Baby Girl and Me: Week of July 6-11, 2013

Well, Doodles and Bug took off and left us this week. They are spending the week at the beach with my mom, aunts, and a couple of cousins. I can't blame them! I know they are having a blast. While I miss them terribly, this did give me lots of time to focus on Baby Girl. We are having a fun week of playing and learning. Here are some of the things that we've been doing:

Clapping and singing songs for our "circle time"

Swimming and splashing

More splashing

Enjoying the water

Using the clothesbasket to learn about "in"

"In" the clothesbasket

Learning about "out" as she climbs out of the clothesbasket

"Out" of the clothesbasket

Writing practice: drawing lines from "top to bottom"

More writing practice

Placing shapes in a container

Homeschooling and Life: Week of July 1-5, 2013

This was our last week before summer break. We will be on a school break from now until August 12. Doodles completed 6th grade, and Bug completed 4th. Baby Girl will continue in her preschool work next year. Doodles will continue with Oak Meadow next year. It is really a great fit for her since she enjoys arts & crafts, as well as writing.  Bug will be using The Weaver Curriculum Volume 2, which I'll be posting about soon. This past week was bittersweet for Bug and me, as we said goodbye to Narnia. We have had the most wonderful year ever reading through the entire Chronicles of Narnia series and using this unit study. I highly recommend it, and if you search for my posts labeled "Further Up and Further In," you will see some of the wonderful activities we've done as part of this study. Also, I've realized that Bug learns best through unit studies, so from now on,  I'll be using those with him. Here are some snapshots of the week:

Treat of the week

Baby Girl sneaks to the fridge, opens it, & has a blast with baking soda!

Tower that Bug & I built

Bug and I read about the Phoenix as part of his Narnia unit study

We also read about waterfalls

Tallest waterfall in the world, located in Venezuela

A little more fun for 2013, I added more red to my hair

Twilight Marathon Party

I hosted a Twilight Marathon Party this weekend. It was so much fun! We started Saturday morning and finished that night. We dressed as Twilight characters, watched all five movies, ate goodies, talked, laughed, and had a blast. Here are the pictures from our day of fun:

I hung a large Breaking Dawn poster above the piano and set the books out on the piano.

I typed book/movie quotes on white cardstock in either black or red print and then taped the white paper on black or red construction paper and placed them in random places throughout my house. I placed the board games on the piano bench.

I placed Illustrated Movie Companions and quotes on the coffee table.

I used white candles throughout the house, along with the quotes.

More white candles

Dining room table: black tablecloth, red and black paper and plastic products, low carb pasta (Dreamfields), "pale face vampire sauce" (Chicken Alfredo), and "Warm-blooded Ragu sauce" (Beef Ragu). An Italian dinner tied in nicely with Twilight since The Volturi reside in Italy. Also, you can see here that I decorated with red apples and candles.

Red candle, surrounded by black stones, and white tealights

Here I am as Alice Cullen: black hair spray, my regular foundation mixed with white face paint, lots of powder,  NO blush, pink lipstick, black eyeliner: light on bottom, a little heavier on top, gray eyeshadow, and black mascara.

Me as Alice Cullen, complete outfit: I already had the black leggings and bracelets. I got the dress, silver and black flats, and the choker at our local Goodwill store.

Here we have: Leah Clearwater, Alice Cullen, Sue Clearwater, another Alice Cullen, and Victoria.

These are the items I received for hosting a Dreamfields Taste & Tell party. It is low carb pasta, and it is GOOD! My family actually likes is just as much as "regular" pasta, and it is better for you.

Homeschooling and Life: Week of June 24-28, 2013

We had a good week. Doodles finished her 6th grade math book, so she is on a math break until we start her 7th grade math book in August. She will finish her Africa studies this week. Bug will finish his fourth grade math book and his Narnia studies this week. Then they will be on a complete school break until August. I will be using this time to plan for next year. Here are some snapshots of our week:

Treat of the week

Thank you, thank you Purple House Press for printing this book!!! It is used in Five in a Row and has been out of print for years...until now. I am so excited to be able to use this with my FIAR co-op class this year!!!

Doodles wrote an African fable

Doodles sketched this as part of her Asian art studies

Bug and I typed a thank you letter to Cadron Creek to thank them for publishing the Narnia unit study Further Up and Further In.

Bug mailed the thank you letter

As part of Bug's Narnia studies, which also tied in this week with Doodles' Africa studies, we read about persecuted Christians living in Sudan.

Bug learned about why some animals' eyes glow in the dark

One of the only good things about summer here: pretty blooming flowers

Homeschool and Life: June 17-21, 2013

We had another good week. Bug and I are really enjoying the study of the book of Revelation and the parallels between it and The Last Battle. C.S. Lewis was truly a brilliant writer. Doodles is still enjoying her study of Africa. We are learning more about this fascinating continent each day. Baby Girl is still moving along nicely with her "circle time." She looks forward to it every day. Here are some of our week's highlights:

Treat of the week

Bug learned about gorillas as part of his Narnia study

Bug played "Stack the States" on the iPad

Supplemental books for our Narnia unit study: Further Up an Further In from Cadron Creek Press

Doodles caught four caterpillars and is now taking care of them.

Bug is also studying Islam as part of his Narnia unit study.I feel that, as Christians, it is important for us to understand what others believe so we can have educated conversations with them.

Bug finds several middle Eastern countries, along with the Euphrates River, on the globe.

Bug learned about lions as part of his schooling this week.

Another lion website we visited

Doodles sketched this as part of her art study. It is a sketch of a sculpture of Buddha.

Bug's lion worksheet

I am thrilled that Bug has found a book series that he enjoys: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

I got a new haircut: went a little shorter!