tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643714543277463022012-01-31T05:57:46.505-06:00A look at Children's books, stories, themes, science, arts and crafts and everything in between from a Homeschooling Mom of two. ages three and nine.SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.comBlogger4591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-18952432952221267412011-12-25T09:00:00.001-06:002011-12-26T02:41:41.081-06:00

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.."  James 1:17 Merry Christmas to you and your family!

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-10709547165435748822011-12-08T01:57:00.001-06:002011-12-08T01:58:34.406-06:00

It has been a while since we last posted. We are still homeschooling but have not been posting about our adventures online.  There have some family events that have taken much of my time online away. Now that some time has been set aside, I can begin sharing with family and friends our studies.        This week we are rowing with Blue Berries for Sal and I plan on sharing our week this weekend.

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-67944696405185480702011-11-10T23:00:00.001-06:002011-12-08T01:32:59.255-06:00

Finally we much delay due to our recent move, we were able to resume our homeschooling two weeks ago towards to end of October.  To celebrate, we rowed our first book this year.   Our first choice for BFIAR was “Jesse Bear Jesse Bear, what will you wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom. In the book, Jesse Bear is excited about his day as he wakes up, gets dressed,  plays outside, eats, takes a bubble

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-45556785199998323472011-10-27T13:49:00.003-05:002011-10-27T13:53:54.201-05:00

Finally we started back homeschooling after several weeks off due to our recent move.We began with a light week. The time off gave us time to spend together as a family and to explore our new neighborhood.  The boys made several new friends close to their ages. They enjoy playing outdoors with the other children and I have meet several parents who welcomed us to the community. Here are the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-61216158660826302952011-10-11T01:58:00.005-05:002011-10-14T02:08:21.454-05:00

In my life this week... It has been about 10 days since we moved into our new home.Every room has been unpacked except our school room and master bedroom closet.  Hopefully both will be completed by the end of the week so that we can resume homeschooling. In our homeschool this week… we have only been reading books since our move so now much has been happening with regards to homeschooling

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-49834252595080576542011-10-03T21:33:00.000-05:002011-10-03T21:33:42.633-05:00

After two days of moving our belongings from our old place to the new home and some momentary rest, we made the transition into our new home. It was a a difficult move mainly because after having two kids and being homeschoolers,  my husband and I have acquired more things. We were fortunate to have the assistance of friends and family in loading and unloading the moving van.  On Friday, we

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-39331024983138915372011-09-10T18:30:00.012-05:002011-09-12T22:10:55.354-05:00

In my life this week... It has been a crazy week filled with anxiety and excitement getting things in order and ready in preparation for our move to our new home.   We originally planned to move November 1st but that was changed to October 1st.  Now we have roughly about three weeks to get everything packed and squared away in time to start moving.  In our homeschool this week… We have been

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-86361873949898111712011-09-09T20:00:00.003-05:002011-09-12T17:04:22.952-05:00

Our second and third week was a very light week of homeschooling. Between searching for a new home, making calls and visiting properties, we managed to only get a few days of school done during the last two weeks.       Last month (August 22), the boys began working on their “All About Me” book and this month they continued working on them with our Family unit study.   Here are the highlights

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-52159700251599213062011-09-01T23:18:00.001-05:002011-09-01T23:19:14.610-05:00

Thank you Lord. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers.  We recently found a three bedroom home that we can move into within 2 months. It is close to my parents home and some extended family members. For the next several weeks I will dividing my time between homeschooling and getting ready for our move. There’s plenty to pack. The last time we moved, my oldest son was a toddler. The

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-39104137099686513222011-08-27T22:00:00.000-05:002011-09-01T23:20:38.418-05:00

This Saturday, after living in the same apartment community for over 8 years, we have been informed that our lease will not be renewed due to remodeling.  There are no vacancies and we must be out in about 8 weeks. The timing could not have been worse with my husband out of work.   We will be looking for a new place for us to live (house or apartment) and in the process of searching and packing

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-40571842684521769402011-08-27T02:21:00.002-05:002011-08-27T23:08:21.000-05:00

This Monday we started our first week of school. I’m glad we waited until late August to begin because it gave the boys a few weeks of summer vacation time.  We had a light week with basic subjects and a few electives such as health and science mixed in.  Each day we are doing Calendar Math. We made a new Calendar and Morning board this year and the boys really like it.  The boys are learning

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-23277426226580226792011-08-25T13:25:00.000-05:002011-08-25T13:25:32.058-05:00

In the past, we always used play dough with my youngest son (my oldest son dislikes play dough due to his sensory issues).  Play dough is fun but it can be difficult to remove off the carpet,  so I was trying to find something that would appeal to my children and to me (that was easy to clean). This week we made a simple version of modeling clay (play dough) that can be stored for weeks in a

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-88633792399642709092011-08-24T00:00:00.007-05:002011-08-24T00:27:50.594-05:00

On Monday, we embarked on a new homeschool, year. Over the summer, I decided to update our Homeschool Calendar.  I had been looking at examples from fellow bloggers and printed several great files to use. I created a few of my own to add our Calendar Area.  This year, we are using a large Pocket Chart we purchased at Wal-Mart several  years ago to use as our Calendar Area. We have limited space

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-2201245154147835022011-08-22T18:03:00.006-05:002011-08-22T18:19:20.384-05:00

Two years ago, I made a bear and clothing to teach my youngest son about the clothing we wear during the seasons.  He loved it so much we added our Jesse bear to our Calendar Chart.  This year our bear will be used when we read the book “Jesse Bear, what will you wear?” as part of our Before Five in a Row curriculum.  I thought since so many of my friends and fellow readers are using Before

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-72882108882083504162011-08-08T21:38:00.000-05:002011-08-08T21:38:24.298-05:00

  I love looking through catalogs from stores, especially Lakeshore Learning.  We have purchased a few items in the past from them.  This year our budget has been tight so when I saw these wonderful story wands, I knew I could make our own. The materials I used to make ours were: Craft sticks  foam sheets  scissors packing tape copy paper  the font I used to make the lettering was MTF

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-51036364854225072542011-07-26T15:00:00.010-05:002011-08-09T00:18:38.888-05:00

I mentioned in our recent post on our curriculum that we will be using Before Five in a Row with our youngest son.  There are about 24 books that are mentioned in the BFIAR book (a few are out of print and difficult to get).  I looked into what our public library system has and found out they have all titles but four.  We have about 5 books in our own home that I had purchased through the years

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-512658881857935752011-07-21T13:04:00.017-05:002011-07-22T03:45:04.522-05:00

  I know that I have not posted much recently but we have been busy enjoying our summer vacation. For the last several months, I've spent a great deal of time thinking and planning for our new homeschool school year.  Early on, I knew some of our curriculum choices and ordered throughout the year as we could afford them.  In truth, we did not get everything on our wish list so I managed to

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-77714364378282851222011-06-24T18:00:00.001-05:002011-07-12T00:30:51.605-05:00

In May, the boys started growing bean sprouts when we did a garden unit study towards the end of the month.  The boys have been observing their bean sprouts since late May and have been documenting their growth. . At the end of  each week we take a photo of our bean sprouts and the boys write about them or draw a picture of them in their bean plant diary.  Above, you can see some of the bean

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-43627599347442320182011-06-10T16:00:00.003-05:002011-07-16T23:42:50.147-05:00

Here in Texas, we are fortunate to see some birds year round because of our mild winter season but as the summer months come,  the birds are active only early mornings,   We have been bombarded by wrens that have taken over our patio area until midday.  We were struck when we found what looked like an injured wren that could not fly our of our patio.  It remained on the floor huddled in a

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-33945366019384526022011-05-31T14:00:00.001-05:002011-06-02T12:44:32.997-05:00

During our month long blogging break we did a lot of reading (both the kids and I) and recently this month we embarked on a gardening unit.  Reading books on gardening appeals to my boys if it has bugs in the story or something that interest them, so I gave it my best shot at finding some books that I thought they would enjoy. Books we read this week Here are some of the boys'

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-18888856346157643172011-05-29T16:00:00.006-05:002011-06-24T14:22:51.303-05:00

Gone are the days of cool Spring weather, summer heat has taken its place.  Still we have managed to use the early morning hours to explore and have fun outdoors.  The boys explored the subject of gardening (as part of their  homeschooling) the past two weeks.  Note: For those who do not know my sons are nicknamed Godzilla boy, age 11 and Turtle, age 5. My oldest son has some learning

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-57603035331066854282011-05-26T20:00:00.005-05:002011-05-27T00:21:06.585-05:00

A year ago while we were covering a unit study on Ireland, I came across a book at the library that has been a wonderful resource for geography for our family.  Celebrations around the World: A Multicultural Handbook by Carole S. Angell was written to teach children about Multicultural holidays with its 200 page month by month listing of Holidays celebrated all over the world, but it does

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-15979767194516035542011-05-23T22:04:00.001-05:002011-05-26T22:06:27.621-05:00

About two years ago I received a bread machine as a gift for the holidays.  I have made several recipes that my family loves such as raisin bread, French bread and hearty wheat breads.  Last year in November, my computer’s hard drive went out and I lost all my bread recipes. Now I back up my hard drive (a lesson learned). During the winter the boys and my husband wanted some banana bread and I

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-45581599673929005192011-05-21T20:00:00.015-05:002011-05-22T14:10:14.296-05:00

This weekend as a treat our family went to our local farmer’s market. We thought it would be a great way for the boys to see the different types of produce that are grown in our area. We are no strangers the farmer’s market but in recent years, we were not able to visit.  That has changed. Now we plan on being regular visitors to the Farmer’s market.  It was indeed a good morning to visit so we

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-66153442085248789352011-05-20T21:40:00.001-05:002011-05-20T21:43:41.526-05:00

Recently, I took a month long break from time online. I felt that I was not giving myself or my family the attention that I and they deserved.  I was trying to to juggle everything in my life: housework, homeschooling, financing, wife and mother and slowly things started to fall and I could not keep up the juggling act.  I was not finding time for me and the things I enjoyed doing anymore. I was

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-91131012151375598892011-05-15T12:10:00.007-05:002011-05-15T15:42:54.854-05:00

We have been using this site since 2009. Mr. Donn’s site, in my opinion is a wonderful site for immersing young children in History and Geography, two subjects that many homeschoolers like myself are interested in teaching. At Mr. Donn's site, you'll find indexes on Ancient History, World History and American History including lesson plans and activities. There are stories, online handouts,

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-70412887143849649282011-05-15T12:08:00.000-05:002011-05-15T12:08:07.532-05:00

Due to some set backs and events, we took an unexpected blogging break since mid April.  It was not planned but needed.  We have still been homeschooling and we will be adding those posts on what we have been up too soon.  For now, we are happy that “our storm” is passing and can rejoining our blogging friends and family.

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-48977683203540634942011-04-25T19:37:00.000-05:002011-05-15T19:37:56.920-05:00

This week was spent on learning about the first Easter (Holy week) as we read books on the last days of Jesus.  We have spent time celebrating Advent every December that we feel that is it equally important to recognize God’s love for us that he would sacrifice his only son Jesus to die for our sins. We began our week by talking about why Easter is more than a holiday.  We talked about Passover

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-64617345346983003602011-04-17T23:44:00.001-05:002011-05-15T19:07:42.877-05:00

We have been doing our regular homeschooling studies but focused on our city’s history of FIESTA as part of our unit study.  FIESTA in Spanish means party and people in our city, Fiesta is a tradition rich in the history and culture of our city,    Here in San Antonio, we have a 10 day celebration known as FIESTA. It started over 100 years ago in 1891 by Ellen Maury Slayden (Mrs. James L.), the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-60896280483248107002011-04-10T23:58:00.001-05:002011-06-24T14:23:09.977-05:00

March 28 to April 8 We spent two weeks on our unit study on Spring.  The previous two weeks (March 14 – 25) we took off for an extended Spring break.   During our studies, we read books about the season of Spring and about animals in Spring as well as Spring activities.  Note: For those who do not know my sons are nicknamed Godzilla boy, age 11 and Turtle, age 5. My oldest son has some learning

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-92010563790111245902011-04-10T20:01:00.002-05:002011-04-11T23:36:23.602-05:00

We have been reading books on Spring as part of our unit study on the season of Spring and animals in Spring .  We took our time reading through our books but it was worth it.  The  boys enjoyed our selection of books that explored what some animals do in Spring, trees and flowers that begin to bud or bloom and the activities people do I the Spring.  Turtle my youngest son, has some favorites

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-36465561159419982312011-04-03T16:55:00.006-05:002011-04-05T23:24:05.808-05:00

Last year in addition to covering a unit study on Spring and Gardening, we started a patio garden with growing flowers, plants, herbs and onions in containers.  The boys learned quite a bit from the experience for Nature study and lessons in how to grow a garden and what it takes to maintain one.  It was a rewarding and fun experience for our family and we spent more time outdoors enjoying

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-70475176459915700082011-03-30T15:08:00.000-05:002011-04-02T15:10:50.707-05:00

I was overjoyed when we found out in February that we were accepted to be on Timber doodle's Blogger Review Panel. We were contacted by Timberdoodle to review a handful of Evan Moor titles from either the Daily Math Word Problems or the Daily Geography series, both of which are a staple in their Core Curriculum packages. We chose to review Beginning Geography from Evan Moor for grades K-2 for my

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-32286405521594501472011-03-29T01:07:00.019-05:002011-03-30T01:36:17.648-05:00

Let me first begin by saying had not intended to take a week off from blogging but I had no choice. Last week started with flu like symptoms for the boys and then when it hit me and my husband, we were both very ill. My week ended with almost a trip to the ER after eating slice of pizza that had an ingredient I did not know I was allergic to. My lips. mouth swelled up, my voice was gone and my

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-88458921007329730892011-03-19T23:29:00.004-05:002011-09-12T13:10:16.906-05:00

In my life this week...We enjoyed our spring break by relaxing and enjoying time away from schooling and blogging. We celebrated my 46th birthday with dinner at a restaurant. We got a subscription to Netflix so that we can watch our favorite documentaries and even view some with the boys for homeschooling. We had a wonderful St. Patrick’s day with food and music. My husband is Irish so it goes

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-57920312227385433382011-03-15T19:02:00.001-05:002011-03-16T19:07:12.561-05:00

We read a wonderful book about Rainbows that my youngest son loves called "What makes a Rainbow?What Makes a Rainbow? (Pop up board book) by Betty Ann Schwartz, illustrated by Dona Turner. When Little Rabbit asks his mother "What makes a rainbow?" She tells his to ask his friends to find out. As little Rabbit asks insect and animal in the forest. each one tells him a different color based on

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-11137229232679516812011-03-14T09:00:00.001-05:002011-03-14T09:00:11.802-05:00

Today we are taking the day off in celebration of my birthday. Today marks my 46th birthday (I feel much younger than my age) so if anyone ask you I am turning 35. My hubby and sons sang “Happy Birthday to you” this morning and made me a wonderful breakfast followed by doing the dishes for me! Hubby is taking us out and I do not have to cook or clean today. I opted for a strawberry short

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-34300402312862076202011-03-12T21:29:00.000-06:002011-04-06T21:30:19.012-05:00

February 28 to March 12 We continued our unit study on birds. Last week we spent time learning about birds in general and this week we learned more about bird watching (especially backyard birds). We read about specific birds such as the owl, duck, cardinal, heron and hen. We recently made some changes in our geography studies. In all honestly, we had not been doing much in geography since we

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-14387342237112461282011-03-11T18:16:00.008-06:002011-03-13T19:28:57.786-05:00

This week we continued our unit study on birds. During our first week of our study, we learned what birds are, which birds fly and which do not. We read books about birds, painted with feathers. It was a fun filled week that included our Nature Study on birds in our area. You can read our book reviews for our first week, HERE. This week we focused on and spent time learning about birds in general

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-50540033493290051912011-03-09T22:27:00.004-06:002011-03-09T22:31:11.509-06:00

I have been spending some time making printables for my preschooler. We will be doing a jungle thematic unit in May. I created some pattern cards and I just completed our Jungle Animal Shadow Matching cards.The animals include an elephant, giraffe, hippo, monkey, tiger and lion. Just click on the thumbnail to download your copy. Simply print on cardstock or copy paper, cut and laminate, Your

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-62176845240538175242011-03-01T20:00:00.003-06:002011-04-13T14:03:41.891-05:00

Through the early years of our homeschooling I did not use workbooks or worksheets much because they did not appeal to my son “Godzilla boy.” He preferred a hand on approach through learning so we never used workbooks when he was a toddler and preschooler. That changed in the last several years when we had our second son Turtle who loves workbooks and worksheets. He devours them and can’t get

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-64405108336858415502011-02-28T22:07:00.004-06:002011-02-28T22:10:27.772-06:00

This month we made a few excretions outdoors as part of our Nature Studies and our appreciation for Nature. At the beginning of the month (February 4th), our city got a treat for once in over a decade. We had a light snowfall and I mean light but it was still a wonderful experience for the boys to see snow for the first time.The boys enjoyed playing with the snow and watching their breath in the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-15652534588802923832011-02-27T00:48:00.006-06:002011-06-24T14:23:53.967-05:00

February 21 to February 25This Wednesday we began our two week unit study on birds (to coincide with the Great Backyard Bird Count). We learned what birds are, which birds fly and which do not. We read books about birds and painted with feathers. It was a fun filled week that included our Nature Study on birds in our area. Note: For those who do not know my sons are nicknamed Godzilla boy, age

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-4077334634403896332011-02-26T17:20:00.005-06:002011-03-13T19:29:39.460-05:00

This week we began our two week unit study on birds. We learned what birds are, which birds fly and which do not. We read books about birds, painted with feathers. It was a fun filled week that included our Nature Study on birds in our area.The boys enjoyed the selections of books we read about birds. The book that we found valuable as a resource was Baby Birds by Bobbie Kalman. My youngest son

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-2140500064228138652011-02-25T18:49:00.004-06:002011-06-24T14:24:14.279-05:00

I have been participating in another journal for sometime and when I read about this one I thought I would try to participate. I am still keeping up with my homemaker journal because it ties in with my bible devotionals and housekeeping but wanted a separate journal for homeschooling so this is my first entry for The Homeschool Mother’s Journal. In my life this week...Some of our

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-6017304948328655642011-02-21T16:05:00.002-06:002011-02-26T11:09:54.916-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods: Currently 66 ° FHi: 77 ° Lo: 60 ° Currently: OvercastWind: SE at 10 mph Humidity: 90%Things that make me happy:days with out houseworkBook I'm reading:Just started reading, “Bob Green’s Total Body Makeover.” What's on my TV today: Tonight, we’re watching American Pickers on the History Channel and 19 Kids and Counting on TLC.On the menu for dinner:Chicken

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-22453328834439257042011-02-19T12:39:00.002-06:002011-02-24T13:25:05.028-06:00

February 14 to February 18We spent a this week doing a Valentine’s Day mini unit. We spent the reminder of the week catching up on the subjects of phonics, reading and math.Note: For those who do not know my sons are nicknamed Godzilla boy, age 11 and Turtle, age 5. My oldest son has some learning disabilities.Turtle began using Melissa and Doug’s jumbo stencil set. We bought ours two years ago

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-19828887224793173782011-02-15T09:40:00.002-06:002011-02-16T18:50:31.865-06:00

A few days ago, my husband and oldest son left to go to a dentist appointment as a follow up to my son’s oral surgery. They left very early in the morning while my 5 year old son was sleeping late. When he awoke he asked for his brother and then realized his brother was at the dentist.We sat together in bed watching a tape of some of his favorite Disney cartoons and I asked him what he would like

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-69332919338433169782011-02-14T18:00:00.001-06:002011-02-21T03:04:59.382-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods: Currently 61 ° F Hi: 77 ° Lo: 58 ° Currently: Mostly Cloudy Wind: SE at 12 mph Humidity: 90% Things that make me happy: The little things my husband does for me and the kids without asking.    Book I'm reading: Just finished  reading “Follow the Star: Christmas Stories that changed my Life” by T.D. Jakes.  Looking for another

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-68256589536187113212011-02-11T22:00:00.001-06:002011-02-16T18:54:57.420-06:00

Many of my friends know that when I receive flowers, I dry them and use them in crafts. They also know as a family we try to recycle materials we have in our home instead of tossing them in the trash..so it was no surprise that when my husband gave me flowers last year and in previous years that I would use them to make a wreath.Materials:- Dried Flowers or Artificial flowers- an old bed sheet

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-87585199607456862162011-02-09T16:50:00.009-06:002011-02-09T17:09:24.607-06:00

This month from February 18- 21 is the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count.What is GBBC?The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event where people of all ages bird watch and counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts.Why is it Important to Count Birds?Your participation in

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-23200793214816140532011-02-08T09:00:00.001-06:002011-02-08T09:42:52.265-06:00

Who has not heard their child say “Mommy I have the hiccups!” I have plenty of times from my oldest son growing up. We have used remedies like breathing in and out out of a paper bag, drinking water to holding your breath for eight seconds and then repeating it two more times. It works for most of our family members here at home… I say most because when my youngest son Turtle (age 5) gets the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-79113851329996714332011-02-07T03:10:00.002-06:002011-02-07T03:18:48.743-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods:Currently 40 ° FHi: 58 ° Lo: 34 ° Currently: Mostly cloudy, Wind: N at 13 mph. Humidity: 71%Things that make me happy:Seeing my children have their first experience with snow. I was especially proud of my oldest son (who has Asperger’s syndrome) play in the snow and make Snow Angels. Never in my life would I imagine that he would do that. Book I'm reading:I am

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-52144067059031305992011-02-05T22:21:00.010-06:002011-06-24T14:24:41.032-05:00

January 31 to February 5This week we began our study on the Polar Regions: Arctic and Antarctic Animals. We stayed indoors most of the week due to below freezing weather but no one mined that because the boys were looking forward the to the chance of snow that was in the forecast for Friday morning. We used Monday to review of the previous week. Last week we did not have a unit study and

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-13906884226519378792011-02-04T19:41:00.003-06:002011-02-04T19:50:33.537-06:00

It is no surprise that we rarely see snow. The cartoon of the year without a Santa Claus comes to mind (especially the part about the Miser brothers who control different parts of the countries’ weather). A boy in Somber town wishes for snow and asks Mrs. Claus that if he helps her find the baby reindeer, can she make it snow in his town.Well today we felt like Somber town on a Christmas morning.

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-17016347496473679502011-02-01T22:00:00.001-06:002011-02-04T00:35:42.780-06:00

Monday evening, we had been busy getting clothing ready for the next day when my oldest son was scheduled for oral surgery. My youngest son “Turtle” was upset about it and said he was going to miss his big brother.We had the boys to in bed early that night and we reminiscence over the many times we spent times in the hospital with our oldest son. My husband asked if I remembered what life was

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-25286162962743208562011-02-01T12:00:00.000-06:002011-02-03T22:57:05.309-06:00

The Last Polar bear by Jean Craighead George, paintings by Wendell Minor. After seeing a polar bear in the distance, a young boy named Tigluk steps outside. He ignores everyone in his Arctic village who run inside their houses and instead remains, He hears something and turns around Nanuq (a polar bear) is standing in front of him. He asks Nanuq what he trying to say and the bear tells him “

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-34819161681964793282011-01-31T14:30:00.003-06:002011-02-07T03:14:18.948-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods:Currently 75 ° FHi: 76 ° Lo: 45 ° Currently partly cloudy, Wind: SE at 7 mph. Humidity: 48%Things that make me happy:Seeing my children enjoy playing together and no one is fighting over toys (for the moment). Book I'm reading:“Follow the Star: Christmas Stories that changed my Life” by T.D. Jakes. I know it is after Christmas but I could not help but pick up

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-46323703543715138922011-01-30T22:00:00.000-06:002011-01-31T06:56:39.772-06:00

February 2 is a Groundhog day.Punxsutawney Phil is the world's smallest and furriest weather forecaster and the 2nd of February is his day! On Groundhog Day, it is said that if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of bad weather, and if he doesn't, that spring will be here soon. The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-27917567029811689592011-01-25T22:20:00.001-06:002011-01-26T05:23:35.090-06:00

Whenever we go out I let the boys sometimes pick out what they want to wear. They each have their personalities and their taste in clothing differ greatly these days. So when my oldest son was getting ready, I had my youngest son Turtle brush his teeth. When my youngest son was done brushing his teeth and was dressed, I reminded him to let me brush his hair. I told him “Let me brush your hair so

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-31704285759317667052011-01-24T09:52:00.001-06:002011-02-07T03:13:52.613-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods:Currently 45° FHi: 59 ° Lo: 31 ° Mostly clear and cool with a light north breeze.Things that make me happy: Being able to sleep through the night.Book I'm reading: Finished reading “For Women Only: what you need to know about the inner lives of men” by Shaunti Feldhahn. I have not started a new book yet but will soon.What's on my TV today:Tonight, we are

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-4084047977389918302011-01-22T20:00:00.000-06:002011-01-25T16:07:15.634-06:00

January 10 to 21We took a longer break than expected but considering that we still did some sort of homeschooling during the holidays, everyone needed the extra time off including myself.On Monday during our first week back, everyone wanted to stay indoors under the covers, but the boys both had dentist appointments. I am so glad we went because we found out that Godzilla boy needs to have oral

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-60022451878772974902011-01-17T12:00:00.000-06:002011-01-17T15:53:42.430-06:00

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” ~Martin Luther King~ Wouldn’t it be terrible? Wouldn’t it be sad? If just one single color was the color that we had? If everything was purple? Or red? Or blue? Or green? If yellow, pink,

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-40755435824576606502011-01-17T11:35:00.010-06:002011-01-17T12:52:33.380-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods:Currently 46°Hi: 67° Lo: 45°Mostly sunny. Areas of fog in the morning. Warmer. Highs in the upper 60s. Tonight mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Things that make me happy:Having time to take a nap while hubby watches the kids.Book I'm reading:Just started reading “For Women Only: what you need to know about the inner lives of men” by Shaunti Feldhahn. I am

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-83280336873738785012011-01-16T19:05:00.004-06:002011-01-16T19:07:34.087-06:00

Don’t think you have stumbled on the wrong blog if you are a new reader. Our family blog has been called Monkey See Monkey Do for a long time. There was not anything wrong with the name and everyone liked it.We have been feeling a need to change, so we decided to chose a name that shows where we started and where we intend to be.The name Little Sprouts has been one we have used since we first

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-15495249332793784712011-01-15T23:18:00.006-06:002011-02-27T12:39:22.076-06:00

Now that we are officially back from our winter break, we started our new year with a wonderful unit study on Woodland Animals – Animals in Winter.Last month we read books on Winter and Snow and with the cold weather we have been having the boys were still interested in winter books. We had some great books that were given to us from my older sister“R” which included “The Mitten: and “Creatures

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-29951110562604293572011-01-11T13:10:00.003-06:002011-01-11T13:12:10.493-06:00

Last year in October we chose to observe a an Oak Tree that resides by our home as part of our Nature Study. In the Fall of 2009, we identified the tree as a Live Oak Tree by leaf identification.Live oak is a large spreading tree of the lower Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to southern Florida and to southern Texas.For our Nature Study, we have been looking tree changes from Fall to

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-75515987267542278292011-01-10T22:00:00.003-06:002011-01-17T11:44:29.353-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods:Currently 44.6 °F OvercastHi: 45° Lo: 29°Things that make me happy:Wearing PJs and drinking a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows before bedtime,Book I'm reading:Still reading Lisa Whelchel’s “Taking Care of the Me in Mommy.” Started reading “Homeschooling From Scratch” by Mary Potter Kenyon.What's on my TV today:American Pickers on the History Channel and the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-49390421955956250832011-01-05T17:14:00.000-06:002011-01-06T17:15:48.375-06:00

Panda Express, America’s largest Asian restaurant chain, is offering a FREE educational program to your school and its students. For five years, their signature Chinese New Year Learn With Me Program™ provides educators with an instructional resource to encourage learning about one of China’s traditional holiday celebrations.The FREE kit, geared for second through fourth grades, includes:* Panda

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-81035885462094032012011-01-03T19:00:00.006-06:002011-01-03T21:37:08.416-06:00

The weather in my neck of the woods:for today: Mostly CloudyHi: 58° Lo: 50°Things that make me happy:Getting to sit and read a book without hearing “MOM..!”Book I'm reading:Lisa Whelchel’s “Taking Care of the Me in Mommy.”What's on my TV today:American Pickers on the History Channel. We are big fans of the show.On the menu for dinner:Homemade Beef Stew with French Bread Rolls. Everyone is in the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-21160143919191561452011-01-01T18:29:00.002-06:002011-01-01T18:32:01.756-06:00

Pictured above, one of our New Year's Clock CookiesOur New Year’s eve was spent enjoying food, fun and family. We stayed in to avoid the crowds downtown who were waiting for the city’s fireworks display at midnight. We opted to have a fabulous dinner at home, dance to music, and play games as we waited for the New Year. A few days before New Year’s eve, we had family over. My parents and my

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-25769516561117436042010-12-30T15:31:00.006-06:002010-12-30T16:55:43.761-06:00

Last month in November, the boys felt left out as our neighbors to the North got vibrant colors of foliage in the Fall while we see only brown leaves and maybe yellow at best. This winter makes up for it when we saw different birds in our area that have migrated from the north.We have been seeing a house wren that sings each morning on our patio’s ledge. The bird’s song is very loud that you don’

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-89253691223135491332010-12-27T16:03:00.001-06:002010-12-29T20:59:15.274-06:00

Last year during Advent, we came across a book that told a beautiful story about three trees. This book is usually read during Easter time but we enjoyed reading it during the Holiday season leading to Christmas day.The Tale of Three Trees: a Traditional Folktale by Angela Elwell Hunt, illustrated by Tim Jonke tells the story of three small trees stand living on a mountaintop. The three trees

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-92081454458164770242010-12-24T23:00:00.003-06:002010-12-29T02:45:31.507-06:00

Christmas Eve was filled with activity by making cookies and making crafts. It is a day we celebrate together but it is also marks the day that Timothy and I became husband and wife. We celebrated 12 years together on Christmas Eve with love for each other and our children.So in the midst of greeting friends and family, serving foods and wrapping gifts, we set aside time for a date at home after

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-40368078011480920552010-12-22T16:57:00.009-06:002011-06-24T13:59:00.349-05:00

In Mexico and many parts of Central America, people celebrate Las Posadas during the nine days before Christmas. It is a reenactment of the journey Joseph and Mary took to find shelter before the birth of their child. At Christmas time, our city hosts a candlelit procession called "La posada" which means "the inns" or "the shelters" in Spanish. For many, it is a religious and social

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-45607215206071401932010-12-20T15:03:00.000-06:002010-12-22T15:04:38.347-06:00

Dec. 6 to Dec. 17thOur weeks of homeschooling have been light this month as we celebrate Advent. We have not had any wintery weather to date but winter has not officially begun, so we’ll see. During the week of December 6th, we read books on Snowman but we also did family readings from our Bible. Our second Sunday of Advent was spent reading books on Advent and making advent crafts and ornaments

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-7872711731720291502010-12-19T23:48:00.000-06:002010-12-22T23:49:50.983-06:00

It has been a while since we wrote a weekly reading post. It’s not that we have not been reading because we have. We have been so busy enjoying Advent and making ornaments that I had forgotten to post one.This week read some more books on snow and winter. We read a few books on snowmen some time ago and the boys wanted another week of snow books so I could not resist. BOOKS WE READ THIS WEEK:

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-50835899534633081242010-12-17T11:50:00.004-06:002010-12-18T13:43:51.805-06:00

For years I have always wanted to put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving like some of my sisters and my mom do but that never happens in our home. My husband is from Indiana and his family always picked a tree in the woods and trimmed it on Christmas eve. My family growing up usually had ours up the first week in December.We compromised by agreeing to decorate our tree after my oldest son’s

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-86911327784371438372010-12-16T10:24:00.008-06:002010-12-17T19:00:40.519-06:00

This week we made some Snowflake ornaments for our unit study on Snow. We are still continuing with our reading books about the Advent but we also included some books on snow in hopes up that we would get some this year. It rarely snows here where we live but that does not stop us from hoping. My youngest son and I selected two books about snow and winter this week. I am Snow by Jean Marzollo,

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-46752378196224284612010-12-14T20:00:00.004-06:002010-12-17T10:38:52.764-06:00

Last Wednesday we decorated our tree. My husband grew up in Indiana and his family has a tradition of picking a tree in the woods, cutting it down and trimming the tree on Christmas Eve. I grew up here in Texas and my family would decorate the tree on the first week of December. We have learned to compromised over the years and begin decorating our tree between the 10th and 14th of December since

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-27842961832522744912010-12-05T18:00:00.003-06:002010-12-17T10:38:44.037-06:00

Pictured above our Nativity Cd ornamentThis Sunday marked the second Sunday of Advent. Last year was our first year celebrating the Advent as a family. I have to confess that in years past the focus was on the presents, That changed last year when decided to keep Christ in Christmas.It started last year when we read children’s books on the Nativity, I felt a strong desire to teach my children

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-70671649002705955362010-12-04T22:30:00.001-06:002010-12-13T01:31:59.276-06:00

Nov. 28th to Dec. 4thThis week we did not do much in terms of homeschooling. We had two birthdays this week after Thanksgiving and began our celebration of Advent. During this month we are homeschooling on a lighter schedule to devote time to spend together as a family.On Sunday November 28, we celebrated our first Sunday of Advent. For hundreds of years, Christians have used an Advent wreath to

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-23850090152299569802010-12-01T17:30:00.002-06:002010-12-01T17:31:22.986-06:00

Today marked my son's birthday. Our former preemie is now 11 years old! He woke up to find presents waiting for him to open. He got a Gigan and Jet Jaguar figure and assorted Godzilla toys. HIs cake he picked this year was Spiderman. After playing with his toys and watching Godzilla movies, we had his choice of food: he chose Chinese takeout, his favorite.REFLECTIONPictured above my preemie baby

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-42295780461429767932010-11-30T12:45:00.008-06:002010-12-17T10:38:33.545-06:00

I have always had a love for making homemade holiday ornaments. My inspiration came from my mother who would always hang the handmade ornaments we made her as children. No matter how old or worn, my mother proudly smiled at the handmade ornaments on her tree that reminded her of our love for her as children.Each year when we visit my Mom and Dad, looking at her tree is like looking at a family

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-84370012275137180682010-11-29T23:30:00.002-06:002010-12-10T11:41:31.484-06:00

This Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent and the boys and I made together our of Advent Wreath from recycled materials. We are known for making recycled holiday crafts and this year is no exception. During Advent our family will be keeping CHRIST in Christmas and sharing the gift of Faith, Hope, Love, and Peace.Family ReadingWe read in our Doubleday Illustrated Children's Bible the story "Time

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-68701707153481853122010-11-28T17:12:00.004-06:002010-11-29T17:45:49.875-06:00

This Sunday November 28 begins Advent. I look forward to celebrating this season with my children. It a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. For hundreds of years, Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes for the coming of Christ. By lighting candles and reading Bible verses, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ's birth and become more excited about his coming in

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-38753872849148515362010-11-23T23:00:00.000-06:002010-11-24T04:12:35.704-06:00

This past week we did a unit study on Thanksgving and learned about Indian corn from reading the book Corn is Maize: The gift of the Indians by Aliki.Inspired by our Indian Corn we set out to make our own craft versions. Together we made a fun craft with pipe cleaners, beads. and brown paper.Here's how we made ours!Materials:Chenille stems (pipe cleaners)assorted 6mm faceted beads (fall colors –

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-90292529404119466452010-11-21T22:00:00.002-06:002011-06-24T14:25:05.663-05:00

November 15 to November 19 This week, we learned about the Pilgrims and their voyage on the Mayflower, Pilgrim and Wampanoag Indian life, the first Thanksgiving and about Turkeys. It was a fun filled week that was rich in history and culture. On Monday, we set sail on the Mayflower by reading about about the Pilgrims and their travel to the New World through the book “If you sailed on the

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-2702723731874677072010-11-17T23:58:00.001-06:002010-11-20T18:16:39.116-06:00

We have a winner in our Really Wooly Kids DVD giveaway!Shannon at Welcome to our Wonderland will be receiving a copy of Really Woolly Kids : Trusting in the Shepherd, a new DVD available for purchase at Dayspring.This was my first giveaway and I look forward to hosting more soon.

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-90901518609052438442010-11-16T21:00:00.003-06:002011-06-24T14:25:27.093-05:00

Today, we continued our reading of the book “If you sailed on the Mayflower” by Ann McGovern. I read aloud pages 32-50 from the book which tells the story of the Pilgrims voyage to the world and life during the 66 days they sailed and then landed in the New World. After our reading, we enjoyed viewing a live webcast from the Pilmoth Plantation that was being made by Scholastic. I had registered

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-84762975361524286962010-11-16T13:07:00.015-06:002011-06-24T14:25:48.079-05:00

Monday, was our first day of our Thanksgiving unit. I read aloud pages 10-31 of the book “If you sailed on the Mayflower” by Ann McGovern. We used our dry erase board to explain the story to my youngest son. We learned why the Pilgrims fled Europe to travel to the New World. The boys said that they would feel sad too if an English King told them they had to give up something or someone they love

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-64077428467687135962010-11-15T10:00:00.006-06:002011-06-24T14:26:13.039-05:00

This week, we are learning about the Pilgrims and their voyage on the Mayflower, Pilgrim and Indian life, the first Thanksgiving and about Turkeys. I have a general outline of our plans for the week that I thought I would share with you. Next weekend, I will have our Week in Review on our week posted after we complete our study on Thanksgiving. Here are the books we will be reading throughout

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-22449576259147653462010-11-14T13:17:00.000-06:002010-11-17T13:23:27.346-06:00

Originally we planned to explore Canada as part of our learning about North America but we are making a short detour to learn about some U.S. History and Geography as we learn about the Pilgrims and their voyage on the Mayflower to the New World. We will having a week devoted to reading about the Pilgrims, Wampanoag Indians, their daily life, foods grown and eaten then and today, and the First

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-35353057634684932582010-11-10T16:39:00.004-06:002010-11-11T14:42:50.033-06:00

This week we started on fractions. My older sister gave us some Math Fraction strips made of durable plastic and they come in handy when covering math with the boys. We liked them so much that I tried finding a second set online to no avail so I set on making my own for the boys! We want to share our printable with you! Just click on the thumbnail image above to download your own Math Fraction

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-82072848951900025902010-11-10T12:00:00.004-06:002010-11-10T19:32:14.363-06:00

As part of our study of a Harvest theme, we read "the Little Red Hen makes a pizza." We had read this book last Fall and the boys requested it again. The book is one of our favorites!The LIttle Red Hen makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges tells a different version of The Little Ren Hen. In this version of the industrious Little Red Hen, she wants to make a pizza. Little Red Hen discovers that she

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-37276910943893624752010-11-09T16:24:00.006-06:002010-11-16T01:00:22.411-06:00

We have primarily use Bible Stories from the Bible to teach with but sometimes it can be diffilcult for young children to understand God's word. As a mom, I try to find ways of teaching my sons about God’s word without weighing them down and losing their attention so when I was contacted recently to review a Really Woolly Kids DVD, I said yes. Really Woolly Kids : Trusting in the Shepherd, a new

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-16253675361199144382010-11-07T23:46:00.004-06:002011-06-24T13:59:14.151-05:00

We spent the last two weeks moving through Mexico for our Galloping the globe studies (world geography). We did many crafts, read some wonderful children's books and made some Mexican cuisine. Here is our two week plan we used of our geography studies on Mexico: Week 1 Layout Monday- Use the Atlas and globe to locate the the country of Mexico. Read in our Around the World book some information

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-40756640107506121422010-11-06T23:50:00.000-05:002010-11-08T01:09:36.032-06:00

I recently got my computer back on Saturday after being in the shop. My hard drive went out Tuesday we lost all my files and photos. I know I should have stored my photos to disc or an external hard drive. Now I have to start from scratch.

SANDRAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09042922064027565051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764371454327746302.post-66029653257689406722010-11-06T23:12:00.003-05:002011-06-24T14:26:31.485-05:00

November 1st to 5th This week we started a unit on a Harvest theme. We learned about different fruits and vegetables that are harvested in the Autumn season as well as the different types of Harvest celebrations held in different countries. Did you know? Harvest festivals take place all over the world, and have for centuries. Click HERE to find out more. Here are just some the interesting

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This week for Book Sharing Monday, we'd like to share with a wonderful book that shares the love of God using Pumpkins to illustrate the simple concept of His wonderful plan of salvation.The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs is a book that shows through the story of God's love for us. The story begins when a farmer takes pumpkin seeds and carefully plants them, nurtures them, waits

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