Homeschool in the Pines - Homeschool Blogger

Bountiful Harvest

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:15:00 -0600

We used to have tons of deer peacefully grazing in our backyard each fall. But then some doggies moved in next door, and our deer stay hidden most of the time now.

Sometimes they will venture out, very late at night or early in the morning, to see what our yard has to offer. But the times they visit are now few and far between. If they only knew what they were missing this year; nuts and acorns as far as the eye can see!

Here, Bambi..... :)

A Thanksgiving Journal - Memories of a Family's Blessings

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:27:00 -0600

Traditions are really important to me! I am always looking for new, meaningful traditions to add to our family's holiday memories. I want my son to grow up and be able to look back to his childhood with fondness at specific traditions that bonded him to us, made him feel loved, and made him feel he was an important and very special part of our family.

Yesterday, I was reading online and ran across an idea that I thought was so tender and heartwarming - a Thanksgiving journal.

Here's how it works: You buy a journal. Try to look for one that has a good, strong binding. You can even decorate it with some kind of Thanksgiving-y or fall seasonal fabric. Then, when the Thanksgiving holidays get here, and you have guests in your home, have them each make an entry in the journal. Ask them to write a blessing from that year that they are thankful to God for, and have them sign and date it. Do the same thing with your own family - have each member record a special blessing that they are thankful to God for, sign it, then date it.

Each Thanksgiving thereafter, take the journal out. Sit down as a family (and with your guests) and read the previous years' entries. You will be able to see a progression in what your children write. When they are small, their entries might be seemingly simple, yet profound. Over the years, their blessings will be deeper and more mature. As a family, you will be able to reminisce on past blessings that you may have forgotten. You will no doubt share lots of laughter, joy and maybe even a few tears. When you are finished looking over the years that have passed, don't forget to have everyone enter their blessings for the current year as well.

To me, these are the kind of traditions that knit families' hearts together. They are truly memorable and so sweet. What a record to have of your family! What a gift to be able to look at your childrens' handwriting, seeing the world through their eyes, long after they have grown and matured. You can even pass the book on to your own children, and let your grandchildren read it and begin their own account of God's blessings on their lives. What a great legacy this would be for the next generation in your family.

We plan to start this wonderful holiday tradition this year. I am really excited about it, even though my son is 13. It's never too late to start weaving the fabric of loving traditions into the lives of your children.

Does your family have any special Thanksgiving traditions you'd like to share?

Donate Rice and Have Fun at the Same Time

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:33:00 -0600

I stumbled upon this website today...

Play their vocabulary quiz and the people at Free Rice will donate 10 grains of rice for each question you answer correctly.

The rice is paid for by advertisers that put their ads on the Free Rice website. Each time you play, an ad appears on the page. Each time the ad appears, money is generated, and Free Rice uses it to buy rice and give it to hungry people. What a cool idea.

Put your thinking cap on and play away! :)

Simple Pleasures

Fri, 9 Nov 2007 17:06:00 -0600

We didn't sketch much this week during our green hours. But we did get outside!

We ventured into the backyard some every day. We ate our lunch there, had our devotions there, and watched birds and our kitty there.

I thought I would share where we spend our time when we are just outdoors relaxing:

We wanted to bring the outdoors in, so we gathered leaves for a tabletop bouqet. We situated it amongst our little pumpkins and squash plants on the kitchen table.

I took a picture of it early this morning, because the early morning light shining through the window made it look so beautiful. I am still working on my photography skills...hopefully they'll get better. :)

Have a great weekend!

Best Ever Thanksgiving Decorations

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 16:59:00 -0600

Y'all, this is just too cute. Had to share it... :)

Little napkin rings with the faces of your sweet kiddos, complete with pilgrim attire. Or you can put the faces of your guests on them, sort of like placecards. So cute...

Go here for directions.

Wouldn't this be a great surprise for your guests, when they pull up a chair at the table?!

The Chipmunk Chronicles

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 14:31:00 -0600

Barb of Harmony Art Mom has inspired me yet again. She has posted some pictures of her beautiful cats. I thought I'd join in the fun and post some of our kitty, Muffin, and also of a sweet little creature that recently escaped her clutches.

Here is sweet Muffin, in all her princess-like glory:

But don't let that innocent face fool you. Here's what she does when she thinks no one is looking:

And here is the pitiful little chipmunk that lived to see another day, thanks to my son. We brought him inside to get him away from Princess Muffin, who was stalking him within an inch of his littly chippy life.

Isn't he cute?

This is the 5th chipmunk she has caught this week...

Please don't ask me how I know she isn't catching the same little guy over and over....

November - A Time for Thanksgiving

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 18:16:00 -0500

Happy second day of November!

Well, I can honestly say T.G.I.F this week...

I won't bore you with details, but we've had a missions conference, fall festival, band practice, bass lessons, bible study, co-op classes, a trip to my mother's out-of-state, a fundraising dinner and a wedding all thrown into the mix. I am heaving a sigh of relief that there is some peace and quiet right now. :)

On to November and Thanksgiving. Lately, I have received lots of resources in my inbox, and I thought you might like to know about them:

Free Harvest of Science Pilgrims unit study

Over the River and Through the Woods, a Thanksgiving poem. These brings back very fond memories...

Pumpkin printable books (for younger children)

Thanksgiving Unit Study from Eclectic Homeschool - this has tons of stuff. Lesson plans, crafts, hymns, and even a list of Thanksgiving-y movies.

Thanksgiving Day prayers through the years

Bible verses for Thanksgiving

Quill pen and powdered ink - very reasonably priced. This would be great for a Colonial Times unit study as well.

Here are some books you might want to check out at the library (or get from Amazon) during the month of November:

Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey. If you order from their website, you will receive the audiobook for free, which also includes Thanksgiving hymns.

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

Thanksgiving Stained Glass

William Bradford Animated Hero Classics

If You Were at the First Thanksgiving

Pilgrims of Plymouth

I hope that you get to take the time to really treasure the holiday season, and to develop traditions with your children. I want to take special care to remind my son that "every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father." And that we are all so blessed.

Have a great weekend!

The God of My Life

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:09:00 -0500

The Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime

And in the night his song shall be with me...

A prayer to the God of my life.

---Psalm 42:8

Kodak Moments

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:27:00 -0500

It has been a tad hectic around here lately. My posting has been sparse!

I did want to quickly post one of my son's photojournalism adventures. When I think he needs a little break from school work, I strap my digital camera around his neck and send him outdoors. He goes down into our back yard (which is huge) and walks around taking pictures. He is only limited by his imagination. Oh, and I also tell him to hunt for interesting things. When we download the pictures, he gives me a little narrative of what the subject is, why he found it interesting, and/or why he shot it at a certain angle. These little green minutes work wonders.

Here are a few pictures he took on this last photojournalism expedition.

This one, he explained, was a mouse's view of the forest floor.

He took this one because it was the only fall flower he could find.

This is a leaf that has changed color already.

Some leaves in various stages of changing...

A view lying down, looking up at the treetops and the sky. :)

Charlotte Mason - 3rd Annual Blog Carnival

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:59:00 -0500

Barb at Harmony Art Mom has sponsored the 3rd Annual Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: Learning for Life.

Stop by and peruse the many articles she has rounded up. I especially loved the Sunny Nature Study slideshow put together over at Sunny's.

Enjoy!