tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15870845108500034822024-03-28T22:29:53.020-05:00Letters From the HomefrontWe are not only living our lives, but making our lives worth living!ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-75075806275142716032019-07-26T21:57:00.001-05:002019-07-26T21:57:21.054-05:00To Succeed One Must Never Give Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even if that means, the best you can is to blog a few times a year, and always tell yourself you'll pick it back up full time....eventually.</div>
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Richard Bach said:</div>
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"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit"</div>
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My friends, I claim that for my outSTANDing blogging skills ;) (as I type this, I realize I'm searching for the emoji buttons that surely should be somewhere by now hahaha!)</div>
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We didn't quit. I mean, I obviously haven't been around this blog in what feels like eons. We are still here, though, alive and kicking! </div>
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KLW is going in to the 10th grade this year. When did someone come in my house and allow that to happen? Whoever did is going to get a tongue lashing from me, because this teenager is just a few years from adulthood, and I don't know how I feel about it, to be honest with you. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsNZ-yj3Q5r39JJzazLFnvXMCQQ7tAN8uTdfsbhCa8b-ZAfgvGjo0_rhuWxsmrE3N4csT3fm7QrRCQzZYq7qWHcDEaCwSfTaSGAfDUZDUDerVM82lSwAtPPIal5vqTK8VrpcTSiww8Kcf/s1600/IMG_20190413_212657867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="1117" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsNZ-yj3Q5r39JJzazLFnvXMCQQ7tAN8uTdfsbhCa8b-ZAfgvGjo0_rhuWxsmrE3N4csT3fm7QrRCQzZYq7qWHcDEaCwSfTaSGAfDUZDUDerVM82lSwAtPPIal5vqTK8VrpcTSiww8Kcf/s640/IMG_20190413_212657867.jpg" width="503" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's gorgeous....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE-QeEFieUrJOpfAjLLh1_h0yI7vPEBYhiBRDzdsdusoJMA981AD3P1Liv8e30MN82xcr8-n1sljPBPGfRLUAYX7sgwso17GM7N6R92mXwXBbCrxftTWsHuVkgkReuQV0eDAiEeYqCmq5/s1600/IMG_20190329_092653401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE-QeEFieUrJOpfAjLLh1_h0yI7vPEBYhiBRDzdsdusoJMA981AD3P1Liv8e30MN82xcr8-n1sljPBPGfRLUAYX7sgwso17GM7N6R92mXwXBbCrxftTWsHuVkgkReuQV0eDAiEeYqCmq5/s640/IMG_20190329_092653401.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kind of quirky....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIFO6phqW3OJ4sTx3fONlG1bO7_bi1pjVKPJ4Cn7f6iiD2eBegG6cFivl7fZZUQNgm14M_J7nAK3xNv3DLDkJK4T1RLRdBLBz1anBZfvT715kwXD1sU8JyQ2A3m6GE0tVWU0PYk_apnfC/s1600/IMG_20190426_093027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIFO6phqW3OJ4sTx3fONlG1bO7_bi1pjVKPJ4Cn7f6iiD2eBegG6cFivl7fZZUQNgm14M_J7nAK3xNv3DLDkJK4T1RLRdBLBz1anBZfvT715kwXD1sU8JyQ2A3m6GE0tVWU0PYk_apnfC/s640/IMG_20190426_093027.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Has some killer selfie skills</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59g-HOQpk203oK3KDb_1f-p9VA_L6MS7bbzQydERY0NIGA_8BSPmOWoPWdyrRC5C4YZYftXzFokdoFbLlsprc78jVV-YXgbbq5oetEvKAXjAk3hGVgfVd6LPBUY3588l9aJwaU9zc1hZ2/s1600/IMG_20190427_103140570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59g-HOQpk203oK3KDb_1f-p9VA_L6MS7bbzQydERY0NIGA_8BSPmOWoPWdyrRC5C4YZYftXzFokdoFbLlsprc78jVV-YXgbbq5oetEvKAXjAk3hGVgfVd6LPBUY3588l9aJwaU9zc1hZ2/s640/IMG_20190427_103140570.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's tall.... really REALLY tall. Her Daddy is 6'5", if that gives you a reference for comparison....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Gj4bMua07wqiHgoytgjk8jpTwecf2G3CxOYMoewm8ew17FhX7_ru0R2jugj5EvNADrk67Np3V9IZKA0arI08HFl_1bbnH45RzLlb1uEVdud-oLB8Kg88kWG0RL5udATRgIitQVXIhn49/s1600/IMG_20190502_112607327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Gj4bMua07wqiHgoytgjk8jpTwecf2G3CxOYMoewm8ew17FhX7_ru0R2jugj5EvNADrk67Np3V9IZKA0arI08HFl_1bbnH45RzLlb1uEVdud-oLB8Kg88kWG0RL5udATRgIitQVXIhn49/s640/IMG_20190502_112607327.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Definitely crazy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqT2Tf4-ppQ9wb-2hrekyH3sI00uUtNLXjzxsR47G9F5yzzA4yWYgPY3r6h0A6-T9tGuphM9ErltkG0RFPAN3QskDc1Gtaxcl9Fof-TqJWtwIySWtGFl2JdgNKXn2mTPXWIu76o5bFfG1/s1600/IMG_20190508_120618454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqT2Tf4-ppQ9wb-2hrekyH3sI00uUtNLXjzxsR47G9F5yzzA4yWYgPY3r6h0A6-T9tGuphM9ErltkG0RFPAN3QskDc1Gtaxcl9Fof-TqJWtwIySWtGFl2JdgNKXn2mTPXWIu76o5bFfG1/s640/IMG_20190508_120618454.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention gorgeous already? (even when she is moody!)<br /><br /><br />LAW will be starting high school this year - the 9th grade. I will just reiterate all those things I said about KLW growing up too fast....<br /><br /></td></tr>
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I used to think he would never actually hit that teenage stage, that rite of passage, where boys no longer want their pictures made, where they get serious, quiet, sober minded. I was right ;) mostly ;) He still acts pretty silly, cracks jokes that aren't always funny, overplays jokes, and isn't usually quiet. He did, however, get to the point where he does not care to have his picture taken, and rarely cracks his big, beautiful smile. I retract all thoughts of wanting him to reach this stage - he needs to go back to smiling in pictures. (Seriously - he has an awesome smile. One day, he's going to flash it at the right girl, and she's going to steal him from me. Now that I think of it, he can stay serious faced in pictures a little while longer!)</div>
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BMW is on the cusp of teenagerhood - almost 12. She thinks she's 16. I often have to remind her she is NOT, but someone should probably let her know, as well. </div>
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I should also note that she has absolutely NO issues with taking pictures. She can oblige with a selfie anywhere, at any time. </div>
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SKW</div>
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This one hasn't changed. She's sweet as can be, loves babies and small children so much I just KNOW she's going to bless me with many grandbabies one day. She's crazy sometimes, shy sometimes, still balks at all the new and hard things. and is the best cuddler you've ever met, hands down. </div>
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The only thing that might be off about her selfie game....well, the way she chooses to play it! Bwhahaha!</div>
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BCW - the baby. The rounder out of the crowd - the completer of the circle of our family. His personality can often be larger than life, his eyes speak volumes about how his mind is constantly at work, trying to figure things out. He's 100% boy, 100% baby, and 100% mine! </div>
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This is our official update for 2019. I may be back soon.....or it could be 2020. Stay tuned to find out..... </div>
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<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-82017792677487707602018-03-04T21:37:00.000-06:002019-07-26T21:00:08.831-05:00Our Little Singleton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, we had a surprise about 3 1/2 weeks ago....</div>
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a new PUPPY!</div>
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Not just any new puppy, but a rare singleton. German Shepherds usually have litters of 4-8, so we were so surprised not only by an unexpected puppy, but to have only 1!</div>
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Our female GS, Sammie, has had two litters previously. The first was a litter of 6, and the second a litter of 8. She was NOT supposed to have a litter this time, but nature and dog's design generally does it's own thing. </div>
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So we have this one, fat, roly poly puppy! Our children are in love :) They were convinced that, since she was the only one, she was meant for our family forever. Of course, this isn't the plan, as it hasn't been ever, so she will be well loved and spoiled before finding a forever home. </div>
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Did I stress SPOILED enough? I mean, really? Of course, who could resist this sweet little chubby puff of fur and fat? </div>
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We pour a ton of love and care in to our puppies, and enjoy them immensely before they go on to their new, forever, homes. They always take a bit of our hearts with them, and we are always excited to get updates and see pictures of them as they grow - and grow, and grow, and grow!</div>
<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-63930934988072215882018-01-25T07:07:00.000-06:002018-01-25T07:07:36.668-06:00Homeschool tidbits <br />
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"This isn't so bad." - SW<br />
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It wouldn't seem like such a big deal to hear that, except this is SW.</div>
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She balks at everything new, and most things she's done before that were new. I know that sounds crazy, but if you just knew this girl. So this week, we've been working on the relationship between multiplication and division, and how you can use one to remember the other. </div>
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We had talked about this a little before our extended winter break, but since it had been a while, she may have had a slight breakdown when I reintroduced it. Thankfully, it was short lived! We are working through reviewing multiplication facts and discovering the art of division :) And honestly, she may be one of my most hard to teach at this point in life because of her tendency to be afraid of something new, despite the fact that she is ridiculously smart and almost always catches on immediately (even if she pretends she doesn't 'get it')</div>
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Also, currently, my bed is the best place to do school work, especially for the younger snugglers, and we might spend quite a bit of the day doing just that! :) I call that a wonderful perk of homeschooling! :) </div>
<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-60245063786715734402018-01-14T14:15:00.000-06:002018-01-14T14:15:09.133-06:00Someone is Seven!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Someone turned **7** today!</div>
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This funny, mischievous, sometimes ornery, loving, tenderhearted boy turned 7 today!</div>
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We celebrated yesterday with cupcakes, ice cream, and lunch out, and then again today with.....staying home from church because of a virus! Ugh. Some days you feel like you've got it all together, and some days you just don't. No matter what, however, my children can always bring a smile to my face! As much as it makes me sad to see them grow up, I also look forward to everything the Lord has for them - and us - in the future!</div>
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Happy Birthday BW! </div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-88830515364352696912018-01-08T16:22:00.001-06:002018-01-08T16:22:21.088-06:00Learning to Read for the Last Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Looking back on this year.....</div>
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This guy learned to read this year! </div>
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Actually, he started during his Kindergarten school year, but we did a lot of Montessori activities with reading before we moved to one of my favorite purchases of all time - the <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=94927" target="_blank">Abeka Reading Handbook</a>. I found this little handbook when AW was learning, and struggling, to read at BW's age. Something about this book, and definitely the approach it takes, clicked for him. It has had as much and more success with the three little readers after him that also used it to learn to read. </div>
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He absolutely loves to read now, and will read everything he can find, regardless of how big or small it is! His current favorites are our Usborne Shine-A-Light books!</div>
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These are the three he got for Christmas:</div>
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<a href="https://h5387.myubam.com/p/5006/shine-a-light-on-the-construction-site" target="_blank">Construction Site</a></div>
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<a href="https://h5387.myubam.com/p/5529/shine-a-light-on-the-space-station" target="_blank">On The Space Station </a></div>
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<a href="https://h5387.myubam.com/p/4514/shine-a-light-on-the-train" target="_blank">On The Train</a></div>
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(No, these aren't affiliated links or anything! I linked to my friend's Usborne site, which is who I use for my Usborne purchases! We love them, and I bet you would, too!)</div>
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I just had to share about this, because it's almost bittersweet. I admit I am glad that they are all reading now, simply because it was one of my biggest goals is to make sure they all read, and read well. Too many children never grasp it completely, and go through life with the most basic reading skills. I also have to say, I haven't cornered the market on the best way to teach them by far - I just used the process that others cornered the market on ;) I have some that love to read, some that generally loathe it, some that understand and are motivated to do so if it's going to benefit them (think, reading programs, incentives, etc) and some that I still work with to make sure they are fully comprehending what they read - and it might shock you to know who is who, but I won't divulge that ;) </div>
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It's also bitter, only because it means my babies are becoming more and more NOT babies every day. The fact that KW turned 13 last year, officially ushering us in to the teenage years, and that BW will be 7 in a few days, which means he's closer to the teenage years than the baby years, is a hard pill to swallow.</div>
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I cherish each day I get to watch them learn and grow, even the hard days (which sometimes are cherished after they are over, and not always during!) because time is passing so swiftly. My husband and I just celebrated our 15th anniversary this past December, and the thought of what our lives might look like after another 15 is sobering, and exciting, and a bit riddled with anxiety!</div>
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I will always be so thankful and grateful to God and my husband, who provides so well for us and gives me the chance to be home, so I can be with all 5 of these crazy, silly, frustrating, goofy, lovely, bright children, watching them grow up, seeing them develop, guiding them in the right direction. </div>
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For now, though, I'm going to go and enjoy the moment, since BW just got extremely excited to recognize classical violin music on a computer game he's playing (that he recognized from our many hours listening to those *ahem* sometimes boring but needed composer biographies in the car! Please tell me I'm not the only one that uses CDs to educate my children as much as anything else often!)</div>
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<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-38736819500521354392017-12-25T23:19:00.001-06:002017-12-25T23:19:31.916-06:00Secret Sisters (and Brothers)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Several years ago we started a fun tradition of a brothers/sisters gift exchange. It's really been neat to see this evolve from us simply giving them X amount of dollars, to them earning the money each year, and see how much they look forward to it and how much thought goes in to these gifts!</div>
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This year, BMW and AW had each other's names, and BMW had a great time trick wrapping her brother's gifts with all the clear packing tape she could wrap around those gifts (which were a Lego movie and candy to eat while watching it).</div>
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AW got his sister all the earrings a little girl's ears could ever need, which is her newest found love, and a sign that my little tomboy girl is growing up too fast on me! </div>
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KW got SW baby doll clothes and the sweetest little car seat, both things which speak to her baby-loving heart so much. I promise, SW is one of the most tender-hearted girls you will ever meet, especially when it comes to babies. We can't make it through the doll aisle at the store without her finding some baby that she just "falls in love with and can't go home without" and it's heartbreaking when she indeed does have to go home empty handed. </div>
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Meanwhile, SW surprised BW with some fun PJ Masks toys, one of his current loves. </div>
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Last but not least, BW got to bless his biggest sister with some fun art supplies. </div>
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I love these just as much as anything else, and it truly has nothing to do with the gifts. We want our children to learn that the biggest blessing is getting your mind off your own wants and wishes and thinking about someone else, and what could be a blessing to them. They have learned that sometimes it takes extra work to be able to do something nice for someone, that you have to push through when it isn't so fun, and keep your eyes on what you are working for.</div>
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This has nothing at all to do with homeschooling, but so much to do with life schooling. My husband and I know now, as adults and parents, that the joy of giving to those you love far outweighs the excitement of new things. We want our children to know that now, and my heart grows so much seeing them get excited every single year for the chance to surprise each other. </div>
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Look for ways to teach your children to love each other, and others, because you only have this small amount of time to invest in them!</div>
<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-53897809640493345602017-12-23T17:01:00.001-06:002017-12-23T17:01:46.138-06:00Reintroductions Are In OrderSince it has been SO long, I feel like I should reintroduce the gang to you :) Older faces also get to have new names! Well, not exactly new names. It's more so that their old blog nicknames just don't seem to fit anymore. So we are going a different route from here forward - get ready for something huge! - initials! Hahaha! So that really didn't need a lot of thought, but it's what works now and will flow a lot smoother while I'm writing/typing, so there ya go. :)<br />
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Hello! From babies to big, gangly, growing and gorgeous!</div>
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I have tried and tried to explain to them what happens when they insist on growing up - that the end result is making their mom and dad so much older, as well - but they refuse to listen to reason. So</div>
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now we are in this stage of life where everyone has exploding growth spurts, emotions and hormones are slightly raging at times, and yet the experiences and dynamics of this family of mine are truly amazing. </div>
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KW</div>
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This oldest girl of ours is such a treasure! Ever the artistic old soul, she loves music of all kinds, excels at playing the violin and singing, and has such a love of theatre! I'm trying to carefully expose her to all the aspects of theatre - from starring roles, to backstage business. I'll share more in posts to come about what has gone on in her acting career so far (and saying it that way makes it sound so much more professional than it is, in case you wondered). She is in the 8th grade this year (I can't believe I'm actually saying that) and the reality of how much time I don't have left to be her teacher and guide is so very real to me these days! She ushered us in to the teen years this past September, and I suspect it will be memorable in more ways than I can imagine. Those raging hormones I talked about? Yehap. You have your answer with this girl! </div>
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AW</div>
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Right behind KW is this 12 year old Renaissance man-in-the-making. He enjoys music - he is currently trying to teach himself piano, played a year of baritone last year and decided to try the trombone this year. He still greatly enjoys sports - he has played baseball since he was 5, and has pushed through wonderful winning seasons and hung in through some terrible, tough seasons. He also has dabbled in theatre, and would probably do much more, but we are working on bringing some balance to our schedules and therefore have to teach the kids the same and make them choose what is most important. AW has such a mathematical mind, and fights hard in reading still, but progress is continually made which is what matters the most to me.</div>
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BMW</div>
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This is our ever lively middle child! She gets all initials because, really, when your name is also a luxury car, why not? Fun fact - those initials helped solve the naming debate before she was born - we had two middle names picked out, but my husband said that you just couldn't pass up giving your child a name like that! She is so quick witted, so smart, and keeps us on our toes all the time! She loves structure and is one of the most self-motivated kids we have to date. Give her a challenge or goal to meet, and she will put 110% in to making it happen! She is in her first year of band, playing the clarinet and absolutely KILLING it! She is also one of our gymnasts, and truly I think her body may be there in the gym, but in her mind, she is Olympics bound 😂😂</div>
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SW</div>
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Formerly known as Bug, this is the kindest soul you will ever come across. She is also the first to say away from something new, so we are working on that! She is also a budding gymnast, and what is funny is that, while she does not have quite the personal drive that BMW has, she picks up on many things much faster. It is interesting to see the two side by side and notice the differences/strengths/weaknesses. She is in the '3rd grade' this year, and still is making use of much of our Montessori methods when needed. </div>
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BW</div>
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My baby. How in the world he got this big, this fast, I'll never know! He is the ultimate sports enthusiast! He truly loves anything that is related to all sports, but currently is still muddling through the early baseball years. His natural talent is wonderful to watch as it unfolds, and his biggest academic achievement this last year has been conquering reading. As he so excitedly said one day, after reading to me, he "LOVES words!" and reads anything he can get his hands on! </div>
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So there is my gang - my little classroom of hearts and minds that are constantly developing! </div>
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With that, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to more blogging in the new year!</div>
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-Amy 😍</div>
<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-49380663941331229092017-12-07T20:31:00.000-06:002017-12-07T20:31:03.605-06:003..2..1... ReLaunch!!!<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Well. Long time, no see!</span><br />
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It's been a year since I drafted a blog post - one that went completely unfinished and never posted. I'm going to be updating the blog over the next 48 hours, and I believe it is definitely time to catch up on what we've been doing in our school and life! If you've wondered where we went to, just know that we've been towing the line over here, staying busy, growing and changing, and I look forward to writing again and giving glimpses of our day to day with you!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sincerely</span>-<br />
<i>The mama of NGH </i>ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-9999605367030620652016-04-16T22:40:00.000-05:002016-04-16T22:40:38.118-05:00Music To My Ears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">When the school year began, the three oldest were wrapped up intensely in the amazing Christmas play we were blessed to take part in. Because of that, I didn't throw them all in to a great deal of music classes this school year. However, LM did get to join the beginning orchestra with our local homeschool music group</span>.</div>
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These pictures were taken at their Spring Solo and Ensemble competition. It just so happened that every new orchestra member this year wanted to play violin, which made for a nice beginners group :)</div>
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LM loves music so much, and has not only a beautiful voice (she also had a solo singing entry in the competition), but picks up so much by ear when she plays :) My prayer is that she truly gives her talents to the Lord and lets Him guide her, as she uses those talents to praise His name!</div>
<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-89833949595541762272016-04-12T08:36:00.002-05:002016-04-12T08:37:20.242-05:006 Months In The Making<div style="text-align: center;">
Guess what?</div>
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We are still here!!! Wow! 6 months (give or take) flew by in a wink! </div>
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I miss blogging! Life has definitely kept us very busy, but I am determined to catch back up on my blogging, or at least just pick it back up where I left off! Just a quick update this morning, and maybe I can pop in here later and give a longer one!</div>
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I could not describe it any better than this! This has been our life for the last year and a half. From school our of state, to trips generally every other week, give or take, my husband has been away from home more than he's been home the last year and a half! It's a crazy life, a God-called life, and we love it, but it can wear on a person sometimes. That being said, we pray it is coming to a close this summer - not the military life, just the constant trips. We should be settling back in to him working solely out of home base (for the most part) this summer, and we will welcome that normalcy to return.</div>
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A peek at the kids now, after all these months of growing and not showing up here on the blog! LM is as tall as I am, Hoss is closing in on her, Miss Priss and Bug still look like twins, and Buddy Boy is no longer qualified to be called anything but *one of the big kids*, although he is still my baby. And yes - he did have that straw up his nose. He is, after all, still a boy, and a very silly one at that! </div>
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LM and Bug recently started enjoying working together in the kitchen a great deal, and I'm going to tell you now - LM can cook! And bake! We all get to reap the rewards of that kind of practical life learning. Hoss is starting his 6th Spring baseball season, and Buddy Boy is starting his first year of T-ball - more pictures to follow of them playing at a later date, I promise. Miss Priss is keeping up on her toes - she is at a point in her life where each week brings a new goal, a new future career choice, and a new hobby*entrepreneurship that she wants to try. We just can't delve deep enough in to one interest before she moves on to another, so we wait for her to settle on something.</div>
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I can't possibly update you all on everything we've been doing in school, and I won't attempt to in the ten minutes I have to write this blog post. That will just have to creep in slowly. But I will give you a blurb - after all these years, we have finally started reading aloud in our home. I always read many, many books to my children when they were little. However, I didn't succeed in stepping it up as they grew. However, we have started reading time with *big books* and for the most part, everyone loves it. The younger ones can sometimes be in a mood, and resist, but they eventually start to gain interest and then hate to see reading time finish for the day just like the rest of us. We started with Ralph S Mouse and while the organizational part of me screamed to read all the books in that series, I broke it off and jumped to Farmer Boy, which will be followed by the Little House series. Unless, that is, I go fickle again and jump to something else. The only problem with reading is that there are so many good books! And when I get to indulge in childhood favorites with the <strike>excuse</strike> reasoning that it's for the kids, I enjoy visiting old friends :) </div>
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I hope as you all are probably getting ready to wind down your school years and jump in to late Spring/Summer, you are having just as good a time (if not just as busy!) as we are!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-77723141273391890692015-09-09T15:40:00.005-05:002015-09-09T15:40:31.641-05:00Drama and Service to Others<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So it wasn't a very catchy title jumping out at you this time. There was just - not really a good way to bring a post about two totally different things together in to a one-liner description. :) </div>
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On top of music this year (another post) my three older children, LM, Hoss, and Miss Priss, are participating in a drama. Through their music teacher last May, we learned about a church not far from where we live that hosts a Christmas play every other year - A Christmas Carol. </div>
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LM is playing the part of the 'First Spirit', Hoss is (chuckle) Tiny Tim (he's anything but tiny, but they said he does the part wonderfully) and Miss Priss is one of the younger Cratchit daughters. </div>
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Here is LM with old Scrooge himself, working in one of their first rehearsals together. She is super excited to get this part - it's what she wanted, and it's also her first to ever be in a play like this. Unless you count those they come up with at home, which can't really compare yet. :) She is doing amazing, but of course - I am bias. </div>
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It's hard to see, but Miss Priss is sitting in the chair to the right, closest to where I was, sporting a nice ponytail. Just past her is Hoss' head leaning over. This is the only shot I've been able to successfully take of their rehearsals so far, practicing a Cratchit family scene. I'm not sure what it says about my children or myself, that they are so excited about the part of the play where they get to eat real food during the Christmas meal scene. :)</div>
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They are doing amazing, and I am so thankful for this chance for them!</div>
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I also enjoy getting them out to help with something outside their own bubble that they live in. It just so happens that my mother is secretary at her church, where they run a weekly food pantry. So we are able to help sometimes, getting food bags and boxes ready to hand out. The kids love it, and I love the chance to get to explain to them how nice they have it and how much God has blessed them to not have to worry about where the next meal is coming from. </div>
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Bagging chicken</div>
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Dividing crackers</div>
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Helping load boxes, and put things away</div>
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Cleaning freezers</div>
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And, yes - fussing over who gets to roll the cart from one room to the next. Alas - they aren't perfect :) </div>
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We have been super busy the last couple of weeks, with my husband finally falling in to a 'home 1 1/2 weeks, gone 1/2 week' schedule and birthdays this week and next week.</div>
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Never a dull moment! </div>
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<br />ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-73700815843462449362015-09-04T13:29:00.001-05:002015-09-04T13:29:36.582-05:00Scientific Observations<div style="text-align: center;">
One day last week, while cleaning up from breakfast, Hoss discovered this guy sitting on the window outside of our kitchen. </div>
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Hoss grabbed a plastic food container, captured this guy, and brought him in. I think he figured he was probably not fully alive - which was a WRONG assumption, by the way - and wanted to preserve the body. He put a lid on it, and for a while this huge moth didn't move a hair ( pun intended ). LM took this time to observe every detail she could about the outward appearance, and recorded them for keeping. </div>
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Then it got interesting, when all of a sudden - he woke up. Then, we heard nothing but frantic wing beating through this container. We let him go, but not before we would at least figure out that what we had found was a 'Waved Sphinx Moth'. <a href="http://mobugs.blogspot.com/2010/09/waved-sphinx-moth.html" target="_blank">We finally found our moth here</a>, where you can find a good description of this type of moth. They all loved to watch his movements, feel how soft the wings were, and see it go in spurts of very active flying, to not moving it at all. I had to act mercifully and tell the kids to let it go, so that it would survive, and remind Hoss that it's not okay to preserve a moth if you have to first deprive it of life. </div>
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He (or she - something else to look up, maybe?) did make for some good scientific observations, though. :) Education is where we find it - not always where we are given it without some work.</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-27866998005100330522015-08-29T12:50:00.000-05:002015-08-29T12:50:24.204-05:00Tidbits<div style="text-align: center;">
Although I wasn't present on the blog much over the summer, we actually have tried to keep up with some school related work. Or - maybe school related is too strong a word. We have been busy. That's probably more accurate.</div>
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My husband, who was gone the first half of the year, is now back every other week thankfully. The down side is, it will probably continue that way for the rest of the year, unless he gets longer orders to go elsewhere. I know that it's hard to understand a schedule like that if you aren't married to a man who is #1 In the military or #2 Travels for work. A LOT. </div>
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We began school in August, slowly, as we tend to drift out of school sometime in May of every year and drift back in around the beginning/middle of August. At a time when everyone else is vacationing, we had already had our vacation (<a href="http://nogreaterhonors.blogspot.com/2015/02/vacation-beginning.html" target="_blank">back in February</a>) so we stayed busy at home base. I was very blessed this summer to acquire some new (to me) materials from the local Montessori school here, and also to buy a few things we needed. One of the biggest blessings were the complete bead cabinet beads, minus the cabinet. The color is off from the traditional colors that are sold. Apparently, these are old and I am not completely sure what company they came from. They would not work in a traditional Montessori classroom, and most homeschool parents buying them might not even like the color change. I knew it would only be a short adjustment for my bunch, and for a fraction of the price, they have more than made up for the change.</div>
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My tidbit today is just a sensorial blurb, showcasing Buddy Boy. He has a renewed interest in the Brown Stair and Brown Tower, now that he has the bead cubes to compare with them. One day, while I was working with another child or two, I turned around and he was working steadfastly to bring the brown stair and brown tower in and set it up. Then he brought in our bead cubes, and set them up. Then he went and got the individual bead bars, and put it all together. I love when something occurs to them without my help or prompting. When his brain is connecting without me needing to assist. So, without further ado and so much chit-chat on my end, here we have some not-so-great-in-quality pictures, because I had to shoot them quickly, to show what was in fact almost 40 minutes of working through what he was thinking about, moving the stair and tower around and bringing everything to where he wanted it. </div>
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This was actually the last picture I took, after he made the vertical connection of the pink stair (except, ours is brown) and the bead cubes.</div>
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He worked fr a long time to make sure this was just how he liked it. It doesn't look like it should take very long, but in truth he had to concentrate and move very carefully to balance connected bead bars that tend to roll around. The one beads were especially difficult, and his determination was endless. </div>
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Bug always tends to get in on the action, quite happy to try and get credit for something she didn't do. Or maybe she's just a camera hog. :) She was actually working on another project that we were preparing for, which I will share later - after we've completed it :) </div>
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Few pictures this time, but just a quick insight in to what's going on and how we sometimes work in spurts, sometimes not as perfectly smooth as I'd like it to be, but right now, it's what works. :) </div>
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Happy Homeschooling!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-84559312221724440392015-05-22T14:02:00.001-05:002015-05-22T14:02:32.945-05:00Something Old, Something New, Something Bought, Something Blue<div style="text-align: center;">
A story of a work that's old, made new for a child, revisited by another. </div>
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These pictures were taken almost 2 years ago. This was the first time Bug demonstrated mastery of numbers and counters. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2430jA3I0FZhPn5h6zWNtyvoDvyU6tB8XnnI34XICJsNUW-QWbB-IbIUt9bn5_bN5u78-IXvM9A5DMs62vCZfI96MHVc62fghmrDQUVdJXXSMJJEGgV-u7sG6pQE7lIgfgSUbHn_xEik/s1600/camera+download+%252332+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2430jA3I0FZhPn5h6zWNtyvoDvyU6tB8XnnI34XICJsNUW-QWbB-IbIUt9bn5_bN5u78-IXvM9A5DMs62vCZfI96MHVc62fghmrDQUVdJXXSMJJEGgV-u7sG6pQE7lIgfgSUbHn_xEik/s320/camera+download+%252332+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fast forward to this past week, new materials since then (the sandpaper numerals) and new child (Buddy Boy), work that's old (numbers and counters), and something blue - these nice $1 gems from the Dollar Store - the same in both the pictures above and below. </div>
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Here is Buddy Boy and his first presentation with numbers and counters.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Muv0TWFWqNCJfV-QZs9NojrzJsayudQjqRhw996eJnBq0EtvWodC0CF2XmNZ1nuPV5iYemNAZlNHPMqBux5_xPBm1A8W8kwi3Nms6CuwNvB-6JQZuPwLqLlWU3sZtnSg7GyaQngJlQ6n/s1600/Brayden+with+cc+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Muv0TWFWqNCJfV-QZs9NojrzJsayudQjqRhw996eJnBq0EtvWodC0CF2XmNZ1nuPV5iYemNAZlNHPMqBux5_xPBm1A8W8kwi3Nms6CuwNvB-6JQZuPwLqLlWU3sZtnSg7GyaQngJlQ6n/s320/Brayden+with+cc+1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm7_oU9-Jd_5-NVuT0ab7g5yBfOKNTYwnoxTG6jBfqjwBG9848FIufRTl4BWraKnrSKVWUjyZcjrtYxFLD-XBX7ij_KImTVDALK15_M38DUf1soJrzGBYX4HzE6RXrWTisCm-0KpNvMle/s1600/Brayden+with+cc+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm7_oU9-Jd_5-NVuT0ab7g5yBfOKNTYwnoxTG6jBfqjwBG9848FIufRTl4BWraKnrSKVWUjyZcjrtYxFLD-XBX7ij_KImTVDALK15_M38DUf1soJrzGBYX4HzE6RXrWTisCm-0KpNvMle/s320/Brayden+with+cc+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are still working on visual recognition of the numbers, but I added this work in because I knew he would enjoy it, and that the visual representation would further aid him in seeing the difference. Without the gems, 5 and 8 mine as well be the same - both have a circular motion in them, so seeing the gems helped. </div>
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He did fairly well with this work. I was with him the entire time, as he is far from mastery still. </div>
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After he was finished, Bug decided she wanted to do it again, Per her request, I caught some on video and thought I'd share. After the layout, I 'tested' her (though she didn't know to take it that way) to see if she remember the rule of even/odd. </div>
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As soon as I stopped recording, she turned to me and announced that she noticed that every other number was even/odd. I think this may have been the first time she has noticed that - she knew the rule, but didn't put two and two together to see that it was a pattern in the numbers. </div>
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So a work was both new and revisited, and I loved being right in the middle of it all, both observing and guiding! :)</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-67682179171202374132015-05-17T16:50:00.001-05:002015-05-18T09:05:45.972-05:00School days - May 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If an unclear picture bothers you, I apologize in advance. I definitely never started blogging because I wanted to showcase my perfect picture taking abilities. </div>
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Here recently we have started something a little new. We are going to try it out over the next couple of months and see if it works well. You may have read in <a href="http://nogreaterhonors.blogspot.com/2014/03/work-plans-and-journals-part-3.html" target="_blank">this post </a>before about our expectation cards. They do work very well, but right now we are working with a little less space and a busy schedule - baseball, summer coming up, and I'm still the only adult here to get all the other non-school things done. So in an effort to streamline each day of school and be able to add in all the summer fun that is coming in a few weeks, we are going to one subject a day. For their expectation cards right now, I printed out a card for each day except Friday. Monday is math, Tuesday is grammar, Wednesday is language/spelling, and Thursday is history. I listed every thing that might apply to them now or in the future, and their job is to look at the card and know which of those different areas they currently have work in for that day. </div>
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It will also help my bigger kids to depend a little more on that journal to keep them moving with what they are doing. </div>
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Okay, now that the update is over, I'll share a little of what I captured over the last 2+ weeks since I did an update here. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-fXkbX52GKE4X4ws43R7rf1VIBP-YPEAQVTfINzOdtNceYN743fdv6w3v9gn1d4KLcw8RB2T5-ialU_iY7Ib6Sqqtmk2TWlD9NKPcF3CUpojZBqWPcV_97xUimxJaUdIbRbUlGnOgaNN/s1600/20150430_110230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-fXkbX52GKE4X4ws43R7rf1VIBP-YPEAQVTfINzOdtNceYN743fdv6w3v9gn1d4KLcw8RB2T5-ialU_iY7Ib6Sqqtmk2TWlD9NKPcF3CUpojZBqWPcV_97xUimxJaUdIbRbUlGnOgaNN/s400/20150430_110230.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Miss Priss finished all work with the multiplication board. She will be moving on to multiplying with the stamp game, she's done that before but will need a refresher, and working more on division as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYtYx5tTlPPhjEn97i039JanOLkvNIC27jO4VcQmrGVvpGxADW3NWkdOHmV3ibZxL6oCV7QbzMBoljZyPZc8wdzelfq6VIQxygAvi_rNwvxK6oHPu4w9IYi8V-v37uDYqUB02khmqbJve/s1600/20150505_111923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYtYx5tTlPPhjEn97i039JanOLkvNIC27jO4VcQmrGVvpGxADW3NWkdOHmV3ibZxL6oCV7QbzMBoljZyPZc8wdzelfq6VIQxygAvi_rNwvxK6oHPu4w9IYi8V-v37uDYqUB02khmqbJve/s400/20150505_111923.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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She also gave Bug a lesson one day in the short bead chains. I have been a bit relaxed with Bug, and it's so true that so much gets picked up through observance and learning that we don't always plan. However, I want to try to get her to a better routine and working daily. She just turned 6, and it's time to get her little brain focused on getting at least 2 or 3 things done a day, every school day. </div>
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Hoss had a refresher in division, because I admit - I wasn't very on the ball about getting his math in order and lined up well. He is working on the memorization charts now, after having finished an abbreviated version of the board. Both Hoss and LM are reluctant to use materials that take a lot of time to set up, so if I find myself in a situation where they need to take their time but know they will buck it, I try to find a better way. For him, he used the blue beads and set up small groups on the table to show the work he was doing, but didn't pull the board out. Eventually, he moved to working the last 20 or so out on the whiteboard, using blue circles and dots. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWUbMtHz9BZAmwdm3AdxdotR_niKVYdO97sVwK7RxyVou_VRMefohkkSxmlq6aoo3UkQLcIF-cS-3PY54Bf57LIQRLf_z13rPOaEWY64nQyhYam-dcnYL_c9-UBBnBkQ_OHhNzx97K31v/s1600/20150430_112424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWUbMtHz9BZAmwdm3AdxdotR_niKVYdO97sVwK7RxyVou_VRMefohkkSxmlq6aoo3UkQLcIF-cS-3PY54Bf57LIQRLf_z13rPOaEWY64nQyhYam-dcnYL_c9-UBBnBkQ_OHhNzx97K31v/s400/20150430_112424.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Buddy has been doing a LOT of drawing and working on writing his numbers, letters, short words, especially his name. I just ordered the sandpaper letters and moveable alphabet over the weekend. I am so excited to get them in for language extensions and writing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPjegc519w2Q3GUDmVaOzbQThohKiLy8SnkmWry6ncxJPKXf-t1lpBrGROfhTTy46czGZG1-TVJXumng9H4zfBnu2PLvbk8GyXvxsG45lJClx1PLUfFV53jeVrxgW5hnoTbos6BrQiAP7/s1600/20150507_120927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPjegc519w2Q3GUDmVaOzbQThohKiLy8SnkmWry6ncxJPKXf-t1lpBrGROfhTTy46czGZG1-TVJXumng9H4zfBnu2PLvbk8GyXvxsG45lJClx1PLUfFV53jeVrxgW5hnoTbos6BrQiAP7/s400/20150507_120927.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Some impromptu sink/float work one day. Bug pulled out trays out from our DIY landforms <a href="http://discoverymoments.com/?s=diy+landforms" target="_blank">(got the idea from here)</a> work, and used the tray with water to see what would sink and float. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXVU6CStkXhZOTgTHnTG1yYT1ATiK-TB_cLnGXC_owo2a1IOqkOmWiFVXOV4T5miXgeolndokg-SxF6br2GMI-UcJKdfR8-dU07reZ_veTs4Zb0mWn1qiELI3UksqAprmr4MGVPQ1DMAj/s1600/20150505_102207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXVU6CStkXhZOTgTHnTG1yYT1ATiK-TB_cLnGXC_owo2a1IOqkOmWiFVXOV4T5miXgeolndokg-SxF6br2GMI-UcJKdfR8-dU07reZ_veTs4Zb0mWn1qiELI3UksqAprmr4MGVPQ1DMAj/s400/20150505_102207.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I've also been doing a TON of creating, printing, and laminating. In this picture you can see grammar strips for parts of speech, decimal cards for laying out amounts on the decimal board, and on the middle left you can get a glimpse of the expectation cards that I printed out. Sidenote - each person's expectation card(s) slide in to their own pocket of a small pocket chart I found at Target, I think. </div>
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Last week, on Tuesday when we were working on grammar, we reviewed all parts of speech up to prepositions (noun, article, adjective, verb, adverb). LM had already had the lesson on prepositions, but I think Hoss didn't for some reason. And, of course, Miss Priss hadn't yet. We worked through what a preposition was, it's function, and then used the preposition cards from <a href="http://elementaryobservations.blogspot.com/2015/05/introduction-to-prepositions.html" target="_blank">Elementary Observations</a> to talk about some common prepositions. It's a great printable, and I was able to separate them into common prepositions and ones that aren't as commonly thought of, or that have special rules. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ63kMNu8ke-imu19rCKeLD-s1_tNS6yYlQx1AvHQ_18hTdgOqTUNyfaNCf-GG8nbXB8sa0h5Bi5V_qEVaBIfKL1oVcxrhFhGpH4k0cEaoPDRmjCSDrJ70lCM4ytEHnSxyujX89W5el7t-/s1600/20150512_120239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ63kMNu8ke-imu19rCKeLD-s1_tNS6yYlQx1AvHQ_18hTdgOqTUNyfaNCf-GG8nbXB8sa0h5Bi5V_qEVaBIfKL1oVcxrhFhGpH4k0cEaoPDRmjCSDrJ70lCM4ytEHnSxyujX89W5el7t-/s400/20150512_120239.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Together with the white board to write the sentence on, so all three kids could see it, and objects that they grabbed for the fulfilling of the sentence, we gave examples for each preposition for that day, and then they wrote the sentence down and labeled the part of speech. I have two handy, dandy homemade stencils that help with the labeling. Of course, <a href="http://wasecabiomes.org/collections/waseca-language-materials/products/grammar-stencil" target="_blank">Waseca</a> and <a href="https://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Plastic_Grammar_Symbol_and_Sentence_Analysis_Templ_p/l159.htm" target="_blank">Alisons Montessori</a> have some you can buy, which are perfect for this! But El-Cheapo (that's me!) decided to make them instead. </div>
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Below is an example of one of the sentences we used and Hoss fulfilled with his chosen animal. </div>
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"A/The scorpion sits on the box."</div>
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Nothing complicated, just getting the point across.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBwlEYSIpHkHaytLrUPC-EyJCjZXTa37zvaqpyblA1FsdO5U18ias7eTpY2plO8C69HFG1-0QQpQ-TGXWLrT4-HkaDi-Zs3c3ej-YbZEL4vUHO7QJRK12AKwjbLNS94nR_7zLB41n1Fui/s1600/20150512_113556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBwlEYSIpHkHaytLrUPC-EyJCjZXTa37zvaqpyblA1FsdO5U18ias7eTpY2plO8C69HFG1-0QQpQ-TGXWLrT4-HkaDi-Zs3c3ej-YbZEL4vUHO7QJRK12AKwjbLNS94nR_7zLB41n1Fui/s400/20150512_113556.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Recently, Bug has taken it upon herself to do a little self-directed work. In the picture below, she took my bag of Jolly Ranchers (given to me for Mother's Day, which I have no desire to eat and am slowly doling out to the kids) and sorted each one by color, then recorded the color and amount for each group.</div>
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Nothing like handwriting, classifying and counting (Math and Science) all in one!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzzIf-v1_2S9u9TuUVKSej-HBiBHiRODdg1_uj-brYrssjbXGOI3EmJHwOesK_5NaAdYIAvHL8iU2XoHSQLqDuNlrUZkPHLjXPE5V2tRwPtWZ4Ers9I0OlR7tUsxzt4j_qMLTK6XwZGwi/s1600/20150513_104114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzzIf-v1_2S9u9TuUVKSej-HBiBHiRODdg1_uj-brYrssjbXGOI3EmJHwOesK_5NaAdYIAvHL8iU2XoHSQLqDuNlrUZkPHLjXPE5V2tRwPtWZ4Ers9I0OlR7tUsxzt4j_qMLTK6XwZGwi/s400/20150513_104114.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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She also found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Divide-Apple-Easy--Viking/dp/0670877905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431957671&sr=8-1&keywords=book+-+Rabbit+and+Hare+divide+an+apple" target="_blank">this book</a> at the library last week and we actually just did this work today (Sunday) after their obligatory nap time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLYZGESh44wyYEYsW2v1Mz4Db0aErg2g2qMe49epljxycyjnsbEPUZ4oQF1U9gYjUJN9Bn8VCAvvwcWSyzbiVI07kvnbumgtMLLjy5Jr2VaTGkyRZ2QaW3D0i_oQemcAXYglpp9tODz8R/s1600/20150517_163331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLYZGESh44wyYEYsW2v1Mz4Db0aErg2g2qMe49epljxycyjnsbEPUZ4oQF1U9gYjUJN9Bn8VCAvvwcWSyzbiVI07kvnbumgtMLLjy5Jr2VaTGkyRZ2QaW3D0i_oQemcAXYglpp9tODz8R/s400/20150517_163331.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I used our fraction bars that we got here to show the written fraction for 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 and then she was able to see that relationship between 1/2, 2/4, and 4/8 as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqd81M0MlZaPhoEwpPrwGHgLdj9h4iP-iuui1sGSTz2kSjXtHWamHCsDBpcmq_FF00VaBOxyag5MU9FqBrsNeoee5mINUKDlVBtn_4_yFj4DTPsZbz1ZzI2ltZ7QFe5ZWKyzjifCS9eGnp/s1600/20150517_163944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqd81M0MlZaPhoEwpPrwGHgLdj9h4iP-iuui1sGSTz2kSjXtHWamHCsDBpcmq_FF00VaBOxyag5MU9FqBrsNeoee5mINUKDlVBtn_4_yFj4DTPsZbz1ZzI2ltZ7QFe5ZWKyzjifCS9eGnp/s400/20150517_163944.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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And speaking of library, our chances to go to our lovely libraries have been touch and go for a few months now, because of our rather busy schedule, but we were able to make story time for the first time in a while this last week, which was so fun - and weirdly comforting, somehow. Even to me. Go figure!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHP13UD30tFE8qVg4hl0dwYFTAPMWQCj1llk2AzlyIhFHFJAakb_L1qxBipU5At1eNZ_y3iJNzsCuUlzhHbAw25jwOW_JKfuStIEV5pPrxIXCElU_tHHBqCROOfOx_linJ2DdEnT2NGOy/s1600/20150514_101341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHP13UD30tFE8qVg4hl0dwYFTAPMWQCj1llk2AzlyIhFHFJAakb_L1qxBipU5At1eNZ_y3iJNzsCuUlzhHbAw25jwOW_JKfuStIEV5pPrxIXCElU_tHHBqCROOfOx_linJ2DdEnT2NGOy/s400/20150514_101341.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Also - and this is a REALLY bad picture, but the lighting and distance were factoring against me - the children had their Spring concert and awards this last week. Hoss and Miss Priss' general music theory class had a blast this year learning rhythm, how to read basic music, and how to separate in to different parts in a group. I didn't have a picture of them to put in here, though :(, because I ended up stuck in the wings helping bring out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boom-Boomwhackers-Broadway-Musical-Tubes/dp/0757908616/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1431957753&sr=8-4&keywords=musical+boomwhackers" target="_blank">boomwhackers</a>, bell plates (couldn't find a link to show you what these are, but they are used for handbell choirs, just a bit less expensive, and other things needed for their part in the program. </div>
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LM was in the middle/high school choir, though only 10, and absolutely loved it! Learning to sing in a group with other sopranos, altos, tenors, and bass singers was very good for her this year. She also sang a solo for the solo and ensemble competition and received a superior medal, pictured below (her actual score was an I+, which means she went above the high score. She wouldn't brag about that, but I'm her mama and I get to)!</div>
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We are getting geared up and ready to start the summer reading programs and shift in to summer schedule. On the slightly more personal side, my husband is ALMOST DONE with his school. He gets home in the beginning of July, which may sound like a long time, but when he's been gone since January, it's definitely the home stretch! (can you tell I'm a little happy about this?!?!?!?!)</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-87451503119793970872015-05-09T21:52:00.002-05:002015-05-09T21:52:46.918-05:00To all the supermamas out there..... <div style="text-align: center;">
You don't have to feel like super woman. In fact, chances are you - usually, you don't. That's okay, though. You don't have to. Your children already think you are. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyExSDgkRlsJbCDzC2lnrbPGYHSud5UghvM5sJvIEec517Ef6zz449kOzMNKmNzUD6QKxUzd2bCsfFr5zYukXK3LH20aq7xvEO0znyWC6x-4TYO8N3VdP4g7o5xoKUpGAhSpPo9Qtx9b3/s1600/superwoman+mothers+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyExSDgkRlsJbCDzC2lnrbPGYHSud5UghvM5sJvIEec517Ef6zz449kOzMNKmNzUD6QKxUzd2bCsfFr5zYukXK3LH20aq7xvEO0znyWC6x-4TYO8N3VdP4g7o5xoKUpGAhSpPo9Qtx9b3/s400/superwoman+mothers+day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With Love - </div>
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Amy@No Greater Honors</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-3283566945903259092015-04-28T23:41:00.000-05:002015-04-28T23:41:05.766-05:00Neglect - such a dirty 7-letter word...<div style="text-align: center;">
It's really awful. She's been neglecting her blog.</div>
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No, that's not really what's happening. We are just so busy with school and life! The very thing I started a blog to cover has kept me busy! I just felt the need for myself (and anyone else that cares out there, but mostly for myself) to say that I am still loving being able to blog, and sometimes it just means playing catch up after a couple weeks. </div>
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I have found that trying to overly focus on catching pictures of everything we are doing can sometimes overshadow actually doing them. So I grab one if I can, but I want to make sure I keep my focus where it's supposed to be. </div>
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That, and the fact that I am starting to work on an at-home business (Plexus) and that has taken some time working that in to my schedule. </div>
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Sometimes, things get a little crazy around here.... </div>
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But what I love is this:</div>
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Lunch dates</div>
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I love seeing the light come on when a child learns to read. </div>
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I love seeing the personal desire to learn something when it's their OWN idea, not just mine!</div>
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I love seeing them be more than just siblings, but also friends.... </div>
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I love getting to make these memories with them, at times when some parents can't.</div>
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Sometimes I can catch them on camera, but sometimes - I just have to put down the phone and do life! </div>
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I am hoping as you read this, that you can understand :) </div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-51020401073041868662015-04-27T23:32:00.000-05:002015-04-27T23:32:25.070-05:00Lately In Life<div style="text-align: center;">
Just an update of some of what we've been doing around here.<br />
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MATH<br />
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Bug finished the addition booklet I printed out for her to use with the addition finger chart. I also gave her the first presentation of commutative addition (modified because it's been a while since I gave it to Miss Priss, couldn't remember exactly the steps I used last time, and I needed to give it immediately that day) with the printed bead bars. I am in the process of making her a new version of the addition booklet, to practice identifying the commutative addition equations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdtSjkyvAA0ilgh_zHymOHEwxADgk5QMaW4NBP_QOLEMcA4FvF0VdgQP5p7DWaLMj6yt3lOHpSq1YyaRO8ARHkOAHRaAe1AtCCmN9kxcx5LFoCwkU-X_gZGRuEWUtvYZTZA6l9-quEzQ1/s1600/bug+working+on+math+chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdtSjkyvAA0ilgh_zHymOHEwxADgk5QMaW4NBP_QOLEMcA4FvF0VdgQP5p7DWaLMj6yt3lOHpSq1YyaRO8ARHkOAHRaAe1AtCCmN9kxcx5LFoCwkU-X_gZGRuEWUtvYZTZA6l9-quEzQ1/s1600/bug+working+on+math+chart.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Miss Priss was working on some pages she tore out of an old workbook we had eons ago, that had been hole-punched and put in her binder. She came to a page that had addition equations involving money and several addends. She was having a difficult time, but has been resistant to using the stamp game - I think it's becoming more time consuming than she feels is necessary. I showed her how it is possible to do the same thing, using dry erase markers on the board. She really seemed to enjoy this, and it actually made it very easy to slide her over to abstract recording with exchanges (carrying) by doing it this way. </div>
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You can see that we wrote the equation on the left side of the board, used colored dots (to represent the *stamps*) on the right side of the board, and did our exchanging and carrying simultaneously. </div>
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She had a total of six equations, all set around a theme of lunch menu choices - she had to locate certain foods on the menu and first record how much each cost before being able to work the problem. By the time the sixth came around, she was fairly good at being able to watch the exchanging with the 'marker stamps' and record it as carrying on her paper. I hope that all makes sense. It was really quite neat to see her work that process out in her head and see the light bulb come on.</div>
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She also finished her multiplication charts and I pulled out our multiplication board. Here she is working through the board, one equation at a time (starting with 2x2, 2x3, 2x4 etc.) and seeing how many she can correctly recall and place on the board. Really what happened is the first couple of rows came easy, she would check each one with the Pythagoras chart, and she caught the basic skip counting pattern. She finished 4 rows, I think, and it's still sitting, waiting for her to get back to it on Monday. </div>
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At the same time, Bug was working on the hundred board with a little help from the boys. Well, Hoss was helping. Buddy was just kind of there. Half observing, half getting in the way, most likely. Sadly we found that we have a missing #45 chip - got to find that thing. It ruined the work when she couldn't find it. </div>
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I also did a review with the three oldest kids, although mostly in line with what Miss Priss needed, on remembering place values. They had to identify place values in to the millions on paper, but up on our white board (not pictured) we had actually gotten in to the billions. And for some reason, Miss Priss is consumed with figuring out how much money Alice Walton (the late Sam Walton's daughter) has. That provided for some interesting talks and some intense work on how high a number can get... hahaha ;) </div>
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In this particular work, they had a number in to the millions in each box. They sometimes had to circle the numbers with the correct color for it's place value, sometimes they had to make sure to add the commas in the correct places, or identify what digit was in what place, or the place value name of a given digit, etc. </div>
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LM had been working diligently with the decimal board, and decided to review herself by giving Hoss a lesson. He is very good at adding money (hence early decimal work) of course, and is quite taken with adding money whenever he gets the chance. She decided to go at the lesson from that direction first, and I watched as she explained (in her own terms) what part the decimal point played, identified the numbers on each side - not completely correctly, so I jumped in there to throw in the right vocabulary - and they added a few 'money' equations on the board. </div>
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Then, quick as a flash, she erased the dollar signs, and boom. There we just had decimals. She's quite the - ummmm - commanding personality, so that was right up her alley!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMiMLJqiU8DTaElqsqNnAQw41lFLpPPcltKGlSMej19-hFOMgPnRcym7uu759h4Y2rNAmvNoRWCnf8i_FoYM2cN7YAXj7z7rTG32eKuxPz3Ca7pPJr4a44FTmBoUcPi1voTlO-nqwSTvK/s1600/reteaching+decimals+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMiMLJqiU8DTaElqsqNnAQw41lFLpPPcltKGlSMej19-hFOMgPnRcym7uu759h4Y2rNAmvNoRWCnf8i_FoYM2cN7YAXj7z7rTG32eKuxPz3Ca7pPJr4a44FTmBoUcPi1voTlO-nqwSTvK/s1600/reteaching+decimals+2.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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We've also been reviewing parts of speech - something we (sigh) haven't touched on since we moved. Horrid - I know. Oh, well. We haven't, and we needed to review before I introduced and worked with new ones. LM even needed it - she obviously didn't retain them very well. So it was good for the three oldest to. This week we reviewed the verb and adverb, and laughed a little at some combinations. I am going to pull out the logical adverb game next week, because Miss Priss will love it and Hoss is always up for a game. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOQuDjARJluhNaGMkeHR0pkA5j5OUFp2lBTkLIDtkeYl8lG00SaiW9CuNTa2WOFGhjSqNXIvGzU-LNGUXLv_ke-jYiogoInnOmx6CWIUYgZXZNJC9zrxcscSosljn145qajBs2yTdqqAS/s1600/review+verbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOQuDjARJluhNaGMkeHR0pkA5j5OUFp2lBTkLIDtkeYl8lG00SaiW9CuNTa2WOFGhjSqNXIvGzU-LNGUXLv_ke-jYiogoInnOmx6CWIUYgZXZNJC9zrxcscSosljn145qajBs2yTdqqAS/s1600/review+verbs.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Yes, the above picture DOES say car (noun) talks (verb). LM thought she was being funny, I almost debated the logical rationality of such a combination, until I woke myself up to today's technology. Cars DO talk to you. LOL - my husband's car reads him his texts while he drives. Sigh. I kind of like things staying the same. They don't, though, so 'car talks' passed. </div>
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However, when we reviewed the adverb and 'shaves awkwardly' came up, I began to wonder what was going through her mind.... :) </div>
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Hoss was working on some correct punctuation here. He doesn't take his time in writing to make sure he uses correct punctuation, capitalization, and so on. I made a few sentence strip sheets for him to 're-write and correct' which I hope got him to slow down and work on making sure he uses correct sentence formatting (trying to make, "capital letters, periods, apostrophes in your sentences SON!" sound smart!) .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2FlrnXWP8QaYv5Y22EBKTuAxkUiSaC28r7ylgRf98n28Iw3neZ_q2HEATifJf9qpoHuNS8gpTDv-bCUwMqPdgVq3DPnsPCMflbACtHB8QRFvlQ7PcZYQLSO2z1X7QL1GjeboVtPOFpnH/s1600/punctuation+bryannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2FlrnXWP8QaYv5Y22EBKTuAxkUiSaC28r7ylgRf98n28Iw3neZ_q2HEATifJf9qpoHuNS8gpTDv-bCUwMqPdgVq3DPnsPCMflbACtHB8QRFvlQ7PcZYQLSO2z1X7QL1GjeboVtPOFpnH/s1600/punctuation+bryannah.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Another things that Hoss and Miss Priss have been working on is learning ASL.</div>
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This interest spurned from a series I found at one of our little libraries, actually. If you've never heard of the deaf FBI agent Sue Thomas, her life story is amazing! It was also turned in to this show, which just so happens to have a five volume DVD series, which I just so happen to *love*. The kids have seen enough of it to be very interested in ASL.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSE8zJkcJWPkykdGqz8NjlkgzgX6Yos4NHi8DqQuBm2g5R7YTPS6tJNgAUVYOqHlfqwEmicf1sUJnw0H763Qt3g1cnuO6iHeW8gkPsjbmTbULcMo6P83-H2YuvYyflGuT1dUid4AMnCBMJ/s1600/andrew+sign+language.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSE8zJkcJWPkykdGqz8NjlkgzgX6Yos4NHi8DqQuBm2g5R7YTPS6tJNgAUVYOqHlfqwEmicf1sUJnw0H763Qt3g1cnuO6iHeW8gkPsjbmTbULcMo6P83-H2YuvYyflGuT1dUid4AMnCBMJ/s1600/andrew+sign+language.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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In the picture above they were getting a recap on the ASL alphabet, which they actually learned quite some time ago. Below Miss Priss and Hoss were 'talking' to each other over lunch. They said it was their 'secret language'. For anyone further interested, if you have a Netflix account, there is a show called Signing Time, and although we've only gotten to one episode so far, they really enjoyed watching and learning a few new things - like how to ask and tell someone their name. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTa-v2yanET_dJ57S3SrULzVW19mkoBq5rDGNJVpbM4S-3yJjtqeqbwKHTKZQpc8p87OIL0bGhQAnC6Ymns4ctAy2xExOSwfISjawQCMDTO4N47xUSZwlmW_rmR_z4zc36bRjP_LCM6zV/s1600/bryannah+sign+language.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTa-v2yanET_dJ57S3SrULzVW19mkoBq5rDGNJVpbM4S-3yJjtqeqbwKHTKZQpc8p87OIL0bGhQAnC6Ymns4ctAy2xExOSwfISjawQCMDTO4N47xUSZwlmW_rmR_z4zc36bRjP_LCM6zV/s1600/bryannah+sign+language.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Bug is finally wanting to progress more with her reading. She wants to be able to read independently before the library summer reading program, and one day a week or so ago revisited the Bob books that are in 'her' school drawer. We also have an early reader, pink series work (which, if she would get a little farther in her reader, she could easily move in to blue) and other beginning reading materials available for her to choose from. The favorite is still generally the Abeka beginning reader book. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl22CPqvS3bj8D46UhSwbWwOvMW6dyN7g1InzisX9rLsrWTrUxg9LY3GJ_rMKXX3fUKLW-LRxVun608bDrqohwOnGTt_5Mhnmzh0nMS_slhaFYM74NAywh53qXm5-dX7VF-4Wxgu5nKEa/s1600/shaylee+bob+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl22CPqvS3bj8D46UhSwbWwOvMW6dyN7g1InzisX9rLsrWTrUxg9LY3GJ_rMKXX3fUKLW-LRxVun608bDrqohwOnGTt_5Mhnmzh0nMS_slhaFYM74NAywh53qXm5-dX7VF-4Wxgu5nKEa/s1600/shaylee+bob+books.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Buddy hasn't been as busy with Montessori inspired work as I'd like him to be. I have gotten so far down to the basics that we keep the same style in some of our every day activities but I don't have as much out for him on the shelves as normal. And sometimes he does things, and I just don't catch him in time. I caught a picture of him after he decided to build the brown tower one day. He also claimed it was a Christmas tree, and that the bowl on top (which held the two smallest cubes, stacked, although you can't see them well in the picture) was the 'star'. So his imagination got in on that one a little bit, but he also did a great job for the most part of aligning each block - his attention to detail has been getting much better. He's also writing - mostly his name, but it's so fun to see that happen all of a sudden! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHbN2Oio59YJZYRc2hsKm9TVO9Pu9Ptm6JXU2eb3-HTG4PCcN4aW1yPbwGzdrgqyjkm4ut1QKUk4D91z22QoMFzGf_T845eQwFggdGGGglXUJrGEK0Hk6a2GC0upg8dbysO5KN4c1CZNy/s1600/buddy+working+on+brown+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHbN2Oio59YJZYRc2hsKm9TVO9Pu9Ptm6JXU2eb3-HTG4PCcN4aW1yPbwGzdrgqyjkm4ut1QKUk4D91z22QoMFzGf_T845eQwFggdGGGglXUJrGEK0Hk6a2GC0upg8dbysO5KN4c1CZNy/s1600/buddy+working+on+brown+tower.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I do try to incorporate 'practical life' i.e. independence whenever possible. Especially if it means I can be doing school or work while they are getting their own lunch. That's always handy :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98RTvFuEtplGPLvMOrSZtbrDFmWW6mENGUlbeY_yZ4dKulmU6cOMm5tt6LRa5YaTY99FgW8qVll7CkBm96q9eZSFVN2Y90IejBPHsgYYMwEdTUbmv0TpBIDYN93tdrdD_loPpdBTqAQC1/s1600/practical+life+sandwiches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98RTvFuEtplGPLvMOrSZtbrDFmWW6mENGUlbeY_yZ4dKulmU6cOMm5tt6LRa5YaTY99FgW8qVll7CkBm96q9eZSFVN2Y90IejBPHsgYYMwEdTUbmv0TpBIDYN93tdrdD_loPpdBTqAQC1/s1600/practical+life+sandwiches.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Or if it means they are making goodies that I surely don't need, but that taste wonderful! LM and Hoss have decided that if they just embark on something without making a fuss, it's easier that way and they can show me they can really do it well. That has scored me some cherry pineapple cupcakes and brownies over the last week. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoqra4FSR9UOmVXNexp0bMUC86rTaVwaVJv1hRyuH58Dk7GiM7IGbiu3gON11dEUhhJwmKumfSmE6AmM5q4kzsTjetlKQK62WLWUXpHc0uaL8ojaU-Ri5qHDcFi_OmzlGJDQt6_ZqncjT/s1600/practical+life+cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoqra4FSR9UOmVXNexp0bMUC86rTaVwaVJv1hRyuH58Dk7GiM7IGbiu3gON11dEUhhJwmKumfSmE6AmM5q4kzsTjetlKQK62WLWUXpHc0uaL8ojaU-Ri5qHDcFi_OmzlGJDQt6_ZqncjT/s1600/practical+life+cupcakes.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I took these pictures one day. Raw honesty. All in the same moment, school can look like this in one room:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqXJI9bK9TTryGjV46q4P488-suecbx8slZB5fwp7RdshHboTbHT2U3yOTdNYYvlN6Wqk_xn3hnchqGcstACQ227KzkEa8ksSnnLd0E7qqkc_oOmv0tUuGbK_WWZf0TkCZEXpsQZaS3EV/s1600/homeschool+room+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqXJI9bK9TTryGjV46q4P488-suecbx8slZB5fwp7RdshHboTbHT2U3yOTdNYYvlN6Wqk_xn3hnchqGcstACQ227KzkEa8ksSnnLd0E7qqkc_oOmv0tUuGbK_WWZf0TkCZEXpsQZaS3EV/s1600/homeschool+room+1.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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this in the next:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZXVqshrBywc-14S9vqCfhqiw7tvPvVctY0oAmi4GlSj9QY9RtYmiMzHHAl42aK9263cI2IvnrcnDYCQHIW_e-p04R2GNGoL894m_1I8LDkW7Kz1pbXI3XHd41TH6iW0Wv2H6uEOAsDD9/s1600/homeschooling+room+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZXVqshrBywc-14S9vqCfhqiw7tvPvVctY0oAmi4GlSj9QY9RtYmiMzHHAl42aK9263cI2IvnrcnDYCQHIW_e-p04R2GNGoL894m_1I8LDkW7Kz1pbXI3XHd41TH6iW0Wv2H6uEOAsDD9/s1600/homeschooling+room+2.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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and this in another:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikSvBJxzpASFXHTeCr3Nwl1jYm7UKNgL8WmtOg6FQ4jVoqmekuiurBuyAw40xTY8dVcGgaExqr7mK8TyujRg3h9a0XfbelUy6OhICUb-TkwKFHmfM5sQNodSSGz6QQwjWplkV3azDAOXE/s1600/homeschooling+room+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikSvBJxzpASFXHTeCr3Nwl1jYm7UKNgL8WmtOg6FQ4jVoqmekuiurBuyAw40xTY8dVcGgaExqr7mK8TyujRg3h9a0XfbelUy6OhICUb-TkwKFHmfM5sQNodSSGz6QQwjWplkV3azDAOXE/s1600/homeschooling+room+3.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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The beauty of homeschooling :) And the art of taking a picture of one particularly serene moment and, if you don't share the big picture, no one has to be the wiser for it :) </div>
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IN OTHER NEWS:</div>
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We went to the pet store one day to get a necessary item for our kitty - who thankfully is now not going to ever be able to be a daddy kitty. If you don't get that taken care of soon enough, it's a rather horrid, stinky mess. Let me assure you. I digress - after we got what we needed to be able to take him to the vet safely, we had to look around at all the animals. Cats, dogs getting groomed, fish of all kinds, turtles, and all manner of rodents (everything looks too much like a mouse to me for me to be excited about this one). We were also able to see a few different types of birds. There's education everywhere, if you look in the right places :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFe5Fwz83gUPP9WPFedkCvTmflvJdu_46HBrC7IyJJYRNsri3_XEbKcL8YNa9BYiqyHvP0KNVLT3YUnufA1c313qsVNOCC7s5vbc76pO4MHIQh1DXfO6A6l6Pu-7aV93j9kZqzQ2UipLL/s1600/pet+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFe5Fwz83gUPP9WPFedkCvTmflvJdu_46HBrC7IyJJYRNsri3_XEbKcL8YNa9BYiqyHvP0KNVLT3YUnufA1c313qsVNOCC7s5vbc76pO4MHIQh1DXfO6A6l6Pu-7aV93j9kZqzQ2UipLL/s1600/pet+store.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Bug celebrated her 6th birthday. I don't know where the time has gone! Her cake went something like this:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">1. See cake on internet. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">2. Have too many cooking/baking shows in your past.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"> 3. Because of #2, you show pretty cake to 5 year old.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"> 4. Make cake.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"> 5. Attempt to cover in fondant.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"> 6. Realize #5 was a bigger deal than you thought. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">7. Cover it anyway, and reassure yourself that it's really okay </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">because, after all, she's just newly 6 and still thinks I'm awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"> She doesn't know any different...yet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">And she did, in fact, love it. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RfQ00HgRDQZ3hFH4yXu-ANO-TAGovkLOMaec-KC5IkzJHqoyeieK33Uiff5y4g2pgFZnlB04SYTiBrI_ju-umiz87szhoUeb0elKissDjRyyQauqnE4TnThYlSqX2CAXpFVCfHpSm868/s1600/shaylees+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RfQ00HgRDQZ3hFH4yXu-ANO-TAGovkLOMaec-KC5IkzJHqoyeieK33Uiff5y4g2pgFZnlB04SYTiBrI_ju-umiz87szhoUeb0elKissDjRyyQauqnE4TnThYlSqX2CAXpFVCfHpSm868/s1600/shaylees+cake.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have been able to start getting up and walking in the morning - most mornings with my furry friend, Beaux :) I just posted this because - well - because it's life. I love that time to wake up to the day and be ready for the day before the kids get up, not the other way around!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblGcLAaaNwdd-Tx_Ft28FoBsQyNNyUcogPeioMY0B_3VhOrU3mR3jxe_ewX_q41D1fbLleVdkjiPeHHPburcOMa05LqA26zHQB3qz23FM_OHGSj6LOgaTdUbcHrxqQD4JbxqBWsKII75J/s1600/beau+on+a+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblGcLAaaNwdd-Tx_Ft28FoBsQyNNyUcogPeioMY0B_3VhOrU3mR3jxe_ewX_q41D1fbLleVdkjiPeHHPburcOMa05LqA26zHQB3qz23FM_OHGSj6LOgaTdUbcHrxqQD4JbxqBWsKII75J/s1600/beau+on+a+walk.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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This last small group of pictures was almost an afterthought. Who'd of thunk (that's a good ol' southern word there) that LM would decide to get serious about drawing with an etch a sketch?! She's always been a little artist - and apparently, there's a new art form - etch-a-sketchery :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RJr3BQicinnyjIeOCkaTLzl86YDQx6mO66IYHXfNZmUGpWRlllaMdEP8tMEF3jjqa3ycEXsJAA9KrFjyqYZ5ud8VbEPSdCpITXHVadLfLP4Yy5Tr2WuG7aVeVpEmtHztGA35xqppkuI9/s1600/etch+sketch+art+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RJr3BQicinnyjIeOCkaTLzl86YDQx6mO66IYHXfNZmUGpWRlllaMdEP8tMEF3jjqa3ycEXsJAA9KrFjyqYZ5ud8VbEPSdCpITXHVadLfLP4Yy5Tr2WuG7aVeVpEmtHztGA35xqppkuI9/s1600/etch+sketch+art+1.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Basketball Man</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZOXkbJHcOqEckMPY-y43OWCHBzA7CWZnjnzxQgLK86bzCG6mfGG7RDxBnMaILm4pupV72Ofmg7u6XtPMWbnJdGlACo_udyfInlC9KhkE0y_9IdNO2hSAFH9Ocq8Xatv8zdSH9_clMPQN/s1600/etch+sketch+art+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZOXkbJHcOqEckMPY-y43OWCHBzA7CWZnjnzxQgLK86bzCG6mfGG7RDxBnMaILm4pupV72Ofmg7u6XtPMWbnJdGlACo_udyfInlC9KhkE0y_9IdNO2hSAFH9Ocq8Xatv8zdSH9_clMPQN/s1600/etch+sketch+art+2.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Grand Canyon (complete with cursive writing, sketch-style)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHOBHv7krFrtYDrYadkY6dtKV-TApx8TYhi88NeXpgxRGlZsSBqCPrjOMJtDMBXnMH0mxe3H9R5wtGcn4pBOz6mxDE6tRuwa0UxP8mA0zC-CjFB0p8FwQTmsCYirElDg9ZBv6RpneGQIQ/s1600/etch+sketch+art+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHOBHv7krFrtYDrYadkY6dtKV-TApx8TYhi88NeXpgxRGlZsSBqCPrjOMJtDMBXnMH0mxe3H9R5wtGcn4pBOz6mxDE6tRuwa0UxP8mA0zC-CjFB0p8FwQTmsCYirElDg9ZBv6RpneGQIQ/s1600/etch+sketch+art+3.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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The Melting Pot</div>
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Profiler</div>
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:) We always manage to have a lot of fun around here, get a lot of work done, and live life the fullest we can! I hope you are reading this and can say the same thing!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-9215936343791693312015-04-10T15:24:00.000-05:002015-04-11T07:25:29.308-05:00Magnetism and Using Worksheets in the Montessori Inspired Homeschool<div style="text-align: center;">
Today we worked on some exploration with magnets. </div>
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I found this very small, inexpensive set of magnets at a local school supply store here. They didn't have the one I REALLY wanted, so I settled for a cheaper one for the time being. </div>
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I prepared for our day this morning by going online and printing off a few ready-made free worksheets. And here is where you insert the gasp-heard-round-the-world. :) </div>
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I generally shy away from worksheets - we don't use them on a daily basis. I would not print out a worksheet for something that was new to my children. I believe you should always, as much as possible, give your children a concrete learning experience long before bringing in anything abstract, like a worksheet. In this case, they had already had that. </div>
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When you are working with children who have had the concrete first experiences you can build off of those with some that review what they know and give them a chance to expand and show what they have retained. That's my feelings towards worksheets and combining them with a Montessori inspired homeschool. Generally not necessary, but can sometimes prove helpful if they are targeting what you are working on together. On to the fun pictures :) </div>
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We all gathered around the table to talk about what makes up a magnet, and did several fun things (of which I have no pictures because my hands were rather busy) to talk about magnetic fields and how you can't feel them in their own with one magnet but see proof of them as you put two magnets together, first on synonymous poles and then opposite poles and see the reaction of the magnet. They thought the most fun part was when we laid two of the magnet bars on the table and used one to scoot the other along in a line, in circles, and finally figuring out how to make it fall off the table.</div>
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This led to a small rabbit-trail discussion of whether it was possible that the makers of the Lego movie could have used a magnet in the scene at the end where Emmett falls off the table.</div>
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(I couldn't find a youtube video that showed that specific scene, but this one is right before and right after it)</div>
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We did a few sheets about predicting what would and wouldn't be magnetic, then tested our predictions. I didn't get a good picture of us actually testing what we pulled out, but we had two groups of objects. </div>
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Group #1 - seashell, washer, crayon, small springs, scissors, keys, and a pencil</div>
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Group #2 - penny, quarter, dime, nickel, can (vegetables), tweezers, a screw, measuring spoons, paperclip, fork, ziploc bag. </div>
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They were all able to take turns seeing what was and wasn't magnetic, and saw that sometimes an object might LOOK magnetic when it really isn't. We also discussed how some things, like the scissors, are both magnetic and non magnetic, and some things - like the measuring spoons - might depend on what type and that there isn't always an absolute yes or no for different objects. </div>
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We took a side trail here and everyone was sent to find 5 things they wanted to try with the magnets, and we made a list of what was magnetic, non-magnetic, and both. Then I showed them how they can lay that information out in a Venn Diagram. </div>
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Next we used a couple printables to test and record the strength of a magnet as it passes through another object. They thought it was amazing that a magnet could lift their paperclips through glass, wood, cardboard, and even plastic. They really enjoyed watching the magnet not only lift the paper clips but me be able to move the clip around with the magnet.</div>
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This was just a fun little coloring certificate that I printed off for them to stick with their 'research papers' in their binders. This, of course, is obviously Buddy's work. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrqi3ZLUQAqEoCVh94Z6qasHtXPtk-VeZ_v1BFD4gbmKve_rR1K178gpFJFYYPfVwxs94mjVswtvYTYPRvrOkSARuH_5LGvwZUce3IntImNntYw5Z6waCqeSYkiPGYn2RXm4P4HkR9F4i/s1600/11148962_1090582267622241_1055643822_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrqi3ZLUQAqEoCVh94Z6qasHtXPtk-VeZ_v1BFD4gbmKve_rR1K178gpFJFYYPfVwxs94mjVswtvYTYPRvrOkSARuH_5LGvwZUce3IntImNntYw5Z6waCqeSYkiPGYn2RXm4P4HkR9F4i/s1600/11148962_1090582267622241_1055643822_n.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Most of them scattered to do other things after our lesson, but Buddy grabbed the magnets and began a little work of his own. In this picture he has actually made something of a pattern with magnet-paperclip-magnet and found out that he could pull the entire line of magnets and clips with just one magnet.</div>
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Which inspired this 'train' that he played with for almost 20 minutes.</div>
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I couldn't help but take this picture. After I finished helping the others get their work put away, I caught his eye while he was playing. He very calmly informed me that the strong magnets in 'his train' were the 'men and boys' and the magnets that weren't strong enough to pull the train were the 'old ladies and girls' and that is why they were all by themselves in a pile. Oh, what a mess this little guy is...</div>
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And that was the big excitement today :) Now I think they are outside cleaning up from giving the dog an impromptu bath that I am sure they loved and he hated. </div>
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Never a dull moment!!!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-20424399078587582552015-04-03T10:08:00.002-05:002015-04-03T10:14:17.332-05:00Playing Catch Up<div style="text-align: center;">
What a game of catch up it is, too. </div>
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Blogging has taken a back burner for a little while, for a few reasons. </div>
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#1 - We are SUPER busy! Just flat busy, no other way to put it. </div>
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#2 - I am now solely dependent on my phone for pictures, which is fine - it takes great pictures, but I am trying to find the easiest way to get them from my phone to my computer in a way that doesn't try to save Every. Single. One. every time. I'm not real tech savvy so I am slow to try and mess with it. </div>
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#3 - The kids have testing (state mandated) this week, and though it's only one day - half a day, at that - I generally try to put a focus on the type of material that they will be facing so they are not surprised and ill-prepared for the final day. </div>
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I've pulled a few pictures together to try and give a good idea of some of the things we've been doing the last month or so, since the last time I posted. I still have a couple vacation posts I want to finish, and am determined to do that - before our next out of town trip, at least. </div>
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Here is our month in review:<br />
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*The Game Changers*<br />
(the biggest changes that affect our daily and weekly routines)<br />
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I started both selling and using Plexus in the past month. It has truly been an answer to pray, specifically in the energy level! I have no more afternoon crash and bedtime crankiness out of exhaustion. But I'm not saying that as a sales pitch - just an update on how I'm making it through each day, by the Grace of God.</div>
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Baseball season is upon us. This is always a busy time of year, keeping up with practices and games. It's even more busy when I'm the only parent here to keep up with it all. That being said, Hoss L.O.V.E.S. this time of year and that makes it all worth it.</div>
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*School Days*</div>
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(what has been going on in school life, both pictures and updates)</div>
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In the middle of March the kids had their annual Solo and Ensemble for their homeschool music group. Hoss and Miss Priss (in general music ed) didn't compete, only performed with their class. A skit, various different instruments, including the kalimba, bell plates, boomwhackers, and many other fun ways to play with music. LM actually competed, in that she sang a solo, and received one of the highest ratings. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FQwnw6jw_2n0Ikyk-CZb9gUz2U6sUmBRpQTWKoe8otsOmU1PO9zQPcDmtpsZu8kmJSoTUufWU2eKGxxp_LcMb9yE9V62dho4zrnB3UR9zN5KljS9lhKS4G91IkReg2i2Y-H4p1fI6WIi/s1600/20150310_162758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FQwnw6jw_2n0Ikyk-CZb9gUz2U6sUmBRpQTWKoe8otsOmU1PO9zQPcDmtpsZu8kmJSoTUufWU2eKGxxp_LcMb9yE9V62dho4zrnB3UR9zN5KljS9lhKS4G91IkReg2i2Y-H4p1fI6WIi/s1600/20150310_162758.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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We got some new materials in recently, including a hundred board (above), multiplication board (below), and decimal board (two pictures down). In the picture above you can also see part of our Lego Timeline board that we have used for weeks while working on the Lego study we did. That was a fun one, but the kids were definitely past being excited about it, so we tapered off until we are now finished with working with it. </div>
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Hoss is past basic multiplication facts and the memorization of them, but it is never a bad thing to practice what you know. That being said, Big Z was over one day and it's very hard to have school when outsiders come in. I just realized that sounded a little creepy the way I said that, but it is hard to keep their minds on school when someone else is over that isn't a normal fixture in our day. So I challenged both of the boys, who had never before laid hands on this material, to work together to complete it. I quickly presented it to them and they worked on it until they were completely finished. The picture itself isn't such a great angle, but I was also working with LM on something so I had to hurry.</div>
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LM definitely understands decimals, from the use of money. But the decimal work has been on my wish list for a while. So, I bought some, and improvised some. I bought the board (from Kid Advance, I think it was) and found the small wooden cubes at Hobby Lobby. There are , like, 30 or 40 in a bag - maybe more - and I bought two bags. Thankfully, I realized that to an extent, I will be able to use the same cubes to do a little bit of a volume lesson with them and the brown (pink) tower that we have. Anyway, I digress.... I gave her the first lesson on decimals that a friend and teacher at our local Mont. school showed me, then showed her how to lay out decimals on the board. Apparently I was going way too slow, because after showing her ONLY numbers less than 1 unit, she wanted to do her own. Before I knew it, she had some number in to the millions on both sides laid out and was making up her own numbers that large just to get to lay them out on the board. So adding and subtracting will come next, which will probably go just about as fast, and then we can move on. She's definitely able to do this, in fact, I'm probably much too slow on getting the actual lesson to her. It is what it is, though, and I'm glad that even when I didn't have the material right away or when we've been so busy that I haven't made a point to specifically introduce something to her, just keeping her involved with LIFE, explaining things to her (and the other kids) teaches them so many things!</div>
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Hoss was working with turning improper fractions in to mixed fractions here. I had been out of town for a couple days one week and left some *busy work* with my mother, who had them, so that she could give them something to do if she needed that time. He was brushing up on adding and subtracting fractions, and I realized that I didn't look close enough at the worksheet I printed out (I can hear your gasp from here - a worksheet in a Mont. inspired homeschool? It would be no different in this case than having a work card system to move through, or anything else. He already knows the material and sometimes you do what you have to do!). I introduced the concept of a mixed fraction to him, again, because it's been a while since we've talked about them, and he was easily able to go back and turn every improper fraction into one that is mixed.</div>
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I thought this picture was so funny. One of the things Miss Priss had in her 'busy packet' of work were a few reading comprehension exercises. This particular one was just a 'finish the story' creative writing exercise. I told my husband her feelings about disobedient dogs came through loud and clear. :)</div>
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Our next 'focus study' is going in a geographical slant - I have been working to combine some Waseca materials, both printed and purchased (got the wonderful North America map stencil to start with!) to do a continent study. I'd like to turn it in to a biome/culture/historical study of each continent, the countries in the continent, and so on. I'm still working on preparing this material, though, so I'm not real sure when we will start to be honest with you. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlMZ8fFKdf6676vagD9ZNUOFTI-mRdne-8mHhX0DghUMC5cBhIrEy76qaNx9vIA-E7qeA5eJEBGrSK5cxE7Ny2KZmi-E-miDSm2zgFgEsLO5GQkKfLZlvjBx2iKJalzBF89IIYi8O2fIK/s1600/20150323_110118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlMZ8fFKdf6676vagD9ZNUOFTI-mRdne-8mHhX0DghUMC5cBhIrEy76qaNx9vIA-E7qeA5eJEBGrSK5cxE7Ny2KZmi-E-miDSm2zgFgEsLO5GQkKfLZlvjBx2iKJalzBF89IIYi8O2fIK/s1600/20150323_110118.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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A little practical life cheese cutting. Yes, Buddy Boy is wearing a pot holder, and No, I have no idea why. Nothing was hot, but I suppose he felt it was appropriate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfaGQszAPdxW8wMx4riNPN2j4t0hBdm6mU3k_13T5PRk8zSzQ-6HSdlZHJqrUuoR5OJ0kA5LGeToDySQUclwW6PIV3o0TUL30ZLMZF4-UudB05-BpSYwaG96M7_NKItWE8C0VF3CkZaco/s1600/20150325_104555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfaGQszAPdxW8wMx4riNPN2j4t0hBdm6mU3k_13T5PRk8zSzQ-6HSdlZHJqrUuoR5OJ0kA5LGeToDySQUclwW6PIV3o0TUL30ZLMZF4-UudB05-BpSYwaG96M7_NKItWE8C0VF3CkZaco/s1600/20150325_104555.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Buddy has also been in this massive sensitive period, the best I can tell. He has been using our open-ended play materials to build. Everywhere. Everything. He gets the wooden blocks, tangram/pattern blocks, Legos, cars, and Lincoln Logs out daily and builds different things with them. I love it because he is extremely absorbed in what he is doing and always has a story to tell me about what he has made, sometimes very elaborate. He tends to use his cars as the 'people' in his story, which is quite funny. His concentration has improved immensely. </div>
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LM is currently involved in a self-directed project of doing a report/presentation on Carl Linnaeus. We listen to a CD set called <a href="http://jonathanpark.com/" target="_blank">Jonathan Park</a>, an excellent tool for families that believe in a young earth creation, and just recently one story involved Linnaeus in it's background. She has been diligently working on researching, working with me and Google Docs to prepare her main points as printables, and the finished product will be a presentation board that she will use to tell about what she has learned. I am looking forward to seeing her finish this, and she is really enjoying the work.</div>
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On the heels of LM, Hoss took her lead and is working on his own such project, but on John Adams. He has been reading books in the<a href="http://www.whitsend.org/CD-DVD-More.aspx?itemID={7698CB63-8E81-41CB-91E3-691D6FF9B8C6}&ul=m3" target="_blank"> Adventures in Odyssey series</a> that cover early America, and that may or may not be why he chose Adams. I do know that he spent the better part of an hour one day working on a list of people he wanted to research, finding birth and death dates and why they were important. </div>
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Miss Priss is - well, she's Miss Priss. She struggled through the last few days of working on her Lego Cards, which was one of the reasons why we let it taper off. She is enjoying working with multiplication and division, specifically word problems, of late. </div>
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Bug has been working to finish her addition charts, although slow going, and is still working through reading. Were it not for our busy life here lately, she would probably be a little farther along than she is. One thing that has improved is her ability to focus on her work. It might also be because I strongly felt that if she wasn't able to focus on her work by the end of the *school year*, I would be keeping her at a 'kindergarten' level next year. I may or may not have even told her that. What she doesn't know is that her work and what she could do would have steadily changed as she was ready. She just knows that if she can't focus on her work, she won't think she's in 1st grade. Mind games, maybe, but it has shown her that she does need to complete what she starts and has driven her to push herself harder. </div>
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Buddy is showing an increased interest in writing his numbers and letters. I purchased sand paper numbers recently, because I wanted them not only for him but also the younger two girls who sometimes still flip their numbers backwards when writing them, and he shocked me a couple days ago by pulling them out, looking at them, then covering them with his paper before writing the number on the paper. Not the traditional way, but it was his way and he was doing amazingly well at it. He is also writing, and just yesterday wrote his name completely for the first time. It was both sweet and sad, knowing my baby isn't staying a baby anymore!</div>
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*Family Life*</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3mMitCGg8Uh_iI1lm5Y9JVoesw1tmRj5pfn9Z1C9uXDkCXxp2XsaWcJsO0aEaRa6Lm_kSIwQzyc443PSrAwNnYVtvQrw_Jn2rjfA4czN49MJDrtAhqeKxk9pZNNflUEqM7-qS1TLKpR0/s1600/20150319_143304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3mMitCGg8Uh_iI1lm5Y9JVoesw1tmRj5pfn9Z1C9uXDkCXxp2XsaWcJsO0aEaRa6Lm_kSIwQzyc443PSrAwNnYVtvQrw_Jn2rjfA4czN49MJDrtAhqeKxk9pZNNflUEqM7-qS1TLKpR0/s1600/20150319_143304.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I did take a trip about 2 weeks ago, as mentioned earlier in this post, out of town. Actually, out of state. Me, myself, and I drove ALONE to see my husband in the great state of Texas! What a trip that was, let me tell ya! It was a beautiful drive on the way there, but the way home - I drove a great deal of that through the night, which was hard on this non-night-driver. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodVSy_fKX4m2Yvq7K6d1CmSlvsSGZGmgxcj7ihhIhrGLHfsqHuPN4nEjRvcT6lb3hOvTOB6khFnYtSg5r8_LRhQZBMvUG286rl7xOru9_f05YWN5a486vjnUaov2j3Nl9Fp42TrPUcmf_/s1600/20150319_170927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodVSy_fKX4m2Yvq7K6d1CmSlvsSGZGmgxcj7ihhIhrGLHfsqHuPN4nEjRvcT6lb3hOvTOB6khFnYtSg5r8_LRhQZBMvUG286rl7xOru9_f05YWN5a486vjnUaov2j3Nl9Fp42TrPUcmf_/s1600/20150319_170927.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I had no idea that there were such creatures as these monstrosities that met me on my way. From what I have read, these are <a href="http://modeshift.org/419/grassroots-opposition-to-clean-energy-power-lines-in-texas/" target="_blank">'Clean Energy Power Lines'</a>, but I'll be honest - driving through and seeing nothing but these things surrounding me on the trip was a little strange. So what do I do? Drive and catch a picture at the same time. Of course. </div>
(the link shared is not from a personal opinion perspective, just what I found when trying to figure out what these were!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mXvI1v67DOYkEknOZjsKogbWWnSVthEp6aHfXikBPCovHUNoNEocdd8K51k9iHlsVtwBf2O-0s70ETZlDIo7ifFlPs52HFY4ZhzjspRkmafkRTr5aFdiTP6nv2YGQPNeVvA6OcxXIX96/s1600/20150325_180309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mXvI1v67DOYkEknOZjsKogbWWnSVthEp6aHfXikBPCovHUNoNEocdd8K51k9iHlsVtwBf2O-0s70ETZlDIo7ifFlPs52HFY4ZhzjspRkmafkRTr5aFdiTP6nv2YGQPNeVvA6OcxXIX96/s1600/20150325_180309.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Teeth are falling out everywhere in our house. In the last week alone I think I have pulled three of four from mouths in the house. :) Just another sign that #babiesdontkeep! </div>
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Losing teeth and gaining family :) My three youngest children were a part of the latest wedding, when my sister-in-law got married a week ago. This is one of the harder parts of a military life - sometimes, you miss out on big events. My husband was unable to come for the wedding, but with the Lord's help, we pulled it all together and made it on time. </div>
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I am absolutely in love with this handsome little guy. Also, very excited! His wedding attire is going to, in part, double as Easter clothes this year! :) I can't get enough of him in that hat. </div>
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My pretty girls. I have been so blessed to have the children God has given us, and know I don't deserve to be their Mama, and that we have been given a most precious gift. </div>
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That is what we've been up to! I hate that this post was so long, and in my opinion, for myself, so overdue! :) When you get lemons, make lemonade! </div>
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I'm pretty sure Spring has sprung just about everywhere, so I hope if you are reading this, that the weather is nice, the days are fun, and God is blessing you, too!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-54885877861475533642015-03-10T10:31:00.000-05:002015-03-10T10:31:24.762-05:00My Space Conundrum<div style="text-align: center;">
Totally off the subject after all the vacation posts, and knowing there are a few more to come. Busy hit me at the door when we got home from vacation, and one of the biggest problems I have currently is this:</div>
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No, it's not the issue of horrific lighting OR the fact that those shelves are empty. It's that they are in my bedroom for one, and for two - that's the total amount of space I have for anything school related. If it's hard to tell, the small shelf to the right of the overly large shelf is a 3-cube cubical shelf from a local home improvement store. My plan is to add a 6 cube shelf as soon as possible. This space lends itself to the need for some very good organizational planning to have what is needed out and yet still make it not seem too cluttered. I used to have a storage area in our old living room, behind a couch, and that made it easy to swap out materials. Now, though, all material not in use has to be kept in a storage unit, which means I have to try to plan ahead as much as possible. </div>
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And there you have it - the ongoing saga of homeschool in my home - wherever said home might be. :)</div>
ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-75933337430420356632015-02-27T18:42:00.000-06:002015-02-27T18:56:03.720-06:00Slower Days<div style="text-align: center;">
After all of Monday's excitement and, in some cases (Buddy) sensory overload, we took it easy Tuesday and Wednesday. </div>
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Tuesday morning started bright and early at 5 am with Buddy not feeling well. My biggest fear was that he had either caught a virus or brought a virus with us somehow, and the rest of our vacation would be called on account of... well... puke. However, after a couple hours of extra good sleep and finally getting him to eat, he began to perk up. I realized that the last sleep of Monday night and not eating didn't do well for him. So about mid-morning we did something I had been longing to do for years - 7 1/2 to be exact. I went back to my beloved commissary and got groceries :) </div>
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The commissary was one of my favorite places when we lived here, and I knew I had to find some good reason to go there. So instead of getting any food we needed the day we got here, I waited so I could go grocery shopping on base. I am glad we did - the girls were able to find these beautiful Asian fans, sold at a small kiosk by a lady who brought them to America from Thailand.<br />
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*excuse the messy background - we are on vacation, which means mama doesn't clean....much*</div>
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The look in her eyes tells all about Miss Priss' personality!</div>
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She is just beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, absolutely bias, absolutely right :) </div>
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They have been having a ball with these fans, whipping them out whenever possible and play acting with them every time I turn around. I am hoping they make it back home in one piece. </div>
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After we got home and everyone got a nap/quiet time, we hauled ourselves off to the beach. It was still a little cool, so we tried not to stay <i>too</i> long, but they all loved it and oh the shells we found. The massive amount of shells - it's almost ridiculous. Once again, the pictures say it best :)<br />
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Buddy actually took a little while to get used to the sand. He didn't mind it once he took his shoes off, but he didn't care for the feel of the sand in his shoes (flip-flops) at all!</div>
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It didn't matter how cold it actually was, or that the water sent a shock through your system - everyone had to get their feet wet, some even more than their feet!</div>
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We actually went down to Mexico Beach, which is past Panama City and past the Air Force base. A quiet little place, you can park off the road and find the beach. We parked beside a restaurant that had a small play area for kids behind it. So while playing by the water, they would take a break now and then to go play on the slide and swings.</div>
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I just can't even begin to tell you how humbled I am at knowing that God gave us something so beautiful to enjoy. He doesn't need it, but He knew that not only would we need the ocean and all it's resources, but He made them beautiful to look at as well! </div>
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This one was my favorite. My husband jokingly said that I should send this to AT&T because, my friends, we have their five bars of service. </div>
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Hoss dredged the tide pools and got an overwhelming amount of sea shells that he was oh-so proud of and insisted I make sure to get a picture. What's funny about this picture is that in the background, you can see Buddy Boy. What you can't see is that he was actually trying to scoop up sand and throw it <i>back in to </i> the water. :) </div>
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I love the perspective on this one. I was actually trying to get a better shot of the helicopter flying overhead, but after I went back to check the pictures I saw LM down below waving and the huge expanse of sky between her and the helicopter. Amazing. </div>
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We are having a blast here and I know I am already hating the thought of leaving and making that long drive back!!!!</div>
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On Wednesday it was rainy, rainy, rainy here so we did a lot of staying in. Around noon, though, the rain had all but broken up for a little while, and the kids were missing the library. Always pleased to hear them ask, I gladly obliged. We spent an hour or so at the library, enjoyed seeing a new library and different set up, but they definitely hated not being able to take home piles of books!<br />
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Having fun on the computers</div>
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LM decided she wanted to learn about Greek mythology, and read a little on Greek gods (I have never purposely exposed her to Greek mythology, because I wasn't sure that she could handle it. She has apparently read some on it before, because she already had an understanding of a little bit. I would highly suggest to always wait until your child is ready, because personally we know this belief system to be false) and then wanted to find some books on learning to speak Spanish. She tends to float from one extreme to the other :)<br />
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Looking forward to telling you all about our zoo trip in the next post!<br />
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-68349103553261668862015-02-26T16:40:00.002-06:002015-02-26T16:40:49.389-06:00An upside down building and worms in your food.... <div style="text-align: center;">
Monday was such a fun day for us! Fun, but very, very loooooooooooong!</div>
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Note to self (and anyone reading who might be mistaken on this little factoid): When you usually wake up fairly early, this will not change on vacation. It doesn't matter what time you go to sleep, where you are, or how much you are supposed to be taking a break. You will still wake up at 5 am. </div>
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Monday started with a trip to the most amazing, most FUN indoor museum! In fact, this one beats Ripley's hands down, if you ask me. </div>
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<a href="http://www.wonderworksonline.com/panama-city-beach/" target="_blank">Wonder Works Indoor Museum</a></div>
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We couldn't have picked a better kick start to our week. The best part was that among all the fun features were some education experiences, and even some fun introductions to different types of art!</div>
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I'll try my best to let the pictures do a lot of the talking.</div>
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The first room had some great science and history in it! In the picture above, Hoss is exploring what creates lightning. If you look in the background, you can also a display about the Titanic. On the left side, they have a tank that you can immerse your hand/arm in to feel just how cold the waters were when the ship sank. To the right is a set of three different 'stairways' that show the elevation changes as the Titanic sank, and how hard it was to stay the more the ship inverted. </div>
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This next set of pictures, still on the first level, is from a really cool display about pulley systems, and how the more you have, the easier it is. It was a three sided structure with a metal seat on each side. It showed first hand how, the more pulleys you had attached to the top of the rope, the easier it was to pull yourself up. This was actually one of their favorite things to do on the first level (and throughout the entire museum).</div>
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LM and Bug on the way down. Bug loved to get herself up as high as she could go and then take the relaxing, albeit short, ride back down. </div>
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Buddy loved the huge touch-action screen where you could play a variety of games that all consisted of throwing an assortment of balls at the screen to complete it. He probably would have stayed there the entire time if I had let him. </div>
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These fuzzy blurbs are LM and Miss Priss, jumping in the basketball bounce-a-round. The point was to try and throw the basketball in to the goal on the <i>other</i> side of the bounce-a-round, over the air filled wall. Another fun favorite :) .</div>
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LM really enjoyed looking at this time span computer, which showed random acts going through the motions. For example, the one above was showing how ocean-floor plants flower, but she went through the plant cycle, a wave, a glass filling, etc. Really cool :)</div>
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Up Benjamin Franklin's face to the next level...</div>
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The stairwell was covered in portraits of famous scientists and non-traditional art.</div>
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The second level started to the left with huge bubble wands and juice to make some really great bubbles. I thought they would be totally entranced by them, but they were a little hard for little arms to work. The lady on this floor was very good at showing the kids all the fun stuff, though. </div>
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This bathroom is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. When you go in, the glass is see-through, but as soon as you lock the door it activates the glass and it fogs completely. I did NOT use this bathroom, but Bug did. I bet you can't tell that someone is actually in there right now!</div>
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Bug and Buddy boy had fun riding on the snowboarding and motorcycle rides. </div>
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This cool contraption was a roller-coaster simulator. Miss Priss went in exactly once, said she liked it but would never do it again. LM had the same reaction, but Hoss - I had to pull him off of it with the help of the workers who keep a 3 ride streak limit :). So after going three times in a row, I managed to get him to take a break until after lunch. Such a daredevil.... He does NOT get that from me, I promise you!</div>
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Buddy also really liked the shadow air hockey. He likes the game anyway, but all you had to do to make the electronic puck move was to wave your hand. So while playing, he was also getting a good look at shadows in motion and how to control your own shadow. </div>
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This was the coolest thing. I'm sure you've probably seen smaller, hand held versions of this, where you push the plastic pins from one side to make an impression that comes out 3-D on the other. This one was life-sized, which made for some really funny pictures. Bug liked this a LOT and we saw a lot of her. In the picture above is her face, and below is one of the kid's arm and hand. LM got really detailed with it - at one point, I saw an Egyptian princess, and some good impressions of famous sculpture art coming out. Whatever she could twist her body to do. </div>
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Hoss on a bed of nails.</div>
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They also had flight simulators (above) and this fun floor keyboard (below).</div>
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There was a TON on the 2nd level, too much to picture. It was like that throughout the entire museum, honestly.</div>
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Moving up to the third and final level:</div>
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There was a feature on space to start off with. Buddy Boy thought it was fun to lay in the space capsule and look around. What you can't see in the picture is the screen above his head, talking about the different parts of the capsule. There were computers full of different space trivia games, this fun EVA suit to pose with, and some sort of game that Hoss really loved - something about space flight, but I didn't get a good look at it.</div>
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Miss Priss :) </div>
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And LM - showing her true colors :) </div>
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Finally, the icing on the cake (so to speak):</div>
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The 36 foot high climbing ropes course!</div>
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This took a lot of bravery from some of my kiddos, and several times to try and get their courage up, but they all loved it! Except for Buddy Boy - he wasn't big enough. And he would probably have gone the farthest on it :)</div>
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These pictures are the best I could get - the rest were blurry or very hard to tell just who was climbing where. I think Hoss made it the highest before having to turn around and come back. They all made it higher than I ever would have - there is a reason why I am not in any of these pictures!</div>
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As for the worms in your food - we went to McDonalds for lunch. The kids thought this was as amazing as going to WonderWorks. I never, ever, <i>ever</i> take them to McDonalds. I told them there was worms in the food, but apparently they don't care. Yet. What I loved is that we were able to leave for lunch, then return with our tickets to play another hour or so. I think we spent about 5 hours, give or take, playing, exploring, and eating. We were able to go with one of my dearest friends and her children, which made it all the more fun!</div>
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Buddy Boy was almost too exhausted, yet never slept on the way back. This was Monday evening, we had been in FL exactly 2 days time, and they were itching to get their feet in the sand. So, despite the cool weather and the fact that we are so close to the time zone (hence, the sun sets about an hour earlier than you'd think it should), we took off and spent 15-20 minutes at the beach before heading back in for the night.</div>
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A tower about halfway through the walkway to the beach entrance on base. The only drawback to going to the base area is that there is about a 3/4 mile (ish) walk out to get there. The plus side is that you are most likely to have it all to yourself. </div>
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We didn't do much shell collecting Monday night, but Hoss found this shell that had a really neat cut in to it when he was able to clean it out (above). He also found a bit of snake skin (below) that he was excited to see, and had a bit too much fun trying to scare his sisters with.</div>
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This made for a very long, but very fun day! Note here that when you had a 4 year old, present a day like this to him, have him not take a nap, come home so exhausted that he barely eats and goes straight to bed - he might wake up at 5 am the next morning not feeling well, acting as if he's sick, and need to take two or three hours to sleep and get some food in him before vacation mode is restored again. :) </div>
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Tune in soon for Tuesday and Wednesday's update!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-51389702286307545852015-02-24T05:48:00.000-06:002015-02-24T05:48:20.239-06:00Arrival <div style="text-align: center;">
We spent two days on the road getting to where we were going. </div>
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The statement, "I'm going to stop overnight because I don't want to drive after dark." was blown out of the water on Friday since the trip took so long, but Saturday the drive couldn't have been better. </div>
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We crossed the rest of the great state of Alabama (I see Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump) in my head every time I say that) and moved toward our destination. By about 3:30, we finally made it!</div>
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Through the streaked-with-travel-dirt windshield, you can see it there at the top :) </div>
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We are now in the great state of FLORIDA!!!! Warmer weather, here we came!!!</div>
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Sort of....</div>
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We (my husband and I) were stationed here for the first 5 years of our marriage. When you are active duty military, you make a lot of friends that end up going a lot of places. Rarely do some ever have the chance to go back, or need to, because by the time they might have a vacation to go back to familiar places, everyone else has moved anyway. BUT - we do have friends here still, so close they'd almost be family - from the church we attended while we are here, so on top of the vacation fun, I was looking forward to seeing them. On top of that, this vacation was going to be a very new experience for my children, since we have never actually been on one. It also provided a great distraction and a good time passer. I have found that when facing and dealing with a separation due to my husband's work, it's best if we find a few big things to mark the passing of time. That way we can stay busy focusing on them instead of worrying over time we spend without him. </div>
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At any rate, we made it in. There isn't a whole lot to show for our first two days. We got settled Saturday and I realized my children were suffering from road-trip PTSD. Not a real thing, you say? You stick your five children in a Ford F-150 truck, smashed like sardines with pillows, blankets, and yourself, then drive for a total of 18 hours in two days, with one solid meal a day and snacks the rest of the time. Let them out for exactly 30 minutes, then tell them to get back in. I promise you, you will not have to pull your hair out - they will do it for you!</div>
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We were able to relax Saturday evening, though, and Sunday we were able to go to the aforementioned church and see so many old faces (to me - newer faces to them) and it was a real blessing! I considered putting Monday's events in with this post, but Monday really deserves it's own day. So I'll leave you for now, and look forward to re-capping what Monday brought us. </div>
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Happy vacationing!</div>
ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587084510850003482.post-58821639869432636782015-02-23T22:03:00.000-06:002015-02-23T22:03:22.858-06:00Vacation - The Beginning. <div style="text-align: center;">
In the middle of all the busyness of our life, we are on VACATION!!!!</div>
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Blogging time has been non-existent lately, but since we are here and I have some free time on my hands, I thought I'd blog through our vacation. Why? Because I want to remember this week and a half for a very long time. I also thought it would be fun to see how much education can come in to play with a vacation. Keeping in mind, my children probably won't think of it as such, but I will know - and there, my friends, is the trick of homeschooling. Learning without borders, without realization of what is happening, just having fun!</div>
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Today I'll just share our trip with you. Not many pictures because, well - I was the one driving. Which, obviously, renders it impossible to take pictures. </div>
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We packed up and left Friday morning and spent the next 12 hours making what should have been an 8 hour trip. We were stopping for the night in Alabama, staying with a family friend that I haven't seen in a very long time (since LM was a baby, I believe).<br />
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I think patience was the name of the game. The first half of that trip was full of stop-go-stop-go progress. Between road work and wrecks, we probably came to a complete stop on the interstate at least a half dozen times and kept a snail's pace for hours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDQ5fcfvWn29GFIomSNeOoPwSuuUpvT6DIM7N58zWuzs0dPLoPgu9rsc5ZG-yc5cn8lfe0LF3dm3g79l-IYVYPFQEkgZGo80sNcIq5aw2YXlTP7yiLXvf-s39zEMw8_usStSVQESpAFkU/s1600/Phone+download+%231+545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDQ5fcfvWn29GFIomSNeOoPwSuuUpvT6DIM7N58zWuzs0dPLoPgu9rsc5ZG-yc5cn8lfe0LF3dm3g79l-IYVYPFQEkgZGo80sNcIq5aw2YXlTP7yiLXvf-s39zEMw8_usStSVQESpAFkU/s1600/Phone+download+%231+545.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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This was the first sign that our trip wasn't going to go the way I thought it might.... </div>
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75 mph speed limit and I was excited to see the gauge hit 30. It was really that bad. </div>
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And I'm just gonna tell you right now, these two pictures were taken all at the same time. In front, beside, and behind me. This is NOT my favorite place to be stalled on the interstate. My husband would probably laugh where he there with me, but I am not a fan of these vehicle beasts, nor do I like being stuck beside them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo91-oW_oqpIW5LAuxD8UAO5Bk0pZU_lRFp9Fv4lSCofuL4WIJdlSaDtUV9nE68muq1bIDhRICoBRseX_JPXQQfmfxoH-ELoYW25v8ygjSzeb-vFefeeHTFsI8ILr53ExoQG7dfTIbRNmD/s1600/Phone+download+%231+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo91-oW_oqpIW5LAuxD8UAO5Bk0pZU_lRFp9Fv4lSCofuL4WIJdlSaDtUV9nE68muq1bIDhRICoBRseX_JPXQQfmfxoH-ELoYW25v8ygjSzeb-vFefeeHTFsI8ILr53ExoQG7dfTIbRNmD/s1600/Phone+download+%231+550.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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In all truth, it probably added 2 - 2 1/2 hours to our trip. We also ran in to some not-so-fun weather going through Mississippi, and had the most interesting, wheel-gripping, white-knuckled ride through 1 1/2 hours of freezing rain. It didn't actually rain that entire time, but by the time temps dropped to 24 degrees, what had fallen had frozen over my wipers, antenna, and a great outline of my front windshield. I kept the wipers going in an attempt to keep them warm enough to not freeze up completely until we were able to stop and knock the ice off. After that it was smooth sailing until our stop, thanks to good Mapquest directions and Google maps on my phone guiding me in!</div>
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We were able to stop for the night at the home of our dear friends, and I think by the time we settled in there I realized that not only had the trip gone in a very unexpected way, the Lord sure did move in amazing ways to protect us.<br />
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The traffic stand stills - they were caused by a Fed Ex truck wreck, and a couple vehicle-to-vehicle wrecks. We also saw where an 18 wheeler had jack-knifed on the interstate, and left it's cargo in the median. The same bad weather that froze my windshields also froze occasional places on the road, one of which we hit just right and would have wrecked ourselves had the Lord just pushed our truck straight fairly quickly and kept the car in the lane next to us just enough ahead to avoid collision.<br />
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God sure is good, and I can't wait to share more of our trip!</div>
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ARWmamaoffivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03473800993347627389noreply@blogger.com0