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My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Jun 28, 2014

I is for Initiative

Initiative is an eagerness and ability to take action when seeing something that needs to be done and doing it first.  According to Merriam-Webster it is to have the energy and desire that is needed to do something.

*SPUNK*    *Gumption*     *Get Up and Go*

Initiative is not apathy, lethargy, and idleness.  Not lazy, I'd say.

It's funny that I scheduled initiative for this week.  It's the one thing I have *zero* of right now.  I rarely have a full helping of it anyway, but after a week full of two VBSes and school most days, my eyes can barely stay open!


Initiative is being proactive, rather than reactive.  It is about recognizing a need and moving to fill it without being asked.  It doesn't have to be big.  You can start with your own family or neighborhood.  No one expects you to change the world tomorrow.  Look around.  Do you see someone with a need that you can fill?  Are you in a position to fill the need?  Love your neighbor like yourself.  Can you feed the neighbor family with the sick child?  Can you offer to sit for the frazzled mom?  Can you visit someone who is lonely?  Are you willing to show hospitality?  How about writing a real note to brighten someone's day?  Don't wait until everything is going just right because just right isn't happening any time soon.  Do it now.  Do it when you see a need.




Ben and Me

Jun 26, 2014

Go Science Series Two - An Explosive Review!


I think I've mentioned that we {big fat puffy heart} elementary science around here.  When Library and Educational Services offered the opportunity to review two of the Go Science series two DVDs to the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was all over that! Library and Educational Services has been a wholesale distributor of CDs, DVDs, and books for over 35 years.  If you are a homeschooling family, YOU qualify for wholesale prices!  L.E.S. carries only products which are inline with their Christian morals and values. 

Go Science Series 2
Volume 2: Life Science, Weather

Go Science Review

The boys are hoping to get their hands on some liquid nitrogen, because that's so easy to just pick up at the store, right?  I think the liquid nitrogen cloud experiment was the biggest hit on screen *and* in my living room!  Xav thought he could recreate it with some hot water and *very* cold water.  This volume was jam packed with exploding type experiments.

Dad *made* a garbage can vortex cannon!  The boys like to pretend they've been shot and fall to the ground dead.  Even Merrick enjoys this game.


We've discovered iron in our cereal.

We're making a naked egg.

Volume 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

Go Science Review

We learned how to balance a bunch of nails on one *single* nail.  I won't tell you that trick, but I wish I had known it last month when we went to the Sciencenter!

Another lesson on this DVD involves using a trebuchet, which I think had the best (though very short) message of God's blessings.   A simple toilet paper demonstration explained inertia.  The message he included was about forcing people and breaking relationships. 

We walked on eggs.  This experiment was free for us because the girls have been generous layers this spring.  I think they're making up for six eggs all winter.  Anyway, if you try it, chances are good you will not break any and still be able to use them.  Out of two dozen, only one cracked and that was because the neighboring egg tilted in the carton and poked it in the side.


I wish I could tell you which video was our favorite, but we loved both of the DVDs we received.  There was a *lot* of "Whoa!" and "Cool!" happening here while we viewed these.  They really are the coolest science experiments.  I think the summer camps we host for our co-op are going to be especially science-y  this year!  I'm also trying to decide which episode to use for chapel when it's my turn again. 

The Go Science series would make a great launching point for choosing fun science fair projects.

Each demonstration is 3-10 minutes long, making the DVDs approximately one hour long.  Some of the experiments aren't typically performed at home, but I did see plenty of things on these disks that we can recreate fairly easily... and safely!

These videos were filmed as part of a Christian TV broadcast.  They take place on a set, in what appears to be a school gymnasium, and out of doors.  Safety gear is always discussed and used.  Most aspects of the experiments are explained, though I was left with unanswered questions a few times.  I don't think the boys noticed or cared though.  A couple of the sessions, the cameras were really not in place to catch the "epic" close of the demonstration.  One example was the ping pong ball cannon.  The shot was of the host puncturing the tape on one end of the tube, but the action was happening at the other end of the tube.

These DVDs are not a full curriculum, but rather a marvelous addition to any science course.  I'd recommend watching the relevant video clip to reinforce things the children are learning in science at the time.  It will probably be clearer and stick in their minds better.  However, there is no reason to not watch it straight through.  We did.

The show host, Ben Roy, ties some of the demonstrations into a very short Bible or virtue lesson.  For instance, in one he talks about how our words and the repercussions of what we say can get away from us like fire.  In another, he talks about the cloud Moses and the Israelites followed when leaving Egypt.  We are reminded that we each have a purpose.  He ends each presentation with the catchphrase, "Whenever we learn more about science, we learn more about our creator; God."

Each short begins with the "Go Science" fish logo.  Xavier, then Malachi, and now Merrick all shout, "Goooooooo science!" every single time.  Cracks me up.



The seven DVDs in series two cover these topics.
  • Sound, Gravity, Space
  • Life Science, Weather
  • Air
  • Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light
  • States of Matter, Water
  • Chemistry
  • Engineering, Design, Flight

Ages 4-12
Price: $8.97 each or $59.82 for all seven series 2 DVDs.

You can see Ben Roy demonstrate several science concepts for his audience on Library and Ed's youtube channel.
Like them on Facebook.


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Jun 20, 2014

H is for Helpful

Being helpful means giving or being ready to give help, useful.  Helpful is doing whatever needs to be done.

Helpful is not unwilling to serve or waiting to be asked.  (Some antonyms from the We Choose Virtues parenting cards.)  We Choose Virtues also teaches us three big rules.  Under the Be a Helper rule, we'll find the virtues of helpful, perseverant, diligent, and content.

Not helping could hinder or even be harmful as Larry the Cucumber tells Bob the Tomato in Big River Rescue.
Huckleberry Larry: I just wanna help little Jimmy find his mama.
Tomato Sawyer: I've got news for you. I didn't hurt little Jimmy. 
I'm not the one who sent him up the river away from his mama. 
I didn't hurt him, so I shouldn't have to help him.
Huckleberry Larry: Sometimes, not helping is the same as hurting.
Tomato Sawyer: What? That makes no sense.
Huckleberry Larry: If we see someone who needs help, and we can help them,  I think that's what God wants us to do.

Later, in the episode, Tomato Sawyer's fishing pole is broken when the narrator refuses to help.

While God wants us to serve, we are also commanded to help in secret.  We don't need earthly rewards, we should seek our heavenly reward.

Lord, help me to see places of need that I can fill.  Help us to watch for opportunities and recognize them. 

Ben and Me

Jun 13, 2014

Plimoth Plantation Part 1 Wampanoag Homesite

This post is actually from a few years ago.  2011, to be exact.  I wrote it and never got the pictures added.  Now that I'm adding some Field Trip Friday posts, it's time to go back though and get this type of post finished.

Our year end Friday School trip this year was to Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II. I'm going to break this trip up into three blog posts; Intro and Wampanoag homesite, English village, and Mayflower II. We had an overnight stay at a hotel with a pool and decent weather. Doesn't that make every trip more fun? We arrived May 8, got checked in and visited with friends at a pizza party. Then we headed for the pool. The boys watched some Thomas and Friends in the hotel room before dozing off. The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and checked out.

Waiting to go in.
(I love looking back on our lives and seeing the littles when they were so much little-er.)

Our first stop was the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center where we watched a film in the Plimoth cinema about what we would be seeing and hearing at the Wampanoag homesite and English village. We learned that the spelling of Plimoth Plantation that is used came about because anyone who could write spelled however they wanted and that was how the Governor of Plimoth, William Bradford, spelled Plymouth.

I was a bit disappointed at some of the "education" we received at the Wampanoag homesite. There, we were told the reason small pox wiped out so many was that the native people had no experience with contagious illnesses and did not quarantine the ill members of the group. This woman claimed the only "sickness" was infection from injury. When pressed further, she did admit they had the common cold. In trying to keep this page family friendly, I will just say that they gave the English a rather nasty illness in return, which the settlers took back to England.


I was really interested in the three sisters method of planting. This involves making a pile of loose dirt and planting several pieces of corn in the top (thinning to three or four stalks). When the corn is hand high, beans are planted around the sides of the mound of dirt and use the corn stalks as support. I'm not as clear about the timing of the squash (or melons, pumpkins, etc.), which is planted at the base, but that is the third "sister" in the mound.

At the garden area, we were also told there were no weeds before the English arrived and no rats and flies. Really? Those dirty, rotten English scoundrels brought all kinds of vermin and weeds to the new world and destroyed the idyllic paradise the native peoples enjoyed. Bummer. A little internet research right in the parking lot before we headed to the Mayflower II revealed that there were indeed weeds and rats here.

Jun 12, 2014

G is for Gentle

Gerbil and Jill of We Choose Virtues tell us to speak quietly and touch softly.  Being gentle is not loud, destructive, or hurtful toward people.  But being gentle is more than that.  Being gentle also means being born to a high station in life.

If Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings and we are his family, I'd say we are pretty nobly born again. 

I am a Child of Royal Birth,
My Father is King of Heaven and Earth.
My spirit was born in Courts on High.
A Child Beloved, a Princess am I!

(I've searched for the author and found many other verses, but I don't know who to credit that to.)

As daughters of the King, we have certain responsibilities toward our children.  They need our love, correction, and support.  We should model the desired actions.
  • Col 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.  (I know that says "Fathers," but mothers are typically with their children more often and are perfectly capable of discouraging them.)
  • Titus 2:3-4 3the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good thingsthat they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children
  • Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 
  • Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. 
  • John 15:12 "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
Loving like Jesus.  That's a tall order.  One we are commanded to follow.

Lord, please help me to teach, support, and train my children in gentleness and love.  

Ben and Me

We Choose Virtues Review

We Choose Virtues Review

 We Choose Virtues is actually a very favorite company of mine.  I've been slowly acquiring products from We Choose Virtues for a couple of years.  We have the Kids Virtue Poster, Virtue Flashcards, a few of their free offerings (Memory Verses, Bible Heroes and Truths sheet, and Family Character Assessment), and a few other odds and ends.  For character education, you can't beat We Choose Virtues.  I was happy to add the Parenting Cards and the We Choose Virtues Download Bundle to the collection.
We Choose Virtues Review

Heather McMillan created We Choose Virtues as a way to train the hearts and minds of children in her preschool class and church.  She learned from other teacher friends how difficult it was to maintain order in a classroom where students couldn't follow simple behavioral instructions.  Heather didn't just want students to follow instructions in the moment, but to have true growth and change in their hearts.  She originally created the virtues and catchphrases for use with her own children and the students she taught.

Pete and Linda Sutton are the creators of the illustrations for VirtueVille.  I love the colorful products and the whimsical illustrations!

Parenting Cards (KJV)   $38.49. 8.5x 5.5"
The KJV version utilizes only old testament verses.  The cards are also available in NIRV and even the Spanish language.  Thirteen high quality, double-sided cards are included.  The cover card explains the icons of VirtueVille; the caterpillar, butterfly, and magnifying glass and offers some demonstration ideas for introducing virtues.  Each virtue card practically shouts "I am..." for each virtue.  A character is introduced, a catchphrase, antonyms, and a Bible verse.

The back of the cards issue a challenge to the whole family, a sample apology, along with a short back story for the character and a chance to think about the application of the virtue.

The cards arrived.  Coloring ensued.

  • Teacher's Handbook
  • Family Character Assessment
  • Coloring Pages
  • Butterfly Award
  • Sing-along-Song sheets
The Teacher's Handbook is a must.  While it refers throughout to teaching a class, anyone can use it easily without requiring any real adaptations.  Everything you need, from preparing yourself to teach, introducing the virtues, activities, games, and common sense advice is in here.  We used many of the activities in the manual.  The boys particularly like I Spy.  We even play while we travel  You have to guess pretty quickly on the highway!  I marked the Teacher's Handbook up with PDF highlighter just like I would have in a print copy.  It's a sickness I have.  

I loved getting to see specific ways to use and apply the cards in our home.  The cards alone are terrific, but it was so nice to have that extra guidance.

The Family Character Assessment needs to be printed for each individual.  Here's where you get to record your caterpillar's metamorphosis.  Select where each family member is, on a scale of 1 to 10, on each virtue.  As you see them improving, the number goes up.  Set a goal number each month and try again.

The Coloring Pages are just for fun.  I like to offer them when I read about a virtue from some of the books we own.  For instance, I can read from one of the old Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories using the list in the back of each book to find appropriate stories.  The boys can color the corresponding picture.

The Butterfly Award is an attractive, colorful award to be filled out in recognition of virtue progress.

The Sing-Along Song Sheets have simple songs sung to common childhood tunes and help reinforce what the punks are learning.


These are all great parenting tools.  This is a terrific value for the price.  I highly recommend it.  Along with any set of cards, you have all you need (but maybe not all you *want*!) to teach your child to be a Virtue Kid.

Virtues do not come naturally to children (and many adults!).  They need to be taught to follow the three rules of We Choose Virtues.
  1. Obey (Honor Authority)
  2. Be Kind (Respect Others)
  3. Be a Helper (Be Responsible)
Each of the 12 virtues (diligent, helpful, perseverant, gentle, content, attentive, honest, kind, self-controlled, patient, obedient, forgiving) are covered by one of these three rules.  The rules are listed in order of importance and must all be followed for the desired heart attitude of a virtue kid.

An unexpected way I was able to make use of the We Choose Virtues products was in blogging my ABC word studies.  If a letter has a virtue, I use it!

Like the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, we can all make changes for the better.

These are ideal for ages 3-11.  There is a compatible Youth Virtue Journal for ages 12-18.  Some of the Schoolhouse Review Crew has reviewed that, so click the button below to read about that new product.

There are secular versions of nearly all of the We Choose Virtues products.  These look great for public schools.  To see them, just look under Shop > Tools for Schools from the We Choose Virtues home page.

Find We Choose Virtues on social media.

Facebook
Pinterest 
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Jun 11, 2014

Week in Review 5/25/14

    In Rangers this week...
No Rangers - Memorial Day.

    What we're reading... 
Dad finished Tim, Tobby, and the Train
and started Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

For school, I'm reading them Sarah, Plain and Tall

    Around the house... 
The kitchen has been repainted.  Instead of the light pink that got old real quickly, it's now a medium brown to better coordinate with the orange in the entry and the green in the living and dining room.  My mother-in-law enjoys painting, so she motivated me to get the paint and get to it.  Next visit, she says it's time for the decks. 

    In the yard... 
Micah has been cleaning out the big flower bed and putting in new mulch.  The pumpkins are planted.

Xav took out the broken mower and followed Dad all over the side yard.


Merrick helped me choose some plants at the farm store.


    Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
While his parents were visiting, Micah took me on a date.  We decided to go to the restaurant The Bigger works at, The Family Table.  I had blackened chicken on penne with roasted tomato and basil cream sauce and Micah had butternut squash ravioli in brown butter sauce with sage and pine nuts.  The boy treated us as my Mother's Day present. After dinner, we went for a walk on the tail behind the restaurant and saw a rainbow that was two stacked bows with a third bow below it.  Of course, the phone couldn't see it that way.


Then we brought home a bunch of desserts to share with my in-laws.

    My kiddos favorite thing this week was…
Finding this freebie on the side of the road.  Of course, they only use it properly.  Slides are for up, right?


The funniest part was probably getting it home in "Beepa" of the Forest's car. (That's Grandma for those who don't know, specifically my MiL)  It hung out about two feet.  I sat in the back trying to hold the tailgate door sort of closed, while the other end of the slide kept bumping the radio and changing stations.

    I’m (NOT) cooking…
Xav loves chocolate chip pancakes.  He's leaning how to make them on his own.  His measuring cups and spoons are color coded, so I color coded his recipe as well.  He has made them a few times and is getting pretty confident.  I like how the color coding really helps him.  I think I will keep doing that for his recipes.
 

    Out of the mouths of boys... 
Xav (at 11:30 pm) : Mom, do you have any tips for how to fall asleep faster?
Me (in my head) : You're asking the wrong person.
Me (out loud) : Yes. Stop talking to your brother!


    This week's reviews...
Schoolhouse Review Crew Apologia's What on Earth Can I Do? (including my own)

Linking up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Learning Palette ~ A LearningPalette.com Review

Learning Wrap-Ups Review

The Learning Palette is a product of Learning Wrap ups.  We have their addition set of Wrap ups, which I really liked.  I also have some older products from my days as a "Toy Lady" that sort of (ish) are a similar concept for toddlers. When I was offered the chance to review LearningPalette.com, I thought it would be fun to give it a test drive and experience *all* of the grades available in both math and language arts.

A 4th grade teacher, Marion Stuart, was looking for an easy way to teach her class their multiplication facts.  She came up with a way to use a card and a string to match up facts with answers and self-check the results.  Marion found a manufacturer to create the current Learning Wrap ups that many of you may know and love.  The company continues to add products to their line up, including the Learning Palette.  Most recently, the LearningPalette.com website was added. 

I signed myself up for a parent account and gave both Mal and Xav a student account.  As they complete cards, they get a green circle for that card.  It's easy for them to tell what they have and haven't done.


As you can see in the picture above, LearningPalette.com is aligned with common core.  Parents and teachers can easily see how any card correlates to CCSI.

The student reads the questions on the card (or you read them aloud for him), then drags the colored disks to the appropriate place on the card.  It's pretty simple for them to check their progress, either as they go or when they have completed the card, simply by clicking "check answers" in the upper left part of the screen.



With one struggling mathematician and one emergent reader, we found LearningPalette.com to be a fun way to review and practice skills.  I really like the access to all grade levels.  That's 660 cards.  It didn't matter where the punks were in language arts and math, we were able to find the appropriate level for each of them for most skills.  The favorite cards were the Language Arts cards with riddles.  We giggled about those quite a lot!

A free demo is available.  You will be able to access one card in nearly every title of the Learning Palette.  This is a great way to try it out before you buy it.  Watch the video introduction to LearningPalette.com.

I experienced a lot of technical issues with the accounts and the website.  The account set up worked oddly and I even received a message that made me think I was using a current user's log in.  The site let me sign in, but I was afraid to proceed.  I didn't want to ruin someone's reports!  I was often not able to access the parent account, cards would not show completion or even attempts, and some cards are difficult to read because the writing or images are too small.  Also, there are places on the LearningPalette.com website that need a scroll bar and do not have one.  It's a terrific concept, and since it is fairly new, I hope these are issues they will be working to remedy soon.

Www.learningpalette.com is $59.99 for up to five users, accessing all levels of reading and math.  Use code HOMESCHOOL for a 20% discount.*  The suitable range is for children doing K-5th grade work.

*Price and discount effective at time of posting.

Click below to read about the many other products the other Schoolhouse Review Crew moms reviewed for Learning Wrap ups.

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Jun 3, 2014

A Life in Balance ~ A Learning Breakthrough Review

The Learning Breakthrough Program offered the Schoolhouse Review Crew the opportunity to read the book, A Life in Balance.  After looking into the program, I was very interested in finding out what started it all.  I think you will be, too.

Learning Breakthrough Program Review
First, I am a total sucker.  Underdogs break my heart.  When people overcome life's setbacks, I get all choked up and even cry.  Go you! I think.  God love ya!  Well, reading about Mr. Belgau's grade school days in the 1930's did just that to me.  I read about that long ago boy who overcame learning disabilities and the school bully, and I was hooked.

This book is a fascinating read of Frank Belgau's life, from his struggles in early education to his desire to challenge himself to continue life long learning and applying what he had learned to help other people.  Mr. Belgau shows how every stage of his career has taught him various lessons on which to further build his personal education.  A myriad of fascinating personalities were practically thrown into Mr. Belgau's path and he made the most of the valuable insight he gained from every one of them.  Personal development became very important to him.

I truly enjoyed every bit of Mr. Belgau's personal memoir as told to his son, Eric.  He is a fascinating man and an educational pioneer.  But my favorite part of this book was the appendix!  There are plenty of suggestions for watching and analyzing children's movement to gain insight into their learning abilities by using many of the (very fun!) activities in this section. 

We used several of the space walk ideas as well as making up a few of our own.  Now, it sounds like a space walk would require more equipment.  Like maybe astronaut-type equipment.  But all I needed was chalk and bean bags to have a ton of fun with the boys.  On a school day, no less!  I just drew some lines, dots, and circles on the driveway, gave minimal instruction and made some observations.  The most painful, though not surprising, observation is that these two punks are very uncoordinated!  When I analyze what I am seeing, there are two boys who don't swing their left arms when they walk, have trouble walking heel to toe and maintaining balance, and found it way more difficult to put their toes on dots than I would have suspected.


I had been looking into implementing some sort of physical brain breaks in our homeschooling time when this book review opportunity came up.  I had no idea if they really work, what they should consist of, or even when or how to implement them.  Now I feel like the time and effort will not be wasted and will hopefully be very beneficial for our learning environment.  It's time to train those brains!

Learning Breakthrough Program Review

A portion of the book is also dedicated to somewhat technical descriptions (though not over the head of most adults) of the components of The Learning Breakthrough Program.  This program is said to help people dealing with the following issues, all without medication.
  •     ADHD/ADD
  •     Dyslexia
  •     Dyspraxia - Coordination
  •     Dysgraphia - Handwriting
  •     Dyscalculia - Math
  •     CAPD - Auditory Processing
  •     Speech & Language
  •     Autism Spectrum Disorders
  •     Aspergers Syndrome
  •     Behavior
  •     Sensory Processing Disorder
  •     Brain Injury & Stroke
 I'm very intrigued by the program.

I would recommend A Life in Balance to any parent or educator who wishes to help their child reach their fullest potential.  Some older teens may also find the book very interesting.  The book can be purchased for $16.94 at the Learning Breakthrough website.

Find out more about The Learning Breakthrough Program and the book, A Life in Balance on their social media pages.
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Jun 2, 2014

THMJ Week of 5/11/14

    In my life this week…
My oldest baby boy had a birthday this week.  Love you, Dave!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mommy's out there!

    In our homeschool co-op this week... 
 Classes are *done*.  We took our year end, final, big hoopla kind of field trip this week.  There was an overnight in Mendon, Massachusetts where we enjoyed a pool, pizza party, and movie for the kiddos.

The next morning, we headed to the Southwick Zoo.  (I need to get some of these Field Trip Friday posts finished and put up!)


Co-op's closing and graduation ceremony was Friday night.  Xav was croupy, so he and Merrick stayed home with Micah.  Mal and I got to have a date night.  We had a lot of fun.  Micah set up the computer with the funky stuff his class programmed.  It had a temperature sensor and a remote control was rigged up to turn lights on and off and turn an arrow.  All pretty neat and way over my head.  Jasmine graduated from high school and Madeline graduated 8th grade.


    In Rangers this week... 
No Rangers this week - Mother's Day!

    What we're reading... 
Tim, Tobby, and the Train

    Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
On the way home from our co-op trip, we stopped to visit for a few hours with Micah's college friends, Tom and Regan.  The boys *loved* their ginormous dog.  Even Xav, petted and played with her, and he is normally afraid of dogs.  She was just too sweet not to love on her.  Oh, and it was nice to chat with Tom and Regan as well.

    I’m cooking…
Frog legs with squirrel gravy?  Ummm... probably not.  I'll pick something a bit more mainstream.



    A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

New math isn't so new.  Abbott and Costello explain it in this video.

    This week's reviews...
Schoolhouse Review Crew Golden Prairie Press (including my own)
http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/golden-prairie-press-review/
Schoolhouse Review Crew Micro Business for Teens
http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/micro-business-for-teens-review/

Jun 1, 2014

Week in Review 5/18/14

    In our homeschool this week…
Writing notes.  He's getting very good at writing M.
 
Bet you are dying to know what we did with these circles.  you'll have to wait until our WriteShop review is ready. 

    In Rangers this week...
I taught Rainbows this week with Becca.  The kiddos made hand print butterflies.  Merrick flipped about getting his hand painted, so I just traced it and he was happy as a clam.
Micah made some kind of soda can stoves with the Rangers. 

    What we're reading... 
Timmy, Tobby, and the Train

    Out of the mouths of boys... 
Micah messing with the boys as he reads to them.
Micah : Chapter one...
Boys: No! We're past that!
Micah: We are? Oh. OK. Chapter 50. As the space train rocketed through the atmosphere...
Boys: No! There's no space train!
Micah: There is in chapter 50.

Micah and the boys.
Spell cat. C A T. Spell dog. D O G. Spell phosphoglyceraldehyde.
*crickets*

    In the yard...
Thought we'd have some tenants in the bird house this year, but apparently, they were too fat.

  
Mal left a bouquet for me on the windshield.


    A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…
"A kingdom of aggravation and it looks like I'm the queen."  A fantastic mommy/Frozen parody.

    This week's reviews...
Schoolhouse Review Crew Trident cases