Homeschool Update

Ok, I can not believe that it has been over a month since I last posted something.  I do not even have a good excuse! Things have actually been going pretty smoothly around here.  The kids have stayed fairly healthy this winter and school is moving right along.  It hit me the other day that there is only three months of school to go! We are in the process of discerning what to do about the next school year.  We said in the beginning that we would take it a year at a time and reevaluate how things are going each year to make sure we are making the best schooling choices for our children.  I am currently looking into other homeschool curriculum, just to see what all is out there(we are currently using K12).  Nothing has been decided yet and I’ll let you know when we figure it all out!

Anyway, I thought I would just give you a quick update on school.  As I said, things are moving right along.  It really seems like it took the whole first half of the year to get settled into a routine; we still have our days, but for the most part, homeschooling is working well for us!  

Here is a look at what we have been up to.

We kicked off the new year with a unit on penguins.  The girls loved making these little thumb print penguins.  They turned out so cute!

We practiced our graphing skills by charting how many fish the colorful penguins ate.
Click here to download the penguin graph.
Click here to download the penguin. (just print him out on different colored sheets of card stock)

Monkey-Do loved matching up the black and white shapes  to make these silly shape penguins.
(sometimes my teacher habits get the better of me and I just can't help decorating a door!!!)

I made this penguin using a large cereal box.  I cut a slot under his beak so we could "feed" him.  Monkey-Do matched up rhyming fish and fed him two at a time. Rapunzel did this activity using sight word fish.

These water bottle penguins were fun to make and made a cute decoration for our classroom.  I found the idea here: http://recycledawblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/penguins-made-out-of-water-bottles.html

We also did a unit on winter.  Our story for the week was "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats.
I found this wonderful "Read Build Write"  activity at Homeschool Creations

We recreated the last scene from the story and wrote our own ending.

We had a ton of fun playing with "snow" (shaving cream)!!!

This activity was one of my favorites.  I wrote the letters of their names on paper plates.  The girls had to "build" their snow man by finding their letters and putting them in the right order.  (not sure what is up with the costumes!?!)

Rapunzel's finished snowman!

So, there you have it. Just a little look at what we have been up to.  I have some things I would really like to get posted; hopefully it won't take me a month this time!!!

-Rachel

The big B-Day

So tomorrow is the big B-Day and I have to say that I have not been looking forward to this much at all! I will be 30; just having to type it and look at it makes me feel old!  I know it is just a number and my family and friends have done a wonderful job of reminding me of that!  

I was checking out blogs for some school ideas the other day and stumbled upon a kindergarten teacher who was facing 30 and like me, she was not all that excited about it!  She decided to focus on 

the positive and posted 30 things she had accomplished already in her life and 30 things she would like to do in the next 30 years.  (You can check hers out at http://littlemissglamourgoestokindergarten.blogspot.com/search/label/about%20me ) 

I loved this idea and decided to make my own list. So here it goes…

                                      In the last 30 years…

1.       Graduated from college with                      16. Made my Cursillo weekend

my teaching degree

2. Was a counselor at a summer                         17. Rediscovered my Catholic

camp                                                                         faith

3. Went to Hawaii with my family                       18. Worked with teens in our

                                                                                   church youth group

   4. Made a long distance relationship                    19. Gave birth to my third     

          work for 5 years!                                                 beautiful daughter

5. Married my high school sweetheart                  20. Photographed a wedding

6. Went to Disney World on my honeymoon           21. Ran a 5k in under 30

                                                                                    minutes

7. Started a life in a new city                               22. Gave birth to my first

                                                                                      son

8. Worked in a portrait studio and discovered      23. Started a blog

a love for photography

9. Got hired as a first grade teacher for               24. Homeschooled preschool

Memphis City Schools                                                     and kindergarten

10. Gave birth to my first beautiful daughter          25. Taught my daughter to

                                                                                        read

11. Taught first grade for 5 years                            26. Made a best friend that

                                                                                         is like a sister to me

12. Gave birth to my second beautiful daughter         27. Took my children to

                                                                                         Disney World

13. Became a stay-at-home mom!                                28. Started training for 

                                                                                         a half marathon

14. Became a homeowner                                          29. Still madly in love with

                                                                                         the man I married 7 years ago

15. Visited Europe                                                   30. Made memories to last a 

                                                                                                                          lifetime

                                     In the next 30 years…

1.       Read more                                                      16. Take a ballet class

2. Become a better photographer                            17. Learn to use Photoshop

                                                                              

3. Go on a mission trip                                            18.  Go to Rome   

                                                                         

   4. Take Ryan on a romantic second                         19. Visit the Grand Canyon                      
           honeymoon to Hawaii                     

5. See a Broadway show in NYC                             20. Run a half marathon

6. Make more time for others                                  21. Teach Kindergarten

7. Have more beautiful babies                                 22. Be on team for a Cursillo weekend

8. Make more time for scrapbooking                        23. Visit with family more

9. Go back to Disney World!                                    24. Run the Princess Half

                                                                                        Marathon in Disney World

10. Go on a girls trip with my mom                             25. Take the kids camping

       and sisters                                                                              

11. Learn to sew                                                         26. Learn to play tennis

                                                                                                      

12. Grow in my Catholic faith                                     27. Be more positive

                                                                                                      

13. Slow down and enjoy my children                         28. Become an NFP teaching   

        while they are little!                                                            couple      

                                           

14. Date my husband                                                   29. Start journaling again

15. Buy a house with a front porch                              30. Go on another beach trip

       and a big back yard                                                      with my friends and ALL of our crazy kids!

           I guess there is no time to worry about being 30; 

it’s time to get busy!!! 

(and I don't mean on #7, may take a little break before starting on that one!)

Laughing all the way

It was a pretty typical Sunday morning in our house.  I was rushing around trying to get all four kids (and my husband) fed, cleaned up and dressed in time for mass.  This particular Sunday, I had the added stress of trying to coordinate everyone’s outfits so that we could take pictures for our Christmas cards after church.

I was not in the best of moods as I searched every drawer and laundry basket in the house for a missing pair of red leggings and tried to find a shirt for my husband that didn’t clash with everyone else’s.  The weather was not helping my mood either.  It was cloudy and looked like rain.  After checking the weather report (it was supposed to start raining and be wet all day) I gave up on the idea of pictures and frustratingly got everyone dressed in regular church clothes.  We all headed off to mass with me annoyed that we wouldn’t get our pictures today and I would have to wait to work on my Christmas cards.

At mass, something happened to change my bad mood!  During his homily, the priest talked about all of the distractions of the holidays.  He called out the fact that we make so many plans during this time; baking plans, party plans, shopping plans and so on but, we often forget to make a spiritual plan.  We forget to slow down and pay attention to what we are supposed to be celebrating.  We lose all of the joy and peace the season of Christmas holds. 

Well, in that moment, I felt like he was talking directly to me!  Just that morning I had let myself get caught up in holiday distractions.  I was letting myself get worked up over matching outfits and Christmas card pictures! 

So, I decided to make some changes.  I was going to go home and make a "spiritual plan" and cut out some of the distractions; one being to give up the idea of new pictures for the cards.  I thought about all of the pictures I had taken throughout the year and decided I would just use something we already had.  Later that day, I sat in front of the computer to find a picture for the card.  I decided I would look in each folder from the past year starting back in January.  What I found was wonderful.  Every folder held precious moments from throughout the year: Rapunzel’s first ballet recital, our trip to Disney World and backyard smore making.  There were pictures of things I had already forgotten about.  A rainy day of puddle fun, my husband cuddled on the couch with the girls watching a football game, a moment of laughter shared between sisters and so many more.  I really was laughing and smiling all the way as I relived the year through the photos. 

We are just so busy all of the time.  We take all of these pictures, put them on the computer and then forget about them.  We let our business, our worries, and our bad days sweep us up.  It is so easy to forget about all of the smiles and special moments. 

Especially in light of the tragic shootings of last Friday, I am so grateful for every day with my family, every smile, every hug, every giggle, even the not so good days; at least they are days spent together. 

I think this will become a new tradition for me.  I will take time at the end each year to look back at all of our pictures and remind myself of how blessed I truly am.  I highly suggest you try it as well; hopefully you will find yourself laughing all the way!

(And the cards turned out pretty cute, keep scrolling down to check it out!)

Holiday 2012

All The Laughter Holiday Card

holiday party invitations and thank you cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

A rare moment of quiet happened in the house this morning.  I found myself awake before any of the children; alone with my cup of coffee and my thoughts.  I sat in the dimly lit living room with the Christmas tree lights on and relished in the peaceful time of reflection and prayer.  My eyes fell on the mantle with its pretty garland and family photos and I couldn't help but count the stockings hanging there.  Six! It wasn’t all that long ago when there were only two, my husbands and mine, and now the mantle is nearly FULL.

I thought about that word again, FULL.  I hear that word so often these days; mostly when I am out with all four children.  People just can’t seem to help themselves.  Sometimes I’m not sure if it is out of awe or pity, but I inevitably get the “You’ve got your hands full!” comment (hence the title of this blog!).  Perhaps people feel the need to say something because they just can not imagine a life so full.

My standard response to this comment has become “And loving every minute of it!” or “Wouldn’t want it any other way!” And I really wouldn’t change it for anything.  As I sit here looking at the mantle full of stockings, I can’t help but reflect on all of the other things that my life is full of this holiday season; joy, excitement, laughter, anticipation… the list goes on.  The house is full of Christmas music and the refrigerator door is full of priceless artwork (made by my five and four year olds that is).  My arms are full of hugs and cuddles.  My mind is full of happy memories from a busy year.

So, yes, my hands are full and no, not every day is a picnic. We have our share of fits, temper tantrums and grumpy days, but what else would you expect in a house with four kids ages five, four, two and one! However, the good just always seems to outweigh the bad.  To me, FULL hands are so much better than EMPTY ones!

I pray that your holiday season is a FULL one.  Full of peace and joy,  full of family and friends, full of laughter and memories and most of all, full of the love of Jesus Christ.

“and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”   -Colossians 2:10

ABC All About Me!!!

No, this is not a post all about myself, but rather about our theme after Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We did several weeks using this theme; we focused on areas likes our names, our family, our friends, and what we want to be when we grow up. Rapunzel ended the unit wanting to be an artist and Monkey-Do is set on being a doctor! I am personally still trying to decide, maybe a ballerina!  Anyway, we all really did have fun; check out some of the highlights!

The girls used letter tiles to practice spelling names of friends and family members that I made up with their pictures.

We used play-dough to make our names.

After reading the story Chrysanthemum  about a little mouse with a very long name, we compared the lengths our our names using linking blocks.

This was my favorite name activity!  The girls each had a bowl of flower petals with letters from their names written on them.  They had to spell their name on each flower. The girls are glad their names are not as long as Chrysanthemums!

In honor of Chrysanthemum, we made peanut butter mouse cookies! 

For the last week of "All About Me" we read books and did activities about different jobs we might want to have when we grow up.  I could have done one job a week; there were so many fun activities that I wanted to girls to do, but for my sanity, I tried to keep it simple and we just did one job a day!  Here are some of our favorite jobs and activities.

We pretended to be bakers and flipped over cookies with color words on the back.   The girls had to read the word and then color their paper accordingly.  

                                     

We pretended to be mail carriers and sorted mail with different numbers of stamps.

While learning about dentists, we spun a spinner to fill a mouth with marshmallow teeth!

The girls used stick puppets to tell about the jobs they learned about and  why they liked and disliked each job.

                                     

Ok, so I did just have to laugh as I looked back over this post.  Everything looks so perfect and organized and peaceful!  Not at all the way it seemed when we were trying to get through the chaos of the first few weeks!  It is just like I said in my post "To blog or not to blog"; it is all about what you put in the post.  If you only show the good stuff, no one will have to know about how crazy it really was or how stressed out you really got.  But it is good for me to look at these pictures and realize that we are doing something right, that the girls are learning and having a good time and that there are moments of peace.  Sometimes, in the middle of a school day, amid all the craziness, I forget to stop and really enjoy what I am doing with my children.  I am glad the camera was able to catch these moment for me!

                                     

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Welcome to Our Classroom!

Well, it has only taken me two months to get to this, but here it is; my post on our first week of homeschool! 

One of my reasons for doing this blog is for friends, family members and others who are just plain curious about what really goes on in a homeschooling household.  I have learned A LOT during these first two months and have so much I want to share; including our reasons for choosing to homeschool and how I am keeping my sanity through this whole thing!  That will be in some upcoming posts; for now, I just wanted to share some of the exciting things that went on during our first week.  I have already shared the bad and the ugly moments (see "It was the best of times... " post) so now it’s time for some good!

For our first week, we had a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom theme.  Rapunzel had a great time reviewing letters of the alphabet and number recognition.  Monkey-Do jumped right in and got busy working on letters and numbers too! (for an explanation of their names see the "A rose by any other name" post)

Here is a look at our very busy first week!

Rapunzel on the first day of Kindergarten!

Monkey-Do all ready for preschool!

The bonus room above the garage is now half playroom and half school room.
We still needed the playroom space for Nomo and Guy-Guy!

Alphabet Coconut Tree hats!

Coconut Counting Book

Hand print coconut trees

Patching letters back up with band-aids.  This was Monkey-Dos
favorite activity of the week!

Alphabet letter sorting

Nomo and Guy-Guy busy with blocks
(and not wreaking havoc on the rest of the school room for once!)  

To wrap up our Chicka Chicka Boom Boom week, daddy helped us out with a coconut taste test.  

I was surprised at the final results of the taste test.  The girls liked the coconut more than the grown ups!

So there you have it; our very first week in this adventure of homeschooling!  I truly feel the meaning of "You've got your hands full" while trying to keep the kids learning and busy, the housework from taking over and my husband from feeling too neglected!

These last several weeks have been a roller coaster of highs and lows for me as a mother and a teacher and as I said at the beginning of this post, I have learned A LOT!  I am looking forward to sharing more with you soon!