Clay, Tiles, and Paint

Don't know what I got myself into this time. Maybe with just one child some art/craft projects wouldn't be too bad. Having to help three and keep two more out of trouble. Welllllll............ It wasn't horrible, but it didn't go as I planned. (Which every homeschool Mom understands)

 I don't know if I mentioned this, but the curriculum we use is from My Father's World. I can't say enough about this wonderful company. This year Big T, Sweet E and Little E are doing Rome to the Reformation. The children have been enjoying the lessons on Rome. This week we read about some of the homes, gardens, and mosaics the more wealthy Romans would have had. Big T (my history buff) has loved ready through all the books we use. (The Roman Empire, Ancient World, and Streams of Civilization)

So the project for this week was to make a mosaic. This was the type of image we saw in the books we read. Okay....me...the person who has no artistic bone in her body. Is supposed to have the children do this?

I worked last night to roll out and cut the clay into squares (and rectangles and maybe a few triangles). I knew if I left it up to the children we would spend 2 hours just cutting squares.

They look like mints

Since all that work was done for them, the children just had to sketch out an image they wanted to draw and then paint the tiles in desired colors. Here are the finished projects.

Big T's Robot

Little E's Volcano

Sweet E's Flower

This project was more complicated than I had expected, but I am happy with the results. (I think the children are too) We have finished up 3 weeks of school already. Plugging right along. We have also started soccer up again. Can you believe I have 4 kiddos playing this year? And something else to add to our schedule? American Heritage Girls. Our schedule is getting crazy, but in a good way.  Hope everyone else is having a good week. Hope to post another update next week. ;-)

Where have I been?

I let both of my blogs fall to the side. I guess I lost interest in blogging. We have had so much happen in the past few years. I had a miscarriage 2 years ago. Our family has grown to 7. I have had a lot of health issues in the past year. We have changed churches. Plus we are more involved with Upward Soccer and helping start an AHG group in our county.

I don't know. I thought maybe this would be a good time to get everything started up again and share our homeschooling journey. Not only did Big T just turn 10, but we have started our 6th year of homeschooling. Why is it I still don't feel like I know what I am doing? :-) Every single day is different. And that is a good thing.

We are still using My Father's World for our homeschooling adventure. I love the content and so do the children. This year we are using Rome to the Reformation. The biggest bonus of using Rome to the Reformation? I have my 2nd grader doing the same content as my two 5th graders. Of course math and English are different, but all three all learning the same things in history, science, music, art, and Bible. 

The best project this week was making of clay tablets. The Romans would sometimes use a beeswax tablet to write on. This way the could write on it and then use the flat end of the stylus to erase it and start again. We didn't use beeswax, but clay works just as well. The children had so much fun painting their frame and cover this morning. When we finally put it together this evening they were so excited. They quickly used it to write their names or draw a picture. They think it's great that they can keep it in their school box to use when they like. (I didn't realize that I cut off Little E's tablet in the 2nd pic)

Showing off their tablets

 Special K had to get in on the action as well. Not sure if she thought the clay on the forehead was a new beauty routine. ;-)

Silly Girl!

 After tomorrow we will have finished our first official week of the 2013-2014 school year. It will be a busy day as we do our lessons, prepare for the MOCHA homeschool group picnic, and prep for 7 boys to invade my home on Saturday. ;-) What was I thinking?! LOL

Moving Right Along

Hard to believe we are nearing the end of our school year. Our biggest struggle is with math right now. They have improved a lot since we had them do the math drills on the Math-U-See website and some math games. 

Little E just likes watching

Last Wednesday we joined our homeschool group on a field trip to the local Kroger. It was actually very interesting and the children loved it. Especially since they got a chance to taste test a lot of yummy things. :-)

Plus....Big T looks pretty funny in his hair net. :-)

Sweet E was a good listener

You can see Little E (marked his shirt with an E)

Seeing where they crush the cardboard . Who doesn't love seeing something being crushed?

The children thought it would funny to reach through and grab someone's hand when they went to get milk. 

Then the next day it was time for the dentist. This was Little E's first time and he did very well. I was nervous, but it went just fine.

All done and everything looks good!

Next up was Sweet E. Last time she cried, but this time she did great!

Another good report!

No pictures of Big T because we were getting our teeth cleaned at the same time. 5 of us went and only one cavity! I should be really happy, but I am the one with the cavity. :-( And it's between two teeth in the same tooth that had a cavity three years ago! So frustrating. Oh well. But now I have to wait over 2 weeks to get back in because the dentist is going on vacation next week. Nothing like being told you have a cavity and they can't do anything about it for over 2 weeks. So hard to not think about it all the time!

So anyway, we are continuing to plug right along in our school work. Oh yeah! We were even able to go to co-op on Friday. Finally, no snow to keep us away.

I am praying that you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the weather. The sun is shining and it sure makes a difference! Blessings to you and your family

Again...Still Here...

I am doing my best to catch up. With the whole family being sick for almost for 1 1/2 to 2 months I didn't have a whole lot of time. (I guess I didn't make time to post) We have kept busy and are pretty well on track with our school work. We have struggled through math and went back about 5 lessons to try it all again. Seems to be helping with Big T but Sweet E is still having a hard time. May go back a couple of lessons and start again and hopefully I can find a way to help the information sink in.

There have been learning experiences for everyone in the family. Beloved and Big T learned how to change the spark plugs in the car. I was very proud of them. They did a great job!

My Dad was able to come up for a visit and Sweet E said she would like to make him a cake (just because). She made the two layer chocolate cake and iced it by herself (For the most part). She asked that I make the IU symbol to put on top and then she decorated even more with the red and white icing. It was a big hit and a great job for her first time making and decorating a cake. 

Then we took Papaw letterboxing so he could see what we have been talking about. We ended up at  Honey Run and it was so amazing to see how much water and how much power the waterfall had. It was incredibly loud as well!

Plus yesterday was a co-op day for the children. Big T and Sweet E had music, Spanish, gym, and story stretchers. Little E had a couple different preschool classes and Special K went wherever I took her. I was very grateful that we were able to have classes (2 out of the 5 have been canceled so far this winter due to snow.) I was looking forward to the children running off some energy. Cabin fever is getting REALLY bad!

Well, we have a busy weekend ahead as well (but good). The Pastor and his family are coming over to our house for the first time. So much to do! May the Lord bless you and have a blessed weekend!

Preschool Time!

With cold snowy weather and sickness we have been stuck inside a lot the past month and a half. Seems like someone is always sick and the weather has been terribly cold this month. So I do my best to come up with things for Little E's play time during school. I think I have shown this before, but I will show it again. We have a few construction vehicles (by M@tchbox I think) and we keep them in a box with popcorn and dried beans.

He plays with this at least 3 times a week.

Unfortunately most of the trucks are buried. Too much dirt and gravel in the way. ;-)

The best money ever spent was on these trucks and the plastic case to hold it all. I just need a bigger sheet for him to use.

Here is Mr. Ornery himself :-)

I need to come up with a few other things for him to keep him busy and help him learn while I am occupied with the oldest two children. I should add that this activity is only brought out with Special K is down for her nap. Or else it would turn into a gigantic mess!

Puppets and Lost Tooth

We don't brown bag our lunches but buying some to have on hand was a great idea (in my opinion anyway) :-) With the whole family (except for Big T) being sick we haven't gotten out of the house much. Sweet E asked for the brown lunch sacks to make puppets yesterday. The children had a great time and it kept them busy for over an hour. Anything that can keep them occupied for that long is a blessing. :-D

Little E didn't understand that during a puppet show he should be hidden.

Then last night Beloved told me he thought Big T would loose his tooth tonight. Well, that sort of thing makes me squeamish and I kindly ask them to go in the other room. :-) Next thing I know Big T comes in yelling, "My tooth came out!" He pulled it all by himself. The excitement was too much not to share. So, he called my Mom, my Dad, my Mother and Father-in-Love, and my Brother-in-Love. 

The Before (Big T helped edit his photos)

And after!

Our firstborn lost his very first tooth. That's a big deal in this house! It is also a good learning experience. We have The Little Brainwaves Investigate: Human Body book and have turned this into a school lesson. We talked about the parts of the tooth and how we have baby teeth and adult teeth that replace them. Big T has really enjoyed the book. I think he finds it entertaining to see the silly pictures of the little cartoon people.

He can't wait for his other tooth to come out. I think it will in the next couple of weeks. :-)

COSI Fun

Our family won a family pack of tickets to COSI (which never covers our whole family.) But paying $10 plus parking is a lot better than $60 plus parking. I have never been to COSI so it was new for me as well as the children. It was busy, but it was still a lot of fun. 

 

Don't know why, but the children thought it was hilarious to be strapped on the space potty.

All three of them crammed into the submarine.

Big T was able to pull himself all the way up with the 3 pulley system.

Can you tell Little E thought it was great fun to sit in the buggy?

Figured Papaw K would appreciate this.

I think they would have spent half the day in this diner if we let them.

Guess what he is getting ready to do

Take a ride on the high wire unicycle....17 feet off the ground!

He got stuck halfway and they had to pull him back in, but he loved it!

Special K enjoyed her time at the water table in the Kid's Space

She didn't like the hood up on her raincoat though

Sweet E with the moon up close and personal

Strong Boy!

The children keep asking when we can go back. I know Beloved wants to get back to COSI soon so he can lift a car again. :-) Little E summed it up best....."a place to play and learn!"