Saturday, November 21, 2009

Home School in Pictures

There are many advantages to home schooling, such as...

Career Day is an ongoing process.

My kids are friends with children of all different ages.



You can take a break and go to a commercial audition in the middle of the day. (Or take a nap)

Art class consists of the materials of your choice, and can last for hours.
Science occurs in your own backyard.

You can head outside for artistic inspiration.


PE is at the gym.. or the upstairs hallway.


Crisp fall afternoons are able to be enjoyed outside.

Field Trips and Parties include the moms... so it's a social event for kids and adults! :)
Home Economics takes place... get this... at home.


Pets are allowed and encouraged.


No dress code... unless you call wearing PJs a dress code.


The down side? Being at home more means you USE the home more... so it can be a bit of a wreck. But it's worth every minute of it!!! :)

Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange

Our Home School Group hosted a Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange. 25 Families each created 25 of the same ornament and we got together for a large Thanksgiving Party and swapped the ornaments. What creativity! The ornaments follow the season of advent, putting 1 ornament on each tree in December leading up to Christmas.

Here is a photobook I created through Shutterfly to read through:


Click here to view this photo book larger



Here are the ornaments.

Day 1 In the Beginning


Day 2 The Fall


Day 3 Noah and the Ark


Day 4 The Blessing to Abraham


Day 5 Sacrifice of the Son

Day 6 Assurance of the Promise

Day 7 Joseph in Egypt

Day 8 The Ten Commandments

Day 9 The Promised Land: Canaan

Day 10 Ruth and Boaz

Day 11 David and Goliath

Day 12 God's Forgotten Scroll is Found

Day 13 Prophecy: A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse

Day 14 Prophecy: The New Creation

Day 15 Prophecy: Prince of Peace

Day 16 Prophecy: Good Shepherd

Day 17 Suffering Servant

Day 18 The New Covenant

Day 19 Bethlehem Prophecy

Day 20 Exile and Persecution: The Fiery Furnace

Day 21 Return to Jerusalem

Day 22 Christmas Star

Day 23 Light of the World

Day 24 Angels Proclaim the Miraculous Birth

Day 25 The Birth of Jesus


Day

Scripture to Read

Introduction of the Jesse Tree
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Isaiah 11:1-10

1

In the Beginning
Genesis 1:1-3, 27, 31
John 1:1-5, 14

2

The Fall
Genesis 3:3-6, 9-11
1 Corinthians 15:21-22|
Romans 5:12, 14-15

3

Noah and the Ark
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:15-18; 9:8, 15-16
Matthew 24:36-39, 42
1 Peter 3:20b-21a

4

The Blessing to Abraham
Genesis 12:1-3; 17:5
Hebrews 11:8, 12
Matthew 1:1

5

Sacrifice of the Son
Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13
Colossians 1:15
John 3:16-17

6

Assurance of the Promise
Genesis 27:41-28:22
John 1:43-51

7

Joseph in Egypt
Genesis 37:3-5, 8a, 18-19, 23, 28
Genesis 41:41; 42:6; 45:4-5
Matthew 2:13-15

8

The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:1-4a, 7a, 8, 12-17
Matthew 5:3-10

9

The Promised Land: Canaan
Genesis 17:7-8
Numbers 13:1-2a, 17-18a, 20, 23,27
Revelation 21:1-3

10

Ruth and Boaz
Ruth 1:16; 2:2, 8, 10-12; 4:13-14
Matthew 1:5b-6a

11

David and Goliath
1 Samuel 16:1, 13a; 17:3-4, 8-9, 45, 47-49
Revelation 22:16

12

God’s Forgotten Scroll is Found
2 Kings 22:2, 23:1-3
Psalm 119:33-35
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Revelation 5:9

13

Prophecy: A Shoot From the Stump of Jesse
Isaiah 11:1-5, 10
Acts 13:16, 22-23

14

Prophecy: The New Creation
Isaiah 11:6-10
Revelation 21:4-5a

15

Prophecy: Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
John 14:27
John 18:33, 36a, 37b

16

Prophecy: Good Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:2b, 4-5, 10-12, 15a, 16a, 23-24
Psalm 23:1
Luke 7:21b
John 10:11, 16, 27

17

Prophecy: Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53:4-7, 9, 12b
John 19:1, 15-18

18

The New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31-33
Hebrews 9:13-15

19

Bethlehem Prophecy
Micah 5:2
Luke 2:4-7

20

Exile and Persecution: The Fiery Furnace
2 Kings 17:23
Daniel 3:19, 21, 28
Matthew 5:11-12

21

Return to Jerusalem
Nehemiah 1:3; 2:18; 6:15-16
Revelation 21:10-14

22

Christmas Star
Numbers 24:17-19a
Matthew 2:1-6, 9-11

23

Light of the World
Psalm 27:1-3
John 1:9, 8:12

24

Angels Proclaim the Miraculous Birth
Genesis 18:1-4, 8b-10a
Luke 2:8-14

25

The Birth of Jesus
Isaiah 7:10-14
Luke 2:1, 4-12



Monday, October 26, 2009

Nathan's Whippin of Mass Instructions

Can you find all the word misunderstandings in this dialog that occurred today? :)

Nathan: Daddy, do you like this gun I made out of Tinker Toys?

Dad: Yes, Nate! You should go into the army and build weapons!


Later…


Nathan: Mom, I built a whippin. A Big, Giant Whippin. Watch it whip. (A lot of long flexible pieces put together in the shape of a whip…)

Mom: Wow, Nathan, that’s long.

Nathan: Do you think I was busy making this Whippin?

Mom: Why yes, you were.

Nathan: Daddy told me to make a Whippin.

Daddy: A Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Nathan: No, I made this with no instructions… There are no instructions with Tinker Toys.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Thanks, CVS!

CVS paid me 60 cents to take this stuff home.

Thanks, CVS! Glad I could help you lower your inventory! :)




PS - this is Halloween Candy. I do not normally collect candy like this. :)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

I Will Rise



Enough Said.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Everyone Should Home School

Everyone should home school. Pretty bold and opinionated, I know. I firmly believe that good, diligent parents who teach their children at home will have better educated and more well-rounded children.

This idea grew when school started this fall and I began asking the question to friends and neighbors, “What do you do after school?” I’ve heard from many about the hours of home work taking place. Twenty-six spelling words practiced three times each evening. History readings and questions to answer. Math worksheets that dad is required to help with. Reading assignments in various books. Then add violin practice, after school snacks, football practice, dinner, fifteen minutes outside, baths, and science projects that the parents do most of the work on, and the four precious hours after school are gone. And this is just with elementary aged students!

After talking in the yard with neighbors a few nights ago about the heavy home work load, I candidly announced that they were home schooling and not evening knowing it!

My school day consists of a Bible story, spelling words, read alouds, a math assignment, grammar work book pages, hand writing pages, an occasional art project, a history text, and either a science text or experiment. We are finished well before lunch. An hour of rest time each afternoon allows for independent reading. During the week the kids are in a study group while I attend a woman’s Bible Study, they take gymnastics during the day, and we have weekly field trips.

My morning doesn’t look very different from public school evenings.

So when I hear people say, “I could never Home School,” I have to think that yes, they could. That doesn’t mean they should or would ever want to, but in reality, if they’re helping in the evening, they probably already are.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Cucumber Tomato Salad

I love our garden! I was looking for a recipe to use my cucumbers and tomatoes, and I ran across a great recipe that I tweaked a bit. Here's the final, yummy result! (I double it)

Cucumber Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS
• 4 or more medium fresh tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 large cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• ½ tsp Dill
• 1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. Chill.