The girls writing about their pumpkin patch fieldtrip

We used clustering to help us reign in the details of our trip.

Hannah's Writing:

The Pumpkin Patch

By Hannah Alford

10-30-09

On October 20, 2009, I went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch. On the thirty minute drive to the pumpkin patch, I played my cousin, Katy’s, Imagine Fashion Designer DS game. After we arrived, I had to wait so all the other home schoolers could get there. While I was waiting I played with my friend, Abigail. Once the other home schoolers arrived, we took our home school group pictures. Then our journey began. First, we went to see all the animals. There was a pig, a donkey, and hens. Next, we rode on the hay ride. The trailer was crammed full with kids and adults from the ReACHE and CHEB home school group. While on the hay ride we noticed a Zedonk. The tractor driver told us it had a heart like a zebra and the brains of a donkey. Next, we saw a cow and bulls. Then we saw many trees followed by a catfish pond. At the catfish pond, we had to sing “If you are happy and you know it” to try to get the catfish to jump out of the water. Afterwards we stepped off the trailer to pick a pumpkin and play a little. We went through the hay maze and we went down a hay slide. Next, we climbed back up to the hayride again and headed to the picnic tables. For lunch, I ate a sandwich, chips, and sweet tea with Abigail and my friends. When I finished lunch, I played with my friends. Lastly, I rode in my car back home. While I was in riding, I finished my book about Abby Hayes. The pumpkin patch was truly very fun even though I was exhausted when I got home.

Mikayla's Writing:

The Pumpkin Patch

By Mikayla Alford

10-30-09

Revision

I went on a fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch with home school friends. I rode in the car for thirty minutes. When we arrived, we saw the bull with a ring, Eeyore the donkey, and Porkchop the pig. Next we went on a hayride. All the hay gave me a stuffy nose. We stopped and picked a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. While we were stopped I went down the hay slide and through the hay maze. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. There was also candy bags and pumpkin juice waiting for us at the lunch table. After we ate lunch, we went home. I read Minnie and Moo while we were driving home. The pumpkin patch was much bigger than I imagined it would be, but I still had fun.

A week of busy school...studying the sun, and all the other fun things we do...

This week was jam packed.

Monday-School picture day, quiet reading and Astronomy.



Tuesday- Pumpkin Patch, quiet reading on the way home.

Eating lunch with home school friends.

Wednesday- Workboxes (see what's in our workboxes), Quiet Reading, and finished up astronomy.
Thursday- Workboxes, Notebooking Astronomy.
Friday-Co-op Day. We reviewed our Astronomy chapter-"The Sun". We made a pinhole box for viewing the sun, sponge painted a sun to put in our notebook, and did a visual representation of a solar eclipse. We also studied Giatto, the artist. My dear friend led this. She had them do a creative painting using his techniques. They painted on plaster to cardboard, then penciled in a design they wanted to draw followed by painting it with water colors. We then had lunch. After a fun play break and Mommy talk, we started back with ASL. We've been learning praise songs. We reviewed "I am a friend of God" and continued our work on Kari Jobe's "Revelation song". They did really well. After this, each of the girls had their piano lesson.

Learning about Giotti.

Our painting master pieces!

It was a busy but productive week.

The girls new Workboxes

I originally made their workbox covers a few months ago. I used contact paper to cover everything. This didn't hold up well. Later I purchased a laminater and LOVE it. I let the girls pick out new scrapbook paper to do their new workboxes.

I also scrapped the schedule strip which seemed to be too much to keep up with and just added more Velcro dots to the hanging file folders so I could add their extra things like piano, keyboarding, snack and lunch without having to use a file folder slot or use the schedule strip. Since there are several Velcro dots on each folder I can switch around what order we do what at any time. This is working for us and has produced good independence in the girls. I still have to go over lessons with the girls but they at least know what to do next when they finish their current work.

They love to see the front of their boxes all filled in which tells them all we have left for the day is quiet reading, Astronomy or Galloping the Globe, and an art project or something fun.

Our fall handprint tree

I got this idea from a friend who also did this. All three girls did 12 hand prints each. Now...we have a beautiful tree in our hallway!

The week off...

We've been taking a week off of school this week. Hannah is on a feildtrip researching social studies with her Nana, Pappy, Aunt Misty, Uncle Marty and cousins. I am sure she will return from the field with lots of data...smile!

Mikayla, Autumn and I have been just hanging around doing our own thing. I've been able to really clean out their rooms and get rid of a lot of stuff since we didn't have school this week. We've also cleaned out our garage and that felt really great! I told Chad, "...we use every square inch of this house, don't we?!!!"

We are still doing quiet reading and Astronomy(this is over the telephone) this week. Monday we made homemade applesauce at Mikayla's request. That was yummy!!!

Yesterday, Chad and Mikayla went to Karate. I think it was pretty rough on them...haha...

Today we will be making Hannah welcome home sugar cookies. Mikayla has her first New Beginnings class at church tonight and she is super excited!

Tomorrow they have PE co-op so it's still been a busy week. I'll be doing laundry, grocery shopping, and getting ready for our visitors!!! So excited!!!

Next week we start off busy again with year book pictures Monday and Tuesday the pumpkin patch!!! Fun times!!!

In a rhythm

We are in school...the rhythm is set...and it's working for us.

Our typical day is Work boxes, Snack, Work boxes, Lunch, Astronomy or Galloping the Globe (alternating) two days per week, then quiet reading time. Normally we start about 9:30 break for lunch around 12:30 or 1. Then we have about an hour of free time and chore time. Then lay Autumn down for a nap and start back about 2ish. Work on Astronomy or GTG after lunch.

I've been struggling a bit with writing for the girls. I want to give them a good foundation. I've researched way too much, talked to way too many people and have figured out...I think we are doing okay. Mikayla is doing a lot of narration, copy work and dictation...which is fine. She is reading very well. She finished Mudge and Pudge today and really enjoyed it. Hannah has been doing some narration from books she is reading. We've been working on adding more detail to her paragraphs. They are patient with it even though it is a challenge for them both.

I still consider Mikayla a second grader even though she had a VERY early birthday and could still be considered a first grader if we wanted to. I guess that is why I am not pushing the writing as hard with her.

We read a lot...did I say we read a lot...we read a lot...so I hope that will begin to inspire them to write well.

This week we studied about Spain in Galloping the Globe. If fit perfectly with the American History Co-op from August and September where they studied about Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella. We read Ferdinande the Bull. I have been working with this curriculum a friend let me borrow called Teaching the Classics. It is SOOO good. It teaches how to even at their age now, to critically think about literature we read.


We just started Astronomy and are working on our notebooks in this as well. We have learned about the solar system, gravity, gravitational pull, what a constellation(a pattern of stars) is, about the stone henge and how it was used to by farmers to tell what season it was (which was very important for knowing when to grow and reap their crops), how birds know to fly south for the winter, and why God put all the planets and the stars in the sky the way He did.

We also learned about Copernicus and his theory that the planets did indeed revolve around the sun not everything revolving around the earth (LIFE LESSON here). We've learned about Galilio and how he proved Copernicus' theory with the telescope. We also touched on NASA and what they do and what the people that work there do.

Tomorrow, we are having our first co-op meeting. Every other Friday, we will be meeting to do our Astronomy projects, piano lessons, Art Appreciation, and Praise and Worship signing. I am looking forward to doing this with one of my best friends.

The days are busy. Autumn is running around and in to everything. She wants to "do school" with the girls, so she usually sits at the table with us and colors then gets down and insist on watching Baby signing time.

The girls have been using their Bible Bee curriculum to memorize Bible verses. They are doing really well. We recited them for Chad the other day and he couldn't believe what they knew. I am amazed at their ability to retain them. They ask me why we do this....I tell them these will be written on your heart forever. God will speak to you with these verses. He has a plan for hiding His words in our heart.

Tonight was our quarterly home school meeting. It was VERY organized. I was disappointed in the number of people that didn't come but we understand this is a very busy time of the year. I did enjoy getting to chat with new and old friends. We had missionaries come to speak to us. They were inspiring and will be prayed for by our family.

The beat goes on....raising them up to be warrior princesses for the King!