Friday, December 30, 2016

Fancy Nancy

Drinking coffee and having someone read aloud to you... This is school life and it's so good!

Marbles

Just stepped from a nice hot long shower to the blaring tune of "I love rock and roll." It's clean up music apparently for the kids, all because I promised them a bag of marbles. They're cheap labor and they don't even know it! Ha! Love these blessed babies of mine. Wish i had a book in here... I'd run the tub! 😂😂😂

Monday, December 26, 2016

After Christmas clean up

Some much to clean up....
Love when it's back in order!


My new "Mr. Browne'd Precept board" for the new year. Idea taken from "Wonder" by Palacio


Baby piglets

Early wake up call to the kiddos... We are having piglets!! This is how they all come dressed, pjs, indian pants, super hero cape and liberty overalls. Each child marches to the beat of a different drum, which harmonizes to make beautiful music to this mama. 

Wish yall could see this kid! So attentive, that I finally left him with the farrowing sow so I could go fix breakfast. Doesn't he just look like a farmer or maybe James Herriot!!! He's delivered more babies than most grown people. At lunch, when he finally came in to wash up and eat the report was "the last one needed a little assistance getting the sac off her snout but 13 babies and all are doing well." He blesses my soul with is grown up manly ways. 










Thursday, December 22, 2016

Birds

We put bird feeders in the tree next to the living room window.... Nothing! No birds! Probably due to Boone. So I moved to feeders to the tree line by the well house... Still no birds! Yesterday we finally had a small group of birds in the front yard. We watched them as long as ️the stayed. A Clay-colored sparrow and then a pine warbler!!!! She was beautiful!! We are really enjoying bird identification lately. Maybe I can convince the kiddos to draw one of these guys today in their nature journals 👍!

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

More from space museum







For lunch, hot potato soup from the Stanley thermos in the car... That's how we roll! 





Saturday, December 17, 2016

Dr. Quinn Day


The kids have been watching Dr.Quinn on disc from the library, so for ditch the desk day we did a unit study on the medicine woman. Geography: tracing her trip from Boston to Colorado Spring and all the natural obstacles she would've encountered. Latin: like any doctor would've studied 😉. Grammar: Letter to Boston asking for medicine and a story about encountering indians. Math: calculating medicination amounts. Nature study on a medicinal tree. Lastly watching Dr. Quinn and discussing plot, conflict, climax, and resolution of the TV show. 


Friday, December 16, 2016

Reluctant reader

Sibley is my reluctant reader, not struggling but reluctant. Recently she has formed a phobia of the dark which makes bedtime scary. To comfort her I've allowed her to have a headlamp even during "lights out" time only if she'll read. Of course, I've been sitting with her to ease into bedtime and I've enjoyed it.  All this to say, she's taking to the idea and seems to appreciate time to read at her own pace.... Blessings in disguise! 

Sibley , Owl Diaries. Me, Wonder


Thursday, December 15, 2016

States of matter

Playing with dry ice and the states of matter while discussing comets, dirty balls of ice!







Christmas Gifts


My mom always puts so much thought into 
Christmas Gifts. This year was a "match" to 
her recipe box. The box looks exactly like hers and
she filled it with hand written recipes, many for 
the people that originally gave them to her. 
Of course, my favorites are the ones in
her handwriting. 



Also, her and Alan give the kids (and parents) a 
trip for Christmas every year. Guess where we
are headed in June!!!! Cute clues that were 
wrapped up in their gifts. 

This gift a bought for myself! Read aloud Revival is 
a group of ladies that have started a "movement"....
so to speak, It supports families trying to
build a culture around books.
IT IS SO INSPIRATIONAL!
Honestly, I have seen the benefits.
My kids role play amazing characters from
beautiful stories... Laddie, Little Britches, Anne 
of Green Gables, Laura, Mary, Heather and Picket from 
The Green Ember and the list is never ending! More than
this character building role play, we as a family are able to 
discuss things greater than ourselves all because 
the kids have the words to express themselves...
truly life changing.
If you haven't seen the blog for Read Aloud Revival,
you are missing out!  

Columbus Space Center

What a great field trip!
We are studying space for a couple weeks and
this was a great local resource. 
The kids played in simulators,
drove mars rovers, watched a movie about 
astronauts and met "Red" the Robot!
I think Red was everyone's favorite... even the itty bitty students!
Best of all the scientist were
extremely kind, helpful and knowledgeable.
Everyone should take time to visit and 
support this educational opportunity. 


The boys are going to do great things one day!





Meet "Red".
Say Hello Red!