Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

We had International Night at our homeschool meeting on Monday night.  We had studied Mexico for a couple of weeks and so it worked out that we would do Mexico for International Night.  We made a display board and brought some of the crafts the kids did.  We were not prepared to give an oral presentation - although apparently they had announced that we were supposed to.  I was just going to get up and say that we had studied Mexico, but weren't prepared to give an oral presentation and leave it at that.  C.11.B. wanted to talk - LOL - just like his Mama!!

We got up and briefly said a few words.  I said that C.11.B. was going to talk and I would fill in where he left off.  He covered lots of things that we learned and I added in afterward.  It was great!  I made salsa - my specialty - and it went over very well.

I typed up information about our trip to Mexico in 2003.  I'll copy it below.

Here are some pictures of the evening:







About our mission trip:

Mission Work in Mexico

 

        In January 2003, Christine had the opportunity to travel to Mexico on a short-term Mission trip.  She participated in bringing gifts to the children of an orphanage in Matamoras, for Christmas.  They celebrate Christmas on January 6^th.  The children loved the gifts because they rarely get any new clothes or toys.  We also passed out Angel Dolls while we were there.  The Angel Dolls tell the story of Jesus and His sacrifice and Resurrection.  We worked on painting some of the new homes they were building in the orphanage.  They have 1 set of parents for each home of 12-15 children.

 

        In June 2003, Big P, Christine, and C.11.B. had the opportunity to go back to Matamoros, Mexico and the orphanage on another short-term mission trip.  This time we brought a big water filter for the orphanage, because many people get sick from the water.  The men and boys worked on putting a roof on a church there.  The women and girls worked inside the church for a week doing Vacation Bible School.  They sang lots of songs and did crafts with the kids.  Not many of us knew Spanish, but we all were able to understand each other pretty well.  The “Dump” was also on our list of mission work.  There are many people that live in the dump.  After a section of the dump is filled with land waste, they cover it with a layer of dirt, and then sell the property off in pieces for less than $20.  The people move there and build houses, which are more like lean-tos, with materials they find around the dump.  It smells really bad, but they don’t seem to mind and are glad to have a place to live.  We passed out toys and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches there.  The people were glad to see us.  God used us that week to do His work and we were so glad to be a part of it.

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

Our Mexico study started out with us "driving" to Mexico.  We live within 8 hours of the border, so it didn't make sense for us to "fly".  The kids showed their passports, we stamped them, and headed in for our study - stopping to tell the border patrol why we were going in - of course.


We had a major ice storm here, and had lost power that day.  It was COLD in the house and we were all bundled up!  I had about 3 layers of clothes on at that point! LOLOLOL

Here are the kids "passport" photos:





We had such a wonderful time studying about Mexico.  I was able to ask my Mother-in-love questions about pronunciations, and talk about Mexican cities with my Dad.

We also rented a couple of DVDs from Netflix.  We really enjoyed Globe Trekker: Destination Mexico and for fun we got Scooby Doo and the Monster of Mexico.  Big P and the kids watched that one tonight.  It is based on the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico.  It has given us so many opportunities to discuss belief systems that are so different from our own.  Also, it has sparked discussion on how badly the Spaniards wanted to conquer the Indians and how they had a "unspoken creed" to convert or die.  Big P was talking about how when nations try to conquer other people and lands, they do so with their government and their religions.  That got me to thinking as to why the Mestizzos seem to mix so much of their pagan religions with Roman Catholicism.  They wanted so badly to hang on to their own ways.  And when the Spaniards came in with force, it didn't turn their heart toward Jesus, but more so to what they already knew.

We still are going to be doing some research on what the missionaries are doing in Mexico currently.  We are setting up a display at International Night at our homeschool meeting.  So, we will be including many of the information that we have learned.

On Thursday we went on a couple of field trips to finish up our Mexico study.

We have a book by Linda Morley, that is written with field trip ideas for the DFW area.  This is where we found out and planned our activities.

First we went to a restaurant.  We picked out several pieces of pan dulce (sweet bread) and bought a couple packages of fresh flour tortillas and fresh tamales!  Yum!

Then, we headed to another place that was to have a large selection of pinatas.  It was also a grocery store and restaurant.  We decided to sit in the restaurant and have a snack.  We had a great time.  I went through and read things in the menu in Spanish and had the kids try to figure out what I was saying.  They did great!  We had a great discussion of how many words in Spanish and English were similar.

I was able to find a molinillo.  This is what the Hispanics use to mix up chocolate and make it bubbly.  It was $2.69, so I purchased it.  I don't know if we will use it for chocolate, but it was fun to have.  It looks similar to an upside down totem pole.

Then, we were having our Mexican Fiesta on Friday.  We had invited over some friends from church.  They homeschool as well.  We had a great time!  We had Mexican stack-up, my best girlfriend's recipe.  We picked up ingredients for my salsa at the local Mexican grocery store.  We had some Mexican soda's that were yummy - I liked the Guava one the best!  We busted the pinata.  Our friends had brought the goodies to fill it.  In our studying, we found that Hispanics use more fruit than candy to fill the pinatas.  So, they brought apples, oranges, candy, etc.  The kids had a great time just playing with friends and busting the pinata.

We are excited to start our study on Canada on Monday!!  We are on full board with My Father's World now!!!

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

Today we started our study of Mexico today using the My Father's World curriculum.  Yes, we are a bit behind, but we got a late start and we have decided to spread this over two years instead of one.  We are just using MFW for Bible, Geography, Science, History, Art, and Music.  We are loving it!!!  I just wanted to share a few pictures from today. 

Our power went out today for MOST of the day.  We have a fireplace, but it has needed cleaning and we had put off buying one of those chimney cleaning logs.  Today, DH went to town and bought the last kerosene heater in the area.  He also bought a chimney cleaning log.  We wanted a kerosene heater for our barn, when we get some animals.  We don't want to pay the high price of having the electricity turned on out there - plus the minimum charge!  This was easier and we felt more economical.

So - in these pictures, you'll notice that we are bundled up!!  Before the kerosene heater started heating things up, we were at 60 degrees in the house!!!!  I was having trouble keeping my temp up and just kept adding layers and more layers!! LOL  The kids were fine, but Mama was FREEZING!!  Heehee  Did I mention that I love this weather - as long as there is a working heater around! Haha!!!

On to the pics:


We are "driving" to Mexico.  Since we live in Texas, we aren't far enough to justify plane tickets.  The kids showed the "guard" their passports (photos below) and we entered without any hiccups.

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

Well, I seem to have a knack with running into poisonous creatures as it has happened on several occasions within the past year.  We live in the country and therfore we expect to see spiders, snacks, and various other creatures - not all of which are poisonous of course.  Snakes and spiders generally don't bother me, unless their bite will send me to the hospital.

So, let me brief you on some of the run-ins that I have had in the past year.  Animal lovers who don't believe in killing these creatures will not want to read on past this point!!

Black Widow Spider - P.7.G. found one of these in the laundry room one day in our laundry basket.  We promptly pulled it into the light and proceeded to determine if yes, indeed, it was a black widow.  It had the shiny "kabump" as my kids like to call it.  And after a bit of trying to flip it over, we were able to see that it did have the red hourglass on it's belly.  It was pretty upset with us after a while and it threw out some venom.  Yuck!  We killed it with a shoe, but only after we had made a lesson out of it.

Rattlesnake - this last weekend we were camping with my best girlfriend, Lone Star Academy, and her family at Fort Richardson State Park.  Some people a few sites down came by on the first night to tell us that they had seen a rattlesnake about 5 ft. long.  The kids were pretty scared because they were sleeping in a tent outside the camper.  The adults and the little kiddos were sleeping inside the camper.  We didn't see the rattler until Saturday night.  I was driving around waiting to go pick up b and her girls from the bathroom (the whole park - 60 something sites - only had 1 shower stall!!!).  And I was driving by our campsites.  I saw something in the road and thought it was a snake and then I saw the rattle sticking up at the end of it!!  I told P.7.G. to hold on, that I was about to run over the snake.  I did a TAWANDA on that thing!!  Back and forth, back and forth, over and over we went.  I realize that we could have very well gotten in trouble for killing this snake, but I really wasn't thinking about that at the time.  All I was thinking about was that my children weren't safe in that tent with that snake around!!  I went and got Big P so that he could make sure that thing was dead.  Well, it wasn't.  He proceeded to take a big rock and take care of it.  After it was all said and done, I went back to the bathroom to get b and her girls and tell her the whole story!!  Then, Big P, and M (b's husband) went and cut the rattle off.  Not for a trophy, but for a homeschool lesson!!  Isn't he sweet?!! 

And yet, my venomous critter story is not yet over!!!

Scorpion - now, granted, this was a baby one, and I don't know what that means in terms of venom, as with snakes are more venomous the smaller they are.  But, this one was crawling on my son's underwear!!  In the laundry room, the very same place that we had found the black widow!!!  It was tiny and P.7.G. called Big P on his cell while he was mowing some of the property.  She told him what we had found and he came running in, not knowing it's size.  I had caught it in a canning jar.  We put a cotton ball in it with some rubbing alcohol and it died later in the day.  It's really too tiny to do anything with in terms of dissection, but it was pretty cool to look at.  I think we may have brought this one home with us from camping.

And so, you may think that we are scared to go camping - have no fear, we will return to the big woods in just 2 weeks for a 10 day vacation camping!! :)  And we are all as excited as ever. 

But this is just evidence that God protected us 3 different times from these creatures.  Yes, He created them, and I'm sure they have their purpose on this earth.  But, it will be one of the questions that I have for God when I meet Him in Heaven.  I'm just so thankful right now that we haven't been bit by any of them and that He gave us dominion over these animals!!!  Amen?!

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

We are doing Home Ec here - as a scheduled activity, because that's just how I am.  There is all kinds of learning that goes on in the kitchen and around the house, that isn't academics, but in order for me to feel that I'm covering all the basics, I'm using a curriculum.  This also ensures that I'm teaching C.10.B (this is the new code I'm using for my children - name.age.gender), what he needs to know, as well.

We will do this twice per month on Fridays.  Each time we do it, we will actually cover 2 weeks worth of lessons.  Since Friday is our catch up day, we don't really have much else going on during those days, so we have the time to do 2 lessons.

Today we talked about nutrition.  The kids have each made a chart, where they will chart their meals each day and put them into food group categories.  This will ensure that they are seeing the need for a balanced meal and very little junk food.  I picked up a bunch of white brad folders yesterday at Staples for a penny a piece, so they put their charts in there and decorated the covers.  It was great - they did a really good job.  Lots of veggies, fruit trees, and gardens!! :)

Our other lesson today was Peeling Properly.  This was a bit more difficult, especially for C.10.B.  It was a combination of his fine motor skills, which are still developing, and the fact that he is a lefty and we had a regulare 'ole peeler (which is sharper on one side of the blade making it almost impossible for a lefty to use it).  He was having the hardest time with that thing.  Big P looked up a lefty peeler on the internet and I can get one for less than $7.

Then, they had to cut the carrots into quarters and small pieces and then arrange them on a tray - making a carrot tray.  We pulled out the range dressing and put it in a bowl in the middle.  They did great!!  This is something we will definitely continue to practice on.  I'm going to make it a point to get that other peeler for C.10.B very soon!

We are using the Pearables Home Economics for Homeschoolers series, Level 1.

And a picture of the chefs:

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

I've been pondering how I was going to put the planning action into motion.  This is a struggle for me every year.  I always have the best intentions, but hardly ever follow all the way through - therefore we are always playing catch up through the year.  I vowed that this year would be different.  After 2 moves in a year, and actually being in our home for a year now, I'm ready to get down to business.

I'm in the middle of getting my office in order.  I'm really doing it!!!  That's another post, though.

So, my best girlfriend, b (LoneStarAcademy) posted her secrets for planning out a school year.  What a gift!!!  Thank you b!!  I'm going to print this off and use it when planning out our year.  That will start next week! :)

So, please check out how she does it - you'll be intrigued at how simple it really is when you just do it!!!

Lone Star Academy's post on how to plan your school year

Posted in Homeschooling Adventures

I say that lovingly - and I would never have said that - but C calls himself this!!

This last Friday we went to the Farmers Branch Historical Park.  We went there last year with my mom.  We had a great time again!  This is a free park and it is actually VERY nice - one of the best that we have been to.

The docent was telling us lots of different historical facts.  C was trying to add to her comments, with his findings, the entire time.  Big P and I finally had to tell him to chill, because we knew that he could learn from her.  He agreed.  When we got into the schoolhouse, she picked up a pail and asked him if he knew what it would have been used for.  He said "hmmm, that would have been their lunch box".  She said "what are you?  You know EVERYTHING.  You are incredible!"

He just grinned!  It was so cute!  She asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up.  He said that he wanted to be a Texas Ranger (he's been watching a lot of Walker - and thinks this is how being a Texas Ranger is).  When I asked him to tell her what we thought he would be good at, he told her that we had suggested a history professor.  She thought that was a great idea, but didn't push it.

Later, she started telling him the different types of historians there are and that there is money to be made in history - not lots, but enough to be comfortable.  I reiterrated that having a job is not all about money, but about enjoying it as well.  She agreed and said that every morning she gets up and says "Yes, I get to go to work today!" because she loved her job.

I think this encouraged him.  He's doing more research on Texas Rangers and I think another visit to the museum will help him to see what they really do.  It's not "Kung Fu Fighting" all the time! LOL

My dad loves history.  When we were little and on trips, he would pull over for EVERY historical marker and make us read it!  He said "are you reading, are you reading?!".  But it was only because he loved history and was excited about it and wanted us to be also.  I didn't love history then.  But I do now!!

So, my dad gets so excited seeing C's love of history.  I really feel like this is a gift as so many people don't enjoy history unless they have heard someone talk about it that is excited about it.  I just feel if he didn't do something with this gift, he would really be waisting it.  That's just my thoughts.

Big P and I are learning a lot about leading your children towards a career.  We are seeking God through it all, too.  As we know that all women are called to be keepers at home, we are doing our best to show P that this needs to be her first goal in serving the Lord.  With C, it's a little different in teaching, because he will have to be able to provide for his family - so that is what we are trying to show him, that providing for his family is serving the Lord and that needs to be his first goal.

Oh, we have so much to learn ourselves!!!

P had a great time Friday as well.  She enjoyed seeing the old buildings and had remembered being there last year.  She's more of a art and science girl - so she looks so forward to Science on Thursdays!!!