Posted by Cindy on August 13, 2007
We finally did it. School started today. I’ve been wanting to start each Monday for the last three or four weeks, but too much kept getting in the way. So, today began a new year and it went pretty well. Eli is going to be a challenge, but I imagine he’ll get used to our school time and we’ll get used to his interruptions. 
Mahayla has been waiting since the CHEK convention in July to wear this. We’re headed out to Walmart now, just so she can say wearing the shirt was worth it! Visit the Homeschool Boutique to find your own fun shirts. I bought this one for myself.
Posted by Cindy on August 9, 2007
I’ve been feverishly working on reorganizing our schoolroom. It’s almost finished – quite a task with a 7 month old! As I was putting some things away in my new-to-me $5.00 yard sale filing cabinet, I thought I might share how I keep up with the seasons and holidays during our school year.
I hear these two questions a lot: “How do you remember to plan fun activities for the seasons and holidays?” and “How do you fit seasonal things in with the rest of your curriculum?”
Question #1: I keep seasonal and holiday folders in the filing cabinet. If I find a good idea from a magazine, I rip it out and put it in the appropriate folder. If I find a good idea on the internet, I copy it and put it in the folder. If I see or hear about a good idea, I write it down and put it in the folder. When the season or holiday is upon us, I pull out the folder I need and pick a few things to add to my lesson plans.
Question #2: My children will only be little once. I want to create a sense of joy and excitement about God’s seasons and special holidays while they’re young, so they will always feel a tingle of excitement about them, even as adults. I fit these sorts of things in as part of my curriculum, not on top of everything else. Remember, it’s okay to do things that stray away from the “regular” curriculum. So much of the “fun stuff” covers many subject areas anyway.
For example, the Thanksgiving folder above is open and showing a turkey “glyph” activity. Completing these fun turkeys requires mapping/graphing skills, decision making, crafting, reading and writing. Who could ask for anything better? Getting my kids to do all those things without realizing they’re working and learning is priceless!
I’ve also run across many holiday-based Bible studies that I keep in these folders, too. When I’m looking through the folders and making plans, I can be preparing to add appropriate Bible study lessons for the upcoming holiday, too.
Upcoming seasonal things to think about – apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, Labor Day, Grandparents Day, autumn, Columbus Day…..
Posted by Cindy on
100 degrees, a nursing baby and an amusement park are not three things that are normally spoken in the same sentence for very good reason. Don’t get me wrong, besides almost having heat strokes, we had a great time!
We had free tickets to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (yep, the one where the little girl’s feet were cut off.) I had been “mentioning” to my hubby since June that “we need to use those tickets before it gets too hot.” Well, this week it officially got hot and the tickets just happened to expire at the end of this week. So, off we went – three kids, a stroller packed to the gills with baby supplies, swimming gear, and eight water bottles painstakingly hidden amongst it all. (We’re not really that cheap, but $4.50 for one drink is asking a little much, don’t ya think?)
We packed lunch and ate in the car before going in. The park didn’t open until 11:00. By 3:30 when we came back out ot the car for a snack, we were all (okay, I was) ready to go. It was so hot! After sitting under a shade tree and refueling a bit, we headed back in for another go around. The earlier part of the day had been spent at the water park, so the late afternoon was time for rides. Funny thing, we rarely had to wait in line for anything. Hmmm….I wonder where everyone else was? Oh, yes, they were probably home enjoying their air conditioners on one of the hottest days of the year.
All joking aside, the kids had a great time. Eli was amazingly good and very much enjoyed his first trip into a pool. And I survived. I am making a note to myself, though, to skip the amusement park next time it’s 100 degrees, even if I have free tickets. Oh, and I should bring a babysitter, ahem, grandma and grandpa, if I want to enjoy the rides, too.
Posted by Cindy on August 3, 2007
We’ve been gearing up for school around here this week. Much of our time has been spent in the schoolroom reorganizing EVERYTHING. It’s still not entirely finished. I’ll post pictures of the new, and hopefully improved, room soon.
The week wasn’t all work and no play, though. My Granny, who lives in Alabama, came in for a visit this week. (Oh, how I wish she lived closer!) We were able to make the hour-long trip to my parent’s house twice this week to visit with my Granny. She does very well for 86! Isn’t she pretty? (The little one is my nephew.)
Friday afternoon was tea time! Our preacher’s family spent fourteen years as missionaries to England. One of their dearest friends from England has been in for a visit, and they decided to throw an English Tea Party. We had such a good time and ate way too much (really good food!!) Thank you Carla and Jody for a wonderful afternoon!
And finally, look what else happened this week. 
Now, whose chasing him while I homeschool??
