The Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap Up

~1~

In our homeschool this week

On Monday, we went on a field trip with our homeschool group. We visited a local children's museum in our area and learned about water, wind, and weather. The kids had fun learning while hanging out with their friends

Tuesday and Wednesday were regular old school days. The kids worked on their regular subjects. We did start reading Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling. We will be spending the next 9 weeks on this book. I love when children learn through great literature. I am trying to come up with a few fun lesson ideas to go along with this book.

Thursday, the kids drew a picture of a snapping turtle to go along with our Minn of the Mississippi lesson. 

While drawing, they listened to Johann Strauss. He is the composer we will be listening to and learning about this semester. 

Friday was an easy day. We had finished a lot of are lessons up during the rest of the week. We started our artist study. We will be studying Vincent Van Gogh.

~2~

In my life this week

We have cleaned up half of the house. I have started making piles of stuff to throw away or donate. For the past 2 years, I have done the 40 bags in 40 days during Lent. It always amazes me how much stuff/junk we can accumulate in a year. It's like dust bunnies. They just multiply under the couch. 

I am almost caught up on laundry. My goal is not to fall behind again at least not for a few months. 

It may be wishful thinking on my part.

We ordered all our seeds for the garden this year. I am so excited to get started on our garden. We have peas, beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, flowers, etc. 

~3~

What I have been working on

I have completed the photo albums for 2008! Now I only have all the photos from 2009 to the present to work on. Hopefully I can catch up soon.

I now have to work on the children's scrapbooks. I just have to add Christmas to their 2008 book and then I can move onto 2009.

~4~

What the kids are reading

Lego Man is still reading the Hobbit. He is enjoying it immensely. 

Princess P put reading on hold this week. She asked me to read to her each night this week. We have been reading some of storybooks off her shelves that we haven't read in awhile. She still isn't feeling great, so I think she just wanted to relax and unwind before bed. It's not fun to read when you have a headache. I hope she starts to feel better soon. I'll be very happy when she is 100% again.

~5~

Craziness in our week

Maddie has been a wild thing the past few nights.

 Running around the house, chasing the cats, leaping over furniture, and stealing food off the table. I will be so happy when it's finally warm out so we can take her for long walks and she can play in the creek.

She has so much energy that needs to be let out. 

~6~

What I am sewing

I am still woring on a wool skirt that I bought at the thrift store. It was way too big and I am taking it apart and remaking it. I started it and now I am thinking of putting it on hold until next winter. My goal is to lose 20 pounds, so I would hate to finish it and have it be too big. 

I may just put it aside and start on some skirts for Princess P.

~7~

New recipes I've tried

The kids have been asking for banana muffins, so after letting the bananas ripen I made some. I altered two recipes, my grandmother's recipe and a streusel recipe. I changed the recipes and created a gluten free version. The kids loved them. They are moist and a little spongy. I used 4 bananas, so I am thinking of adding 1 less next time. They do have an amazing banana flavor though!

Linking up with.....The Homeschool Mother's Journal , Weekly Wrap-Up, 7 Quick Takes, Friendship Friday, Homeschool Review, Family Fun Friday, Live and Learn, Random 5, and Hearts for Home

Discovery Museum Field Trip

This past Monday, we went on a field trip with our CCM homeschool co-op. We visited our local children's museum. It's small but the kids really enjoyed it. We had the children signed up for two different classes.
The younger kids, grades Prek-2nd, were signed up for a class about water called Water, Water Everywhere. The older kids, grades 3rd-6th, were signed up for a class about wind and weather called Wind and Weather.

Both museum educators were amazing with the kids. They kept the energy up and really involved the children in the learning process. The asked questions that would lead the children to think and come up with the answers to the scientific experiment being done. I sat in on the older kids class. They learned about pressure and how clouds are formed.

After the class, the children were able to roam about and play in the museum.

There were displays with gears, an apple packing plant that utilized simple machines like levers and pulleys, the kids could build their own roller coaster, a hospital area with an ambulance and a rock climbing wall.

This museum is relocating to a new facilty in April. It will be larger and will have more exhibits. We are looking forward to going back with friends to discover some new exhibits and have some more adventures.

Do you have a science or children's discovery museum in you area that you enjoy?
Leave a comment and let others know about it. Road trips are always fun!

Discovery Museum Field Trip

This past Monday, we went on a field trip with our CCM homeschool co-op. We visited our local children's museum. It's small but the kids really enjoyed it. We had the children signed up for two different classes.
The younger kids, grades Prek-2nd, were signed up for a class about water called Water, Water Everywhere. The older kids, grades 3rd-6th, were signed up for a class about wind and weather called Wind and Weather.

Both museum educators were amazing with the kids. They kept the energy up and really involved the children in the learning process. The asked questions that would lead the children to think and come up with the answers to the scientific experiment being done. I sat in on the older kids class. They learned about pressure and how clouds are formed.

After the class, the children were able to roam about and play in the museum.

There were displays with gears, an apple packing plant that utilized simple machines like levers and pulleys, the kids could build their own roller coaster, a hospital area with an ambulance and a rock climbing wall.

This museum is relocating to a new facilty in April. It will be larger and will have more exhibits. We are looking forward to going back with friends to discover some new exhibits and have some more adventures.

Do you have a science or children's discovery museum in you area that you enjoy?
Leave a comment and let others know about it. Road trips are always fun!

{pretty. happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life~

Every Thursday at Like Mother, Like Daughter

{pretty}

This past weekend we had a rare warm day of 60 degrees. After spending so many days indoors, everyone ventured outside. It was wonderful to feel the warm sunshine. It was great to just be outside and not freeze to death.

Even Mama Kitty strolled outdoors. 

She stayed out all day enjoying the fresh air. She is not a kitty that likes the snow, the cold, or the rain.

{happy}

Lego Man was excited to be able to head out and shoot his rocket he got for his birthday from a friend.

He couldn't wait to see how high it could go.

Of course, Toughy was happy to chase after the rockets as they flew across the yard and up into the sky.

The only bad part of living in the woods is all the trees.

Unfortunately, some of the rockets landed in tree branches.

It was was wonderful day to play outside and get some much needed fresh air.

{funny}

Maddie found a stick to play with or more appropriately said she found a big old tree limb.

It was funny to watch her try to carry around the log since it was bigger than her.

Three rockets came with the rocket launcher and two rockets were snagged in the tree. Thankfully we were able to knock them down out of the tree with a soccer ball.

{real}

Our sweet little puppy isn't so little anymore. She is now larger than our last dog and is still growing.

She is such a sweetheart and loves her family.

DIY~ Comfy Chair for American Girl Dolls

While Princess P was sick with the flu, I decided to do a fun project with once she started feeling a little better. We made a comfy chair for her dolls.

Supplies Needed
small wooden box
fabric
foam
stuffing
glue
needle and thread
sewing machine

I have been saving a wooden box that our clementines came in just for this project.

Princess P had to decided which dolls she wanted the chair for.... a historical doll or one of her modern dolls. She decided to go with the modern dolls. She picked out two fabrics, a pink and a green one. We measured out the fabric so it would cover the box.

We cut out a piece of foam to cover the top of the box.

I fold the fabric over the box and glued with a fabric glue.

I did the two longest sides first and then worked on the shorter sides.

I folded in the sides to form a clean edge. I then folded down the fabric and glued it in place.

I pressed down firmly to get a clean  fold.

I used clips to keep the fabric in place while the glue dried.

While chair dried, we worked on the pillows. I cut a rectangle a little bigger than the box to allow for seam allowance. Princess P sewed up the sides. We then stuffed the pillow with stuffing and hand stitched the pillows closed.

Once the bottom part of the chair was done, our mama cat immediately climbed on top for a nap.

Our finished chair had a back pillow and two small accent pillows.

It was an easy project to do and I had fun working with my daughter. She loved the chair and couldn't wait to play with it!

The Sunshine Award~ Blogging Honesty and Encouragement

I have been nominated for the Sunshine Award!

 Fellow blogger and friend Chris from

  Campfires and Cleats has graciously nominated for this award.

Thank you, Chris!

Rules for the Sunshine Award are....

1. Use the award logo in the post.

2. Link to the nominating blogger.

3. Write 10 pieces of information about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 fellow bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogsphere.

5. Leave a comment on the nominee's blog about their award.

There are so many wonderful ladies that inspire that it was hard to narrow down the field to just 10.

If you haven't visited these wonderful blogs I highly suggest you stop by and see what they are up too.

Reasons For Chocolate

Catholic Missionary Family

My Broken Fiat

Farmish Mama

Blissful and Domestic

Full Bus

Blair's Blessings

Catholic Creativity

Messily Ever After

Modest Mama

10 Things About Myself

1. I am a city girl (the suburbs) turned country girl. As a child, I never pictured myself having chickens or a pig.

2. I am learning to garden and can my own food. Again this is something I never saw myself doing as a child.  I didn't even know how to cook until I got married.

3. I lived in NY, near New York City, for 5 years and enjoyed the city life, but never wanted to raise a family there.

4. My outside garden does well, but any indoor plants I try to grow die within a year. The only plant I haven't managed to kill is a Christmas cactus. I will admit it doesn't bloom every year, but at least it hasn't died. My kids tell me I have a black thumb when it comes to plants.

5. I lived in London for 4 months. I visited Ireland, Germany, France, and Italy while there. I loved Europe and would love to go back.

6. I dislike shoe shopping! I love shoes but hate to go shopping for them. I wear a size 5-6 and have a terrible time finding my size. I always find a shoe I like but it is never in my size. The only shoes I can find are sneakers since I can wear kids.

7. I love chocolate! Any chocolate!

8. I hate bugs, lizards, snakes, rodents, and anything else that is creepy crawly. Living in the country has been an adventure. I have learned to be brave and kill spiders that are bigger than half dollar. It was either kill them or worry about them crawling on me while I sleep. Stink bugs are horrible too. They are noisy and dive bomb you.

9. I teach art at our homeschool co-op and teach CCD at our church. I enjoy planning the art lessons and the craft projects that the kids will do. I enjoying being crafty and creating various things. I like to see kids excited and learning something new and I love seeing the look of accomplishment when they have finished their creations. 

10. I always have a hard time finding things to tell about myself. I always think my life is not that exciting. I enjoy the simple things like spending time with my family, homeschooling, my kids, goofing with the animals, sewing, and being crafty. 

The Homeschool Mother's Journal/Our Weekly Wrap Up

~1~

In our homeschool this week.....

We are back into the swing of things! This was supposed to be our first full week back to school since the flu hit us and the death of my grandfather. Monday we had co-op. The children exchanged St. Valentine's day cards with their friends and I taught a fun art lesson to the preschool and kindergarten class. We painted a snow scene, which went well with ALL the snow we have gotten lately.
Tuesday was a rough day. It's always hard to get back to doing school when there have been so many breaks. It makes for a long, frustrating day.
On Wednesday, I was woken up during the night to a tiny voice calling for her mommy. Princess P is sick again with the flu. My poor little girl. She took another day off, while Lego Man did the basics math, spelling, cursive, and writing. We played a matching game I created for the kids to help them learn about the different types of birds of prey.

They find the name of the bird and match it with the correct picture. I even made a cheat sheet for moms. It's a free download....so check it out! I will admit it's rather simple, but it gets the job down.
On Thursday, Lego Man continued with his lessons while Princess P lounged on the couch. I hope she feels better soon.
On Friday, Lego Man completed two of his tests. He had a spelling test and a math test to complete. The rest of the day was spent having fun playing games, since Princess P has started to feel a little better.

~2~

In my life....

Laundry and more laundry! A certain little puppy has taken to peeing on the throw rugs in the house. She doesn't like the snow. So she has added some extra laundry to my already growing pile. It wouldn't be too bad if I could hang them outdoors.

I am hoping we get no more snow this winter, but I think I heard the weather man say that there may be more snow next Tuesday.
Ugh! Will winter ever end?
We are starting to see grass again and this Saturday it's going to be 58 degrees here!!!! I am so excited. I am dreading the mud that is going to occur with all that snow melting.
I tried a new recipe with smoked sausage this week. The family seemed to enjoy it. I'll try to get the recipe posted soon.

~3~
What I am reading.....
I started reading the Wheat Belly book and the Wheat Belly Cookbook.

     
I am really enjoying these books. The books provide plenty of information on why we have issues with wheat and why we should avoid eating wheat. The wheat our ancestors ate is not what we are eating. It's scary what has been done to our food supply and it's allowed.
I can't wait to try some of the yummy recipes.
There are recipes for breads, cakes, pancakes, and so much more.
I think Princess P will be one happy little girl.

~4~
What the kids are reading...
Lego Man is still reading the Hobbit.  I would love to sit in and have him read to me, but for some reason when my kids read to me I start to doze of to sleep. I know that is horrible. I can't be the only mom that happens to, can I?
Princess P is reading the Horse Diaries. She finished with book 1 and has moved onto book 2.




~5~
Things I am thinking about....
Disney's Frozen.



There has been a blog post floating around the big world of the Internet about how it is horrible and has all these hidden agendas.
I think sometimes people just over analyze or over think something.
Was the movie great? No, it's Disney.
Did we like it? Yes, I do think it was one of their better movies. It appealed to both boys and girls.
We loved Olaf!
The only complaint I had was that there was no need to make Elsa a sex kitten when she was singing her song about how she was free now.
It's a kids movie! Her gown did not have to have a slit up to her thigh and she didn't need to walk seductively across her ice castle. It just annoys me how society tries to make girls grow up too soon. Princess P received the dolls for Christmas and noticed right away that her dress didn't have a slit. She wanted to know why it did in the movie.
How do you tell her because sex sells?

~6~
What I am working on.....
I hemmed all of Lego Man's sleep pants. We bought them with room to grow but they are too long. I just added elastic to the bottoms and now they work great. No more walking on the pants or tripping on them as he walks down the hall. I have started to rework a brown plaid skirt I got at the thrift store. It was a size 16 but only $2. I am going to make a skirt for me and maybe Princess P.

~7~
What I am praying for....
My family as they begin to heal with the lose of my grandfather. My great aunt who had a mini stroke. My great aunt's husband who has cancer and my uncle who has leukemia.
On a less serious note, I am praying the house stays clean for at least a week!

Linking up with....The Homeschool Mother's Journal , Weekly Wrap-Up, 7 Quick Takes, Friendship Friday

No Ordinary Blog Hop, Homeschool Review, Family Fun Friday, Live and Learn, and Hearts for Home

Small Success Thursday~ No.1

~1~

We managed to stay healthy for 2 weeks. 

Princess P is sick again. I am praying that no one else gets it. It's seems to be the flu again.

~2~

I have caught up on all the bed linens and towels. Shockingly, I have gotten them put away too. I don't mind washing the clothes. It's the putting away that seems to not get done. Someone needs to develop a robot to put clothes away! Now all I have to do it get all the clothes washed. It's amazing how quickly clothes pile up when you're sick and away from home.

~3~

I have started planning for our garden this year. I am excited to try some new things and plant a few new crops. I would love to be able to have most of what we need canned and ready for use in the pantry. 

Linking up with Small Success Thursday at Catholic Mom.com.