At Home With Jesus!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Planning ahead

I've started the task of planning for next fall. It's a little bit daunting, as I'm considering not quite following the MFW plans exactly as written.  I'm adding some books and omitting others, so I'm having to go through the MFW schedule week by week,  and restructure it a bit. Some of the things that we are adding are the Story of the World Vol. 2 tests and activity guide.  (MFW already uses the SOTW2 text book, so we just thought that these would be nice supplements.) Also, we are not using the MFW recommended art program...so the activity guide will give us a lot of good ideas for arts/crafts projects.  We really enjoyed the projects when we did SOTW  - Vol 1 two years ago.   The tests we will just use as worksheets, to reinforce what we learn in the readings. Then, I was a bit concerned that the MFW recommended text, Streams of Civilization, was a bit advanced/over the level of where my kids were at.  (It's original publisher, Christian Liberty Press, lists it as a high school text book.)   So...we plan to substitute another CLP book in it's place...their 6th grade history text...Story of the Middle Ages.   I think it will fit nicely with MFW, and it's much more 'age appropriate.' In order to organize all of these changes, I've made a set of file folders (one for each week of the school year.) Into the folders I'll put each child's weekly worksheets, or paper for notebooking pages, and for myself I'll put a copy of the MFW weekly schedule. (MFW allows you to make one copy for your personal records - As you can see by mine...I use white-out and highlighters to show the areas where I've 'tweaked'.)   I also have made my own schedule that lists our daily readings.  (Book titles/page numbers/etc.) And I'll probably add another calendar/schedule to keep track of projects/appointments/extra-curricular activites, etc.) Yes...I'm very "type A' when it comes to my school organization... (which is funny because in our state we don't have to document anything) I only wish I could say the same about my home organization.

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Modest bathing suits for little girls CAN be found!

Can it be that little girls' clothing manufacturers are finally starting to listen to our pleas for cute, modest clothes?!!! We bought new bathing suits for Julie and Annabelle recently, (Katie's suit from last year still fit.) We actually got them 2 piece suits which consist of girl's swim trunks and a 'rash guard' shirt.  We actually prefer 2 piece suits because they are easier for 'potty issues' - but in years past - finding modest ones was quite difficult.  ( I don't think it's 'cute' to dress a toddler in a string bikini! ) But this year, we found the perfect suits!  They are stylish, modest and..as an added bonus, they are made from material that blocks UV rays!   (Since my girls have such fair skin...that's a huge bonus!) We got our suits from Land's End (and I know that they are on sale now - if anyone is interested...) but I know that both Target and Old Navy carried similar suits this year.   I'm just so thankful that the clothing manufactures finally got the point that we don't want our little girls to dress provocatively! The girls had fun testing out our new suits at the state park this weekend.

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

More VBS fun

I am having a very nice week.  The kids are at VBS in the mornings, and Paul is away on a business trip, so I have had the van!  I've been to the library, and Starbucks, and the book store, and Goodwill...  It's been a real treat!  The kids have been having a lot of fun at VBS, too.  Today they had a car wash, and so I stopped by to let them wash our van. It was quite the experience - LOL. Our van was washed in 2 teams - the first was the older (4-6th grade girls) who were all squeamish about the dead bugs on the grill. "eeew a dragonfly ....I'm not touching it .... you wash that!" And then their shift ended and the preschoolers/kindergarteners had a turn - (Let's just say the bottom 1/4 of my car looks great!   The top?  well.....) To top it all off...before I even pulled out of the church driveway it started to thunder, lightening, and downpour! And with the combo of the rain and the road construction all around church... the car was filthy before I even got home. Oh well - the kids had fun and they raised some money for a good cause, ( a pregnancy/crisis center.)  In arts and crafts the kids made these adorable flip-flop frames Only one more day of vacation for me VBS!

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Gardens

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

crazy hat day

Today was 'crazy hat day' at VBS, and the kids wanted unique crazy hats, so they decided to make their own. Julie made an origami birds nest (complete with origami cranes and a handful of feathers) Joseph made the 'world's tallest' party hat Katie made a nice little crown out of a paper plate.  And Daddy helped Annabelle make hers.  (Annie told daddy what she wanted, and daddy painted it for her) Flowers on the front and a volcano, a sailboat, and pink polka-dotted dinosaur on the back Do you think someone has daddy wrapped around their little finger?

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Monday, June 22, 2009

All alone

I am feeling very peculiar. My house is empty....ALL of my kids are at VBS!   This is Annabelle's first year and she was pretty excited to go, ( although a bit apprehensive, too, as she's never been away from me (in that type of setting) before.  She decided to take her blankie with her to help ease her nervousness...Maybe tomorrow she'll be brave enough to leave it at home. Now...whatever will I do with 3 whole hours to myself?  Oh yeah....I forgot....

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Weekly recap & Father's Day

I apologize, but our days are so full lately it seems that all I've had time for lately is a weekly recap of sorts. This past week was really nice.  My aunt, my cousin and her darling baby boy, Owen, came up for a visit.   (Nothing like that to give me "baby fever!" ) He was such a little sweetheart, we were all completely enamored with him - and every one of the kids begged me for a 'little brother' after he left.  This past weekend was also Father's day.  I simply cannot thank God enoughfor the blessing of my dear husband, Paul.  He is the most selfless, wonderful guy (.. gee..can you tell I'm still head over heels in love with him after 14 years?) So, we let "dad" choose all of the activities this weekend, and being the great family guy that he is, this is what he chose... Saturday: (The local farmer's market in the morning, and then a day swimming with the kids at the community pool) (Julie was brave and decided to try the slide and diving boards in the deep end this year.) Joseph...well...he likes the shallow end (to 'practice his surfing' he says.) And Annie....as long as she has her duck - she doesn't care where she is - LOL. As for me...a bottle of sunscreen and a good book are all it takes to make me happy! (And don't worry, I promise...that's all you're going to see of me in my swimsuit!) Sunday: We took a day trip down to Madison ( The closest city with a Trader Joes...which is where DH really wanted to go.)   We also stopped to plant some flowers on my mother's grave.  We had hoped to also include a beach or a park on our trip, but it started to sprinkle, so we headed for home.  We did drive through Horicon marsh once again on our way home.  It has been so much fun to see the seasonal changes there.  We saw some muskrats an bunnies this time - and the sun finally peeked through the clouds at dusk.  It was beautiful.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Summer school - Mom style.

The kids may be taking a little break from their studies, but that doesn't mean that the learning has stopped here at our house. It's time for summer school - "mom style." I'm using this time off to teach an old dog some new tricks. That's right ...I'm the one learning...I'm teaching myself to crochet!  Now, actually I have been crocheting for years... but everything I've made has always been either a square or a rectangle: blankets, scarves, ponchos (made of 2 rectangles sewn together,) dishrags, potholders You get the picture... straight rows. all the same length.  back and forth. repeat. I've made some nice things over the years, but every time I go to the yarn section of the store I drool over all of those fun little "free with a purchase" pattern fliers.   So I would take them home and look them over and my eyes would glaze over as I studied the 'foreign language' that was written on the back. Ch 8. Sl st in 2nd ch from hook and next 2 ch. 3 sc in next ch. Sl St in last 3 chains.  Sl st is same st on ridge.  Repeat   Huh? So this summer I was determined not only to learn to to 'speak' that language, but in the process to actually teach myself to crochet as well. First, I bought this book for myself, and I reviewed the basic stitches. It has been very handy and helpful! Then I got several more books from the library.  I looked for books with cute/easy projects - (because I'm not going to jump right into sweaters and giant afghans.) These three I thought looked especially fun and interesting. For my first non-rectangular project I chose a simple flower. It was fun.  It was easy.  I felt empowered - LOL! So next I cracked open one of the books above and I attempted to 'speak' pattern. First I figured out how to increase and decrease....and then.... I made these! (I know it's silly..but for me...this was a huge step!) And then...I did it.  I finished my very first project! Presenting...... "Ollie the Octopus"   (as Annabelle has named him.) I'm still not ready for sweaters and afghans... but I just might have enough courage to try "Henry the Hippo"  (Edited to add:  We decided to skip the hippo, as Katie wanted a koala) I'm loving this!

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Warm weather weekend

We packed so much fun into this past weekend... I think the best way to explain it all would just be a simple list, and a slideshow.  - Homeschool association end-of-the-year picnic - Family Fun Center ( mini golf & batting cages) - Lake Michigan - County Park Beach The kids had so much fun at the little lake swimming and catching tadpoles. That is - until the kids caught some of these.... and we discovered that the lake was full of leeches!

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

A blizzard?

I was awakened this week to a scream of "It's snowing!!!" What?!!  I knew it had been cold - but not it wasn't THAT cold - was it?! And yet when I looked outside there was a 'blizzard' of white swirling in the air, and the ground even had an accumulation of white.  Then I smiled and told the kids to go explore.... Their "snow" is only the seeds from the hundreds of cottonwood trees in our neighborhood. Thankfully we won't need shovels for this 'storm'....just lots and lots of Benedryl!

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

And the Winners Are...

ME!  (First and foremost I consider myself a 'winner' because I am very blessed to have you all as friends and readers!) So I made a list of everyone who was interested in the books, and then assigned a number to your name.   I then used a random number generator to choose who the winners would be. And the winners are: Back of the Box cookbook   =   Shirleytemple Desperation Dinners cookbook =  Quiltingmama Outdoor Games = Christy Petting Farm posterbook =  Bethdube I'll be contacting all of  you to find out where to ship your books. Thank  you to everyone who participated and gave me all of those WONDERFUL ideas! The kids are super excited about many of them (especially the 'messy' ones!) But that's okay - they're kids...it's summer...they're allowed to get messy once in awhile, right?! AND.... If you didn't win this time...stay tuned! I've got several more giveaways planned for this summer!

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Bob ( er...Joe) the Builder

We made it to another Home Depot kids' class this past weekend. The kids worked on making little 'tool caddies' for Father's Day (Dad will just have to pretend to be surprised this year - LOL) Joseph really has the hang of these projects down, and can do most of the work on his own now. So........do you think he could fix the ladder to our new bunk beds?   (Don't.  even.  ask. )

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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Super Hoopers

Despite a recent cold snap ( It was only 52 yesterday - Brrrr!) I have evidence to the contrary that summer vacation has, indeed, begun. Hula-hoops ...... and sparklers...   (What more 'proof' do you need?!!)   Even the 'big kids' are having fun! And - just to show you what "Super Hoopers" we have here... here is a little demonstration of Katie's amazing talent. (This just cracks me up....) And Annabelle is determined to learn how, too...

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Friday, June 5, 2009

My First GIVEAWAY!!!!

To celebrate the end of our school year  I am having my very first giveaway, and 4 lucky readers will have the chance to win one of these fun books!!! I've got something for the moms... ....and something for the kids! And here's what you have to do to enter..... You all know that I am  'stranded,'  (for lack of a better word,) at home this summer - due to the lack of a vehicle.   So my challenge for you, is to leave me a comment with one or more fun/creative, (and preferably inexpensive,)  ideas for us to do around home this summer.   That's it!  * Note - Be sure to mention in your comment which item(s) you are in interested in.  (We will have separate drawings for each) I will accept entries up until midnight on June 10.  Winners will be selected by random drawing, and names will be announced on the 11th. Now go...spread the word....(I'm looking forward to all of those great ideas!) Good luck & God Bless, Michelle

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Finish Line!

We. Are. DONE!!!! Yesterday the kids took their final geography test (basically I made a written version of 'The Geography Game') and I am simply amazed at how well they did! (Especially since,  before this year, I probably couldn't have named 1/2 of those myself. ) Julie got 100% !     She was able to locate and name all 114 countries that we have studied.... and Joseph....got 110 correct! Their 3" binders are stuffed full with their packets, and their Bible, history and science notebooking pages.  What a special keepsake of memories from this year they will be. Most importantly...we finished the book of Matthew, and we discussed how those last few verses of that book ( "The Great Commission') were really what our WHOLE year has been about. This has been such an incredible year, and I'm almost sad to see it come to an end. (I'm looking forward to 'round 2' in a few years. )

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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary....

Our summer garden is finally underway! We've had some rain this past week and all of a sudden we have sprouts everywhere! This year's crop includes lettuce, beans, beets, corn, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and sunflowers! Katie is anxious for those tomatoes.... I don't think it will be too long!

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Monday, June 1, 2009

Siblings

Katie-Noel and Annabelle.... Some days they fight/chase each other around like cats and dogs... but most of the time these two are the best of friends.   It's so much fun to watch them play and imagine together.... (It really makes me wish I had a sister....) Actually...they're all pretty good friends.... And we...are very blessed.....

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Grandma's Pineapple Cookies

Isn't it funny how certain foods immediately transport you back to your childhood? These Pineapple Cookies sure do it for me.  (My grandmother used to make them quite often for me.) 1/2 cup margarine 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 'creme' these ingredients together, then add 1 egg (beaten) 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained) In a separate bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda Gradually add dry ingredients to the moist ingredients -Drop by spoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown.   The tops of the cookies will not brown, and will 'raise a bit. (These are a very moist/cake-like cookie.) We usually make some frosting (I wing it with a bit of powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk) and add sprinkles. PS - If your kids are really picky - you can put the pineapple in a food processor and puree it....they'll never know.    I like the little chewy bites of pineapple, but the cookies still taste yummy if you blend it all up.

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

The 'song' that never ends

This is the song year that never ends. It just goes on and on my friends. Someone  I started singing it planning it not knowing what it was, and they'll we'll continue singing it  working forever just because.....   But seriously.... these last two weeks are dragging on and on. Memorial day weekend didn't help - but for anyone planning to do ECC - let me just give you a hint... MFW gives you about 4-6 weeks to complete the 'packets' and worksheets for each country which even then was a bit tricky to fit them all in...  But in the last 4 weeks there are 2 full packets, (one for Australia and one for Antarctica,) and you only have 2 weeks each to complete each one!   We just finished The Australia one...and we're just starting the Antarctica one. Two weeks is just not enough!    We could just say 'we're done' and call it quits....but I'd feel really bad to come all this way and then not complete the program.  Besides - the kids are still enjoying learning about the different places - so that's all that really matters, isn't it?  ;-) I just wanted to warn you.... MFW says it's a 34 week program.... but you might want to add a couple of weeks to that - just for 'cushioning.'    And then there's the fact that they give you some blank schedules to do do your own study of any countries that we not covered that might be of interest to you.   (We had hoped to add Ireland and the U.K., and possibly come back and 'review' the U.S.)  Now, I'm thinking if we still do some of those - maybe we'll spread them out over the summer. Part of me is looking forward to just relaxing over the summer - and the other part is enjoying ECC so much - we could just keep going on, and on, and on......

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Memorial Day weekend

We're still plugging away at school, but we took a nice long break for Memorial Day weekend. (Paul took Friday off - so it was a 4-day weekend!) Paul's folks are back in Wisconsin for the summer, but they are staying over on the western side of the state to be closer to their own, elderly parents.   So we went on a little 'road trip' to go see them and spend some time with them. It was a beautiful weekend weather-wise, and so we made the most of it. We went for a picnic at the park and we went to a little zoo (here's everyone at the buffalo pen ) and the kids spent lots and lots and lots and lots of time in the hotel pool ....and Paul and I had a nice relaxing time, too - away from schedules, and work.....

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Our final unit.

We're in our final unit of My Father's World: Exploring Countries and Cultures - Antarctica! Unfortunately, things just keep cropping up to push off our schedule (such as: Joseph came down with some sort of stomach bug yesterday.)  I'll admit it, the urge is strong to just 'slack off' and let them watch March of the Penguins and 'call it a day!') But, we've enjoyed, and learned so much from MFW - I don't want to do it that injustice now, so we'll stay the course until we're finished.   I'm actually sad to be leaving ECC behind.  It has been such a fun year, and we've all enjoyed it tremendously.   But...the good news is... I get to do it all over again in a few years with Katie and Annabelle!

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Busy but relaxing

This weekend was very relaxing, and yet I feel that we got SO much done! On Friday we went to the children's museum with our friends.  We had a great time! We ended up getting an annual pass - because if we go just 2 more times within the year (and we probably will)...it's actually cheaper for us to get the pass.  The kids would go every week if we could.      Plus, it's on the city bus route - so maybe we can still make it there for a few visits this summer. The rest of the weekend we: planted our garden spent some time with our 'neighbors'   (This is Koda...he and Annabelle are good buddies) made some brownies read some fun books And just enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors It was a perfect weekend!

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

A quiet summer

This summer will be a bit different. No swimming lessons, no playgroups, no impromptu trips to the zoo, no running around whatsoever. Why?  Well the main reason is...our second vehicle 'died' ( well..it didn't exactly die...it just needed a major fix that cost more money that we were willing to spend on a 12 yr old vehicle. ) (Goodbye "grey van" - you served us well ) So we are down to one vehicle - which Paul will be driving to work each day. We are actually looking forward to a nice quiet summer - (rather reminiscent of the ones I had when I was a kid. )   Playing on the swingset, digging in the sandbox, going for walks, riding our bikes & scooters, gardening, reading, backyard nature studies, and maybe we'll even set up this again.... I'm really looking forward to it!

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Big Fish!

This week we are learning about all of the wonderful coral and fish that God created in The Great Barrier Reef off of the coast of Australia. Did you know that the cod there can grow up to 45 lbs, and some are so tame you can hand-feed them? (Neither did I ) Here are a couple more beautiful fish They are now swimming in the "Great Bedroom Reef"

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Curriculum Fair!

I have the fun opportunity to be a presenter at our local curriculum fair this week.  It's not a fair where people buy curriculum, but rather a chance for people to see 'in person' what the materials from different programs look like, and be able to talk to real families that actually use them.   I'm so excited because I get to present the four curriculums that I'm most excited/passionate about! CLE/Christian Light Education  Heart of Dakota's - Little Hands to Heaven My Father's World: Exploring Countries and Cultures and Five In A Row! I'll also be taking lots of samples of the kids work from all of the above programs, including our FIAR scrapbooks, our binder with our notebooking pages for MFW:ECC, and several of Katie-Noel's cute art projects that she has done for LHTH. Oh look, a prospective customer...... I think she's impressed!

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