Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook


FOR TODAY Monday, March 30, 2009
Outside my window... nightime in Nevada.
I am thinking...that I am emotionally drained today.
I am thankful for...my wonderful friend, Lisa
From the learning rooms...we have had a wonderful time learning. We also started our Science curriculum back up.
From the kitchen... the dinig room chairs are FINALLY finished! So we are enjoying all sitting together at one table for mealtime.
I am wearing...pj's
I am creating... a lapbook for the kids to do on Leif the Lucky
I am going... to sleep very soon
I am reading... A Safe Haven book...can't think of the title.
I am hoping...that tomorrow Kyle makes better choices
I am hearing...ronnie breathing, lol.
Around the house...we got more of the home decor up this past weekend. The house is looking like a home.
One of my favorite things...How soft Kyle's hair is when he uses my Aussie shampoo.
A few plans for the rest of the week... this week the children will be starting Awana. They will be in a play on Sunday to celebrate Palm Sunday.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Curriculum, curriculum, curriculum!

Lisa and I have been talking curriculum for days!!....and loving every minute of it! She has decided on the history curriculum she is going to be using next year. I am going to continue Beautiful Feet Early American History and also incorporate a geography curriculum into the year.
This year, because Kyle was doing a 2nd grade curriculum, we took things slowly. So next year we will be picking up where we leave off at the end of this year in a few subject areas.
I have purchased his third grade curriculum, but we may not move into it until a few months into the new school year. I'll be able to better judge this at the end of this school year.
We are not doing evals this year, as they are definitely not necessary. But we will be doing school through June 30th and then taking 8 or 9 weeks off for summer break...starting school again on Sept. 2nd (the day after Labor Day). I would like to stay with the ritual of the first day of school being a field trip....so...I will be looking for something fun for us to do on 9-2-09.

As for the rest of this school year....we are enjoying it more than ever before. Hayleigh is doing History with Kyle--he really enjoys having someone to do this with. We just finished the study on Leif Eriksson (Leif the Lucky) and will be doing lapbooks on it this coming week. The following week we will begin a study on Christopher Columbus and then lapbook on him before moving into an in-depth study of the Pilgrims.

We are just plugging along in Math, Spelling, Handwriting and Bible.
As for English, Kyle learned this past week the meaning of the word paragraph, what qualifies as a topic, and what supporting and non-supporting sentences are for a paragraph. He has also added to his classification of sentences a skill builder check. For each sentence he classifies the normal: subject noun, verb, adverb, adjective and article adjective. But he is now also identifying each noun as singular or plural and common or proper. (btw, he feels the need to inform that he thinks this is "SO EASY")

He LOVES his reading and we are moving along in that as well. We just finished a story called "Little Bugs Trip". This story talked about pride and bragging. It was a good lesson, referencing several Bible scriptures.
Monday we will be beginning the story "Samuel, Servant of God".

We will be heading back into our Science curriculum in the upcoming weeks, finishing our study on rocks and minerals and moving into the unit on Weather. In that we will be covering climates, temperature, humidity, precipitation, the equator, hemisphere, molecules (in relation to weather), vaccuum, cirrus clouds, cumulus clouds, nimbus rain, stratus, light and the term "omnipresent".
I would also like to complete the unit following weather, "The Plant Kingdom", before we stop for summer break. That will leave beginning next year with "The Animal Kingdom". (Which is a HUGE unit, that may very well take all of next year to complete).

Tomorrow we are trying out a church here in Fernley. They have an established childrens ministry and even have Awana on Wednesday nights. (Kyle was involved in Awana when he was 4, so this is great!) They also have a small group ministry and a Women's Ministry. Of course, we don't really know what it's like until we attend, but I did read their doctrine and listened to a sermon from the pastor and it seems like the type of church we will enjoy. So say a prayer for us as we attend tomorrow, for God's guidance and wisdom in evaluating if this is the church for us.

I'm off for now!
xoxo

3/27/2009

OK, here we go...a week later...here are the flowers around our tree, the tree branches--MANY more green leaves than just a week ago...and our sprouts!
And, of course, I had to take some pics of the kids playing with bubbles!!










Here is a pic of the kids play area, our sewing area (it's quite the mess right now) and our school room.



Friday, March 27, 2009

PICS!! From 3-20-2009

These were taken Friday, 3-20-2009...ENJOY!




Below are the 300 seeds we planted as starters. We did broccoli, squash, zucchini and peppers. We will be doing more in a couple of weeks...this way they get planted in stages.
Also I took some pics of the beautiful flowers growing around our tree in the front yard. These pics were taken on 3/20--I have some pics from today as well(3/27)....one week later. I will post them on the next blog.
I also took a picture of the branches from the tree in our front yard...It is starting to get some green leaves on it...I took the same photo today, one week later, and I will post that one on the next blog too!




Here are the kids playing in the dirt and loving it...and some pics of the mountainous view from our home.




And...we have a Christmas tree growing in our yard.


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Update on our lives...

We LOVE Nevada!!! It is so unbelievable. Trying to describe it is like trying to describe the ocean to someone who's never seen it. It isn't possible. In our front yard we have some pretty lily's or tulips or something coming up. They are as green as green gets! It's nice to see green here :)

Kyle and I are plugging along in school. He starts writing paragraphs next week! I have purchased most of his curriculum for next year already! I have been so blessed in finding wonderful prices for these items and I have met two other homeschool moms from the homeschool group here! Next year we are studying the Prairie Primer....it's a complete literature approach to the Laura Ingalls Wilder series!! We will actually experience life as they did back in those times.

We have also started our History back up for this year and are currently learning about Leif the Lucky. Hayleigh is doing this with Kyle and Kyle LOVES that!

The guys have been having "Monster Garage" in our garage for the past couple of weeks. They have built a doonbuggy and named it "Psycho Billy"...because it is just insane....no one but them is allowed near the dangerous thing. It's death waiting to happen, lol.
Also, they have been building--yes, building--a locksmith truck. They are naming the business here "Bumblebee Lock & Key" and painting the truck black and yellow. They have COMPLETELY disassembled a pickup, got all kinds of fenders, beds, etc from other vehicles...they are sanding and welding and stripping everything. Eddie had built a brand new race engine and put it in the truck...these guys are crazy-but Ronnie is LOVING, LOVING, LOVING IT!!
lol.

Hayleigh and Cody both got 4 wheelers a couple of weeks ago---for FREE!!! so the guys have also been working on those. There's a track out past our property line that we have permission to use, so Kyle's been riding his dirtbike and the other two riding their 4 wheelers over there. Of course the daddy's have to be there riding too. :)

We have been shopping at Sam's Club and have been saving lots of money on groceries. In 14 days we go through 8 gallons of milk and 10 loaves of bread! Can you believe that!! ;)
We also have some deer meat, elk meat and antelope meat in our freezer from an Indian who is close friends with Eddie....I am siked about cooking that up!

Well, that's the short version of what's been going on in our lives...feel free to email or call if you want to chat more!
Love to you all,
Lisa

Monday, March 16, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook


FOR TODAY Monday, March 16, 2009
Outside my window... over the mountains to my left there are dark snow clouds. Over the mountains to my right is a bright blue sky, cloud-free!
I am thinking...that I am in SO much pain right now.
I am thankful for...my amazing child.
From the learning rooms...we've got a great routine down now. School is flowing smoothly.
From the kitchen... wonderful food
I am wearing...a robe
I am creating... Easter stuff
I am going...absolutely NO WHERE today
I am reading... A book I can't think of the name of. It's a Safe haven novel though.
I am hoping...that life stays this wonderful
I am hearing...Nancy in the schoolroom teaching Hayleigh money.
Around the house...things are coming together nicely. It's really starting to look homey.
One of my favorite things...the family room.
A few plans for the rest of the week... we have to go into Reno tomorrow. Hanging the rest of the decor is also on this weeks agenda.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...