Gluten Free Girl
I can’t quite recall how I came across this blog, but I am loving the heck out of just how much first time author (and Gluten Free Girl) Shauna James Ahern is enjoying her book touring.
Original post by paradisefound
Carnival of Homeschooling- Yearbook Edition
In this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling, I was voted “most likely to become president.” What an honor! I predict this prophecy will not come to pass, unless there is such a thing as president of the laundry pile. However, if Dana can be governor of Nebraska, maybe I shouldn’t give up so soon.
Who else received the coveted high school yearbook awards? Find out and admire flashback photos of your favorite bloggers at Sprittibee.
Original post by Renae
T’was a fun night
Well, I was going to do more pics but again my blog isn’t cooperating so, on this note I guess I will say goodnight. Bat boy is asleep and so is the butterfly. Maybe tomorrow I can share some more.
Goodnight all, no tummy aches please!
Original post by pwsmommy
Works for me Wednesday: No tape measure - No problem!
It’s a good idea to always have a small tape measure in your purse. You just never know when you’ll need it. Yard sales and second hand stores have cool desks or sofas or pictures or…. well lots of cool stuff. The problem is that sometimes you just don’t know if it’s going to fit when you get it back home. My hubby taught me this trusty trick many years ago and I have used it time and time again.
Just measure your hand span and then you always have a ruler with you. Mine just happens to be 8 inches. So when I want to know how tall a dresser is, whether that inseam is long enough for me to bother trying them on, or if that rug is just going to be a few inches too short, I just measure how many hand-spans it is and count by 8’s. […]
Original post by watchthesky
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween from the ninja (covers up the bad haircut, don’tcha think?)
and she-who-was-going-to-be-Minnie-Mouse-but-changed-her-mind-again
to be Cinderella for the 2nd year in a row. I’m told that Minnie Mouse’s time will come next year.
It’s weird to send the kids out while it’s still light out - I hadn’t considered that consequence of not having Daylight Savings time last weekend. But it’s getting darker and the first ghouls are hitting our doorstep.
Original post by bonnieandclyde
Getting Colonial?
Robin recently mentioned that she’s going to be using my book, Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself to supplement her upcoming unit on colonial America. I just thought I’d mention that the book is available as a FREE download, here. Seriously. Free. What are you waiting for?
Original post by paradisefound
mommy learns a lesson
The last few days have been challenging. I am tired and Buzz is stressed out, and Zibby has been doing some unusual things. Like sneaking around. I found her under the kitchen table with the bottle of kid vitamins, gobbling them up, after I’d doled out her 4 pc serving already. Yesterday she got into the nail polish and painted her toes (not just the toenails!), and then I found her and told her I’d help her finish in a minute. I went to change henry and came back to find she had opened it again and now it was poured out on the floor. I yelled and even smacked her leg. I immediately felt such remorse and I apologized and we both talked a little about it. Later I set up a project where we painted some clothes at the table. its been hard to make time for special […]
Original post by happychildhood
So, how’s it going around your circus?
Here…ummm, it could be worse.
I have to admit that adding JackJack and Squirt back into the mix has been challenging. Right now I have one child in each of the Montessori age divisions. Jack-Jack is a 0-3, Squirt is a 3-6, JBug is a borderline 6-12, Superboy is a 12-15 and Modgirl (though she is no longer homeschooled) is a 15-18. As many of you with more than the average 2.1 (or whatever) children know, teaching multiple age groups simultaneously can be tricky. I was just telling dh, (who after an all-too-brief visit is once again all alone and lonely in Alaska), that sometimes I feel like the ringmaster in a 5-ring circus, running from ring to ring in a desperate attempt to keep the whole show from collapsing! The lions won’t stay tamed and keep trying to attack the trapeze artist, the tight-rope walker keeps dropping her pole on […]
Original post by lapazfarm
Astronomy Night
Emma peering through the telescope at the moon.
Kailey and her amazement- look at those craters.
Steven. His first conversation / his first senstence was about the man on the moon- memories… how he has grown since then.
Original post by hyattkids
Girl Scout Halloween Meeting
Waiting for everyone to arrive- Kiersten, Kailey and Friends.
Kailey earned her first patch as a Brownie- doesn’t she look cute : ) Yes, that is me in the picture- a seldom glimpse of me ; )
Kiersten’s first patch as a Junior Girl Scout- she is so proud… if you cannot tell this was a Halloween Party night too : )
Kailey and the Pumpkin/ Gourd she decorated for the Halloween Party.
My little artist- Kiesten and the Pumplin/ Gourd she decorated as our craft for Girl Scouts
Another creative pumpkin by Kiersten
Decision time Kailey- which one will it be? No, you cannot have them all : )
Steven, and he cupcake choosing : ) Girl Scouts a family event : ) sorry daddy…
My Princess Kiersten
Original post by hyattkids
Cupcake Time
The kids and I made these cupcakes for a Girl Scout function- they were a lot of fun to make.
Original post by hyattkids
ABC
Kailey learning her ABC’s, she is anxious to start reading.
Who said working hard could not be fun? Kailey is having a blast : )
Look at her concentration.
Combining sounds to make words.
Kailey is really getting into her ABC’s- she has learned 8 letters and their sounds and has even began combining sounds to form words.
Original post by hyattkids
Squiggles!
I’m not big on coloring books, and have even kind of turned up my nose at some of those anti-coloring books that claim to be more creative. But I have to admit that Squiggles is pretty cool. I don’t think it’s a replacement for doing creative artwork, but for those times when my youngest used to moan, “I don’t know what to draw!” this would have been perfect. The drawings are very chunky, and the lines are big and bold so coloring within the lines is really not the focus. Each page has a prompt of sorts, for instance a picture of a big bowl with the statement, “This can be eaten with a spoon.” Presumably, little artists will fill in the bowl with a food item of their choice. Of course (you knew this was coming), I like that there isn’t one correct “answer”, but instead kids can […]
Original post by paradisefound
Let it snow
Tis the season for some snow… too bad it did not stick around… We love SNOW!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow : )
Kids making Snow Angels
Steven and his snow angel- brrrrr…..
Original post by hyattkids
Do thine eyes decieve me?
Sarah is sitting next to me chanting, ‘candy candy candy candy candy candy!’ while I ponder one of the greatest mysteries that happened today. I was anxious, only minutes ago, for a parcel that was said to be waiting for us. Was it for me? Could it be an early Birthday present? I waited for my mom to come back with it. When she finally did, I looked at the address. For me? Yes!
I opened it. It was a pretty big box. I unwrapped the first gift inside. A notebook! Then the next. My favorite tea! Another, chocolate, and mechanical pencils (and a lot there was), and socks …
There, at the bottom, was the last present. Had Christmas come early and nobody notified me? Was it really snowing outside at that moment? Where was everyone else’s presents, the decorations? How come it was Halloween at the same time? The last […]
Original post by Meaghan
Halloween Mystery Messages
While PisecoDad and BabyGirl napped this afternoon, JediBoy and I had fun making each other mystery messages. We mixed equal amounts of baking soda and water, then used Q-tips to write with that mixture on plain white paper. After the writing had dried, we painted over the papers with a very thin watercolor - and the mystery messages were revealed!
We both got quite a kick out of this, and also for the first time (yes, in more than 5 years of life) JediBoy actually asked me to help show him how to draw something (a pumpkin). We were having so much fun with that, and playing with BabyGirl when she woke up (he likes to pretend to eat her feet), that I didn’t realize one important fact: the mystery messages are NOT PERMANENT! We now have lots of pieces of paper that are faintly orange and […]
Original post by piseco
Main Lesson Blocks for Calvin, 2nd Grade
Here is our schedule of Main Lesson blocks for the year:
Sept: NATIVE AMERICANS (completed)
Oct: ANIMAL TALES (finishing this week)
November: MATH, focusing on place value
End of November: A one-week mini-block on WATERCOLOR PAINTING
December: ADVENT STORIES
January-Mid February: FAIRY TALES
February-Early-March: MATH, focusing on multiplication/division concept
Mid-March-April: SAINTS AND HEROES (Coordinate with Easter!)
May-Early June: NATURE STORIES/GARDEN
I will be posting some loose lesson plans for each block as we finish it. (Understand I am not a real detailed planner, but I will list the stories and specific books used, as well as some of the activities we did. It would help if I actually learn to post pictures for examples, but I need to take the time to sit and learn to do this–we’ll see!!). From the completed Lesson Blocks as we finish them. They will be under a new category called “Main Lesson Blocks”.
Original post by angela
Tagged - I’m it!
I’ve never been one to do the blog games that roll around, but this time I’ve been officially tagged by Sherilyn.
The rules:
A. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names.
Six facts about me:
I’d rather stay up all night than wake up early.
In Myers-Briggs test, I’m an INTJ - representing about 3% of the population. Explains a lot doesn’t it?
I must read to fall asleep - so I read every day (and night).
My current ‘bucks drink: tall, extra hot, no water, no foam, soy chai latte (thanks Heidi!)
This winter celebrates the end of my 2nd year of yoga practice.
I’ve had the same favorite band since my Junior year in high school.
I’m tagging the following six people:
Traci
Dawn
Tricia
Lisa
Scrapbook Diva
Ginger
Original post by bonnieandclyde
Ghost of Halloween Past
Happy Halloween (and an early Happy All Saints Day)! This is a sad day in many ways, because it’s also my dad’s 15th wedding anniversary. of course, my wonderful stepmom is dying. He bought her an anniversary card, but in her weakened condition, and with all the morphine, he doesn’t know whether she’s aware of it.
I don’t feel much like celebrating Halloween but, because of the family, we’re doing it anyway. We’re on for trick-or-treating and watching Spiderman III later.
I haven’t been “blogging” lately. The thing that gives me so much to write about — that LIFE keeps happening — also dictates that I don’t have time to write.
Just for fun, I thought I’d post a link to this digital scrapbook page of last halloween’s learning activites. We had a lot of fun with this stuff last year.
“Halloween Math ‘06″
Original post by tribeofautodidacts
Toys
I am getting a huge stack of toy catalogs in the mail. It’s that time of year, of course.
As we’ve been doing daycare for a year now, we’ve acquired A LOT of toys, and I’ve also gone through a few times and made drastic reductions. I feel like I’m starting to get a grip on what is worth having and what is not, and we can get rid of the toys that just take up space without really being worth it. Even after we do that, however, we still have A LOT of toys!
Toys we couldn’t live without:
For babies: a few rattles, a “gym” with a variety of hanging items to clip onto plastic chains.
For toddlers: an activity table to stand at, a push car, big “easy grip” balls, big cars to push around, a shape sorter, the chatter box phone, big stacking toys.
For the 2-5 year olds:
Wooden blocks, duplos, […]
Original post by learningumbrella
What’s not to love?
You can order personalized Sharpies here, and the quantities are reasonable now! What a cool gift or stocking stuffer! As a confirmed Sharpie freak, mine would probably say my name and something along the lines of:
Put it down. NOW!
U can’t touch this!
Property of the freak
*starts to mull over the Christmas list but isn’t sure everyone would appreciate the gift of Sharpies - hard to imagine*
Original post by morethanfine
pumpkin shortage?
Yesterday I went to three grocery stores looking for pumpkins for my boys to carve. At the last store, I had given up and was picking up some groceries when a man came out of the back storage area rolling a pallet with a big box of pumpkins on it. I was excited to find them and told the man that everyone was out and asked if that was normal. He said it was not normal. So what’s up with pumpkins in our town? Hmmm…. maybe there’s a carving contest… or maybe someone is doing some serious decorating… or maybe we’ll find out tonight.
I’m not really “into” Halloween but I think there’s something cool about a Jack-o-lantern with a candle flickering inside. We don’t T or T any more, but we do stay home and watch a movie as a family and eat […]
Original post by morethanfine
Poetry #3 Written 10/30/07
“I hate you!”
What once gave me peace now makes me angry.
I got off track. Like bad looking good in the face.
My secret place I did hate.
It reminded me of the peace I once got.
Why could I not get it again?
It never changed.
it was still just as beautiful as God had created it.
I had rotted!
Oh, what a horrible thing!
I now expect to find the same peace that I once had; if I ever go back.
If I ever take that chance.
Original post by learningon