http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 9 Sep 2008 14:42:00 -0500 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 14:42:00 -0500 What do you get when you add a rainy day and a busy mom and toss in three bored boys with lots of energy? Downstairs Mattress Surfing.  The boys have had a ball sliding down the stairs together on an old twin mattress today.  It actually goes down pretty slow, but fast enough to seem like big fun for the boys. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/587491/ Tue, 9 Sep 2008 14:42:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/587491/ The boys love poetry!  Casey at the Bat is one of their all time favorites, but they enjoy all types of poetry.  So, we are using a book called "A Child's Introduction to Poetry"  to introduce the different types of poetry and famous poems.  So far we have studied Nursery Rhymes, Nonsense Poetry, Limericks, and Haiku.  Ryan says Haiku is his favorite. Nursery Rhyme by Ryan The Elephant’s Sneeze   There once was an elephant named Bill. He lived on the top of the hill. He sniffed a flower and he sneezed “KER-CHOO” He rolled down the hill and got stuck green goo. Limerick by Ryan   There once was a boy named Jake Who lived down by the lake. He lived in a cabin And then something happened He was gobbled up by a snake.   Haiku by Ryan   Autumn leaves fall down Float like feathers in the air I step on one-crunch!   Nonsense Poem by Ryan   Finding the Tribilous Pearl   Twas ramshackle in the dawn’s early night Upon the Crabid Sea, the jaggerfish screamed with fright. The crangshangle fish were there to eat their lunch The jaggerfish was unaware that he would be munched.   A diver jalloped into the sea and found a crangless clam. But still the diver noticed that the clam had a jam. He used his knife and with one slice, he salloped the clam in two And there was the most beautiful tribilous pearl that shined across Shangraloo.     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/587144/ Mon, 8 Sep 2008 20:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/587144/ To review our five week unit on the five senses, we completed a lapbook covering each of the five senses. On this page we learned about the parts of the eye.  We also learned about optical illusions and the rods and cones.  The boys also created their names in braille and included those, as well. For sense of smell, we labeled the parts of the nose and talked about how our sense of smell triggers memories.  Ryan says that the smell of pizza reminds him of Italy.  We also did a smell teste to see how long it would take to remember different smells. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/580250/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:57:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/580250/ What we have learned is that it is always dangerous to take children to a furniture to pick out new things for their room. Well, we started out looking for a new dresser and we ended up with a really cool new bed.  Never have two children been so convincing.  "But mom, this is a bed and a dresser." "Mom, this bed is so cool" "Mom, this bed is like a castle" So, we ended up getting the bed with the dresser built in and, truthfully it is really cool.  And according to the boys, it is not a bed, it is "Castle World"  They absolutely love it!  Now we just need to get them to stay in the really cool bed when it is time to go to sleep. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/580196/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:49:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/580196/ On the agenda for the boys this week: History: Ancient Sumerians Geography/World Culture: We will be working on our World Passports. Science: The Solar System and the Sun Art: Van Gogh and Resist Drawing Music: Moonlight Sonata Together we are reading; The Wheel on the School, A Child's Book of Poetry, Who Can Save Vincent's Hidden Treasures? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/580189/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/580189/ On the agenda for the boys this week: History: Ancient writings: Hieroglyphics and Cuneiform Geography/World Culture: Olympics Unit Study, We will be tracking the medal count this week and learning about each sport Science: Senses of Taste and Smell Art: Egyptian Drawing Styles Music: Ancient Egyptian Instruments Together we are reading; The Wheel on the School, Favorite Poems of Childhood http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/573407/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/573407/ 9:00 Today everyone is finished with chores and ready to start school on time.  After pledges, we listen to our memory work on CD and then read our Bible lesson.   9:15 Ryan works on his math worksheet, while I teach Evan his math lesson.  Ryan is learning to work more independently this year, but asks questions when he needs to.   Aidan joins us at the table and colors a picture. 9:30 Both Ryan and Evan work independently on their handwriting.  This gives me a chance to do some preschool skills with Aidan.  Today we are working on cutting skills and counting. 9:37 Tap, tap, tap.  Evan signals that he has completed his work by tapping lightly on the table.  The tap signals me that he is ready for his next assignment without interrupting the work that is going on around him. 9:40 I set up box full of blocks in the corner for Aidan, so that I can work with Evan on his phonics lesson.  Ryan finishes his handwriting and moves onto his Latin root words. 9:43 “No noise in the schoolroom,” I remind Aidan as he gets a little over zealous in stacking and knocking down his blocks. 9:45 “No noise in the schoolroom,” I remind Aidan again.  He decides to take his blocks into the living room, so he can knock them down more freely. 9:50 Time to teach language lessons to Ryan.  Today we are working on slant rhymes, a concept that he thinks is very funny for some reason.  He writes a great sentence using his slant rhyme words.  Evan is finished with his phonics lesson and spends a few minutes playing with Aidan in the living room while he waits for me to finish with Ryan. 9:52 “I go potty.  I get a sucker,” Aidan yells from the bathroom.  We are working on potty training and suckers are a huge motivator for Aidan.  I get his sucker quickly and go back into the school room to finish Ryan’s language lesson. 10:00 Ryan reads Henry and the Clubhouse silently, while Evan reads aloud to me.  Aidan listens in on Evan’s reading while he plays in the living room.   10:00 Ryan reads Henry and the Clubhouse silently, while Evan reads aloud to me.  Aidan listens in on Evan’s reading while he plays in the living room.   10:10 Ryan practices his piano, playing each song three times.  I read a The Carrot Seed with Aidan and we talk about the colors in the book.  Orange and brown are the only colors used in the book, so we color things that are orange and brown.  Then we check on the bean seeds that we are sprouting in the window.  Two of the seeds have sprouted roots, and one looks like it will sprout today.  Aidan is very excited.  By this time the boys have finished their work and they are playing upstairs.   10:25 Since everyone is playing quietly; I quickly put some dishes in the dishwasher and wipe off the counters.     10:30 I set up a Preschool computer game to keep Aidan busy while I am reading with the boys.  We use a literature based curriculum, which means all of our history and science studies come from real books, not textbooks.  Our favorite time of day is when we curl up on the couch together to read great books.  Over the next two weeks, we are doing a Unit Study about the Olympics, so we start out reading a book about the Olympics.  After reading, the boys use some colored rings to build a huge Olympic flag.   10:45 We continue reading a book of children’s poetry.  This week we are studying the five senses in Science, so we read a biography of Louis Braille.  We finish our reading time by studying a painting by Degas.   11:00 Ryan and I watch a movie about Degas, while Evan and Aidan watch a Leapfrog Reading video.  While the boys are watching their movies, I answer a few work emails and straighten up the living room and school room.   11:30 Ryan and Evan use birdseed and glue to write their names in Braille.  While they are working, I help Aidan with some cutting and gluing.    11:40 “I go potty.  I get a sucker,” Aidan says again.   11:50 I have an order to pick up at Staples, so we decide we will get some lunch while we are out.  While we are riding, the boys listen to our history assignment on CD.  This week we are learning about the ancient Egyptians.  We grab lunch at Sonic and three starving boys eat on the way home.    12:30 We are working on an Olympic lap book. To make a lapbook, the boys create mini books that cover details of what they have learned.  We put all these mini books into a large folder and use it for review about each subject. Today the boys color the Olympic flag and copy the Olympic motto.   School is officially over for the day.                   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/573372/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:08:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/573372/ Evan poses with his White and Red Crown of Egypt, while Ryan works on his crown in the background. Ryan and Evan work with their classmates to identify leaves using their five senses. This week in Co-op, we learned about the ancient Egyptians.  In history, the kids created the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.  For art, we weaved papyrus and painted an Egyptian throwing stick.  In Science, we learned more about our sense of sight and used our senses to identify leaves. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/572615/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:26:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/572615/ Evan showing his tough face as he runs around the lazy river. "I'm gonna get you Dad!" Mom and Aidan in the bubbles. Saturday night we got together with all of our Homeschool Association friends to kick off the school year at the water park in Denton.  The boys had a ball floating down the lazy river and playing on the water playground.  Ryan enjoyed the waterpark, alhough, we didn't get any pictures because he was always under the water. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/572406/ Sat, 9 Aug 2008 22:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/572406/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/571022/ Wed, 6 Aug 2008 22:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/landofahas/571022/