Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Caty school

Caty and I have been using a new preschool program called Flowering Baby (watch for the upcoming review).

This week we learned...

About healthy eating habits...We did a poster of good and bad foods.

Watched some Sesame Street videos on Healthy eating and exercise habits.
And did this cute little sticker book.
In math, we practiced counting to 25, and writing numbers to 10.
She painted and did playdough.
Worked on following directions.  Here she had to listen to the directions to create a shape snowman.
I found these really neat coloring cards to create an alphabet wall.  She colors these while I read her Alphatales books.  This week was a review of A & B.
I started using Arts in Action with Caty for an extra art program.

This week was on colors and the brightness.  We looked at Henri Matisse's The Snail...
She painted the glue on with a paintbrush.

And used tissue paper squares to create....

This beautiful work of art.
We also worked on her Scholastic Newsletter about teeth
And did sticker books too.

Caty has also discovered a love of Berenstain Bears.  So we are going to keep reading them and I will work on including as many as possible for learning lessons :)




Monday, January 28, 2013

What we are up to this week...

We are travel schooling this week....I have just a few lessons planned this week.  We are visiting Adventure Science, a plantation/period home, the aquarium restaurant, and not sure where else yet.  We only have one set appointment this week.  I decided to still do school this week though because I am afraid letting them have too much time off will be bad as usual.

Joey
Math - 4 column numbers, adding/subtracting whole 100s
Science - Nervous system, eye, and ears
Spelling
Brain Pop Jr....Economics....Goods and Services, Saving and Spending, and Needs & Wants.

Brayden
Math - Borrowing from zeros, multiple operations
Science - work on Penguin booklet
Spelling
Brain Pop Jr. - Ancient China

Lydia
Math - A+ Math
Reading - McGuffey lessons
American Girl - Work on War of 1812 battles, and reading Caroline Book 4
Sight Words - six to ten
A Beka - Letters and Sounds review in Book 1
**Games-Sudoku, Chutes and Ladders Scooby (We add/subtract dice to practice our math facts), and Popcorn Siteword Game
She doesn't have Science, Art, or Geography this week.

Caty 
Berenstain Bears Trouble at School
Letters C & D
Make a map to get from our room to the dining area at the hotel
Practice drawing (handwriting)
Counting to 30


Saturday, January 26, 2013

Our Week in Review - Week 34

This is our list to-do list from Monday.....

Joey
Math- Math Mammoth - Place value, adding thousands
Grammar- Rod and Staff - Noun names, Names of people & places, Proper Nouns
Science- ABeka...Nervous system, eyes
Spelling
Social Studies - Martin Luther King Jr. Video and book--Difference between urban, rural and suburban
4H Project - Using Computer basics
Handwriting - Letter E & L (Cursive Handwriting without Tears)
Bible study - Creation of the world
Scholastic Newspaper

Brayden
Math - Adding thousands, adding whole hundreds
Grammar - Rod and Staff - Noun names, Names of People & Places, Proper Nouns
Science - Penguins
Spelling - Review words
Social studies - Martin Luther King Jr. Video and book --- U.S. Symbols
Scholastic Newspaper

Lydia
Math - A+ Interactive Math (2nd grade level) - counting past 100, skip counting review.  (Watch for the upcoming review)
Science - Carnivorous Mammals
Reading - Headsprout, McGuffey Reader
AG Club - Caroline Book 3
Site Words - Writing words zero to five
Geography Words - Badland, Bay
Phonics - A Beka Letters and Sounds
Handwriting without Tears App

Caty
Comprehension - Playing Red Light/Green Light, Practice our phone number, Following directions on how to build a snowman
Math - Practice counting to 20, Practice writing numbers to 10 in her dry-erase book
Reading - Letters A & B review w/ coloring cards
Art - Tissue Paper Matisse
Geography - Be an explorer at home

We almost got everything done this week!!!  Joey had a couple of rough days, and didn't finish his science reading.  So we will catch that up this next week.  Since I have to do his 4-H project with him hands on, we were short 1/2 the lesson.  Daddy finished the other half with him.

Brayden also did all his work, including watching an Animated Hero Classic about Ben Franklin on You Tube.

I wanted Joey to watch the same video, and this is how I caught him watching it at lunch (since lunchtime equals free computer time)....he had Minecraft on his laptop, the Youtube video going on his iPad and his lunch right next to him....ugh...but at least he could tell me about Ben Franklin.

Lydia loves drawing...this was us as dogs...lol

She loves art class too.  She had to do Caty's art study this week (since she didn't have one due to the abbreviated school week).  Caty was learning about colors similar to Henri Matisse, The Snail.
Lydia has decided to step back from Headsprout phonics again.  So we are working our way through A Beka Letters and Sounds and using the old McGuffey Readers.  She is doing a lesson in the book a day.  She has started remembering more.  So I just go with what she wants to do....she's obviously learning.  She doesn't remember the phonics rules though sometimes when she is trying to sound out words.  So it still frustrates her.
We did this Science activity on Sunday, after Last weeks post.  It was her science project about prey/predators....we hid red/green M&Ms in color bits of paper.  Some were easy to find, while others were more difficult.
She learned about various members of the canine family in science, so we watched Old Yeller as a treat when she finished her work.  She really liked this movie!
Sunday, Lydia cooked lunch with Daddy's help.

We did a couple science experiments.  We tried to throw water in the air to make it freeze...and did frozen bubbles.  The frozen bubbles was a full success...not so much our water though.



Working on her Handwriting without Tears app on her iPad (watch for the upcoming review).
Our American Girl Club hosted local historian, Clinton Mauk.  He talked to the girls about the importance of our area in the War of 1812.
Joey has District Cheerleading competition this weekend in Lexington, KY.   This was our drive through Ohio yesterday....yucky!  Yucky!!  part of the way.  We feared Kentucky because we kept hearing about an ice storm...but the roads were better once were crossed into Kentucky.  Could actually go the speed limit...lol.
Tried to walk some energy out at the mall by our hotel.  Our kids ARE NOT accustomed to visiting a mall at all!!  We avoid them because of the massive sensory overload involved.  I thought Caty was going to flip out there was so much to see.

I couldn't figure out why there was a Hermit Crab kiosk...seriously?!?!  I always buy hermit crabs in Lexington, KY...does anyone else?  But Caty thought this was so cool!
Eating dinner....the girls chose soft pretzels the size of their heads.
Joey chose a steak sandwich, after I eliminated how much he could not have.  The people at the restaurant were very nice with all my allergen questions.  He enjoyed the sandwich.
Brayden refused to eat there....too many unfamiliar restaurants.  He wanted McDonald's.  I swear...McDonald's is like crack for kids with autism.  He has to have 6 chicken nuggets.  No more..no less.  Ugh....I know it will be like this our whole trip.  Brayden gets a food obsession and will only eat that during the whole trip.  Not sure what it  may be.  I think it will revolve around chicken and Reese's Puffs.  I'll let you know.  But he has had Chicken McNuggets for 3 meals now....so you can see where this is going.  When we get settled in at Brentwood later tonight, he'll relax a lot more.


Strawberry Cake - GF/DF/Soy/Egg-free

We picked a ton of strawberries back in the summer, and dutifully froze them for use when we could not get good strawberries.  I was thinking about what I could do with the strawberries.  And then I got this little bundt cake pan.  So I thought....strawberries and cake!!
Ingredients:
3 cups white rice flour
4 TBS baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBS ground flax seed
2-3 cups of coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of Xanthan Gum

Mix the above ingredients and put in well greased bundt cake cups.   Bake about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Watch these closely and do not cook longer than 15 minutes...they will overcook and become hard.


Strawberry Glaze
About a pound of strawberries cored and diced
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup water

Mix the above ingredients and simmer.  I used my potato masher to continue to smash the strawberries as they cook.  When the saw begins to thicken, turn off the heat.  I usually refridgerate this mixture.  It will be like strawberry jam without the extra pectin in it.  I serve the glaze over top the mini cake and throw some chocolate chips on top.  Very yummy.





Friday, January 25, 2013

Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 34


In my life this week.....

What a week!  Just really busy.  There was too much to do and not enough time to get it all done.  I only scheduled us with 3 days of school because I knew we would be so busy.  We did manage to get almost all the work done.  Joey didn't finish his science reading, although he pretended too....lol.

Joey has been prepping for the cheerleading districts.  Poor Caty has a very bad bladder infection.  It took a few days to get an answer from the doctor's office.  So she is on meds.  She missed all her dance classes this week though.  She didn't feel like tap dancing.  She's moving a better though now.

In our homeschool this week....

We finished all but a little of Joey's science.  It was mainly review science on our nervous system and eyes.  So we'll be able to catch up no problem.  I did have to take him back from 5th grade science, which is only one year behind him...to 3rd grade.  I don't think it was that he couldn't handle the work.  but Joey does not do well with lots of words on a page.  The 5th grade science book was overwhelming to him, so he refused to do it.  I kept him in A Beka, because I like their text and comprehension and projects.  But we'll wait and see what happens.  I may have to switch the way we do science with him...again.  Going to try this for a few units.

Lydia is loving her new science (watch for the upcoming review).  We finished Caroline Book 3 this week.  She made a skiffer for her American Girl Dolls.  And even made Julie a little suitcase.

What I am reading....

Nothing that doesn't involve something for the kids...sorry to say.  There's not much time and energy left after that.

What I am cooking....

I tried a couple times this week to make homemade bread.  It was not successful.  When we get home from our trip, I will continue my endeavor..lol.

Wishlist item.....

I want to do a unit on magnets.  So I am shopping around for a good kit to do this with....any suggestions?

I'm working on....

Not losing my mind.  Packing for our trip and finishing up last minute stuff has been driving me crazy all week.

I rewarded the kiddos with....

They will each get to pick a small treat today from our prize box.  While getting things around for our trip, I actually dug into the big orange tub I have hidden.  Holy Cow!!!  There's some cool stuff in there!!  Brayden also earned a month of Builders Club on Roblox.

Something to share....

We did 2 cool science experiments this week since it was soooo cold!!

Tried to throw boiling water in the air....about 40% evaporated.  Not quite cold enough.

And we did the frozen bubbles experiment...



Linking up with other homeschool moms at iHomeschool Network!


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Artist study - Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe was born in 1887 in Wisconsin.  She grew up on a farm.  She knew from the time she was 5 that she wanted to be an artist.  

She had many health issues throughout the years, but continued to draw.  When she was finished with school, she taught art lessons.  Georgia experimented with several forms of art, including abstract.

In 1916, a photographer named Alfred Stieglitz got a hold of some of O’Keeffe’s paintings. He showed them in his gallery without telling her. Not realizing the impact he was about to make on her life, at first she upset.  He helped make O’Keeffe’s art famous.  And she forgave him.

Eventually the two were married, and moved into a summer cabin on a lake.  O'Keeffe loved it there.  It was here where she started painting nature, including close-ups of flowers.  She always used bold colors in her painting now.

Eventually she moved to New Mexico, and began to paint mountains and deserts.  She also enjoyed painting animal skulls.  Several works include these.

She continued to paint until she lost her eyesight. She died in 1986.

Some of her famous works include:

White flowers on red earth
 Oriental Poppies
 A Sunflower from Maggie
She watched the video below, and also the one on Brain Pop Jr.


Lydia decided that she really liked the flower close-ups.  So she chose to draw a mum.

 Then she outlined all the petals with black sharpie.
Then it was bring on the water color.  This project was worked on all afternoon.  She has so many petals, that she would work for a bit and take a break.  Then work some more.
This was her final project!!!  I am so in love with this project that she completed.  We are working on framing it to show at the county fair in the art exhibit for her age group.

We are going to take a couple weeks off from artist studies, and will be returning soon though!!


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Our week in Pictures - Week 33

So I am trying to catch back up from all the little projects......it's taken me a bit.  So here are pics from our activities last week.

Joey is studying Ohio History/Geography for the next several months.  This week we borrowed an artifact box from the Ohio Historical Society.  It had samples of items that would've been excavated from the mounds and areas of the First Ohioans.


 It was full of all kinds of great materials!  Including a DVD about the Hopewell of Ohio.
 We even played a game played by the Hopewell Indians that was similar to Boche ball, it's called Chungke.  We didn't play with spears, we chose to use balled up socks.  Much safer...lol

 We looked at our timeline, and looked at the timeline period of Ohio.
Lydia started her Geography wall.  We are learning 2 Geography terms each week.  Can I just say, I have learned a new one already...and we only have 4 terms we have learned!
 The kids did a color wheel from Mama Jenn's blog.

 Brayden didn't have any trouble with this assignment...it had to do with M & Ms...lol!!


 Lydia has been working on a model plane with Grandpa and Grandma.
 She and I also made her Julie doll a small bag.
She also painted a design on the bag.
 Joey had a guitar lesson.
 Lydia got to touch a ball python at her zoo class.
 She built lots of little LEGO designs with both DUPLOs and regular LEGOs.
 She made bookmarks for people at Scouts.
 And I found a little set of steps in the garage to help her reach the stove.  She loves being able to be above the stove.  She is trying to cook so bad.

Brayden hid from the camera a lot!  He did various projects and all his school work I had down for him to finish.  The same with Joey.

Caty did lots of little things in short increments to finish her schoolwork this past week.  Watch for all Caty does in her own post called Caty school :)

Hope everyone is having a great week!!!