It's amazing what happens when you take Lightning McQueen underwear away for two days and put diapers on this little two year old and also bribe him with Skittles to use the toilet?
He actually told me yesterday he needed to go potty! I'm super-excited!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Am I ever leaving again??
I seriously did not think it was supposed to snow 5 inches today. I heard 1-3 inches last night and therefore, I assumed schools would be in session. I had quite the surprise today when I got up and saw that we had 5 inches PLUS all the schools had been cancelled.
I was disappointed because I haven't left this house since Sunday and today I had two things to go to and they both got cancelled. :( Now it looks like our next excuse to get out is tomorrow for Megan's dance class.
Oh wait, I just got word that we might go to Menard's tonight to get paint to paint our basement.
Honestly, I think I would rather stay home, it's cold out there!
I was disappointed because I haven't left this house since Sunday and today I had two things to go to and they both got cancelled. :( Now it looks like our next excuse to get out is tomorrow for Megan's dance class.
Oh wait, I just got word that we might go to Menard's tonight to get paint to paint our basement.
Honestly, I think I would rather stay home, it's cold out there!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Cinnamon rolls...
Remember my lesson on yeast I had planned for today? Well, it happened, but it took all day!
We always start school with science at 9 am. We went over our material and then talked with the girls about yeast. Megan had decided the night before that she wanted to make cinnamon rolls (which I had NEVER made before, but I'm willing to learn.)
I found a cinnamon roll recipe that we had all the ingredients for and about 9:45, we started mixing the ingredients. About three steps down, it said to put the mixture in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. I assumed that the mix would rise, so after 15 minutes and it still looked the same, I declared that it wasn't working and went on to other school work.
I left the bowl on the counter and about an hour later (11 am), I looked at it and realized that the yeast had risen! I didn't expect this at all. I had already thrown in the towel and called it done.
I called Megan back over (Courtney wasn't interested) and told her that we should keep following the recipe and make them now! So we went on with the recipe. We finished the next 3 or 4 steps, but then got to where it said, "Put plastic over the mix and let it sit on the counter for rise for about an hour." Uh-oh. My mix had already risen...hmmmm, now what?
So again, I declared it a lost. Maybe I should've read the directions completely threw before making the rolls in the first place!
I knew they had already risen, so I put this bowl on the counter and thought a little bit, maybe I DID do it right the first time. This is about noon now.
So after lunch, we start round 2. Yes, I started completely over. I took the first batch and baked them so it looked like bread.
I did the first 3 or 4 steps and let the dough sit for 15 minutes, just like I did the first time, but when the time was up, I went on. I got through the next couple of steps and to the part where it said to cover it for an hour. Ok, got it. I covered it and put it on the back of my stove, but an hour passed and still it wasn't rising. Great, I messed up again!
But during the afternoon, I had bread in the oven (from the 1st batch), so within 2-3 hours, my dough actually rose!
By about 5 pm, it was ready! I rolled it out on the counter, put the cinnamon on it, and cut it apart and got one pan ready to go in the oven. I then had to let it sit on the counter because I had to teach piano lessons for an hour. Wow, when I got back at 6:30, they rose some more! These cinnamon rolls were huge. I then put the first pan in the oven at about 6:45. By 7:15, they were done. I put the next pan in and got those out about 7:45.
We now have about 10 cinnamon rolls that need to be iced...tomorrow!!
I feel like I have spent my entire day making cinnamon rolls all to learn about yeast!
And the bad thing is that I can't even eat one. :(
We always start school with science at 9 am. We went over our material and then talked with the girls about yeast. Megan had decided the night before that she wanted to make cinnamon rolls (which I had NEVER made before, but I'm willing to learn.)
I found a cinnamon roll recipe that we had all the ingredients for and about 9:45, we started mixing the ingredients. About three steps down, it said to put the mixture in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. I assumed that the mix would rise, so after 15 minutes and it still looked the same, I declared that it wasn't working and went on to other school work.
I left the bowl on the counter and about an hour later (11 am), I looked at it and realized that the yeast had risen! I didn't expect this at all. I had already thrown in the towel and called it done.
I called Megan back over (Courtney wasn't interested) and told her that we should keep following the recipe and make them now! So we went on with the recipe. We finished the next 3 or 4 steps, but then got to where it said, "Put plastic over the mix and let it sit on the counter for rise for about an hour." Uh-oh. My mix had already risen...hmmmm, now what?
So again, I declared it a lost. Maybe I should've read the directions completely threw before making the rolls in the first place!
I knew they had already risen, so I put this bowl on the counter and thought a little bit, maybe I DID do it right the first time. This is about noon now.
So after lunch, we start round 2. Yes, I started completely over. I took the first batch and baked them so it looked like bread.
I did the first 3 or 4 steps and let the dough sit for 15 minutes, just like I did the first time, but when the time was up, I went on. I got through the next couple of steps and to the part where it said to cover it for an hour. Ok, got it. I covered it and put it on the back of my stove, but an hour passed and still it wasn't rising. Great, I messed up again!
But during the afternoon, I had bread in the oven (from the 1st batch), so within 2-3 hours, my dough actually rose!
By about 5 pm, it was ready! I rolled it out on the counter, put the cinnamon on it, and cut it apart and got one pan ready to go in the oven. I then had to let it sit on the counter because I had to teach piano lessons for an hour. Wow, when I got back at 6:30, they rose some more! These cinnamon rolls were huge. I then put the first pan in the oven at about 6:45. By 7:15, they were done. I put the next pan in and got those out about 7:45.
We now have about 10 cinnamon rolls that need to be iced...tomorrow!!
I feel like I have spent my entire day making cinnamon rolls all to learn about yeast!
And the bad thing is that I can't even eat one. :(
Monday, January 28, 2013
Fungus!
Yep, we're studying fungus and mold tomorrow. Yummy!
http://www.netplaces.com/kids-nature/the-nature-of-life/the-fungus-among-us.htm
(I really wish www.delicious.com would work on my computers, I would post all my school info there instead of on my blog.)
PS I think we are gonig to play with yeast tomorrow as part of our fungus learning experince.
http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/biology/cells/doing/yeast.htm
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/yeast.html
I told Megan when she went to bed that we can make bagels, cinnamon rolls, English muffins, or bread. It is really up to her because she and Matt are the only ones that can eat wheat or yeast around here!
http://www.netplaces.com/kids-nature/the-nature-of-life/the-fungus-among-us.htm
(I really wish www.delicious.com would work on my computers, I would post all my school info there instead of on my blog.)
PS I think we are gonig to play with yeast tomorrow as part of our fungus learning experince.
http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/biology/cells/doing/yeast.htm
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/yeast.html
I told Megan when she went to bed that we can make bagels, cinnamon rolls, English muffins, or bread. It is really up to her because she and Matt are the only ones that can eat wheat or yeast around here!
Oh Monday!
1. My son has forgotten what it means to be potty trained. He is too stubborn to tell me when he has to go, the only way to know is to watch him. Well, when I am teaching school, this is almost impossible because he plays in different parts of the house than where I am with the girls. I had to waste 20 minutes of science class today to clean him up from him having an accident (this included a bath.) I was not happy. I told him this was very bad and put a diaper back on him. I don't have time to watch his every move and to clean him up every time he has an accident. It has been causing me stress. The easiest way to relieve the stress is to relieve the thing that is causing me stress- him having accidents! Sorry buddy, when you tell me you need to go the bathroom, you can wear your Lightning McQueen underwear again!
Isn't it funny that he can stay dry all night in underwear, but yet can't stay dry during the day??
2. Our basement has been a work in progress for over two years now. Matt has really worked hard lately and got the framing all up. We have had a guy here the last week drywalling and now the walls are finally finished and ready to paint!!! I can hardly believe it...but do you know what I am most excited for?? Matt has promised me space for a school room!
Isn't it funny that he can stay dry all night in underwear, but yet can't stay dry during the day??
2. Our basement has been a work in progress for over two years now. Matt has really worked hard lately and got the framing all up. We have had a guy here the last week drywalling and now the walls are finally finished and ready to paint!!! I can hardly believe it...but do you know what I am most excited for?? Matt has promised me space for a school room!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Eating Healthy!
If you have talked to me lately, you know that with our food sensitivities at our house, you know that I have changed what we eat around here and I have am always eager to learn about food intolerances and what they do to your health. Just ask Courtney what a little piece of wheat does to her...
My latest reading is a book called, "Wheat Belly" and it is about gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease and why wheat is having such a detrimental effect on our society! It is amazing! (Hi mom, you should read chapter 8 where the doctor links gluten intolerance to rheumatoid arthritis AND pre-osteorporosis! It is VERY interesting!!)
I found this on a local facebook site and thought I would put it here, so I can come back and read it again later.
A Rainbow of Nutrients
Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will give your body the range of valuable nutrients it needs to maintain health, such as fiber, folate, and vitamins. And the deeper the color, the better: color is indicative of natural pigments that have been linked with health-promoting benefits. For example:
Red: Tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit may contain lycopene, a phytonutrient that been linked with reduced incidence of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration.
Orange/yellow: Carrots and sweet potatoes are a good source of carotenoids, phytonutrients that convert to vitamin A. Among the many biological functions of vitamin A are cellular growth and vision. Lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are a good source of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps to form collagen in bones, cartilage, and muscle. It is also necessary for the absorption of iron.
Green: Dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale contain lutein. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, lutein has been shown to help improve night blindness and peripheral vision.
Blue/purple: Blueberries, grapes, raisins, and eggplant may contain anthocyanidins, which function as antioxidants to protect from cellular damage.
White: Garlic and onions are a source of allicin, a natural compound exhibiting antibacterial and antifungal properties. Bananas and potatoes contain potassium, an essential mineral that helps regulate heart function, blood pressure, and nerve and muscle activity.
Making Colorful Foods Part of Your Daily Regimen
With today’s busy schedules, moving away from fast food to a more healthful diet, i.e., one that is more simple, balanced, and colorful, can seem challenging. But the good news is, doing so is not only easy, it can also be delicious!
Here are a few tips for getting more variety and color in your diet:
Each week, try a new fruit or vegetable
Visit ethnic grocery stores
Make rainbow fruit kabobs
Try dishes that invite color, such as stir-fries, omelettes, soups, salads, wraps, and smoothies
Switch from mashed potatoes to sliced carrots, or from corn to spinach
Toss in red pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, onion, or broccoli
Add rinds of oranges or lemons to water, chicken or fish
Eat fruit salads
Try a little bit of every color at a salad bar
My latest reading is a book called, "Wheat Belly" and it is about gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease and why wheat is having such a detrimental effect on our society! It is amazing! (Hi mom, you should read chapter 8 where the doctor links gluten intolerance to rheumatoid arthritis AND pre-osteorporosis! It is VERY interesting!!)
I found this on a local facebook site and thought I would put it here, so I can come back and read it again later.
A Rainbow of Nutrients
Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will give your body the range of valuable nutrients it needs to maintain health, such as fiber, folate, and vitamins. And the deeper the color, the better: color is indicative of natural pigments that have been linked with health-promoting benefits. For example:
Red: Tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit may contain lycopene, a phytonutrient that been linked with reduced incidence of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration.
Orange/yellow: Carrots and sweet potatoes are a good source of carotenoids, phytonutrients that convert to vitamin A. Among the many biological functions of vitamin A are cellular growth and vision. Lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are a good source of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps to form collagen in bones, cartilage, and muscle. It is also necessary for the absorption of iron.
Green: Dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale contain lutein. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, lutein has been shown to help improve night blindness and peripheral vision.
Blue/purple: Blueberries, grapes, raisins, and eggplant may contain anthocyanidins, which function as antioxidants to protect from cellular damage.
White: Garlic and onions are a source of allicin, a natural compound exhibiting antibacterial and antifungal properties. Bananas and potatoes contain potassium, an essential mineral that helps regulate heart function, blood pressure, and nerve and muscle activity.
Making Colorful Foods Part of Your Daily Regimen
With today’s busy schedules, moving away from fast food to a more healthful diet, i.e., one that is more simple, balanced, and colorful, can seem challenging. But the good news is, doing so is not only easy, it can also be delicious!
Here are a few tips for getting more variety and color in your diet:
Each week, try a new fruit or vegetable
Visit ethnic grocery stores
Make rainbow fruit kabobs
Try dishes that invite color, such as stir-fries, omelettes, soups, salads, wraps, and smoothies
Switch from mashed potatoes to sliced carrots, or from corn to spinach
Toss in red pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, onion, or broccoli
Add rinds of oranges or lemons to water, chicken or fish
Eat fruit salads
Try a little bit of every color at a salad bar
2nd Semester, Here we come!
Last Thursday we finished our first semester.
We finished Week 18 of our Sonlight History and Science Curriculum.
Megan finished lesson 80 of her mathbook, 80 more to go. (She gets to start her 2nd book tomorrow)
Courtney is about 10 lessons behind on math, I'm not quite sure why!
Somebody remind me next year to start school a couple of weeks earlier than I did last fall! By the looks of it, we are going to get done the week before Memorial Day, that is if we don't take any time off!
I really should've done better planning!
Anyway, I'm anxious to continue learning. School has been great this year and when people ask me how homeschooling is going, I always reply, "I love it!"
Off to study trees tomorrow in science and some more of the American revolution! Plus all the other fun things we do!
We finished Week 18 of our Sonlight History and Science Curriculum.
Megan finished lesson 80 of her mathbook, 80 more to go. (She gets to start her 2nd book tomorrow)
Courtney is about 10 lessons behind on math, I'm not quite sure why!
Somebody remind me next year to start school a couple of weeks earlier than I did last fall! By the looks of it, we are going to get done the week before Memorial Day, that is if we don't take any time off!
I really should've done better planning!
Anyway, I'm anxious to continue learning. School has been great this year and when people ask me how homeschooling is going, I always reply, "I love it!"
Off to study trees tomorrow in science and some more of the American revolution! Plus all the other fun things we do!
School again.
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/forests/index.cfm
We're learning about trees on Monday.
How did people homeschool without the Internet???
We're learning about trees on Monday.
How did people homeschool without the Internet???
Friday, January 25, 2013
Friday!
With our new school schedule, we are working our tails off during the week so we can have Fridays off! (I made Megan cry on Wednesday because I made her do two math assignments, so we didn't have to do math today!)
But you would think that since we didn't have school, I would be able to sleep in, right?
Wrong! Thanks to the return of my adrenal fatigue (thank you flu in December and cold right now), I am up at 7- even without my alarm going off!
It's alright though, I have a HUGE list of things I need to get done today. I am going to put my Friday to good use!
But you would think that since we didn't have school, I would be able to sleep in, right?
Wrong! Thanks to the return of my adrenal fatigue (thank you flu in December and cold right now), I am up at 7- even without my alarm going off!
It's alright though, I have a HUGE list of things I need to get done today. I am going to put my Friday to good use!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Info for school
http://www.ehow.com/list_6582731_characteristics-aquatic-plants.html
(Don't mind this post unless you want to know what we are studying about in school tomorrow!)
(Don't mind this post unless you want to know what we are studying about in school tomorrow!)
Motivation
Ok, so this has been about Courtney a lot lately, we will get back to the other kids soon. :)
Yesterday we implemented a new chore system. I have talked with some other friends and they attach chores to the end of their school day. Matt and I thought this sounded like a good idea, the new plan is school, homework, chores, and THEN you are free. "No fun til work is done!"
So we started yesterday. One of Courtney's chores is to clean her room. Guess what she did yesterday without complaing at all??? She cleaned her bedroom! Now, if you know Courtney, you could probably guess that you couldn't see her floor AT ALL. (again!) She had it spotless by the time Matt got home last night. (Here's a side note...do you know what half of the items were on her floor??Dirty clothes!! She filled up the entire dirty clothes hamper with her clothes and when I went to go put her in bed, I still found more dirty clothes in her bed! )
Guess what her motivation was? Video games!
I usually don't ask Matt to play video games with the girls but last night, I did! Courtney worked so hard that I thought she deserved to play a little bit!
Yesterday we implemented a new chore system. I have talked with some other friends and they attach chores to the end of their school day. Matt and I thought this sounded like a good idea, the new plan is school, homework, chores, and THEN you are free. "No fun til work is done!"
So we started yesterday. One of Courtney's chores is to clean her room. Guess what she did yesterday without complaing at all??? She cleaned her bedroom! Now, if you know Courtney, you could probably guess that you couldn't see her floor AT ALL. (again!) She had it spotless by the time Matt got home last night. (Here's a side note...do you know what half of the items were on her floor??Dirty clothes!! She filled up the entire dirty clothes hamper with her clothes and when I went to go put her in bed, I still found more dirty clothes in her bed! )
Guess what her motivation was? Video games!
I usually don't ask Matt to play video games with the girls but last night, I did! Courtney worked so hard that I thought she deserved to play a little bit!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Manna
I was driving home from a dr. appointment and we were talking about what we were going to have for supper.
Courtney:" Mom, we should have manna." (Can you tell what we've been studying in Bible class??
Me: "Courtney, I don't know how to make manna. Don't you remember God sent the manna, I don't think we could even make it if we tried."
Courtney: "Oh mom, just look it up on the computer!"
Right!
Courtney:" Mom, we should have manna." (Can you tell what we've been studying in Bible class??
Me: "Courtney, I don't know how to make manna. Don't you remember God sent the manna, I don't think we could even make it if we tried."
Courtney: "Oh mom, just look it up on the computer!"
Right!
Funny thing...
We are almost a month into potty training with Christian.
Here is where we stand.
1. He absolutely refuses to tell you when he has to go potty. You have to watch him for signs that he has to go and then run him to the bathroom. He hasn't had a potty accident in a long time.
2. He also refuses to tell you if he has to go poopy. There are not really any signs to look for, so we've been having trouble with this part. We have had many accidents in the last couple of weeks and they always happen when I am not in the room or not in charge of him. He knows he is supposed to go in the toilet, but since he is too stubborn to tell us, he just goes in his underwear. Very frustrating!!
3. Bedtime. Now this is what usually takes the longest with most kids. Guess what? He stays dry at night! I am amazed! We finally put him to bed in underwear a couple of nights ago and haven't had any trouble. Until this time, he had been dry overnight for at least a week. If he has to go, he will get up and just start whining. I finally figured out that he has to go potty. I take him and I put him right back to bed and it works!
I think we are getting there!! We just need to get over some stubborness...
Here is where we stand.
1. He absolutely refuses to tell you when he has to go potty. You have to watch him for signs that he has to go and then run him to the bathroom. He hasn't had a potty accident in a long time.
2. He also refuses to tell you if he has to go poopy. There are not really any signs to look for, so we've been having trouble with this part. We have had many accidents in the last couple of weeks and they always happen when I am not in the room or not in charge of him. He knows he is supposed to go in the toilet, but since he is too stubborn to tell us, he just goes in his underwear. Very frustrating!!
3. Bedtime. Now this is what usually takes the longest with most kids. Guess what? He stays dry at night! I am amazed! We finally put him to bed in underwear a couple of nights ago and haven't had any trouble. Until this time, he had been dry overnight for at least a week. If he has to go, he will get up and just start whining. I finally figured out that he has to go potty. I take him and I put him right back to bed and it works!
I think we are getting there!! We just need to get over some stubborness...
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Requests from Courtney
Megan and Courtney are going to grandma's house tonight for a slumber party with their cousins.
Courtney has requested:
1. Please feed my fish James.
2. Please water my flowers.
3. Please DO not kill any bugs that may be in the house. Instead, catch them for me. :)
(She saw a boxelder bug in the house last night and told me that she didn't want dad or Megan to see it because they would squoosh it, so she just let it where it was and then proceeded to beg me not to kill it too!)
Courtney has requested:
1. Please feed my fish James.
2. Please water my flowers.
3. Please DO not kill any bugs that may be in the house. Instead, catch them for me. :)
(She saw a boxelder bug in the house last night and told me that she didn't want dad or Megan to see it because they would squoosh it, so she just let it where it was and then proceeded to beg me not to kill it too!)
Friday, January 18, 2013
Wedding Presents
You know when you get wedding presents and you put them away "just in case you will use them some day." Well, I am finally using some wedding presents.
Whoever gave me some rubbermaid food storage containers, thank you very much! Almost 13 years later, I am finally using them!
Whoever gave me some rubbermaid food storage containers, thank you very much! Almost 13 years later, I am finally using them!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Pollination
Today we learned all about pollination, but decided to leave our craft until tomorrow. As we were exploring a website, it said that "1 out of every 3 bites you took today is here because of pollination." Megan and Courtney both had this odd look on their face and of course the homeschooling mom in me said, "Let's see if that's true!"
We talked about what we had for breakfast and figured if it was here because of pollination. We figured that Coutrtey would've had nothing for breakfast, Megan would've been able to eat an egg and some butter (but only if the cows didn't eat grass), and I would've had nothing too. Too bad for us! (You can tell how much we eat that comes from plants, especially since Courtney and I can't have dairy.)
This website also said that animals and plants need each other to exist. (I never thought about this before either!!) Plants cannot live without animals and animals cannot live without plants. What an amazing God we have!!!
We talked about what we had for breakfast and figured if it was here because of pollination. We figured that Coutrtey would've had nothing for breakfast, Megan would've been able to eat an egg and some butter (but only if the cows didn't eat grass), and I would've had nothing too. Too bad for us! (You can tell how much we eat that comes from plants, especially since Courtney and I can't have dairy.)
This website also said that animals and plants need each other to exist. (I never thought about this before either!!) Plants cannot live without animals and animals cannot live without plants. What an amazing God we have!!!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Amazed every day!
I amazed every day at how much I am learning along with Megan and Courtney!
I have a master's degree and I swear I have never learned the things that my girls are learning right now!
This is our 2nd week of studying plants in science. Maybe I just didn't pay much attention in school because I didn't care at the time or I really didn't learn about this stuff, I don't know, but it seems all new to me now. For example, we learned about plant bulbs today. Now I knew there were plant bulbs just because we have a tulip in our front flower bed and one year I was going to through this ball-like thing away because I didn't know what it was- Matt informed me it was a tulip bulb and to put it back! Today I learned (and taught the girls) all about plant bulbs! And since I am allergic to garlic, I found it funny that garlic is a bulb.
The other day we studied all about seeds. We looked around our kitchen and made a poster of various food items that were made out of seeds. Again, amazing. We eat a lot of things made out of seeds!
Tomorrow we are going to talk about pollination. It talks about it in our book pretty good, but I always want to find something fun to do with the girls, so tomorrow we are going to make bees out of toilet paper rolls with pipe cleaners for legs and then flowers out of tissue paper. Then we are going to put glitter on the flowers and have the bees "polliate" the flowers. Sounds like fun? Then we can go back and talk about those seeds we explored last week. (Hopefully this won't take more than our 1/2 hour time alloted for science class!)
I'm not sure what we are studying Thursday, but I'm loooking forward to it. I really wish we were studying this is the spring time, then we could get outside and really look at plants!
On another note, Megan has been studying the Revolutionary War in history. We just finished JohnnyTremain and I learned so much (along with Megan). Again, I am a history major and I didn't know half the stuff I taught my daughter! For example, we learned last week that when the British soldiers were marching off to go fight the colonists, they would sing "Yankee Doodle" as a song to mock the colonists. If you read the words in that context, it makes sense. All through the war, both sides would made up various lyrics to the tune to mock the other side. At the end of the war, the yankees claimed it as their song and sung it back to the British with their lyrics (in a mocking way, of course). Megan and I had fun looking up this song with the different lyrics and trying to sing them. There are so many verses out there!
Now I know you are all going to go sing "Yankee Doodle" now, but before you get too far, you know the lines "...stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!" Do you think they really meant a piece of macaroni? I challenge you to find out what this line means! You will certainly learn about life during the Revolutionary War!
And this is why I love homeschooling!!!
I have a master's degree and I swear I have never learned the things that my girls are learning right now!
This is our 2nd week of studying plants in science. Maybe I just didn't pay much attention in school because I didn't care at the time or I really didn't learn about this stuff, I don't know, but it seems all new to me now. For example, we learned about plant bulbs today. Now I knew there were plant bulbs just because we have a tulip in our front flower bed and one year I was going to through this ball-like thing away because I didn't know what it was- Matt informed me it was a tulip bulb and to put it back! Today I learned (and taught the girls) all about plant bulbs! And since I am allergic to garlic, I found it funny that garlic is a bulb.
The other day we studied all about seeds. We looked around our kitchen and made a poster of various food items that were made out of seeds. Again, amazing. We eat a lot of things made out of seeds!
Tomorrow we are going to talk about pollination. It talks about it in our book pretty good, but I always want to find something fun to do with the girls, so tomorrow we are going to make bees out of toilet paper rolls with pipe cleaners for legs and then flowers out of tissue paper. Then we are going to put glitter on the flowers and have the bees "polliate" the flowers. Sounds like fun? Then we can go back and talk about those seeds we explored last week. (Hopefully this won't take more than our 1/2 hour time alloted for science class!)
I'm not sure what we are studying Thursday, but I'm loooking forward to it. I really wish we were studying this is the spring time, then we could get outside and really look at plants!
On another note, Megan has been studying the Revolutionary War in history. We just finished JohnnyTremain and I learned so much (along with Megan). Again, I am a history major and I didn't know half the stuff I taught my daughter! For example, we learned last week that when the British soldiers were marching off to go fight the colonists, they would sing "Yankee Doodle" as a song to mock the colonists. If you read the words in that context, it makes sense. All through the war, both sides would made up various lyrics to the tune to mock the other side. At the end of the war, the yankees claimed it as their song and sung it back to the British with their lyrics (in a mocking way, of course). Megan and I had fun looking up this song with the different lyrics and trying to sing them. There are so many verses out there!
Now I know you are all going to go sing "Yankee Doodle" now, but before you get too far, you know the lines "...stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!" Do you think they really meant a piece of macaroni? I challenge you to find out what this line means! You will certainly learn about life during the Revolutionary War!
And this is why I love homeschooling!!!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Grasshopper Eggs...MIA!
Everybody remembers our grasshopper eggs, right? Well, we can't find them.
Nobody knows where they are and we can't find the plastic cups that they were in.
Unfortunately, we think they might have gotten thrown away.
Or do you think they are somewhere and this spring when they all hatch, we will figure out where they were because of the baby grasshoppers we will have hopping around??
I don't know if this is bad or good!
Nobody knows where they are and we can't find the plastic cups that they were in.
Unfortunately, we think they might have gotten thrown away.
Or do you think they are somewhere and this spring when they all hatch, we will figure out where they were because of the baby grasshoppers we will have hopping around??
I don't know if this is bad or good!
Sick again!
We all had the flu (except for Courtney), well, now Christian has a cold. Like coughing, sneezing, runny nose. It is so bad that we're not going to take him to church this morning.
This means that one by one, the rest of us are going to get colds too.
fun, fun.
This means that one by one, the rest of us are going to get colds too.
fun, fun.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
School is done for the week!
We were done with school by 2:30 this afternoon...who else loves my new schedule???
We are going to do a few non-related items tomorrow afternoon and then we are off for a playday!
I almost don't know what to do!
PS I got the last two books that I ordered for Courtney today, so we have all our books now that we need for 2nd semester. We are really going to work on sight words plus add some reading projects for her.
We are going to do a few non-related items tomorrow afternoon and then we are off for a playday!
I almost don't know what to do!
PS I got the last two books that I ordered for Courtney today, so we have all our books now that we need for 2nd semester. We are really going to work on sight words plus add some reading projects for her.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Why do we buy beds??
Christian has been in his toddler bed for three nights now and not once has he woke up IN his bed, all three mornings, he has been on the floor. He always been sound asleep in his bed when I go to bed, so I don't quite know what is going on. I think we are going to set up a video camera tonight.
I don't think he is falling out either, he still has the same blanket on top of him as the night before. Today he was laying in front of his dresser.
I'm not sure if he is doing this on purpose or if he is really taking after Courtney!
Courtney loves to sleep anywhere but her bed. She looks forward to Friday nights, so she and Megan can have a slumber party on the floor. She has always been like this and it's a little quirk of hers.
Why do we buy our children beds when they are perfectly happy to sleep on the floor???
I don't think he is falling out either, he still has the same blanket on top of him as the night before. Today he was laying in front of his dresser.
I'm not sure if he is doing this on purpose or if he is really taking after Courtney!
Courtney loves to sleep anywhere but her bed. She looks forward to Friday nights, so she and Megan can have a slumber party on the floor. She has always been like this and it's a little quirk of hers.
Why do we buy our children beds when they are perfectly happy to sleep on the floor???
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
New Schedule is wonderful!!!
Wow, I revamped our school schedule and it is working wonderfully!!!
We now spend a half an hour on science. No more. If I need more time on a lesson, it can wait until the next day. This was a huge problem last semester. We do science first thing in the morning and I would often spend at least an hour on it, I had great projects and we all loved it, but it put us behind all day. Now, a half an hour. That is it and it is working great!!!
Because science is only taking a half an hour, we have time for Bible class. Again, this has a limit of half an hour. On Mondays, we will take this time to do our AWANA lessons, otherwise we will be working out of our set curriculum with AWANA review at the end of our time. Today, we didn't get very far in our lessons (due to some interruptions) in our half hour time slot, but instead of spending more time on it, I finished what we were doing and said we are going to finish tomorrow. You know how hard this is for me??
By 10:15 in the morning, we are done with two subjects!!
Next is snack break. I know, do my children really need a snack at 10:15 am? No, not really, but they don't think they can survive without thier morning package of fruit snacks! I am making them get their drinks before school starts and if they need to go to the bathroom, well, they can just wait until break time. This is part of "limiting interruptions." Oh, and I will not be taking phone calls during this time. Ok, if it's grandma, I will probably pick up, but if you want to get ahold of me during this time, I can definitely text and not take too much time away from the kids.
By 10:25, we are ready to go again, except now is individual time with Megan. Courtney gets to play with Christian for awhile. :) We do math, English, spelling, history, handwriting, and writing together. I go over her homework from the day before and then go over her new lessons. This doesn't take long at all! My goal is to get done with her work by 11-11:15. When we are done, she goes immediately to the dining room table and does her homework! I am amazed, she has been done with all her homework by noon the last two days!!! Now that's what I like!!
While Megan is working on her homework, I work with Courtney on phonics, sight words, and math. This takes at least 45 minutes, so this takes right up to noon!
With Megan's homework done and Courtney's lessons done, we are ready for lunch!
We have lunch and I let them play until 1:30. From 1:30-2, we have reading time. Megan had a hard time getting her reading done first semester, so I am scheduling it into the day. While she is reading her books, I will be reading with Courtney.
From 2-2:30, we are going to work in art, health, music, and Greek/ Latin or German, doing each one once a week. We did art class yesterday and I plan on doing a music lesson tomorrow.
Finally, at 2:30, I will read our read-aloud, which takes awhile, but is our favorite part of school.
I like this schedule already because 1. Homework is no longer a battle. Megan does it while I am working with Courtney, so she is not distracted. 2. I like getting all the necessary subjects done by noon. 3. If we have a field trip, we are free in the afternoon. 4. Our afternoon subjects are necessary, but we can skip them if we need to. (like today!) 5. I am able to work in those extra subjects I wasn't able to do before Christmas. 6. The kids are nice and alert in the morning and things are seeming to go smoother, compared to doing schoolwork in the afternoon. 7. It has been easier to work with Christian, he has not interrupted so much and has some time with Courtney in the morning, so he gets some attention and therefore, behaves better!
We also moved the start of school up to 9, not 9:15 or even 9:30, which means I need to get out of BED!!
Hopefully we can keep things going smoothly! I'm super-excited for this semester!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Back to school!
Christmas break is over.
The Christmas tree is down, decorations are put away.
All the presents have been put away.
The house is clean and organized.
We had the flu.
Mama is ready to get back on schedule.
Let's get to it!
The Christmas tree is down, decorations are put away.
All the presents have been put away.
The house is clean and organized.
We had the flu.
Mama is ready to get back on schedule.
Let's get to it!
the floor...
The last time I looked at Christian last night, he was sleeping soundily in his bed.
This morning when I walked by his room to wake up his sisters, he was sleeping on the floor!
Silly kid!
This morning when I walked by his room to wake up his sisters, he was sleeping on the floor!
Silly kid!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Good bye Crib...
Tonight we finally took Christian out of his crib and converted it to a toddler bed. Amazingly, he had never crawled out of it or even tried to. He could get his foot up over his railing, but the only time he did that was when Megan would help him out.
I knew he could do this and it concerned me every morning when he would be awake before I was up. He would stand in his bed and say, "Mama, come get me up!" I knew it wouldn't be long until he tried to get out himself.
So after finding the railings for his toddler bed, we converted it tonight. Christian helped Matt do it, we will get him a twin bed sometime, but he'll be find in this bed for awhile.
And yes, our girls were already in twin beds by the time they were 2 1/2! But Christian is a boy! Enough said!
I knew he could do this and it concerned me every morning when he would be awake before I was up. He would stand in his bed and say, "Mama, come get me up!" I knew it wouldn't be long until he tried to get out himself.
So after finding the railings for his toddler bed, we converted it tonight. Christian helped Matt do it, we will get him a twin bed sometime, but he'll be find in this bed for awhile.
And yes, our girls were already in twin beds by the time they were 2 1/2! But Christian is a boy! Enough said!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Home!
I think this is the first day in the last week or so where somebody is not laying around sick.
Ok, well, I still feel bad, but I think I am having some side effects yet from the Tamiflu I took, but at least I can function.
What to get done today?
1. Wash ALL sheets and bedding! Even Courtney's.
2. Plan out school for the rest of the year- a huge task! I am hoping to be more organized this semester and be able to stay on a schedule better. :) As in not spend so much time on science everyday, so we can have bible class. Maybe even get in spelling or health or art or music. I think if I scheduled everything out, I might actually do it. We are also going to do read-alouds last and spend time on our other subjects first- even read-alouds are our favorite part of the day!
3. Speaking of school, I bought a bookshelf awhile ago for the school books that are in my sitting room, maybe I should put that together today.
3. Find places for all the Christmas presents!
4. Have the girls reclean their bedroom and bathroom. We told them if they could keep the upstairs clean for a week, they would be allowed back into the playroom. I hope they can do it!
Ok, well, I still feel bad, but I think I am having some side effects yet from the Tamiflu I took, but at least I can function.
What to get done today?
1. Wash ALL sheets and bedding! Even Courtney's.
2. Plan out school for the rest of the year- a huge task! I am hoping to be more organized this semester and be able to stay on a schedule better. :) As in not spend so much time on science everyday, so we can have bible class. Maybe even get in spelling or health or art or music. I think if I scheduled everything out, I might actually do it. We are also going to do read-alouds last and spend time on our other subjects first- even read-alouds are our favorite part of the day!
3. Speaking of school, I bought a bookshelf awhile ago for the school books that are in my sitting room, maybe I should put that together today.
3. Find places for all the Christmas presents!
4. Have the girls reclean their bedroom and bathroom. We told them if they could keep the upstairs clean for a week, they would be allowed back into the playroom. I hope they can do it!
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