Occupied

I was busy in the kitchen, trying to get a few things done, and needed something that would completely occupy the boys for a while.  I dug out a large bowl, added soap, got out measuring cups that were plastic, and some other containers of interest, and voila...instant water table, err bowl...activity!

Levi...loving it!

And this is Lydia, playing in the pack and play during the activity.

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Fun Links!

If I hadn't mentioned it before, Lydia was asked to be in a baby wholesaler's catalog at the end of May.  She did fantastic at the photo shoot and they decided to use the photos to update their local billboard.  She now looks at us daily as we go down the highway. 

We have had a fantastic weekend with family and friends.  I made the most delicious food...if I do say so myself.  I made Chicken and Dumplings this afternoon for lunch--and they were so good...the recipe is found here.  Also, from Comfy in the Kitchen, I made Cinnamon Chip Bread Pudding, with warm Vanilla Milk..you can find that recipe here, too.

I found some amazing and fun ideas for clothing for Lydia.  There are two cute dresses at this link that I plan to try in the next few weeks.

I found a delicious recipe for Marshmallow Cookies, like I need another dessert recipe to fix, but they look and sound oh so good!

I have posted this link before, but hope to get to it this week...I absolutely love this idea--Rain Gutter Bookshelves.

And finally, because we are gearing up for school...Color By Number Lowercase Alphabet. 

Did you find any great links this week?

Blessings to you--it is my prayer you had a fantastic weekend too!

Amanda

For Your Information...

Right now Target has a few great homeschooling accessories in their 1 Spot at the front of the store. Deals I saw included...wipe off mats, foam clocks, weather (and a few other) bulletin board accessories, self correcting alphabet and number puzzles, and flash cards.  Happy Shopping!

IF

I'm not much of a poet, and my favorite poems tend to be the ones that rhyme and come out of Shel Silverstine Books.  When I taught at the Christian school, one of my favorite poems became If by Rudyard Kipling.  It was part of my students memory work, and I totally have used it ever since (my children will certainly memorize it too!).  I just felt like sharing it today.


If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

School

I have been pouring through curriculum catalogs and online resources since I came home from the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention. I guess you could say, that I am more than a little obsessed with it and have resolved to the fact that it is why I became a teacher in the first place. I love school, I love school supplies, I love organizing it, and being creative...I just plain love it!  We do school a few times a week now, but we are mostly doing Tot School and are using mostly Montessori Methods.  For Pre School this year, I am doing a combination of Montessori and Classical Education and have fallen in love with 2 classical curriculums.  I really like Classical Conversations and Veritas Press.  After scouring, going through what I do and don't have--and what I want, I have come up with this rough list...what do you think?

Veritas Press

Big Picture Bible Timeline         

Child’s Story Bible                         

(already have wee sing bible songs)

Addition Math Songs                    

Subtraction Songs                          

Saxon Math K Homestudy kit     

Saxon Math  meeting book                            

Literature unit--Phonics Museum                            

My Father’s World

Number Puzzle Boards and Pegs              

Textured Letters                           

Book: What really happened to the dinosaurs

Already have pegboard and lacing shapes, and other misc stations. 

Pre School Cards, and Hide ‘em in your Heart

Hooked on Phonics

Super workbook Pre-K and other misc. resources (already have)

I will probably use these resources for the next 2 years depending on how quickly we go through them.  I am super excited that I have a plan!  I have some great units saved from 1+1+1=1 and Homeschool Creations, too!  What are you planning on using this year?

Much Love, 

Amanda
Linking up here at Educating Layton
and at:  

A little catch up!

I had lots of great intentions regarding posts this month and just never got around to them...because the weather has been too nice...here they are in pictures...enjoy!

 Our Garden

 Having fun in the garden and sandbox (that isn't filled yet)

 having more fun! you can see the trail from the house/sandbox to the garden...

 Our Starts for the garden

 One of the Garden related books we got from our TINY library...

Lydia...celebrating the royal wedding...with mommy's wedding tiara

Steel Cut Oats...$1.84 for over 2 pounds at the Amish Bakery I buy our bread at!

Adding a sticker station to our homeschooling centers

Cutie Levi posing for the camera

Hope you have been having a fantastic spring too!

Silas

Silas is my most vocal child...he will talk your ear off and loves to repeat himself.  He is Levi's best bubby and so protective of Lydia...he is such a great brother!  However, with my little talker, I often encourage him to practice his pronunciation.  You see...we have no shortage of V words in our world...we have a Violet (our dog), Levi, and a friend Ava. Silas pronunciation= Biolet...Veeli...Via...I try to encourage him to say VV, Violet...and he repeats "VV vbiolet" or Leeevi...and he repeats "LLVeeli".  He is such a funny boy!  Our other pronunciation practice often comes with the word finger...it sounds like "ninger"...I say FF finger and he repeats...."FF Fninger".  We'll keep practicing! His favorite phrase this week is "that sounds like a good idea, mommy...good idea" and of course his other signature phrases..."sure mommy, sure" and "actually, mommy..no ...".  Such an awesome boy! I love him!(and of course, all of my littles)

Levi

Levi loved "school" so much yesterday that this morning he came bounding into my room with his backpack on...and full of books.  He bent over to pick something off of the floor and he couldn't keep his balance...it was SO loaded with books. He said he was ready to do school.  I told him we do school downstairs, he responded that he was ready to go downstairs then...I had him take the bookbag off--I was afraid he would go rolling down the stairs! He is so funny!

Today's Tot School

Today we got out some new "school" items, it's really not school...just a play that is more structured and new!  I have been working to put together some Montessori centers so that the boys could have some more structured play on their rugs.  I love this website-www.1plus1plus1equals1.com!  It gave me a lot of ideas!  

Here's what we were doing today!

 We affectionately call this one spooning, it is sorting pastel colored pompons with a large spoon--

This one is Silas' favorite!
I bought all of the pompons, the little bowls, the spoon, and the silver trays at the Dollar Tree. 

 This one is just moving one pompon over at a time into a different bowl--they are just learning to use their fingers in a new way.  I have two different pairs of tongs and plan to get a smaller, easier pair...this one is harder for them.  But, they loved trying! The only thing I had to buy for this one is the pompons...everything else is from my kitchen.

 This is our spaghetti sorting...putting the spaghetti into the small holes of a Parmesan cheese shaker and salt and pepper shakers that I also purchased at the Dollar Tree. 

I found some great cutting pages on a Montessori website--I plan on putting them on a tray for tomorrow! 

Our Easter memory verse this year is Matthew 28:6--"He is not here; He has risen, just as he said..."  Hopefully they'll have it memorized by Easter morning!  Have a blessed week!

Amanda

Cincy Homeschool Convention

This weekend I am attending the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Aaron is attending the Great Banquet Mens weekend in Decatur. The boys, they are with grandparents, and of course...Lydia is with me. I have enjoyed this time of refreshing after a time of chaos. For those of you who don't know...we moved again! Aaron had an opportunity that we just couldn't refuse, so we packed up and moved. He has been in Northern Indiana since December, traveling home on the weekends, until a few weeks ago when we closed on our new "project". It is a foreclosure and was a steal of a deal, so we snatched it up and are painting, cleaning, etc. SOOO, a weekend away is certainly welcomed! I am enjoying exploring curriculum programs and sitting in on seminars and enjoying it a lot. Since Aaron and I made the decision, that homeschooling is the right decision for our family, I have been looking online at materials--It has been neat to see them in person and explore some I didn't even know existed. I am thankful for my own educational training and can't wait to get started. Today I purchased just a few items, as I am mostly getting ideas and exploring this weeknd, I purchased 3 items from the Toddler/PreSchool materials that My Father's World produces. My kids love music, so of course I bought WeeSing Bible Songs, a new Bible Verses CD by Steve Green called Hide It In Your Heart, and some PreSchool Activity Cards (to use with some materials that I have). I am so excited to get home and use them.

Our new home has a garden area and I am so excited to grow starts and plant our veggies this year. We will be watching things grow, make a book about how God grows things, and doing a lot of canning and freezing. There is no TV connected in our new home, so long days will be spent outside.