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A peak inside this crazy house as we homeschool and embrace the joys and trials of our 2 boys and 2 girls.
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First Day of School!
We decided to start school while the kids were excited. So, following an exhausting week of VBS, we had our first week of school. This year we are using Winterpromise Animal Worlds, along with GTG, Sonlight's LA and Horizon Math. The first day went really well. We started the day by going out to breakfast at McDonald's. Then we came back and hit the books!
Caleb doing some of his independent reading. We decided the book he's reading here is still a little too hard for him to read on his own, so I'll be reading it as a read-aloud. The other books, though, he did really well with.
  Josiah and Rachel work on their Alphabet craft. We arranged the letter crafts to match Sonlight's LAK order. This week they learned the letter F. The both did a great job writing the capital "F". Here, they are making Fluffy F's. Jada glued cotton balls to a piece of paper (she likes to feel like she's part of things!).
We only got one week in, and won't be doing any more school until the end of August. But, it was nice getting the first week under our belts. I think the kids are going to really enjoy the hands-on aspect of Winterpromise. |
Posted: 8:45 AM, Jul. 16, 2007 |
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VBS
We hosted a community VBS that involved 3 other churches along with our own. I was the director this year. We used Group's Avalanche Ranch, and had a great time (at least the kids did). We had around 70 kids, raised over 1300 dollars for an orphanage in Africa and had several decisions for Christ.
Here's some pictures of each of the kids:
 Caleb painting his bird house.
 Rachel sitting in the grass. She did really well the first 3 nights. Night 4 and 5, though, she would not go with her group. After questioning her, she said she was scared of a teenage boy who was helping in her group. "He does bad funny things," she said. Of course, my mommy radar went up! Upon further questioning she said he took her nose off! He must have been doing the whole nose-thumb trick....and Rachel thought he was really taking her nose off!!
 Jada enjoying snack time!
 Josiah playing games. Jo also made a profession of faith this week, which we are very excited about!
It was a good week....but a long week! |
Posted: 3:48 PM, Jul. 9, 2007 |
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Read-aloud help
 Caleb started out reading to Jada....then Rachel and Josiah soon joined him! |
Posted: 2:58 PM, Jun. 28, 2007 |
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Box Day!
Today we received the last of our stuff for next year from Rainbow (although there was one item back ordered). Josiah was so excited to get school books of his own. He wanted to start his math right away. I kept putting him off, and putting him off, but finally I gave in. He did the first three lessons. Caleb then decided he wanted to do some, too. He completed the first lesson.
I'm glad to see him excited about school! |
Posted: 6:06 PM, Jun. 20, 2007 |
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Summer Fun!
Last Saturday we went to my brother's house for the afternoon. He has a swimming pool, and the kids had a great time swimming. Caleb took swimming lessons during the winter, so he got to show off some of his skills. He can't quite swim yet, but at least he's not afraid of the water like he was last year.
 Caleb swimming.
 Caleb practicing holding his breath underwater.
 Josiah swimming.
 When we put a life jacket on Rachel, it would flip her unto her back. My SIL had this little floatie thing, and she loved it.
 Jada and Aaron. Jada loved playing with the ball. Aaron would lift her up to the basket ball hoop (which hung out over the pool) and "dunk" it. She thought it was so funny!!
It was a wonderful, sun-filled afternoon! |
Posted: 1:48 PM, Jun. 18, 2007 |
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Shiloh
I finished my first book for the Newberry Award challenge, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
If you want to read my review, look here. |
Posted: 8:56 PM, May. 30, 2007 |
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Check out my new blog....
I've started another blog at blogger. mominin-thepeerreview.blogspot.com/ I'm going to use it for my book posts, and possibly some scrapbooking. I'll continue to blog here about homeschooling and the kids activities. We'll see how it goes. I may not be too active here through the summer, but hopefully next school year, when we start Winterpromise's Animal Worlds, I'll have plenty to blog about.
I know many people have left homeschoolblogger.com permanently, but I'm going to keep trying (hoping that they can resolve their issues). But, in setting up this second blog, I can move completely over there if service doesn't improve. It's hard to blog when you can't even log in!! But I also love being part of the homeschooling community here. Happy blogging!
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Posted: 8:27 AM, May. 25, 2007 |
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Wowio
Through one of my Yahoo groups, I found a site to download free e-books. They pair up with corporate sponsors, who pay the author and publisher, and we can download up to 5 books a day, free. Check it out at www.wowio.com
If you do decide to sign up, please use my e-mail address as a referral....speer910@gmail.com. Thanks. |
Posted: 7:53 AM, May. 25, 2007 |
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School Thoughts
| We've been taking things easy at school for the last week....just Math and Reading. In Math we learned to add with carrying, and Caleb caught on to it really well. He's reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I know that most people are finishing up their school year, but we will be going to the end of June this year. I haven't decided, though, when we'll start back up...either the end of July or Mid August. I'd like to start a year-round schedule this year....that way we can have breaks when we need them. It's also so hot in July and August that I'd rather be inside. Maybe we can take more time off in Spring and Fall when the weather is perfect! |
Posted: 11:12 AM, May. 19, 2007 |
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Another book challenge...
I've decided to join a new challenge....the Newberry Award Challenge
The goal is to read 6 books from the Newberry List
and read them between May 15- Dec 31, 2007.
My choices are:
1. Shiloh
2. Bridge to Terabithia
3. The Grey King
4. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
5. Hitty, her First Hundred Years
6. The Higher Power of Lucky |
Posted: 9:24 PM, May. 7, 2007 |
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Illegal driving
Yesterday, I was at my Mom's. We had just gotten home from visiting my brand new Nephew (one week old Titus) and my sister (who is recovering from her first C-Section. We (along with my grandma) were talking about something (I can't remember what) and I decided to check my drivers license expiration date. Sure enough, it expired last September. My Mom lives about an hour away from me, so my Grandma's immediate response was, "Now that you know that, your sure to get pulled over on the way home."
Well, that set me to worrying. I've been yelling at Aaron for several weeks about his driving, and narrow escapes from tickets. Just a couple weeks ago an officer actually turned his lights on and back off as we were passing him on our way home from church. I think he was warning him to slow down. It would look really bad if I got pulled over and had an expired license!!
I've also been warning Aaron for months to get the turn signals fixed. Neither of our front turn signals are working and I've had at least one time in the past couple months I was sure I was going to be pulled over for it. (A police car was waiting to turn out of a road that I was turning into). Needless to say, my drive home from my Mom's yesterday was the safest I've driven for years. I drove right at the speed limit (O.K., a couple of mph over) and paid attention to each car in my vicinity. I still didn't have turn signals, though.
Thankfully I made it home without being pulled over!!
Today Aaron took me and I got my license renewed. I am now legal again!! (Of course I'm $26 in the hole, but that's another story!!). |
Posted: 3:55 PM, Apr. 25, 2007 |
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Paddington
We've been reading Paddington Bear. He's really an amusing little bear! Caleb did a notebook page today for it.
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Posted: 1:12 PM, Apr. 13, 2007 |
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Bedwetting miracles......
Do you have bedwetters at your house? If so, this little alarm may be the answer to your problem. Two weeks ago we got our little alarm in the mail. I wasn't convinced it would work, but we figured it was a first step towards dry nights (and it was a little cheaper than a doctor's appointment, which would be the next step). Caleb was wetting the bed every single night and, as he will be seven in a few short months, we decided it was time.
The first night he stayed dry, but he told us he tried to stay awake so it wouldn't go off. Then the rest of that week he stayed dry 2 other times, and was awakened by the alarm at least twice a night the other nights. Then he actually started getting up and going to the bathroom, before the alarm went off. He has gone a whole week now without the alarm sounding once. He is finally completely potty trained!!!
I obviously can't guarantee that our results will be yours, but I highly recommend at least giving it a try. Maybe you can be as shocked and amazed as we are! |
Posted: 12:27 PM, Apr. 7, 2007 |
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PaperBack Swap
 Last month I joined www.paperbackswap.com
It is a great website where you post books that you want to get rid of. Someone requests your books, you mail them (with a pre-printed mailer). When the person receives their book you receive a credit. You can then order a book you want. All you pay is shipping for your book (usually $1.59). When you sign-up you get 3 free credits to start you swapping. I've already swapped over 20 books this month!!
If you decide to join the swapping fun, please use me as a referral (I get a free credit). My nickname there is MominIN.
Happy Reading! |
Posted: 11:19 AM, Apr. 7, 2007 |
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Are you good enough?
"You're not good enough, and never will be."
What?!?! That's outrageous. How dare you damage my self esteem. That's abuse!
Yet, those eight little words are what the celebration of the Lord's Resurrection is all about. Tomorrow is Easter (or Resurrection Sunday), the day that Christianity remembers that Jesus paid the ultimate price on that cross long ago......and then conquered death and rose again. I think those 8 little words explain it all. We are all sinners. We all deserve eternal death and punishment. We are not good enough, and never will be! Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
There is a way......only one way. And that is the path that Christ gave us with his death on that cross. He took MY punishment......he took your punishment. It's O.K. that I'm not good enough....He is! Romans 10:9,10 says, " because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
It's so simple......and yet so hard. We like to do it ourselves, be in control. And yet all God asks is for simple faith. |
Posted: 10:23 AM, Apr. 7, 2007 |
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Coloring Easter Eggs
Today we colored easter eggs.
Jada really enjoyed herself. She drank the coloring mix, then spilled it all over.
 Thankfully, I thought to take her shirt off before we started!!
This would have been plenty of excitement for me, but right after we started, I smelled an awful smell. I started looking around and found a rubbermaid box melting on the stovetop. I had forgotten to turn the stove off when I took the eggs off, then set the box on the burner, and ended up with this:
Oh well, the kids had fun and we get to have deviled eggs!!
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Posted: 8:37 PM, Apr. 6, 2007 |
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Happy Birthday Josiah!!!
Today is Josiah's 5th birthday
We went bowling today in honor of his birthday!! I can't believe he's 5 already. He's our tender-hearted, quiet guy. He's always looking out for other people and their needs. In the evening, if you're laying on the couch watching T.V., he'll go get you a pillow and blanket so you can be more comfortable. He's always doing little things like that. He also has a great sense of humor, and makes funny jokes all the time. Although, he doesn't talk much at all outside our house! But he gives us all a laugh! We are so thankful for Josiah and all the joy he's brought into the last 5 years.
Happy Birthday, Jo!!! |
Posted: 3:35 PM, Apr. 3, 2007 |
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Harold and the Purple Crayon
Last week we read Harold and the Purple Crayon. Caleb then did a notebook page to go along with it. I wanted to post last week, but was having trouble getting my posts to work!! So here it is now:
The bottom says, 'Draw what you would draw if you fell in a big hole and had Harold's purple crayon. Now, when I wrote this question I thought he would draw a ladder. But, instead, he drew a rope that he could lasso around a tree that was out of the hole. |
Posted: 2:42 PM, Apr. 3, 2007 |
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Book List - March 2007
Here’s my list of books I read for March:
- At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon (4/5) I almost gave up on this book, but about halfway through, it really picked up, and I really enjoyed it.
- When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall (4/5) This book is about the Amish. It is very reminiscent of Beverly Lewis, although I thought much less predictable. This is the first in a series, and the second isn’t out yet. A very good read.
- Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (4/5) This is a companion to her book The Giver. Whereas the Giver shows a future that has advanced technologically, Gathering Blue shows a future that has regressed. A good read.0
- O Pioneers by Willa Cather (5/5) This is my second Willa Cather book, and I really like her writing
- Separate Beds by LeVyrle Spencer (3/5) I’m not sure who recommended this book, but it was O.K. It was about a girl who has a one night stand with a wealthy young man and becomes pregnant. They marry, then later fall in love. It did have a very negative portrayal of abortion, which I liked.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (5/5) I’m loving Harry!!
- Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (5/5) Another great book.
- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (4.5/5) This was a really great book! I can’t wait to read the next one.
- Grand Canyon A Different View by Tom Vail (4/5) This is a glimpse at the Grand Canyon from a creationists point of view. The photos are breathtaking, and the information good.
- The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin (4/5) This book was disturbing. It is a fictionalized look at a Nanny, but is written by two nannies, so I assume much they write about they have seen. It’s so sad to think of children being raised by a Nanny because their parents can’t be bothered. This book had A LOT of bad language, so if this bothers you, please do not read this book!
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (5/5)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (5/5) I can now understand the Harry Potter Craze! I read this monster book (870 pages) in about 24 hours!
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Posted: 2:30 PM, Apr. 3, 2007 |
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Reading...
We're all well....finally. Last Friday Caleb finally took a huge jump in his reading ability. He is doing so much better, and says that reading is fun!! It's strange how it just clicked, and now he's really excited. He's reading several Dr. Suess books now in one sitting. (Before it was a struggle to get him to read his 2 page spread in his I Can Read It readers every day). And the best part is that he thinks its fun!
Josiah also started sounding out words last week. He has read several Bob Books. He thinks he's pretty big stuff!
Rachel thinks she can read, too. She does know the sounds for about 10 letters. She never likes anyone else to get attention, so as soon as the boys start getting praised, she has to chime in, "But I can read, too!" Yeah, right!!
It's been a pretty exciting week at school, maybe they should get sick for a week and a half more often! (I don't think so!). |
Posted: 3:46 PM, Mar. 27, 2007 |
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