A New Kind of Growth Chart?

We’ve been working on these handprint monkeys as part of our India study.  Reading Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling has inspired us.  Georgia Anne loved it when I painted her hands!

I borrowed the idea from a facebook friend who, apparently, borrowed it from somebody big because when I googled it, a million (okay, not really- but a lot) people had these on their blogs, facebook, websites, etc.

This website, in particular, caught my eye.  What if, instead of growth charts, we did semi-annual handprint projects with our kiddos?  Wouldn’t it be a fun way to watch them grow!?!

Clara hadn’t participated in the monkey handprint project because, well, I didn’t really think she was paying too much attention to Kipling.  But I think I may go back & have her do one.  And I think we may need to do Thanksgiving turkeys and Winter (bare) trees and Spring sunflowers and Summer crabs… you get the picture.  The memories that accompany the growing handprints will be priceless!

Henna Tattoos for ALL!

Our studies this year (Sonlight Core F) are taking us all over the Eastern Hemisphere.  The next few weeks, we’re exploring India.

We’ll be eating traditional Indian dishes, looking at pictures with neighbors who grew up there, doing some fun India crafts, and reading, reading, reading!  First things first, though.  We kicked off our study with some henna tattoos!

It turns out that Sarah is not only a fun friend, but a talented henna artist- she freehanded all of these!!

Timothy wanted flames & a crazy sun (surprised?!).  It goes well with his Kool Aid dyed hair.  Andrew’s is very similar.

Ben wanted his on his leg, so he could wear pants & cover it up.  It’s just above his “golden foot.”  He’s our thoughtful and cautious son.

And Mamma got one as well.  <3

 Tradition is to hide the groom’s initials in the scroll work & he has to find them.

Hands-on is certainly my favorite way to learn about other cultures!  If you have any great ideas for integrating Indian customs into our schooling, shoot me an email!

Book It!

As a child, I loved reading. When my first-grade teacher announced the Book It reading incentive program from Pizza Hut, I was excited to say the least! I zipped through books, earning a wooden token for a personal pan pizza, every school month.

Although they don’t offer the cool wooden tokens, Pizza Hut still encourages reading through the Book It program… and tomorrow is the last day for Homeschoolers to enroll! (Well, they’re offering a little fudge room, while supplies last!)

Sign up for Book It, head to the library, and enjoy all the adventures reading brings to your family.

Summer + Reading =FREE Books!!

My kids love summer.  And they LOVE to read.

I love their imaginations, all the cool stuff they learn and how quiet it is while they’re curled up with a good book!

Every summer, they look forward to a trip to Barnes & Noble.  B&N knows how to get this Mamma through the door… children, 1st – 6th grade, can read 8 books of their choice and earn a free book from B&N!

We’re headed there today… hope to come home with a few good books!  You have until September 6, 2011 to do the same.

The Best Part

Lynda and I have been friends as long as we’ve been moms.

We have new church families, 3 moves with us following them into a great neighborhood, births, entrepeneurial dreams with our hubbies, huge job changes, and losses a lot of history- and 13 children- between us.

You know how it can be with great friends… total opposites and yet so very much alike. {smile} That’s us.

Well every year, when the homeschool convention rolls around, we claim Friday for “our day”. We ride together and catch up on 25 missed phone conversations, chat about the sessions we’re excited about and hopes for the coming year. Then comes my favorite part. We go to Biscotti’s for a delish lunch (and always miss the session we plan to make it back in time for)!

Why Smaller is Better

Today is the day! I’m headed to the local homeschool convention.

It’s true, it is much much smaller than FPEA in Orlando, but I still go every year. Why? Because sometimes smaller is better!

1. It’s local! I can get to know other local homeschoolers by volunteering with HERI, chatting in the hallways, and meeting friends of friends.

2. Networking… it’s helpful in homeschooling just like it is in corporate America! I learn who to go to for testing, evaluations, questions about high school, great field trip ideas, and tips on how to homeschool with preschoolers by talking to others who have “been there”.

3. Smaller crowds mean I can have “face time” with speakers. If I am fascinated, challenged by, or curious about a speaker’s topic, I can follow up with a conversation. The same goes for vendors- if I’m having a hard time teaching a particular concept in Math, I can go to Math-U-See’s booth and speak to my rep in person!

4. Convenience. If I don’t go local (and my friends & their friends don’t go) then I may not have the OPTION to attend my hometown convention next year!

5. I already know where all the Starbucks are!!  (Timothy & I enjoyed this homeschool-convention must on the way!)

So, if you’re undecided, take the time and make the effort to attend, glean from, and support our local convention. See you at HERI!

HERI- Jacksonville Homeschool Convention!

I’m excited for this weekend… tomorrow and Saturday I’m headed to the annual H.E.R.I. Homeschool Convention at the Prime Osborne Convention Center in downtown Jacksonville.

What a blessing to have this helpful resource for current or potential homeschooling families RIGHT HERE in our own area!! The very first contact I had with homeschooling information was a H.E.R.I. (Home Education Resources and Information) convention.

OH MY GOSH!!

Okay, I probably should have come up with a more sophisticated title… but I’m in such an amazingly strange state of excited, in awe and totally relaxed that I can’t come up with anything better!!!

Homeschooling moms, be very jealous. I was sitting in the same chair Mrs. Tracy Klicka sat in last week! And Bev Bradley not long before that and David & Shirley Quine then Jan Bloom before that… it’s like walking through Mount Vernon sitting in the president’s chair in the Oval Office!! AAAHHH!!! Now I know how Toni (aka TheHappyHousewife) felt when sleeping in Cinderella’s Castle!

Bob & Tina Farewell, our family by a wonderful marriage, are graciously allowing us to stay in their super-awesome Tree House and I’m in heaven!! (Note the plush robe and perfectly large-but-still-pretty teacup!) If you don’t know of the Farewells or any of the folks I mentioned above, you really must take the time to peruse their websites, read their books, and listen to any seminars you can find online. As homeschool pioneers, they have years of experience and a true heart for homeschooling our children from the heart. Amazing people, I tell you. (Umm… if you are one of those people I mentioned & you want your name off my blog, I’m happy to do that, too. Sorry. Can I have your autograph?!)

Seriously, though, our family is enjoying some time away in Lake Wales. I love being with my GeGe and the time was made even better by Mom joining us! My sis & her kiddos are coming soon as is Dad! Add our amazing cousins, who live next door to GeGe, and the fact that we get the treat of visiting with the Farewells… I’m sure you’ll understand my excitement!

Get to know the folks above. Amazing people. And, what is so encouraging to me, they are just like you and just like me. They love their children. They homeschool(ed), serve, speak, write, encourage out of the abundant goodness of God. I’m inspired to do the same.

>Reinventing the Wheel

>Our evaluations & tests are complete for the 2010-2011 school year. It was a successful homeschool year according to the principal (Daddy O) and according to the state.

I’m starting to think about next year and I’ve realized when addressing challenges, I may need to do more than apply a band-aid.

“Once we’ve decided to go somewhere, it’s too late to ask the question: ‘Should we really go there?’ Too often we are too busy trying to keep the car running, the spare tire patched and the clothes washed to ask the question: ‘Should we really be taking this trip in the first place?” -Joel Salatin, Salad Bar Beef

What does my school day need to look like? What subjects do I need to cover? Do they have to be “taught” as “subjects”? To borrow from Mr. Salatin, perhaps I shouldn’t “be taking that trip in the first place.”

Perhaps learning should be integrated into lifestyle instead of making room for compartmentalized, school-style education in our life. I’m gonna ask my Abba for some direction before I start planning this year. I’m looking forward to seeing where 2011-2012 school year takes us!

>timers are this mom’s best friend

My sweetest, snuggliest boy reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull- always stopping to smell the flowers.

I love how he savors life… but when it comes to cleaning his room or doing his math, he needs some help learning how to stay on task.

Using a timer- whether this counting-down Time Tracker or the timer on the kitchen stove- helps him learn to use his time wisely. It’s almost as motivating as the promise of a snack when he’s finished!