What's in our boxes today?

Here's a look at what the kids are working on...

History...We will be building pyramids.
Health...We will be creating food with pictures, and talking about the benefits of not eating processed foods.

The boys:

Drawer#1--Math Mammoth

 Drawer#2--Science

 Drawer#3 (Joey)--Reading Eggspress

 Drawer#4--We watched the movie a couple times now, and Joey really enjoys it.  We are having a great discussion with the help of this guide.

 Drawer#5--Handwriting. Using Homeschool Bits Winter Fact Cards

 Drawer#6 (Joey)--Guitar Lapbook.  He's almost done with this.  We are just looking at Great Acoustic Artists.

 Drawer#7--Grammar

 Drawer#8--We built a Trebuchet today.....watch for the review this week.

 Drawer#?--This is in Brayden's boxes.

 Brayden's boxes.... This activity is a floating one between the boxes.

Brayden's project of the week.

 Joey's project of the week.

Lydia's boxes:

Drawer #1--Reading Eggs

 Drawer#2---Math...simple addition with a Strawberry Shortcake book.

 Drawer#3--World Travelers Club project. Learning about the Mediterranean Monk Seal.

 Drawer#4--New week of site words.

 Drawer#5--Handwriting with Princesses.

 Drawer#6--Beginning Sounds game from Confessions of a Homeschooler.

 Drawer#7--Color word activity

 Drawer#8--Alphabet puzzles she likes.

 Drawer#9--Another activity she enjoys. Sticker album.

 Lydia's project this week.

Snow reminds me of.....

Snow reminds me of .....hot chocolate.
Snow reminds me of......the days of typewriters, lots and lots of white-out
Snow reminds me of......vanilla ice cream
Snow reminds me of......fluffy white kittens
Snow reminds me of......piles of white pillows waiting for my head to rest at night
Snow reminds me of......a warm bowl of soup and corn bread dripping with butter
Snow reminds me of......snuggley, warm & soft blankets
Snow reminds me of......french fries and a frosty from Wendy's (I sometimes miss those days...lol)
Snow reminds me of......a lacy, white wedding veil

Snow reminds me of......freezing cold
Snow reminds me of......slick and icy roads
Snow reminds me of......scraping ice from the van windows
Snow reminds me of......the idiots driving around me very carelessly
Snow reminds me of......muddy, wet boot prints across my kitchen floor
Snow reminds me of......piles of wet snowsuits, mittens and hats
Snow reminds me of......that maybe....just maybe I should stay home and keep warm that day.

I guess there is an upside and downside...lol!!!

What we'll be up to next week.....

Well I think I have lessons planned out for next week.  We'll see how things go....lol you just never know!


Group Classes:


Art--We are working on drawing Nature.  The book suggests a nature walk...but that's not really an option that day according to the weather.  So I am making a nature box with pine cones, some evergreen, some fall colored leaves and maybe some tiny fake birds if I can find them.  


Science--We are working on our hearts and the hard job it has.  And there are two review books for bones and joints that we should finish.


Geography--Our country for World Travelers is Cyprus.  Lydia is part-way through her project on the Mediterranean Monk Seal.  The boys are going to do basic worksheets since they won't be attending World Travelers club.  


History--Story of the World--Making Mummies...may mummify a Barbie doll or two this week..lol.  We'll wait and see.


Health--Make a Healthy Snack.  I'll give them pictures of ingredients, and pictures of what you can make with those items.  They will create recipes with those pictures.


Boys:


Math--Math Mammoth Time 
Language Arts--Joey is trying Reading Eggspress.  We'll see how he likes it and then see if Brayden likes this too.  And their normal Grammar Book
Handwriting--Homeschool Bits Winter Copywork cards
Brayden---Cars 2 Trivia Lapbook that I just finished making today.
Joey---He will be starting the Wanna Be Series from Old Schoolhouse.  This week is being a Chef.



Joey has a fun class at the local library tomorrow evening on Star Wars.  He and daddy are going to go.  I think they are both very excited!


Lydia:


Math--She is now officially half-way through Math U See Primer.  I have a Strawberry Shortcake Addition workbook for her to practice with and she will be continuing with Math U See
Language Arts/Phonics--She's going to continue with Reading Eggs.  She's doing great with this program and making progress.  We'll also be continuing our work with Scholastic's High Frequency Site Word book.  We are on our second week of this and she's enjoying it.  Problem is I am trying to find a space to put up a word wall for her....No success so far.
Handwriting--She will be getting plenty of handwriting practice in her lapbooks, but if it's a low "writing day" I will pull out some copywork on ballet to help pull us through.
Lydia will be starting the Hands of a Child Animated Ballet lapbook this week, after her Monk Seal project.


Lydia also has American Girl Club this week.  This week we are having a Hawaiian Lua for Kanani.  So we are making homemade bath salts in the shape of sea shells to share with the girls.




Our cooking projects this week:


Another crack at homemade bread, carob brownies and Joey is going to learn how to make hummus (for Cyprus and his chef study unit).  Lydia and I are going to make a loaf of Hawaiian sweet bread for American Girl Club.  


Everyone have a wonderful cooperative and full week.  Our definitely will be as usual.  My question is....How can a kid say they are bored???????

Our weekly triumphs and accomplishments

What a week.....It is one of weeks that it doesn't seem like we actually accomplished a lot, but we actually did.


What I have been working on this week.....I have been just working between the kids and attempting to keep the house in a livable condition.  Not Good Housekeeping...just livable.  I did finish the hats and scarfs that I was making for the girls, only to discover that Lydia's is too small.  So am working on her new hat right now. Should finish it later tonight.  I need to go through and clean out my work area in the dining room.  I have decided to list a bunch of my stuff on ebay and try to get rid of a bunch of stuff we aren't using.  I just need to get a bit organized this weekend to get that project up and going.


We had a busy week.  It was full of two manic episodes, a medication withdrawal, and lots of screaming.  But we also had LEGO Club, American Girl Club, Basketball, Bowling and Lydia went to a Book Sale at a local Educational Book Warehouse.  I got some wonderful deals!!! 


In Science we talked about blood and created an edible model of our blood....do you know what color your blood actually is?

This was done with corn syrup, tic tacs, hot tamales (couldn't find red hots that day) and rice.  I found this recipe in one of the extras we were using to learn about blood...Blood Basics from Homeschool Bits.  Joey is coloring his blood model here.

 Joe and Lydia had to try the "blood" we made.

 This was a fun book to read about the blood, veins and arteries in our bodies.  And we also watched Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie.

The kids watched Science Jim's cooking/science class Wednesday.  And Lydia and I made an easy gluten free bread.  We just used a Bob Mill's Pizza Crust mix, and it was very tasty.  And I have been avoiding this for fear of it being difficult...going to do this weekly now so that I have bread!

Waiting for it to rise in front of the heating vent.

 Our finished bread.

 We also made peanut butter pinwheels.  These were very yummy!

 We had LEGO Club earlier in the week.  All the kids have been building with the DUPLOS alot!!  I have almost gave up putting them away, because as soon as I clean them up...they have them out again.

 We are working with a new Art Curriculum....Artistic Pursuits K-3 Book 1.....very, very cool.  We actually did art twice this week.

We played some Wii games...and then our second Wii system died.  Very upsetting, it's great to get energy out.

Caty, Lydia and I did some fun Nursery Rhyme stuff.  Itsy, Bitsy, Spider.  We did a spider and a water spout and wove a spider web on a paper plate.

I have a stash of plastic spider rings I got on clearance last Halloween.  They hook right on the yarn.  The girls thought these were cool projects. So we will be probably working on a Nursery Rhyme every week.  (There's so much to do with the kids...just a matter of trying to find the time to get it all done...lol!)

Lydia had American Girl Club. This was our last meeting on Felicity.  This meeting the girls played Felicity Jeopardy (which Lydia loved), and they wrote with "quill" pens which we made out of regular feathers.  (This was another project from the Felicity Craft Book.)

And Wednesday morning we had a bit of snow....so the girls played outside for a little bit.


Caty is screaming..."I made footprints....you can see my footprints!!"

 Lydia was watching the snow bounce each time she landed.

 And of course there was snow angels.

 And a frozen plastic slide will make you fly fast when you are wearing a snowsuit!

 Then they had to eat some of the snow too.

We kept up with Math and Handwriting.  Lydia started her Cyprus project for World Travelers Club.  The boys and I will work on a mini-project this week.  They won't be going because of scheduling issues.  We played some games, and did a verbal (no worksheet or project) health lesson on why meal planning is very beneficial for our health and budgets.

Brayden finished his CAR Lapbook and Joey is almost finished with his Guitar lapbook.  We have a few more artists we are going to watch on YouTube this week.  Lydia finished her Tiger lapbook also.  We are going to work our way through the Big Cats.  After our Cyprus project we will be working on Cheetahs next week.

Lydia is doing well still with Reading Eggs.  Joey started a trial with the older side of Reading Eggs...Reading Eggspress.  He really likes it.  I like that it is pointing us in a direction for his visual perception and reading comprehension delays.  And it colorful and full of comic book style characters that keep his attention!

What I have been thinking about this week as I was reviewing different items (including Reading Eggspress as a possible purchase for Joey) is there are just so many options out there for parents to choose from.  We have a different issue facing this generation of homeschool parents.  Twenty years ago....parents could find no support....no easy curriculum.  They were ridiculed and called abusive.  Now there is more support.  Yeah homeschooling is still frowned up by some, but most are not open and supportive of this lifestyle.  And it truly is a lifestyle choice.  The problem facing us now is the overabundance of homeschool materials that flood the market.  Homeschooling curriculum is an up and coming financial market.  

Everyone have a great weekend....we are going to relax this weekend and do a little decluttering in the house.

I'm linking up with:

Artistic Creative Flow

One thing that Joey, Lydia and Caty love to do is art.  The girls love to paint and  do almost anything crafty.  Joey enjoys painting and crafts, and loves to draw!  So when we were given the opportunity to review this product, we were very excited.  We gathered the list of suggested supplies and started digging in.


We are really enjoying this program.  I am jealous that I was never introduced to some of these cool art supplies, including watercolor crayons in my public school experience.  Caty, Joey and Lydia all love using them.  These were the supplies need for Lesson 2.  If I wasn't so busy bouncing between kids, I would have sat down and worked on my own piece of art using these.

Here is our Water Color Crayon project:


They were to create a piece of art using their imagination.  They first viewed and we discussed Marc Chagall's, The Birthday (1915), and all the silly things that could not really happen.  Since artists are allowed to use their imagination....this is what can come out.  Then they set to creating.




They provide step-by-step instruction on how to use the watercolor crayons.  If not for this project, we may have never discovered them...as I am art supply illiterate on many supplies.

The introduction of new art supplies and showing the kids how to use them, is one of the main reasons I really like this curriculum.  Everything is layed out for me...the beginner artist dreaming of being a professional, but has no idea where to start with her kids.  You read a lesson a week.  


Each lesson includes art work to explore.  And then step by step instructions for your child to do a project.  The kids are really enjoying this art curriculum.  I enjoy that everything is laid out for me, and my prep is to read the lesson ahead of time and get the supplies ready for the project.  Super easy!!!!


Each lesson is short for the children.  The longest part of the art project is their actual time in 'creating'.  The verbal instruction is limited.   So it is perfect for the short attention spans in our house.


I do admit though that the art supplies can add up in cost.  I spent $26.00 for the supplies for this project.  The water color crayons and the paper added up.  I will have enough paper to last us for several projects, but if you are on a tight budget, you will have to shop around for good prices on some of the items needed.  You could substitute supplies, and still create 'imagination' with regular crayons and markers.  So we could have done the lesson without the "fancier" supplies. So do not let the fear of purchasing extra supplies scare you away from this program.  You can complete the projects without buying the supplies, you can just do them in a different way and still get the educational experience.


Artistic Pursuits offers Art Supply packs.  They offer discounts below list price.  And then you do not have to run around and shop for supplies.  The supply pack for K-3 Book 1 is $55.94.  That is for one student.  A child could share supplies, but with 4 using ours...we need more than one charcoal pencil.


Artistic Pursuits has a wide variety of programs from Preschool through High School.  We are currently using K-3 Book 1, An Introduction to the Visual Arts.  And we are planning on continuing with this art curriculum.  It includes not only drawing and painting, but also sculpting.  This art curriculum really provides homeschoolers a full at home art experience.

From the Artistic Pursuits website:

Read one lesson per week and your child's creative efforts will flourish. From art educators to moms with no art experience; all are successfully teaching children art using ARTistic Pursuits. Lessons capture children's interests and imaginations while introducing the fundamental principles of art. Lessons are divided into three sections as follows:

• What Artists Do: Ten lessons cover activities artists engage in when making art such as imagining and observing. Children explore drawing and painting techniques, gaining experience in pencil, color, and brush work.
• What Artists See: Seven lessons cover the elements that artists use in 2-dimesional and 3-dimensional works such as shape, form, and color. Children explore collage, paper works, and color mixing. Children gain experience in handling scissors, glue, and paper forms.
• Exploring Ancient Art: Fifteen lessons cover ancient art from the cave paintings of France to book illumination of the 13th century. Children see that art is more than just a picture on a wall. Cultures used it in different ways and for different purposes. Lessons expand the child's ideas of what art is and where we find it. Children explore mural, pottery, low-relief, paper art, bookbinding, mosaic techniques and more.

Contents: 1. Artists Compose 2. Artists Imagine 3. Artists Look 4. Artists Communicate 5. Artists Use Photographs 6. Artists Make Landscapes 7. Artists Make Portraits 8. Artists Make Still-lifes 9. Artists Show Experiences 10. Artists Show Works 11. Artists See Shape 12. Artists See Form 13. Artists See Line 14. Artists See Color 15. Artists See Edges 16. Artists See and Remember 17. Artists See Mixed Colors 18. Art in Caves (European Cave Drawings)19. Art Underground (Near-Eastern Pottery) 20. Art in Palaces (Minoan Fresco Painting) 21. Art in Pyramids (Egyptian Murals) 22. Art on Floors (Egyptian Pavement Painting) 23. Art on City Walls (Near Eastern Bas-relief) 24. Art on Pots (Greek Pottery) 25. Art in Tombs (Etruscan Wall Painting) 26. Art in Streets (Roman Sculpture) 27. Art on Roadsides (Roman Portraits) 28. Art in Castles (Medieval Tapestry) 30. Art in Windows (Gothic Glass) 31. Art in Books (Medieval Illumination) 32. Art on Book Covers (Medieval Scriptoria)

Vendor information:


Price: K-3 Book 1 - $42.95
Author:  Brenda Ellis
Where to Buy:  Artistic Pursuits


Check out what other Crew mates thought of the different products.

*****I received Artistic Pursuits K-3 Book 1 free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

My re-do parenting moment of the week.

This is an old topic.  But it applied to me this week.  Yesterday was a really rough day.  Joey was having an uncontrollable episode.  He was unable to take his morning meds due to an upset stomach/headache from the necessity to pull him off of a new med to control himself.  The med was causing his other meds to basically not work, even though he was taking them all.  Hard to believe that one little pill would cause all the other meds to basically stop working.


He was able to gain control more in the afternoon after his afternoon round of meds.  But yesterday morning was horrible.  It was an autistic morning for sure.  He found the van snow scrapers that I set by the front door on the porch, and chased me through the house with them.  By 10 am, I had been hit, swore at, called names, and went through several meltdowns.  Whewwwww!


But then we had online class, and what happened next set me off into the deep end.  I always...Always sit in the living room with the boys when they have online classes.  They like to keep typing "hi" in the chat box.  So I do the typing of questions during the programs.  Yesterday was no different.  There we were, all three older kids and myself around the computer.  And then I look over at Brayden to say something to him and I heard a key pressing sound.  I look over and Joey started laughing hysterically.  There on the screen was a bad word typed.  WHAT!!!!  So we lost our chat box privileges during class when the teacher saw it.  Which upset the other two kids who had some questions.  


I though lost my temper, and forced Joey into his room after yelling at him about how horrible it was for doing that.  I really try to control my temper and try hard to not raise my voice...but after the whole morning yesterday...but that was 'the straw that broke the camels back'.  I couldn't talk to him except to make his lunch for an hour.  I was so upset....I just could not do it.  I kept putting him back in his room when he came out.


He finally started gaining control and we were able to explain to him all that went on.  He was very upset in the things that he had done, and apologized.  I had already sent an email to the online teacher apologizing and explaining what had happened.  He was very nice about it.  But I still feel bad about that situation and also about screaming at Joey.  I did apologize to him, but cannot give him special treatment for what happened because then he'll think it is ok to act like that, even when he can control it.


Here's to a new day....hopefully more calm!!