angel bug baby

A Fresh Start

2009-12-30T11:18:00.004-06:00

Wow! It's been an exciting year - full of surprises, blessings, and challenges! As I mentioned in my last post, I have decided that in honor of the New Year, I am going to simplify my life. There are many things in my life, that while not all that complicated on their own merit, combined they cause me to miss out on many of the fun things in life.

So those things are being cut out. No turning back now! The first to go is my gift basket business, angelbugbaby. I love doing it, but truthfully, I don't have enough steady customers to justify going on any further. I have a few faithful customers (whom I appreciate more than they will ever know), but for the most part, my customers are sporatic. One here, one there...and it just takes up so much time and money to provide an inventory for just a few folks here and there.

I have loved being able to stretch my creative legs, and put together custom gift baskets that are usually the hit of the party. But it's time to move on to other things. And although this blog was originally designed specifically for angelbugbaby, it quickly morphed into a blog about what I love most anyway - family! So I'm not sad, just redirected! :)

To celebrate this new beginning, I have created a new blog - Six Hearts Over Texas - specifically devoted to our family of six, homeschool adventures, my random ramblings, and other things I learn along the way.

If you're a previous follower, or just browsing and interested, please join me over there!! I pray for nothing but happiness and blessings for each of you in the New Year!

Twas the week after Christmas...

2009-12-27T19:51:00.004-06:00

Wow! It's been a wild month!! Whoever said that homeschoolers don't get enough socialization, were OUT OF THEIR MINDS!! We've had Christmas Parties, Park Days, Bowling Days, and Library Days. Somewhere in there, I had to fit in some Christmas shopping, tree decorating, hosting a Christmas Eve dinner with our family on my husband's side, and volunteer work. I think it's fair to say that I'm WHUPPED!

All the stress and excitement associated with Christmas always leaves me feeling sort of lost in the days after. I get very overwhelmed with birthdays and holidays, and it all comes to an end the day after Christmas. I love Christmas time! I love the decorations, the food, the music, the scenery, and sharing stories with the kiddos about the birth of Jesus and what His sacrifice means for us. I love eggnog and sugar cookies! I love getting down my Christmas China, and filling it with Brown Sugar Glazed Ham and Mom's Dressing!

The truth is, I love everything about Christmas...except the end. I hate taking down the tree...it's so depressing!! I hate storing all the decorations and the giant inflatable Santa in the front yard. I hate how bare my living room looks without all the strands of cranberry garland and glittery white lights! But most of all....I hate January. I hate the dieting, the bitter cold, and the lack of interesting homeschool arts and crafts ideas!

The only upside to January is that it's the opportunity for a new beginning - a new chance to start anew with resolutions to be better people than we've been in the past. So in an effort to avoid the feeling of hollow emptiness that surrounds me after Christmas, I have decided to JUST GET OVER IT!

I will make a pledge to get off my butt and make some resolutions that I probably won't stick to. I pledge to search the world over for the coolest January crafts (no pun intended) for our homeschool lessons. I pledge to put away the tree and the eggnog, and light a fire and make some cocoa instead. I pledge to continue sharing stories with the children about Jesus and the man he became after his birth.

In the days to come, I will sit down and come up with some things that I will resolve to either begin or end. My life has a lot of room for simplification, and I think that's where I am going to start. I want to figure out the things that I can do without first. Then I will think of some things that I need to focus more of my attention on.

Even though my beloved Christmas season is over, from the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone a very Happy and Blessed New Year!!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-11-16T22:46:00.003-06:00

Ok...one full week in the new house, and I'm finally starting to get my new kitchen organized! Last week, we lived on Sonic, McD's, and delivered pizza. This week, I actually have groceries in my pantry! Woo Hoo!! Here's my plan for the week - Keeping it Super Simple!!

Sunday - Crockpot Beans and Cornbread

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Rosemary Chicken, Caesar Salad

Wednesday - Pizza at Church

Thursday - Spaghetti / Garlic Bread

Friday - Chili Dogs

Saturday - GAME DAY! Tailgate Fare! :) GO HOGS!!

Bible Curriculum / Daily Schedule

2009-10-30T10:46:00.005-05:00

I was just reading through my last few posts and realized that I didn't post about our Bible lessons that we do every day. This is only because I use a pre-packaged Bible curriculum (Alpha Omega LifePacs) and there's no lesson-writing, planning, etc. So it doesn't go in my Lesson Planner. And when I'm posting about my Learning Objectives, I am typing directly from my Lesson Planner. I apologize! I will try to remember to include them from now on!

I thought now would be a good time to also post our Daily Class Schedule. I welcome you all to share your Class Schedules with me as well! Whether you're a school teacher, or a homeschool teacher, I welcome any and all advice - as long as it's in the spirit of being helpful - not hurtful, of course! :)

Here's what our Daily Schedule looks like:

7:00am - 8:00am: Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth/hair.
8:00am - 9:00am: MORNING CHORE HOUR!!
9:00am - 9:10am: Pledge of Allegiance / Music - Patriotic Songbook
9:10am - 9:30am: Bible Lesson
9:30am - 9:40am: Math Drills
9:40am - 10:10am: Math

10:10am - 10:30am: Snack Time

10:30am - 11:15am: Science
11:15am - 1200pm: Spelling

12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch Time

1:00pm - 1:30pm Grammar / Usage / Mechanics
1:30pm - 2:15pm Social Studies
2:15pm - 3:00pm Reading / Quiet Time
3:00pm - 4:00pm Snack Time / Free Time
4:00pm - 5:00pm AFTERNOON CHORE HOUR

As you can see, we're done with school by 3pm every day. Please keep in mind though, that this schedule is a goal, but it's flexible goal. I find that by having a schedule posted on the wall in our school room, that Trey is better able to stay focused on his current lesson. He doesn't have to let his mind wander about - wondering what's coming next.

On the rare occassion that he doesn't get all his work completed in the specified time alottment, I do one of two things: I either 1) let him keep going if it looks like he just needs a little more time, or 2) if it looks like he's shutting down, I'll scratch the whole lesson and come back to it another day.

What's the point in homeschooling if he hates learning as much as he did in public school? The whole point of the decision to homeschool was to rekindle that love of learning that he started out with (as well as keeping him away from that negative socialization factor). So far, he still loves coming to our school room every morning, and he always eagerly asks, "So Mom, what are we going to learn today?!" That one little question alone, makes my heart sing!! :)

Trey's Lesson Plans October 26 - 30

2009-10-26T19:35:00.002-05:00

We were supposed to attend a play about the Jackie Robinson Story this morning, but I wasn't feeling well, so we ditched. I felt horrible all day about it, but thankfully Trey and Lindsay had forgotten about it and never mentioned it. I just hate to disappoint them on field trip days. :(

We also have a field trip planned at the Fire Station on Wednesday. We're really looking forward to that. It was a last minute decision to go, so I don't have any fun fire activities officially planned. But seeing as how October is Fire Safety Month, I'm sure I will be able to come up with some fun activities for our specials.

Our Learning Objectives for this week:

Math: Estimating Sums and Differences using 2 different techniques - Rounding, and Front End Estimation. Practice Multiplication Facts.

Science: The Digestive and Nervous Systems, and How Our Bodies Defend Themselves. Discuss the functions of each system, main parts of each system, why they are important and how they work together with all the other systems studied thus far. Discuss how microorganisms inside our bodies called pathogens cause disease and how our immune system defends us. Discuss various ways we can help our immune system by staying healthy and making good life and food choices. EXPERIMENT: How some diseases can spread. Using flour, dark paper and a hand lens. Dip hand in flour. Shake hands with someone else. Both people press hands to dark paper to show how pathogens (like flour particles) can transfer to others.

Spelling: Focus on spelling words in which the base word drops its final e to add ed, er, or ing.

Grammar: Adjectives and Adverbs

Social Studies: Focus - Northeast Region. Land and water in the NE; Niagra Falls - a place of beauty and power; St. Albans, VT - the NE produces many products, such as maple syrup; Chesapeake Bay - crabs and shellfish help support the economy of the NE region.

Reading Skill Lesson: Drawing Conclusions (Winter of the Snowshoe Hare by Gillian Richardson)

Reading Selection Focus: Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathryn Lasky

Specials: Health/PE (Sense of Smell, Touch), Creative Writing (write your own ghost story), Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (Free Art - Halloween Theme), Cooking (Catty Cupcakes - Halloween)

Lesson Plans Trey- October 12 - October 23

2009-10-26T19:00:00.003-05:00

Wow! Have we ever been busy for the past 2 weeks!! Field trips, bowling days, holidays, you name it - it's probably found it's way on our calendar! And we're also still in the last stages of selling our house, so we've had inspectors, realtors, insurance guys, appraisers, and I'm pretty sure someone's grandma, show up unexpectedly for various house-selling-required visits.

October 12 - 16

Monday was Colombus Day, so since the public schools were out for the day, we also took the day off. We did discuss some of the facts that we learned during the prior week's Columbus Unit Study, but for the most part, it was a FREE DAY and we love those!!

Tuesday was our field trip to the Police Department. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs, so we didn't get to do some of the things they had planned for us due to the department having to pull all boots to the streets to help fish people out of ditches.

Bowling Day was Thursday.

Our Learning Objectives for this week:

Math: Review Comparing Numbers, Order Numbers, Problem Solving, Rounding Numbers. Review Multiplication Facts, and Column Addition/Subtraction.

Science: Begin Study of Human Body Systems. Discuss the Skeletal and Muscular Systems, their functions, and how they work together. Identify the difference between organs, cells, organ systems, and tissues and how they work together. Identify18 different bones in the human body. Discuss the different types of joints and their functions. Review the difference between voluntary and involuntary muscles. Discuss different types of muscles and their functions: Skeletal Muscles, Smooth Muscles, and Cardiac Muscles.

Social Studies: GOOD CITIZENSHIP UNIT: Police and Our Community.

Reading: Discuss Different Poetry Selections

Grammar: Action and Linking Verbs

Spelling: Focus on words with silent letters.

Specials: Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (word line drawing), Map Skills (directions - N,S,E,W + NE, NW, SE, SW), Health/PE (Bowling, Fingerprinting Activity / Stranger Danger - Police Unit Tie-In).

October 19 - 23

We had a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch planned with our homeschool group, however we got rained out, so we were sad we didn't get to go. We are rescheduled for November 11, but that's the day before we close on our house. So we don't know how that will go yet.

Our Learning Objectives for this week:

Math: Mental Math Strategies (addition/subtraction), Review Multiplication Facts

Science: Continue Unit on Human Body Systems. Focus: Respiratory and Circulatory Systems. Discuss functions and how these systems work together to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout our bodies. Talk about the heart. Identify the 4 chambers of the heart and their functions. Identify the 3 main parts of the circulatory system, and explain why it is so important to move blood through the body.

Spelling: Review Lessons 7 - 11. Cumulative Test on 100 Review Words

Grammar: Main Verbs and Helping Verbs / Irregular Verbs - Present, Past, and Past Participles

Social Studies: Regions of the United States, Regional Resources, Climate

Reading Skill Lesson: Making Judgements

Reading Selection Focus: John Henryby Julius Lester

Specials: Creative Writing (If you could have any X-Men power, what would it be and why), Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (Paper Torn Pumpkins), Cooking (Making Play Dough), Map Skills (continue directional studies).

Menu Plan Monday

2009-10-26T18:36:00.003-05:00

Menu Planning...right. With all that's been going on lately, I haven't really been posting about our menu plans. I know, I know...I was a slacker before, so what else is new? MOVING! PACKING! SELLING OUR HOME, AND BUYING A NEW ONE!! All the truly "fun" things in life, designed to drive us crazy. Quite possibly designed specifically by God to test our faith, endurance, strength, and patience. I seriously hope it's the former and not the latter, because if it is...I'm failing miserably!

Here's what we had last week.

Monday: Chili / Frito Pie

Tuesday: Pot Roast / Potatoes, etc.

Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas / Salad

Thursday: Lasagna / Salad

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: GAME DAY!!! Tailgating Food: Chips, Southern Queso, Cocktail Sausages, Wings

Sunday: Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry / Rice

Homeschool Lessons Revisited...

2009-10-07T12:53:00.004-05:00

Well, we got off to a great start in September with home school! Trey resumed his 4th grade coursework that he began back in the Spring, after a short Summer break. We've spent the last few weeks reviewing everything that he had completed before the break.

We had planned on working throughout the summer, and ideally, that's the plan we coulda, shoulda, woulda stuck to if it hadn't been for the remodel. BUT...you do what you have to and move on, right? So far though, he's doing a great job of picking right back up where we left off.

I can see that he's forgotten a few things over the summer, like some of his multiplication tables and some much needed Spelling skills. But overall, I have to say, my little man is actually maturing and handling his ADD very well. He is really working hard to stay on task and get his work done, and I couldn't be prouder of him!!

I've also started Lindsay in Pre-K lessons. She's doing great! She loves painting, coloring, arts and crafts, and doing her worksheets! Addie also works with her after school on writing her name and other letters of the alphabet. I made a bunch of file folder games (some of them are quite difficult), for her to work on while I work with Trey one-on-one. I'm telling you...this little girl is a firecracker!!! She's sooooo smart!

Here's a look into our learning objectives for the past few weeks:

Trey:

Week 1 -

Review all previous coursework in all subjects except Social Studies.
Complete Unit Study on US Consititution. Choose one Founding Father, Research, and choose a method by which to make a presentation to the family. (Trey chose James Madison, and the method of dressing up as the character and acting out a first person narration of his life.)

Trey doing research on James Madison

Week 2 -

Review all previous coursework in all subjects except Social Studies.
Continue Unit Study on US Consititution - Focus on Bill of Rights.
TEACH Field Trip to the Four States Fair : Discussion about animals, how to care for animals, the process by which milk gets from the cow to the grocery store.

Week 3 -

Begin forward progression of coursework.
Math: Ordering #'s, Problem Solving
Spelling - Focus on Consonant Diagraphs
Reading - Skill Lesson: Theme / Main Ideas
Science - Changes in Ecosystems
Social Studies - Wrap Up US Constitution Unit Study
Bible Lesson - Jesus as a boy, and Jesus as a Man
Grammar - Pronouns - Personal vs. Possessive

Week 4 -

Math - Rounding #'s, Critical Thinking
Spelling - Focus on f sounds: "f, ff, gh, ph" spellings
Reading - Skill Lesson: Context Clues
Science - Changes in Ecosystems
Social Studies - Unit Study on Christopher Columbus
Bible Lesson - Jesus as our Savior, Plagues, Passover
Grammar - Interrogative Pronouns (what, who, which)
Cooking Class: Muffins

Trey's Yummy "Blueberry Blitz" Muffins!!

In addition to all of the schoolwork we've been working on, Trey was also eager to get started back into our TEACH Homeschool Group. We have several field trips planned, as well as Park Days and Bowling Days each once per month. We also have TEACH meetings on the 1st Thursday of every month, and while there, I get to chat with other homeschool moms, attend various workshops, and Trey gets to spend even more time with his friends.

For Lindsay...

Week 1 - we didn't do many structured activities because we were still trying to get used to the idea of how school worked. : ) We did review our Alphabet and Numbers, and worked on some painting and other crafts.

Week 2 - Lindsay still wasn't into the whole idea of going back to school just yet...but since she tagged along with us for our Field Trip to the Fair, she learned all about animals, etc. We completed a mini-book titled "At the Fair, At the Fair, What Will I See?"

Week 3 - I added her desk to our actual homeschooling area and we are learning school rules and etiquette such as raising hands, etc. I use Teachers Book Bag from Currclick for most of our activities.

Language / Handwriting Practice: Letter A - "A is for Animals"
Math: Animal Matching, Feeding Times, File Folder Games - Counting Bears
Moving and Grooving: Animal Dance
Creation Station: Animal Mix Up

Week 4 - We attended a play of Charlotte's Web at our local theater to wrap up our unit on animals. Lindsay also sat in on our Unit Study of Christopher Columbus. We have lots of Columbus crafts and activities planned, as well as the following:

Math - Addition
Language / Handwriting Practice : Letter C
Moving and Grooving - Park Day, Buried Treasure Game - hide the treasure, use clues to find the "x" that marks the spot of the treasure!
Cooking Class: Muffins
Health/Manners: Healthy Eating Choices / Small Bites vs. Big Bites / Help plan snacks for the week.

So, as you can see, we've been very busy the last few weeks!! Thankfully, we've accepted another (really good) offer on our house, so hopefully the chaos will soon be over and I can again begin posting regularly on our homeschooling lessons. : )

Menu Plan Monday - Can't we just switch it to Tuesday???

2009-10-06T12:28:00.003-05:00

OMG, I am such a slacker! I have absolutely no excuse! I kept thinking there was something I needed to do yesterday, and I just plain forgot about it. UGH! Here we go again, a day late...

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner!! Thanks to the hubs!

Monday: Burgers / Fries

Tuesday: Alice Springs Chicken (make extra chicken, cube)

Wednesday: Pizza at Church

Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti (using made ahead chicken)

Friday: Taco Salads

Saturday: BBQ Sandwiches / GAME DAY FOOD - GO HOGS!!!!!

And that's about it....I left out the lunches, breakfasts, and snacks this week because of my time restraints today...maybe one day I'll be able to get it together and actually post on Monday!!!

Please go by and check out other menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie!!!

OOPS! I did it again!! I forgot Menu Plan Monday!!!

2009-09-29T12:40:00.004-05:00

Darn! I knew I would do this...I just have soo much going on right now!! Well, better late than never, right?? Ok...well, here's my menu...albeit a day late!! : ) I'm going to try something different this week. Since we're homeschoolers, I like to plan for all of our snacks, etc., that way there's no question about what the kiddos will be eating and when. I do a carbohydrate type food for our AM snacks, and a Fruit or Veggie (most of the time) for PM Snacks.

I find that when I plan this way, the snacking isn't quite so irregular, I am less tempted to buy junk food, and I can save tons on my grocery bill because the kids know that there is something planned for them and they don't go on an all out raid of the pantry!! I actually still do the 5 week Menu Plan I mentioned in an earlier post...boy, does it save me a lot of headaches!! I usually switch it up in the Spring/Summer months so that the menus fit with the seasons...who wants to be eating hot soup on a hot summer day, right?? Anyway...here's what we'll be having this week:

Sunday:

Breakfast: Cereal

AM Snack: Yogurt

Lunch: FAIR FOOD!!

PM Snack: FAIR FOOD!!

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas

Dessert: Popsicles

Monday:

Breakfast: Sausage Biscuits / Jam

AM Snack: Cereal Bars

Lunch: Leftover Fajitas

PM Snack: grapes

Dinner: Lasagna / Salad / Breadsticks

Dessert: Ice Cream

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Buttered Cinnamon Toast

AM Snack: Cheese and Crackers

Lunch: BLT Wraps

PM Snack: grapes

Dinner: Kielbasa/4 Bean Soup (CROCKPOT) and Rice

Dessert: Popsicles

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Vanilla Cinnamon Pancakes w/ Warm Maple Syrup

AM Snack: Popcorn

Lunch: Peanut Noodles with Grilled Chicken

PM Snack: Carrot Sticks with Ranch

Dinner: Meat Loaf / Mashed Potatoes / Corn

Dessert: Brownies

Thursday:

Breakfast: Sunshine Smoothies

AM Snack: Muffin

Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup / Crackers

PM Snack: Chocolate Pudding with Graham Cracker Sticks

Dinner: Mexican Chicken (make 1 / freeze 1)

Dessert: Ice Cream

Friday:

Breakfast: Muffins

AM Snack: Cheese and Crackers

Lunch: Chicken Club Lettuce Wraps

PM Snack: Tootie Fruitie Parfaits

Dinner: PIZZA (Family Movie / Game Night!!)

Dessert: Brownies

Saturday: GAME DAY!!! GO HOGS GO!!!

Breakfast: Cereal

AM Snack: Popcorn

Lunch: Make Your Own Sandwich Bar

PM Snack: Chocolate Pudding with Graham Cracker Sticks

Dinner: TAILGATE FARE...Cocktail Sausages, Chips & Cheese Dip, Veggie/Fruit Tray

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies

And that's all, folks!! Be sure and stop by I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menu ideas!!! Ya'll have a great week!! : )

Crock Pot Wednesday

2009-09-23T21:13:00.004-05:00

I love my Crock Pot! I especially love it during weeks such as these when everything seems to be going wrong. In an earlier post, I mentioned that we had accepted an offer on our house. Well...guess what?? The unthinkable happened, and the lady backed out because she finally sat down and figured out what her payments would be. Why on earth she didn't do that BEFORE she entered into a contract with us??

UGH! Bygones, right...So anyway, our house is back on the market. We again have realtors calling to schedule appointments...and most of their clients want to schedule it right about dinner time. So instead of eating out - which is nice at first because of the Zero Clean-Up Factor, but incredibly expensibe for a family of 5 - I have started to use my Crock Pot more often. I love it because I can fix it in the morning, and go about my daily Super Mom activities without a worry in the world!

Here's my CrockPot Recipe for the week. Be sure and check out Debbie's blog, Dining With Debbie for more awesome CrockPot Recipes!!

Slow Cooker Oatmeal (aka: Fall in a Bowl!!) - recipe originally found on AllRecipes.com. I usually substitute the water for apple cider if I have it, and I also used whole milk. We LOVE this recipe, and you can't get any easier than this!! Fix it before bed, and your breakfast is ready when you wake up! PLUS, it makes your house smell WONDERFUL!!!!

2 cups steel cut oats
2 cups diced apple
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the oats, apple, cranberries, almonds, pecans, water, milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and butter in a slow cooker. Cook on Low overnight or 8 hours.

Menu Plan Monday!!

2009-09-21T13:55:00.004-05:00

This is my second week to participate in Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie. So far I love it! It has really helped me stay on top of my menu-planning, and I absolutely LOVE getting ideas from other bloggers about the all too common worry: WHAT'S FOR DINNER???

Here's my plan for the week:

Dinners - Even though we've accepted an offer on our house (after only 4 days on the market, Woo Hoo), I'm still going to be using my crockpot for a few things...I just love the convenience of it! Fix it and Forget it!!

Monday - Roast Chicken (make extra), Carmelized Carrots, Salad

Tuesday - Mushroom Jack Fajitas

Wednesday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Thursday - Tacos - (Taco Bowl for the hubs - low carb)

Friday - Pizza (FAMILY GAME OR MOVIE NIGHT!!!)

Saturday - Game Day!! Brats, Chili, Nachos. Go Razorbacks!!!

Sunday - Potato Bar (use some leftover chili/cheese,too!), Salad

Lunches-

Monday - Ham Sandwiches, Fruit Salad

Tuesday - Chicken Pot Pie (using leftover/made ahead chicken from Monday Night)

Wednesday - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks

Thursday - BLT Roll-ups, Applesauce

Friday - Ravioli Casserole, Pineapple Chunks

Saturday - Game Day Food (see above)

Sunday - Fish Sticks, Fries

Breakfasts -

Monday - Sausage Biscuits

Tuesday - Pancakes

Wednesday - Cheese Toast

Thursday - Breakfast Pizza

Friday - Sunshine Smoothies

Saturday / Sunday - Cereal, Fresh Fruit

Well, there you have it! Don't forget to stop by I'm an Organizing Junkie, and check out the other (over 200??) bloggers who link up their menus as well!! Helpful and LOTS OF FUN!!!

Ya'll have a great week!!

Get Ready, Get Set...CLEAN! (Long Post Alert!!)

2009-09-18T09:47:00.010-05:00

With the start of the new school year, and with our house in the final stages of sale, I have found myself a little overwhelmed with keeping our house picture perfect. We've had realtors calling to schedule showings - not all of them giving lots of notice. If you've ever had your house on the market, you know what I'm talking about.

I sometimes get asked how I manage to keep our house looking picture perfect while it's on the market, while at the same time trying to homeschool 2 children. I think I've figured out a good plan for our family and thought I'd share it here.

First and foremost, I am a firm believer that children need chores. I saw an idea at Life is Not a Cereal for a reward system, and I thought this would be a good starting place for inspiration. Her kiddos are a little younger than my main chore-doers, so I had to devise my own plan (I am not posting my actual charts, because I do not want to take away from Jenni's idea - she's the brains behind this whole idea - I just had to tweak mine a little to fit our chore needs). But I loved the Treasure Chest / Jewel system so much, I decided to incorporate her idea into our plan. I went to Oriental Trading Co. and found these neat metal Treasure Chest Banks. While there, I also purchased a large supply of Marti Gras coins (the jewels were just soooo expensive). I had to make the slits in the top of the banks a little bigger, but it was nothing my kitchen shears couldn't handle!

But I began to notice that my children needed more than a choice of what chores to do, so I made them each a list of REQUIRED chores to be done daily - broken down into morning and afternoon chores. For each chore, they earn a coin. If they want to earn extra coins, they have to pull a card from our Chore File, which has various different options for chores, as well as the details about how they know when that area is clean. I've found that if I don't do this, they will rush through them without actually cleaning anything.

Also posted on the fridge, alongside their Chore Lists, is a Reward List...similar in theory to Jenni's from Life is Not a Cereal. I asked the kids what rewards they'd like to see, and we sat down and made the list together. They "spend" their coins for various "priced" rewards. We have "inexpensive" rewards like Bubble Bath and Makeover with Mommy (for the girls, of course), but we also have "expensive" rewards like a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. This way, they view their reward as a goal to be reached by being responsible family members, they get a nice math lesson in "money" and "counting," AND they learn to save up for the things they want the most.

This is working beautifully, by the way...even our 3 year old is participating! And they all love receiving their coins, and putting them in their banks!!

Trey (almost 10) is homeschooled so his morning chores include making his bed, feeding the dog, taking out the trash, and unloading the dishwasher. His afternoon chores include unloading the dishwasher (again...we have a lot of dishes), picking up his bedroom, sweeping/mopping the kitchen, and helping Lindsay with one chore.

Addison (almost 9) attends public school, and has less time in the morning, so her morning chores only include making her bed, and clearing the table after breakfast. Her afternoon chores include picking up/vacuuming the Living Room, picking up the kids' bathroom (until she's older, I still do all the gross stuff), folding clothes, and setting the table for dinner.

Lindsay (almost 4) is in homeschool Pre-K. Her morning chores include clearing her breakfast station, getting dressed without reminding, brushing her hair and teeth by herself, and making her bed. Her afternoon chores include using the Dustbuster to pick up crumbs, etc., Windexing the windows/glass doors, and picking up her bedroom.

These chores are done EVERY DAY. I've found that it is much easier to clean a little every day than have to spend an entire weekend getting it done. Besides, it's FOOTBALL SEASON!! Who wants to be cleaning when the Razorbacks are playing??? GO HOGS!!

In addition to their everyday chores, each family member is officially responsible for doing their own laundry. Each person has their own laundry basket with their name on it, and they have their own day of the week in which they do their laundry. Since Lindsay is still a little one, I still help her with hers, but she is required to be there and do most of the work. She's gotta learn sometime, right?? There is also a laundry basket in the kids' bathroom for towels. Since I'm home, I do my husband's laundry for him unless I'm sick, etc. I do towels and sheets on Sunday.

If everyone is responsible, and adheres to their daily chore lists, my chores can get done more efficiently. Every morning, after Addie gets on the bus, I do a load of dishes, put something for dinner in the crockpot, and wipe down all the counters and kitchen sink. I grab a few paper towels, my Swiffer Duster, and hook a bottle of Simple Green to the front pocket of my jeans (FINALLY a use for that tiny little pocket!!). Then I make my way to the back of the house, checking each room to see if it needs attention. My rule of thumb is to do a general pick up on my way to the BACK of the house (with a trash bag in hand), and do a thorough cleaning on my way back to the FRONT.
I then throw everything into the trashbag I've been carrying, and take it outside. I keep a caddy full of cleaning supplies in each bathroom as well so I don't have to carry that all over the house.

Addie usually gets on the bus at 7:20 am, and I'm ALWAYS done by 8:30am. We start school at 9am sharp. This gives us a nice clean house to start our day with. We're usually in the homeschool classroom, or kitchen for most of the day. So their bedrooms don't usually get messy until after school time. Hence the reason I listed that chore as an afternoon chore. (Ahaa!! Method to my madness!!!) :)

This method has worked well for us. I only hope we can keep it up during the moving/transistion process!!! :) Feel free to post your own cleaning schedules/ideas!! I love reading from others how they manage kids, house, etc.! Happy Cleaning Ya'll!! :)

Menu Plan Monday

2009-09-14T12:06:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I figured I don't have enough to do with homeschooling 2 children, running to the public school bus with another, and all of the other necessary daily duties of a stay-at-home/homeschool mom - who also happens to have her house on the market with realtors calling frequently to request a showing. So I thought I'd add another fun thing to my weekly routine. MENU PLAN MONDAY!!!

Ya'll all know how OCD I am by now, I'm sure. And you all know how I love to menu-plan...so when I found this weekly blog assignment at I'm an Organizing Junkie, I actually viewed it as an opportunity for some ME time...my own personal Calgon moment, if you will. Is it sad that I get stress relief from planning more stuff to do?

Anyway...this is how it works: Every Monday, I will (attempt to) share my menus for the week. I will probably not have photos, as meal time at our house usually resembles your local zoo feeding time. But I may get a few here and there! For more ideas on menus and planning (not to mention incredible organizing ideas), visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Dinners - This week, I'm doing a lot of CrockPot type meals - just because they're easy to walk away from if the realtor shows up unexpectedly and kicks us out for an hour. :)

Monday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup - Cornbread

Tuesday: Pork Tenderloin / Homemade Mashed Potatoes / Green Beans

Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas (using extra made ahead chicken from Monday)

Thursday: Beef Stew / Cornbread

Friday: Pizza - (Friday is our Family Pizza & a Movie Night)

Saturday: GAME DAY FOOD: Cheese Dip, Chips, Brats on the Grill (GO RAZORBACKS!!!)

Sunday: Baked Pork Chops / Roasted Herb Potatoes

Lunches -

Monday: Ravioli / Crackers / Milk

Tuesday: Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup / Crackers

Wednesday: Grilled Cheese / Carrot Sticks

Thursday: BBQ Sandwiches (with leftover pork tenderloin)

Friday: Ham and Cheese Pinwheels / Raisin-Carrot Salad

Saturday: Game Day Food (see above)

Sunday: Leftovers

Breakfasts -

Monday - Doughnuts

Tuesday - Blueberry Waffles

Wednesday - Fruit Smoothies

Thursday - Eggs / Bacon

Friday - Muffins

Saturday / Sunday - Cereal / Fruit

Here We Go Again!

2009-09-06T00:10:00.004-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again! Addison and I went for Meet the Teacher Night on August 19, and she started the 3rd grade on August 24th. She is still attending the Math and Engineering school. She loves her new teacher (although she really misses her teacher from last year). She loves being in school - I think she has a certain (hereditary??) obsession with school supplies. Since this school works a year ahead of other public schools, we had a long talk about how much faster the 3rd grade moves than the 2nd grade. I'm not worried...she's firecracker smart. She's constantly blowing the curve, and she loves learning new things, but I felt a responsibility to at least make the speech, you know?

Addie before Meet the Teacher Night

Also new to her this year is the bus. Mind you, we live maybe a mile from the school...if that. And if they had sidewalks, she could, theoretically, walk - if I wasn't such a paranoid parent who refuses to let her children out of her sight by themselves. I rather enjoy our short trips to and from school because we always act silly and I inevitably embarrass all the kids with my somewhat rusty 80's dance moves, so I was a little reluctant to give up our little trips! But Addison really wanted to ride the bus like a "big girl," so I chose to let her ride.

This picture perfectly captures her personality!

This has actually turned into a blessing for both of us. Addison loves being able to gain a little "big girl" independence and walk in the front door and say, "I'm Ho-ome!" And I love being able to let the other kids sleep while Addie and I spend quiet time together eating our breakfast and doing her hair. Our mornings are not as rushed, and I'm not as stressed. So what first began as a guilty feeling of lost time with Addie, turned out to be a blessing of more one-on-one time together. I still secretly wish I could homeschool her, but I am content that God has a plan for us all and for now His Plan has her in public school.

First Day of School!!!

Trey will pick back up on his lessons on Sept. 14. For those who don't know, he began the 4th grade back in April. We took a couple of months off over the summer so we could focus on remodeling our house. We're almost done with the house, and we can't wait to get back into the swing of homeschooling again.

Our first Homeschool Association meeting was held on September 3rd. It looks like there will be a LOT more field trips, learning opportunities, elective classes, choir opportunities, etc., and LOTS of new members! So we can't wait! Trey will be a member of 4H this year, as well as Choir. We're looking into Orchestra, as well; although we're not sure if we can afford it yet. We will also be attending Park Day and Bowling Day-each once a month. Who says homeschooled kids aren't socialized?? I swear, Trey and Lindsay's social calendars are more full than Addie's. Crazy, right?

The only thing I really worry about with Trey is his dress. He would stay in his pajamas all day if I'd let him! And some days he has! I'm thinking of enforcing a dress code this year! How funny would that be?

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful school year!!!

Been a Long Time...

2009-06-10T12:07:00.004-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post until I started talking to the hubs last night about possibly starting a blog for him. I started telling him about all the ins and outs, and how much time it takes. Then it hit me....I've been so busy driving myself crazy that I haven't had the time to write about ANYTHING in over a month!!

So, for those who are interested, here's what we've been up to in the last month.

Some of you may have noticed that I have a business making baby gifts and gift baskets, but I also have branched out into baby shower/event planning. In May, I got my first "gig" as an event planner!! It was a baby shower for the daughter in law of a former co-worker. It turned out beautifully, and I can't wait to do another! Everything went so smoothly - I couldnt' believe there were no last minute crises to take care of! It took a lot of time, but I have to say....my OCD and over-organizing actually paid off this time!! :)

On another happy note: the hubby's diet is going GREAT!! He has lost over 40 pounds doing the low carb diet. Me? Well, not so much. I lost 5 pounds in one week after I made the vow to get back on (and stay on) my thyroid medication. However, as evident in the past, it's too difficult for me to diet my way while the cooking for the hubs on his low carb diet. I HATE the low carb diet. I would much rather do a low cal/low fat diet. But it's just too difficult!! I know - I'm a wienie!!

I'm not blaming him whatsoever - in fact, I'm sooooo proud of him for sticking to his plan! It's just that by being at home full time, I'm responsible for making his lunch and dinner. He calls me on his way home from work and asks me (very politely) if I would mind frying him some bacon and eggs (my favorite), or a ham and cheese omelett (another favorite) with some sausage (another favorite). I'm weak...I admit it. But I haven't given up. It's just going slower than I had wanted.

I even tried doing the low carb diet since it was evidently too difficult for me to cook his meals and try to stay on my diet as well. You know? If you can't beat em, join em, right?? But after a few days, my blood sugar dropped and I started shaking and seeing stars. I figured that was no longer an option. SO....I've decided to take a few days, do some soul-searching and a lot of praying, and try to figure out what my best plan of attack should be.

I have continued to work on my menu plans to incorporate things that both of us can eat, but I haven't had time to post them, as there has been another huge project I've undertaken.

My in-laws' swimming pool needed resurfacing, and my father-in-law is not the type to hire out work. He's the incredibly talented builder of the family and has always been up for a challenge. It's just that this particular challenge needed more hands on deck than he had. So, I've been over there every day for the past 10 days scrubbing, plastering, sanding, re-plastering, re-sanding, and vacuuming just to get the surface prepared for a new liner. Then we dropped the liner in, got it all nice and perfect and then realized it was in backwards. Ya heard me! Backwards!!! UGH!!!!!

So then we had to start all over. Finally, we got the liner in and began stretching, pinning, pulling, smoothing, and filling. Did I mention that he owns the largest residential swimming pool available?? It was, and remains a NIGHTMARE!! If I have any bit of advice for anyone thinking of taking on a project like this, it would be: DON'T!!! Please hire it done! It will cost more, but it will save you many headaches and muscle aches, not to mention sunburns from the depths of hell!

They have a cabin that my father in law has built from the ground up, and have decided to make it their permanent residence. So we have decided to purchase their house. If for no other reason than to enjoy the fruits of our labor on the nightmare of a swimming pool! LOL! That means we have to get our house ready to put on the market. So we've got lots of projects to accomplish this summer. Hopefully, we'll have a post in the next year about our brand new house with the accompanying swimming pool!

So I guess I won't be posting very much this summer, as I am also homeschooling Trey throughout the summer months. We are very, very busy bees this summer!!! I wish everyone a very happy and relaxing summer!!! Please pray for us as we have soooo much work to do! :)

Diet Menu Plan - May 4 - 10, 2009

2009-05-04T11:37:00.007-05:00

Some of you may know about the 5 week menu plan that I've been doing. And while it worked like a charm, I've recently decided to go to a weekly menu plan because our diet has changed dramatically. My husband is on a Low Carb diet, I am on the exact opposite kind of diet that involves low calorie options and portion control paired with lots of exercise. And then there are the children who don't need to be on any kind of "diet". So it's very frustrating!! The 5 week Menu Plan assumes that you will reuse a lot of the same items throughout the 5 weeks...thus preventing one from having to spend as much at the grocery store. Clearly, both types of our newly improved diets require more fresh (and more expensive) ingredients. The goal has now changed from saving money to saving ourselves. :) I'm sure if I sat down and really put my mind to it, I could formulate a Low Carb 5 week Menu Plan, but I'm gonna take it one step at a time for now. :)

Trust me...I've done every diet out there. I don't like the Atkins/Southbeach type diets because they've never, ever, ever worked for me in the long run. The trick to the low-carb diet is variety. I get too bored with eating the same old stuff every day. Meat, cheese, eggs; meat, cheese, eggs; meat, cheese, eggs..................AAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!! It doesn't help that I am addicted (seriously, folks) to bread, pasta, and all things sweet.

But since the hubs is really doing well and is trying his best, I've decided to support him the best way I can. And that is by fixing him meals that he will enjoy, despite the fact that I can't have most of what he's having, and the children don't WANT most of what he's having.

So here is my solution: Each week I'm going to challenge myself to find low-carb items for the hubs to eat. My goal is to make sure he has variety, and also adapt them so that I can use them in my diet. I know this will be difficult, so I'm not promising to have cross-over type dishes every night, but on those nights, I will have a low-cal dish alongside it or just eat a Lean Cuisine type meal.

I've recently visited Organizing Junkie where there is a Menu Plan Monday meme going on. I seriously thought about joining, but I really, truly believe that if I get too caught up in reading scrumptious recipes, that I'll be too tempted to stray from my diet. So here's my list::

Monday:

Pan-fried Pork Chops seasoned with salt, pepper, Cavenders Seasoning (Gary's favorite)

Broccoli and Cheese

(I will bake my pork chop instead)

Tuesday:

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast topped with cheddar cheese

(I will leave off the bacon and cheese on mine and bake it alongside the others)

Salad

Wednesday:

Stuffed Peppers (1 lb. ground beef mixed with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 can rotel - stuffed into peppers and baked on 400 for 30 min - add cheddar and more parm on top, bake for 10 more min). (Slice up an extra bell pepper and bake alongside for tomorrow night)

Salad

Thursday:

Fajita Chicken Salad (iceberg lettuce topped with fajita-type chicken, roasted bell peppers (from last night), and ranch dressing.

Friday:

Pepperjack Chicken

Grilled Chicken Breasts topped with Pepperjack Cheese and sauteed mushrooms.

Green Beans

Saturday:

Burger in a bowl (I found the recipe here.)

Sunday: (Mother's Day) - not sure if we're eating here or not, but here's the back up plan in case I end up having to cook!!

Pot Roast ala Crockpot!

Small Talk Six -May 2

2009-05-01T19:53:00.004-05:00

Today's topic for the Small Talk Six is 6 Things That You Always Wondered about Your Teachers or Professors. You can view the pre-scheduled list of topics here. Stop by and join in the fun, or just read what others posted this week at MomDot! Here's my 6:

1. How did Mrs. B. manage to find the Fountain of Youth? I swear that woman was 112 when she taught me!! And she would always tell all her students: "You know, I taught your (insert old relative here)." And she's still teaching!!!

2. Same teacher: How on EARTH did she manage to keep that bee-hive hair do up on her head all day?! I used to swear it was a hat that she took off at night and replaced every morning before school!!

3. Was Square-Dancing really a requisite in 10th grade PE or did Mrs. S. just need some comical relief??

4. How on earth did Mr. O manage to muster the patience to deal with my obvious lack of ability to learn Physics. I think the toothpick bridge requirement was his idea of payback!!

5. In college: What went through my World Lit teacher's mind when I walked in for the first time ever...to take the final!!

6. Same teacher: What went through her mind when I made an A on said final?? LOL!!

Tot School - April 20 - 24, 2009

2009-04-27T15:34:00.004-05:00

Lindsay is currently 3 1/2 years old

Tot School last week was a little sparse in the picture department. My foot has been really bothering me lately, and I'm having trouble walking. What's wrong, you wonder? In an act of infinite gracefulness, I stepped on a piece of broken glass last year sometime. Evidently, the surgical skills of my husband and I are lacking a bit, because I am in excrutiating pain when I walk. The only plus is that by the afternoon, it's so numb that it doesn't hurt as bad and I can actually get things done. I've never gone to the doctor about it because, well - I don't have to explain that to other moms, I guess. I just tend to put my own problems on the back burner until the whole kitchen burns down. :) Anyway...I've now realized that by ignoring it, I may have done myself more harm than good. So....I'm having surgery this Thursday to correct the damage I've caused to my foot and will be on crutches for 3 weeks. No biggie...but I've never walked on crutches before so this will definitely be a challenge. Ya'll pray...I'm not scared, but Gary is. He's never had a surgery and worries himself sick when I have to.

ANYWAY...Tot School. Right. We had a busy week, even if most of our time was spent just talking to each other. We talked about Earth Day and the importance of recycling. We looked at pictures of the earth and I showed her where we lived on a world map. We made promises to do better when we throw things away and we will really try to get things to the recycling bin instead of the trash can. We had lots of little talks about our planet and how we need to take care of it. We touched on climate differences a little, but it was kind of over her head, so we moved on.

Here's something I did get pictures of: Our "Fuzzy Weed-Stamped Flower Garden"!! One afternoon, we were sitting outside playing in the grass. Lindsay brought me this weed that I'm sure everyone has in their own yards, right?? She called it a "Fuzzy Weed". After I finished sneezing, I collected several more from her and grabbed some paint. Here's what we ended up with!

First - Grab a "fuzzy-weed" like this from your yard (or if you're the super-mom-type who would die if she found a weed in her yard, go steal one from your neighbor!)

Second, choose your paint colors - we used yellow, orange, green, purple, light blue, red, and pink. I used the Crayola Washable paints, and they worked like a charm when it came to clean-up time.

Next, dip your "fuzzy-weed" into the paint and stamp it on your paper (I used 11 x 13 poster board), to make a flower. Play around with it...the more paint you put on your "fuzzy-weed," the fuller the petals on your flowers. I loved the effect I got when I used a very small amount of red paint...it almost looked like a hibiscus flower!

Finally, use the stem of your "fuzzy-weed" to make the flower stems and leaves for your garden!

Clean up was really easy - I tend to stay away from painting because I detest cleaning paint brushes!! But this proved to be very easy!!

For those of you who noticed my hypocrytical use of styrofoam plates while teaching Lindsay about Earth Day...I know! I know!!! I'm really sorry!!! I bought a huge supply of them a few months ago - before our new promise was made. :) I am trying to change, I swear!!!

To join in the weekly fun, or simply read other Tot Reports from other moms, visit Carisa's blog: 1+1+1=1.

Please Don't Call Me Sweetie!!

2009-04-25T11:37:00.006-05:00

Today is my first post with Momdot.com's Small Talk Six. Each Saturday, a new topic is given in which you respond by posting 6 words, phrases, pictures, paragraphs, etc. You can view the pre-scheduled list of topics here. This week's topic is 6 Things that Others Do to Make You Personally Uncomfortable. So stop by and join in the fun, or just read what others posted this week at MomDot!

Here's my list...

1. I have a real big issue with violation of personal space. You know what I'm talking about...the people who stand 6 inches from your face when they want to talk to you. And don't even try to back away...they'll follow you!!!

2. Please don't call me sweetie. My hairdresser does this, and I really wish I had the nerve to ask her to stop. She's just such a nice person - she was really sweet to my little girl and I just can't find the words.

3. Poor driving while my children or I happen to be in the car. I hate to get in the car with folks who don't pay attention when they're driving. I'm a nervous passenger anyway, so please don't make it worse by running red lights, or expressing your road rage while we're in the car.

4. Cell Phones! This is a biggie. I absolutely detest the use of cell phones in public. Here's an example of why. My husband and I went to a traditional Italian restaurant for our anniversary a couple of years ago. I was excited because this place was known for it's quiet, intimate atmosphere; and with 4 kids, we don't get a chance to connect much anymore. Unfortunately, there was a lady a few tables away from us who had evidently been stood up by whomever she was expecting. Instead of leaving, she immediately began dialing everyone on her address list and complained to them about her predicament in the loudest, whiniest voice I could imagine. It was almost too bad to be true when she started screaming into the phone when her friend couldn't hear her due to a bad connection. Needless to say, our perfect night was ruined before the appetizers came. GGrrrrr.....

5. I also hate it when someone blows their nose in front of me. I want to vomit everytime. So please excuse yourself and go to the restroom to do so. Or just give me a heads up first! Trust me - I'll leave promptly!!!

6. Lastly, I can't stand to go to restaurants, etc. with people who are rude to the wait staff. It is sooo embarrassing to me! You never know what that person has already been through that day, and I really don't want to wonder if they've spit in my food.

I Believe...

2009-04-23T10:49:00.002-05:00

Beliefs. We all have them, but can we all articulate them upon request? If you're like me, you are usually able to pick from a list when presented with a specific question. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in capital punishment? Those questions are fairly easily answered for me. But the little things take a little more time for me to formulate...that's why I was thrilled to receive the following in an email from my sister Lisa this morning.

I Believe...

That just because two people argue, doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...

That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...

That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...

That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I Believe...

That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...

That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...

That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...

That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe....

That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...

That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...

That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...

That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...

That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...

That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...

That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...

That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had,
and what you've learned from them..... and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...

That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...

That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...

That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...

That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...

Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...

That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...

That even when you think you have no more to give, if a friend cries out to you.... .... you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...

That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...

That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...

That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in. I just did.

I Believe...

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who help me throughout the journey of my life...

Girl's Day Out!!

2009-04-17T21:10:00.015-05:00

Last Friday, the girls and I had the day to ourselves. The guys went to the cabin to help out with some more of the building phase. So the girls and I decided that we would get out of the house for a while and have some fun!

First on our To-Do List was Chuck E. Cheese. They had a really great time. The highlight, though, was when they impressed everyone with their cool dance moves (that they obviously didn't learn from me). Addison took off as soon as the tokens hit her hand, and I didn't see her again until it was time to eat the pizza. Lindsay didn't want to get down from the clock ride.

Then came the shopping!! I was looking for an outfit for Easter, and the girls had fun sifting through all the beautiful jewelry we came across. They got bracelets, and hair bows, and all the typical "girly" stuff that any mini-fashionista would be proud to own! The funniest moment, though, occurred while we were in one of the "Mommy Stores." From the minute we walked in the door, Lindsay was obsessed with the manequins. There was a group of them posed in front of the doors showing off the newest spring fashions. Lindsay politely walked up to them and said, "So...what's up girlfriend? Hi ladies!" I got a little laugh out of that and moved on.

I found some really cute things and headed for the register. It was crowded - I was 4th in line, with a couple of women behind me, but I didn't mind because I was just excited about this rare opportunity for me to get something new. :) Of course, I was really hoping Lindsay wouldn't notice the half naked manequin beside us wearing nothing but a thong. I swear this is a respectable store...I don't know what they were thinking putting that manequin up like that!! But both of my smart little observant children noticed right away!! Addison just snickered under her breath and was obviously embarrassed. Lindsay, on the other hand, was very interested. I know my face had to be red, but I tried to ignore it in hopes that maybe the shiny new necklace I was now dangling at her would catch her attention.

No such luck...she immediately walked around the back of the manequin with a look that could only be described as a cross between utter disgust and absolute hysteria. Then came the pointing, snickering, and the eventual proclamation that...

"Mommy! That lady has a wedgie!!!"

Ok, my face has to be at least 4 shades of purple at this point! Addison was trying her best not to laugh. But it eventually got the best of her and that just multiplied Lindsay's quest to make sure that everyone in the store was aware of the "lady's" unfortunate situation, while she continued to try to help the "lady" dislodge the offending material from her rear-end.

As a mother, I often find myself blushing over some of the observations of my children in public places. Thank goodness it was an all-women's store. I'm sure everyone in line was a mother who had probably experienced some degree of public humiliation at the hands of their beloved children. They all got a good laugh out of it anyway!!

By the time we made it out of the store, I needed a little time to let the blood drain from my face. Sooo................................

We decided to top off our day with a trip to Coldstone Creamery...FOR DINNER!! This is something I have never done before as a mother, but I couldn't resist! We were having such a good time, and it reminded me of some of the times that my sister, Lisa and I would spend with our Aunt Jeannie. We used to spend summers with her at her beach house outside of Galveston, TX. When we were little, she'd fix us waffles with ice cream on top for breakfast as a special treat. It was memorable to say the least! Aunt Jeannie died in a car accident in 2000, and never met my girls. So I was so happy to be able to share a little part of her with them.

Her ice cream kept falling off the cone, so I got her a bowl.

But she was determined to get it IN the cone!

Obviously, they liked the ice cream! I can only hope that they enjoyed our Girl's Day Out as much!!

Tot School - April 6 - 10, 2009

2009-04-16T17:23:00.008-05:00

Yes, I know I'm late with my Tot School post...I've been really busy this week getting Trey appropriately transitioned from the 3rd grade into the 4th. It has really been quite a week!

Last weekend, we went to the cabin that my (very talented) father-in-law is building in Arkansas...himself. No really...ALL by himself - well, for the exception of Grandmommy. My brother in law Rick helps out when he can, and so do we...but that's about all the help he's had. :)

It's been 4 years of working through every weekend/vacation he takes off work, but Gary Sr. is about to get it finished!! You can't tell by looking at the primer on the exterior, but eventually, the entire house will be a pale yellow with white trim, and pecan trees will line the drive. This is the backside of the house. The front side overlooks the river, and has two large dormer windows that will make for an even more scenic view. The porch wraps around 3 sides of the house, and there will be french doors leading onto that from the master bedroom. This will be a perfect place for them to spend their retirement! (And in case you were wondering, yes, that is an outhouse out there to the right...it is only temporary -thank goodness!!- until they get all the plumbing done which will come later in the building phase).

Grand-daddy always takes special time to show the kiddos what he's doing and he lets them help whenever they want. Here, he's showing Addie how to measure a board correctly.

Lindsay loves taking "Nature Walks" and looking for rocks. A few months ago, we found 2 huge pieces of sandstone with a vein of quartz crystal running through each piece, and she is always eager to find more! In these particular pictures, I was trying to convince her that digging up Grandmommy's carefully laid stone path outside the cook house wasn't the greatest idea. She didn't agree. Sorry Grandmommy!!

This is the "driveway" that leads up around a bank of woods and into the area where the house is being built. Lindsay and I love to take our walks here.

She loves sitting on the huge wrap-around porch and looking out over the river. I can't wait to get her into a canoe this summer!!

Later in the week, we made a "Counting Catepillar." I just cut out 1 medium and 5 big circles out of construction paper, and let Lindsay tape them together. We curled pipe cleaners around our pencils and made the antennae. I wrote the numbers 1-5 on each circle and counted out the corresponding numbers of colored pom-poms. She was supposed to match both the correct color and number of pom-poms to the corresponding circle. It took her a few tries, but she got it in the end! :)

I also found a letter matching/memory type game in one of her workbooks. She had so much fun with it, that I decided to make a bigger (better) one as a file folder game that she can play anytime. :)

The goal is to find the matches to all the letters/numbers so she can place them on the cookie sheet. You can't really tell, but on the left, there is a "placemat" that has a photo of a traditional place setting. That was made into a pocket to store all of the "cookies."

We also played the coolest game called Hullabaloo!! All of my kiddos enjoyed this game! It was a hoot!!!

Well, that was it for us for Tot School for last week. For more Tot Reports from other mom's, visit Carisa's blog, 1+1+1=1!

The Big 4th Grader!!!

2009-04-15T10:43:00.003-05:00

Well, it's official! Trey has begun the 4th grade!! I'm so proud of him! He really buckled down and finished the 3rd grade curriculum, and is ready to begin the 4th grade. Of course, I was really hoping and praying that he would do so, and he didn't let me down!!

You see, I thought I was being really proactive and organized, and ordered our 4th grade curriculum early so we could beat the rush. When I got to the Homeschool Curriculum Shop website, I was pleased to find that they now offer a lease option. Gary and I decided that this would be a good option for us because we don't have the room to store all those textbooks anyway. The website stated that "upon returning the required materials," we would receive a credit towards next years purchase/lease. I thought WOW...you can't beat that, right?? Well, I was wrong.

5 weeks after ordering, we received our curriculum (just about the time I was beginning to panic). We opened it up to find that the Math books we ordered were on backorder with no idea as to when they would arrive. On the invoice, they had also noted where I had ordered Saxon Math instead of Harcourt Math- which I didn't...Trey does not do well with the Saxon learning style. Thankfully, I saved every page of my online order as I completed it and was able to convince the customer service representative that THEY were the ones that had made the mistake. (They tried to tell me that there was no such option on the order form!!) Anyway...they also included on the invoice that the lease is only for 13 months. Which, even in my own opinion is a fair amount of time, but their website led me to believe that we could keep it until we were finished with the grade and return it in order to receive the credit. After all, the lease option WAS the same amount as the purchase price...you're just given a list of items you have to return, like the hardback textbooks and (photocopied) teacher's guides in order to receive the credit. So they wouldn't be out any money if we decided to keep them forever! Actually, they would make money, because all of the teacher's guides and answer keys were photocopied. If we had purchased them, we would have received the full color paperback or hardback editions.

Back to the original problem...the lease is only good for 13 months. I did the math, and found that there was no way that Trey would be able to finish the 3rd grade and the 4th grade in that amount of time. ALSO...we still don't have our Math books! So how is he supposed to start the 4th grade without the Math books?? I was basically informed that we could choose to extend our lease for $20 per month, and the 13 months on the math will begin upon receipt of the items (whenever that is). So we're supposed to go ahead and begin the 4th grade without math, OR we can choose to spend $20 per month to extend the lease however many months it takes them to 1) correct my Math order, and 2) ship them from the backorder log.

I chose to go ahead and begin the 4th grade without the Math. I went ahead and tested Trey out of the 3rd grade minus Math. He will continue to work on his 3rd grade Math until the 4th grade materials arrive, and begin 4th grade work on all other subjects. He will not get the summer break that he was looking forward to, but we will only have school 4 days a week...for the exception of online math games and occasional unit tests.

So I am not exactly thrilled with my experience with Homeschool Curriculum Shop, and they are aware of my feelings. I should have done more research, or called and spoken with a rep before I placed my order...but you live and learn right? I DO however LOVE the quality of the books - everything is brand new (which coincidentally would not have happened had I not ordered early). I also like the option of choosing the secular package: only because it coincides with the public school scope and sequence. There is a possiblity that Trey may end up going back to public school in the future and I wasn't impressed with the Christian core curriculum I ordered last year. As stated in a previous post, all of the material in that curriculum was a review from the 1st grade of public school, and it didn't work for his style of learning. For $579 (including tax/shipping), we received all core subject textbooks, workbooks, answer keys, as well as a guide for Physical Education and Health. I will just teach Bible lessons separately. I will have to return everything except the consumable workbooks we received. The P.E. book will also have to go back. We will receive $110 towards next years lease, or we will have the option to "cash out" and receive half of that. Which looking at the photocopied answer keys, and everything we have to return, I don't think is a fair amount. That means we're paying over $500 for workbooks. I'm not sure how we will handle this yet...luckily, we've got 13 months to figure it out. LOL! In my opinion, the Purchase Option is a good deal...the Lease Option is not. Shoulda known, right??

Moral of the Rant: Don't trust website descriptions! RESEARCH AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS!!!

I knew that homeschooling was going to be a learning experience for me...since I've never done this before. I had no idea, however, that so many lessons would be learned so quickly. :) I continue to be extremely thankful for the opportunity that I've been given to homeschool my son. We have grown so much closer, and I can see the light returning to his eyes as we reverse the damage done by the one particular public school teacher who found pleasure in humiliating him at every opportunity. He truly believes that he is JUST as smart as other kids, and now understands that his learning style is different, but his learning capability is JUST THE SAME!!

I am also very thankful for the many resources available nowdays for homeschool parents! I can't imagine doing this without the homeschool support groups, internet, or the awesome curriculum that is now available. I am also very, very thankful to my husband for working as hard as he does so that I could quit my good-paying job and stay home. Without him, I don't know what we'd do!! I thank God every day for allowing us this amazing time together!! It is such a wonderful blessing!!!

Tot School - March 30 - April 3, 2009

2009-04-05T19:43:00.006-05:00

Wow! We had one of the best weeks ever! The weather was beautiful almost every day last week!! So beautiful, in fact, that I couldn't bear to keep the kids inside all day. So nearly every day last week, we went outside for most of the day. Most of Lindsay's tot school was done inside in the mornings, while it was still a little too chilly outside.

Theme: WEATHER!!

We just kept it simple this week. Rather than simply teaching her about the weather, I wanted Lindsay to really experience our theme up close and personal! This theme is one of my favorites because I LOVE sunshine!! Without it, I would surely go insane.

Prior to last week, I had made a bunch of weather cards using an April Lesson Plan I bought online. On Monday, she and Addison helped me make a box to display them. Each day, Lindsay got up from the breakfast table and ran over to the front door to peak out the side-lights to see what the weather would be. I would ask her to choose the correct weather card from the box to show me what the weather was. Then we would place a matching weather card on our calendar.

We talked about the rain...

And she made a raindrop (that I had outlined for her) out of blue thumbprints and "swirlies"...

We talked about clouds...She did a worksheet (on desk above) which had to do with counting clouds and being able to circle the correct number that corresponded to the number of clouds in a given row.

This is something I felt particularly proud of...I handed her a coloring page with a cloud on it, and asked her what color she thought clouds were. My 3 year old little Einstein told me that clouds could be pink, purple, blue, orange and white...rainbow clouds. I laughed and said, "oh how cute," and dismissed it. Later on that evening, while (still) playing in the yard, she pointed to the sky and said, "Look Mommy! Rainbow Clouds!" It was a beautiful sunset and all the clouds were, in fact, "rainbow" colored!

I taught her a song about clouds in which she got to use her cloud stick. It included an appropriate amount of wiggling and giggling! :)

We did some color sorting...nothing to do with "weather" persay, but she REALLY likes to sort M&M's!!

We talked about the wind, and made a beautiful windsock!

On it, she colored herself and Mommy playing in the flowers.

She decided to hang it in the big Elm tree in the front yard. I thought it looked very pretty there!

And we spent a LOT of time discussing the aerodynamics of a Dora the Explorer tricycle! (LOL...just kidding!!)

For more Tot Reports from other moms, visit Carisa's blog at 1+1+1=1. Y'all have a great week!!

I Got An Award!!

2009-04-02T22:11:00.007-05:00

I NEVER receive awards!! Well not since High School, anyway! So I am very grateful to Ticia at pucktricks for giving me this award!! :)

Rules:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

I would like to nominate the following blogs:

The Howe Family

Lisa's Homeschool Circus

Who I Am

Clatter from Clarendon

The Littles are Running Amok

Life is Not a Cereal

Jen's Whimsical Life

Sounds and Hearing Lesson Plans (Trey)

2009-03-31T08:09:00.005-05:00

I realized not long ago, that I've not been posting on Trey's progress. This is in part because I just can't find but a few extra minutes in my day to blog, and that's usually spent posting about Lindsay's Tot School progress. I know that I said I wasn't going to post Trey's lesson plans because he is doing a pre-packaged curriculum, but I've recently decided that I really would like to keep an online record of everything we're doing just in case we ever need it. So I will do my best to post our weekly lesson plans / activities.

I will begin using a system called "Workboxes," as soon as I gather all of our necessary supplies. (I have everything except velcro...of all things!) I don't want to mention too much about them yet, because I'm not sure if I'll hate them or not. It seems to be working beautifully for everyone else that is using them, so I'm really hoping they'll help Trey stay on task and more focused on his work. He seems to have a bit of Spring Fever and it's sooo hard trying to get him to sit down and do his work! So I can't wait to get started on this new system. Stay tuned for further review!! :)

Science: Sound / Hearing

Discuss How Sounds Are Made, What You Hear, What is Sound, and The Study of Sound. Discuss sound and the important historic figures that helped contribute to the study of sound; discuss frequency, pitch, and noise.

Activities: Make a drum and guitar to illustrate that sound is caused by vibrations. Go on a Listening Walk and chart the sounds that we heard and whether they were caused by people, animals or things. Play Marco Polo and fill water glasses with different levels of water to show that sounds are different and how they can change. Listen to sounds made through a hollow tube (paper towel roll), and one stuffed with paper towels to demonstrate quality of sound changes according to different factors. Stretch out a slinky between 2 partners - gather large section of coils and let go to demonstrate how sound waves move.

Discuss How Sounds Are Different, How Sounds Travel, How Sound is Used By Scientists, and How God Helps Us With Sound. Sound can be used to help find oil and minerals. Discuss Sonar, and Ultrasounds. Discuss God's love for us and that he gave us 2 ears so that we may hear all the wonderful sounds around us.

Activities: Go out to the boat and discuss how sonar can be used to find fish. I also showed him a copy of my ultrasound pictures from when he was a baby.

Discuss How Sounds Are Heard, How Do You Hear?, How is Hearing Helped?, and How Do You Make Sounds? Discuss the three parts of the ear: the inner, middle and outer ear. Talk about hearing aids and how they help some people. Talk about how we make sounds using our larynx and vocal chords.

Activities: Make a model ear using a large bowl, plastic wrap, uncooked rice, and a tin pie pan. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl. Make sure it's stretched tightly. Place about 20 - 30 grains of rice on top of the plastic wrap. Hold the pie plate (or other noisemaker) close to the plastic wrap. Hit the pie plate hard to create a loud noise. Note that the loud noise that we made produced sound waves. The sound waves caused the plastic wrap to vibrate. When the plastic wrap vibrated, the rice grains jumped. Sound waves cause your eardrum to vibrate in much the same way.

Reading: Helen Keller - Toward the Light

Math: Continue working on fractions, equivalent fractions; Roman Numerals: I, V, X, L, C, D, M and combinations of each; adding money; graphing; angles; temperature; 4 digit addition and subtraction.

Language Arts: Homographs - tear, read, live.

Spelling: ie / ei

believe seize piece die
ceiling receive eight sleigh
thief fries eighty weigh
neither pie eighteen field
either lie tie chief

Chart each word by the long vowel sound that it makes (A, E, I). Discuss that the long /a/ sound is made when the gh is added behind an ei.

Poetry: Haiku - Japanese poems that don't always rhyme. They have 3 lines with 5 beats in the first line, 7 beats in the second, and 5 in the third (17 beats total). At least one word in the poem must refer to a season of the year.

Trey's Haiku sample: (I gave him an extra-large bank of words from which he should pick)

Sprinkle, splashing, splat!
Boots are dripping, and drops drumming.
Springtime begins. Splash!

I thought this was AMAZING!!!

We're starting a collection of our favorite poems - and he will start including these on his personal blog.

Mini-Lesson on Japanese culture / customs (I even taught him what few Japanese words I remembered from my foreign language requirement in HS!!)

Science/Reading tie-in: Discuss how Helen Keller was an amazing poet. Read Autumn by Helen Keller and talk about the wonderful descriptive language used in this poem. ALSO: discuss how Helen Keller actually dedicated that poem to her good friend, Thomas Edison (one of the historic figures mentioned above)!

History: continue work on Texas/Texarkana Lapbook

New Preschool Curriculum for Lindsay!

2009-03-29T11:38:00.004-05:00

One thing I’m excited about is that I bought an ebook from Mary Robinson at www.preschoolplanner.com. I know – I cheated!! The truth is, I just don’t know how mothers of 2 or more children find enough time in their days to sit down and think of creative and fun things for their preschoolers to do while they are also homeschooling the other children, not to mention all the household obligations!! I also still have another child in public school, and I find myself having to work around that schedule too.

I used to be a Pre-K teacher in Little Rock years ago, and since I’m a visual person who needs to be extremely organized in order to function, I found myself spending hours (that I didn’t have) just PLANNING on what Lindsay and I would be working on for Tot School. I already knew what she should be learning and at what approximate age, but I was really struggling with ideas of how to teach those skills in a fresh/creative way. (It's been about 10 years since I had my Preschool Teacher hat on). I know a lot of this has to do with my recent blog reading. While they are EXTREMELY helpful and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, sometimes it can be a little humbling!! I started to compare myself to other, more creative moms and, although I know I shouldn’t do that, I began to experience some frustration with myself.

So this ebook has definitely been worth it for me. It was relatively inexpensive, and it includes everything you need to teach a preschooler for a year…even snack and circle time instructions. It does NOT, however, include the actual worksheets, etc. that some of the ideas suggest. You would need to gather those on your own. But now I can just spend a few extra minutes on Saturday afternoon (when I’m working on Trey’s Lesson Plans), and gather all the worksheets (if any) needed for Lindsay. The Planner gives a daily list of instructions for Circle Time activities, Arts and Crafts, etc., as well as a Materials List of items you should gather to complete the different activities...down to the snacks! Of course, I already have a snack planned for the kids on our 5 Week Menu Planner, but I'm thinking of working those into the plan. I'll have to see how that goes, though!

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I always TWEAK things to suit my own needs. Many of the ideas listed for our Tot Reports will be my original ideas. Some will be adapted from Mary’s Preschool Planner. In any case, out of respect her, I will not go into major detail in future posts about her ideas – I know everyone will understand! I will tell you that if you buy the ebook, you will also receive emails from her periodically with new ideas to add to your collection. And since Lindsay won’t start Kindergarten until she is almost 6 (IF she starts public school – we still haven’t decided), I am 100% happy with my investment because I’ll be able to use these ideas for quite a while!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but please be mindful that I will not share details on her ideas…I just don’t think its right. The ebook is worth the fairly listed purchase price. Please visit Mary’s website above, or her blog: Preschool Planner 101.

Tot School - March 23-27, 2009

2009-03-29T11:36:00.007-05:00

If you read my post, New Preschool Curriculum for Lindsay, you already know that I bought a new Preschool Curriculum for Lindsay. I bought it from Mary Robinson at http://www.preschoolplanner.com/. So far I really like it. Some of the ideas listed below are my own, some are Mary’s. As I previously posted, I do not feel comfortable sharing the details of her ideas – even if I’ve tweaked them a little. So if you have questions, please refer to Mary’s website or her blog at Preschool Planner 101. I like it because it focuses on weekly themes, which works for us. And since I bought the ebook, I receive periodic emails from her with even more ideas. I just recently found her blog, and noted there were a lot of free items, so you might want to check that out first.

My teenage step-daughter, Tracy was on Spring Break this week and she came down on Tuedsay to spend the week with us. So we didn’t get a whole lot done because we like to spend as much time with her as we can because we just don't get to see her as much as we'd like. She's a busy, busy teenager living with her mom about 200 miles away. :( So, I'm sure you'll understand why Tot School was a little sparse this week. But here’s a little bit of what we did earlier in the week and this weekend.

Theme: Teddy Bears

We didn’t focus on a particular letter, shape, or color this past week. Lindsay has already mastered all of her shapes and colors, and I wanted to focus more on the alphabet as a whole as opposed to one specific letter this week.

Book Focus: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

We did a Teddy Bear Show and Tell. Lindsay brought several of her favorite bears to “Floor Time.” We charted them and afterwards arranged the bears on the floor according to size. As an afterthought, I also tried to show her how to arrange them in alphabetical order by their names. I didn't think ahead or I would have charted them in alphabetical order to help her visually, but there's always next time I guess! I knew that skill was going to be difficult for her – she’s 3 and doesn’t have the entire alphabet down yet. She still skips the letter N and still can recognize a few of them when I present them out of order.
We also did a Teddy Bear Parade…we walked all over the house and let the bears wave to the parade-goers (the non-teddy-bear-stuffed-animals, dolls). She wanted to throw candy, but mommy had to veto that one!

We took to the internet and researched different types of bears and where they live in the world. I found this website very helpful. http://kids.poisson.org.uk/bears/types.htm. It listed the 8 different types of bears, photos of them in their environments, and a map of where they live. We talked about what different bears eat, and noted how some bears like cold weather and other bears like hot weather. I asked her to tell me what kind of weather each one of her stuffed bears liked. I was glad to see that she had a very diverse group of bears!

Addison helped Lindsay with a Puppet Show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldilocks is a brunette in our house…lol. I was blown away with the thought and imagination that they put into this puppet show. They’re selling tickets for the “afternoon matinee” later on today. I wonder if they’ll give me a discount!

Pay no attention to the little grimey fingerprints on the TV behind them!

I ALWAYS forget those during clean-up!!

Music: We learned a new song called Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear by Jack Hartmann (this is in Mary's Ebook - I know this isn't a top secret song, because I used to do this with my preschoolers years ago, so I'm sharing it). I think it can be adapted to fit almost any theme. :)

Lyrics:
Teddy bear, teddy bear - turn around,
Teddy bear, teddy bear - touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear - shake your hips,
Teddy bear, teddy bear - blow a kiss

Teddy bear, teddy bear - jump up high,
Teddy bear, teddy bear - see me smile
Teddy bear, teddy bear - give a hug,
Teddy bear, teddy bear - lots of love

Oh la, la, la, la, la love my teddy bear

This has nothing to do with Tot School, but I also took the kids outside yesterday morning (it was freezing) to get some pictures of them all together! Here are a couple of my favorites!

Tracy and Lindsay at a little park in Downtown Texarkana, AR.

All four of my kiddos!!

Lindsay, Tracy, Trey and Addison

For more Tot Reports from other moms, visit Carisa's blog at 1+1+1=1!

Spring/Summer T-Shirts 2009

2009-03-28T18:49:00.003-05:00

Well, they're done!! I've got the kids' Spring T-Shirts done, and I couldn't be happier. I had originally planned to do a thumbprint tree that I had seen on on the Crafty Crow, and just do it on a t-shirt instead of craft paper. :) BUT, Trey objected and said he was too old to wear such a shirt. So I went to Hobby Lobby and came up with this. They're just iron-ons, but I think they turned out really cute.

While I was at Hobby Lobby, I found their flip-flops were on sale, so I got the younger girls each a pair in sunshine yellow, and we decorated those. I don't have any pictures of those, though, because the girls took off with them as soon as they got them done. :)

They'll wear these shirts at my Mom's on Easter. We always do an afternoon Easter Egg Hunt (doesn't everybody??), and I thought these would be cute for them to change into after church!! I didn't want anything too "Easter-y" because I like them to be able to wear them for the entire Spring/Summer season.

Lindsay's Bumblebee Shirt

Addie's Butterfly Shirt

Trey had a great idea: He thought it was "too girly" to have his image in the center, so we offset it similar to the IZOD/Polo-style shirts. If I had thought ahead, I would have tried to find him a shirt with a pocket on it!

Sweet Dream Spray

2009-03-28T16:39:00.004-05:00

Having trouble getting the little ones to nap?? I just remembered this as I was reading through some of my preschool things, and thought I would share it here.

This is a sneaky little idea I came up with when I was teaching Pre-K in Little Rock (years ago). I've recently started having trouble getting Lindsay to nap. So I thought if it worked with a room FULL of 3 and 4 year old boys and girls, then it should definitely work with just ONE little girl! I was right...I put her on a pallet in the floor, and turned on a box fan nearby. It's really just water in a spray bottle scented with essential oil...but something about the name makes Lindsay run for her favorite naptime spot and get ready for some sweet dreams! I spray one squirt of this spray in the air (about 3 feet above her head) so that it floats down gently and lightly "kisses" her face. It's not enough to get her wet, just enough for her to notice the light, sweet scent and conclude that "it's working!"

Now, of course, this spray does absolutely nothing to merit it's name, but it does help her have a more positive attitude about naptime (and also bedtime). She knows that she can't get the spray until she's laying down and ready to nap - that means her potty break is over, she's not thirsty, and she's ready to be quiet. Here's how to make it:

Get a clean plastic spray bottle (you can get these at Wal-Mart in the Health and Beauty section for about $1.) Fill it with clean water and a couple of drops of the essential oil of your choice. I use Lavender oil now, but when I worked at the Preschool I just used a teaspoon of Vanilla Extract. In the spring and summer, I will sometimes use Lemon Extract. In the winter, I might use Peppermint Extract or Oil. Just something to make it smell nice. As always, don't forget to clearly label all fluids in spray bottles!! We don't want little ones going for the household cleaners thinking it's their Sweet Dream Spray!!

As noted above, just one spray about 3-4 feet above her head so she can feel the spray and smell the scent of the oil.

Lindsay loves the smell of the mist as it hits her face, and doesn't put up near as much fuss anymore when I tell her it's naptime!

Tot School - Spring Break!!

2009-03-23T13:33:00.005-05:00

Last week, Tot School was fairly non-existent due to our Spring Break. Since Addison still attends public school, we follow her schedule to make it easier on everyone. Trey and Lindsay enjoy being off when Addison is off, and honestly...so do I. So you'll notice there's no theme, letter of the week, etc.

She did have some free dress-up time, which she normally doesn't have access to unless it's for dramatic play during Tot-School time. (I started having to keep the dress up materials put up when she started trying to go overboard with the glam...she spilled a good amount of red fingernail polish in my bedroom floor - did I mention I have white carpet? She's sooo sneaky!!) So she decided she wanted to be a Barbie Superhero...note the Barbie doll in the hand-fashioned "holster" on her back. Yes, those are panties on her head...I swear I don't know where she comes up with this stuff!!

While we were on Spring Break, Gary had to go to the Best Buy in Shreveport, LA to manage their store while their managers were all out of town at some event. SO...he was gone from Tuesday until Saturday. The kids were really missing their daddy, so we drove down to visit on Thursday morning. It's only an hour and a half from our house, so it was a very do-able trip. The kids had a great time spending the night with Dad in his hotel, and Gary was glad that he got to have some company.

Since he was working the closing shift, we got to spend the morning with him and most of the afternoon. Then he went to work and we went to play!! We went to the Boardwalk down on the river, where there are lots and lots of shops. The city has completely revitalized the downtown area and it is so kid-friendly down there during the daytime hours! The streets have been permanently blocked off, and the only transportation is a trolley system that runs the length of the boardwalk. There is a carosel, lots of restaurants, and tons of shops! Think of walking around your favorite downtown area - with a scenic view of the river, and NO TRAFFIC!! It was awesome!

I took the kids to the Build-a-Bear Workshop, where they each got new outfits for their existing bears. Lindsay also had a bear already, but Addie had picked it out for her on a previous trip, so it was Lindsay's first experience at Build-a-Bear and I just couldn't tell her no when she asked for the pink monkey with hearts on it's hands, feet, and tummy.

We had a bit of trouble with temper tantrums in the workshop, so I decided that a learning opportunity existed there and we did a mini-lesson on feelings when we got home. Here she is showing her happy face, and her angry face (too funny!!) It was all I could do not to laugh at that one!!

So that was our week off from Tot School...if you're interested in what other (non-slacker) moms did for Tot School this week, visit Carisa's blog: 1+1+1=1.

Tot School - March 9 - 13, 2009

2009-03-15T12:27:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't posted about Tot School in a couple of weeks. We've all been sick for the past few weeks. We also took a trip to the ER with Lindsay for some super-glue action on a cut above her eyebrow. So we took a couple of weeks off from formal Tot School. We did do a few things here and there, but I didn't take pictures because it was difficult for me to even get off the couch. We were all coughing, had fever, and lots of head and chest congestion. We still have the cough, but at least we're feeling better!!

This week's theme was St. Patrick's Day...we're on Spring Break next week, so we went ahead and covered St. Pat's Day this week.

Letter: P

Color: Green

Shape: Clover

Book Club Story: Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Shute

Art:

We made handprint rainbows by tracing Lindsay's hands and cutting them out in the colors of the rainbow. We glued the handprints together in an arched shape and put the rainbow next to a pot of gold that we drew out.

Cognitive Skills:

3 Leaf / 4 Leaf Game

I gave Lindsay a worksheet that I made with several 3 leaf and 4 leaf clovers on it. I asked her to count the number of 3 leaf clovers and the number of 4 leaf clovers. Then we counted how many we had all together.

This really didn't have a lot to do with St. Patrick's Day, but I got out the Connect 4 Game and we made AB patterns using the game pieces. We noted how the patterns formed both horizontally and vertically.

Floor Time

We talked about where the idea of St. Patrick's Day and luck orginated from. We also talked about what St. Patrick did that made him so historical, how we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and what country St. Patrick's Day is associated with.

Dramatic Play

We made a "Leprechaun Village" consisting of sheets, blankets, chairs, etc. We dressed in green and pretended to be leprechauns. We talked in Irish accents and talked about the problems with being tiny and green. We also played a little game of "Find the Pot O' Gold!" I hid a box of crumpled up yellow paper, and she was supposed to hunt for it. As you can see by the look on her face, she was NOT impressed with her treasure.

For other Tot Reports from other moms, visit Carisa's blog at 1+1+1=1. She's got lots of great ideas for moms of tots, and another new blog as well called Totally Tots, which is truly a blessing for moms of little ones!! Check it out!!! Have a great week!

5 Week Menu Plan

2009-03-15T11:02:00.006-05:00

Confession: This is not an original idea...I got this idea from Lisa at Lisa's Homeschool Circus. She is a Super Mom who has come up with an idea to drastically reduce our grocery bills. It has worked for us so far...our grocery bill has been cut by at least $100 a week. I had a couple of requests for our version of the plan, so I decided to share it here. I've added an afternoon snack to our days because my children would chew their own arms off if they didn't have one. Please comment and let us know how it works...I'll pass it along to Lisa as well!

The way this is done is you make out a separate shopping list for each week. You put EVERYTHING you could possibly need for every meal (including things you may already have like salt, pepper, pancake syrup, etc.) I keep a master copy on my kitchen computer and one in the Menu File that I keep in my kitchen. Then before you go shopping, you go through your pantry and cross off everything that you already have. What's left on the list is ALL you need to buy (for the exception of your standard household necessities). This keeps you from buying extra stuff that you won't use. And since you're making out your menus for 5 weeks out, you can keep like ingredients in mind when you're planning your meals. For instance, I have pancakes every week. So I buy the big box of Bisquick one week and then I don't have to keep buying it each week.

I have plans to also upload my Shopping Lists as well...we'll see how that goes!! :)

It goes Breakfast, Morning Snack, Lunch, Afternoon Snack, Dinner, Dessert.

Week 1

Sunday
Smoothies, Cereal Bars, Pulled Pork Sandwiches/Chips, Fruit Salad, Roast Chicken/Rice/Broccoli, Ice Cream Sundaes

Monday
Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Cheese and Crackers, Potato Soup with Yeast Rolls, Banana, Tacos/Salad/Chips/Salsa, Sugar Free Fudge Pops

Tuesday
Cinnamon Rolls, Cereal Bars, Quesadillas/Carrot Sticks, Apples & Peanut Butter, Pizza/Salad, Lemon Poke Cake

Wednesday
Granola Bars, Graham Crackers and Pudding, Ham Roll-Ups/Chips, Fruit Salad, Italian Chicken/Salad, Sugar Free Fudge Pops

Thursday
Cereal, Trail Mix, Chicken Noodle Soup/Crackers, Banana Pops, Taco Soup/Corn Chips, Cake

Friday
Muffins, Cereal Bars, Chicken Nuggets/Chips, Fruit Salad, Fried Pork Chops/Mashed Potatoes, Ice Cream and Cookie Sandwiches

Saturday
Eggs/Biscuits/Bacon or Sausage, Trail Mix, Leftovers or Sandwiches, Jell-O, Hamburgers/French Fries, Sugar Free Fudge Pops.

Week 2

Sunday
Smoothies, Popcorn, Ham/Turkey Sandwiches and Chips, Apples with Peanut Butter, Baked Ham/Potatoes/Green Beans, Ice Cream Sundaes

Monday
Pancakes, Cream Cheese and Crackers, Chicken Noodle Soup and Crackers, Bananas, Taco Pie with Salad, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Tuesday
English Muffins with Eggs, Cereal Bars, Bean & Cheese Nachos, Pudding, Chicken Spaghetti, Cake

Wednesday
Granola Bars with Yogurt, Graham Crackers with Pudding, Mac n Cheese / Fruit Cocktail, Fruit Salad, Potato Bar and Salad, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Thursday
Cereal, Popcorn, Pizza and Salad, Banana Pops, Beef Stew with Biscuits, Cake

Friday
Muffins, Monkey Chow, Fish Sticks with Chips, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sloppy Joes with French Fries, Ice Cream and Cookie Sandwiches

Saturday
Omelets with Bacon, Trail Mix, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Chips, Jell-O, Cheddar Potato Soup with Baconbits, shredded cheese and Cornbread, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Week 3

Sunday
Smoothies, Donuts, Left Over Potato Soup / Cornbread, Fruit Salad, Chili/Fritos or Crackers/Cheese, Ice Cream Sundaes

Monday
Pancakes, Graham Crackers with Peanut Butter, Ham/Turkey Sandwiches with chips, Bananas, Pot Roast with potatoes onions and carrots, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Tuesday
Breakfast Pizza, Popcorn, Alphabet Soup with crackers, Apples with Peanut Butter, Chicken Enchiladas and Salad, Cake

Wednesday
Oatmeal, Tic Tac Toe Mix (just Chex Mix with some flair), Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with chips, Fruit Salad, Lasagna with Salad, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Thursday
Cereal, Carrot Sticks with Ranch, Chicken Noodle Soup with Crackers, Cookies, Pizza with Salad, Cake

Friday
Muffins, Yogurt with Homemade Granola, Ravioli, Fruit Salad, Hash with Green Beans, Ice Cream and Cookie Sandwiches

Saturday
Eggs with Toast, Tic Tac Toe Mix, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Jell-O, Beef/Broccoli Stir Fry with Rice, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Week 4

Sunday
Smoothies, Cereal Bars, Alphabet Soup with crackers, Fruit Salad, Meatball Subs, Ice Cream Sundaes

Monday
Pancakes, Monkey Chow, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Chips, Bananas, Nachos, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Tuesday
Cereal, Graham Crackers with Peanut Butter, Nachos (leftover), Chips and Salsa, Spaghetti/Salad/Breadsticks, Cake

Wednesday
Oatmeal, Cereal Bars, Spaghetti-O's, Fruit Salad, Sloppy Joes with French Fries, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Thursday
Muffins, Trail Mix, Ham and Turkey Sandwiches with Chips, Rice Krispy Treats, Pepper Steak with Rice, Cake

Friday
Homemade Breakfast Tortillas, Yogurt with Granola, Chicken Noodle Soup with Crackers, Fruit Salad, Pizza with Salad, Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Saturday
Eggs with Biscuits and Bacon or Sausage, Monkey Chow, Chicken Strips and Carrot Sticks, Jell-O, Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Week 5

Sunday
Smoothies, Goldfish, Alphabet Soup with Crackers, Fruit Salad, Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes (left over) and Peas, Ice Cream Sundaes

Monday
Pancakes, Popcorn, Chicken Salad with Crackers and Grapes, Banana, Burritos with Spanish Rice and Refried Beans, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Tuesday
Cinnamon Rolls, Cereal Bars, Spaghetti-O's, Apples with Peanut Butter, Baked Ziti with Salad, Cake

Wednesday
Granola Bars, Monkey Chow, Fish Sticks with Carrots, Fruit Salad, Chicken and Rice Casserole with Green Beans, Popsicles or Fudge Pops

Thursday
Cereal, Trail Mix, Ham and Turkey Sandwiches with Chips, Banana Pops, Chicken Packets with Peppers, Squash, and Zucchini, Cake

Friday
Muffins, Cereal Bars, Ham Salad with Crackers, Fruit Salad, Pizza with Salad, Ice Cream and Cookie Sandwiches

Saturday
Biscuits and Gravy, Trail Mix, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with chips, Jell-O, Crockpot Dinner with Cornbread, Popsicles or Fudge Pops.

Here are a few of the recipes that weren't already self explanatory:

Italian Chicken
Enough chicken breasts for every member of your family. Bread them in bread crumbs or Shake n Bake, whichever your family likes. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Take out of oven and pour spaghetti sauce over top. Top with Mozzarella Cheese. Bake for 30 more minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Serve with salad.

My Trail Mix Recipe (one of many)
I don’t measure any of this...just eyeball it.

2 packages of Dried Fruit (we like pineapple mango)
Captain Crunch Cereal (we like crunch berries)
Pretzels
Mixed Nuts
Lots of M & Ms

It makes a lot, so I measure out 1 cup servings and put it in snack size baggies. Then I put all of those baggies into a gallon size baggie and store in the pantry. This will last a couple of weeks in our house.

Potato Soup
On the days when I don't have time to make this from scratch, I use the Bear Creek Country Kitchens Packets (usually on the top shelf above the other soups) in the green pouches. We add on some bacon bits, and some shredded cheese. It tastes just like homemade. :)

Banana Pops
Just 1/2 a banana, stuck on a popsicle stick and dipped in chocolate. I use the ice cream topping that hardens after a few minutes. Stick it in the freezer to cool off before serving. My kids love these.

Taco Pie
2 lbs. Ground Beef , browned, drained
One 29-30oz. Can of Enchilada Sauce (Mild, Medium or Hot)
1 Large Onion, diced
4 Cups Cheese, grated cheddar
1/4 to 1/2 Large Bag Tortilla or Corn Chips, crumbled

Layer in 9x13 in casserole:
Several spoonfuls of enchilada sauce
Layer of Chips
Ground Beef
Onions
2 cups cheese
Half of enchilada sauce
Chips
Rest of enchilada sauce
2 more cups cheese

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hour. Take off foil and bake an additional 10—15 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad. :)

Monkey Chow (as seen on Jon and Kate plus 8)
Cheerios
Corn Chex
Capt. Crunch
Pretzels
Lots of M&M’s
Milk Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar

Put 1st 5 items in gallon size Ziploc bag and shake/mix. Add in a dollop of peanut butter and mix together. Add in some powdered sugar and shake. Go ahead and put these in the snack size Ziplocs because it will go FAST otherwise!! :)

Chicken Enchiladas
My mom showed me this easy version: boil one bag of frozen chicken breasts. When done, cool and cube. Put in big bowl and add as much of the Pancho’s cheese dip (either white or yellow) until it’s at the consistency you like. That’s it. Spoon into tortillas and roll em up. I spoon a little salsa into the bottom of my baking pan so the enchiladas don’t stick to the bottom. Then I top it with shredded cheese and bake for about 30 minutes until it’s all hot. My mom will make her chicken ahead and stick in the fridge. If you do that, you’ll have to increase your baking time because your chicken will take longer to heat back up. Serve with tortilla chips, the rest of the panchos dip, and some salsa. I always throw together a salad, too.

Tic Tac Toe Mix
Lol...just my fun name for the pre-packaged chex party mix. Sometimes I make my own, but I usually end up just buying it. The kids say they don’t like the chex mix, but somehow they LOVE Tic Tac Toe mix. I buy the caramel flavored kind. :) Lisa's Homeschool Circus has a Tic Tac Toe Mix listed on her plan...I have no idea what that is...if you are curious about that one, check out her blog.

Hash
2—3 cups beef (cooked and cut up)
2 bags 10 oz frozen hash browns potatoes thawed
1 onion , finely chopped
1/4 cup butter/marg. Melted
1 cup gravy or beef broth (I use the juices from the pot roast)
Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Salad - I love this recipe!!
Stiff Purple Grapes
Celery
1/2 cup mayo
Walnut pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3—4 tbsp sugar
3—4 chicken breasts

Boil chicken breast until fully cooked, then cut up into chunks. Chunk up grapes, celery and walnuts. Mix together after chicken has cooled. Add salt and pepper. Add sour cream, mayo and sugar. Mix until well blended, taste and add more of any ingredient as needed.

It’s awesome!! :)

Meatball Subs:
I just buy frozen meatballs (my family informed me they like these better than my homemade version...I'm NOT complaining!!) and put them in the oven until they’re done, then dump a jar of heated through spaghetti sauce over them. Put them on a Sub roll and top with Mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. I save the left-overs for Spaghetti on Tuesday.

Pepper Steak:
I use the stir-fry beef and LOTS of bell peppers. Serve over rice.

Baked Ziti:
1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
2 (26oz) jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz. provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Cook ziti pasta, drain. Brown onion and ground beef. Add spaghetti sauce, simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Layer the following:
1/2 of the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheeses are melted.

Chicken Packets:
I have Gary put these on the grill for me, but you could bake them in a 350 degree oven for an hour or so if you want.

Just put a boneless skinless chicken breast on a piece of aluminum foil. Cut up some sticks of squash, zucchini, and some bell peppers, and put with the chicken. Fold up into a “packet” and stick it on the grill. Really good, and easy clean up!! :) I also get creative with this sometimes. We’ve done bbq chicken packets, chicken and potatoes, you name it! :)

Crockpot Dinner: (I got a recipe from Cooks.com, and TWEAKED it - here's my version)
Brown some ground beef and drain. Put in crock pot with 1 lb sliced kielbasa, 2 cans white Great Northern beans, 2 cans pork n beans, and 1 can kidney beans. Add a couple of squirts of ketchup, and a little mustard. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir up. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve over corn bread. Very Yummy!!

Ham Salad:
3 cups cubed ham
1 hard boiled egg
2 tbsp finely chopped celery
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. sweet pickle relish (I leave this out and it’s not on the shopping list)
3/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp mustard
Ritz Crackers

In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Combine mayo and mustard; add to the ham mixture and mix well. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers.

Tot School - February 16 - 20

2009-02-24T11:06:00.005-06:00

Last week for Tot School, I chose to focus Lindsay's activities around the book, If You Give a Moose a Muffin. She really loves this book, so I thought it would be fun to use it as our theme for the week.

Letter: M

Shape: Square

Color: Red

The majority of our week was spent reading (and re-reading) the book. With Lindsay, if you read it once, you have to read it over and over again. This is fine with me because it helps her with word recognition.

We had a "book club meeting" with Trey and lots of stuffed animals. Lindsay and I made muffins and hot chocolate. We even used our real tea cups and saucers. I made a Moose teaching aid using the template on this site. They also have all kinds of other crafts and activities on that site using this theme. Another site I found helpful was Danielle's Place. We played the Muffin Match Math Game, Follow the Tracks Mystery Game.

Our new weekly book club meeting!

We also researched different facts about the moose and it's habitat and talked about how the moose is the largest member of the deer family. We don't have any moose in this area, but we do have lots of deer around our neighborhood. We took a drive up the road to see if we could spot any...they were hiding that day, though.

We had a really great week using this theme...I'm sure we'll use more literature based themes in the future. We enjoyed the book club so much that we have added it to our weekly schedule. I bring refreshments, Trey gets to practice his reading skills by reading the book to us out loud, and Lindsay gets to bring guests and set up the "tea party" - esque atmosphere. We all have a great time and learn a little in the process.

Trey and Lindsay having a book club picnic outside.

For more Tot School Reports from other moms, visit Carisa at 1+1+1=1.

Tot School - February 9 - 13, 2009

2009-02-15T15:24:00.004-06:00

Letter: V

Shape: Heart

Color: Pink

Pre-Science: We used a stethescope to listen to our hearts before and after exercising to show/discuss why our hearts beat faster when we're exercising. We talked about why it's important to exercise in order to keep our hearts healthy.

Large Motor: A Hearty Workout
This was a game that I found online at http://www.prekfun.com/%22%3Ehttp://www.prekfun.com/ (I think!) But when I went back, I found that they only keep listed the current themes and they disable the links for the older themes. So, unfortunately, I am unable to link back to the actual page where this activity can be found...so I've listed the words below.

(Tune: Do You Know the Muffin Man?")

Oh Valentine! Come dance with me!
Dance with me!
Dance with me!
Oh Valentine! Come dance with me!
We'll dance until we stop!! (Freeze)

Each time, substitute other actions like hop, skip, jump, twirl, etc. Afterwards, we placed our hands over our hearts to feel how it beats faster.

Arts/Crafts: We made lots of Valentines and Valentine decorations.

That's Addie peaking in from the outside...she's so silly!!

Pre-Math / Dramatic Play: Sorting - Playing Post Office - After we made our Valentines, Lindsay played like she was the mail carrier and "delivered" each valentine to it's appropriate "mailbox". She sorted each one into each family member's mailbox, then we counted how many each family member had.

Language: Draw/Dictate Pictures - I asked Lindsay to draw a picture about how we show people that we love them. She dictated the pictures as she drew them. One little funny here...her idea of how to show Trey that she loves him: "I let him clean my room for me."

More Pre/Math: We played Conversation Heart Tic-Tac-Toe...only without the conversation hearts because she kept eating them all.

Even More Pre-Math: we cut out lots and lots of heart shapes out of cardstock and placed them on a white bedsheet. Then on the count of three, we flipped the bedsheet up in the air and watched all the hearts float up and finally land on the floor. The one to collect the most hearts won. We discussed how we knew who had more hearts.

This was a really fun game that she continued to play all day long...when Trey and I got tired of playing, she enlisted the dog!

Fine Motor: We play with Play-Doh quite a bit. This week, she decided that she wanted to make Valentine "cookies" with her play-doh. This of course led us to making the real cookies (like we needed them with all the chocolate in the house, but what could I do??) This is her play-doh version of her "Daddy Sweetheart!"

As you can see, we had a very exciting (and busy) week in Tot School! For more Tot Reports from other mom's of toddlers, visit Carissa's Tot School blog at 1+1+1=1!

Tag! I'm It!! (Thanks Jen!)

2009-02-13T14:26:00.004-06:00

Thanks Jen for tagging me...I got a lot of laughs out of this one!! :)

Here are the rules.
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on your computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder, and post it on your blog.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag four people to do the same.
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

Oh Lord! Wouldn't you know that my picture would be the most embarassing one?? Poor Lindsay! This picture was taken quite by mistake at her 1st birthday party. It wasn't until after I took it that I realized what she was doing. (Of course I got a lot of cute scrapbooking pages out of this one!!!)

I tag Carissa, Julie, Shana, and Ms. Phyllis. Have fun!!!

Tot School - February 2 - 6, 2009

2009-02-10T08:48:00.003-06:00

No pictures this week...I know...I'm a total slacker! We were actually painting (all week) and my house was a complete MESS!! Being a former scrapbooker, I am severely bothered by photos where the backgrounds show my messy house. So I didn't take them. There...the truth has come out....why do I not feel "set free?" Could it be all the dust bunnies holding me prisoner? Ha!

Theme: Opposites

Letter: Y

Shape: Diamond

Color: Yellow

Pre-Math: Opposite Matching Game. For this activity, I printed out clip art pictures of different actions and their opposites onto some of my old scrapbooking cardstock and cut them out into squares. I laid out the pieces face up. I used sit/stand, tall/short, rain/shine, run/wallk, fat/thin (not my favorite one), big/little, etc. Then we matched them up! We had a lot of fun with this game. After she got the hang of the matching, we turned the cards face down and played a memory game with them.

Pre-Science: Sink/Float Sensory Table. We don't have a sensory table (so-to-speak), so I filled the kitchen sink with water and collected different items that would sink and float. We experimented with these items and guessed which items would sink or float. Then we talked about why our guesses were right or wrong. Lindsay had sooooo much fun with this! I wish I had gotten pictures of it!!

Large Motor Focus: Simon Says with Opposites. This one took a little time to master. She caught on quickly to the idea of doing the opposite action from what I suggested, but didn't catch the idea of only doing it when I said "Simon Says." Go figure.

More Large Motor Focus: Leap Frog. (Crouch/Leap). LOTS of fun!!

Arts and Crafts: Accordion Weiner Dog: I drew a picture (if you could call it that) of a weiner dog onto a piece of brown construction paper and helped Lindsay cut it out. Then we cut it in half. We then cut another long strip of brown construction paper and taped it to either side of the dog and folded it up to demonstrate a "long" weiner dog, and a "short" weiner dog. I wrote the word "short" in really skinny letters on the dog's front half. Then when it was unfolded, I wrote the word "long" in a way that took up the entire length of the dog's belly.

*This project was not my idea...I actually remembered doing this craft when I taught Pre-K years ago, but I've seen it done different ways on several websites recently as well, although I couldn't begin to recall which ones. So if you or someone you know should take credit for this cute idea, please, by all means do so in the comment section. :)

Sadly, our weiner dog didn't last long. Lindsay dragged this poor animal all over the house until he fell apart. He was taken to the weiner dog infirmary (a baby doll cradle in her play closet) and given several Dora and Sponge Bob band-aids. We're hoping for a full recovery. ;-)

Books: Slide and Seek by Chuck Murphy; Opposites by Sandra Boynton.

For more Tot Reports from other moms, click on the Tot School button above!!

Getting a Head Start on Spring Cleaning!

2009-02-04T10:18:00.005-06:00

Maybe it was all the unseasonably warm weather...I'm not sure what made me decide to start my Spring Cleaning so early. But I already cleaned out one (huge) hall closet to make room for a little play area for Lindsay. We have 3 (sometimes 4) kids living in a 3 bedroom house. That means that Lindsay and Addie have to share a room. Addie is 8 years old and finds herself annoyed that their room is always being destroyed by a small tornado of a little sister! So I decided to turn our (large) hall closet into a small play area for Lindsay. She's got room for her play kitchen, her table and chairs, and her baby doll crib. And I still have shelving for my linens and storage.

That worked out so well, I decided to clean out one of our other 2 hall closets for our homeschool supplies. I have put Trey's homeschool desk in his room - hopefully that won't turn out to be a mistake. Call me crazy, but I really (REALLY) wanted my room to be somewhere I could go to get away from being a homeschool "teacher-mom."

I'm hoping to get my bedroom painted in the next day or two...it was supposed to be done this weekend, but Gary didn't feel good, so all the furniture is still in the middle of the room. It's a little difficult getting out of bed with the only exit being at the foot of the bed. I feel like I'm sleeping in a box and it's getting real old...real fast! SO...he's off today and I'm putting him to work!! I can hear him in there singing along to his IPOD, so I'm sure that's a good sign! :) I'll post pictures when I get them!

For now, here's a look at my Homeschool Supply Closet. Let me know what you think!!!

Tot School - January 26 - 30

2009-01-29T13:33:00.008-06:00

This week was a slow week for Tot School...well kind of. It was actually pretty busy for Lindsay, but I didn't take a lot of pictures because I was being a slacker...I admit it. I didn't charge the batteries in the camera, my dog ate my SD card, my husband monopolized the computer. I've got a ton of excuses, but none of them are really true. I just didn't get to the picture taking this week. :( I feel so horrible!

Theme: Food Groups / Cooking

Letter: O

Color: Orange

Shape: Circle

Since Trey was already doing Lessons on the Food Groups, I thought this would be an excellent Tot School opportunity. She learned about healthy snacks as opposed to junk food, and I showed her the different food groups. We also did a little of the following:

Fine Motor Skills: Cutting with a (child-oriented) knife: Lindsay learned how to use a kid-friendly plastic knife to help Mom cut up celery, carrots, and hard-boiled eggs. She also helped me make Mickey Mouse Pancakes one special morning. :)

Learning Center: Dramatic Play - Kitchen / Apron / Chef Hat Dress Up: Lindsay had a great time playing chef in her Kitchen Closet (our hall closet that we cleaned out for her). She and Addie got matching embroidered aprons for Christmas from their B. The chef hat was a gift to Addie from Santa Clause. But I've seen them at Bed Bath & Beyond for around $8. :)

Gross Motor: Jumping Jacks / Wii-Fit (we love this game during the winter!!)

Pre-Math: Making a "pizza" with a circle. I cut out a large circle out of cardstock and then cut out several smaller circles for the pepperoni. We then cut the pizza into 4 equal slices for each of her pizza party attendees (her baby dolls). She actually caught on faster than I thought she would. I thought the fractions would confuse her, but she was able to duplicate it perfectly.

Getting ready for some pancakes!!!!

Playing Chef Lindsay! I call this "Heaven's Kitchen"!!! Isn't that the cutest little apron??? It has her name embroidered on the front in hot pink. Thanks B!!!

Just a look at the large hall closet I cleaned out for her to play in. She loves it!

I wasn't sure what category this activity fell into. But Lindsay and Addie received these little Magnetic Creations as Christmas gifts this past year, and boy am I glad! Lindsay will sit for hours playing with these!! They come with different scenes and little magnetic figures you can rearrange. She loves to use her imagination to make different scenes.

Here's what the Magnetic Creations look like when opened up. The backgrounds are interchangeable, allowing her to choose which scene she wants to create. Lindsay likes to use all four at once and pretend it's a large "neighborhood" of folks talking back and forth to each other and going over to each other's "place" to visit and have slumber parties. :) What a sweet little imagination!

For more ideas from other Tot School moms, go to 1+1+1=1. Carissa also has a new website called Totally Tots, which is one of my favorite sites now! Go check it out!!! Have a great week everybody!!

Addison

2009-01-29T13:20:00.003-06:00

Sweet Addison!! She got an EZ Bake Oven for Christmas from her "B," and couldn't wait to get started!! She loves to cook and bake in the kitchen with Mom, but she was especially glad that she finally got to do something all by herself! She had a blast!!

And drum roll please..................................................................................

The finished masterpiece! I showed her how to use a sandwich bag as a pastry bag and she was off!! She frosted her cake with pink icing, then made a white icing so she could pipe on little white polka dots. She even put on little flower sprinkles for a finishing touch! Now, I know that this looks a little like puke on a plate, but I'm thrilled that she has a joy for cooking and can't wait to see what she'll come up with when she's using more than a light bulb to bake with!! LOL!! As Addie puts it, "This is really delicious practice!!!"

Homeschool for Trey

2009-01-29T12:58:00.003-06:00

As usual, Trey continues to do exceptionally well with his lessons. We've changed up our schedule a little bit. Instead of trying to do a little bit of every subject every day like public school does, I've decided to focus on one core subject each day. In addition to this, I have him complete what I call Daily Assignments, which include no fewer than 5 Math worksheets, and Daily Oral Language. I'm also working in Enrichment Activities each day that include Reading, Art Projects, Computer, or Etiquette (which I believe is becoming a lost art). We only do "school work" Monday through Thursday. On Friday, we take our field trips and we still use this day to go to the Library as well. If anyone has any suggestions that works, I'd appreciate hearing from you!! I'm still new at this and we're just kind of learning as we go, I guess.

I've also been searching for a new curriculum. I'm actually considering going with Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt. That's what a lot of public schools use, and what I've researched so far is impressive.

This week, Trey is learning about the Food Pyramid and how to make smart nutritional choices. I snapped a few shots of him while he sat in our make shift schoolroom (my room - ugh, I know the paint is horrid...it was that color when we moved in, I HAVE to repaint soon, or I'll go crazy.) He was in the dining room, then the kitchen, but I quickly learned that the household distractions were too much for him and he needed a quiet space, so I moved everything to our room. It seems to be working, but it was kind of difficult to relinquish the only room in the house that I could ever get any peace.

Trey doesn't like his handwriting, so I agreed to do the titling for him, but he did everything else on this project...even the layout. I even made him tell me what titles to put and how to spell them. Is it obvious that I need to work on feeding my children different kinds of vegetables?? LOL!

Goodbye 2008!!!!

2009-01-29T08:19:00.007-06:00

I'm so glad that 2008 is over! Last year was not the greatest year for my little ones. Addie was diagnosed with (and subsequently teased at school about) Alopecia. She has 1 large and about 5 smaller bald spots on her head now, and was the target of teasing at school. She has the most beautiful thick black hair that I've ever seen, and it's so sad to watch her cry every morning getting ready for school. She's a trooper and wants to keep going anyway. So I'm blessed that she's such a strong little girl!

Of course, earlier last year, Trey was diagnosed with having developed a heart condition due to the ADD medication he was on. He is homeschooled now because things didn't really go so well at school once we took him off the medication. He's doing great at homeschool, but misses having friends to play with. We really want to sell our house and move into a neighborhood with at least SOME other children. The old folks in our neighborhood are sweet, but not very good at climbing trees. :) With the economy and housing market the way it is, I doubt that we'll be able to sell anytime soon, though.

Then for the last few months of 2008, Trey started complaining of back pain. I originally thought it was either his bed, or maybe he pulled a muscle working in the garage with Granddaddy. When I finally came to the realization that 9 year old kids shouldn't be pulling muscles, I made an appointment with his pediatrician.

On Monday, she diagnosed him with Scoliosis. They did some x-rays to make sure he doesn't also have Spondolythiasis. We will hear back either today or tomorrow with those results.

While I can't help but ask, "What Next??," I still know that none of these conditions are life threatening, and that all of my babies are still healthy!! Thank God for that!! I know it could be so much worse. There are so many other kids out there fighting for their lives, and I can't imagine how their parents are able to hold it all together. I could have literally drown in the worry that flooded my soul on Monday. But when the doctor said that he only has a 5% curvature, and that he should be fine, I knew that God was in control, and that I shouldn't worry.

Trey and Lindsay swinging on the swingset last week...Lindsay just woke up from her nap and made Trey take her outside to swing. She loves her Trey!!

Tot School Jan. 5 - 9

2009-01-15T08:50:00.007-06:00

I know it's been a while since our last post. I have Trey and Lindsay on the same schedule as the public school that Addison attends, so we were off for 2 weeks. Last week was our first week back to school, and I'd love to say my lack of posting was due to my unwillingness to step away from the school room for even a moment so I could blog. But in all actuality, I was just plain tired. I used my 2 weeks off wisely and got caught up on the laundry monster, and tackled the kids' closets and dresser drawers. When 6:30am Monday morning rolled around, it was all I could do to get in the mood for school. It's usually not that difficult, but then again, I've never had a 2 week vacation before either! Ha!

Anyway, here's what we did last week:

Theme: Trains

Shape: Rectangle

Letter: "T"

We read "The Little Engine That Could," and discussed the moral and theme. I have to say that I was a little more than appalled at how difficult it was to find this book in stores. I searched over 3 bookstores to find a copy, and ended up purchasing the very last copy that Books a Million had in stock.

Letter "T" worksheets: Trace and Copy sheets and one where she had to find and circle all the items that started with the letter "T". She did amazing as usual!

Lindsay's "T"s!

We also did another variation of the Name Recognition game. She seems to really like this game, so I made one that would coordinate with our theme this week.

In addition, we also did the following:

Learning Centers:

Language: Alphabet Slap Jack - We used Alphabet Flash Cards to play the game Slap Jack. I told her we were looking for the letter "T," and to slap the deck when I laid the letter "T" down. She liked this game and we had lots of laughs!!

Pre-Math: Box Car Number Flash Cards - (pretty much the same pattern as the Name Recognition Game above, only with the numbers 1 - 10.)

More Pre-Math: AB pattered "Trains". I used more of my scrapbooking squares in two colors only and showed her how to make an AB pattern "train." This was a new skill for her, but she had fun with it. I kept the squares in a little ziploc baggie for her, and she found herself going back to this little game all day.

Fine Motor: Scissor Skills - I made several different types of lines (zig-zag, curvy, etc) on a piece of construction paper. I put train stickers on the ends and told her to cut along the "train tracks" to catch up to the engine.

Gross Motor: Human Train (we chugged and chugged all over our house...I'm STILL tired!!); we also played Train Track Hopscotch outside. I used sidewalk chalk to draw a really easy "hopscotch" train track on the drive way (it was 72 degrees that day). It was a challenge fore her because she'd never played hopscotch before, but she quickly got the hang of it.

Songs: Down by the Station, I've Been Working on the Railroad.

Train Fingerplay: (works on "forward" and "backward" skills)

This is a choo-choo train(Bend elbows)

Puffing down the track(Move arms forward)

Now it's going forward(Push arms forward)

Now it's going back(Push arms back)

Now the bell is ringing(Pretend to ring bell)

Now the whistle blows(Hold fist near mouth and pretend to blow)

What a lot of noise it makes...

Everywhere it goes.(Cover ears with hands)

For more Tot School ideas, go check out Carisa's blog at 1+1+1=1. Have a great week guys (or what's left of it)!!

Tot School Dec. 8 -12

2008-12-14T21:12:00.007-06:00

This week in Tot School, it was very busy, but entertaining. We continued our lesson on the Letter B, and learned how to sort/organize our things. The sorting led itself to a review of all our colors. And she did great with that. Some of you may find a little something familiar with each of the pictures that follow. That's because I was super busy blog-stalking this week and got lots of great ideas from the other Tot School Moms. (Thanks guys!)

This idea was actually my own...I got out my small Xyron machine and let Lindsay make "B" stickers to put on the Blue Blocks and B's project we did.

This one has nothing to do with Tot School, but I thought it was too cute not to include! She's such a mess!

What a face!

We learned about sorting, using different sized boxes with different materials inside.

Clean up time!

Baking cookies with Mom! Yummy!

This is the old piano bench that we converted into a little desk for Lindsay.

"B" is for Belly Button!

Sorting - I love using Ice Cube Trays and brightly colored fuzzy balls. These are the ones with the little irredescent spikey things - they are a little easier for Lindsay to pick up and hold onto.

For other Tot School Reports from other moms, visit Carisa's blog at 1+1+1=1.

Christmas Giveaways

2008-12-12T20:40:00.002-06:00

I recently visited the One House Schoolroom blog, and she is hosting some really neat giveaways. Today's giveaway is for either a set of Mommy Cards or a Customized Blog Design. Go visit and check it out!

It's Party Time....again...and again...and again!

2008-12-11T22:52:00.005-06:00

For the exception of Tracy, all of my little ones' birthdays fall in either November or December. We didn't exactly PLAN it that way, but God did, so I don't complain. Lindsay's birthday comes first (Nov. 9), then Trey's on November 22 (sometimes it falls on Thanksgiving). Today was Addison's birthday (and coincidentally, also my mother in law's birthday). It's difficult for the kids to get birthday presents and then get excited about getting more presents on Christmas. But...they don't get a lot of presents throughout the year, so you'll not hear them complain!

Since Addison is my middle child, and sometimes gets a little overlooked because she's such a good girl, I always try to do something a little special for her. The other two got homemade birthday cakes and parties at home. But since Addie shares a birthday with her Grandmommy, we all went out to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner last night (since Daddy would have to work tonight). Addie loves to be the center of attention and informed me well ahead of time that she wanted everyone to sing Happy Birthday to her at the restaurant so everyone else would know she was a Birthday Girl. She's so funny that way.

She had no idea that the whole staff would come out and do their usual shout-out for the whole restaurant to give a big "YEE HAWWWW!" She fully enjoyed herself. Then today, since she had to go to school, I took cupcakes for her class. They sang "Happy Birthday to You, CHA CHA CHA!" Dad had to work tonight, so she and I spent the evening baking together. I think she had a really great birthday. She'll be disappointed in the morning when she wakes to find that her birthday is over. :(

Here are some pics of last night's fun!

Grandmommy and Addison

Cousin Cyndi and Addison (aren't they cute??)

Trey's Lessons December 1 - 5

2008-12-08T18:47:00.004-06:00

Last week Trey started a new unit in all his subjects, so he's right on track, even though it was a short week due to a craft show I was preparing for. He did independent reading on Monday, and since my craft show was on Tuesday, I took the day off. But he was a trooper and buckled down on Wednesday so we wouldn't get behind.

We discussed the environment and the four things that change an environment: temperature, light, soil, and water. We did a couple of different experiments. During our lesson on temperature, we got out our handy dandy thermometers and recorded the temperature throughout the day in different parts of our yard (shady spots, sunny spots, etc.) To demonstrate the difference in soils in different environments, we took soils samples from different locations in town. We measured them, added water, shook them up, and observed them overnight. Then we recorded the layering differences in each jar. We also discussed how God made each animal specifically for it's environment (i.e. camels live in dry areas because they are able to store water for longer periods of time). We were supposed to dig up earthworms and observe how they tend to go deeper into the earth when temperatures lower. But since it was pretty cold that day, I guess the worms were already half-way to China, because we weren't able to find any! LOL!

As you can see, a lot of our week was devoted to Science. We were also busy with our other subjects as well, but since he got so excited with Science, I let him run with it. I've summarized what we did with our other subjects below.

History
Read Discovering Deer Isle, Maine
Identify states Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusettes, New York, New Hampshire, Maine
Use old magazines to make collage of different kinds of boats.
Internet activity: Look up Lobster Fishing Boat, add to collage.
Discuss the importance of fishing in Maine

Language Arts
Learn to use guide words in a dictionary / Review alphabetical order skills
Play Dictionary Game (race to find a specified word in the dictionary)
Discuss why words with er, ir, ur have the same /er/ sounds. Examples: bird, church, herd.
Continue cursive Handwriting Practice.

Math
Review addition/subtraction, fact families, carrying, writing the number word in digits, writing digits into number words. Adding coins. Money.

Gary and I have discussed the idea that Trey needs to be challenged more in Math. Addition and Subtraction for a third grader is just not sufficient in our opinion. I've wrote about this before, but the boxed set of curriculum I ordered is not exactly challenging for my son. I am doing a lot of supplementing in all subjects, just so he won't get behind the public schools should he want to go back in the future. (I've left this decision up to him). I have been downloading additional worksheets from edhelper, but I'm not sure this is doing much good. This was the ONE thing that I was scared to death of, because I'm HORRIBLE at Math. If anyone out there knows of any good (and free/low cost) Math programs, please let me know!!

Tot School

2008-12-08T10:08:00.008-06:00

After pining over Carisa's Bottle Top Name Thingies (I can't remember what she calls them), I decided I was going to make some. The only problem is that our family no longer drinks bottled water. I wish I could say it was due to the new movement toward reusable drinking containers. It's actually because we're on a budget now and that's just one of the sacrifices we made to save a few dollars each week.

Anyway...I have been trying to figure out a way to get these things done without the use of bottle tops. And ya'll all know how I like to TWEAK things a little! So...I tried making my own sentence strips, and they didn't look all that great. (I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, and just couldn't handle the paper being a little crooked on one end). I thought about just going to my favorite teacher's resource store (The Tardy Bell in Texarkana, TX) for premade sentence strips, but I thought that would negate the whole idea of saving money, so I came up with this idea. I still like the bottle top idea better, though, because they are easier for Lindsay to pick up and they look like they would stay put a little better once placed on the paper. But I do like my version too, because since I used a full size sheet of paper, I could place it all in a sheet protector and store it in a little binder. I plan to make these for each member of our family. She really enjoyed playing with them today for Tot School.

All I did was get out some of my old unused 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook paper, my square punch, some glue dots, a sheet protector, and a permanent marker. I punched out enough squares for her name in the purple paper and wrote the letters of her name on each one. Then I punched out the same number of squares on the top of the coordinating flowery paper. I then mounted the flowery paper to a piece of green cardstock (I used a whole sheet for stability, but one could certainly use an appropriately sized backing strip as well), and wrote the letters of her name in green squares. Then I mounted a photo of her (from last spring - I haven't actually printed a picture in quite a while - I know, I'm horrible) on to another piece of green cardstock. Then I slipped the whole thing into a sheet protector, and gave her the purple letter squares.

There are lots of other great Tot Tools on Carisa's blog: 1+1+1=1...go check it out!

Today in Tot School

2008-12-03T16:09:00.010-06:00

This week in Tot School, Lindsay is learning about the weather. Today we took a walk outside and sang our weather songs (below) while we looked at the clouds that were forming. We noticed the wind was picking up and talked about how that helps the leaves make their music. It never did actually rain, so we couldn't go puddle-jumping like I wanted to. Darn! LOL...so we did the Hokey Pokey instead!!! We had a great day! Oh, in case anyone is wondering why my beloved child is in a summer dress and flip-flops in December...it's because we live in Texas and while the weather has been quite chilly lately, today the temperature was in the upper 60's (storm's comin!!!)

FLOOR TIME

Learn Weather Songs

Weather Song (Tune of "Oh My Darling")

What's the weather?

What's the weather, everyone?

Is it windy?

Is it cloudy?

Is there rain?

Or is there sun?

Thunder (Tune of Frere Jacques)

I hear thunder, I hear thunder,

How about you? How about you?

Pitter patter rain drops, pitter patter rain drops,

I'm wet through

So are you!

Fun in the Rain (Tune of "Three Blind Mice")

Rain, rain, rain

Dribble, dribble, sploosh!

Grab your boots, your coat, your hat,

Jump in a puddle and go kersplat!

Stomp about and become a drowned rat,

Rain, rain, rain

Rain, rain, rain!

TABLE TIME

Letter: B (we just got back from visiting my mom, who all the grandkids call "B")

Shape: Triangle

After we talked about all the different things that start with the letter "B," Lindsay completed worksheets on identifying triangles, and was able to find and color all the hidden "Bb's" on her coloring page.

After it was all said and done, Lindsay decided she wasn't finished with Tot School. She actually raised her hand and informed me it was time for blocks. I think she picked that up from the many hours of playing school with Addison! Too funny!!! She really is a great builder - I might have a future architect on my hands!!!

For those of you who are interested in joining Tot School, or reading other Tot Reports from other moms, go visit Carisa's blog at 1+1+1=1 and find some great ideas!

Turkey Cookies?

2008-11-26T21:44:00.007-06:00

I saw these on the Crafty Crow (again, I know...I need help, I can't stop!). I thought they were too cute, so I gave them a try. As usual, I "tweaked" the recipe a bit to fit my baking abilities and time (or lack thereof).

I used a Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix, some of that "cupcake-icing-in-a-squirt-can" stuff to frost the cookies. And I couldn't find any orange or black icing in the little "Cake Mate" tubes. So I made my own out of some Betty Crocker Butter Cream cake frosting I had left over from Trey's birthday cake on Saturday. I just used food coloring to make it the right colors.
Then we decorated them with candy corn and Mini M&M's. They turned out too cute. The kids decorated some as well...here are the pictures:

Lindsay is a Cookie Decorating Diva!

Lindsay's Cookie (looks like he knows what's in store for him tomorrow!!)

Addison took her job very seriously! She could be my next chef!!

Addison's finished cookies

Trey was not as interested as Addison, but did well anyway. He thought they tasted good though, which is why I don't have a picture of his finished cookies!! (Except for the group picture below - Thanks Trey for waiting at least that long!!)

And here's one of each of our finished cookies. Can you tell who decorated which turkey?

Clockwise from top: Mom's, Addie's, Lindsay's, Trey's.

Thanksgiving T-Shirts

2008-11-25T18:53:00.007-06:00

I got this idea from the Crafty Crow, who got the idea from One More Moore. It was supposed to be a reverse applique type thing, but since I am beyond incompetent with sewing, I decided that I could "tweak" it a little to fit my abilities (or lack thereof). If you want directions for the reverse applique...click on one of the links above. They also have pictures and step by step directions.

So, this is what I came up with. I traced each of the kids' handprints onto white paper. Then I cut them out. Using that as a pattern, I used my pinking shears to cut the fabric. Then I pinned the fabric to the shirt, and used my sewing machine (yes I actually have one and can manage to operate it enough to sew a line, albeit a crooked one), to sew around the outline of the handprint.

Then I got out my needle and thread (even more shocking, I know), and sewed on buttons for the eyes and little gobbler thingy. Last, I got some black puffy paint that I had left over from our pumpkin shirts, and drew on the feet. The pictures are below.

Last Week's Lessons for Trey

2008-11-24T21:42:00.002-06:00

Last week, we finished up all of our units on Washington (see lapbook below...very cool if I do say so myself!) We didn't get to the plant experiments that I wanted to get to because we had a rushed week. For some reason, my brain went all crazy on me (happens a lot, I know), and I didn't account for the last section in each of the units in my lesson plans. So there I was thinking we were in good shape. Then Wednesday rolled around and we only had two more days to finish up everything, and I was STRESS-IN!!!

My original thoughts were to have my mom-in-law do a lesson with Trey on plants, parts of plants, greenhousing, etc.; because my thumb is completely black, and she could grow a plant from a piece of charcoal and a paper clip. Ok, small exaggeration, but the woman can grow anything, and my plants always seem to commit botanical suicide when they see me coming!

Anyway...I was so proud of Trey. I know a lot of mom's don't take grades on the work their kids do, but I have chosen to because Trey may one day re-enter public school. And while Texas is currently completely unregulated with regards to homeschoolers (that is, we don't have to report anything to anyone, once he's appropriately withdrawn from public school), there's no guarantee that it will always be that way. SO...with that possibility in the back of my mind, I thought it safer to go ahead and document everything, even attendance...JUST IN CASE.

At the end of each of our units (we use Alpha Omega LIFEPACS), Trey takes a unit test and we tally his scores for each subject. He already had A's in every subject, but he brought each of them up at least 4 points last week. He worked extremely hard so that we could take our entire Thanksgiving Break off. Sometimes he had a "working lunch," and sometimes he worked through his afternoon breaks. He now has at least a 99% in each subject. I couldn't be prouder of him!!!

This week, all we have planned are some Arts & Crafts projects, and some cookies to take to my mom's for Thanksgiving. He will also be writing a letter to the soldier he "adopted" in Iraq. And of course, we will honor our tradition of reading Thanksgiving Poems, telling Pilgrim Stories, etc. while we're doing our projects. There will be plenty of lessons to be learned this week, but the kiddos will never suspect they are actual lessons!!

This Week in Tot School

2008-11-24T20:57:00.004-06:00

We're taking it a little easy this week in Tot School. Addie is out of public school for the week, and since I revolve his schedule around hers so that we're all on the same page, that means that I, too, am on a "break" of sorts. Not that homeschool moms ever get a break - especially around the holidays, but it is a technicallity that I cling to.

So I took a cue from Carissa at 1+1+1=1, and gave Lindsay some activity options and let her choose what she wanted to do. She chose water play, so I got out all the old recipe books, tupperware, measuring cups, spoons, and spatulas, and let her go to town. I showed her how to measure very carefully, and then as I began to cook our lunch (soup), she also made several dishes (of the most delicious water I've ever tasted). She carefully put them in the refrigerator, one by one; and then when the soup was ready, she carefully transported her dishes to the table for everyone to enjoy! She was so proud of her new found culinary talents! Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of this moment because I spent most of the time trying to mop up water out of the floor.

After lunch, we played with the Play-Doh at our craft table. She used her rolling pin and cookie cutters like an old pro. We talked about Thanksgiving, and being thankful to God for all the blessings He's given us. I think this was a little above her level, but she likes to talk with Mom, so she didn't mind. :)

No, I don't allow my children to run around all day in their underwear; I just usually strip Lindsay down before craft time so I can cut down on my laundry. I had intentions of putting her craft shirt on, but she wasn't having any of it. On the table, you'll see one of my favorite things! It's a Dora the Explorer disposable placemat. I bought these a couple of years ago from Target. They come in a box of 12, I think. They have peel-off type tape on the back. You peel off the backing and tape it into place. I bought them to use in restaurants (because I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe), but since we don't go out much anymore, I use them for craft time. It doesn't damage my table, and it keeps my little artist from making too big of a mess.

For other Tot School reports from other mom's this week, go visit Carissa's blog, 1+1+1=1.

Our First Lapbook

2008-11-19T19:12:00.005-06:00

For those of you who know me, you're already aware of my love of scrapbooking. You probably also know that I haven't had time to do any of it since Lindsay was born. Somehow she takes more time out my day than Addie and Trey ever did. So imagine the immense joy I felt when I ran across this idea of "lapbooking." It combines the creativity and unique design aspects of scrapbooking with a new kind of learning that my kids really enjoy. So I get to scrapbook and call it a lesson!!! YAY!!!

Since we're wrapping up our unit on Washington State, I felt it appropriate for our first lapbook to be centered around Washington and all the things we've learned about it. I surfed around for different templates, etc., and even downloaded some. In the end, I found that it was easier just to do it myself. My primary inspiration came from some of the lapbooks I saw on Lapbooking101.com. I also downloaded the Washington State Flower/Bird mini-book there (I think). So I'll give them credit where it's due. :) The coloring book under the red flap was downloaded from the Washington State Legislature.

I also added a special sliding title flap, so I could have a way to keep the book closed without using a bulky ribbon or grommets.

Tot School Anyone?

2008-11-17T09:40:00.008-06:00

Ok, I admit it: I'm a serious blog-stalker. I was surfing around trying to find ways to get Lindsay (3 years old) involved in our home-school lessons. I knew she wasn't ready for the types of activities that Trey (9 years old) was doing, but I couldn't stand seeing her just sit around all day watching cartoons - waiting for Trey to get finished with his work so they could play. I felt like we were wasting valuable time! So I started making out lesson plans for me to work with her on while Trey was working on his lessons. This created a few problems: 1.) Trey is ADD and does NOT work independently. 2.) Lindsay wants all the attention for herself and gets extremely aggitated if I have to stop working with her to help Trey. 3.) While Lindsay had loads of extra time on her hands each day, I couldn't seem to find enough!

Ladies and gentlemen, I've found my answer. The great news is that I don't have to spend the entire day doing it. I can work it into our morning schedule before Trey starts his lessons. It's called Tot School. It's just a group of moms devoted to their toddlers, trying to make a difference by spending one-on-one time with them while sneaking in a little education. You can learn more about it here:

As for our first day of Tot School, it went really well. Of course, Lindsay likes to be the "teacher," so I let her run with that. We couldn't quite make the 1 1/2 hour mark because, well, Lindsay was the teacher. So that will be one of my goals as we progress. I'm a former Pre-K teacher (Jack of all Trades, I know), so I like a little structure in our learning time. I think this is good for Lindsay because most of the rest of her day is unstructured. So I made her a make-shift "desk" from our piano bench and a little chair of hers. This is the way that she and Addie play school in the afternoons, so I thought that I shouldn't mess with a good thing. All that being said, I do like Carisa's approach to child-led learning. This week we are doing a mini unit study on the letter A. We are learning all about apples, doing some arts and crafts, and singing songs. Here's a little bit of what we did today:

Floor Time:

Talk about the Letter A and apples.

Learn Song: Ten Shiny Apples -by Victoria Smith

(tune: Angel Band)

There was one, There were two, There were three - SHINY APPLES!

There were four, there were five, there were six - SHINY APPLES!

There were seven, there were eight, there were nine - SHINY APPLES!

Ten SHINY APPLES in that tree!

Arts & Crafts:

For Arts & Crafts, we colored a picture of an apple and the letter "Aa", and pasted it on red construction paper.

Our favorite thing we did today was to cut out apple tree shapes out of construction paper. I numbered each apple 1 - 10, and she pasted the apples on the tree while we sang our song we learned during floor time. I typed the song out and she pasted that on there, too.

She also did a worksheet or two from her Pre-K workbook, in which she was directed to color all of the pictures that start with the letter A. I know she's not quite at the Pre-K level, but I like to challenge her. She did great!! She loves the idea of having "school" like Trey and Addison, and even referred to one of her worksheets as her "test". Then she told me to stop talking during school...yep she's definitely got my genes!!

Then she helped mom make her snack of applesauce, graham crackers, and juice.

We have lots of other fun activities planned for the rest of the week as well. And the great part is, that I have tied all of her lessons to coordinate with what Trey's learning about Washington State this month. So she'll be able to help us out with his Washington State Lapbook as well!

Click here for more Tot Reports from other moms!

Halloween/Fall Festival Costumes

2008-11-13T15:28:00.008-06:00

Ok, so I'm a little late posting the kids' Halloween costumes...they were too cute, though, albeit a little eye-opening...you'll understand in a bit...keep reading. We were trying to save a little money and either make our own costumes, or make do with something we already had. Trey wanted to be a Jedi Master...no problem - a $1 remnant of fabric from Wally World and a light saber he already had and he was set.

When I asked Lindsay (who is 3 years old) what she wanted to be, I expected to hear something along the lines of a fairy or something. WRONG...she wanted to be a polka dot. A WHAT??? How in the world am I supposed to make her into a polka dot? Well, the creative juices started to flow and I had a great idea to turn a large piece of cardboard into a giant polka dot with some scissors, paint, and a small amount of duct tape. I was so impressed. Lindsay wasn't. She changed her mind at the last minute and decided she wanted to be a princess. In defeat, I went back to Wally World and purchased a $20 Princess dress (from the dress up section because the Halloween Costumes were already too sparse). She was of course, adorable.

Addison was the eye-opener. She wanted to be a cheerleader. And for those of you who don't know me, cheerleading was my THING in high school. I lived for cheering, but like a lot of teenage girls, I always thought I was soooo fat. I lived on Slim Fast and was totally convinced that I looked like an elephant in my uniform. (I have long since gotten over this feeling, and had realized that while I was not what most people would describe as "skinny," I was a healthy weight and not "overweight" at all.) But I was still surprised to see my tiny little 7 year old actually WEAR my skirt from high school. It actually fit her perfectly in the waist...it was a little long, and of course the top was way too big, but she looked cute nonetheless. Wow...what an eye opener! I saw this as a teachable moment for Addie, so I talked to her about self image, and why it is important to love yourself. I told her that as long as she exercised, ate nutritious foods, and stayed healthy, not to ever worry about "fat" or "skinny," and to never ever ever ever, compare herself to others. Of course, she was looking at me like, "HUH?" LOL...

Here's our Halloween costume pics...

Lindsay as a "Princess"

Obi-Trey Kinobi

Go Lions Go!!

This Week's Lessons

2008-11-11T16:39:00.004-06:00

So, I've been a little busy...last week was a rushed, but thankfully we've caught back up. This month, we've been studying Washington State in History class. I realize that a lot of folks do weekly units on states, but our curriculum has an entire month of lessons for each state that we study. So we're getting to do a LOT more projects. Trey has done internet research projects on the state facts of Washington; he will be making a Washington State Flag, and we downloaded a Washington State Ebook that I'm using to supplement the curriculum. We also have plans to discuss the other areas of significance in Washington, such as the Space Needle and Mount St. Helen.

We are doing an "apple" tie-in as well, since Washington is the top producer of apples in our country. Lindsay is getting involved as well and loves helping Mom make homemade applesauce for snack time.

In light of Veteran's Day today, we wrote a letter to the soldier we "adopted," and sent a care package to him, thanking him for his courageous service to our country. Trey read The Memory Box by Mary Bushong, which worked alongside our Veteran's Day mini-unit for today.

For Science, we are studying the different parts of plants and their functions. We discussed how temperature affects plants and what happens when a plant gets too cold. We are growing plants from seeds, and charting the different stages of growth.

Because our boxed curriculum does not include any definite vocabulary words for Trey to be tested on, I have started putting a list of 10 words together that include different words from each subject: mostly History and Science. I have also decided that I don't like the Spelling Words they give him each week, and believe that he can handle a little more difficulty in that area.

Trey began learning upper case cursive letters last week, and is continuing that this week. He's doing pretty well! Lucky for him, his spelling words are extremely easy this week, but there is a method behind my madness. I chose this weeks spelling words based on short vowels becoming long vowels when you add an e. So his spelling words this week will be: at, fat, cut, cap...etc. NEXT WEEK they will be ate, fate, cute, cape...etc. I decided to do this after I noticed that Trey is still having trouble spelling these types of words. That's the glory of homeschool!!! I can adjust our lessons to fit HIS needs.

Reading List This Week:

The Memory Box by Mary Bushong (Veteran's Day tie-in)
The Space Needle by Shannon Jackson
Fire Mountain by Joyce Furstenau

Arts & Crafts This Week:

Make a Washington State Flag
Apple Crafts

For Lindsay Only:
Color: Red
Letter: "A" is for Apple
Apple Unit Theme Coloring Pages
"5 Little Apples" song/fingerplay with felt finger-puppets

Poem: Red Apple
A little red apple
Hung high in a tree
I looked up at it
And it looked down at me
"Come down, please" I called
And what do you suppose---
That little red apple
Dropped right on my nose!

Misconceptions about Homeschool

2008-11-09T16:53:00.004-06:00

I had to share something that happened to me the other day. I was at work (to help out until they can find someone), and I just had to brag on Trey a little about how well he's been doing. Then someone said, "Wow...that's got to be real hard with his MOM as his teacher. And I bet you're not the slightest bit biased, are you?" I laughed it off, because working in a police department has taught me that most of what people say shouldn't be taken personally; because most of the time, those types of comments are made without much thought. After a day or two, though, it hit me that this may very well be a common misconception some folks have about homeschoolers. So I wanted to take a minute to assure those folks that homeschooling is no "easier" than public school. The academic content may actually be even more difficult, as well as the expectations of "the teacher" being higher if only because she knows your true potential.

Trey was really struggling in public school, and not because of the academic content. He was struggling because the school was unwilling to provide any modifications for him due to his ADD. For instance, they would put all of the math word problems at the top of the page instead of at the bottom. He would get stuck on the first one and was never able to move past it. Instead of nudging him to keep moving, the teacher would let him run out of time, and he would end up failing the test. This was very hard for him (and us) to swallow, because we know how smart Trey is.

Because he is now at home, I can nudge him to keep moving along. If he doesn't know the answer the question, I can nudge him to skip it and come back to it later. I do not give him the answers, and if you ask him, he'll surely tell you what a challenge it is, because when I ask a question, he can't hide in the back of the class hoping that someone else is going to raise their hand.

I test him weekly on the lessons that we have covered in his boxed set of curriculum. There are "Self Tests" at the end of each section, and there are 3-4 sections in a unit. The self tests are NOT open book, and he must score above an 80% to be allowed to move forward. On the rare occasion that he scores below an 80%, I make him review the entire section, and then I give him a separate quiz to insure he has mastered the material before moving on. He has 4 core subjects (Language Arts, History/Geography, Mathematics, and Science), and we also do Spelling and Vocabulary, and extra Enrichment activities that usually consist of experiments, Library visits, mini-units, etc. He doesn't do near as much reading as I would like him to, so I am considering starting a Boys Only Book Club through TEACH so that the boys can have something to challenge them to WANT to read.

Last week, he completed his first round of Unit Tests. He received high A's on everything. I give 2 bonus spelling words a week (just like public school), so his AVERAGE in Spelling is 110%. I couldn't be prouder of my little man! The only drawback seems to be the socialization factor so far. But there are a lot of sweet little boys in our homeschool group (TEACH) that he will get to play with a few times a month, so that will help. And Trey has never been one to have a lot of friends. Due to the insensitivity of most of the teachers he's come across, he has been made out to be the "problem child" and so most of the kids in the public school classrooms didn't want to have a lot to do with him. I realize that he's a challenge, but he is such a joy! He really loves people. He prays for people, even if he has no idea who they are.

I know I've told a lot of folks this story already, but when Trey was in the 2nd grade (last year), a dear friend of our family (Lindsay's babysitter, Karen) had a medical scare. I told the kids that we needed to remember to pray for Ms. Karen. Trey immediately asked us all to meet him in the living room. He instructed us to join hands and go around in a circle one by one and pray for Ms. Karen individually and then altogether. The next day, he went to school and had the entire 2nd grade praying for Ms. Karen at recess.

That is why I am so thankful for him (and all special needs children). Because they end up teaching us far more than we could ever imagine!

Tie-Dyed T-Shirts

2008-11-08T16:53:00.005-06:00

I totally forgot to post photos of our Halloween T-Shirts. We borrowed this idea from Jenny at Little Acorns Treehouse (http://www.littleacornscds.blogspot.com/). She has such great ideas on her site. I think she said she borrowed this idea from Family Fun magazine. We used some of Trey's old undershirts that he had either grown out of or were stained. That way, we didn't have to purchase new ones...I love re-purposing! Anyway, here are the photos!

The kids drew on the designs for the jack-o-lantern faces (Lindsay had a little help from mom). And then I used black and green fabric paint to fill them in. They turned out soooo cute!

2008-10-30T09:12:00.002-05:00

The following was in an email I received from my mother in law, Debby. Please watch this video and continue to pray for our precious freedom. We have a few days left before election and a huge portion of our country is leaning heavily toward a man with an undisclosed past. What will our future hold if he is elected? That is the billion (or TRILLION) dollar question.

God bless you, God bless our troops, and God bless America! McCain/Palin 2008!!! This will give you chill bumps as well as some teary eyes. This is one of the most beautiful renditions of this great song you will ever hear and it was performed by both elementary and high school student chorus'. These kids are fabulous! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

Lesson Plans...

2008-10-27T13:53:00.007-05:00

Originally, I had done quite a bit of blog-stalking on other Homeschool sites. There's this one "Super Mom" who posts all of her plans and lessons for the rest of us who need a little inspiration. I had thought I, too, would use this blog to keep track of all of our Lesson Plans and share them for my family in case they were interested in our progress. However, these are just getting to be too time consuming to post each week, so I've decided to just summarize what our plans are instead of posting detailed plans for each week. If anyone gets interested in what we're doing, I'm certainly not opposed to emailing them. But for now, especially since we going with a boxed set, I don't think there's anything particularly special about my curriculum or lesson plans that would inspire anyone else to the point where they would need me to post them. :)

That being said, we have a lot of plans for this week. We are taking a hint from Jenny on her Little Acorns Treehouse blog, who did some really cool Halloween Tie-Dye t-shirts with her kids. I think she got the directions from Family Fun Magazine. Currently, we are in the rinse cycle of our tie-dye process, so tonight we may be able to decorate the shirts. I just used some old white undershirts of Trey's, even for the girls. That way, all I had to spend was the money for the Rit Dye, and I think I'll also go purchase some black fabric paint. So all in all, I think this will be a very cheap, but cute project. (Albeit a little messy).

We also decorated the tiny baking pumpkins this weekend, thanks to ACE Hardware Store! Last week, Trey had to do some measurement exercises for Math, and we needed a yardstick. We didn't have one, so I drove to Ace (the nicest people and cleanest store in town!) They had a display up outside with all their pumpkins half-off, so I told the kids to pick out some little ones that were only 50 cents each. Addie was still in school, so I picked one out for her, and let Trey and Lindsay choose their own. We went inside the store, and looked around a bit. I love clean hardware stores. Everyone was so helpful, and even stopped to speak to the kids (which I always appreciate). We found our yardstick and headed for the register. The yardstick was 64 cents with tax, but the computer didn't recognize the pumpkins (of which we had 3 - so that would have been about $1.50 with tax). So he told me we could just have the pumpkins. And of course, I didn't have any cash (or change), so all I brought with me was my checkbook into the store. I told them I would have to put it all back and come back with some change because I couldn't reasonably write a check for 64 cents. So he let me have it all for free!! I asked him if he was sure, and he said he was...so I was ECSTATIC! I will forever give my business to ACE Hardware Store over Home Depot and Lowe's now.

I'm so excited!!!

2008-10-27T13:18:00.006-05:00

I can hardly contain myself! Lindsay is finally showing signs of being potty trained this century!!! She'll be 3 in a couple of weeks, and up until now, has been totally defiant against anything having to do with the potty. That is until I tried this new method by Lora Jenson, a stay at home mom (and potty training expert). It's called the 3 Day Potty Training method. It cost me $24.99 to download the ebook from the website, but I have to say, that was the best investment I've ever made! I would recommend it to anyone struggling with potty training...in fact, I would recommend it to anyone who is about to start. Why go through all the other junk first, if you can get them trained in a matter of days?

I am a very skeptical person by nature...I used to not be that way, but working in law enforcement will do that to you. And with our new budget restrictions due to my new homeschool mom/teacher status, I was very tempted not to purchase it. But then after another hour of getting screamed at by Lindsay just for suggesting the word "potty", my mind was changed. So I clicked the "Order Now" button, and 6 hours later, my little stubborn toddler was coming to tell me she had to go potty. I couldn't believe it. It was really half a day yesterday by the time I ordered it and read it, so today is really our first full day, and she's been totally accident free!

Is this the same child who would sit on the potty and scream bloody murder (no really...I had to shut the windows for fear that the neighbors would call the police), and pull her own hair and scratch herself out in a fit of outright rage?? She now loves the potty and even stayed dry all night last night! I would kiss Lora Jenson if I could!!!

Here's a link to her website if anyone's intersted: http://www.3daypottytraining.com

One nation under God...

2008-10-23T13:22:00.006-05:00

For those of you who know me, you know I try not to get too political. I have always kept my opinions to myself. But I have recently come to the conclusion that too many people are keeping their mouths shut out of fear of being found "politically incorrect." Folks, we are on the verge of a crisis here, and it has nothing to do with Barack Obama's skin color. I am so tired of people assuming that I am a racist because I wouldn't be caught dead voting for him. Anyone who knows me, knows that's absurd. I do not even entertain the thought with worrying about that. The fact is simple: I do not trust the man's past, his present, or his future. There are too many unanswered questions, and it seems that lately, if you ask a question to the man, you'll be ripped to shreds by the national liberal media. What happened? When did it become such a crime against humanity for a normal person to ask a question and expect an answer from a presidential candidate? Never mind the answer he received!! Good grief!!! I can't even go there or my blood will start boiling!

Calming down a bit, I would like for anyone who's reading this to please take a look at this You Tube video. It was sent to me by a good friend who happens to share my beliefs that this year's election is about many more issues than the economy and foreign policy. The very core values that support our nation could be at stake. Without these values, our country will inevitably crumble. Please join me in prayer for our great nation under God!

During the next couple of weeks, I will also be praying for both Presidential and both Vice Presidential candidates - as both sides need our Lord's guidance in their decision making.

Now please excuse me while I go put more McCain/Palin signs in the yard!!! LOL...had to go there!!!

Lesson Plans - Week 2 : October 13 - 17

2008-10-19T12:08:00.004-05:00

Addie was out of school Monday for Columbus Day, and since Trey and I took a week off before we began, he doesn't have any of the 1 day holidays like this off. So Addie took this opportunity to learn a little about what Trey does in a typical day of homeschool. We planned a lot of extra crafts and activities for Columbus Day, so she had a lot of fun as well!

Columbus Day Activities:
Learn about the voyage of Christopher Columbus.
Make Columbus hats and paper bag puppets. (October 2008 - Teacher's Friend Publications)
Read 1492 Poem. I wrote the poem out on poster board with the rhyming words omitted. The children (even Lindsay) had index cards with all the different omitted rhyming words on each one. The child with the correct rhyming word got to come up and place the card on the board in the place of the blank. Then we read it again all together. This was a good activity for all the different grade levels.

Language Arts:
Read The Story of Pedro, and discuss.
Work on cursive handwriting: letters b,f,h,k,l
Handwriting Checklist

Math:
Review multi-numeral addition / subtraction facts: (a+b-x+y=z)
Place values / Number sequencing.
Numbers game using index cards labeled 0 - 9. Place all 10 cards face down on table. Turn over two cards at a time. Determine the highest number that can be made using the two digits. Repeat this step until 10 numbers are formed using 2 digits each. Place each number in order from lowest to highest. Reverse the numbers (ex. 53 turns into 35). And rearrange them again in order from lowest to highest.

History & Geography:
Continue Kansas Unit Study: Study about Soddies and Dugouts, Life as a Pioneer. Discuss how Lebanon, Kansas is the geographical center of the United States. Internet research project: research corn production.

Science:
Your Body Digests Food. Discuss how the digestion process works.
Experiment: 1 large glass (half - full of water); 1 smaller glass; 1 paper towel cut to 8" x 4", folded in a funnel shape with no hole; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 tablespoon cocoa. Mix salt in large glass of water until completely dissolved. Stir in cocoa powder until liquid is brown. Slowly pour into funnel in small glass. Remove the paper towel and taste the mixture. Discuss how it tastes like salt and not cocoa, and why. Discuss how our digestive system works similarly as a filter for the food we take into our bodies.

Spelling:
belt, cost, bend, ill, shell, knee, knock, knot, hum, caps. Bonus: dugout, sod.

Enrichment:
Bible Memory Verse: John 3:16
Columbus Day activities on Monday.

In the Kitchen with Mom: Recipe from Cheerios Cookbook : Roly Poly Peanut Butter Balls

Library Day - Friday

Lessons for Mom...

2008-10-19T11:29:00.006-05:00

Week 2 of Homeschooling went very well. Although I have learned some valuable lessons already, that I'm sure other home school moms will nod their heads emphatically about as they read them.

1. Always be sure to read through the curriculum BEFORE purchasing it to insure that your child is compatible with it's style and format. We got a late start and therefore didn't have time to familiarize ourselves with all of our options. Trey received an 80% on 3 different quizzes on Thursday, not because he doesn't know the answers, but because the style of the quizzes are so different than what he needs. (Example: My son has ADD and gets distracted by all the colorful illustrations. He finds them "too busy" for the page and gets distracted by them. What I have done to alleviate this is to re-type the same questions in the same order onto plain white paper. I asked him to re-take the test and he got a 100%!!)

2. Just because something says "Grade 3," it doesn't necessarily mean it is academically challenging enough for even a typical 3rd Grader. If you want your child to stay up to speed with what public schools are teaching, you will want to hand pick your curriculum to follow or at least compare to what they are learning. Example: My second grader is bringing home more challenging things than the material my 3rd grader is reviewing. I say "reviewing," because all of the material he has seen so far, he already mastered in either the 1st or 2nd grades. (Example: all he is doing so far in math is addition and subtraction. I originally thought they were just starting off with a review of previous lessons. WRONG! That's the main subject matter for the next several months.) I will have to supplement just to keep him from getting complacent.

3. When you buy a "Boxed Set" of curriculum, you are assuming that your child is at the same level in all subjects. I didn't account for the different strengths and weaknesses of my son. (Example: Trey's Reading Comprehension is very high, and his Reading Speed is very slow. So I have to try to find short stories {so he can be finished in a reasonable amount of time}, with a strong content level {so he can stay challenged}. I find that he enjoys magazine articles and newspapers, as opposed to lengthy books. He still likes the lengthy ones, but I find that he enjoys it more if I read it to him, or if he reads only a chapter at a time. )

4. I seriously underestimated the amount of time and preparation that goes into being a Homeschool Teacher. This is not to say that I'm not up to the challenge. I had done my homework and knew that it was going to take a lot of work. I didn't jump off the deep in without knowing what I was getting myself into. That being said, it's STILL a lot more work than I thought! If you read every book out there about homeschooling, and you think you have a good idea of the time and preparation it takes...take that number and multiply it by 3. I realize that by the time one gets a routine down, that number might go back down to the original estimate. Gosh I hope so!!! LOL.

Week 1 Lesson Plans - October 6 - 10

2008-10-11T21:03:00.003-05:00

Language Arts -

Introduction of Alpha Omega Curriculum

Practice cursive handwriting: under curve letters - i, t, u, w, e, r, s

Building sentences using word blocks.

Math -

Review all addition / subtraction facts

History / Geography -

Kansas Unit Study - (Alpha Omega Curriculum)

Read A Summer Vacation, and The Six Parts of Kansas

Internet Research Project: Look up Kansas State Facts

Art -

Dinosaur Project (Kansas Tie - In)
Color / Cut / Paste Dinosaurs & Names, Facts

Make Kansas State Flag

Spelling -

band
beg
brush
thank
end
plot
cloth
punch
chick
trick

Bonus: Kansas
Topeka

Science -

Our Body Breathes Air - Alpha Omega

Discuss how air enters our body and goes to our lungs.

Discuss how our bodies inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.

Make model of lungs using plastic cup, balloons, straws, clay, tape.

Discuss how many breaths we take while sitting still as opposed to
exercising.

Discuss why our bodies seem out of breath after exercising.

Enrichment:

Library Day - Friday

Composition Work - Interesting Facts about Kansas

Cooking in the Kitchen with Mom - Make dessert using recipe / measuring.

Homeschooling Week 1

2008-10-11T20:12:00.004-05:00

We started our first full week of homeschooling this past week, and I have to say that everything went smoothly. We took a good week off...Trey needed a little break from everything, and I needed an opportunity to get my house back in order. 5 years of working full time took it's toll on my ability to keep the laundry monster at bay.

Starting this past Monday, we began our home school experience. I was so proud of Trey...he really did well. Of course, by Thursday, he had begun to test the limits between Mom and Teacher. But he really was exceptionally behaved. He received all high A's on his quizzes, and he was so proud. We are still in the planning process of our classroom, so he is working out of the living room for now. I made a make-shift bulletin board from a large framed print that I had, and I posted his work up above the piano for the whole family to see. Of course, I didn't leave Addie out...she has a math quiz hanging up there on which she made a 103%.

We are currently using the Alpha Omega Complete Curriculum set. Overall, I am pleased with it, but it does seem to be a little beneath his level. He was in an Advanced Placement school for Math and Engineering before we began homeschooling (Addison is still enrolled there)...and some of the things in the 3rd Grade Alpha Omega Curriculum is what he learned in Kindergarten. So, I'm having to do a lot of extra planning to make sure I supplement the boxed set adequately enough for his level of learning. Other than that, I like the fact that I can give a brief review of the previous days lesson and introduce new material at the beginning of each subject, and then he can work pretty much independently for the rest of the lesson. With Lindsay being not quite 3 years old, she's still having a difficult time letting me spend a lot of one on one time with Trey without interrupting.

I'd love to hear advice from anyone who is homeschooling an elementary level student, and also has a toddler running around. And I will try to post our lesson plans from this past week, as well as those for the upcoming week.

Home school is definitely a challenge, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. As I've said in recent posts, I used to work for the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department - actually, I still kind of work there. They asked me to stay on part time until they can find someone to replace me. I was kind of apprehensive because I knew how hard it was going to be for me to leave anyway...I really loved my job. I'm one of those cold-turkey types. When there comes a time for me to move on from something that I love, I am the type of person who needs to completely sever all ties, or else I wind up having regrets. I definitely didn't want to have regrets, but I couldn't tell them no. I grew up in a police family, so it was no surprise to me that I would come to think of them as an extension of my own family.

I only work for a few hours a week when I can...just to help them keep up with things until they find someone. But my first day back last week was a real eye-opener. Here I was feeling very apprehensive because I didn't want to regret leaving. But guess what...I didn't. The whole time I was there, I knew that I shouldn't have been. I felt so out of place...not because they had changed, but because I have. IN A WEEK! I knew that even though the department needed help, they didn't necessarily need ME. But my family does. EPIPHANY!!! It was one of those "Aha!" moments (as Oprah puts it).

While I will continue to fulfil my commitment to TAPD until they no longer need my service, I will never again question whether my decision to quit was a sound one. I know now that what I did was what was best for my son. That's all that matters...

Well, I did it...

2008-09-11T16:38:00.004-05:00

I put my two weeks notice in at work yesterday. While the decision to homeschool was an easy one, actually carrying that letter to my Captain was a little difficult. I know I'm doing the right thing, but there's a lot that I will miss. I'll miss everybody I work with, and all of the victims I've met over the last 5 years. I'll also miss that feeling of accomplishment I feel when I am able to help a woman make her exit from an abusive relationship. There are a lot of things I'm proud of that I was able to accomplish while at TAPD. But I think there are other accomplishments to also be made while at home with my son (and 2 year old toddler!)

The excitement is growing within Trey and he can't wait to get started. We have set high goals for ourselves over the next several months, and we're eager to get started! One thing that we are eager to begin is the transition of our garage into our home school classroom. I have lots of plans and I will post pictures throughout our transition phase. If anyone has any photos of their classrooms, please feel free to share them! Send me a message, and I'll link you to my page so others can see as well! :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Lazy Day

2008-09-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

I love my children! They actually let me sleep in this morning!!! Somehow they always know when Mom needs a little extra snooze time! I lost track of time and stayed up waaaaaay too late last night. I knew I was in trouble because my precious 2 year old usually rises with the sun. So imagine how delighted I was (followed by shear panic), when I looked over to see the clock read 9:15am! The older two (7 &8 years old) had fixed cereal for themselves and their little sister. They even put away their dishes! I was very impressed.

This sense of pride in my sweet, independent children was followed by immense guilt. Who was I to sleep in while my poor children had to fend for themselves??? I immediately began apologizing as if I were late for a major event in their lives. They looked at me as if I had lost my mind, and said quite simply, "Huh?" Evidently, it's not a major crime against humanity for a tired mom of 4 to sleep in occasionally. Go figure!!

Busy as an Angelbug!

2008-09-06T19:21:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! My name is Amy Smith, and I am the Owner/Designer at angelbugbaby.com. I specialize in Custom, Made to Order Gift Baskets, Diaper Cakes, Baby Gifts, Unique Gifts for all occassions! All of my creations are made in a smoke free/pet free environment, and are guaranteed to make you the envy of all other party-goers!! Check out angelbugbaby.com for more information!

My Story....I am the proud mom of 4 beautiful kiddos...Tracy, Trey, Addison, and Lindsay. They range in age from 14 to 2, and they are the light of my world! My husband and I recently made the decision for me to quit my job as the Domestic Violence Case Coordinator at our local police department to homeschool our son, Trey. My last day will be the 26th of September, and while I love my job and it is very rewarding, our decision was a "no-brainer".

Trey was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in Kindergarten. He was medicated until he was referred to a Pediatric Cardiologist this summer for "extra beats in his heart rhythm". From that day on, he has been unmedicated. There's a long story here, but the (public) Math and Engineering School he attends (and earned an A average in last year), does not offer any services to children with disabilities. They will eventually send him back to his home campus for services; and Trey interprets that as a punishment. Afterall, he's just as intelligent as the other children that attend the school...and has proven it. Somehow this school has found a loophole in the federal Section 504 laws and the IDEA act. Since I don't understand it myself, I have not attempted to explain it to my son. Trey actually came up with the idea to home school. He asked me to do it, and considering all of our options carefully, we made the decision to give it a try. When I asked him to consider the negative aspects, like not having that many friends, he said, "Mom, I don't have any friends NOW." That statement sealed the deal, and I was determined to do everything in my power to save my sweet boy's spirit from being broken.

I have an incredible support system in my husband. I know that it's going to be a challenge to switch from 2 incomes to just 1, but he hasn't complained at all so far!!! This is very new for both of us...so I welcome any ideas, budget advice, recipes for large families, etc!!