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Thanks to notebooking corner blog for sharing the MAIN Letterboxing Website http://www.letterboxing.org/.... the journey begins!
So I let DH in on the secret... of all the thousands of rubberstamps"we" own...We still need gum erasers to carve an image! LOL!
The kids love this idea and what perfect timing in the midst of our PIRATE activities! I love the longterm rewards and that is has my favorite hobby involved! We began researching at the official LBN website(listed above)
We found There are almost 200 Boxes in our state, so that's a perfect starting point. There are a set of boxes hidden that go along with "History of the state" so it will be a fun tie in for Nature walks and State history!
********************************************* - Letterboxing LINKS
/www.stampinthebox.com/start.asp
http://www.gigagraphica.com/Michelle/letrbox.html first box....
http://www.letterboxing.info/glossary/ I like this link! LB ettiquette.
http://www.alphabetbandits.org/ourboxes.htm homeschool family great stuff!
http://www.letterboxingonhorseback.com/
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Our schooling accomplishments while travelling this past weekend:
MATH - leap frog twister game for drills. READ ALOUDS - OWLS in the Family (a favorite of the boys)
American History - Patch the Pirates Great American Time Machine CD article on the Indian Gall (intriguing to DS7 kept asking questions!) PHONICS - explode the code workbooks Nature Walk - Craters of the Moon boys going down into cave opening ...Kids still spotted nature on this walk we found the beautiful Indian Paintbrush Flower and 2 birds nests in the cave!
Idaho Nature while driving.... : the obvious -the beautiful mountains and greenery rivers etc... Birds - one day we focused on birds because we saw some really neat birds with LONG tails...(Magpies) We counted 7 in an hour! 2 Eagles Nests and a handful of Hawks
We are excited to see the kids independent observations to God's creations. We were listening to Purpose Driven Life and he reminded us that God is pleased to see us PRAISE him through observing his creation |
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APRIL 9 Sunday - nature walk at Bird Reserve...Western Meadowlark, Robins, Sparrows, and lots of ducks.
nature - DS7 kept a caterpillar (Whooly Worm) he found in a pet container, read up on caterpillars.He named him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 10 Monday - lessons OUTSIDE all day
BIBLE - Bird study , DS7 began to read verses from his NIRV Bible ! Both boys looked up verses and we discussed. ABC Premier of MOSES...boys decided Moses looked too much like Jesus. We like the older version better!
Handwriting - Matt 18 verse - Sparrows falling Jesus knows
Nature - DS7 discovered a bird nest in the hallow of a tree continue to keep caterpillar Listened to bird songs...watched the Meadowlarks and Robins. learned Meadowlarks nest and eat on the ground.
POETRY - Favorite Poems Old and New (Bird poems)
SCIENCE/Read Aloud - Read/narrated Burgess Bird Book, boys put together Burgess Notebook ree download from Ambleside yahoo group =) Dover BIrd coloring books
SCIENCE - FLYING CREATURES OF THE FIFTH DAY!! (My science BIBLE!) We looked through the Bird chapters and talked about various projects etc... boys narrated Lesson 2. Eyewitness Video on Birds (contained too much myth and evoloution)
HANDICRAFTS - boys drew birds on wood and practiced wood carving most of the day on the hamock.
DS7 -read aloud I can read books BISCUIT and Amelia Bedelia DS8 read aloud usborne reader on Ocean animals
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April 11 Tuesday - lessons OUTSIDE all day
McGuffey Readers/Beechick Guide for reading/spelling/phonics/copywork DS8 - continuing with dianne Craft phonics word lists BIBLE - Garden/preparing dirt while I read John 14-16 discussed Easter. Recited Books of the Bible, Months of the Year, Seasons. Watched a Greatest Adventure Easter Video, Premier ABC of MOSES (edited) Movie on the Passover channel 48.
Read Aloud - Owls in the Family chapter 1 -2 Burgess Bird Book chapter 3 -4 POETRY Favorite Poems Old and New (read 5 bird poems) nature DS7 lost his caterpillar on account of letting him out for "a walk" thankfully he accepted it and moved on with the day. Boys found a baby garter snake in the yard, inspected it and finally relocated it!
Garden - planted lots of Sunflowers today
Birds - 3 in a Row! Robin/Meadowlark/Robin consecutively sitting on the fence posts! Dover Bird Poster arrived today!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 12 Wednesday
BIBLE - Egermeiyer's Bible Story Book - 3 chapters on the Easter Stories, oral narrations. Ressurection Eggs Video The Greatest Story Easter
KONOS book on Easter - discussed symbolisms and the last week and chose activities Fly Kites that say HE IS RISEN HIDE easter eggs to spell out HE LIVES Paint Easter Pictures in the color Easter is and why.
Family Read Alouds
POETRY -focusing on bird poems and others We also counted poem lines and found the rhyming words. Bought last night for 45 cents each.
================================= ART - Bought this book at Goodwill last night for 45 cents! We used it today for art appreciation on Da Vinci and his Painting of The Last Supper. Boys enjoyed watching Mona Lisa looking at them from different angles and learning our Veritas Press Gospel Art Print of Jesus being Baptized by John was partly painted by Da Vinci - he painted the angels.
Independent Reader Mother Bear and her pet Robin.
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Notes: highlights of our week from memory. read alouds this week...not much :(
chapters in Grandma's Attic Burgess Bird Book Treasury of 20th century favorites (blessed with this $40 book for .45 cents!!! at goodwill...looks brand new! - this is listed on the My Father's World Curriculum and I didn't have to pay s/h!! ) Toys played with: GEAR GEARS GEARS! electronic oceans VTECH learning laptop LeapPads
DS8 books read to himself 1. Inspector Hopper level 2 I can read 2. Cooking with the Cat level 1 3. Daniel's Duck level 3 4. Shark Attack level 3
DS7 books read to himself 1. Cooking with the Cat 2. The Napping House,(hardback Goodwill find!) 3. Daniel's Duck 4. Biscuit I can read
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday....
BIBLE - Veritas Press Gospel flashcards...put 1-20 on the wall and listened to the music tape and discussed Gospel facts. HANDICRAFTS - boys worked on woodcarving and soapcarving. OUTDOORS PLAY - listened for birdcalls and bikerides. Dug up earthworms. DOVER coloring books and listened to COMMON BIRD SONGS tape GIRLS READ ALOUD BABAR BOOKS and Precious Moments Love to Learn. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday...
SCIENCE Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day book arrived for our Bird Unit!! sat down and scanned through the birds and experiments.
OUTDOORS/garden
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday...
all day outdoors , gardening, sifting dirt, looking for bugs, listen for birds, birdfeeders, etc...caught in an afternoon wind storm.
Nature drive spotted a burrowing owl in the wheatfields around 8 pm...he was in a prairie dog hole
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday... errands al day Veritas Press bible songs
Gardening
Woodcarving with new knives.
Phonics practice on a vtech toy.
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Monday....
FIAR Daniels Duck volume 3 - read and looked at woodcarving box from boys Great Uncle. Location: Tennessee mountains What a treasure full of projects and supplies! We read through his letter and learned basic terms for working with wood. Lots of hands on practice.
DS7 read aloud to Grandma 1/2 of Daniels Duck
DS8 3 R's
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These are rotating pictures...some of my favorite finds! I didn't find them all at once.
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Brrrr!Baby, it's cold outside! We FINALLY put plastic on the kids windows...it was below 0 last night! and around 10 degrees today! Lots of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Music to warm up the house!
Kids were hyper today - must be that cooped up feeling! brought play rug and Thomas trains to the kitchen to play together. Boys helped DD3 play a Clifford Computer Game...for the first time, she did pretty good! Boys were Content with a box of popcicle sticks and glue...
DS8 - PHONICS exercises - the fencer exercise is challenging for him... PictureMeReading - Dolch sight words , colored Bob Book. Math - Miquon lessons. Highlighted Luke 2 in his Bible, DS6 - he's been doing many drawings of houses, his usual, extremely detailed and using Chalk to color in. Lately, his lamps and fans, and appliances haven't been personified with cute little eyes and mouths.. I miss them! Buddy read , 1 page then mom read...Beginner's Bible, Christmas Story.
Secret Garden Movie - at DS6's request while he worked on art. FIAR message board has been discussing these for Christmas....I think we'll try making some Corn Bags for gifts...I'm thinking of the pre printed SHAPED characters on fabric that you cut out, like Mary E or teddy bears, etc...using those as the corn bag .... checked EBAY, there's some good ideas on "Migraine bags, sinus shaped bags, neck and shoulders, etc... |
DD, 20 months on Dec 1.Posted in Homeschool Journal
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DS8 helped me put the christmas tree back together and the boys strung cranberries for the tree. also wrapped balls of yarn while watching the Nativity cartoon. and Cherub Wings.
Worked just with DS8 on right brained Math and tested his visualization of the numbers. He did some computation and Miquon.
DD3 has been taking very long naps and eating constantly...must be growing! Boys played CHristmas shopping in their room with WM bags and stuffed animals.
Reading Time Christmas books unwrapped DD3 The Real Night Before Christmas DS8 THe Nutcracker Pop up book DS6 The Night Before, Jan Brett Other books There's a Moon in my teacup - silhouettes, little girl sings silent night to baby Jesus , taking the time to remember the real meaning of the season. The Christmas Tree Ship -based on true story. added to "buy list" Jotham and Light the candles.
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What a pretty day! Able to open the windows and doors and air out the house! Temp in the 50's!
Boys feeling much better...reviewed responsibilities/accountability/
3 R's
DS8 - right brain phonics word lists had to use blue marker to color over words for his dyslexia. He read 7 pages! wow! Read BOB BOOK MATH - Miquon, counting by 4's and 2's...KNEX creations
DS6 - Read aloud level 3 I can read book! DOLPHIN big words! MATH - CLPress counting by 2's and 5's etc
CHRISTMAS UNIT Reviewed our Christmas Word...PROPHECY...DS8 remembered how to say it!tongue twister! ADVENT - first candle, Daddy read Jotham Journey Christmas Book Basket...DS6 unwrapped PRAYERS AT CHRISTMASTIME DD3 unwrapped THE MITTEN , Jan Brett Finished reading IF YOU'RE MISSING BABY JESUS
Begun is half done! Teaching myself TUNISIAN crochet...to make DS6 his special SHAMU afghan! feels great to see progress! Both boys have rewrapped/balled my yarn for me this week...they ask to do this! whatever, it keeps their hands busy! and gives them something to do during reading time! Dishwasher broke this week...not missing it! Kids want to wash by hand, thank goodness! Went out to eat tonight...China Buffet. |
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Here we are...still fighting these germs! Monday-Wednesday the kids have been low key with conjestion and coughs! ugh! not much gets done when boys won't budge off the couch!
Our little toddler girl loves to play Mommy and even though she's sick herself is very aware of others and delivers cough drops and blankies and lot's of love to make you feel better! Today, was her worst day...she wanted to hear me say now and then that "Mommy will take care of you and love the germs away!" she has some chest conjestion!on days like this it's a full dose of MADELINE MOVIES and curling her hair to make her feel pretty again! Through all the sickness, it's made me refocus on being MOMMY and not just "Teacher" ...some days I panic that we're not getting those hours in...honestly, I've enjoyed the sickness because of this! I have an excuse to sit and cuddle on the couch and do more movies, and picture books, and things are lower key!
Boys used Computer Games to fill in on Math and Phonics.
Monday, Nov 28th Spent most of the day decorating house for Christmas Started Jotham's Journey and Advent Wreath Wrapped our 24 books to put under our Tree..eagerly awaiting Dec. 1st!
Tuesday, Nov 29th DS6 felt the best today so we did some schoolwork
1.worked on his VACUUM CLEANER NOTEBOOK 2. Did 2 RME Lessons, worked on handwriting 3. Buddy read a favorite book Brite House...book of rhymes. 4. He helped make Pumpkin Pies
Wednesday, November 30th notes: Kids feeling better today ...lots of VEGGIE TALES and CHRISTMAS VIDEOS about 6 hours of rubberstamping and invading Mom's stamp closet! loved the creations...DS6 used the center of a flower to create his beloved Ladybugs by drawing legs on them! Read to them....Tall Tales, Scholastic...Johnny Appleseed. DS8 created a Countdown to Christmas Tree
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We had no rhyme or reason for what we did today.. Such a pretty day we took the netting off the big trampoline and all sat with our pillows and our pile of books and read and looked at Thanksgiving books for 2 hours! Squanto a Warriors Tale Thy Friend, Obadiah (kids listened to this one; but didn't seem to like it as much) Landmark book on the First Thanksgiving (boys want to get this book! favorite) We Three Pilgrims Poetry read aloud - A Child's Garden of Verses after reading the poem A Good Boy DS6 said he wanted to be "stuck to play all day" since the weather was so nice they spent all afternoon outside "stuck to play"!
Bible - Leading Little Ones "Where Can I Pray" drew/gave oral narrations Read more about King Solomon as King in a Bible Story book. Boys drew pictures of the temple and Solomon.
BFIAR - We're Going ON a Bear Hunt DD3 picked up immediately on the rhythm of the story...and began to fill in the repeated phrases as I read it to her. Girls Read Aloud Time while boys played on trampoline - DD3 picked many book to have read to her today - we narrowed them down to the following: One Little Two Little Three Little Pilgrims When I was Young In The Mountains A Child's Garden of Verses
Cranberry Thanksgiving Cranberry Christmas
We baked a hunk of fresh pumpkin in the oven to make pumpkin pie! No 3 R's today. Boys ...free time to create. they created some interesting ornaments by wrapping glittery cleaners around the popsicle sticks and gluing a pom pom at the end I think they pass to hang on the tree this year! Colored Thanksgiving Pictures.
My notes: thought about having them begin thanksgiving journals to keep ongoing. ink up hands and stamp each finger in different ink and press on paper...glue a brown cut out over top so the fingers look like feathers...have them write soemthing on each finger feather they are thankful for. ? watch there hands grow from year to year...
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Boys used yarn and yardstick to work together and lay the ship out. Discovered how crowded it was by taping off an area for them to stand/sit in. and why the boat was long and narrow instead of squared. Oldest has shown more interest in the Mayflower than the people involved - he's been using scrap wood and nails to build a wooden mayflower, he drew a oversized picture of the boat, and moving onto a Lego creation....busy hands on week!
Lots of trampoline/outdoors play in the beautiful sunny weather! I worked on record keeping into boys separate journals..We use these
Watched The Mouse on the Mayflower and a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Boys picked up on the Mayflower becoming a hospital to care for the sick.
Family Reading Time: keeping it short due to Mom's cough/cold! filled in with videos! Poetry: Merrily Comes Our Harvest In ,by Hopkins Thanksgiving With Me, by Bloom (family togetherness) This Land is My Land, by Littlechild (we looked at the art work in this book -cut outs of photos combined with bright drawings...and talked about Indians and the authors relatives...we liked to look at heritage photos of his ancestors.)
Bible/Character We had to review the 21 Rules of the House due to some roudiness while shopping with Daddy. Talked about having a good testimony while at home and in public.
E's having a hard time and emotional over his big brother not sharing his same interested in vacuums, house building, etc... six is such a hard age for boys! He cries when we talk about being almost 7. It's hard on me, E was my baby for 3 years before the girls came along and made him a middle child! He wanted to work late with Daddy tonight , much needed Daddy time! It's midnight and they're still out delivering Caterpillar Machinery to jobsites.
I'm on the crocheting dishclothes phase! finished 4; but they keep getting used!
Sent husband to pick up son's vitamins at vitamin cottage...he discovered they sell DAZBOG coffee beans! We prefer Dazbog over Starbucks so very happy! Brewed some Mexican Coffee with whip cream...boys teased they were turning into Mexicans/having a Fiesta when they tasted the coffee...had to hear it to see the humor.
Baby A - finally got the entire word "shoe" out (she's been saying "shhhhh" for a few weeks, and now says "shoes" all the time!) Telling her to say "Da -da , new shoes" - never too early to teach the girls to say "I need new shoes!"
3 R's
6DS slept in....he worked on creating a house on the TONKA computer game. 8DS - therapy, phonics, dictation, Math/computation reading a book NEWT, I can read book
Too nice a day to stay inside! I practiced flute outdoors while son hammered nails! beautiful music! |
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Arts/Crafts Boys worked on Thanksgiving placemats while I helped the girls make feet and handprint turkeys.
Read Alouds
Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock, Fritz . anything to do with rocks holds their attention! We looked up photos online of the real Plymouth Rock...boys watercolored narrations and went outside to find rocks to paint 1620 on. They ended up painting many rocks and using fun foam numbers for 1620. We might use them for table settings on Thanksgiving.
Eating the Plates oral narrations, I typed, they drew the whale breaking the pilgrims boats.
Boys made paper mayflower boats to float in the sink. Nice outdoors play day. 3 R's will have to wait til tonight.
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still a sick home with kids and colds . Behind due to a 4 day weekend and sickness.
read alouds Squanto friend of Pilgrims If You Were At The First Thanksgiving read to boys before bed - we're skipping the fact the Pilgrims including children drank beer. Pioneer Children Of America unit 3 chapter 1...boys narrated on how the pilgrims built their first house.
Math boys drew the trees and ax marks and made up story problems...
While I read to boys they drew...E chose to draw 3 different houses a chinese house, a teepee, and a normal house on 3 different papers. (I guess talking about Squanto not living in a teepee got him going on his designs!)
A worked with KNEX while I read. He made a roller coaster creation
3 R's same ol'. MATH A 2 pages in Miquon (long addition, regrouping E 2 pages in CLP READING A worked on typing "A FISH OUT OF WATER" story on the computer A Therapy exericses, repatterned today. , practice reading form SRA book
E RMade Easy Lesson 31 Handwriting both boys circle 8 abc's.
E and I worked on crocheting a basic chain. He's right handed so I have trouble, we tried the mirror thing with no success...Last winter he wanted to learn how to crochet and he tried left handed; but it's a challenge for both of us... and this winter I'm trying to teach him the basic chain and holding right handed . Today we finally mastered some of the right handed way of crocheting! We both feel great about accomplishing this.
J helped mommy bake supper. meatloaf and mashed taters. Daddy took baby A with him in semi...and boys are asleep sick with fevers...so I have some peace and quiet around here! back to crocheting!
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Sick day, sick week...not much done. Positively, remember we schooled through the summer so when life happens...it's not too stressing.
Boys feeling better today. I guess they liked the little we read on Columbus...they've been sailing in the back of the pick up truck - rigged out with shovel anchors, a mop for the motor, " a little porch", buckets with water, and no sails. ( hmmm...guess we have to do those sail boat lessons !) Read ALouds by sick daddy. History Read half the book Where Do You Think You Are Going, Christopher Columbus? now the boys can say "Adelente!" just like Columbus!
Simply Numbers arrived. I'm too sick to think about how to print it off! Not a fan of "print your own " books...just hoping the hassle will be worth it for our Math Lessons.
We've always had racoons. NO matter how many we shoot or trap! They've sat at my back porch begging to be let in...goodness! TOnight, one was in the backyard just staring at the kids...it scared them a little. Maybe a lot...lots of screams! "It didn't do anything, it was just watching us scream"
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There's something about Columbus Day...sick kids today and we were sick last year on Columbus Day!
Kids made Thank you cards for the Dentist who gave them gifts after filling their cavities...bribing; but perfect for those scared of the dentist! and Daddy delivered it to the Dentist. Ethan narrated a story of the Shark and Periwinkle Snail visiting the dentist...
Daddy came by for a coffee break! Quick trip to Coffee Shop
* means we own otherwise it's a library book
Family Read Alouds:(MOm read to all kids) *One Hungry Monster (scholastic 1 - 10 numbers) A narrated in tape recorder *The Book of Foolish Machinery (scholastic tongue twister rhymes - glued the first rhyme pages together.on witch watches - rest of book is great for the imaginative inventions! bought at thrift store) Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight - poem book *Babar Learns to Cook ( E narrated in tape recorder)
J's storytime with Mama *One Fish...Dr. Seuss *One Hungry Monster she wanted to hear again! Knick Nack Paddywack (This old man builds a rocket ship...man in the moon) *Paddington's Book of Opposites The Dragon Who Couldn't Breathe Fire...A Child's First Library of Values ( edited "witch" to "princess"-( the witch looks more like a princess) and magic spells to "secret recipe"...too cute of a story to pass up! each secret formula he breathes...butterflies, fish, etc...) ends up breathing flowers and learns it's ok to be different. artwork is Simple cartoonish drawings.
Baby A's storytime with Mama she loves to look at books, Daddy's concerned she's always looking at them upside down. I think this is normal for babies, funny how much you forget!
*Big and Little Book *Mary Had a Little Lamb *Down on the Funny Farm
This is our first time to learn about Christopher Columbus! Read alouds and narrations tape recorded. http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/columbusday.html one stop Columbus stuff! http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/admiral.html very interesting on Columbus etc...since no real portraits were ever taken...take a look! "Looks are Deceiving..."
*Westward with Columbus A Time Quest Book - reenactment of voyage *Light and Glory For Children Daddy read PM to boys
Main ideas covered: 1. Columbus was a Christian and always signed his name in a triangular pattern representing the Trinity. (reference to book: Millard) 2. After 8 years of waiting for help, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave Columbus the money, men and ships to sale. 3. Name of three Spanish Caravel Ships : Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria (E wanted to know why the sails had red crosses on them) 4. Visual - Map - traced the voyage and (ref book) on the traditional voyage of Columbus being straight West and the more accurate voyage of a U pattern (need more details here!) 5. Rhyme "1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue!" looked at photos of Christopher Columbus. boys said he dressed funny. 6. Columbus born in Italy. Father was a Master Weaver. 7. Bartholemew, his brother, lived in Portugal...He made MAPS. 8. Columbus kept a Diary of his journey which is more accurate to rely on than tradition. (his diary suggests a slightly different route than tradtional straight west. Refer to Westward with Columbus 9. Columbus was a godly man and relied on God's protection and will for his life. He was brave, courageous, patient and determined but still human and weak in the flesh. (He desired money and power.) 10. Columbus Name meant in Latin "Christ Bearer" we talked about the meaning of our names.
Colored a picture from www.enchantedlearning.com of the 3 ships with addition computation. Played a Columbus Game in the LIght and Glory for Children Workbook, boys liked this idea!
Boys made Treasure Maps and hid treasures around the house.
Read Aloud Practice
E read aloud 1/2 of Level 1 BIG MACHINERY I can read book A read Big Pig on a Dig scholastic easy readers. |