Friday, May 3, 2013

Thoughts on homeschool

     We did it. We home schooled for a full school year! PreK and "pre" preschool.
I am sharing my thoughts and our accomplishments this year, as several mamas have been asking about what we do and how we do it.
 
     I prayed. All last summer. And a lot throughout the school year. I didn't want to do this unless it was God's best plan for our family.
     We had the opportunity to join a wonderful small co-op this January, and so I prayed even more. We decided to join, and we love it! Fellowship and community. We all need it. God made us this way.
     Our five year old joined a ballet class and we knew it would be a good fit when the owner said, "You home school?! We LOVE home schoolers!"
     She also joined Awana at our local Baptist church. These commitments have been great for making friends, building her confidence, and learning.
     Snow days are a gift from God. I always recognize them. My kids go out and enjoy God's beautiful creation. We talk about the phrase "white as snow." We make a fire, watch old movies, and eat tomato soup and grilled cheese. JOY!
     Birthdays should be school holidays AND celebrations.

     What we have accomplished has been tangible as well as intangible.
     Our oldest has developed a lot of quiet confidence in herself, and her abilities. She has made new friends. She has matured into a helpful, diligent and kind person, even more than she was before. I think having her at home and being able to focus on building up her strengths, as well as strengthening her weak areas, has been totally worthwhile.
     She has also learned how to read, how to count to 37, and add numbers. She can spell many words without help. The phonetically spelled words are the funniest, though!
     She has great hand writing, has memorized all the preK and most of the K sight words. She loves history and bible reading, and ponders many bible stories at length.

     Our 2 year old has learned all the upper and lower case letters, their phonic sounds, and can write many of them. She sounded out her first word the other day!
     She has enjoyed a lot of marker time, Play Doh time, helping in the kitchen, basic counting, stories, games, cutting with scissors, tracing letters, "spelling" words and watching her big sister learn.
                                                          (The last day of school!)
     The materials I would recommend are:
            BOB Books for reading
            LeapFrog DVDs for phonics, for both ages!
            General workbooks for preK, my girls LOVE them, and I can allow them to work on their own.
            Story of The World for preK
           The Picture Bible for preK

            Also, our co-op is using We Choose Virtues, which my oldest loves, and I highly recommend that as well.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

green

Beads, vintage. Top and jeans, Old Navy maternity. (This top is huge now, and I like it, but I was happy to add it to the stack of clothes to get rid of, after this wear.)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Baby weight, Easter outfit.

 Glasses, RayBan rx. Earrings, Anthropologie, bought them on a trip to Chicago with my bestie. Beads, vintage from my great grandma Tootsie. What a name, huh?!
 Top, ModCloth. Jeans, Old Navy maternity. Sandals, Urban Outfitters.
Coffee, my constant companion....vintage Fire King mug.

I'm so encouraged to say this: I have lost half (19 pounds!!) of the baby weight already, 8 days after delivery! This was definitely NOT the case with my girls...and I feel very blessed. Those of you who know me well know what a struggle I've had in the past with weight gain, and how much of a gift this is to me.
God is good, even in the little things!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Easter dresses




Dresses: AdornMe Girl. Gold shoes, tights and leggings: Target. Coral shoes: Old Navy

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

home school+Hammurabi

     Nothing like starting your morning with a giant tumbler of ice water dumped all over your coffee table, which is covered in library books, which you grab and then the water goes into your moccasins sitting under the table.
      Because your 2 year old could.not.wait to start on her workbook that was underneath all your 5 year old's stuff. Which is all borrowed.
       This morning we discussed the Code of Hammurabi. Really, there is something fascinating seeing how much kids can "get" and cross reference. Listening to my pre-kinder explaining how the Code did not hold up to the 10 commandments was so rewarding.
      The Code: If a man is caught breaking a hole into a house with intent to steal, he will be put to death in front of that hole.
      PreK: "I'm pretty sure that Jesus said to forgive him, not kill him! But we have to do SOMETHING about the stealing..."
      Me: "Maybe jail?
      How many times should you forgive him before you kill him?"
      PreK: "Uh, I think ALL the times."
     And of course, I am not "teaching" this-just reading out loud to her and asking for her feedback. (We started Story of the World this month. Just reading it out loud to her. She loves it! I totally recommend it, and the chapter are usually under 5 pages, so the 2 year old can handle waiting for her book while I read it, although she doesn't care about it. Except she loves the picture of Romulus and Remus and Da Wolf on the cover.)

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Hi, I missed you!

      So, maybe I'm back. I miss blogging, sharing my daily stuff and just feeling connected to the world. I lost my camera battery charger last July...and I have a new one on the way, thanks to my sweet husband.
      I've been busy homeschooling my girls, growing a baby and reading and cooking a lot! (Okay, and napping...)
       This is me and baby J at 37 weeks together, getting ready for Julie's birthday party.
      Glasses, Ray-Ban. (RX) Earrings, Anthropologie. Top, Mod Cloth. Jeans, Asos (maternity) Purse, vintage via a yard sale (1.00!) Boots, Frye via eBay. Lipstick, Maybelleline (Shocking Coral)
       I'm now at 38 weeks and 4 days. Not being patient, but I'm praying a lot. Just trying to hang in there til this sweet babe decides to show up!
       So, what have you been up to?!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

My outfit and my DaRlInG

                                     "Dere my baby, in dere. Baby James, my brudder."
                                                                  "Dere me, Mama!"
                       (Enough about that guy, let's get down to it! By the way, 10 weeks today.)

"Dat me! Dat me, right dere!" (She <3's the screen on my camera!)

     Tank, Target, 13. Skirt, Old Navy, 20. Sandals, Target. (gift money) Beads, Anthropologie. (gift money) Lip, L'Oreal British Red, 6.