Posted by Cindy on June 26, 2007
We made it! All campers are back safe and sound. Praise the Lord!
Mahayla had a fun-filled week, and believe it or not, I had very few worries. Thanks to your prayers, I’m sure! She went with three of her closest friends and I knew they were watching out for each other. Here’s a picture of three of the four at check-in time.
She had all sorts to talk about on the way home. In fact, I don’t think she took a breath for a full hour! In the end, though, I asked if she was going back next year. She said, “If they would let me come home when I was ready, I would. But a whole week is just too long to be away from you.” Aaaww! I agreed and told her I was ready to get her by Wednesday. She said, “That’s the day I wanted to come home, too!”
At any rate, I bet she changes her mind and signs up when next year’s registration rolls around. Then, I’ll be here asking for your prayers yet again! Thanks for praying us through it this summer!!
Posted by Cindy on June 21, 2007
A new baby has slowed me down in the planning department! I’ve been putting this post together for what seems like weeks, but I believe it’s finally ready. I’ll copy this to put into my planning binder as a record of our curriculum and goals for the 2007-2008 school year.
Subjects we do all together:
Bible/Devotions
*Read through the New Testament in The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos and complete our Bible timeline using the Big Bible Timeline.
*Seven C’s of Creation (this is our summer study)
*Discovering Jesus in Genesis by Susan Hunt
*Pearables Kingdom Stories – some of these, not all
*Life Lessons from The Princess and the Kiss (possibly)
Church studies: (this list will be added to as new studies come along)
*Missionaries Unit using Missionary Stories with the Millers as a “spine”
*Bible Bowl
History
*Ancient History Unit – Spine book: Ancient History Pockets
*Middle Ages Unit – Spine book: Hands-On History: Middle Ages
*Kentucky History Unit – Spine book: Spectacular State Report Projects For Any State
Science
*Astronomy Unit – Spine books: Exploring Creation with Astronomy by Jeannie Fulbright and the Astronomy Lapbook from Knowledge Box Central
*Earth Science Unit – Spine books: Primarily Earth, Rocks And Soil, and Considering God’s Creation
Art/Music/Foreign Language
*Various art studies, art lessons and art projects throughout the year, no specific resources
*Various music composer studies, music classes and hymn memorization throughout the year, no specific resources
*Rosetta Stone online Spanish and Prima Latina Latin
MAHAYLA’S OTHER SUBJECTS
Math
*Finishing Saxon 5/4 and moving into Saxon 6/5
*Bi-weekly problem solving and logic opportunities using a variety of resources. Below are a few sample books:
Mind Benders
Thinking Skills
NC Math
Instant Activities For Math That Kids Really Love
Intermediate Math Trivial Pursuit
Problem Parade
Language Arts
*Daily silent reading
*Daily read alouds with Mom
The following subjects will often be integrated into the current learning unit. Other times, activities will be chosen from various places including…
*Spelling: Spelling Works and Spelling Time
*Grammar: Great Grammar Lessons That Work and this grammar website
*Writing: All sorts of sources including:
Easy File Folder Reports
30 Biography Book Reports
30 Nonfiction Book Reports
Building Skills In Writing: Story Writing
Igniting Your Writing
Helping Students Write the Best Research Reports Ever
A family newsletter she’s going to publish
*Copywork: WriteShop Copying and Dictation Exercises, Words of Love Bible Copywork
*Typing: Nimble Fingers
CALEB’S OTHER SUBJECTS
Math
*Horizons workbooks
*Miquon workbooks
Bi-weekly problem solving and logic opportunities using a variety of books. Below are a few sample books:
Mind Benders
NC Math
Menu Math
Meeting Math Standards With Favorite Picture Books
Munchie Math
Problem Play
Language Arts
*Reading: Still plugging along in Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, easy readers, phonics workbooks, Abeka’s Handbook for Reading, and fun games
*Writing/Copywork: Happy Scribe’s Words of the Gospel, Words of Love Bible Copywork
*Grammar: First Language Lessons
*Spelling: Spelling Time, and words I notice he needs work on
*Typing: Nimble Fingers
EXTRAS
Co-op classes on Monday afternoons: P.E., Music – others To Be Announced
Piano Lessons – Mahayla
Horse Lessons – Mahayla and Caleb
This year’s curriculum is being put together with as many free and very inexpensive materials as possible. After looking at my shelves and in the folders on my computer, I realized that I have more than enough already in my house to teach with. Most of the materials I’m using are coming from free e-book downloads or the Scholastic $1.00 books I bought earlier this spring. The Rosetta Stone online is free through our library. I’ve decided I won’t be making any big purchases at all. There just doesn’t seem to be any sense in it.
Just a reminder for some of you who will say, “She’s using ALL that THIS year?!!” I don’t use everything all the time. Nor do I use all of anything. I use only what I feel like my kiddos need at the time. I pull the best from several resources because no one resource ever seems to fit us perfectly! It doesn’t bother me to have undone pages in a workbook or undone lessons in lesson guide. I’m the teacher at my house and I get to choose what we do and don’t do. 
The list above is actually far from complete. I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting things to add to the mix. I guess I’m the ultimate eclectic, unit study, lapbooking, notebooking, workbooking, literature loving homeschooler! It all has it’s place you know!
Posted by Cindy on June 20, 2007
Here’s the latest summer center at our house. The topic for the next couple of weeks is the good ol’ USA!
I’ve included a few library books, a book on tape, 4th of July/American history songs, The 50 Great States Game, The Game of the States, a US puzzle, a magnetic states puzzle, a red,white & blue chemistry experiment set, picture timeline cards of some famous US events of the 20th century, and some patriotic stickers.
Behind the scenes: Everything on the table (almost) was under $1.00 or free! I’ve told you many times before how much I love curriculum sales, yard sales and Goodwill. Well, when I find something cheap, I usually buy it. When I decide on a theme for my center, I go on a treasure hunt around the house to see what goes with the theme. Even the star fabric was 1/4 yard of $1.00/yd fabric = 25 cents! The only thing I paid “real money” for was the experiment set. I bought Mahayla a few fun sets from Home Science Tools last Christmas. You wouldn’t believe how much fun I have putting these together! It’s okay to call me a nerd!
Posted by Cindy on June 13, 2007
This is how he looked as I dropped him off Monday. See those nervous eyes? Yes, I cried. Not in front of him, though. He was being brave, so I needed to. Right before I left, I introduced him to two little boys who were playing the ring toss. Apparently, that was a good introduction because the camper group picture shows the three of them all chummed up together!
How did he look when I picked him up? Well, he was moving so fast and talking so fast that I couldn’t get a picture! He had a blast. I’ll share just a few snippets of our conversation on the way home. Mostly for my sake as a journal.
Did you have fun? Well, ofcourse!
Did you make any new friends? Oh, yes! I made eleven and none of them were girls!
Where are your friends from? I don’t know! Boys don’t ask those kinds of questions.
What did you get to eat? Skittles, Gatorade, Cheez-Its and 10 pieces of sausage. Anything healthy? Uuummm. I think so, but I don’t remember that part.
Did you gets lots of mail? Oh, yeah! I got mail three different times. Wow! Who was your mail from? I don’t know. What did your mail say? I don’t know. What did you do with your mail? I opened it, looked at it and then…….I don’t know what I did with it. Didn’t you ask someone to help you read it? No way! Why not? I didn’t want anyone seeing the mushy stuff you wrote! So, you chose to just not read them altogether? Pretty much. (Between me, hubby, sister, grandma, grandpa, another grandma and an aunt, I think he missed out on THIRTEEN letters from home!!) I’m still chuckling about this!
What was your favorite thing? Swimming, slip-n-slide and carpet ball! What about the Bible classes? Did you learn anything? Oh, you know, church stuff. How did you like the missionaries? They were nice, they even swam with us. What did you learn from them? Uummm. I don’t remember.
Did you sleep okay? Oh yeah! Did you miss Mom at all? Nope. Not at all? No. Are you sure? Maybe one little smidge that you can’t see at all.
Oh, Mom, I was the first one up in our whole dorm in the morning! You were? Did you just lay around waiting on everybody else to get up? No! I slithered down from my bunk and tiptoed to everyone else’s beds and tickled their toes to wake them up. Caleb! Did you really? Well, ofcourse! What did they say? Most of them laughed, but some people told me to get off because they wanted to sleep some more. Was there a bell that rang to get everyone up and moving? Yes, but by the time it rang, our whole dorm was up and dressed already! I bet they were. I bet they were. 
Co-op gals – Caleb gave me permission to share this, but said that I have to ask you NOT to show your children. He gets really embarrassed when they know stories about him. Thanks!
Posted by Cindy on June 10, 2007
I know this may sound silly to some, but I really need prayer this week and next. We’ve decided to let both Caleb and Mahayla attend church camp this year. Neither one has been away from us for more than two nights ever and never with “strangers”.
Caleb will be gone one night - Monday through Tuesday. Mahayla will be gone for FIVE nights – next Sunday night through Friday afternoon.
Thank you for praying for us!
