School Party!

Our lunch boxes and book-bags are packed.  We're going out to a "Back to School Party"  with some home-school friends :)

Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM!

Here's our alphabet going up the coconut tree.  It's mainly for Little Bird but Super Frog couldn't let her have all the fun.   I'm wondering what I'll do when Z goes up and all the letter go BOOM BOOM.  Maybe I'll let them tear down the whole thing in an exciting, wild frenzy.

School Room 2011

I love looking at my older posts at our "learning station."  It continues to evolve!  This year we aren't as glued to the table, which is of course very helpful for the kids.  We sit on the couch a lot, use the coffee table and the floor.   

All the things we need for the day are accessible at the table.  Here I keep our every day books, workbooks and teacher books.  I'll write more on our curriculum later.

The kids have their school boxes here, crayons, markers and stickers.  I use the small file box to have any print outs ready.  Frog picked out the pointer and we've been using it for all sorts of things.  Mainly counting and reading helper words on our word wall together.

This is our working shelf.  One day it might have work boxes on it but I don't think we'll use them this semester.  Here is Little Bird's learning board.  I switch out the toys, puzzles and books for the kids to be interested in while I'm spending individual time with the other.  I've done a few sensory bins for Birdie and some other Tot School type of activities.  She loves her new Dora house there on the floor.  She'll spend a lot of time playing with it.

This is what I spent the later part of my summer doing. 

 I love our new label maker!  I've been using a lot of these things for Little Bird and Tot School type of activities. 

Three Year Old Preschool

Little Bird joins in the fun this year a little more officially.  She has named her school Princess Preschool.  She has her own learning board.  Every week we do a different color, shape, letter, Bible Person and number.  We are also doing our own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree.  We add a new letter up the tree every week. 

She also has two or three PreK workbooks and we'll do one page out of it together a day.  She loves her coloring sheets.  It's amazing to see the change in her coloring skill, not much scribbling anymore.

It has been nice to order our days with some time working and reading together with all three of us and some individual time with each. 

Calendar Time

I've always wanted to do circle time with my kids.  That just says kindergarten to me.  In years past I've tried different calendars even a fancy magnetic one with tons of cute magnets to choose from.  I've never been very successful.  We'll do it once or twice and then it falls by the way side. 
This year I'm not doing any type of formal "circle time" but I do love the calendar, days, seasons and weather posters we bought.  So far it seems much more usable.  If I forget the kids usually remind me.   Changing the weather frog is their favorite activity.  His forecast is often changed in the middle of the day as well.  That crazy weather.  Too bad we don't have one that says earthquake or hurricane!

Kindergartener!

It's the first day of school and Super Frog is all ready.

He's been itching to go since our back to school shopping trip a week and a half ago.  He is sporting a Toy Story back pack and a Sponge Bob Square Pants lunch box.  And yes, I plan to use both of those things in some way :)
Our first day we started at 8:30 and went to about 10am. 

First Day of School

First Day of School

We're all ready!

The old all about us page

Time to update this page.  I thought I'd make it into a regular post for memory sake.

We are in full time college ministry.  My husband is investing in the lives of college students in the name of Jesus. I love being involved with the ministry.  The students love spending time with the kids and our kids eat it up!  Sadly we've had to step back a lot and are not able to participate in meetings and activities as much as we used to.

My husband is also in his last year of seminary. It has been quite a haul for us but God has been so good. He has shown Himself faithful in ways I never expected Him to--that I could never have expected Him to.

I am a Mommy who loves being home with the kids, Super Frog (4yrs) and Little Bird (15months). Yet I feel like I still have LOTS of selfishness to get rid of. I am often disappointed with my responses to my children and battle anger and laziness on a daily basis. Yet the Lord our God is strong and able. He is loving and kind. My HOPE, my real HOPE is in Him and Him alone.

I love books, MOPS and seeing my children reflect little pieces of Christ in their own little way.

It is our intention to homeschool and we've been dabbling in it for over a year now.

Summer Art Work

We did lots of crafts this summer and I don't think I'm going to keep any of them this time.  So I captured them with my camera.  Between chapter camp, a camp at our state park, VBS, staff regionals and the YMCA we had plenty!

Fun with ice

Great Summer Activity!

I got this idea from another blog.  I froze some fish themed toys in a large Tupperware container.  I had trouble hiding it--they were very curious!  I gathered fun tools for them to chip away at the ice.  I also had salt in a shaker, sprinkles in another and flour in another.  We talked about their hypothesis--what would help the ice melt the quickest.  We also had a watering can filled with hot water.  Frog and Bird had a great time chipping away at the ice and seeing their toys poke through.  They had fun playing with the first half of the block.  The kids soon grew tired of it and we set it out in the sun and said we'll come look after nap time.  It was a hot day so this was a perfect activity!

The Moth

Our Pet Moth

Late fall we found a caterpillar hanging on the back of a leaf.  The leaf was off of the tree and on the ground.  The kids and I put the leaf on the fence thinking the caterpillar would crawl away.  A few days later we saw the leaf again with a cocoon on it.  We were very excited.

We put the cocoon in a bucket and left it on the porch.  I really didn't think anything would happen.  At one point rain blew in and filled the bucket and covered the cocoon for a few days.  After that I placed the cocoon inside our hutch on the porch.  We went away to chapter camp in late May.  When we came back the kids and I were sitting on the porch and were startled by something sticking out of the hutch door and moving.  The moth had come out and the wing was in the crack of the door.  I opened the door and jumped back.  The moth was stuck.  The kids were bouncing up and down and I bravely called my husband to come rescue the moth.

The moth rescue was successful.  After posing for some pictures he flew out the open door.  It felt like a homeschooling moment you only read about in perfect homeschooling books.  So encouraging!

Tot Packs

I was inspired by other blogs to do some fun units this half of the here.  The Cars Pack is the first one I used. It's a nice break in the routine.

Street Cleaning

Closely watching the street cleaner.  The funny thing is Super Frog got a Play Mobil street cleaner for Christmas.  We knew exactly how they worked.  Never a dull moment around here :)

Our Ant House

The kids are feeding the ants and helping them to build bigger and better houses.  Maybe this will encourage the ants to STAY OUTSIDE!

Writing Letters

Writing practice.  We do this a couple of times a week.  This board has lower cases, numbers and shapes.  He's left handed...that can get in the way sometimes

Brother Sister Bonding

Watching a little show together

iXL

Ben's iXL or as we call it--Game Star.  He didn't like the name so Game star it is!  I like the learning features on it.  K. came over to play and he's showing it to her.  It's great for car rides.