Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly wrap-up February 3rd

It is February already!  When did this happen?  :-) 

What I did just realize is that my camera was set to "2011" instead of "2012."  OOPS!  Hubby gave it to me for Christmas.  We picked it up on the 12th day of Christmas (yes, I was singing the song, lol) and I guess I was still used to 2011 and I was thinking Christmas because that is what I programmed in.  My kids just realized it, so the first month of photos taken all have the wrong year.  :-)  I did just change it.

It has been an event-filled week in our family.

In my life/homeschool this week: On Friday, I had the pleasure of meeting two of my bloggy friends IRL.  You can read about it here.

On Saturday, our daughter made her First Penance.  What a beautiful and touching service.  Kiddo was chosen to read parts of the Prodigal Son story.  She did a beautiful job.  We were so proud of her!

Saturday was also my parents' 45th wedding anniversary and my dad's 71st birthday.  The kids each made something to celebrate the occasion.  Kiddo #1 baked a special cake.  Kiddo #3 made them an amazing powerpoint presentation with animation and effects.  Kiddo #4 wrote and performed her own songs and Kiddo #2 made them an animated movie.

After church on Sunday, Kiddo #4 did some volunteer work there and then came home to join us in a nice, relaxed afternoon of play.  Sunday night found us watching the Pro-bowl together to pizza and other bad-for-you snack foods.  :-)  Hey, you have to indulge every now and again, right?  Kiddo #2, the sports fanatic, is already counting down to next week's Super Bowl.  If this kid doesn't become a sportcaster...if you name him any Super Bowl (and there have been 45 of them so far), he can tell you which teams played, who won, what the score was....Wow.  He makes powerpoint presentations on the seasons of various teams, their statistics, etc, all with pretty impressive animations and effects!

Monday was music lessons for all of the kiddos in addition to the bi-weekly biology lab for Kiddos #1 and 2.  This session they were learning about starfish and preparing to dissect them.

On Tuesday, we were blessed with amazing spring-like weather.  We took advantage of this and went to the park after lunch.  I love how the kiddos organized their own little baseball game.  Kiddos #1 and 2 patiently pitched to the youngers and "allowed" them to reach base, lol.  :-)  Very sweet.  They also all had fun on the playground equipment.  What a gorgeous day!  Glad we got to be outside and enjoy it.

On Wednesday, we did a fun experiment as part of our study on sound waves.  You can read about it here.

Since Thursday was Groundhog Day, we did a couple of activities to commemorate it.  :-)  The younger two made "Groundhog booklets" filled with facts about groundhogs (did you know they also are called woodchucks?) and pictures to color.  The older two had a grammar worksheet on groundhogs to complete filled with synonyms, antonyms and homonyms having to do with the day.  Both were found at Enchanted Learning.  We also watched Phil on You-tube since we weren't up early enough to see it live.  Now the kids want to visit Punxsutawney.  :-)

What's working: Definitely the hands-on activities.  I need to keep up with the ideas and planning to be sure my children have these learning experiences.  They remember and learn so much more when they are completely engaged and involved in that learning.

What I'm cooking: My favorite this week was a stir-fry I made over rice.

What I'm praying for: there are so many people who are suffering or who are ill and have asked for prayers.  I also keep my family and friends in my daily prayers.

A photo or quote to share: I actually have one of each to share this week:

Kiddo #1 took this with my new camera.  Wow!  Did I mention he loves to take photos as well as bake and build and fly airplanes?  lol!  :-)

"What a sad life does he lead who wants both to please the world and to serve God! Apart from the fact that you are going to be unhappy all the time, you can never attain the stage at which you will be able to please the world and please God." - Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)

I'm happy to be linking up with The Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Thankful Thursday February 2nd

Last Friday I was so blessed to be able to meet two of my bloggy friends and their children in person!  It was wonderful to be able to get together with Theresa from Red Oak Lane and Aurie from Our Good Life at Giggleberry Fair, a local fun center for kids.

The kids had so much fun climbing several stories full of tunnels, slides and obstacles. 

And, of course, we cannot forget the thousands of nerf-like balls that get vacuumed up, shot, thrown and exploded into the air!

It was wonderful to see our children playing together and enjoying each other's company

I am thankful for the opportunity to meet in person these friends with whom I have shared email, phone calls and blog posts.  It is wonderful when you feel like you have known someone for years and have a comfort level in conversation immediately.  These moms are both an inspiration to me and we have so much in common with each other. I am lucky to now call them my friends IRL as well as in the "blogosphere."  :-)

Here is a photo of Theresa and her children:

and Aurie and one of her girls:

I look forward to sharing about future get-togethers that are in the works! 

I'm happy to be linking up with Theresa at Red Oak Lane.  Come share what you are grateful for today!



Look! What we did!

Today we were studying sound waves and vibrations.  We found the following experiment on NASA's website and the kids had a great time trying it.  We are linking up with Theresa at Red Oak Lane today with her "Look what we did" linkup.

Good Vibrations

Purpose: This activity investigates sound vibrations.
         
Materials

• an empty coffee can with a plastic lid
• uncooked rice grains or small black beans
• metal tablespoon
• notebook

Procedure

1. Place the coffee can in the center of a table. Make sure the plastic lid is on tight.
2. Place a 1/2 tablespoon of rice in the center of the plastic lid. Predict what will happen.
3. Strike the rim with a metal tablespoon.
4. Observe what happens to the rice grains.
5. Record observations in a notebook.

Conclusion

1. What causes the rice to bounce?
2. What is needed to make the rice jump higher?

What's Happening?
A series of energy transfers makes the rice jump or move. The energy used to tap the tablespoon on the coffee can lid was transferred into a moving vibration that bounced around inside the can in all directions. As the vibrations hit the lid, the energy or vibrations transferred to the rice, and the rice then vibrated or jumped off the surface of the lid.

We also dropped a marble into water to watch the vibrations and circles travel through the water:

Happy to link-up with our science experiment today!

Homeschool Mother's Journal /Weekly wrap-up January 27th

In my life/homeschool this week: Another busy and fun week.  On Friday, after our studies, we met some friends at a new bowling alley for lunch and an afternoon of fun.

On Saturday, we woke up to snow, albeit just a couple of inches.  After the record blizzards of the past 2 years, this winter has been a letdown, but at least the kiddos got to play out in it for a little while.

After Church on Sunday, we enjoyed football playoffs together.

On Monday, as part of our early American history studies, we dipped beeswax candles.  We were excited to open our hands-on kits from "Hearts and Hands" and the kiddos are already asking what we are going to make next.  What a fun kit!  :-) I really enjoyed making the candles, as well, and gained a new appreciation of how much work went into maintaining a household during the colonial times.

Tuesday found us doing some mapwork that accompanied that Hearts and Hands history kit and looking forward to using our candles during dinner tonight!  :-)  After our schoolwork was completed, we took advantage of the snow being gone and I took the kiddos out to spend some giftcards that they had gotten for Christmas and/or birthdays.   It is always fun to see what they choose and also how very frugal they become when it is "their" money that they are spending, lol!  :-) 

Kiddo #1 bought an inflatable remote control shark.  Of course, this is the kid that can fly anything, so he had no problem cruising the 5 foot long creature over and around all of us!  Too funny!

We did use our homemade candles at dinner.  They gave off a beautiful, bright light! 

(have I mentioned today that I just LOVE my new camera? :-))

Wednesday was a pretty uneventful day. (I guess it's good to have those sometimes)  We just got our work done.  :-)

On Thursday, we were supposed to visit a farm for a ice harvest festival.  We were really looking forward to it.  However, the rains came and an outdoor program would be out of the question, so I tried to improvise quickly, having no lessons planned out for the day.  We used some writing prompt cards from "Write Shop" and the kids got to make up and write some funny stories.  I thought that would bring some laughter (and some writing practice!) to the kiddos on a dreary rainy day.  It did help with their disappointment on not being able to get to the farm, too.  :-)

I am very proud of how our daughter not only wants to make her own lunch, but how she wants to take care of her brothers and make theirs, as well!

What is working: definitely hands-on activities.  I just need to continue to be diligent in planning these types of lessons for my children.  It truly makes all the difference in the world for them to be fully engaged in the lesson.  They learn and retain so much more from "doing" and having the fun factor surely doesn't hurt!  If they love learning, then I truly feel that I am being successful as an educator.

What I'm reading:  "Just David" and "These Happy Golden Years" with the kiddos and my Bible for two online Bible studies that I am really enjoying.

I am grateful for: My three "Fs."  You can read about them in yesterday's post here.

I am praying for: our country and its future, the unborn, my children and husband, those who are unemployed, ill, suffering or have a special need for which they asked me to pray.

A quote or photo to share: "What is a faithful man to do in the chaos of events which seem to swallow him up? He must sustain himself calmly by Faith. Faith will make him adore the eternal plan of God. Faith will assure him that to those who love God all things work together for good." - Blessed William Joseph Chaminade (1761-1850)

I am linking up today to Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Thankful Thursday- January 26

I really am fortunate to be able to homeschool my children.  It is such an amazing blessing!  I am thankful for the precious gifts of my children and for a husband who works so hard to provide for us and supports me 100% in our homeschooling journey.

I am thankful that today, Thursday, we are going on a field trip with other families to a local farm.  We will learn how to carve ice, make ice cream and learn about winter chores on the farm.

Tomorrow, Friday, the kiddos and I will be meeting two bloggy friends of mine and their children for the first time!  I am so excited and grateful!  We will be visiting a wonderful and fun place called "Giggleberry Fair."  I hope to have pictures up on the blog soon from both the farm and fun center.

So, I guess I can sum up my "gratitudes" this week by saying that I am grateful for my three "F's:"

my Faith,

my Family,

and my friends.

I am happy to be linking up today with Theresa at Thankful Thursday.

Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up January 20th

Another week has gone by already?  It was just Christmas, and here we are, almost all the way through January.  I know, it sounds like a broken record, but time literally does fly.  :-)

In my life/homeschool this week:

Friday was a washout as far as going anywhere (the weather was just too cold and wet), so we ended up staying home and doing some extra work and activities.  Kiddos 3 and 4 enjoyed making a flip book in their Notebooking Journal for their Apologia Zoology class.  They learned about wolves, coyotes, African wild dogs, dingoes, etc.  I have been learning right along with them.

Saturday was a fun day.  Kiddo #4 was at church volunteering with some other young ladies in the morning and Kiddo #1 was baking a vanilla cake to top with chocolate frosting this time.

Our "game night" became "football playoff night," lol, but it was fun watching the two games with our boys, as they enjoyed the cake.  :-)  Kiddo #4 would watch on and off, but made a great discovery in a closet in the basement-- a new Lite Brite toy that the kiddos were given a couple of Christmases ago.  So, she and I made some interesting creations together.

Monday was a day off for everyone.  The kids were thrilled to have their dad off from work.  :-) We took down the rest of the Christmas decorations down (yes, there were still some left, lol!) and the kids all had their music lessons.

Tuesday we continued with our study of the human body with the Digestive System.  We watched a video, made diagrams and then played "Body Bingo."  The kiddos made the cards themselves!  I found a blank template and a sheet of 24 different organs/systems.  The kids got to choose which 16 to include on each other their cards.  Playing the bingo was fun! (and we got to learn a lot about all of the systems of the body that we are going to study)

On Wednesday, the highlight was that we did crossword puzzles and matching games I made about the Digestive System.  They really did well with them.  It is amazing how well kids do when the learning is fun and hands-on!  :-)

What I'm cooking: Friday: French toast, pancakes, waffles, omelettes, Saturday: Shepherd's Pie over noodles (hot dogs and nuggets for the kids, lol), Sunday: raviolis, meatballs, veggies, Monday: Chicken and broccoli over rice, Tuesday: Pasta and peas, chicken cutlets and baked eggplant, Wednesday: sausage and pepper sandwiches, Thursday: take out pizza

I'm praying for: those who are sick, seeking work, depressed, lonely, deployed overseas, and for all of those who have asked for my prayers.  The list can go on and on.....

I'm grateful for: Whenever I start to feel down about anything, I just try to focus on the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me.  I posted about some of them here yesterday.

A quote or photo to share:  I just LOVE this quote.  This is something I have really been trying to work on:

"To be optimistic in spite of everything, trust in God should be the pivot of our thoughts and actions."- Pope John Paul I

and another cute picture of my parents' kittens:

I am linking up today with The Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.