will attempt to memorize basic information that she will then repeat and study more in depth in 5th and 9th grades.

I appreciate this model for so many reasons. As the years progress in school, my children's education will build upon itself. It's logical, and repetitive so the kids can continue to built their knowledge through the years. Its also freeing for me, If they don't get a concept at this point, it will be repeated in more depth in the future. I know what I will be teaching all my children for the next 16 or so years. One of the other major benefits in choosing the curriculum I did is that Josiah and Titus will be able to join along when they enter school. We will be able to maintain the cycle patterns at a level that will include them. So I only have to teach one subject at a time, just at different levels to all of my children.

 This is an outline of our history and science from a Well Trained Mind:

 History                                                Science                                                  Grade
Ancients                                            Biology                                               1,5,9
Medieval  - Early Renaissance         Earth Science/ Astronomy                  2,6,10
Late Renaissance -  Early Modern   Chemistry                                           3,7,11
Modern                                             Physics                                               4,8,12


History
Tapestry of Grace is the foundation of our curriculum. It is our history, grammar, geography, and when our children are older, government, philosophy, and church history. It is Christian curriculum which was also a major component to why I choose Tapestry of Grace.

Tapestry is a huge program that can be quite intimidating to begin. One article I read said it's like going to an all you can eat buffet of curriculum. While the information is vast, you can do as little or as much as you would like. It is literature based, meaning you study your topics through different authors and perspectives from period pieces to fiction covering the topic at hand. It also has lots of hands on activities for the younger students.

So far we have completed 4 weeks. I have mixes feeling. I think the curriculum is great, however some of the material was a little to mature for Eden. But the benefit to this program is that I wan able to choose just what I would and wouldn't introduce to her and when I felt it was to much, I was able to back off.


Grammar and Reading
Before I purchased Tapestry, I purchased 1st Language Lesson and Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. I have continued to use both with success with Eden. I plan to continue with each as I feel they are giving a good foundation to reading and grammar. I like these much better than I did the previous curriculum we used.

Math
We are using Singapore Math. I am still undecided about it. There are things I like about it, and things that seem to be more complex than what I think a 1st grader should be able to accomplish.  However, Eden is strong in math and I have enjoyed watching her as she figures out problems in her head. We have almost completed the first workbook. At this pace she will complete both books in the early spring. At that point I will consider continuing with Singapore or moving to a different curriculum.

Science
Apologia is awesome! I can't say enough good about this curriculum. I love the textbook and the Jr. workbook. The textbook is written to kids from a Christian perspective. It weaves scripture and logic into scientific information that explains in our case, biology. There are lots of great experiments and hand-on activities that help make learning fun.

Bible
I have another blog post planned for our Bible Curriculum. I hope to post that soon. We have just started Long Story Short. So far, we like it.

The Well Planned Day
This is my sanity keeper. I love this planner. It has helped me stay organized and keep accurate records of Eden's schooling.

Eden 6th Birthday

 My sweet baby girl is celebrating her 6th birthday today. It's mind boggling how quickly time has passed and what a special blessing Eden has made to our lives. Her entrance into this world changed me and provided a knowledge of love I dared not dream possible. 
 
Eden is a child that constantly amazes me with her sweet spirit and love of all things girly. She is most comfortable in dresses and tiaras. She has countless baby dolls and stuffed animals that all have names an take turns sleeping in her bed. Eden thinks of her future with great anticipation and has spent countless hours planning her wedding. She is a great combination of sweet and strong. I love watching what God is teaching her and her ability to learn and apply truth to our lives. She is a classic firstborn with a strong desire for justice and has a competitive streak that I hope will motivate her to accomplish big dreams.

I started asking Eden annual questions last year so that I can track some of her favorite things as she grows. In comparing her list from last year I can see how she has grown and how some things will stay the same.


1. What is your favorite color? Pink.
2. What is your favorite toy? McKinley, (her stuffed puppy dog)
3. What is your favorite fruit? Bananas and Apples

4. What is your favorite movie? Everafter
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Hotdogs
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Dresses
7. What is your favorite game? Cooties
8. What is your favorite snack? Oreos and milk ( we had that once to learn the phases of the moon)

9. What is your favorite animal? A puppy
10. What is your favorite song? The Princesses Book

12. Who is your best friend? Lydia
13. What is your favorite cereal? Trix ( that was a one time buy with coupons almost a year ago, but it's still her favorite)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride my Bike

 15. What is your favorite drink? Juice

16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? McKinley, her stuffed dog
18. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Cake and Ice Cream
19. What your favorite Bible Story? Queen Ester
20. What is your favorite thing to study in school? Everything, Studying about Jesus
21. What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballerina

Happy Birthday Princess