Welcome to the Wild West, and to Jasmine's General Store.
Inside are many drawers, all full of bits and bobs for sale!
C'mon over and shop!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Hideaway: Old West General Store
We're now in the 19th century! It's incredible how far we've come.
Welcome to the Wild West, and to Jasmine's General Store.
Ya might notice the sign outside, created by the store owner, indicating that light bulbs are among the things available for purchase inside. But there's a warning: don't eat the light bulbs.
Inside are many drawers, all full of bits and bobs for sale!
C'mon over and shop!
Welcome to the Wild West, and to Jasmine's General Store.
Inside are many drawers, all full of bits and bobs for sale!
C'mon over and shop!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Spelling again
It's not all transferring over to when she's writing (she spelled "I" "iey" a day or so after it showed up on her spelling list) but I know it will come. And I love the logic of this, and the way it builds on itself. Just the way they learn to read! I can't believe this is such an unusual technique, because it's so incredibly logical!!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Spelling
Spelling has been getting groans from the girls.
And from mom, if I'm completely honest.
So I knew it was time to change gears to something completely different.
My friend told me about the method she's been using for her 4th grader, and after she described it to me I decided to give it a try.
So I picked up a copy of Sequential Spelling, Level 1.
So far we've done two lessons. Oh, and Bekah's doing it with us.
They love it. They're succeeding, they're laughing, and they're learning without even realizing it!
A quick summary of how it works:
They start with writing "in." That's pretty easy to figure out. You write it on a white board and they see that they did get it! (they correct themselves as they go)
Then you have them write "pin." Also pretty easy, since they've already thought through the "in" part.
They write a couple more words the same way...they write it out, you write it on the white board and they see if they got it right. And they're done!!
Painless. Even for a child who doesn't like to write (though thankfully that doesn't seem to be as bad as it used to be. I think Copywork is helping tremendously in that regard), and even for a not-quite-5-year-old (who reads like a 9-year old)!!
And from mom, if I'm completely honest.
So I knew it was time to change gears to something completely different.
My friend told me about the method she's been using for her 4th grader, and after she described it to me I decided to give it a try.
So I picked up a copy of Sequential Spelling, Level 1.
So far we've done two lessons. Oh, and Bekah's doing it with us.
They love it. They're succeeding, they're laughing, and they're learning without even realizing it!
A quick summary of how it works:
They start with writing "in." That's pretty easy to figure out. You write it on a white board and they see that they did get it! (they correct themselves as they go)
Then you have them write "pin." Also pretty easy, since they've already thought through the "in" part.
They write a couple more words the same way...they write it out, you write it on the white board and they see if they got it right. And they're done!!
Painless. Even for a child who doesn't like to write (though thankfully that doesn't seem to be as bad as it used to be. I think Copywork is helping tremendously in that regard), and even for a not-quite-5-year-old (who reads like a 9-year old)!!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Excellent idea, Mommy!
Yesterday, I was told, was the best day of school, ever.
Both Jasmine and Bekah told me separately that they loved it. Bekah told me school had been fun, and that I'd had an excellent idea. Yes, my 4-3/4-year-old daughter used the word excellent.
And Jasmine told me it was the most fun day of school she'd ever had.
And what was this wonderful thing I'd let them do??
We'd made Goobleck.
At first it was on the watery side but they had a blast:
I added more cornstarch and it was even cooler (so cool that I forgot to take pictures).
Even Josh thought it was cool when he tried it this morning.
It's messy. We have cornstarch all over the floor, counters and the stovetop. But it's been a lot of fun, trying to decide if it's a solid or a liquid!
*****important*****
If you make this, Don't put it down the drain when you're done. It will clog your drains. Throw it in the garbage!! (or let it dry and add water again for more fun someday down the road!)
Both Jasmine and Bekah told me separately that they loved it. Bekah told me school had been fun, and that I'd had an excellent idea. Yes, my 4-3/4-year-old daughter used the word excellent.
And Jasmine told me it was the most fun day of school she'd ever had.
And what was this wonderful thing I'd let them do??
We'd made Goobleck.
At first it was on the watery side but they had a blast:
I added more cornstarch and it was even cooler (so cool that I forgot to take pictures).
Even Josh thought it was cool when he tried it this morning.
It's messy. We have cornstarch all over the floor, counters and the stovetop. But it's been a lot of fun, trying to decide if it's a solid or a liquid!
*****important*****
If you make this, Don't put it down the drain when you're done. It will clog your drains. Throw it in the garbage!! (or let it dry and add water again for more fun someday down the road!)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Planning Stage
I don't know how it's possible, but it's time for me to start planning for school for next year.
Jasmine thinks we should spend the whole year doing science. She thinks it's the most enjoyable subject, but I think the state might have something to say about that.
So we're going to do a lot of science, but also spend the year studying American history and the other normal stuff.
And we're going out on a limb and doing our own curriculum for those two subjects!!!
We have access to a beautiful Christian library 10 minutes away. And what's even better is it's in the building where Josh works. So I can do a search and write to him, requesting a specific book to bring home for school the next day. How perfect is that?
We're going to stick with RightStart for math, Susan Wise Bauer's materials for language arts, and we're going to start using Sequential Spelling because we haven't found anything we like and that looks awesome.
I think this is the first post ever not to have pictures! I haven't taken any recently...well, none concerning school....I'll have to remedy that!
Jasmine thinks we should spend the whole year doing science. She thinks it's the most enjoyable subject, but I think the state might have something to say about that.
So we're going to do a lot of science, but also spend the year studying American history and the other normal stuff.
And we're going out on a limb and doing our own curriculum for those two subjects!!!
We have access to a beautiful Christian library 10 minutes away. And what's even better is it's in the building where Josh works. So I can do a search and write to him, requesting a specific book to bring home for school the next day. How perfect is that?
We're going to stick with RightStart for math, Susan Wise Bauer's materials for language arts, and we're going to start using Sequential Spelling because we haven't found anything we like and that looks awesome.
I think this is the first post ever not to have pictures! I haven't taken any recently...well, none concerning school....I'll have to remedy that!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Enjoying the Journey
(I accidentally posted this on the family blog yesterday, so please forgive me if you've already read it over there!)
I'm finally disciplining myself and spending less time online. And I love the feeling. I feel so free! My house is staying cleaner. We got the week's school done in 4 days, and I think all but one day it was done before lunch. Which is good; tomorrow we'll start in on some of next week's school, since we have outings three days next week!!
But I did manage to get a few pictures :)
This was Monday morning's pile. One morning.
And yes, we got it all done!
Yeah, I know. It's a sandwich.
No, it's not a gun.
She recognized that the shape looked familiar: she matched it on her puzzle and proclaimed it Oklahoma!
Then she ate it, saying things like "I just ate a big church!"
Playing with the abacus after finishing her worksheet.
Bekah, proudly showing off her work.
Happy end of week 21!
I'm finally disciplining myself and spending less time online. And I love the feeling. I feel so free! My house is staying cleaner. We got the week's school done in 4 days, and I think all but one day it was done before lunch. Which is good; tomorrow we'll start in on some of next week's school, since we have outings three days next week!!
But I did manage to get a few pictures :)
And yes, we got it all done!
No, it's not a gun.
She recognized that the shape looked familiar: she matched it on her puzzle and proclaimed it Oklahoma!
Then she ate it, saying things like "I just ate a big church!"
Happy end of week 21!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Insecurities
Today's math lesson brought something out that I don't usually think about.
(story: they were working on their worksheet:
Jasmine used the abacus to figure out the totals, which is what the book intended for her to do. Bekah, though, figured out how straight-forward it was. On the first one, you can see a 0 that was erased between the two. She told me the right answer but wrote it the way she says it: "two ten five." She wrote "two ten (20) five." As soon as I showed her with their placecards how the 5 covers the 0, she didn't make that error again.)
Jasmine is very bright. School comes quickly to her, other than writing, so we're working on that. But the rest isn't difficult. She does worry about the future, though. She worries that she'll be left to do work on her own and not get the help she needs. I've spent a long time talking through that with her.
Bekah is in a different league from Jasmine. I'm sure we'll find something she struggles with someday...oh wait! I have it. She doesn't want to talk to other people. She thinks the family should be enough, and doesn't understand why there's a need to ever see anyone else. So there's her struggle.
Jasmine is starting to recognize the fact that Bekah can do everything Jasmine can do. And it's making her uncomfortable.
What makes this a million times harder for me is that she is ME. I always knew I was decently bright, but my brother outshone me...in everything but talking to people. Yup, even down to that. So though I'm comfortable with who I am now and who he is now, it hurts me to see her struggle. I know how she feels, and I'm not sure how to help her through it appropriately.
It's funny. I don't really compare the kids the rest of the time. I see them as all completely different kids, who touch my heart in different ways and all three mean the world to me. But when they're both doing the same work, it's next to impossible not to notice the difference.
Anyone else go through this? I'd love to hear that I'll get better at it and not notice so much down the road!
(story: they were working on their worksheet:
Jasmine is very bright. School comes quickly to her, other than writing, so we're working on that. But the rest isn't difficult. She does worry about the future, though. She worries that she'll be left to do work on her own and not get the help she needs. I've spent a long time talking through that with her.
Bekah is in a different league from Jasmine. I'm sure we'll find something she struggles with someday...oh wait! I have it. She doesn't want to talk to other people. She thinks the family should be enough, and doesn't understand why there's a need to ever see anyone else. So there's her struggle.
Jasmine is starting to recognize the fact that Bekah can do everything Jasmine can do. And it's making her uncomfortable.
What makes this a million times harder for me is that she is ME. I always knew I was decently bright, but my brother outshone me...in everything but talking to people. Yup, even down to that. So though I'm comfortable with who I am now and who he is now, it hurts me to see her struggle. I know how she feels, and I'm not sure how to help her through it appropriately.
It's funny. I don't really compare the kids the rest of the time. I see them as all completely different kids, who touch my heart in different ways and all three mean the world to me. But when they're both doing the same work, it's next to impossible not to notice the difference.
Anyone else go through this? I'd love to hear that I'll get better at it and not notice so much down the road!
Math
I haven't talked much at all about math. Which is a shame, because we love the curriculum.
We're using RightStart (link is on the top left of the Blog page. Too lazy to get it myself, knowing you can see it now). Jasmine's still using the kindergarten level because we bought it for her last year, but she's going through it more quickly because of that.
Bekah's in the room for most lessons. We try to do math when Hudson's sleeping because he's just too much "help" with the abacus and place cards. But he's heard enough that when I said "six plus one equals" he chimed in "what?" and I've heard him call the abacus a "ten" (there are lots of "tens" in the way they teach counting.
It's a completely different way of doing math from what we traditionally do in America. I always loved math and did beautifully in it, but I liked the way this goes about it. It's closer to the way children in Japan are taught, but it doesn't put them at a disadvantage when they're tested using Western exams. It's just a different way of looking at math.
I'm not going to try to explain it all. If you're interested in seeing what it does, check out their site. I'll just tell you that we love it and it's done an amazing job.
And to prove that, here's Bekah's worksheet from this morning. (I will note that there are very few worksheets in their system. This is #15 and we've done more than 40 lessons).
(by the way, her 3s are blowing bubbles. My children don't lack any creativity!)
We're using RightStart (link is on the top left of the Blog page. Too lazy to get it myself, knowing you can see it now). Jasmine's still using the kindergarten level because we bought it for her last year, but she's going through it more quickly because of that.
Bekah's in the room for most lessons. We try to do math when Hudson's sleeping because he's just too much "help" with the abacus and place cards. But he's heard enough that when I said "six plus one equals" he chimed in "what?" and I've heard him call the abacus a "ten" (there are lots of "tens" in the way they teach counting.
It's a completely different way of doing math from what we traditionally do in America. I always loved math and did beautifully in it, but I liked the way this goes about it. It's closer to the way children in Japan are taught, but it doesn't put them at a disadvantage when they're tested using Western exams. It's just a different way of looking at math.
I'm not going to try to explain it all. If you're interested in seeing what it does, check out their site. I'll just tell you that we love it and it's done an amazing job.
And to prove that, here's Bekah's worksheet from this morning. (I will note that there are very few worksheets in their system. This is #15 and we've done more than 40 lessons).
Friday, October 14, 2011
Finishing the Second Quarter
Technically she still has to do a little more cutting and gluing...
but we're done. We've finished the quarter. And that means our school year is half-done.
On October 14th.
I'm shocked, excited, and SO proud. It's crazy to see how much has changed since the year started, but how much is going the way we'd hoped and how much we still enjoy it!
Last week Jasmine tackled a huge project. In her Copywork, she has her choice of two sentences. One is very short, and the other more involved. Until this one, she'd always chosen the short one. But she decided she could tackle the long one, because it involved "supercalifragilisticexpialidocous." Bekah wanted in on the action too:
I let Bekah just write the million dollar word, but Jasmine had to write a whole sentence.
And they both did great!
Her handwriting has gotten a million times better since we started doing copywork 7 weeks ago. I think the fact that she knows it's the only writing she does helps. Bekah is happy doing anything involving writing, so we may use a lot more workbooks/worksheets with her, but for Jasmine, less is definitely more.
While they worked on this, I let Hudson work on one of his "busy bags." I'd been a little concerned that he didn't know his colors (and of course it made me wonder if he might be colorblind), but apparently it's just that he's playing the game my brother Phillip did, not wanting to name the colors but being plenty able to tell them apart. Because he played this game perfectly:
(sorting pompoms onto plates that matched). He loved it!
We finally did a Hideaway again! I've been dragging my feet lately because I'm so tired of cutting doors out of the boxes. I need to keep doing it, though, because they love them and we bought the boxes!! (and it's why we chose Hideaways in History, after all!)
So: we made the Taj Mahal.
And they put on their Indian garb for the pictures:
"namaste!"
but we're done. We've finished the quarter. And that means our school year is half-done.
On October 14th.
I'm shocked, excited, and SO proud. It's crazy to see how much has changed since the year started, but how much is going the way we'd hoped and how much we still enjoy it!
Last week Jasmine tackled a huge project. In her Copywork, she has her choice of two sentences. One is very short, and the other more involved. Until this one, she'd always chosen the short one. But she decided she could tackle the long one, because it involved "supercalifragilisticexpialidocous." Bekah wanted in on the action too:
I let Bekah just write the million dollar word, but Jasmine had to write a whole sentence.
Her handwriting has gotten a million times better since we started doing copywork 7 weeks ago. I think the fact that she knows it's the only writing she does helps. Bekah is happy doing anything involving writing, so we may use a lot more workbooks/worksheets with her, but for Jasmine, less is definitely more.
While they worked on this, I let Hudson work on one of his "busy bags." I'd been a little concerned that he didn't know his colors (and of course it made me wonder if he might be colorblind), but apparently it's just that he's playing the game my brother Phillip did, not wanting to name the colors but being plenty able to tell them apart. Because he played this game perfectly:
We finally did a Hideaway again! I've been dragging my feet lately because I'm so tired of cutting doors out of the boxes. I need to keep doing it, though, because they love them and we bought the boxes!! (and it's why we chose Hideaways in History, after all!)
So: we made the Taj Mahal.
And they put on their Indian garb for the pictures:
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Science
A confession: I've been a bit of a slacker with science experiments/activities.
But I've started to turn that around, and we all enjoy the activities. Since the language arts takes so much less time, energy and stress, it's okay to plan for things that take a little more prep work on my part!
Yesterday we did a bunch of activities about air, and what air can do. Our favorite: racing water drops across a piece of waxed paper!
(Bekah was involved too, but she just didn't make the shot)
The water droplets broke up as they were pushed across the finish line, but they all had a blast!
We haven't gotten this week's hideaway even started yet, but there's still time. It's only Thursday afternoon!!
But I've started to turn that around, and we all enjoy the activities. Since the language arts takes so much less time, energy and stress, it's okay to plan for things that take a little more prep work on my part!
Yesterday we did a bunch of activities about air, and what air can do. Our favorite: racing water drops across a piece of waxed paper!
The water droplets broke up as they were pushed across the finish line, but they all had a blast!
We haven't gotten this week's hideaway even started yet, but there's still time. It's only Thursday afternoon!!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hideaway: African Hut
Last week we finished up the Medieval Period. We had a whirlwind tour this past week, touching on Turkey (yay!), China, India, Africa and Russia.
The project was making an African Hut.
cut
We didn't have enough full-sized newspapers to make a roof (or the back, ahem) but it still came out cute!
On to Early Modern History, and Irish Dance classes (which have nothing whatsoever to do with this blog, but we're all excited anyhow).
The project was making an African Hut.
We didn't have enough full-sized newspapers to make a roof (or the back, ahem) but it still came out cute!
On to Early Modern History, and Irish Dance classes (which have nothing whatsoever to do with this blog, but we're all excited anyhow).
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Adjustments
Remember our lovely posters?
They came down. I was tired of using up so much tape to keep them up for a day.
Unfortunately a couple had been well-taped (Thursday, I think), so we now have a couple spots that will need some fixing-up work when we paint there next. *sigh*
I tried something new while still using the badges we already created: making a ribbon for each day with the 12 velcro circles on them. One of the ribbons doesn't hold the sticky well, so I'll need to sew them on (or buy more normal ribbon ;) ) but I think it will work!!
They came down. I was tired of using up so much tape to keep them up for a day.
Unfortunately a couple had been well-taped (Thursday, I think), so we now have a couple spots that will need some fixing-up work when we paint there next. *sigh*
I tried something new while still using the badges we already created: making a ribbon for each day with the 12 velcro circles on them. One of the ribbons doesn't hold the sticky well, so I'll need to sew them on (or buy more normal ribbon ;) ) but I think it will work!!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Mongol Yurt
This week we're learning about what was going on in Asia during the Middle Ages.
We haven't read as far as the Mongols yet, but the kids were excited to start on the Hideaway.
This was one that we had to improvise on their plans, since we don't have a round table I could give up for the week. I wasn't too gung-ho on eating on the kitchen floor. Such a party-pooper.
So we tried their "simplified" idea, which was much harder than their original plans. But at least it didn't take our table.
It lasted a total of 10 minutes.
(watching for bad guys)
When it fell apart, I attempted to convert it into a new part of their "reading nook" in their bedroom.
Yesterday, the nook looked like this:
Today, adding in the hoop and sheet, it became:
We won't talk about the pile of books on the floor.
Jasmine is still Jasmine, even at 6. She thought it should go in the middle of the room as a play area, but I told her it's not strong enough for that. So this was her way of "getting back at me" without actually ripping it from the ceiling (because I told her it wasn't going back up once it fell).
Oh, right. I wasn't going to talk about it.
We still have some math to do today, but otherwise we're in great shape! That always feels good :)
We haven't read as far as the Mongols yet, but the kids were excited to start on the Hideaway.
This was one that we had to improvise on their plans, since we don't have a round table I could give up for the week. I wasn't too gung-ho on eating on the kitchen floor. Such a party-pooper.
So we tried their "simplified" idea, which was much harder than their original plans. But at least it didn't take our table.
When it fell apart, I attempted to convert it into a new part of their "reading nook" in their bedroom.
Yesterday, the nook looked like this:
Today, adding in the hoop and sheet, it became:
We won't talk about the pile of books on the floor.
Jasmine is still Jasmine, even at 6. She thought it should go in the middle of the room as a play area, but I told her it's not strong enough for that. So this was her way of "getting back at me" without actually ripping it from the ceiling (because I told her it wasn't going back up once it fell).
Oh, right. I wasn't going to talk about it.
We still have some math to do today, but otherwise we're in great shape! That always feels good :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
One third done: second one starting!
I almost called it a "trimester" but don't want anyone even momentarily thinking I'm pregnant!
I realized this weekend that we'd finished the 1/3 mark. Not that I'm counting down, but I love seeing the fractions.
Yes, I'm a math geek. You had to ask??
So I thought this might be a good time to summarize what's working for us, what I wish we'd done differently, and anything else I think of.
Working:
badge system
Not working:
badge posters
Next year we'll come up with something that doesn't fall apart in the humidity. And maybe something smaller, so it doesn't take up every available inch of wall space!
Working:
Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Not working:
that exact copy of the book
Working:
Writing with Ease
Not working:
All the workbooks
I have to admit, I'm already starting to ponder ideas for next year. Thinking of songs about animals, etc...but for the most part I'm just loving this year. Even days like today, when the kids are all recovering from head colds and I'm praying I'm not getting it, I'm still enjoying the time and experience with the kids. It's magical, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!
I realized this weekend that we'd finished the 1/3 mark. Not that I'm counting down, but I love seeing the fractions.
Yes, I'm a math geek. You had to ask??
So I thought this might be a good time to summarize what's working for us, what I wish we'd done differently, and anything else I think of.
Working:
badge system
Not working:
badge posters
Working:
Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Not working:
that exact copy of the book
Working:
Writing with Ease
Not working:
All the workbooks
I have to admit, I'm already starting to ponder ideas for next year. Thinking of songs about animals, etc...but for the most part I'm just loving this year. Even days like today, when the kids are all recovering from head colds and I'm praying I'm not getting it, I'm still enjoying the time and experience with the kids. It's magical, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Spelling Fun
Jasmine has a tough spelling list this week.
-er, -ir and -ur words. They all sound the same, so it's pure memorization to learn which is which.
So we've come up with silly sentences to help her remember. And it seems to be working well!
"I am a girl because girl has an i in it."
"I wear a skirt because skirt has an i in it."
"You are a nurse. I'm not one, because nurse has an u in it."
Today we did a practice with sand.
After we finished, I did a quick quiz with her, asking her for the sentence for each of the 10 spelling words without seeing the word. She got all 10 right. So she should be ready for the test tomorrow :)
But it kept him from begging for Jasmine's sand!
-er, -ir and -ur words. They all sound the same, so it's pure memorization to learn which is which.
So we've come up with silly sentences to help her remember. And it seems to be working well!
"I am a girl because girl has an i in it."
"I wear a skirt because skirt has an i in it."
"You are a nurse. I'm not one, because nurse has an u in it."
Today we did a practice with sand.
She wrote the words in the sand.
The funniest part? My daughter, who hates pencils and pens, actually wrote the last word in the sand with a pencil.
I don't get it either.
After we finished, I did a quick quiz with her, asking her for the sentence for each of the 10 spelling words without seeing the word. She got all 10 right. So she should be ready for the test tomorrow :)
Hudson wanted to be involved, but I didn't really want to let him go to town with sand. So I gave him a pie pan with lentils. He had a blast and still made a mess.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Medieval Castle
We're a week behind in actual hideaway structures. We may stay that way and build the Tudor House next week, or skip the house completely.
But as my daughters live to be princesses, spending time making the castle was definitely high on our list of priorities!
(word to the wise. If you're going to use the flaps upright to add height, tape them together BEFORE you paint. The paint warps the cardboard. Don't be like me.)
Pouting because I didn't do her hair the way she wanted it. She is a princess.
Prince Hudson, all decked out in clothes from India.
(he just keeps getting cuter. Oh my goodness.)
The Queen
(which makes me the Queen Mother!)
The kids all helped paint the outlines of the stones on the castle. Don't they look realistic?
But as my daughters live to be princesses, spending time making the castle was definitely high on our list of priorities!
(word to the wise. If you're going to use the flaps upright to add height, tape them together BEFORE you paint. The paint warps the cardboard. Don't be like me.)
Pouting because I didn't do her hair the way she wanted it. She is a princess.
Prince Hudson, all decked out in clothes from India.
The Queen
The kids all helped paint the outlines of the stones on the castle. Don't they look realistic?
New Directions
Things are changing a little.
After pulling teeth for the first 11 weeks of school, trying to get Jasmine to do the workbooks, I realized it just wasn't working. So after talking to a friend a few years ahead of me in this learning experience, we're now using Susan Wise Bauer's materials for language arts.
We're using Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons, Level 1. She still didn't want to write yesterday for the first copywork assignment, but she eventually did it (she got paid in chocolate chips for each word written. I fed her like a sea lion, which she thought was hilarious. We will not consistently use bribery or sweets, but I needed her to start out with a success).
I also bought triangular pencils in hopes that it would help her hold the pencil properly. Hopefully that will help it be more comfortable, in case comfort is part of the problem here.
It's possible it's just some of Josh's genes showing up. He's always hated writing. Fought it his whole life. But she needs the basics, no matter how much she wishes she didn't.
We celebrated by finishing a project that Bekah did the bulk of. I traced starfish onto a bunch of pieces of construction paper, and Bekah cut them out (and added smiley faces to most of them), and this morning we taped them to yarn and hung them up. We learned a little about sea creatures last week and have been reading about shells and the animals that live(d) in them, so this was a fun little celebration! The kids think it looks like a party in the homeschool room!
After pulling teeth for the first 11 weeks of school, trying to get Jasmine to do the workbooks, I realized it just wasn't working. So after talking to a friend a few years ahead of me in this learning experience, we're now using Susan Wise Bauer's materials for language arts.
We're using Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons, Level 1. She still didn't want to write yesterday for the first copywork assignment, but she eventually did it (she got paid in chocolate chips for each word written. I fed her like a sea lion, which she thought was hilarious. We will not consistently use bribery or sweets, but I needed her to start out with a success).
I also bought triangular pencils in hopes that it would help her hold the pencil properly. Hopefully that will help it be more comfortable, in case comfort is part of the problem here.
It's possible it's just some of Josh's genes showing up. He's always hated writing. Fought it his whole life. But she needs the basics, no matter how much she wishes she didn't.
We celebrated by finishing a project that Bekah did the bulk of. I traced starfish onto a bunch of pieces of construction paper, and Bekah cut them out (and added smiley faces to most of them), and this morning we taped them to yarn and hung them up. We learned a little about sea creatures last week and have been reading about shells and the animals that live(d) in them, so this was a fun little celebration! The kids think it looks like a party in the homeschool room!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Back in the saddle again
Just a quick check-in...
we're finally back up and running again. Week 11: Medieval England. I'm fascinated about what we're learning already this week! I read a book called "1066 And All That," which is a very silly "English 'history'" book, but since I don't know any of the real history, most of it is over my head. So reading about Alfred the Great made the jokes a lot more understandable!
We cut out a large castle. I donned my very bad British Accent as I cut out the doors and windows. Bekah got on my case as soon as I lapsed into my normal voice.
Tomorrow we paint and glue the two boxes together, and then I'll get pictures. I have too many pictures to edit from our vacation last week to want to touch the camera again today!
Last week was a great learning experience, though. They had a horseback riding lesson, we visited the aquarium, Old Fort Niagara, a botanical garden, the county fair, watched their daddy take a flying lesson, went to the Museum of Play...so to read all about our educational fun week, check out my other blog!
we're finally back up and running again. Week 11: Medieval England. I'm fascinated about what we're learning already this week! I read a book called "1066 And All That," which is a very silly "English 'history'" book, but since I don't know any of the real history, most of it is over my head. So reading about Alfred the Great made the jokes a lot more understandable!
We cut out a large castle. I donned my very bad British Accent as I cut out the doors and windows. Bekah got on my case as soon as I lapsed into my normal voice.
Tomorrow we paint and glue the two boxes together, and then I'll get pictures. I have too many pictures to edit from our vacation last week to want to touch the camera again today!
Last week was a great learning experience, though. They had a horseback riding lesson, we visited the aquarium, Old Fort Niagara, a botanical garden, the county fair, watched their daddy take a flying lesson, went to the Museum of Play...so to read all about our educational fun week, check out my other blog!
Monday, July 25, 2011
First Quarter
We're just finishing up the first quarter!
I'm stunned.
We love the curriculum. We love the books, the projects, the things we're learning. (yes, "we" are learning. I'm learning as much as she is!)
She has a handful of un-fun things she needs to finish from last week, and then we'll be finished with the first quarter. I'll write my quarterly, but not hand it in to the school until late October (I've scheduled it to be due November 1st).
We're always hearing questions about if we'll give the kids vacations.
I love the way we're doing it now. We'll be taking off a week in mid-August to have a "stay-cation" (I hate that term and insist that we call it a vacation, but it really does tell you that we're not going anywhere!)
At this point I don't see a need or have a desire to take a long vacation from school. This way she's not forgetting it all, but more importantly, she is a different girl on the days we do school. And in a very good way.
So here's to three more quarters as smooth and fun as this first quarter has been!!
I'm stunned.
We love the curriculum. We love the books, the projects, the things we're learning. (yes, "we" are learning. I'm learning as much as she is!)
She has a handful of un-fun things she needs to finish from last week, and then we'll be finished with the first quarter. I'll write my quarterly, but not hand it in to the school until late October (I've scheduled it to be due November 1st).
We're always hearing questions about if we'll give the kids vacations.
I love the way we're doing it now. We'll be taking off a week in mid-August to have a "stay-cation" (I hate that term and insist that we call it a vacation, but it really does tell you that we're not going anywhere!)
At this point I don't see a need or have a desire to take a long vacation from school. This way she's not forgetting it all, but more importantly, she is a different girl on the days we do school. And in a very good way.
So here's to three more quarters as smooth and fun as this first quarter has been!!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Contests: a request
I'm SO excited!
I've been chosen as a finalist in a contest for the place where I get my pictures printed, iPrintFromHome.com . They chose 14 pictures out of 100, one of them being mine, and now people are voting for their favorites. The top 8 pictures will be featured on the paper packs they send to all their new customers. How amazing would it be if my daughter's beautiful face was on one of those papers?!??!
So...would you mind taking 30 seconds and helping me out?
There are two ways to do it. If you're on Facebook, go to their fan page here, "like" it, and then "like" the picture of Jasmine here.
this is what you're looking for:
If you're not on Facebook or don't want to do it that way, you can email it to them. Go here to see the pictures, and then email them here with the name of the picture ("Howdy, Girl!") and that will get me a vote too!
(please only vote once) :)
Thank you!!! I'll know in a week if I won and I'll be sure to let you know!!!
I've been chosen as a finalist in a contest for the place where I get my pictures printed, iPrintFromHome.com . They chose 14 pictures out of 100, one of them being mine, and now people are voting for their favorites. The top 8 pictures will be featured on the paper packs they send to all their new customers. How amazing would it be if my daughter's beautiful face was on one of those papers?!??!
So...would you mind taking 30 seconds and helping me out?
There are two ways to do it. If you're on Facebook, go to their fan page here, "like" it, and then "like" the picture of Jasmine here.
this is what you're looking for:
If you're not on Facebook or don't want to do it that way, you can email it to them. Go here to see the pictures, and then email them here with the name of the picture ("Howdy, Girl!") and that will get me a vote too!
(please only vote once) :)
Thank you!!! I'll know in a week if I won and I'll be sure to let you know!!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Great Transition
This morning Aya Sofya underwent a huge, dramatic transformation.
Well, it changed, anyhow.
The mosaics were pulled down or painted over.
There are now minarets on the corners.
(first picture: a Byzantine church. Second: a mosque!)
We're taking it slow this week. It's hot (like everywhere else in the country), and we don't have central air, so out of necessity we need to take it slower. I can't even do as much reading as I'd like to, because I have to speak over three fans and a window a/c. It's LOUD in here.
But we've had fun learning and exploring, and I'm letting the kids do yoga because I know that this DVD is very low-impact so won't make them too hot.
Well, it changed, anyhow.
The mosaics were pulled down or painted over.
There are now minarets on the corners.
We're taking it slow this week. It's hot (like everywhere else in the country), and we don't have central air, so out of necessity we need to take it slower. I can't even do as much reading as I'd like to, because I have to speak over three fans and a window a/c. It's LOUD in here.
But we've had fun learning and exploring, and I'm letting the kids do yoga because I know that this DVD is very low-impact so won't make them too hot.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Week 9
Week Nine means:
1. Ancient History is, well, ancient history
2. we're definitely in a routine now. They know what's expected of me. I know how to get the new week's stuff set up in next to no time.
3. Jasmine knows what each workbook will demand of her and which ones to put off as long as possible.
4. School is getting easier and harder, at the same time.
(easier because she knows what's expected of her and it's easier to write now, harder because it's building on itself)
5. when this week ends, we will be a QUARTER of the way through the school year!
6. excuse me for a minute while I pick my jaw up off the floor.
7. when this week ends, I will tackle my first quarterly report. The school won't get it until late October, but I'm doing it while it's fresh in my mind.
No pictures today, sorry.
1. Ancient History is, well, ancient history
2. we're definitely in a routine now. They know what's expected of me. I know how to get the new week's stuff set up in next to no time.
3. Jasmine knows what each workbook will demand of her and which ones to put off as long as possible.
4. School is getting easier and harder, at the same time.
(easier because she knows what's expected of her and it's easier to write now, harder because it's building on itself)
5. when this week ends, we will be a QUARTER of the way through the school year!
6. excuse me for a minute while I pick my jaw up off the floor.
7. when this week ends, I will tackle my first quarterly report. The school won't get it until late October, but I'm doing it while it's fresh in my mind.
No pictures today, sorry.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Totally cheating
I'm worn out. I've done a TON today.
And tomorrow's going to be insane.
So, rather than repeat all the same stuff, for anyone who reads both blogs, here's the story of what we did today for our Byzantine Turkey Week!
http://joshandcharlene.blogspot.com/2011/07/getting-ready-to-visit-turkey.html
And tomorrow's going to be insane.
So, rather than repeat all the same stuff, for anyone who reads both blogs, here's the story of what we did today for our Byzantine Turkey Week!
http://joshandcharlene.blogspot.com/2011/07/getting-ready-to-visit-turkey.html
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Aya Sofya
We now have the structure of a Byzantine church sitting on our porch.
At one point I considered dragging it into the air conditioned kitchen to work on it...but it's wider than the doorway. So on the porch it stays!
First we made a support for a dome.
Yes, that is two swimming noodles.
(testing it out)
Then I cut door holes in what used to be the Colosseum and hot-glued them to the main "sanctuary."
and let the girls start painting it.
We ran out of pinkish-orange paint before it was finished, so I did some patch-up work. Any tiny globs of paint got relocated.
It's not perfect but it's pinkish-orange!
Next up is decorating the interior. I've been having the kids cut little pieces of construction paper that will get glued to the walls into "mosaics." I'll cut (or have Jasmine cut) circles to make the floor.
Then we need to add domes to the roofs....
At one point I considered dragging it into the air conditioned kitchen to work on it...but it's wider than the doorway. So on the porch it stays!
Yes, that is two swimming noodles.
Then I cut door holes in what used to be the Colosseum and hot-glued them to the main "sanctuary."
We ran out of pinkish-orange paint before it was finished, so I did some patch-up work. Any tiny globs of paint got relocated.
It's not perfect but it's pinkish-orange!
Then we need to add domes to the roofs....
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Upcoming Excitement
This week we are taking a detour to Byzantine Istanbul.
It's perfect. There's a decent amount of it in the WinterPromise books, and my Mother-in-Law kindly sent us a large pile of books from her Christian Library.
I'm teaching the kids how to say a handful of things in Turkish. They love learning a new language, and I love being able to use that part of my brain again.
(in case I've never written it on this blog, I lived in Turkey for two years after college, teaching music at an international school. LOVED the country. Wasn't such a fan of being a classroom music teacher. I love the food, the culture, the language, the music...thus the planned detour!)
And to push us to really make this big, I'm planning an Open House for Friday afternoon. It guarantees I'll get the house clean, I get the opportunity to make a bunch of Turkish things Josh and the kids don't like but others might, and it motivates the kids to keep moving in the school stuff!
Next week (week 9)'s Hideaway is a Mosque. But I'm going above and beyond.
This week we're going to construct Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia to those of you who don't speak Turkish), complete with orangy-pink paint and mosaics inside.
And then next week, instead of starting from scratch, we'll turn our beautiful Byzantine church into a mosque. Put up minarets. Whitewash over the mosaics, pulling off some of the pieces. Pull off the crosses. Show them what it was that happened in 1453 and why it is that so many of the the pictures of the mosaics have huge sections missing. Why you can see holes in the walls where there should be crosses.
And I should now get back to planning this party...
It's perfect. There's a decent amount of it in the WinterPromise books, and my Mother-in-Law kindly sent us a large pile of books from her Christian Library.
I'm teaching the kids how to say a handful of things in Turkish. They love learning a new language, and I love being able to use that part of my brain again.
(in case I've never written it on this blog, I lived in Turkey for two years after college, teaching music at an international school. LOVED the country. Wasn't such a fan of being a classroom music teacher. I love the food, the culture, the language, the music...thus the planned detour!)
And to push us to really make this big, I'm planning an Open House for Friday afternoon. It guarantees I'll get the house clean, I get the opportunity to make a bunch of Turkish things Josh and the kids don't like but others might, and it motivates the kids to keep moving in the school stuff!
Next week (week 9)'s Hideaway is a Mosque. But I'm going above and beyond.
This week we're going to construct Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia to those of you who don't speak Turkish), complete with orangy-pink paint and mosaics inside.
And then next week, instead of starting from scratch, we'll turn our beautiful Byzantine church into a mosque. Put up minarets. Whitewash over the mosaics, pulling off some of the pieces. Pull off the crosses. Show them what it was that happened in 1453 and why it is that so many of the the pictures of the mosaics have huge sections missing. Why you can see holes in the walls where there should be crosses.
And I should now get back to planning this party...
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Swing Low, Pink Chariot
We are officially finishing Ancient History, on to Medieval History.
We'll be taking next week off of the normal curriculum and learning about Turkey for a week. I'm planning it all out. We're going to do a spelling list consisting of all the words she missed on past tests. Should make it easy, but also very important.
We're going to spend the week listening to Tarkan, Sertab and Candan, three of my favorites. And maybe some Kurdish music too, though that's pretty "out there," even for me.
We're going to spend the week creating and enjoying Turkish food. Eggplant, lamb, feta, yogurt, pitas...we'll make bread and maybe even try for some cheese, if we can find rennet at Wegmans!
But for this week, we're still following the course schedule. Week 8! After one more week of the schedule, if I want, I can fill out my quarterly report!! (and I will, too. They just won't get it 'til November. They don't need to know what our real schedule is. I love following the rules and pretending I don't!)
(for anyone who is curious about what I'm talking about, this Squidoo does a good job explaining what's required of me as a New York State resident. If you ever move here (which I pray never happens), it's well worth your money to get/keep an HSLDA membership. We're contacting them for the second time and I've only been an official homeschooler for 6 days!)
So. On to chariots.
After Jasmine got enough other things done today, we tackled our new Hideaway, a chariot. And for the first time, we had a little more flexibility in colors...so naturally, pink was the chosen color.
(by the way. Anyone looking into doing Hideaways, I highly suggest you find a cheap source of 8-ounce acrylic paints. As best as I've found, Hobby Lobby sells them cheapest. They currently have an endcap of them for $1.77 apiece. I'm hoping that's their permanent price, but I'm also hoping we have a large enough stash for awhile)
We started working on it while Hudson napped. I hot-glued the bottom so it was pretty strong, since these boxes came flat.
Then they went to town:
When Hudson woke up, he jumped right in.
With both feet.
This was a tragedy of epic proportions. I had to clean his feet immediately.
Bekah finished while Jasmine knocked on the door.
I don't know either.
We'll put the wheels and the reigns on it tomorrow when we know it's completely dry, and I'll get more pictures. I'm thinking togas...
We'll be taking next week off of the normal curriculum and learning about Turkey for a week. I'm planning it all out. We're going to do a spelling list consisting of all the words she missed on past tests. Should make it easy, but also very important.
We're going to spend the week listening to Tarkan, Sertab and Candan, three of my favorites. And maybe some Kurdish music too, though that's pretty "out there," even for me.
We're going to spend the week creating and enjoying Turkish food. Eggplant, lamb, feta, yogurt, pitas...we'll make bread and maybe even try for some cheese, if we can find rennet at Wegmans!
But for this week, we're still following the course schedule. Week 8! After one more week of the schedule, if I want, I can fill out my quarterly report!! (and I will, too. They just won't get it 'til November. They don't need to know what our real schedule is. I love following the rules and pretending I don't!)
(for anyone who is curious about what I'm talking about, this Squidoo does a good job explaining what's required of me as a New York State resident. If you ever move here (which I pray never happens), it's well worth your money to get/keep an HSLDA membership. We're contacting them for the second time and I've only been an official homeschooler for 6 days!)
So. On to chariots.
After Jasmine got enough other things done today, we tackled our new Hideaway, a chariot. And for the first time, we had a little more flexibility in colors...so naturally, pink was the chosen color.
(by the way. Anyone looking into doing Hideaways, I highly suggest you find a cheap source of 8-ounce acrylic paints. As best as I've found, Hobby Lobby sells them cheapest. They currently have an endcap of them for $1.77 apiece. I'm hoping that's their permanent price, but I'm also hoping we have a large enough stash for awhile)
We started working on it while Hudson napped. I hot-glued the bottom so it was pretty strong, since these boxes came flat.
Then they went to town:
When Hudson woke up, he jumped right in.
With both feet.
This was a tragedy of epic proportions. I had to clean his feet immediately.
I don't know either.
We'll put the wheels and the reigns on it tomorrow when we know it's completely dry, and I'll get more pictures. I'm thinking togas...
Friday, July 1, 2011
Filling out our education experience
I'm a musician.
One who isn't doing much with her music these days.
But, I am proud to say, I have found a way to use my wealth of knowledge and high-quality records (yay for an awesome garage sale! We got a collection of close to 100 records of GOOD classical music, by excellent orchestras, for next to nothing a few years ago! Good thing we have a record player!).
I went through the year's hideaways, as well as the Bible and science topics, and chose a composition that fit in with whatever we were learning. When nothing worked, I went through and chose an instrument (obviously starting with winds. They are going to appreciate a clarinet, no two ways about it!) to focus on.
These past three weeks, we've been learning about ancient Rome.
So out came Respighi!
I have to say, we accidentally spent more time listening to the Pines of Rome than the Fountains of Rome. Because I know the Pines (played it in college orchestra), I wanted to start with that side of the record, so week one was Pines.
Well, week 3 (week two was make-up work) included making a Catacomb. So how could I not listen to the Pines again, with their visiting the Catacombs?!
Oh well. Sorry, fountains.
I'm also trying to add in songs for the kids to sing each week. This week was "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" because we're learning about the human body. They love it! It's nice to know that all those kids' songs I learned in my two miserable years trying to teach general music came to be of value!
One who isn't doing much with her music these days.
But, I am proud to say, I have found a way to use my wealth of knowledge and high-quality records (yay for an awesome garage sale! We got a collection of close to 100 records of GOOD classical music, by excellent orchestras, for next to nothing a few years ago! Good thing we have a record player!).
I went through the year's hideaways, as well as the Bible and science topics, and chose a composition that fit in with whatever we were learning. When nothing worked, I went through and chose an instrument (obviously starting with winds. They are going to appreciate a clarinet, no two ways about it!) to focus on.
These past three weeks, we've been learning about ancient Rome.
So out came Respighi!
I have to say, we accidentally spent more time listening to the Pines of Rome than the Fountains of Rome. Because I know the Pines (played it in college orchestra), I wanted to start with that side of the record, so week one was Pines.
Well, week 3 (week two was make-up work) included making a Catacomb. So how could I not listen to the Pines again, with their visiting the Catacombs?!
Oh well. Sorry, fountains.
I'm also trying to add in songs for the kids to sing each week. This week was "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" because we're learning about the human body. They love it! It's nice to know that all those kids' songs I learned in my two miserable years trying to teach general music came to be of value!
Catacombs: for reals
How many kids go from memorizing a Bible verse in their "catacomb" to doing Yoga?
Yay for freedom!
This morning Jasmine is pretty motivated to finish all her badges for the "fun" badges she can earn. She's now finished three of her four colors. Unfortunately she has 7 pink ones left and they're her least-favorite activities (handwriting, spelling, Right into Reading workbook and Explode the Code workbook. She doesn't mind the last one when it doesn't make her write out full words. Sense a trend here??)
Want to see their catacomb? We left it very unadorned because, after all, the early Christians didn't do much decorating in their worship hideaways either.
Letting you know that you are entering the catacomb: Jasmine calls it "P.X." instead of "Chi-Ro," the first two letters of "Christ" in Greek.
And inside the hideaway, they memorized their Bible verse for the week and prayed it together:
Then they came downstairs and did yoga.
while Hudson fell asleep :)
Oh, and while I was writing this, Jasmine surprised me and did her handwriting on her own and is bringing me her spelling work. So it's time to finish up our Friday school!
Yay for freedom!
This morning Jasmine is pretty motivated to finish all her badges for the "fun" badges she can earn. She's now finished three of her four colors. Unfortunately she has 7 pink ones left and they're her least-favorite activities (handwriting, spelling, Right into Reading workbook and Explode the Code workbook. She doesn't mind the last one when it doesn't make her write out full words. Sense a trend here??)
Want to see their catacomb? We left it very unadorned because, after all, the early Christians didn't do much decorating in their worship hideaways either.
And inside the hideaway, they memorized their Bible verse for the week and prayed it together:
"Lord, hear me.
Show me your favor.
Lord, help me." (Psalm 30:10)
Then they came downstairs and did yoga.
while Hudson fell asleep :)
Oh, and while I was writing this, Jasmine surprised me and did her handwriting on her own and is bringing me her spelling work. So it's time to finish up our Friday school!
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