For the past two days I have had the great opportunity to be attending our states homeschool conference. First and foremost, the very nice benefit of this conference is seeing SO MANY homeschoolers in one place. If you ever have had that "I'm alone in this venture." feeling....this is the cure. It's nice to see all the adults, but I've really enjoyed also seeing the children! I didn't personally bring my children, although I think next year (if I come again, which I hope to), I will bring my oldest, possibly both of the older kids. But defineatly my oldest.
Secondly, the book fair. Oh, the book fair. I am a lover of books. My husband is going to be very dismayed when I get home later today. I packed my suitcase back up this morning, as I will be checking out of the hotel early today, and HALF of it is now full of books! Good, solid, eductaional books. I got my Core Knowledge book for my oldest for next year (5th grade, I ask you HOW is that possible??), I also got the 3rd grade book to recap with my younger one and prepare her better for the Grade 4 book her sister is currently using. We'll most likely skip around though, and not cover everything in the 3rd grade book, and then she'll start the 4th grade book in the fall.
Thirdly, the workshops. I've had both good and not so good experiences with the workshops. Some of them have been great, exactly what I needed and had hoped for, very informative and noteworthy. BUT, some of them have been less than up to par in my opinion, not really covering the issues laid forth in the outline, not giving the information *I* was looking for (not that I am the center of the universe, but I am the center of this blog so I can be perfectly honest), and not at all helpful. Nonetheless, I've enjoyed them.
My favorite workshops were the one on learning styles (I also bought the book "The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Tobias), and a vendor workshop on lapbooks. I really enjoy lapbooks, and want to do more of them in the coming year as I see them as such a valuable tool...in additon to just being plain fun! I also purchased a lapbook kit on the election, which I'm REALLY excited about getting into with the girls. They've been very interested in the election this year, so I'm going to capitalize on that interest. I'm also defineatly planning on buying more of the books that make it so much simpler to make the books. Hands of a Child has a quartley freebie, and currently it's an Amelia Earhart lapbook. I got that today as well! :-)
Today is the last day of the conference, and I'm looking forward to the last 3 seminars. One of them is on frustration...yeah, I have those days. One of them is on raising kids who make a difference. This is one of my big goals for my children's lives, raising children who go out in the world no afraid to do the important things (not that their important things will necessarily match mine). I want them to help others, and be of service to others. Then I head home! I'm excited to get home as this was my first time being away from my itty-bitty. I'm away from the girls for a few days at a time on a normal basis (because they spend weekends with their father pretty often), so while I still miss them (I miss them when I'm home and they're gone as well though), missing the baby is worse.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Earth Day Acrostic Poems
In honor of Earth Day (which we are celebrating all week) my girls wrote these:
Recycle
Electricity, save it!
Conserve
You can collect buckets of rain water and use it to wash your car!
Carry cans and plastic bags to a recycling center.
Less watering!
Eat less beef!
Recycle
Energy, use less of it!
Conserve
You can save water by putting a bucket under the faucet when waiting for the water to get warm.
Consider volunteering to pick up trash around your neighborhood or local park.
Littering, don't do it!
Electricity, use less of it by taking the challenge to not use the lights during the day!! :) !! (that was the punctuation on her paper lol)
Hoping you're all inspired now!
Live long and Be green!
Recycle
Electricity, save it!
Conserve
You can collect buckets of rain water and use it to wash your car!
Carry cans and plastic bags to a recycling center.
Less watering!
Eat less beef!
Recycle
Energy, use less of it!
Conserve
You can save water by putting a bucket under the faucet when waiting for the water to get warm.
Consider volunteering to pick up trash around your neighborhood or local park.
Littering, don't do it!
Electricity, use less of it by taking the challenge to not use the lights during the day!! :) !! (that was the punctuation on her paper lol)
Hoping you're all inspired now!
Live long and Be green!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Going Green for Earth Day
If you visit often, you may have noticed I changed my blog color scheme to a "greener" me.
In honor of tomorrow being earth day, I've been thinking of ways I can be more green! I am pretty green...we cloth diaper, we dont' have any paper towels in our house, we compost, we conserve water, we make sure unused appliances are unplugged, we use cloth grocery bags.
I challenge myself to not turn on the lights during the day (this will be a big challenge for my kids!) as it seems to just be habit to switch on a light. I challenge myself to line dry anything possible. I challenge myself to use the fans to help cut down on the air conditioner running as the weather warms up.
I challenge ALL of you to find even just a small way that you can challenge yourself to be even just a little greener. I read someone else's blog recently and she mentioned that she uses A LOT of paper towels, so she was challenging herself to use only one roll a week. That's a big change, and one that does effect the planet, even though it may seem like something small!
Leave me a comment letting me know what you're challenging yourself to do to save our planet.
In honor of tomorrow being earth day, I've been thinking of ways I can be more green! I am pretty green...we cloth diaper, we dont' have any paper towels in our house, we compost, we conserve water, we make sure unused appliances are unplugged, we use cloth grocery bags.
I challenge myself to not turn on the lights during the day (this will be a big challenge for my kids!) as it seems to just be habit to switch on a light. I challenge myself to line dry anything possible. I challenge myself to use the fans to help cut down on the air conditioner running as the weather warms up.
I challenge ALL of you to find even just a small way that you can challenge yourself to be even just a little greener. I read someone else's blog recently and she mentioned that she uses A LOT of paper towels, so she was challenging herself to use only one roll a week. That's a big change, and one that does effect the planet, even though it may seem like something small!
Leave me a comment letting me know what you're challenging yourself to do to save our planet.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
States Coloring Pages--FREE!
These are nice, free states coloring pages. I just discovered them....
http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/learn/states/
Enjoy.
http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/learn/states/
Enjoy.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Projects
Last week, I completed my "Sandpaper" letters (actually felt). I got the information on how to make them from an email group that I'm in. Here is the photo and info from the source. Mine look just like these, because I made them the same way. They were actually suprisingly simple!
http://family.webshots.com/photo/2062535970100452258UfKYqh
This weeks project is to make the moveable alphabet. I've already printed the ones I chose to use, you can find different templates online. Now, I just have to cut them apart and laminate them. Originally, I was going to make them from dough, but I just couldn't get it right. So, for now, these printed ones will do. Eventually, I'd like to make some from a thick foam type board or maybe even just fun foam.
I also got caught up on my flags for the states.
http://family.webshots.com/photo/2062535970100452258UfKYqh
This weeks project is to make the moveable alphabet. I've already printed the ones I chose to use, you can find different templates online. Now, I just have to cut them apart and laminate them. Originally, I was going to make them from dough, but I just couldn't get it right. So, for now, these printed ones will do. Eventually, I'd like to make some from a thick foam type board or maybe even just fun foam.
I also got caught up on my flags for the states.
Twister! and why EVERY home should have this game
(For those of you who read both blogs, this is a repeat...but I had to share it here for those who only view this one!)
Twister is such an EXCELLENT learning tool!
You can use it to teach colors (blue, red, green, yellow).
It teaches right and left!
It teaches body parts--hand and foot anyway. (this is the way in which we'll be using it with my toddler this week).
You can tape letters/numbers onto the dots and then call things like "Put your left foot on a red R."
You can use it to teach ordinals. "Put your right hand on the third blue dot."
You can use it to teach addition/multiplication, tape the numbers into place. Spin the spinner twice. Have child do the math operation. "Add your left foot and your right hand."
You can use it for geography! Tape the names of states, countries, capitals, continents, etc to the dots. Spin the spinner. Have the child name the capital of the state/country they are on, have them identify the bordering countries, or bodies of water, etc.
Don't let your own imagination stop here! I'm telling you Twister can be used for just about anything!
Twister is such an EXCELLENT learning tool!
You can use it to teach colors (blue, red, green, yellow).
It teaches right and left!
It teaches body parts--hand and foot anyway. (this is the way in which we'll be using it with my toddler this week).
You can tape letters/numbers onto the dots and then call things like "Put your left foot on a red R."
You can use it to teach ordinals. "Put your right hand on the third blue dot."
You can use it to teach addition/multiplication, tape the numbers into place. Spin the spinner twice. Have child do the math operation. "Add your left foot and your right hand."
You can use it for geography! Tape the names of states, countries, capitals, continents, etc to the dots. Spin the spinner. Have the child name the capital of the state/country they are on, have them identify the bordering countries, or bodies of water, etc.
Don't let your own imagination stop here! I'm telling you Twister can be used for just about anything!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I knew this day would come....
I knew the day would come when my children would refer to Tomato Soup, as just that, Tomato Soup. So, why you ask did this event make me want to cry?
This was one of the LAST 'baby' things they had left. So, it was a sad sad day. All their lives they have called tomato soup "cracker soup". Honestly, I don't remember a time since they could talk that they didn't refer to it as such. So when the words "tomato soup" came out of her mouth (my oldest that is), it nearly brought my world crashing to the ground.
I know I should be happy, she's growing, she's beautiful, she's talented, she's amazing.....
I'm writing this to remind you ALL that they are growing. Far too fast. And no matter how firmly you plant your feet, and drag them behind you, they just keep moving forward. Hug them, hold them close, these days are fleeting.
This was one of the LAST 'baby' things they had left. So, it was a sad sad day. All their lives they have called tomato soup "cracker soup". Honestly, I don't remember a time since they could talk that they didn't refer to it as such. So when the words "tomato soup" came out of her mouth (my oldest that is), it nearly brought my world crashing to the ground.
I know I should be happy, she's growing, she's beautiful, she's talented, she's amazing.....
I'm writing this to remind you ALL that they are growing. Far too fast. And no matter how firmly you plant your feet, and drag them behind you, they just keep moving forward. Hug them, hold them close, these days are fleeting.
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