Can't Wait...

I am so looking forward to starting school.  I have been getting my lessons organized.  Now all I need is for Joshua to be as excited as I am.  lol.  He will come around.  Hopefully.   Right now...he doesn't even want to "talk" about school.  I am going to use  Time for Learning  again this year.  But, I am going to spend a few weeks reviewing what we learned last year before moving on.  We moved kinda fast at the end of the school year.  I want to make sure that he "got" it all before I start throwing more lessons at him. 

I hope to be back to posting more frequently in a month or so.  We are still enjoying our summer!

Book It!

I just signed Joshua up for pizza hut's "book it" program.  I have been wanting to do it since he as 3...but, I had to wait until he was in Kindergarten.  The deadline for signing up is June 30.  We should receive our materials in Sept.   The program begins in Oct.  If anyone is interested.... go to http://www.bookitprogram.com/ .  

I am trying to decide what direction I want to go in for Kindergarten.  I liked the online program...but, I need to add more stuff to it if I continue to use it next year.  Still researching....

Summer Break

We are taking a couple of months off for summer.   I hope everyone has a good vacation!

Still Here...

It's been awhile. I am just not a good blogger. :(   We are starting to wind down our school year here.  We have finished math and are almost done with language arts.  So, our days lately have been spent reviewing.  And also goofing off a bit.  Today we went outside after a rain storm and Joshua jumped in all of the puddles.  lol.  He had a blast.  Things like that are priceless.

I will update next week.

Sorry...

Sorry we have been MIA lately.  We are still homeschooling.  But, I am working a bit more often.  So, it has been hard to find time to blog about our days.  Joshua has been learning about probability and chance in math.  And in Language Arts he is learning about letter sounds and blending them together to make words.  He is doing really good. 

We are going to be studying ants in the next few weeks.  Joshua is interested in them.  So, I am in the process of finding anything and everything that the internet has to offer on the subject.  We are also going to either start or buy an ant farm.  Not sure which way we are going to go on that yet. 

Joshua has been riding his bike a lot lately.  The weather has been pretty good the last couple of weeks.  But, we got rain today and it's in the forcast for the next few days.  So, our outside nature walks have been put on hold.  I am planning on finding a catapillar and putting it in a jar...so Joshua can watch it build a cacoon.  I did that with my niece a few years ago.  She loved it.  She got to let it go when it came out of the cacoon.

Joshua finally mastered identifying coins.  He struggled with that for a while and then one day it just "clicked." 

I will be sharing pics of our ant farm soon.  So, check back.

Feeling Crafty...

Today Joshua and I went on a long walk.  The weather is so nice today.  We looked for signs of Spring and collected various things from a scavenger hunt list that we made.  Joshua loves doing this.   While we were out walking...we found a big rock.  I suggested that Joshua draw on it.  He said he wanted to draw himself on the rock.  So, this pic is the finished product. :)

Joshua is getting excited about going fishing soon.  He has been practicing casting with his Transformer fishing pole.  So, keeping with the theme...I decided to let Joshua do a "FISH" picture from pictures I cut out of a fishing magazine.  He loved it.  And insisted that I take a picture of it for our homeschool blog.


We didn't get to do any computer or worksheets today.  But, he learned things today.  So, as far as I'm concerned that is what is most important.

Wordless Wednesday

Joshua~ 3 years old. Memories...

Resurrection Rolls

I found this recipe on ABC Jesus Loves Me.  I love that website.  Check it out if you get a chance.  It is for 3 and 4 year olds.  But, I have found some things that I am using in Kindergarten.  I haven't made these rolls yet.  I hope I get a chance to make them.  They are so clever.  And a great learning tool.



Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough

8 large marshmallows

Melted butter

Cinnamon

Sugar

Directions:

Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.

Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.

Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.

Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.

Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)

Bake according to package directions.

Cool.


Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!

Celebrate God's love!

We Are Back At It...

We took Friday and Monday off for Spring Break.  And got back to our lessons today.  It seemed like we had been off longer.  But, Joshua didn't have any trouble getting back into the swing of things.

We made shapes today out of popsicle sticks.  I took some pics:

Then since we couldn't make a circle out of the sticks...we used little pom poms:

Joshua knows all of his shapes.  I just wanted to review them.  He had fun. 

I was planning on having Tuesdays and Thursdays be computer free...but, that isn't working out.  SO, we are back to online homeschooling 5 days a week.  On the days that I am off work...we spend more time on actual "book work" after his online curriculum.  Today worked out really good.  He spend an hour online and then 2 hours doing writing, worksheets and crafts.  I am just trying to fit homeschooling in around my job.  It's hard some days...but, so worth it.  :)

On his online program, he was introduced to  whole pizzas and pizzas that were cut into 2, 3 and 4 pieces.  He also learned about cutting things into equal sizes.  This is his introduction to fractions.  In Language Arts he learned about the letters L and N.  Then, he did his online phonics program. 

SPRING BREAK!

We are taking a couple of days off.  Will be back soon! 

To Break or Not To Break...

I am trying to decide if we should have a Spring break this year.  Of course, I could use the break...but, I am concerned that Joshua would be hard to get back on track after a whole week w/out school.  Some of the alternative options that I am considering are to just take a Friday and the weekend off or to have Tues and Thursday off next week. 

Do any of you homeschool moms NOT do Spring break?  And if no, did you ever look back and think your kids might have needed it?  I don't want to overwork Joshua...but, I am still worried about taking a whole week off. 

Any advice would be appreciated  ;)

Computer Free Thursday

We didn't have school yesterday due to sickness.

For Math today, Joshua and I played "store".  I put price tags on his toys and he "bought" them with coins.  It was a lot of fun.  He is still trying to learn the names of the coins.  But, this game seemed to help.  So, we will be playing it again.  We also started talking about measuring.  I introduced a ruler.  He measured things around the house.  We also did estimations about how long things were.  Then, he measured to see how close his estimations were.  

In language Arts, we worked on sequencing and order.  He put pictures in order.  Like pictures of putting on your shoes.  1) find shoes and socks. 2) put socks on.  3) put shoes on.   He read his sight words.  We checked the weather and he put a picture of "sunny" under Thursday on the learning wall
Then, we used magnetic letters and made words on the fridge.   He loves this!

In Bible, he recited his memory verse for the week.  (Luke 1:37)  Later today we are going to read a Bible story from his children's bible.  I usually save that for a bedtime story.  We basically have school all day long.  lol.  I try to not let a learning opportunity pass.  I talk to him about measuring when I am cooking.   We talk about things that float and don't float when he is taking a bath.  And when we go outside I always point out nature to him and give him some facts about it.  He is like a sponge at this age.  He's a lot of fun and hungry for knowledge.  I am so blessed to be able to homeschool him. 

Computer Free Tuesday

I have decided to start making 2 days a week computer free for homeschool.  We have been doing computer for the first part of the day and then adding worksheets and reading the rest of the day.  I will still continue that schedule for the remaining 3 days of the week.  But, for Tuesday and Thursday (my days off)... we will be spending lots of time on handwriting and worksheets to reinforce what he is learning on his online curriculum.

Since today was the first "no computer" day... Joshua was a bit wound up and didn't want to pay attention for very long.  I had to keep stopping and calming him down.  This is why I need this one on one time with him.  He is learning how to sit and listen...but, we need to work on it a bit more.  I love the online curriculum.  But, I don't want to rely on it alone.  

Here are some of the worksheets we did today...

It is raining here today...so, no outside time.   I am going to put price tags on things around the house and let Joshua "buy" them with coins to practice recognizing and combining coins.  Should be fun.

Have a great day!

What We Are Learning This Week

We went crazy with the little pom poms we got from the dollar tree.  We outlined our #4 and made catapillars.   This week, Joshua is learning about telling time, calenders, thermometers and coins.  Busy week in math.  In language arts, he is studying letter sounds and short vowel sounds.

Joshua got a haircut... so, I had to share.  lol.  He  is a ham.

Comments Fixed!

To anyone who tried to leave a comment on this blog...I have fixed the settings and the comments should show up now.  Sorry for the confusion on my part.  ;)

Stocking Up...

We went shopping at the Dollar Tree yesterday. I have to share a pic of all that we got.. I love that store!

I will be posting crafts that we make with all of this stuff.  I could have spent lots of money in there...but, I was running short on time.  I got all of this for $15.  Including the puzzle.  Oh, and Joshua got a kite that isn't pictured here.  The total was $16.80.  You can 't beat that!

Joshua and I put this puzzle together.  I'm gonna have to go back and get some more of these.  It was fun.

Remember This???

I remember this from when I was a kid.  It shows the process of how a bill becomes a law. There is no mention of the "Slaughter House Rule". Maybe our speaker of the house should brush up on her early Saturday morning cartoons. Just a suggestion...

Wandering Wednesday...

Yesterday, Joshua and I went on a scavenger hunt in our neighborhood.  We looked for things on our list and then checked them off. It was a beautiful day here yesterday and is supposed to be the same today.  We looked for a flower... which we didn't find, a rock ( we ended up with more than one), grass, an insect, and various other things. It was fun.  While we were out walking around...we found this crazy tree.  I thought it was so funny.  So, I wanted to share it with y'all. 

Isnt' that the craziest thing?  I don't know who did it..but, they sure have a vivid imagination.  You just never know what you are going to find on a scavenger hunt.  lol.

Our Crafty Wednesday...

Joshua and I spent a good amount of time sticking cheerios on this #3.  lol.  He enjoyed it.  But, got a bit tired right before it was all done.  I ended up finishing it. :)  We are trying to think of different ways to decorate our numbers. 

Here is the #1.  We stuck black dots all over it.  My husband says it looks like a microphone.  lol.

Here is the # 2 we did.  Joshua just made squiggly lines all over it.

We are having lots of fun.  Now, I am trying to figure out what we are going to do to the #4.  Any ideas??

What We Are Doing Today...

Joshua is spending time today on his computer.  He is working on the letter "S" today in Language Arts.  In Math, he is going to be working on comparing "more and less".  I am really impressed with this program.  Time4Learning is definitely worth the 19.95 a month.  And there is no contract or commitment...so, if for some reason you can't or don't want to continue.... you can just simply cancel.  And no, I am not a spokesperson for the company.  lol.  I just wanted to share our experience with the program... in case anyone else was interested in it.  

After computer, we are going to go over sight words.

I am going to be adding 3 new ones today.  Joshua will practice writing his name next.  Then, we are going to do some worksheets.  Then, after lunch and free time, he will get back on the computer and do a 20 minute phonics lesson. He will then read me a new book.

This picture is showing something my husband hooked up for us. (please excuse the mess around the TV)  He connected the computer to a TV.  So, now I can watch Joshua's progress as he works on the computer without having to stand next to him and look over his shoulder.  The TV is pretty big...so I can get some things done around the house and still be able to see what Joshua is doing.  Pretty cool!

Well, that's our lesson plan for today.  Hope everyone  has a great Tuesday!

Thankful

My two guys.  I caught them when they were supposed to be napping.  lol.  I'm so blessed to have such a great husband and a wonderful child.  I don't deserve them.  Thank you God for your grace and love.

Getting Ready For Spring

I am getting some crafts and activities together for Spring.  We are going to do a collage from things gathered outside as soon as the snow melts.  lol.  I have a couple of Spring crafts ready to go. 

But, I need something else.  Does anyone have ideas for a 4 year old boy?  He doesn't have a long attention span..so something quick and easy would be good.

Thanks in Advance.

It's Still Winter!

Well, I just wanted to update on our trip to the lake to search for signs of Spring.  Looks like Old Man Winter still has Maine in his grasp.  The lake was still frozen and the gate was locked.  Guess we were jumping the gun a bit. I am just so ready for Spring.  But, like everyone else... I'm gonna have to wait.  *sigh*

  

Today's Agenda...

Today we are going on a field trip of sorts.  It is gonna be warmer today (in the 40's) so we are gonna bundle up and go to the lake to look for early signs of Spring.  My husband is having fishing withdrawls... so he wants to take Joshua to show him where they are gonna be fishing when it gets warmer. lol. Joshua has his Transformer fishing pole ready.  :)  He has never fished before, so this     Spring is going to be monumental for him.

For the "learning" part of the outing... Joshua and I are going to collect any signs of Spring we can find.  Then when we get home, we are gonna make a Spring collage.  I will take pictures and post them later.

After our trip to the lake... Joshua is going to spend some time on the computer doing his time 4 learning program.  He has one math lesson today and 3 language Arts lessons.  Then, he will practice writing his name, numbers and letters.  He knows all of the pre-k sight words.  We are going to start working on the Kindergarten sight words today.  He will recite this week's bible verse.  Then, he will read me a story from one of his readers. 


Here are some pics of our learning wall:

Ignore SpongeBob.  lol.

Have a great Thursday!

Texas Changing History???

This is a perfect example of why I choose to homeschool!  The state of Texas board of education is trying to rewrite the history books.  They want to remove historical figures such as Daniel Boone, Nathan Hale and CHRISTMAS!  They want to replace those things with the cultural impact of hip hop music, ACLU lawyer Clarence Darrow, and the Hindu holiday of Diwali.  They also want to replace the term "American" with "Global Citizen".  I don't know about the rest of you... but, I will always be an AMERICAN.  I can still remember when being an American was something we were proud of.  Pride in our county was encouraged.  Removing Christmas from history books is absolutely horrible.  Not to mention replacing it with an Hindu holiday.  I just don't get it.  They are trying to get rid of anything that has do to with Jesus.  Jesus is my Lord.  America is mostly a Chrisitan country.  Not Hindu. 

I know some people will say.. well, that's just in the state of Texas.  We don't have to worry about it.  But, from what I have read... Texas is a large producer of all text books used in the US.  They make the books and other states buy them.   If these dreadful changes are made to Texas text books...they will spread to other states and before long...children won't even know who Daniel Boone was.  I just don't see how the changes are needed.  Or what Texas hopes to gain from them. 

I have forgotten to mention that I am a Texas native.  I was born and raised there.  I lived there until I was 35 years old.  I am so ashamed of my home state today.

I hope that these changes aren't allowed to happen.  Not only will it change history... it will erase it.

Sherry

Reading Program

I would like to share the reading program we are using.  It is called Headsprout. http://www.headsprout.com/
Joshua absolutely loves it.  It has kid friendly characters that help the user learn phonics.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to use an online phonics program.  It's good for children just learning how to read as well as those who just need to brush up on phonics.  Check it out.

Sherry

Introduction...

Hi and welcome to my homeschooling blog.  I am a stay at home mom, wife and mother.  My son's name is Joshua.  We have been homeschooling for 2 years.  Joshua is now in Kindergarten.  He will be 5 in June.  We started homeschooling him at 2 years old.  He loves to learn.  He is reading level one readers now.

We are currently using an online curriculum.  It's called "Time 4 Learning" (http://www.time4learning.com/).  It is very easy for Joshua to use.  We have been using it a little over 2 weeks.  So far, I have nothing but good things to say about it.  I will continue to update my experience with this and other curriculums frequently.

  I hope that you will stop in frequently and allow us to share our homeschooling  journey with you. 

Bye for now.

Sherry