Today we used the Phonics materials I downloaded from Montessori Inspired Homeschool for the first time.  Here's my 6 year old working on three letter words with a's and e's.  After he put the words together we wrote them on paper.  Next he'll try the words without the key and when he can spell all the pink cards we'll move on to the next color coded ones.

These are the words we worked on.

Here he is spelling the words using the key as needed.

A close up.

And here are the letters I downloaded, cut and laminated with this wonderful Xyron Clear Laminate Roll I found on sale at Stuffmart.  I love that stuff!  No machine needed.  It's like a giant roll of duct tape.  (notice the vowels are red and the consenants are blue and yes the d is missing.  gotta get them in there!)

Go check out The Sellers Family Homeschool blog.  She's got a lot of wonderful ideas especially if you like hands on Montessori type stuff.

I downloaded some activities for my 4 year old too and he loves them.  We're working on the Smiley Face Matching right now. 

Have fun!
Julie

Here's our first attempt at lapbooks.  My 6 year old and my 4 year old did them today.  We had fun.  Tomorrow we are adding the acrostic of our names and our family trees.  All thanks to this homeschool mom.  I love stealing ideas!!!!

Another homeschool mom referred me to this article.  Check it out.  It's wonderful.

Okay, I think I've narrowed it down to MathUSee or Saxon for next year.  Does anyone have any input/help/suggestions/advice???  I need it!!!
Thanks
Julie

Today we visited New Hope Farms and Gardens (located in Walhalla SC ((try that name on for size.)) and named for the new hope we have in Jesus Christ.  Cool huh???  You know it's gotta be good.

New Hope Farms is a working farm where we experienced the sights, sounds and smells of a family run farm.  The benefits of homesteading are evident in the vegetable garden complete with novelty crops such as broom corn, popcorn and peanuts.  Fiber animals, such at the angora goats and rabbits, give visitors an understanding into the fiber produced, spun and knitted for garments.  Along with the goats there are two HUGE saint bernards and a great white pyrenees.  The great white protects the goats.  One of the saint bernards must weigh 250 pounds (he's pictured below).

Their tour is really wonderful.  All through the tour they present the gospel.  It's wonderful the way they weave it into what they do there.  The goats are raised for their fiber.  Then it is cleaned, spun and either made into garments or just sold to others.  All of this is demonstrated by a quirky sweet woman who is not afraid of words like “poo poo” which made all the kids laugh.  The hayride around their 13 acre farm provided all kinds of interesting things to see……..plants, an organic garden, and a pond they are making into a duck sanctuary.  Enjoy the pictures.  IN HIM…Julie

The angora rabbit.  Isn't she pretty?

And we got to make bird feeders from pine cones, crisco and seed.

Baby Goat

One of our homeschoolers holding a baby goat.

I think there are decisions we make for our families that apply for each member in the family….certain behavior has certain consequences, maybe traditions like “we always have dinner together.”  But then there are the decisions we make based upon each child, their makeup and personality as well as how that fits into the family as a whole.

Last year I know God wanted #1 son at Montessori school.  And I'm also sure God had many reasons.  Some I will never know.  As this school year draws to a close I continue to feel as if God is preparing me and telling me He wants my son at home next year.  Some of the struggle he's had with school I wonder if it's more about school struggling with him.

My son loves to sing.  God has put a song in his heart since he was knee high to a grasshopper (if you can't tell what part of the country I live in from that statement you need a geography/lingo lesson).  He loves to sing.  He'll sing anything.  He's 7 and still likes Barney because of all the singing in it. 

I don't think the school enjoys hearing my son sing the way I do.  I mean, he is MY son.  And I'm the one who knows God put that song into his heart.  I love that about him.  Yes, he can't sing everywhere and there are times singing is inappropriate BUT he can sing most everywhere.  Maybe if more of us sang EVERYWHERE we wouldn't encounter so many crabby people.

Yep, time to nurture his God Given sweet little personality at home.  Time to bring him back into the fold.  I miss him.

So when I begin to say “What was I thinking??” next year as I'm struggling through homeschooling three rambunctious boys and a toddling little sister…..remind me of this post, will ya??

IN HIM
julie  (update on babygirl….still not walking)

When will I ever learn to blog in Word and copy to the New Entry form???

Ok…I'm going to try this again.

Where ELSE but at home…
This week we've been studying the human body.  Tuesday we talked about skeletons.  We learned there are 206 bones in the human body and over 300 when we were born and 26 bones in our hands.  Then we drew our hands and feet on a sheet of craft paper and colored our skeletons.  Here's a look…

Then I had to laugh as baby girl added her personality to into our artwork.  Where else but homeschool can a girl color herself while sitting on top of the kitchen table?  I'd say we accomplished art, gymnastics and science all in the same moment!  What do you think?

(don't you love sweet baby feet?????)

This was added Sunday night in hopes for some second guesses as well as a real winner and a correct answer.  So I've tried to think of a hint:  This masterpiece of artwork can usually be found when it's cold outside, there's snow and children.  Okay….lets see if anyone gets that.  Remember, it doesn't look like what it really is or what my 4 year old imagines it to be!!  Feel free to guess again….
Okay, now I'm going to get on the “prize” band wagon.  My 4 year old made this on Friday during our “creative” session of homeschooling.  If anyone can guess what it is I'll send you a cool prize from my line of Mary Kay Cosmetics.  Guaranteed to make you feel 1000 years younger, especially those who are on the blubber patrol with me.  Okay, here it is…..

Okay….just enter a comment onto my blog.  Whoever is the closest (or I'll draw randomly if no one even gets close) wins!  Hint:  you must be a frazzled mom of many kids to even get close because he had to tell me too!  Think OUTSIDE the box!

Happy Guessing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
julie

Does anyone have a cool unit study on Motion
OR
Free Resources to study Motion???
oh, it's for a 1st grader and a 4 year old
thanks julie~

Well, we survived two being sick with vomiting and fever.  Thankfully no one else has gotten it.  I pray God's hand of protection over the rest of us.  Saturday I am supposed to fly to California to meet up with my hubbie for a few days of fun and relaxation.  We have a friend keeping the kids and a babysitter helping too.  I can't wait to email you pictures from Palm Springs.  Ahhh….what will I do for 4 days without kids?  It'll probably take me that long to decompress.

We began the mini unit study posted in TOS Unit Study E-Newsletter about the OLYMPICS.  Middle son really seemed to enjoy it.  We talked about Italy, colored Italian and American flags,  talked about 4 words that relate to the Olympics and practiced spelling them.  It was fun.  I look forward to tomorrow.  I want to buy a globe but decided to settle on a small one from Stuffmart for now.  Does anyone have a really great one they like?  I also want a world map to put on the wall.  Any suggestions there?? 

Here's a cool website I ran across today
Patriotic and Flag Stuff for KIDS

Thanks to all of you who prayed for our healing.
IN HIM
Julie