If there's one gadget (besides my computer) that I'd hate to do without, it's our DVR. About once a month, I go through the on-screen guide and pick out all of the pertinent educational shows that I want Rachael to watch. I can record them in the middle of the night and we can watch them at our convenience. Technology is a wonderful thing! It's helped out another way, too...for our mother/daughter bonding! A few months ago, my friend, Darla, had recommended the Janette Oke movies (Love Comes Softly, etc.) on the Hallmark channel. When I saw they were running a marathon, I recorded all six of them. Rachael & I have spent hours vegging out in front of the tv watching them. We initiated a "Girl's Night" where we get up late at night after everyone else has gone to bed. We brew some hot mint tea and snuggle up on the couch to watch "chick flicks." These movies have such a positive message to them. Hopefully we can find similar movies to watch, because we've had a blast! Any suggestions?
Linda, the homeschool grandma who helped me teach art at co-op, recommended this book to me. She played it up so much that I, being the history buff that I am, immediately went to the library and reserved it. After I picked it up, the first thought to cross my mind was, "UGH! That's a lot of pages and awfully small print!" In my younger days, book length was inconsequential. These days, however, I find myself just too busy with lesson plans, kids, and life in general! Before returning it unread to the library, I decided to read 'just the first chapter' ... well, I haven't been able to put it down! I ended up having to renew it and I've been reading a little bit every night before bed. If I ever get it finished, I'll let you know how it is. So far, it's fabulous!
Day 133 - Nick is Hooked on Phonics, well, the stickers anyway!
I recently bought 3 of these Hooked on Phonics workbooks for Nick. On every other page, there is a space emblazoned with the words, "I did it!", where you are supposed to attach a sticker after the work is completed. Apparently, this motivational device is downright addictive for Nick. I actually have to hide the books when I'm busy doing something else, because if he finds them, he will hunt me down to help him. He will literally complete an entire book in one sitting. I guess that's good for his learning, but rough on my wallet!
To celebrate Mother's Day, we went to a lunch buffet with my mom, stepdad, grandma, and aunt (who is visiting from Hawaii). For dinner, we took Jeff's mom (& dad) out to the local Mexican restaurant. The photos above are of the card that Rachael picked out for me. It's cute delving into her psyche and seeing her rationale in the type of cards she buys for me. She thought this one rather appropriate due to the fact that she says I'm always trying to throw in a lesson about everything! Hey, that's what homeschool moms do!
Today was Jeff's day off, but he needed to work for a few hours. We decided to go with him and hang out on base while he worked, then we could all spend the rest of the day together. The Navy base has a really nice playground that the kids enjoyed. It was cold and wet, but other than that, we had fun! When Jeff finished his work, we traveled to Bloomington to look at a few houses. After dinner at The Olive Garden followed by ice cream at Jiffy Treat, we headed home. Realizing that I had no pictures from the day, I got desperate and photographed our bathroom sink. Excluding my Bed, Bath, & Beyond products, these are two of my favorite bathroom supplies!
With Nick's Cerebral Palsy, we've been warned by the neurologist to be on the lookout for learning disabilities. Because of this, I've been hyper-vigilant about trying to be sure that if there is anything wrong, that we catch it early. Since he started reading at such an early age, I don't think he has any problems in that area, but his fine motor skills are a whole different issue! Up to this point, he has shown no interest whatsoever in trying to write, draw, or color. It seems that he just gets frustrated when he tries to copy even the simplest shapes. I struggle to decipher if it's because he's just not ready yet (he's only 3!) or if it's a sign of a true problem associated with his CP. Fortunately, I found this stencil device at a local homeschool supplier. Nick loves it! It helps him to strengthen his motor skills while allowing him to finally "write" out the words he's been wanting to write.
Since we have a couple of weeks off from co-op, we spent the day at home. Rachael was bored and ended up drawing this snail (which I thought was kind of cute!)
I received this book free at the Cincinnati homeschool convention. I started reading it a couple of days ago. It was a very fast read and a phenomenal story! Growing up Catholic, I got more than my fair share of saint and martyr stories, but never really read about any of the great Protestant heroes of the faith. I can't wait for Rachael to read this one...
Fortunately, at age 3, boys toys aren't nearly as expensive as when they reach adulthood! Nick was downright adamant that I take his picture with his animals for my blog...
Is it just me, or are boys into EVERYTHING? I never had to put anything out of Rachael's reach when she was little. Foolishly, I always attributed it to my stellar parenting skills that I had trained her so well! HAHAHA!!!! It seems, however, that God made boys brains wired just so. They just can't help but touch everything! I even notice this in co-op. If I don't want the kids to see something until a certain point during the lecture, I nearly have to lock it up until that point or the boys will have already found it, passed it around, and discussed every aspect of it!
Wednesday was actually my father-in-law's birthday, but we decided to celebrate today since we were out of town (at co-op) on Wednesday. He is every woman's "Dream Father-in-Law!" He's an amazing role model of patience, love, and wisdom. He always goes out of his way to help anyone in need - especially his family! Happy Birthday, Ronnie!
Oh, and here's a picture of my sweet, mature, lady-like daughter!
Today was our local Homeschool Academic Fair. The first picture is of several of our co-op kids and some of the artwork that they had completed throughout the year during Art History. The second picture is of Nick & Josh. It still amazes me how our co-op kids love each other! The little ones look up to the older ones and the older ones look out for the little ones. They're as close as siblings, yet without the fighting! The last picture is of Rachael's project. Experiencing the recent earthquakes has piqued her interest and enticed her to research the subject. She graphed the quake and aftershocks which proved quite interesting looking at the results! The other projects were equally as cool! Rachael's friend, Thomas, did a project on sharks, another group did a "Cooking Science" project. There was also a "Sea Monkey" experiment, a "Slime Chemistry" project, a History display, and a short story project to name a few...
Today was the last day of co-op until September. We studied CM Russell in Art History (hence the Western silhouette project above). I'm actually not sure what they did in Science, but here's a picture of some of the animals that they dissected this year! We'll still be getting together over the summer, but not in the co-op setting. We'll be having our End-of-Year party in a couple of weeks, and Diana is considering offering a geology class for the older kids over the summer. This is Rachael's dream! Diana & her husband are both geologists and the end of the geology class would also include a fossil dig. We'll also continue with piano lessons, so it should be a busy summer!
For as much as my kids fight and scream at each other, the picture above is usually at least a daily occurrence. They love each other...even if they won't admit it half the time!
Name: Amy Home: Indiana, United States About Me: I am a Homeschool Mom of 2 awesome children. This is my attempt at Project 365 - to chronicle our world through daily photos... See my complete profile
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