August 27, 2009 Diary of a House Pet
This was in a forwarded email & I just had to share. This is TOTALLY like our pets (we have 2 cats, 1 dog & 1 bird).
"Excerpts from a Dog's Diary"
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
"Excerpts from a Cat's Diary"
Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe...for now...
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August 11, 2009 Calendar Math: FREE Monthly Dotted Tracers
I could not find any that I liked, so I have created monthly calendars with traceable numbers for my dd. I thought I'd share them with anyone who would like them. They are located here:
4Shared folder
I have September 2009 through July 2010. Other than January, all have Holiday clip art (April's clip art for Easter is either religious or secular, your choice). They were created using Open Office and some of the clip art does include links to the site of origin (where appropriate).
If you notice any mistakes, or have trouble opening them, post a comment here or on 4Shared and I'll see if I can fix it. They will open with Word as well and can be saved to your computer and converted to almost any format at Zamzar for free.
Hope these will help someone out.
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June 16, 2009 A quick funny-or maybe not so funny...
DD (6yo) likes all things creepy-crawlie. Sometimes, she brings them inside for closer examination.
Case in point:
A cricket was outside, chirping away, minding his own business when dd decided he needed to be "examined."
I can only imagine the thoughts of sheer horror that ran through his mind as the hand of torture descended upon him.
After thoroughly looking him over, dd placed him lovingly into a small box and proceeded to have a one-sided conversation with him. She asked him if he liked being a cricket and thoughtfully listened for his answer.
DH sitting near by was listening as only good daddies do (basically tuning her inane chattering out like everyone else does  )
Anyway, I came walking in to find DH laughing hysterically.
"What's so funny" I asked.
Apparently, dd was "grooming" her new friend because he informed her that he was unsatisfied with his current appearance. DH saw her systematically plucking his legs off one by one  and asked, "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?"
DD replied, "I'm trying to give him a new look."
Sadly to say, he was NOT pleased with his makeover.
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June 6, 2009 The Reading Lesson Praise
DD has Epilepsy and while she is extremely intelligent and a quick learner, her recall is a little foggy at times (especially if what you are trying to memorize is not consistently & interestingly reinforced). More often than not, it leads to tears, irritation, & the occasional melt-down.
After trying several other "learn to read" programs, we were left frustrated, exhausted, and down-right confused. We are using Heart of Dakota's Little Hearts For His Glory and phonics instruction is left up to the parent. They DO suggest using The Reading Lesson (ah hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20, huh?) but I decided to purchase a phonics curriculum I had discovered through research first. When that did not pan out, I bought another phonics instruction program; then another; and then another. All of which quickly spiraled downward into me spending $$$ for several programs that are currently sitting unused, taking up valuable real estate in my already crowded bookshelves. At that point, I was ready to give up and decided to take a break from phonics instruction, (secretly hoping she would pick up reading all on her own).
Like most homeschoolers, funds to purchase curriculum are limited, so in order to buy something new I either need to liquidate some of my old stock or sell a few pints of plasma (LOL)!
I confess that I am a curriculum junkie to the Nth degree (I even have several shelves in my cabinet to house all of my catalogs). However, no matter how wonderful the program, spending more money on ONE curriculum than I spend on groceries in a MONTH  is NEVER justifiable *sigh*
So back to my praise report! We just started using The Reading Lesson a few weeks ago and DD LOVES it. She does 2-3 pages per day (her choice, not mine) and is making incredible progress. We do the new lesson first and then review the previous ones with homemade flashcards or simply by rereading the pages. It is very well laid out and the simple drawings are what helps dd remember the letter sounds. I like that the instructions are simple & straightforward without clutter or information overload. After the first few lessons, I made her a chart of 3-letter words using the initial sounds and she can read all of them without hesitation. I could not be happier! After 3 years of frustration I am extremely happy that we finally found a perfect match: The Reading Lesson.
I HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone who wants a simple, easy to follow, work at your child's pace, fun & engaging phonics/learn to read curriculum. Best of all, it takes mere minutes a day, leaving ample time for the exciting adventures of homeschooling (a.k.a. rabbit trails).
Oh, and did I mention it is the least expensive of all the other phonics programs I purchased? You can purchase it NEW for less than the cost of a tank of gas or a trip to the local pizzeria. Practical AND inexpensive--now THAT is something my budget (and conscience) can live with!
By the way, you can try it out for FREE!! You can download the first 2 lessons by clicking here.
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May 12, 2009 Tiger Moth Study
A couple months ago, dd found a cute, fuzzy, aggressive (and incredibly fast) caterpillar in the back yard
After doing a little research, we discovered it was a Tiger Moth Caterpillar.
A few weeks later, we came out to this lying in the bottom of the jar:
Honestly, I thought dd had plucked his head off. Turns out, that is just one step in their metamorphosis. Here he/she is after losing a head:
After shedding its head a few more times and making a cocoon (can't find the pictures), this is what we woke up to one morning
I tried to find some links about Tiger Moths, but could not find anything worth mentioning. I did find a BLOG with links for "A Very Hungry Caterpillar" and we used some of them to make a lapbook. As soon as its finished, I will post some pictures. |
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November 1, 2008 Homeschool giveaway
File Folder Fun is having a GRAND OPENING GIVEAWAY that you do NOT want to miss!
The site has a nice variety of file folder games that are fun for the kiddies to do (plus they are FREE--I like free).
So hop on over to File Folder Fun Giveaway and join in on the 'fun'!!!!!!!!!!!!
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October 22, 2008 Pumpkin Lapbook/Unit Study
We generally focus on fall or cover a bible theme in October. This year I decided to do something different. We have been working on a pumpkin lapbook since last week. I have not had a chance to upload pictures yet but I will when we are finished.
Here are links to some of the items we are including in our studies.
Liliput Station Free Pumpkin Lapbook located in the files section (early elementary)
1+1+1=1 Blog Links to pumpkin printables
Lapbook Lessons have to join but it's free and there are links to blogs/printables & a cool pumpkin lapbook video
KizClub Pumpkin life cycle (click "How a pumpkin grows")
Kinder Printables Links to dozens of fall printables, including pumpkins (early elementary)
First School Pumpkin printables (ages 2-6)
First School halloween printables
Kidzone autumn math worksheets for grades 1-5
Kidzone halloween math sheets grades 1-5
DLTK halloween crafts, activities, printables
We are making a pumpkin mosaic out of a blank pumpkin outline/template, glue mixed with water (to allow for easier spreading) and torn pieces of construction/tissue paper. Or you could do the mosaic listed here .
Another fun idea is to print a blank outline of a pumpkin, tape it to a piece of black construction paper (just on 2 edges to hold it in place) then lay it over a folded up hand towel or piece of cardboard. Have your child poke holes with a toothpick (or something to poke small holes with) along the lines only of the pumpkin outline (make sure the toothpick goes all the way through the black paper). Once all the lines have been "poked" remove the tape & outlne for a neat piece of art you can hang in the widow and watch the light stream through the holes. You can attach colored cellophane or a piece of orange tissue paper to the back side so that the color shows through when you hang it in the window.
Another craft we did was scented art. I mixed equal parts of pumpkin pie spice (about 1TBSP) with white glue & enough water to make it almost runny. Then we painted a hand drawn pumpkin with the mixture. Once it dries, the smell is wonderful! V took the left over glue and painted a few of the pumpkin coloring pages she had completed.
I almost forgot the pumpkin play dough. Here are 2 different recipes.
Non-cook play dough (non-edible)
1c flour
1/2c salt
2tsp cream of tartar
1c water
1tsp oil (canola, vegetable, etc)
food coloring (optional)
Scent options:
1-2TBSP pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, etc
1/3c cocoa (so hard not to eat this one!)
1/4tsp peppermint extract (for christmas dough)
Mix dry ingredients (including the optional scent). Mix water, oil, scent and/or coloring in separate bowl & add to dry ingredients. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. The pumpkin pie spice gives it a nutty color so you may not need food coloring unless you want a true orange color.
Here is a link to a cooked version: Pumpkin play dough
You can easily cut the ingredients in half to make less, if desired.
Have fun!
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October 21, 2008 Arts, Crafts & Coloring Pages, too! |
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