Little Patriots Academy

Oct. 3, 2008 - Word association!

Today M's reading lesson was about the sounds of "ea" . She will usually read the words to me and try to put them into sentences. Today she read "lead" with the short "e" sound and her sentence she came up with is "There is lead in toys from China!" I couldn't stop laughing. I guess I really keep my kids in the loop of current affairs. I think she was scarred for life when we had to throw out half of her toys a few years ago.

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Sep. 23, 2008 - Out in nature

We've finally had some nice cooler days to go out and enjoy the great outdoors. We have a lovely park in our town that has concrete pathes throughout for walking. We took two of our three dogs and headed out to see what we could find. We think we saw a red tailed hawk or some sort of hawk. It was screeching through the woods and finally rested on a branch for us. I took a picture, but it's hard to see it well. We also caught some tiny little frogs or maybe toads in the mud near our community pond. Well, I should say that M caught them. She picked them up in her fingers. They are the size of a fly! Major Dad also brought home a little skink that he found at work so we made a little terrarium for our frogs and lizard and have been feeding them flightless fruit flies from PetCo.

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Sep. 11, 2008 - Wonderful children's books

M picked out a few books from the library the other day and I had to share them with you! She did a great job. The books are both by Barbara McClintock. The first one is titled Dahlia. It is perfect for your little girl that likes to get dirty and study nature! That's, M for sure. It's about a little girl named Charlotte. Her aunt sends her a beautiful doll, but she's not quite sure what to do with it since she doesn't play with dolls. The illustrations are gorgeous and it is set probably around the early 20th century if not earlier. M loved the picture of Charlotte's room and declared that she wanted one just like it. Let's just say it looks like a nature study display.

The second book is called Adele and Simon. It also has beautiful watercolor illustrations. The story follows a brother and sister in early 20th century Paris as they come home from school. Simon loses his items as they make stops at different locations like a natural history museum, the Louvre and parks. As you read, your child can try to find the missing items in the pictures. There is a lot to look at in each picture. M asks for me to read this every night! We may have to end up adding them to our home library after we return these copies. I will definitely be checking out other books by this delightful author/illustrator.

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 31, 2008 - Wow! Look if you are going to study oceans...

I just came across this amazing ocean site that has gathered and organized all sorts of information for anyone studying or interested in oceans! I can't wait to use some of this stuff! We are going to do 10 Terrific Weeks Ocean(modified) from Usborne for our science. We will skip some stuff and add some stuff. Well, now that I found this site, I'll probably be adding as much as I can. We may end up studying all things ocean all year! As a side note, if anyone wants any specific information, my father in law is an oceanographer for the Dept. of the Interior in Washington D.C. so you can always email me if you or your child has a question! He is very knowledgable and loves to share! Happy studies!

• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 31, 2008 - I changed my template

Just in case you thought you were in the wrong place, I decided to change things up. I was tired of the polka dots. I really wish I had the talent to make my own pretty wallpaper, sidebars and such, but I was not gifted in that area. I guess this will work for now!

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 29, 2008 - Back to Homeschool Giveaway

[fallbackin2HSgiveawaylog.jpg]

Check out this great tea and other goodies giveaway here at HSKubes blog. The drawing will be September 6 so head on over and have a great start to your fall.

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 29, 2008 - M's 6th Birthday!

M turned 6 last week! My parents, Mimi and Paw Paw, decided to surprise her by taking her to the American Girl Boutique and Bistro in Dallas. It was like going to Disney! M was in awe of all the dolls and the size of the store. I've read her several of the books and her favorite is Felicity. My parents decided to buy her Felicity and some of her outfits. M was over the moon excited! To top it off, they treated us to dinner at the bistro and the staff brought her a cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to her. On her actual birthday, Major dad took her iceskating and we went out for pizza. Mommy and C watched the skating from the side because we do not have that talent!

• 3 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 29, 2008 - Flubber!

When my kids were in preschool, they brought home an odd substance called flubber. Neither had a recollection of this fun goop, so I decided that it was time to make some. As a side note,some of my favorite movies as a kid were The Absent Minded Professor and Son of Flubber starring Fred MacMurray. My parents always rented those old Disney classics. They don't make them like they used to!

Here is the basic recipe:

In one bowl, mix 3/4 cup warm water with 1 cup Elmer's glue(about 2 regular bottles) and food coloring of your choice. Mix well. In another bowl, mix 2 tsp. borax(found in your laundry aisle) and 1/2 cup warm water. Mix well and add to first bowl. Let the magic happen! It will turn into a slimy, yet surprisingly unmessy goo. You can drain any excess water from the bowl and as the kids play with it, the wetness on the outside goes away. You can roll it in a ball, squish it, bounce it, draw on it with a marker or cut it. Store in a plastic baggie, it will last a good while. It doesn't stick to anything, I like it a lot better than other homemade playdough, goo type mixtures. Have fun!

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 29, 2008 - I made it!

Yes, I made it through the first week of public school in our town. All of M's friends were starting Kindergarten or 1st grade. Everyone we ran into asked if M was starting school this week! I had to drive by the welcoming signs at the elementary school around the corner. I saw the buses in the neighborhood. I received pictures of my nephew with his backpack, lunch box and big smile on his first day of Kindergarten. I must be honest, I felt a tiny bit of sadness that M is missing all of those firsts. Now that she is 6, she never will have the opportunity to have Kindergarten memories. We are past that point now. Then I come back to reality and know that what we are doing is best for our family and that God called us to do this. That will surpass any memories of Kindergarten. We are starting our full time school schedule next week. We've continued with reading all summer, but have left the rest for the new school year. We are using MFW 1st grade with some extra stuff added in. I plan to add a little bit of American history and some more science. Anyway, I'm proud of myself for not breaking down and running to the school at the last minute. Not that I really would have done that.

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 12, 2008 - Spoke too soon...

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

We are not moving to Georgia. It looks like we'll be moving a few hours away back to Ft. Hood, TX. We were not expecting this huge change. We were stationed there about 10 years ago when we were first married. I will have to get used to the idea of that, I had gotten myself all excited about Georgia. At least I know that homeschooling will be a lot easier as far as record keeping. I know that God has a plan for us and that we will find joy and blessings wherever He chooses to send us. At least we know the area and we will still be close to family. I was really blessed by several wonderful Bible Studies through PWOC and OCF when we were stationed there before so hopefully I will be able to plug into some of those again. I didn't have kids there before so I am looking at it with new eyes. I ask for continued prayer for the things I listed below. My biggest prayer request right now would be for housing. We own a house here that I think we are going to need to rent out b/c of the market in our area. We would really like to live on post again. Anyway, stay tuned, we may have a different assignment next week!!!

• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Aug. 6, 2008 - July flew by and upcoming move!

Wow, it's been awhile since I got on my blog. We had a busy month last month. We had some family visit and we all attended/taught at VBS. I have been busy trying to figure out our schedule for the coming school year. We just found out that we will be moving to Fort Stewart, Georgia in the fall sometime so I've really got to finish planning out school and moving stuff. I have a ton of things to get rid of and organize before the move. We are super excited about moving near to the Georgia coast. I know that we will be blessed with tons of educational opportunities, especially for nature studies. I'm a little nervous because I do not know of anyone else that is stationed there. I have to start my networking with other army friends to see if I can make some connections there. With all the friends we have in the army, someone is bound to know someone else stationed there.

Prayer requests as we get ready to move:

1. what to do with our house

2. availability of post housing for us in Georgia

3. getting the kids ready to leave the friends and church they love so much

4. getting the house organized and staying on task with school work

5. new friends in Georgia, new church, homeschool support, etc.

• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Jul. 16, 2008 - The Donna Reed Show

Woohoo! I just read that The Donna Reed Show is finally being released on dvd on Oct. 28. This was my all time favorite show while I was growing up(no, I'm not that old, I grew up watching it on Nick at Nite in the 80s when they played wholesome family shows from the 50s and 60s). Anyway, just had to share my excitement. I can't wait to share this show with my kids. I also loved The Patty Duke Show and Dobie Gillis. I'm such a nerd. I also listen to oldies music, I was born in the wrong decade! What are your favorite old tv shows?

• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Jul. 15, 2008 - Texas Birds

I was doing some research to find out about a bird that we've been observing and found this nice little booklet about Texas birds. Lots of good information and can be used as a coloring book too.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_p4000_0038.pdf

The bird we have been watching may be a killdeer(it looks just like the picture). Oddly, it is listed as a shore bird, but we are in the middle of Texas. Anyway, M has been saying for several weeks that she saw a brown bird sitting on the ground of a school we drive by nearly every day. I never noticed it, but last week I finally saw what she was talking about. Now every single time we pass by, there it is in the same exact spot! It is a ground nesting bird. It is in such an odd spot. It is on a street corner in the middle of a patch of grass and is in full sun and doesn't seem to move often(other than when we tried to walk closer--it walked away from the nest, it didn't fly). Last night, on the way home from church we thought we saw baby heads sticking out from under the mom. It was getting dark so we didn't stop to check it out. Well, I was armed with my camera this morning and sadly the bird was gone! The first time I've seen her away from the nest. I didn't notice any babies left there, but I did read that they leave very soon after they hatch. I will have to do some further research to find out it they all move once eggs have hatched. Killdeer information

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Jul. 12, 2008 - Heart of the Matter Meme-What hasn't worked for us

Well, we just finished up our first year, but I've learned a lot. Here are a few things that haven't worked for us...

1. Trying to teach M to read before she was ready. I think reading has been my one big fear of homeschooling. If my children can't read, I'm a failure. I assumed since M was 5, she knows all her letters and sounds=she's ready for reading instruction. To my dismay, she just wasn't ready. I think I should have waited just a bit longer for her to be excited about learning to read instead of forcing it upon her. Now I fear that I've ruined her desire to read. She does willingly do her lessons now, but she has zero excitement about it. I'm waiting for a genuine interest before I start with C. He knows his letters and sounds, but he's not developmentally ready for reading.

2. I compared M too often to my best friend's son who is apparently a genius--he reads on at least a high school level, age 5 and has never been given a reading lesson at all. The boy can pass a sign going 70 miles an hour in the car and repeat back to you exactly what it said and there won't even be a mistake in pronuciation. He reads encyclopedias! Not the kind of kid you can compare your 5 year old to.

3. I've read too many blogs and also compared myself and kids there too. Also, everytime I read someone's curriculum lineup, I'd think I needed what they had. Lots of wasted money for us. I have also compared myself and failed on the thrifty, all around homemaking queen front. It's just not me and I have to accept that. I try my best, but I can't live up to some of you women out there that get it all done and save tons of money. I haven't got the energy!

4. I can't leave curriculum as it is. I always feel that I have to add something. This is one of my biggest weaknesses. I've bought several "complete" curriculums only to feel that I need to add my own math, reading, geography..... I'm not sure if this is a thing that is working or not working for us. I just wish that I could accept that a curriculum is complete as is.

5. E-books haven't worked for me. Too much paper and ink.

6. As much as I want unit studies with lapbooks or notebooking to be a part of our homeschool, I'm not sure it's going to work for us. We just haven't been able to finish any of the projects we started.

Well, those are my biggies that I can think of right now. I'm trying to fix them, well, mostly my attitude. I need to accept that God made my kids unique and different from other kids. He also made our family unique and we don't have to be like everyone else out there.

• 6 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Jul. 7, 2008 - Favorite Children's CDs

Our family loves music! We like to sing together and dance around the house. We might even learn a bit while being silly! Depending on your taste in music, you may or may not like all of these. What are your favorites?

Here are just a few of our favorites for the under 7 crowd(well older might like some of them too):

Dan Zanes Rocket Ship Beachlots of fun, features some guest artists whose regular music you may not like

Putamayo Kids--World Playground 1&2 and the region specific ones too some songs may be objectionable to you depending on your views--represents some other cultural systems