Apples and Jammies

What I've been up to

2011-03-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

We welcomed Charlie Jonah to our family on February 17 at 9:59 am. His due date was February 10th, and is already living up to his disobedient namesake by not coming out, even when we asked politely. So he had to be induced. He weighed 9 pounds, 1 ounce and was 21 inches long. Thanks to the wonderful anesthesiologist and the epidural, labor and delivery went smoothly and was complication-free!

Some interesting trends:
All my children and my husband have birthdays that fall on the same day of the week.
It rained every time I was in the hospital to give birth. Pretty amazing for Southern California babies!
Baby #1 = 8lbs, baby #2 = 9lbs, baby #3 = 10 lbs. Thankfully, baby #4 was NOT 11 lbs.

Since Charlie arrived life has been a bit hectic. As we adjust to life as a family of 4 kiddos, I hope to return to blogging gradually, so don't unsubscribe just yet! And come this fall, I'll have a brand new kindergartener, whcih means lots of fun theme units to share!

2010-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago our printer went kaput.

At first I thought I could live without it, but it didn't take me long to figure out just how much I really did rely on my printer, especially the copier mode. Apparently I love making copies!

After holding off for a while and shopping around, I finally decided to make a dent in my Amazon balance that I've been saving through Swagbucks. My plan had been to save up for Christmas, which I've been doing faithfully all year. And since we've made a tradition of giving homemade photo calendars of the kids for all the grandparents, a new printer would be a necessary thing for our Christmas plans.

I finally decided on this beauty:

It is such a wonderful thing to be able to replace an important item in your home for absolutely nothing! From the Amazon gift cards that I've earned and saved through Swagbucks, this printer did not cost me one single penny. And we still have a bit left over to splurge on Christmas gifts.

I don't post about Swagbucks lightly. It really is a website I believe in and use regularly. If you are not familiar with Swagbucks, it is primarily a search engine that randomly awards "Swagbucks" which can be redeemed for prizes, one of the best deals being a $5 Amazon gift card for 450 Swagbucks. These cards can be saved in your Amazon account and used whenever you want to spend them. There are other ways to earn Swagbucks: completing special offers, watching videos, finding Swagcodes, and getting referrals. I have found that just using Swagbucks as a search engine will result in about 2 $5 Amazon cards a month. So by next Christmas you could have an extra $120 toward your Christmas shopping!

Any other Swagbucks fans out there?

Disclaimer: the above post does contain affiliate links.

A Halloween Moral

2010-11-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

After weeks of chaining myself to my sewing machine and neglecting all other household duties, I finally finished this:

And this:

And was very excited to pull this out of a bag of hand-me-downs:

And we were all ready for a trip down the yellow brick road with Dorothy, Glinda, the Good Witch, and the not-so Cowardly Lion.

We had a blast at our church's HUGE Halloween Carnival and hung out with friends at a Halloween party the next night. But then disaster struck...

Fabric paint for a craft and brand new homemade halloween costumes do NOT mix.

Maybe somewhere over the rainbow there's a land where no stain is permanent. You think?

Poetry: Emily Dickinson

2010-09-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our current poet that we are studying is Emily Dickinson. Here are some of the books that have helped our poetry study come alive:

Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Emily

The Mouse of Amherst

Weekly Wrapup..or three

2010-09-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

It is a good thing that I haven't been blogging. This way you know that I've actually been busy doing school and not just putzing around on the computer. (Although there's definitely been some of that, too.)

Three weeks of school have already raced by. We're jumping right into things and have already gotten through quite a bit.

In science we're studying weather. Why I chose to do a weather unit at this time of year in southern California, I don't know!  Gracie's homemade rain gauge is feeling feeling very purposeless. Fortunately we've had a few cooler days that brought a bit of meteorological diversity at least temperature-wise.

Social studies has been all about the fall of Rome, and the Celts and the Anglo-Saxons.  We've borrowed Favorite Medieval Tales from the library read a version of Beowulf.  There's lots of great stories in this book that go along so nicely with what we're studying this year. Sir Gawain and the Green knight is next. Did you know that it was written as an allegory representing the conflict in Britain between Christianity (Sir Gawain) and paganism (the Green Knight)? The faux pas of the year (so far) was our fallen column made of cookie dough. Sound simple enough, right? Well, Gracie's column looked rather like a part of the male anatomy.  Enough said.  Sorry, I will not be posting pictures of it, thank you very much!

Language Arts has been here and there. I'm still waiting for a few books I ordered before we really get started. In the meantime we're learning about verbs and syllabication, and even starting cursive! I'm very proud of my little reader, though. Over Labor Day weekend, she started and finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  (I will tuck this away as a bit of happy reassurance during those homeschool mom self-doubting moments.)

In math we jumped right into the middle of Saxon 2, and have been working on regrouping/carrying in 2-digit addition. So far it's been fairly painless!  I just hope that multiplication will be, too.

So far we've been doing great in our Charlotte Mason memory verse system. We've reviewed the verses we learned last year (not so many) and have done it just about every day. I'm really excited that this system is working so easily! In Bible we're in Ezra and Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the temple, which has not been the easiest, but we're getting through it, hopefully with some retention!

The biggest change we're implementing this year is the switch from an all afternoon schedule (to make the most of nap time) to staring with Bible, memory verse, and math in the morning and finishing with everything else in afternoon. That transition has gone surprisingly smoothly as well. The 2 younger kids have been occupying themselves playing together, finishing up breakfast, or going outside.

There's been lots of other things going on: trips to the DMV, visits from the plumber and a new toilet, meeting with our new teacher, starting ballet, and a few doctor's appointments.  The very first thing we did on the very first day of school was go to my ob appointment, which is probably symbolic of the focus of this year, since baby #4 is expected in February!

I hope your beginning of the year has been good, and I hope you've been able to blog more frequently than me!

Weekly Wrap-Up is hosted by Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Saxon Math Review

2010-08-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

My latest review for Saxon Math is up at The Curriculum Choice. Check it out!

Hey, Guess What...

2010-08-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Our family is due to increase by one sometime in February!

(This post is also acting as my excuse note for the poor blogging this summer. Please accept it with my apologies.)

Summer is a great time (if there is a great time for it) to have that first trimester fatigue, especially as a homeschooler, but I am soooo ready for it to be over! School starts Monday and I'm praying for the energy to make it through! "I can do all things..."

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2010-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Do you love shopping for back-to-school supplies like I do? All those penny deals and ridiculously cheap pencils, erasers, and crayons! All the glue sticks may seem excessive, but I bought fewer last year and we didn't even make it to May! I will find a better hiding spot for the back-up stash this year.

What is your back-to-school supply weakness?

The Charlotte Mason Subjects

2010-07-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I already wrote about the curriculum we'll be using for the 2010-11 school year, but there's a lot of subjects we cover without exactly using a set curriculum. These are the subjects that are at the heart of a Charlotte Mason education. These subjects include Nature Study, Artist/Picture Study, Composer Study, Hymn Study, Poetry Study, Shakespeare, and Handicrafts.

I've come to realize that without a set plan, these subjects often get neglected and go by the wayside, so this year I'm being very deliberate about them. I've divided ths school year into 6 six-week terms during which we'll have a focus topic in each subject. I only plan on covering each subject once every two weeks, so it's really not a lot of time in each area. Here's what this part of our school year will look like (The numbers indicate the term.)

Nature Study:
1. Clouds
2. Apple trees
3. Rocks
4. Ladybugs
5. California Poppy
6. Constellations
Resources: Handbook of Nature Study, Southern California Nature Guide

Artists:
1. Vincent Van Gogh
2. Winslow Homer
3. Georgia O'Keefe
4. Michelangelo
5. Ansel Adams
6. Leonardo da Vinci
Resources: Discovering Great Artists (Kohl), Art Projects for Kids, Deep Space Sparkle

Composers:
1. Mendelssohn
2. Rossini
3. Beethoven
4. Handel
5. Dvorak
6. Copland
Resources: Classics for Kids, CDs from the library

Hymns:
1. My Father's World
2. Amazing Grace
3. O Little Town of Bethlehem
4. The Lord is My Shepherd
5. America the Beautiful
6. A Mighty Fortress
Resources: Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Vol. 1, Christmas Carols for Kid's Heart (Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Vol. 3)

Poets:
1 & 2. Emily Dickinson
3 & 4. Robert Frost
5 & 6. Christina Rossetti
Resources: Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson, Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

Shakespeare:
1-6. Romeo & Juliet
Resources: Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare

Handicrafts/ Life Skills:
1. Latch Hook
2. Setting the table
3. Embroidery
4. Loading the dishwasher
5. Photography
6. Weeding

So how do I choose the topics? It's pretty random. Some of our nature study topics (clouds, rocks, and constellations) will align with our earth science curriculum this year. Some of the artist (Michelangelo, da Vinci) are from the time periods we'll be studying in history. Other than that, I simply choose topics that I have resources for, or they sound fun and interesting. I think the key is just having a plan. Choosing something is better than choosing nothing!

So how's your planning going?

Curriculum 2010-2011

2010-07-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Bible:
Calvary Chapel Bible Curriculum
We left off in the middle of 2 Kings and should make it to the middle of Acts.
Simply Charlotte Mason's Scripture Memory System
I will be consistent about this this year.

Math:
Saxon Math 2 and 3
We are midway through Math 2, so we should begin Math 3 sometime during the year.
Daily Word Problems, Grade 2
We used this last year, and it proved to be a good supplement for solving word problems.

Language Arts:
Independent Reading
Explode the Code/Book Seven & Explode the Code/Book Eight
While the series has been great, I'll be glad when we've finished these last 2 books and move on to other things.
First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Levels 1 & 2)
Love this book!
Wordly Wise 3000 Grade 2
We'll start this when we're finished with Explode the Code.
Writing Strands Level 2
We haven't really focused very much on writing yet, just a bit of copywork. I hope this curriculum will work well for us. Anyone have experience with it?
Cursive Writing
Peer pressure has motivated my daughter to want to learn cursive, which I am more than happy to oblige.
Dictionary Skills
This should be a light supplement we'll use occassionally.
English from the Roots Up, Vol. 1
Am I biting off more than I can chew? Maybe...

Science:
R.E.A.L. Science Earth and Space (Level One)
I'm excited about this! And I've gotten so many supplemental resources like rock kits, field guides, books, and scopes that it should be impossible not to have fun while learning science this year!

Social Studies:
The Story of the World 2: The Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance
Gracie loved volume 1, so I think volume 2 will be a hit as well.

Nature, Artist, Composer, Hymn, Poetry, and Handicrafts:
We'll focus on one area/person per 6 week term, covering 6 of each (but only 3 poets) during the year. I'm planning to schedule each subject once every two weeks. Come back on Monday for more specifics on who and what we're studying in these areas.

For lots more curriculum and planning posts, go to today's Weekly Wrap-Up post at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Relaxed and Refreshed

2010-07-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

What a nice break that was! Everyone should be able to take a month off. I honestly did not think about school or planning or any of that for the entire month!

So what did I do?

Unfortunately I'll have to tell you rather than show you, since we're having some technical difficulties with cameras and computers (although the solution is in the mail even now).

Our days have been busy with camping, VBS, trips to the beach, lazy days at home and lastly a few days at CHEA, our area homeschool convention. CHEA was just what I needed to give me some motivation and break out the book lists and planners again. Less than 5 weeks left. Still enough time for some more summer fun in between planning session!

On another note, if you're new to or just considering the Charlotte Mason or are just trying to make heads or tails out of narration and copywork, you absolutely must read Wildflowers and Marbles' series on Charlotte Mason Language Arts. It is chock full of great information. I still need to reread it a few more times so everything sinks in. Those posts are definitely going into my favorites so I can refer back to them when I need a little inspiration.

Oh, and I've finally got a new look! I've been wanting to do something different to my blog for forever. Click through and tell me what you think!

Enjoy those last few weeks of summer!

A Break for Me & a Treat for You

2010-06-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Summer has definitely kicked into high gear around here. We've got ballet recitals, camping trips, VBS, and tons of other activities coming up, so I'll be pretty scarce around here for a few weeks. I'm planning on being back in early July and I have a fun series planned on twaddle-free authors. I'm pretty excited about it, so be sure to stay tuned!

To keep you and your kiddos entertained while I'm gone, I found some fabulous printable paper dolls that I though I'd share with you. In fact I'm pretty sure I had this set of Gingham paper dolls when I was little. I think I'm more excited about them than my girls are! Paper dolls sadly seem to be coming a lost art, don't you think?

Have a great summer and I'll be back in July!

Field Trip: Getty Villa

2010-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

When we visited The Getty Center last summer, I learned about the Getty Villa, a completely seperate branch of The Getty devoted to the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. What a perfect way to wrap up our year studying these cultures!

Admission is free, but parking costs $15 and you must make a reservation beforehand.

We saw lots of amazing artifacts that added a new dimension to our history study. It was so neat to see Gracie get excited about seeing things that we had learned about: a bust of Augustus Caesar, the gallery numbers written in roman numerals, ancient Roman coins (she had made her own version out of clay), a Greco-Roman mummy (which was "older than you, mommy!"), and a tiny fragment of an ancient manuscript of The Odyssey. We read this version during the school year.

She also developed a new appreciation for the art of mosaic. She worked for weeks on a small 6 inch square mosaic. This one was at least 4 feet long!

Like the Getty Center, the Getty Villa has a wonderful room devoted to hands on activites called the Family Forum. We were able to decorate our own Greek vases by making rubbings on paper or drawing on huge reproductions with dry-erase markers. (That's my art on the right. I'm a woman of many talents, I know.)

My favorite feature was the big screen where you could become part of the image on a vase. There was a wall of props to choose from, so you could fit right in to the scene, which changed every so often. Isn't that fun?!

Warning: In gallery 209, there were a few vases with scenes NOT appropriate for children. Fortunately I saw them first and easily distracted Gracie into another gallery.

Review: Masterpiece of the Month

2010-06-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

My latest review for Masterpiece of the Month is up at The Curriculum Choice. Check it out!

Roman Feast

2010-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the conclusion of our ancient history studies by having a Roman Feast! Gracie did almost all of the food preparation.

So what does one eat at a Roman Feast? Nothing too complicated, thankfully! Crustulum is garlic bread and cecina is a baked mashed garbanzo bean dish. (Recipes from Hands-On Heritage Activity and Coloring Books - Activity Book, Ancient Rome and The Story of the World. Activity Book 1: Ancient Times (Revised Edition) (Bk. 1).

Plates and silverware are strictly forbidden. Sitting on the floor is encouraged.

Don't forget to wear your laurel (or, er... ceanothus) wreath!

Fund your Homeschool

2010-06-07T05:00:00.001-07:00

Swagbucks is a service that I use regularly and love, and seems perfect for homeschoolers. We're always searching things on the web, and we always need to add more books to our collection, right?

Swagbucks is primarily a search engine that randomly rewards you with points for your searches. You can exchange these points for items in the Swag Store, such as Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, and others. The $5 Amazon gift cards are the best deal for 450 Swagbucks. You can use multiple gift cards towards a purchase.

My experience with Swagbucks has been great! I've been a member since last summer and have earned exactly $105 in gift cards in less than a year! You can bank your cards in your Amazon account and they will never expire. Instead of using Swagbucks for homeschooling supplies, I've decided to use Swagbucks as a Christmas fund. Last year I was able to buy these, this, and this paid for entirely with Swagbucks!

I know it sounds too good to be true, but it's absolutely legitimate. There is no cost involved, I haven't received spam from Swagbucks, and I've never had a problem with any of the gift cards I've ordered. The search engine doesn't offer results that are as extensive as Google, but I almost always find what I'm looking for. Search "Apples and Jammies" and it's on the first page. Not too shabby!

I usually don't like to do "shameless plug" types of posts. But I honestly do think Swagbucks is great and hope you will, too!

Disclaimer: Referral links are included in this post.

Good Links

2010-06-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having so much fun going through all these planners and printables sites!

This list of chapter books and this list of picture books are great for incorporating some intentional geography in your child's reading.

Putting together some summer adventure boxes is definitely on my to-do list.

These will definitely be making their way onto our table this summer for a cool, no-cook meal.

These look like fun crafts: one for preschoolers, one for bigger kids, and one for mom!

Review: Calvary Chapel Bible Curriculum

2010-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

I recently reviewed Calvary Chapel's Bible Curriculum. It's online and free! Read my review here.

Motivation

2010-05-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Motivation is a very relevant subject as a home educator. Sometimes it can be more than a little difficult to keep our kids motivated in their studies. We don't always have the external motivators (be they good or bad) that kids in traditional classrooms have such as peer pressure, public praise, report cards, or maybe even a set bell schedule. This video is fascinating and definitely has some interesting implications that could easily be transfered to a homeschool setting.

Do you have problems keeping your kids motivated? What motivates your kids?

Today...

2010-05-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

photo by josephpetepickle

we are celebrating the end of our second year of homeschooling!

Whether you are at the beginning, middle or end of your homeschool year, I pray you can rejoice and be satisfied in your labors!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

LACMA

2010-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about the kid's membership at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art I was very excited, but a little skeptical. Free trips to the museum as long as my kids were under 18? It sounded too good to be true!

We recently made our first trip using our Nexgen membership cards and I can't stress enough how great LACMA's Nexgen program is! I highly recommend that anyone in the Southern California area take advantage of this free museum membership for kids. In addition to one free adult admission with your Nexgen kid, there is a children's art gallery, where kids can create their own art. Free art totes and children's audio tours are available to check out as well. We hope to check these out on our next visit. This time we were too busy exploring!

On our recent trip, we went on a scavenger hunt to find the artists we studied this year. We were able to see work from three of them: Miro, Mondrian, and Klee. My kids love to sketch at art museums. It's a great way to make the experience a little more hands-on and lets kids practice their art skills just like real artists.

Homeschool Day at LACMA is May 27th. Sounds like a fun end of the year field trip!

Story of the World: Volume 1: The Ancients

2010-05-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce that I am now a contributing writer over at The Curriculum Choice! I recently reviewed the first volume of Story of the Worldwhich is now posted here. If you're considering this curriculum, head on over to see what I have to say about it!

The Curriculum Choice is a great place to get reviews on lots of different curriculum. If you've never been there, go check it out!

Paul Klee Resources

2010-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Although they weren't very plentiful, here's what we did during our study of Paul Klee.

We had four of Klee's works on our art wall:

Miss Julie helped us create a Klee castle.

This project, a one-line drawing, came from Discovering Great Artists.

The real highlight of our Klee study was going to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and seeing some of his work in person. To go to a real museum and see real art from a real artist that you've studied truly brings art education to another level and brings an excitement that little else can compare to.

Reading Independence & Booklists

2010-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Gracie will be in second grade this fall, and most of the reading we've done has been together. I want to start fostering some independence in her for next school year by assigning a book each month and completing a related project.

So why am I doing this?

1. To make her an independent learner.
2. To guide her reading selection.
3. To teach her responsibility.
4. It's something she is excited to do.

What will she read?

I'm still narrowing it down. I want to preview each book to make sure it will be a good fit and doesn't have any surprises! The books that she doesn't have assigned as independent reading will still probably find their from the library to our mantel.

Middle Ages Literature
(aligned with chapters of Story of the World Vol. 2)

The Sword in the Tree (2)
Marguerite Makes a Book (3,11)
Viking Adventure (14)
Minstrel In The Tower (16)
A Medieval Feast (16)
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess (16, 19)
The Making of a Knight: How Sir James Earned His Armor (17)
The Door in the Wall (19)
Joan of Arc (26)
Columbus (31)
Leonardo Davinci (35)
Leonardo and the Flying Boy (35)
Good Queen Bess : The Story of Elizabeth I of England (38,42)
William Shakespeare & the Globe (39)
Pirates (Reading Railroad) (42)

Earth Science Literature
(aligned with R.E.A.L. Science- Life)

Weather/Water
The Cloud Book
A Drop Of Water
Water Dance
Earth's Surface
Hill of Fire
The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
Rocks & Minerals
Rocks in His Head
Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough
Solar System
Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei
Footprints on the Moon
If You Decide To Go To The Moon

I love finding relevant booklists, so I hope this is helpful. I will post the finalized list as I make my way through previewing these books. Anything you would add?

Homeschool Chic with Books

2010-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love books.

Really.

I have a library card. My daughter has a library card. The limit on each card is 30 books. There are times when we can't check any more books out.

Do you realize what that means?

I love books.

I also have a two-year old.

He also loves books, but he loves books in a different way than I do. He loves to walk on them and throw them, and sometimes lick them. Why else do they put pictures of food in books? He's learning. But I still don't necessarily trust him around 60 a lot of library books.

Many of the books we borrow are specifically for "school" so I want them to visible and accessible rather than shoved away in a drawer, protected, but unused.

My solution to this dilemma will never make it into Better Homes and Garden or the Decorating Hall of Fame. I use my fireplace mantel as a book display. It keeps the books up and inaccessible to a 2-year old, but visible, accessible,and even appealing for a 6-year old and sometimes a 4-year old.

And really, is decorating with books so bad?

Curriculum review 2009-2010

2010-05-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

We're just a few short weeks away from the end of our school year, so now seems like a good to time to look back on the first grade curriculum we've used this year.

Grammar:
First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind (Vol. Level 1) (First Language Lessons)

This definitely was a slow book. I was forewarned of this in several reviews I read. I think it helps being prepared for something that could be an annoying flaw. We weren't in a rush, so it suited us just fine. I adapted it by skipping some of the lessons that seemed overly repetitive, and replaced a few of the poems for memorization with poems by the poet we were studying at that time.

Verdict: We'll be completing the second grade portion of this book next year.

Phonics:
Explode the Code 3 through Explode the Code/Book Six

I must admit, I have very neutral feelings about this curriculum. my daughter is a strong reader, so I have her do a few pages out of each lesson more out of a sense of obligation than anything else. I do want her to know the rules of phonics, and this curriculum has been a success. Book 4 did take a strange detour away from word families and vowel sounds and spent a good chunk of time on syllabication. My daughter wasn't quite ready for that, so we'll revisit Book 4 next year.

Verdict: Only 2 more books left (plus Book 4). Hopefully we'll cruise through these fairly quickly to make room for another subject.

Math:
Math 1: Homeschool Kit (Homeschool Math Grade 1) & Math 2: Home Study Kit (Homeschool Math Grade 2)

We took our time with Saxon K last year and built a really strong foundation of math concepts, so we were able to finish Saxon 1 a few months ago and get started with Saxon 2. (Don't you love the freedom of being a homeschooler?) The more I use this curriculum, the more I like it. I can see how they very gently introduce concepts, often using manipulatives, so they will be ready for them. For example, we've been exchanging dimes for pennies not just to learn the value of money, but in preparation for borrowing and carrying in multi-digit operations.

Verdict: We'll finish Saxon 2 next year.

Daily Word Problems, Grade 1 Math

This has been a great supplement to Saxon. I originally ordered it because I had heard Saxon was rather weak on problem solving. So far, I haven't seen that. This is a fun book anyway and provides plenty of opportunity to think through some tough problems.

Verdict: I ordered Daily Word Problems, Grade 2 for next year.

Bible:
Calvary Chapel Bible Curriculum

This has been a great to read through the Bible in a kid-friendly way, skipping all those non-PG stories (ahem, Bathsheba) and questions I'm not quite ready for. We're on 2 Kings and just over 100 lessons. Oh, and did mention it's fee? Be still my heart.

Verdict: Sticking with it.

Science:
R.E.A.L. Science- Life

This was a really great book. I absolutely love the recommended literature lists. They are a huge time-saver! It is so packed with activities and experiments, that I doubt that we even made it to half of them. And because of this book, we now have a fish. (Be forewarned!)

Verdict: We already have R.E.A.L. Science-Earth & Space on our bookshelf, ready to go.

Social Studies:

The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1

We had so much fun with this! I found myself on the learning end more often than not. I have very little recollection of learning ancient history as a student. (Thank you, public schools!) The most ringing endorsement I have is that history is now my daughter's favorite subject.

Verdict: I'm already reading The Story of the World, Volume 2. Vikings, Samurai, and Knights, oh my! It's going to be a fun year.

So there you have it. There's a lot not included in this list, but these are the biggies. Have you noticed that it takes a lot for me to change curriculum? A person could spend a lot of time acclimating to a new curriculum series every year. It seems wiser to me to just adapt what you already have. I did make some changes over the summer when I compared this list to the preview for first grade that I wrote last spring.

So how did your school year go? Are sticking with the tried and true? Are you getting rid of any stinkers? I'd love to hear about it!

Mother's Day

2010-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

First there was this:

Then this was created at the secret meeting:

Which resulted in a wonderful breakfast in bed served with these lovelies from our garden:

Such a wonderful Mother's Day!

Great Outdoor Challenge: Day Whatever (Taking Time & Seeds)

2010-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. I can't blog every day. But I'm still participating in the challenge. And this week it really has been a challenge because of an extra busy schedule. But I guess that's the point isn't? To not get so caught up in the busyness that keeps us from going outside in the first place. To take the time to enjoy the beauty of creation. To make time to be still and to breathe.

Yesterday we had some great outdoor time, it just took us a while to realize it. We went to a local park, but bypassed the green grassy playgound area, for a rugged little trail off the parking lot. A few hundred feet up the trail, the whining began.

"I'm tired!"

"Can we have lunch now?"

"I'm hot"

"Ugh!"

(That last one was my two-year-old pointing in the direction of the playground that we wer not heading to.)

"Well, let's do our science experiment just up the trail a bit, and then we'll have lunch at the playground," I replied in my best mother voice.

Once we did get up to our experiment spot, I asked Gracie to take our supplies out of her backpack. But she had taken the most important supply out in the van, where it still remained.

So back to the van we went.

When we returned with the crucial supply (more on that later), we found a little spot just off the parking lot and settled down to work. It was just a weedy little patch, but once we sat down and took a closer look, we were amazed by all the beauty we saw: tiny yellow flowers, ladybugs (in several stages), some edible greens, baby sunflowers, and even a hawk! Once we slowed down, we were able to appreciate what had been around us the whole time!

And that crucial supply? Socks!

The girls put some of their dad's old socks over their shoes and walked through the weediest patches they could find. Today Gracie sorted through the seeds and examined them more closely.

We even found some very cool maple seeds that spin like helicopters as they fall!

Here are some great books to go along with a seed study.

Great Outdoor Challenge: Day 8

2010-04-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today (er, Monday, that is) was wet and cold and rainy. And there's nothing I love more than spending a wet, cold, and rainy day snuggled up under a blanket with a good book. As a Southern Californian, I treasure cloudy, miserable, rainy days, because they are so few and far between. Go outside when it's raining? No way! Challenge, or no challenge, I feel that I must make the most of a rainy day by staying indoors.

And more rain is expected next week. Yippee!

More on the Great Outdoor Challenge here.

Great Outdoor Challenge: Day 5, 6, and 7

2010-04-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

The weekend was full of outdoorsy-ness! It began with our monthly co-op meeting on Friday, a gathering of friends at our home Friday evening (lots of kids, lots of chaos!), and a fun birthday party on Saturday. Lots of fun and socializing, not much time to take pictures. Anyone else like that?

Check out more on the Great Outdoor Challenge here.

Great Outdoor Challenge: Day 4

2010-04-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Does it count if as being outside if you're inside a box that is outside?

Most definitely!
(Thanks to our new picnic table!)

Here's more about the challenge.

And look at everyone who's having fun with this challenge!

lisa, sanders, angelina, phyllis, sarah, christie, jennifer, debbie, dong dong, denise, luisa, joy, stephanie, cori, alex, dawn, kristen, catherine, tricia, becky, christy, ruth, kari, courtney, branflakes, jessica, renee, haiku, brynn, amy, clemencia, sherry, leslie, lise, renee, anet, jenn, marina, amy, ella, marcia, karen, beth, julie, kyndale, kelly, lizzie, eileen, ag, mari-ann, cindy, robin, nicole, debbie, julia, renee, anita, lisa, jenn, montessori, marita, jeannie, hallie, mandy, kangaroo, andrea, joey, carmen, teena, stephinie, gidget, elizabeth, emma, rosina, saminda, melissa, katie, becca, atouria, barbara, ariella, missy, elizabeth, sarah, eileen, lisa, stacy, jennifer, tulsileaf, lisa C, morticia, angela, rana, jamie, lisa c, luz

Children and Nature Awareness Month Challenge: Day 3

2010-04-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

Taking the Children and Nature Awareness Month Challenge has really encouraged me to do more outside. Why be inside, if I can be outside? My husband put together our new picnic table just in time. Since its arrival (8 hours ago): meals eaten outside-100%, days of school done outside-100%. What else can we do outside? I can't wait to see what we come up with!

We started our plant unit today by looking at flowers. We were able to see almost the whole life cycle of a flower in our lemon tree: bud, blossom, and the very beginnings of fruit.

The Reason for a Flower (Ruth Heller's World of Nature) is a wondeful book to explain the science behind flowers to children. It's simple enough to make the concepts clear, but includes scientific vocabulary such as anther, stigma and angiosperm. The illustrations are beautiful and will get the attention of even young listeners.

Children and Nature Awareness Month Challenge: Day 2

2010-04-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

School was done outside today, but alas, no picture. Math is always a little more pleasant in the sunshine!

Pizza for Homeschoolers

2010-04-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to enroll in Pizza Hut's Book It Program for the 2010-2011 school year. This is a great reading incentive program where homeschoolers are welcome to participate. You set your own individual reading goals for each child, and they are rewarded with their own pizza when they meet that goal. This is our second year in the program and we love it! Enrollment is first come, first served and runs through June, so don't wait too long! I have never received junk emails from Pizza Hut as a result of signing, which I appreciate.

FYI: I have no affiliation with Pizza Hut. I just think this is a great program for kids and homeschoolers!

Children and Nature Awareness Month Challenge: Day 1

2010-04-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

I read about the Children and Nature Awareness Month Challenge at 5 Orange Potatoes and thought it would be a fun project. The challenge is to spend some time outside enjoying the outdoors each day in April, take a picture, and post it. That's it! It seems simple enough and will be a great way to make sure we spent time in nature every day this month.

Even though the weather is unseasonally wet and chilly today, we were not discouraged! We picked some cheery flowers to bring indoors and brighten up the gray day.

Good Morning, Beautiful!

2010-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet Amaryllis!

Four looks good on you!

Peeps!

2010-04-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about Easter is the Washington Posts's Peeps Diorama Contest, or Peeps Show. There are some really great entries this year. My absolute favorite is Goodnight Peep.

Now I have one daughter inspired to make her own diorama and one daughter who now knows the difference between diorama and diarrhea. A very good thing, indeed.

April Fool's Fun

2010-04-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by this to have a little April Fool's fun of my own.

For dinner I served frosted cupcakes which are actually muffin-shaped meatloaves with mashed potato "frosting". By the way, this meatloaf recipe is absolutely terrific, even if you're not a big meatloaf fan.

And for dessert: mini-hamburgers, which are vanilla wafers, Oreo Fudge Cremes, green-tinted coconut, and yellow and red frosting. Dessert made up for the disappointment of having meatloaf, when they thought they were having cupcakes!

Can you tell we're on spring break and in the mood for goofing off?

Losing Focus

2010-03-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

The same thing happened last year right around this time. I get caught up in the book lists and projects, adding way too many things to our to-do list, going on too many field trips, and generally running us all ragged.
I need to simplify.

I need to stop feeling obligated to read every book that is recommended in our history and science curriculum.

I need to be selective and use our time wisely.

I need to stop planning far-away nature outings and spend some time in our own backyard.

I need to breathe.

I need to remember that even though the things we're doing are good, there can definitely be too much of a good thing.

I need to enjoy this week of spring break, and come back refreshed and renewed, prepared to finish our school year well.

I pray the same refreshment for you.

Thank you, Arnold!

2010-03-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, back when I was a classroom teacher, my school took part in the Governor's Reading Award Program. Our students did a great job reading books, and we got some neato t-shirts. Or so I thought.

Now, I've been wearing this shirt for several years, and never ever noticed the spelling mistake! Yes, the mistake on the Governor's Reading Award shirt.

Sigh.

Hi, I'd like to sign my students up for the Recognition of Irony Reading Program. Thank you.

Critter Update

2010-03-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

See those tiny little yellow things in a cluster? They're ladybug eggs! It looks like our little ladybug friend is going to be a mama! It will be exciting to watch and observe them!

Joan Miro Resources

2010-03-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Miro pictures that we studied on our art wall:

Books:

Miro (Famous Artists)

DVD:

(also available from Netflix)

Miro-inspired art projects:

I got a bit inspired, too!

Joan Miro Art Projects:

Miro line drawing

Miro pinch bowl

Joan Miro watercolor

Miro with crayon shavings

New Free Resource

2010-03-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Are you familiar with Lesson Pathways? They are a formerly subscription-based educational resource that is now completely free! You can use Lesson Pathways as a complete curriculum or pick and choose the links available by grade or subject. And now it's free! I think I'll be turning to this site often to look for resources.

The Critters

2010-03-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

You know you homeschool when the number of critters living in your home start to outnumber the people.

Meet Betty the Beta fish,

our three painted ladies in their brand-new chysalides,

and a lovely little ladybug feasting on aphids.

And of course Lily, the dog.

Other temporary visitors have included earthworms, mealsworms, and a ziploc bag of snails, who were recently misplaced somewhere in my home.

Yikes.

I hope that I am not the one to receive the honor of finding that bag.

Dr. Seuss's Birthday is March 2

2010-02-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

How will you be celebrating?

Here's some ideas to get you started.

Request those library books now!

Guess the Number

2010-02-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

Lately we've been playing a great little math game in the car. It's actually a lot like the Clock Game from the Price is Right, but without the time limit. I choose a number between one and 1000. She tries to deduce the number by making guesses, and I tell her bigger or smaller. She's starting to figure out how to choose her gueses wisely, rather than guessing consecutive numbers. Little sister often chimes in, but her guess is almost always 64.

You can adapt this by choosing a greater or smaller range of numbers, depending on your child. You could add a challenge by using a time limit. Or switch things up by having your child choose the number, and they tell you if your guesses are higher or lower.

This is just a fun way to get a little more fun math in your diet and a great way to make a car trip go little faster.

The Addition/Subtraction Connection

2010-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Over the course of this year, Gracie's been working on learning addition and subtraction facts. Addition, seemed to be pretty straightforward for her, but subtraction proved to be a bit trickier. Several strategies have helped her understand the addition/subtraction connection.

1. Subtraction as reverse addition

Show how the digits of an addition fact such as 1 + 2 = 3 (1 2 3)can be written in reverse order (3 2 1). Put in a subtraction sign and an equal sign to get a subtraction fact (3 -2 = 1).

2. Writing equations

Give your child the three digits of an addition problem. Have your child write 2 addition and 2 subtraction problems using only those 3 digits.

3. Three-cornered flashcards

These flashcards can be used for addition or subtraction practice. Each card has the three numbers of a fact family. Cover one corner up with your finger and figure out the missing number. (Multiplication and division are shown, but addition and subtraction are also available.)

Art Co-op

2010-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our little homeschool group met at my house in January. It came up rather quickly after the holidays, so I thought art would be a fun but easy-to-plan theme to explore. After worship and sharing time, we started by reading Mouse Paint and followed the mice's example by doing some paint mixing in ziploc bags. A drop of yellow paint, a drop of red in a bag. Seal it up. Squish. And a new color magically appears! This was great for our little kids (3) and our biggest kids (2nd grade). Sometimes finding activities for all the kids can be challenging, but this one was a hit all around!

We had three centers where the kids could spend as much or as little time as they wanted.

Station 1: First we had Jackson Pollock inspired marble painting. A few blobs of paint on some paper in a box (like one from a flat of cans). Add a marble or two, and make the marbles roll all over the place.

Station 2: We had some Piet Mondrian inspired art with primary colors finger paint, black markers, rulers and electrical tape.

Station 3: Plenty of magazines and scissors were available to make some collage art.

When all the kids were done we had quite an art collection drying in the sun!

And of course plenty of mess!

New supplies

2010-02-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I posed a question to my readers: what would you buy for your homeschool if you had a few extra hundred dollars?

I got a jump start on curriculum for next year (Story of the World 2 and R.E.A.L. Science) and got plenty of things to work on this year.

Lots of fun stuff!

We have supplemented our ancient history study with lots of activity books. This is just what we needed to get out of the middle of the year routine rut. We definitely needed to mix some things up to inject some new freshness and excitment back into our school day.

Saturday's Quote

2010-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

"The chief function of the child - his business in the world during the first six or seven years of his life - is to find out all he can, about whatever comes under his notice, by means of his five senses; that he has an insatiable appetite for knowledge got in this way; and that. therefore, the endeavor of his parents should be to put in the way of making acquaintance freely with Nature and natural objects; that in fact, the intellectual education of the young child should lie in the free exercise of perceptive power, because the first stages of mental effort are marked by the extreme activity of this power; and the wisdom of the educator is to follow the lead of Nature in the evolution of the complete human being."

Charlotte Mason
Home Education

So much goodness in just one sentence! When a child has "an insatiable appetite for knowledge" our job is 99% done. One of the most important things we can do is introduce our young children to nature and give them opportunities to learn for themselves. There will be plenty of time for essays, timelines, and addition facts, but having that thirst for knowledge is really a strong foundation that will benefit a child on to adulthood.

Homeschooling: The Charter School Option

2010-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I admit it.

I homeschool through a public charter school.

So according to the state of California, my daughter is a public school student. Even though I am her only instructor and she spends all her days with me.

There is a lot of negativity in Christian circles toward charter schools. I can talk about that another day. Today I want to talk about some of the pros and cons of homeschooling through a charter school and how things have worked for us during the last year and a half.

Pros:

Funds are available to buy curriculum, supplies and to pay for classes.
(To be honest, this is the biggest pro for us.) We are allotted a significant amount of money each semester to request curriculum, supplies, and to pay for various classes. This is not a blank check. In fact I never actually see the money. I submit my requests to our "teacher," and she will order the items requested. The funds available have been enough to cover all our curriculum, dance classes, and lots of supplemental materials as well.

Accountability
We meet with my daughter's "teacher" once a month for about an hour to review progress. These meetings are a really good way to take an objective look at what we've done the previous month. My daughter gets to talk about what she's accomplished and learned. Knowing we have a scheduled meeting is a good kick in the pants for me on those days when school gets lost in the shuffle of life. Since I get along great with my daughter's teacher it's like having a friendly coffee date with a friend!

Freedom to choose different methods, curriculum, or scope and sequence.
I am not required to use a California-adopted curriculum. I have been following the classical scope and sequence, which means we are currently studying life science and ancient history. This is fairly different than what is being taught in California public schools in first grade. The job of our "teacher" is to take what we've learned, and see where it fits the state standards. In the long run, I believe we will have covered all the same state standards (and then some), but in a different sequence. I have the freedom to teach what I want when I want and the charter school allows me to do that.

Field trips (though limited socialization)
The charter school offers several field trip opportunities throughout the year. Since there are so many students from all over southern California, we've found that it's not the best way to meet new friends.  It is, however, a great way to see friends we already know and spend the day with them while learning some things at the same time.

No daily requirement of instructional hours:
We are required to do school each day, but when we're done, we're done. We typically spend 2-3 hours doing direct "schooling" during which we cover Bible, reading, phonics or grammar, math, science or history, and either art, music, Shakespeare, or hymn study. The charter school recognizes the efficiency of homeschooling and thankfully does not mandate set hours.

Cons:

Mandatory state testing (although no mandatory test prep)
This one is painful. Next year my daughter will be old enough for state testing. I do not believe high-stakes assessment are a good indicator of student progress, especially at such a young age. The positive side of it is that I am not required to do test prep. As my daughter's teacher, I will not "teach to the test" nor do any significant test prep with her.   In public schools much time is spent doing mandatory test prep rather than real instruction, which I think is a greater detriment than the test itself.

Four other tests throughout the year.
There are several other tests my daughter must take throughout the year. Fortunately most of these are given during our monthly "teacher" meetings. There is also a writing test administered at home, which I am not excited about at such a young age. I view these as $400 tests that "earn" us our funding. Am I selling out? Maybe.

Limitations on what funds can be used for
There are definitely restrictions on what can be purchased. Things can only be purchased through approved vendors and that are grade-level appropriate. They must also be non-sectarian (not Christian). I purchase or find my own materials for our Bible lessons and hymn study.

Follow the set school calendar
The charter school has as set calendar that follows closely to a traditional school calendar, starting in late August and ending at the end of May. It's not really a negative for us, but it could be for some families. We can and have taken vacations during school days and called them field trips and brought our school work with us.

Limited socialization
Other than the field trips, being a part of a public charter has not directly provided us with social opportunities. (Some public charter schools offer drop-off classes. Ours does not.) Fortunately, we have plenty of other activities to meet this need such as co-op, church activities, library storytime, and park days.

***************************************

With all that said, the public charter school option has been the best choice for us. I have spent much time and thought weighing all of our options for education, and this option is the the best one for us at this point in time. It is not perfect. It is not the best choice for everyone. I do, however, feel that it it is an option that deserves consideration.

I know this can be a touchy subject, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments, questions, and discussions are always welcome!

Saturday's Quote

2010-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

"They (children) must be left alone, left to themselves a great deal, to take in what they can of the beauty of the heavens; for of the evils of modern education few are worse than this - that the perpetual cackle of his elders leaves the poor child not a moment of time, nor an inch of space, wherein to wonder - and grow."

Charlotte Mason from "Home Education"

Just Do It.

2010-01-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the school year in August I planned to officially follow the Charlotte Mason method for the first time. And though we have done this in many ways, there are some glaring holes in our curriculum. No hymn study. No poetry. No Shakespeare. No formal picture study.

It would have been a huge change to get used to, adding so many new subjects to our school day. I think I made a good choice by not getting myself in too deep on day one. But now it is half-way through the school year, and I have yet to add one of those subjects.

Next week I will dive in. Completely.

We're simply adding one subject a day. Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes each day. Monday is hymn study. Tuesday is poetry. Wednesday is picture study. Friday is Shakespeare.

I'm still trying to keep it simple. Our church has started having a hymn of the month. I am simply going to piggy back on that. Our poet is A.A. Milne because I found a few of his books of poetry (When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six) at the library bookstore last month. For picture study we'll simply spend a little time looking seriously at and talking about the work of our current artist, Joan Miro. The pictures are even already printed and ready to go up on the wall. Friday we'll start reading A Midsummer Night's Dream from Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, since our local Shakespeare festival will be performing that one this spring.

There's a lot I don't know. I don't know anything about the history of the hymn we're studying. I don't know about the life of A.A. Milne. I don't know how well Shakespeare will go over. I don't even know how to pronounce Joan correctly. (Although now I know that he was a he and not a she!)

But I'm doing it.

I'm sure I'll tweak it. And adjust it. And these studies will somehow evolve. They'll probably look very different a year from now. But that's how homeschooling goes. We try and we adapt. But in the end we'll all have learned something.

What do you need to leap into and just do?

Welcome to Two!

2010-01-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Can't wait to spend this year with you, my sweet boy!

Happy Birthday!

Seminar highlights

2010-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

I went to great seminar a while ago presented by Carole Joy Seid. I was encouraged by the wonderful ideas presented. I wish I had time to go into more depth, but a list of bullet points will have to suffice to keep them in my memory.

Think about what is the best thing for your child, not your ego. (More on that here.)
It is vital to have books (and I would add educational resources) available to your children. "Provide them with a banquet of book." I love that!
Teach them to love books before teaching them how to read.
Keep reading as a treat, not a chore.
Christian biographies are are a great and underused resource.
Media is a powerful thing that we should get rid of!
Spend some time at the end of the day getting the "castle ready for the king."
Teach children to have a strong work ethic.
Go outside with your childen.
Relax! There's plenty of time to teach them Latin and poetry and grammar and geometry and all the other things you want them to know.

Carole is great speaker and encourager. If you have an opportunity to hear her speak, don't miss it!

Saturday's Quote

2010-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Mason had much to say about time outdoors:

"Let me repeat, that I venture to suggest not what is practicable in any household, but what seems to me absolutely best for the children; and that in the faith that mothers work wonders once that are convinced what is demanded of them. A journey of twenty minutes by rail or omnibus, and a luncheon basket, will make a day in the country possible to most town-dwellers: and if one day, why not many, even every suitable day?"

Charlotte Mason from "Home Education"

So instead of asking why we should go outside, we should rather ask ourselves why not? It can seem that there is simply no time with all the reading and math and worksheets and projects, but it is such valuable time, and so much good comes from it. We should make it a goal to spend more time outside, rather than less.

I'm excited to be making my way through these books. Watch for more bits of wisdom as I come across them!

Pride & Homeschooling

2010-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

No matter what it sounds like, it's not a Jane Austen novel.

Pride is an easy sin for homeschooling families to succumb to.

I was reminded by this recently in a few ways. (Have you ever noticed that God often sends the same message through various vessels to really get your attention?)

First was this post by Jasmine Baucham. It's a movie review, but she talks about how easy it is to be prideful as homeschoolers.

Then I went to a full-day seminar by Carole Joy Seid. Lots of good stuff there. But one of the points that stuck out to me was that we need to do things that are best for our kids, not things that make us look good as parents.

Ouch.

Homeschooling is a good thing. It requires major commitment, time, and energy. And it really is a noble calling.

But it is very easy to be prideful in all of that.

And I need to keep myself and my pride in check.

In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 10:4

First Haiku from a First-Grader

2010-01-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love my wallet.
I love my bunk bed today.
I love my toy too.

Educating Myself

2010-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Between my birthday and Christmas I've been blessed to add the "Homeschool Trifecta" to my personal library. These are the books that any Charlotte Mason or Classical homeschooler either has read, owns, or wants to read or own. I am now happily in the owner category!

Last year I borrowed A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning from a friend and really gained an understanding for what the Charlotte Mason was all about. I restrained myself from underlining meaningful passages and reluctantly (after several months) returned it. Reading it as well as some other online research was enough to make me officially switch from unit studies to CM. (I still love unit studies for kindergarten, though!)

The Original Home Schooling Series is not an easy read, and I've been slowly working my way through it. Thank goodness for ballet classes during which I can sit and read uninterupted! I'm still on the first volume, and am loving reading about Mason's thoughts on "Out-of-Door Life for the Children." Such good stuff. Sometimes a little off scientifically, but pretty much always hits the nail on the head in a practical sense

I still have a lot to learn about the classical method, but I know I like its scope and sequence. I first read The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Third Editition) when I checked it out from the library. Three weeks was enough to know that it was a book I wanted to own so I could refer to it for it's resources and read it more deeply and slowly.

At the rate I'm going it may well be a year before I get through all of these, but I'm loving soaking them in at a leisurely pace without worrying about due dates!

What books are in your homeschooling trifecta?

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

2010-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misschelle/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

One year ago was my first post at Apples and Jammies.

Although...
I imported a post from an older blog from 8 months prior.

Although...
Last month I posted once. Once!!
And the month before, only three times.

That somehow shouldn't count.

But if the calendar says it's my blogiversary, who am I to disagree?

Happy Blogiversary to me!

Degas

2010-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Edgar Degas was a great artist to explore while we also studied Tchaikovsky, the great ballet composer. Here's some resources we found helpful.

Books:

Bijou, Bonbon & Beau
Edgar Degas (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)
Degas and the Dance: The Painter and the Petits Rats, Perfecting Their Art
Degas: The Painted Gesture (Art for Children)
Marie in Fourth Position
Dance Like a Butterfly: Adventures in Art

Art stickers:

Dover Sticker Book Degas

Art Supplies:

We finally broke out our pastels and had fun experimenting with them.

Field trip:
Read more about our trip to the Norton Simon Museum here.

And our art "wall":

January 18 is MLK Jr. Day

2010-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

Are you planning on learning about Martin Luther King Jr. in time for his birthday? Now is the time to request those books from the library!

Here's what we did last year. There's several posts, so don't forget to scroll down.

Tchaikovsky

2010-01-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

Tchaikovsky is a wondeful composer to study around the holidays, especially if you can squeeze in a performance of The Nutcracker! Degas is a great artist to study with Tchaikovsky due to all his works featuring ballerinas.

Here's some resources we found helpful:

Books:
Tchaikovsky Discovers America
Peter Tchaikovsky (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers)
Swan Lake
The Nutcracker

CDs:
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker; Prokofiev: Cinderella

DVDs:
Tchaikovsky - The Sleeping Beauty, Bolshoi Ballet (available through Netflix)
The Nutcracker Ballet (available through Netflix)
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - Moscow Classical Ballet (available through Netflix)

And if you're a sucker like me:
Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition) I was pleased to discover this features much of Tchaikovsky's music from his ballet.
Barbie in The Nutcracker
Barbie of Swan Lake

But the biggest highlight was seeing a performance of Swan Lake and getting to meet Clara!

Degas at the Norton Simon

2010-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Norton Simon Museum is a great place to go to see the art of Edgar Degas. There are more than 100 of the pieces in their collection, many of which are on permanent display.

Gracie made a beeline toward this piece, "Little Dancer of 14 Years," which has been on our artist wall. We also read a book inspired by this piece, so we feel we've come to know this little dancer and her pose quite well!

Another piece in the same gallery was "Dancers in the Rotunda at the Paris Opera." A fellow Degas enthusiast pointed out that you can actually see Degas' fingerprints in the paint on this picture. So amazing! Can you see it? Look closely on the dancer's legs and the skirt.

Well, there's nothing like being surrounded by the works of the great masters to inspire a little art creation!

And the finished product...

Since my husband isn't back at work until Wednesday, this was able to be a "just the two of us" trip, a very special treat, indeed! My girl is turning into quite an art appreciator and I love our museum outings!

Southern California Seminar for Homeschooling Parents

2010-01-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

This Saturday I'm excited to be attending a seminar entitled "A Literature Based Approach to Education" presented by Carole Joy Seid. This will be my first opportunity to hear her speak, but she comes highly recommended by several friends of mine, who try to attend her seminars every time she's nearby!

If you're in the Southern California area, this should be a very uplifting day! I know at this time of the year it can be very helpful to get a little motivational boost. I think this seminar should do the trick!

Any one else planning on attending?

Get more information here (click on the Chino seminar on 1.09.2010).

Back into the swing

2010-01-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Today is our first official day back at school after a wonderful break. But we're easing our way into it slowly. We'll be taking a trip to the Norton Simon Museum to see some works by Degas up close. We might even do some sketching.

If today is your first day back, I hope it's a great one!

A Good Problem to Have

2009-12-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

What homeschooling supplies would you buy if you had a few extra hundred dollars in your pocket?

We homeschool through a public charter school so we have an annual allotment of money to spend on curriculum, supplies, lessons, and field trips. At this point I've got some extra money and would love input on how to use it. There are some restrictions: it must be grade-level appropriate (first grade), it can't be sectarian (religious) and it must be purchased from an approved vendor (which include Lakeshore, Dick Blick, Rainbow Resource, and Barnes & Noble to name just a few.

So what do you think?

Field trip to Egypt

2009-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well, not really, but it felt like it!

Recently Gracie and I went on an extended field trip to the Bay Area. We went to see the King Tut exhibit currently at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco and the Egyptian-themed Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose.

Unfortunately there was no photography allowed in the exhibit, but we were quite surprised to see a stunning resemblance between King Tut and certain members of our family! Who knew? Maybe we're descendants of royalty! At the Rosicrucian museum, we felt like we had been transported to Egypt. The grounds were beautiful and filled with intricate buildings and plants like papyrus and pomegranate that made us feel like we were walking along the Nile. The highlight for us was a recreation of an ancient Egyptian tomb that we could walk through. The walls of the tomb were decorated with images from Egyptian mythology. On the right hand wall you can see some of the gods weighing the dead man's heart to determine if he will make it into the afterlife.This is a recreation of Hammurabi's Code that is supposed to be almost identical to the original.

There were also recreations of the Rosetta Stone and King Tut's actual mummy case (the original never leaves Egypt). There were plenty of original artifacts in the museum as well, but the recreations pleased us just as much. We learned about Hammurabi and different types of ancient writing, like cunieform and heiroglyphics earlier this year, so it was neat to see something close to the real thing. And it will be a while until we can travel to Egypt or Europe where those artifacts reside!

Although it's fairly small, it's a very comprehensive museum. On their website they have a 10-day curriculum guide to go along with a museum field trip, including a quiz, which we used as a scavenger hunt at the museum.

Artist Study: Piet Mondrian

2009-11-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's what we did during our Piet Mondrian unit study...

Put up Mondrian Wall

Watched Mondrian - From Naturalism to Abstraction

Colored using a Piet Mondrian inspired grid.

Spied some Modrian art in Squeaking of Art, The Mice Go to the Museum and Anna's Art Adventure

Began art lesson from Masterpiece of the Month by drawing grid lines with a yardstick,

tracing them with a glue and black paint mixture,
filling in spaces, and numbering the work. (Notice the tiny #1 at the top center?)
Used electrical tape (much quicker and less messy, yet no less inspired!) to create another Mondrianesque work of art:

Used primary colors to paint a picture of a flower, inspired by Mondrian's Amaryllis.Our own little Amaryllis was inspired to create all on her own as well!

Co-op Day: Under the Sea

2009-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

This year a few homeschooling friends and I have been getting together for a monthly co-op. There are 6 moms and 18 kids ranging from our big second-graders to just under a week old! This month I was the hostess and had a blast planning a morning of ocean-themed fun and learning.

While waiting for everyone to arrive, the kids worked on coloring a printable mural and cut-outs from learningpage.com.

Next came worship. We sang Deep and Wide and Peace Like a River. We read a few Psalms that talked about the ocean like Psalm 89:9, Psalm 93:4, and Psalm 148:7.

After the group worship time we divided the kids up into 3 groups and they rotated through 5 different activity centers led by different moms.

Art center:

The kids made their own aquarium using paper plates, cornmeal sand, crepe paper seaweed, and foam stickers from Joann's. Unlike my example, they also decorated their plate before putting anything else on.I prepared the front of the aquarium top beforehand, since it was both time consuming and tricky for little hands to do. I used blue plastic wrap taped to the back of a paper plate.

Confession time: I did not take a single picture during our time together. These were taken after everything had been cleaned up and put away!

Science Center

:The kids learned about floating and sinking by making a hypothesis about which objects would float in both fresh water and salt water. Both an uncooked egg and a potato should float in the salt water and sink in the fresh water.

Sorting Center:

What's the difference between whales and fish? Inspired by this activity, we made a giant Venn diagram with two hula hoops to sort different characteristics written on index cards.

Reading Center:

We had lots of books available for the kids to read or look at independently or have read to them. I don't think my local library had any ocean-themed books left after I raided all the shelves! Here's a list of some good ones:

A House for Hermit Crab

My Visit to the Aquarium

The Magic School Bus Gets Crabby

The Rainbow Fish

10 Little Rubber Ducks

Is This a House for Hermit Crab?

Oceans

One Small Place by the Sea

Miranda's Beach Day

Drama Center:

The kids played charades, pretended to be different animals, and put on a puppet show based on some of stories they had read.

After centers we finished up with a "sharing" time. This seems to be a favorite activity for everyone! The kids are able to present something they learned, read something they've written, or recite a poem or verse they've memorized. Some of the little ones just like being in the spotlight! It's great because public speaking is one of those skills that are hard to develop when you're homeschooled.

This was our third meeting and the kids are really starting to feel more comfortable with each other. Meeting for co-op once a month has been great for all of us and our kids since it makes coming together a treat and not a drudgery. Hopefully our co-op will continue to be a blessing to us all!

Book of the Week: Color Dance

2009-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Usually I let my kids choose their library books, but Color Dance jumped out at me (isn't the cover beautiful?) and I had to check it out. I wish I had known about this book last year when we did a theme unit on color. It would have been a great resource!

In this book, dancers twirl about with different colored scarves making all kinds of beautiful new colors. Color mixing is introduced, but goes beyond the basic red + blue =purple. There's also aquamarine, vermillion, magenta, and chartreuse. (So that's what chartreuse is!)

After reading this book, you might feel a bit inspired, so have some paint on hand for some color-mixing experiments of your own.

See what else is being read this week at The Joyful Chaos. Happy Reading!

How to See Down Steven Tyler's Throat

2009-10-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since we took a tour of a local hospital, Gracie has wanted to be a doctor and has been begging to study the human body. We're doing life science this year and our curriculum, R.E.A.L. Science, starts off with a human body unit.

While scouring Netflix for some good educational movies (one of my favorite homeschooling resources, by the way), I came across this little gem. Although it's not geared specifically for children, National Geographic - Incredible Human Machine had my kids spellbound. It uses some amazing technology to actually film inside the human body. We saw the inside of a stomach, lungs, and Steven Tyler's vocal cords! This is a great way to take your human body study to the next level and actually see the organs and systems you've learned about.

A few words of warning: There is definitely some blood seen during a surgery in progress. I had to turn away, but my kids were fine! The movie does talk about the reproductive system as well, which you might want to preview for your own children.

Inspired by Miss Potter

2009-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I read about the movie Miss Potter over at Harmony Art Mom's blog. I assumed it was a brand new movie, since I had not heard of it. As soon as I found out that it was a few years old (how did I miss it?!) off to Netflix I went, popped it into the top of my queue, and watched it a few days later.

Such a delightful movie! And it captured the imagination of my daughters, as well. We dug out our copy of the Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales and reacquainted ourselves with Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, and other little creatures.

Gracie was inspired in her own way. Last Thursday (our unschooling/masterly inactivity day) she decided to make her own picture book, with the help of many of Beatrix's characters.

So far she's drawn Jemima Puddleduck and Peter Rabbit (although he looks a bit foxy to me!) Can't wait to see who's next!

Book of the Week: Squeaking of Art

2009-09-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

SQUEAKING OF ART, The Mice Go to the Museum is such an inspired book that you could use it as an art curriculum for a year! Ten mice wander through galleries of various themes (still-lifes, children, abstract, etc.) and ask questions. So many questions! You could spend days discussing all these questions with your children! Children will love to guess just which artwork each mouse is commenting about.

Each gallery is full of masterpiece-inspired works, and in the back of the book you'll find a helpful "cheat sheet" of information about the artist, title, and location of each piece.

This book is such a fun way to add a little more art appreciation into your children's lives, and they'll think it's just a fun book!

Visit The Joyful Chaos for more wonderful books!

How to Mummify a Barbie

2009-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Learning about ancient Egypt just wouldn't be complete without making your own mummy, and mummifying a Barbie is a lot simpler, cheaper, and quicker than mummifying a chicken.

You'll need: a Barbie (of the dollar store variety), oil, spices, salt, and gauze or other cloth.
Make an embalming fluid by mixing oil and spices and spread it all over the doll.

Sprinkle the body with salt.

Roll it up in the gauze or cloth.

Tuck in some "amulets" which served as good luck charms.

Don't forget to make a mask.

Mummies Made in Egypt is a great book to go along with your study of mummies which describes the mummification process in great detail.

We heart Bach!

2009-09-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Composer studies are a new addition to our curriculum this year and so far, I am amazed at the positive response it has gotten.

I'll be honest, I wasn't and still am not exactly sure what I'm doing. But I've seen big results for rather little input. We've read a few books about Bach and listened to CDs of Bach's music all from our local library. We Netflixed a DVD of Bach performances. And that's pretty much it. But Gracie's interest in Bach is flourishing!

I definitely want to take advantage of some musical learning opportunities. Gracie's started taking an interest in musical instruments, guessing which instruments she is hearing during the songs. So we'll be looking more into that. We also might even dive in and begin piano lessons. I've been planning on doing music lessons eventually. Now might be a very good time to start.

Week One:
Listen to Bach on Pandora

Week Two:
Watch Bach: Greatest Hits (available from Netflix)
Read Johann Sebastian Bach (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers)

Week Three:
Read Johann Sebastian Bach (Primary Source Library of Famous Composers)
Listen to Bach Greatest hits (from our local library)

Weeks 4, 5, and 6 are still ahead of us, but here's what I have tenatively planned:

Week 4:
Classics for Kids website and worksheet
Read Sebastian: A Book about Bach

Week 5:
Leonard Bernstein - Young People's Concerts
Learn about different types of instruments: brass, strings, woodwind, percussion

Week 6:
Making Music Fun lesson plans
Bach appreciation fancy tea party

Book of the Week: Simon and Adele

2009-09-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Adele & Simon is a wonderful book we found at the library a few weeks ago. I love it when I just randomly choose some books from the shelves and there is a real gem among them like this one.

First of all this book is a great child's-eye view of Paris. It's a great way to see Paris and all it's wonderful landmarks in a natural, "not teachy" setting. You can even follow the children's route through the city on the endpapers of the book.

Secondly, this book has layers. In addition to introducing your child to the monuments of Paris, there are nods to some great French artists. Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt even make a cameo appearance. (Read more at the Amazon.com review of Adele & Simon.)

Thirdly, there are I-Spy opportunities on every page. As Simon and Adele make their way home through Paris, Simon loses things as he goes. Can you find his missing item on each page?

Adele & Simon is such a wonderful and fun book. If you can't take a field trip to Paris, spending some time with Simon and Adele is the next best thing.

Check out (pun intended) other great books at the inaugural Children's Book Blog Hop at The Joyful Chaos.

2009-09-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Look what arrived in my mail box this week: Kris over at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers had a great giveaway last week which I was lucky enough to win! She notified me on Friday and the package arrived on Wednesday. Talk about speedy delivery!

I was given the choice of any of the "10 Days" games which include the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Since I lived there a few years, I chose Africa. (Plus I want my children to know that Africa is not one big country!) My daughter and I had fun trying it out this afternoon. I'm sure we'll know our African geography like the back of our hands in no time. But look what's missing:

You probably don't notice anything, do you?

Well, that little pink circle inside South Africa is actually a little country called Lesotho, which is where I made my home for 2 years. Who would have thought that its absence would even be noticed?

Poor Lesotho. No respect.

Unschooling Thursdays

2009-09-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Homeschooling is a beautiful thing because it is very efficient. It doesn't take nearly as long as traditional schools do to cover the same material, so we are blessed with some extra unscheduled time. And rather than squander that time, this year we are going to spend our Thursdays doing a plethora of sometimes rather "unschool-y" activities. I think this will be the perfect time for some valuable student-led learning. Therefore, we are introducing "Unschooling Thursdays" to our schedule this year.

One of the appeals of unschooling is that there are so many valuable skills that children need to learn that don't fit into the nice neat boxes of math, language arts, science, and social studies. Yet often these are the very things that get saved for last or pushed aside completely.

While I love the idea of letting students pursue activities and subjects that interest them, I know my daughter would probably never choose to practice her writing or learn addition facts on her own. But I can offer her one day a week of more free exploration.

At this point I will be providing some structure in unschooling Thursdays, since she might very well choose to play with Barbies amd watch Angelina Ballerina all day, which might have some educational value, but is definitely not what I'm trying to achieve.

So what am I trying to achieve? I want to instill a love of knowledge. I want her to see that education is more than textbooks. I want her to develop practical life skills. I want her to have experiences that will add depth to things she has read about. I want her to have an active part in her education.

Here's what we might on any given Thursday:

Field trips

Nature studies

Art

Artist studies

Composer studies

Educational and strategy games

Handicrafts

Independent projects

Entrepreneurial skills

Many of these activities are in line with the Charlotte Mason philosophy, which we are adopting this year. It will be interesting to see what else happens on Thursdays this year!

Happy September!

2009-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I just received my first blog award from Three Queens and a King. Thank you! Now I have to tell 10 things about myself and pass it on to 10 more bloggers. Here goes:

1. I owned a Volkswagon Westfalia camper van named Mothauthau, which according to my Sesotho dictionary means one who picks people up from various places.

2. I'm definitely NOT a neat freak, but I do like keeping the clothes in my closet in "rainbowetical" order.

3. I've only had one cavity ever. Unless you count the one that I had in my wisdom tooth that was pulled. But that definitely doesn't count.

4. I had been to all 50 states by the time I was 16 years old.

5. I am a terribly cheap person.

6. I hate running. I would rather walk or hike for 20 miles than run one.

7. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of the year. Unfortunately we don't really have an autumn in southern California. Sigh.

8. I worked at Chuck E. Cheese all the from high school through college. And yes, I dressed up as the rat once in a while.

9. Dr. Pepper (called "Deep" in our house) is my drink of choice. I do limit myself to 1 a day and have even switched to diet in a lame effort to be "healthy".

10. I have a thing for completing things. That's why this has been sitting unpublished for the last week until I could come up with number ten!

I'd like to pass this award on to some lovely and talented ladies:

1. Bubbles, Balloons, and Blessings

2. A Hundred Happy Things

3. My Two Happy Homeschoolers

4. Academy at Thousand Oaks

5. higher education

6. Love 2B Home

7. Homeschool and Etc.

8. Journey into Unschooling

9. Kids Art Projects and Lessons at Ms. Julie's Place

10. Life is Not a Cereal

Preschoolers and Homeschooling: My Secret Revealed

2009-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have 3 children, ages 6, 3, and 19 months. I homeschool my oldest who is in first grade. So what do I do with the other two?

Here's my secret: they sleep.

Napping outside at Sequoia National Park

We don't do school in the morning. We'll read stories or do field trips, library trips, co-ops, nature walks, and other assorted activities in the mornings. But we really don't crack open any "schoolbooks" until 1:30. That's the magic hour. That is naptime.

And school time.

Last year I told myself she was doing "half-day" kindergarten. Well that schedule has been working out so far for us this year, too.

Did I mention my kids are great sleepers? They are amazing sleepers. They don't take piddly little naps. Oh, no. It's 2.5 to 3 hours just about every day. You can get a lot done in 2.5 to 3 hours.

I actually have a whole box of activities for my 3-year old to do while we're doing school, but she never gets to use them because she sleeps through it all. It makes her sad, but I'm okay with that. She'll stop napping soon enough.

But for now, I heart nap time.

First week in review

2009-08-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our first day of school was Monday which began with some vomiting so I knew then that we were in for a great year! (Read with sarcastic voice.) It actually wasn't that bad, since we don't begin school until the afternoon. She was actually cured and ready to go by then, thankfully.

Look at these kids and their backpacks. You'd think they were actually going somewhere!

We jumped right into The Story of the World with a little archaelogical dig on Tuesday.

Tuesday we went to a park with empty, wide, flat sidewalks to practice riding bikes without training wheels if you're 6, or with training wheels if you're 3. Gracie also started memorizing "The Caterpillar," an assignment from First Language Lessons.

On Wednesday we read One Small Blue Bead and tried a new reading program at library for elementary-aged kids which had a whopping three attendees, including Gracie.

Thursdays are planned to be our "unschooling" day where we focus more on non-core subjects and educational projects. We met Gracie's teacher that we'll be meeting with once a month. We started our six-week long composer study (J.S. Bach) and artist study (Piet Mondrian).

Gracie got to do some handicrafts when she made a simple game bag for those nomad hunting excursions. She used my sewing machine for the first time. Can you tell she's proud?

Friday included a field trip to museum for some bear research.

While we're waiting for our science curriculum Gracie's been working on a lapbook on bears inspired by our camping trip to Sequoia National Park last week.

A big disappointment was no nature study this week due to wildfires, smoky air, and 100+ degree temperatures. We'll just have to double up next week!

Check out what else went on this week at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Trying to be Twaddle-free

2009-08-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

Last week when we were camping I began reading a new chapter book to the girls. It had been a while, so I thought that with the school year starting soon it would be a good time to pick one up again.

I began reading The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham to them, which I myself hadn't read, but it has animal characters and takes place in a lovely countryside. There's even a Disney ride inspired by it. So it should be great for my 6 and 3 year old, right?

Well, two weeks and much struggling and suffering later, I finally looked up the reading level.

Seventh grade!

Yikes, no wonder they couldn't follow it.

I do know that a child's listening and comprehension level is above their reading level, but a 7th grade book to a first grader is definitely more than we are able or willing to tackle. And this is definitely a tough one.

I know it's on this list and this list for second grade, and I realize that we're just starting first grade, but seriously? Here's the last sentence of the chapter I read to my girls tonight:

"For others the asperities, the stubborn endurance, or the clash of actual conflict, that went with Nature in the rough; he must be wise, must keep to the pleasant places in which his lines were laid and which held adventure enough, in their way, to last a lifetime." I know that this is out of context, but doesn't that seem a little difficult to understand?

Have you read The Wind in the Willows to your young children?

Or am I just a wimp?

Break it to me gently, please.

And now for something completely different...

2009-08-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have completed posting all of our theme units we covered during Gracie's kindergarten year. you can find a list of them here. I loved planning theme units and thought it was a very appropriate way to ease into formal education in kindergaten, though I wanted something a bit more structured, chronological, and organized for first grade and beyond.

Therefore, for first grade we are going in a slightly different direction. I will be following the classical education scope and sequence model for history and science using many of Charlotte Mason's methods.

I've done a lot of research and thinking about this and am very excited about the upcoming year. We will still do some unit studies based on what we're studying this year. I've already decided to do a mini-unit on bears inspired by our camping trip last week! So although we may not be theme unit focused, we're still having fun learning and I'll keep you posted along the way!

Gingerbread Theme Unit

2009-08-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

This was the perfect theme to welcome in the holidays! Although I learned that sometimes homeschooling is no different than any other kind of school in that December is a tough time to focus on schoolwork! So our workload was a bit light.

Books:
The Gingerbread Man
Gingerbread Baby
Gingerbread Friends
Gingerbread Thematic Unit

The highlight of and inspiration for our theme was a very cool exhibit on the Science of Gingerbread, which will be happening again this year, too.

We had fun comparing the different versions of the Gingerbread stories.

We also made a simple lapbook with printouts from the Gingerbread Thematic Unit,

smelled some yummy spices,learned a bit about Germany,and of course, we invited friends over to make a gingerbread house, which sadly collapsed before it was ever really finished!