New School Year

Where has the time gone? It seems to be the theme around this blog. I can't believe I haven't blogged since January. It's October....what have we been up to? Whatever it was...it must have kept me off blog world for a while.

We've been keeping up with school. We even schooled some during the summer. I know...call me crazy...but what else are the kids going to do when its 105 degrees outside. I'd rather let them do school during the summer and let them play a little more in the fall and spring.

Well, get ready for some updated pictures....hopefully the picture walk will take you through what we've been doing all year!




The big girls played tennis this year. They loved it! Of course, Autumn had to have her own racket too!







Science Fair Projects: Mikayla doing the Water Cycle, Hannah doing Mummification (of a hotdog). 3/10


Art Fair 3/10 Hannah's Koala bear watercolor, Mikayla's Jar Watercolor and Charcoal

Hanging out at the Zoo with Abigail.



Making an Eco System so we can live on Mars. (Studying Mars in Apologia Astronomy)






Fieldtrip to Birmingham to the American History Village. Here we are choosing which George we want to run our country. King George or George Washington.



Our American History co-op that went to the Birmingham Fieldtrip




It's snowing....Fun in February....what better way to spend a cold day at home!!!




Mrs. Sharon showing us how to sew. We love Mrs. Sharon and have fun learning at 4-H.

Some reads from Ambleside I want the girls to read

Heidi by Joanna Spyri. Heidi wasn't written in English, and there are various translations out there; some leave things out. Look for one that has all of the chapters and includes the hymns. Beautifully illustrated, unabridged "gift edition" online here, and one with Jessie Wilcox Smith illustrations is here (although this one may not be complete).
A Wonder Book by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne (similar to Kingsley's The Heroes, which is read in Year 3)
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales
Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
Abraham Lincoln by Ingri D'Aulaire
Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (some versions say "revised" because P.L. Travers revised chapter 6 herself in 1981 to get rid of some rather nasty racist things.)
Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (sensitive readers - be aware that the child loses a hand in this story)
Chanticleer and the Fox - Barbara Cooney's is one version
Along Came A Dog by Meindert De Jong
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli

Where did November Go? And how is it the end of December?

I can't believe I didn't post anything since the first of November. We were very busy with our regular school work and our different co-ops. I've been working hard to catch the girls up to their "grade level" in their LA and Math. They are doing well but since we started curriculum last March and started over it is going to take us a little bit to be on schedule where I would like them to be. We worked some through the summer as we will do this summer. I LOVE the curriculum we use, Christian Light. The girls are doing so well in it and learning things thoroughly!

We made our way through Canada in Galloping the Globe.
This is us making Maple "Moose"

We learned a good bit but I am tiring of the curriculum. (I'm a little ADD). We still have Central America, South America, Africa and Australia to go. I will probably slim this curriculum down a bit since we are doing Astronomy and I'd really like to start Latin with the girls after Christmas.

We plan to take about 4 weeks off. I am exhausted...smile! During that time, I'll be planning, hopefully the rest of our school year.

During our off time, we will be playing, reading (quiet and aloud), making fun stuff and goofing off. Sometimes we need just plain ole goof off time. So that's what's planned.

Chad will be off for vacation and we are so excited!

Cool Grocery Ad Activity for Kids

I am always looking for free ways to do fun activities...I found this one and had to link it to my blog so I wouldn't forget it. Once we start school back after the holidays, we will have to try it!!!

Grocery Ad Activities

Cinderella

We went to Jackson Prep's play- Cinderella- last Saturday. The girls had so much fun. It was a fantastic performance. I hope the girls will remember it for many years. The girls dressed up like princesses for the occasion. After the play, the girls went to a tea party put on by the school. They had yummy finger foods and of course tea.

We borrowed Mikayla's dress and I found Hannah's at a garage sale. I made the tiara for them to wear with them.

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.