Category: the Oldest

Not Another One!!!

Yes, yes, I have another homeschool post. Buckle up, people, these may happen periodically.

I wanted to share a fun little project I did with Rachael. We made a book about shapes. Rachael worked very hard on this book, tracing and coloring in each of the shapes. On the backs of each page we traced and colored six of each shape (repetition, repetition, repetition). I don’t have pictures of Rachael making this book because between instructing and chasing down Abi as she “borrows” items from the table, I was a little busy.

But alas I share with you one of Rachael’s accomplishments:

Her book on Shapes.

These are each of the 8 pages.
These are the backs of each of the pages that had backs to them. 
And this is what little-one does most of the time while we homeschool:
She loves her books.
The following two pictures is a placemat I made for Rachael to aid her identifying of numbers, shapes, letters, and her Bible verses. Since I couldn’t find a placemat that had all these things on them, especially not the Bible verses, I just decided to make one. At each meal she can decide which side of the placemat she’d like to face up, and accordingly we get to talk about and rehears that side of the placemat during meal prep and sometimes during the meal itself. Since Rachael just sits at the table nicely many times while we prep/serve the meal I figured it was a good time to use the captive audience wisely. =)
 The front: Rachael’s 3 Bible verses. Believe it or not she know the top two and we’re working on the last one, “God is love”. She almost has it down. We put these verses to song and she picks them up lightning fast!
 The back: letters, numbers, and shapes. Thus far she can ID A, C, E, H, L, and R (her name) and she can ID all the shapes (confusing some occasionally) and 1-10 with some confusion about 9 and the fact that 10 is ten and not 1 and a 0. 
Proud of my little smarty and her excitement for exploring and learning amidst our day of fun and play. She is absorbing much and hungry for much learning too. 
Thanks for checking out our little world.

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Our Joy and Pride

No one prepares to be blown away… otherwise they’d hang onto something.

Homeschool has been trucking along with this Mommy creating random letter-focused practice sheets for Rachael to do and coming up with various other curriculum ideas and Rachael just going along for the ride. It’s been fun to be creative and watch Rachael’s discovery and pride in her accomplishments.

We have been slowly working on Rachael’s letters in her name each week. Repetition, repetition, repetition in tracing the individual letter per week, recognizing each capital letter in books and amongst other letters, and learning shapes, colors, and numbers along the way. I’ve been very goal-focused in targeting Rachael’s weaknesses (fine motor control) while blending them into her strengths (identifying shapes, colors and numbers). We’ve had our frustrating days (sigh) and our moments of victories. And then came today’s in which I found myself blown away.

We were sitting down to the normal homeschool with an audience of Abi and Rachael’s newest “goes with her everywhere” stuffed animal. We were working on squares today, Rachael showing off her advancements in fine motor skills over the past 3 weeks of focus and I decided to try it out… Rachael has learned the letters R, A and C (we’re working our way through her name – other letters didn’t really sick). Thus far we have only been tracing them because her fine motor skills are *ahem* “age appropriate”. This is not a problem, but I do like to challenge her. So I decided to try it out… NO DOTTED LINES….

And man did she blow me out of the water writing the letters she knows…

It’s so cool to see her advancements and her increased focus and hear her ecstatic laughter as she masters a skill for the first time.

– love homeschooling.

Some pictures of her work over the past 3 weeks:

Week 1: “R”

Week 2: “A”
Week 3: “C”
We had done other homeschooling prior to this, it was pretty light and didn’t focus on writing at all. Then we took a break from it for a while (helpful of homeschool) after I started getting my feet wet so I could reorganize and so life could happen. And then we started into a more “let’s get ready for our real written preschool curriculum for the winter” process which I have charted above.
But anyway, thanks for celebrating with us on Rachael’s great successes!

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Fall Festival

We went today to a fall festival at a local park that is only 15 minutes from my house and yet I didn’t know existed. Yes, Yes, I know… submit commentary here about how adventurous I am. =) Each year we try to go to a fall festival or pumpkin patch with “the cousins” (Aunt Ellen, Uncle Ron, Bekah, John-John and Josiah). It’s a fun time to make memories together.

The little Fall Festival was free to the public – right in our price range – and had all kinds of family-fun activities from pony rides to a goat petting zoo (don’t pet the one that was head-butting the kids — for serious. lol.), and a pumpkin decorating area with free pumpkins, oh and also a playground and a barrel-seat train ride pulled behind a tractor (Rachael bowed out) and a large wagon hayride (we all bowed out). Wonderful few hours of fun and smiles. Poor Rachael was still recovering from her 102 degree fever the day before, so her regular energy level was not completely back during the adventure. But a good stroller ride, blanket snuggle and a snack helped her rejoin the fun without over-extending the poor kid. And Abi had her first pony ride.

And thus I share pictures…. you know, because I’m a shameless Mom of two cute kids. =D

 Our Cowgirl -always wanting to ride the ponies.
 Her first pony ride. Look at that pacifier smile! (yep, we’re still teething hard.)
 YAY!
 Picking out a good one. (The wind in her hair).
 So little.
 She wanted to carry her own pumpkin.
So Daddy was helping her be as big as she felt in that moment. =)
 All the kiddos.
 Pumpkin decorating.
 Rachael’s finished product. – bear with her she was starting to feel poorly.
[see her poor flushed face.. =( It was nearing time for a break. ]
 She came back to life, after a break, with full character in the leaf fight.
 hehehe. So much fun had by all.
 Aunt Ellen boosting her up for a view of the cows and donkey.
 Happily Daddy’s sidekick.
 Sister Snuggles.
 A family shot. – Rachael’s done for the day.
(Oh look! I was there too!)
 One last wind-in-her-face smile before we loaded up and called it a day.
Wonderful trip. Wonderful company. Wonderful day.
Thanks again, Ellen, Ron and Co. for another great year of fall tradition.
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Blessed

I am so blessed by these little faces.

 hehe. Look at Abi-baby cheesin’ it!
 Oh no… here it comes….
 TICKLE-MONSTER!!!!!
AHHH!!! Second TICKLE-MONSTER!!!!

My cast of characters make my world.
They’re such little best friends. =)

Thanks, God!

Goodmorning everyone. 

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Look at that girl… She’s happy.

I got a World Vision magazine in the mail today. Funny how excited my heart gets to see those two words, “World Vision”. World Vision means more than a humanitarian effort. World Vision is how we have met Lydia and Tofic. World Vision is like a family connection.

This magazine wasn’t like a normal one. Instead of selling gifts and household clutter, this magazine opened up a new window of Christmas – spirited opportunities.

A few days ago, maybe it was yesterday, I took my quiet nap-time allotment to count coins. Yes, I know machines can do that. Yes, I know those little paper wrappers don’t carry any alluring factors. But this counting had purpose.

I emptied the contents of our missions jar on the table. We’ve been just adding our spare change to the collection for a number of months now. And as I started counting and wrapping I wondered how awesome of an experience it would be to sit around with our Sunday School class, or a group of friends, and do just that… count and wrap coins for missions work. I began to sing praise songs – interjecting numerals in there as I got closer to the brinks of my personal math skills. =)

I was pleasantly surprised by the amounts that laid before me some 45 minute or an hour later after shelling and counting and handling what felt like a small amount of coins. Funny how God shows up. I wondered what these would be used for. I wondered why God had put it on our hearts to collect this money. When we set the goal to save the coins and then find a place to donate the money once the jar was filled the day felt so far away. And while the jar is not filled yet, I felt the need to count and wrap up the coins.

Then today the magazine came. World Vision. I love those words. I flipped open the pages and looked at all the pictures with my toddlers today at lunch. Daddy’s at seminary all day today, so in many ways the house has felt unusually quiet – even though he’s always at work during most of the daytime anyway. But at lunch he usually joins us and he was missed today – as he is every Tuesday.

“Look at that boy!” my little talker interjected. “What’s that?”

“A goat.”

“Why?” the famous and expected response.

“Because some Mommies and Daddies live in places where it is hard to grow food or where there isn’t enough food. You know how you tell me you’re hungry and I can just open the fridge and make you lunch? Some families can’t do that. Some families don’t have enough food. So Daddy and you and me and Abi have been putting away our money in the missions jar. Remember putting coins in the jar? And we are saving the extra blessings God has given us to help feed other families. One way we can help feed other families is by sending them a goat. You know how we drink milk? And cows make milk? Goats make milk too. And so a goat would help a family drink milk.”

She smiled. “Look at that girl…. She’s happy!”

That’s exactly right, little girl. Exactly right.

Funny how tears well up in your eyes sometimes when you know in your heart that something is right. When you know in your heart that you are right where God has planted you… and you are doing your best to grow.

I wiped away a few tears as Rachael looked over the magazine with fascination and continued to comment on all the little boys and girls’ faces. Abi kept referring to each animal we saw as “meow”s and after Rachael corrected Abi’s labeling we talked about how each of the different animals could help families.

The goal is not just to send an animal. The goal is to serve the least of these with a worshipful heart. They may come to the Lord, who knows, maybe not having to worry about their food source will allow their minds to think more of Jesus. But all I know is that Jesus said very plainly that when you do unto the least of these you do unto Me.

We just want to do unto Jesus more and more each day.

– to the least of these for now and forever more.

— if you are interested in helping yourself: www.worldvisiongifts.com
Check it out.

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Sunday Morning Recap

At the Sunday lunch table.

Me: “So Rachael, what did you learn in Sunday School today?”

Rachael: “[Specific little girl] wasn’t sharing and I was listening.”

– rotten.-

Me: “What did you LEARN in Sunday School today?”

Daddy: “What was the lesson that you learned?”

Rachael: Quickly, “I don’t know” Shoved noodles into her mouth.

– Thank you, teenager.-

Daddy: “Yes you do too know. Think about what you learned.”

Rachael: ….. “about Josiah.”

Mommy: eyes the story paper sent home with Rachael.

Daddy: “What did he do?”

Rachael: Quickly, “I don’t know.” More noodles.

– we wait –

Rachael: “He cleaned up.”

Mommy: “then what happened?”

Rachael: “I don’t know.”

Daddy: “Did he find something?”

Rachael: “The BIBLE SCROLL!”

Mommy: “And then they read it to the people and the people knew what God wanted them to do.

Rachael: shoveling in more pasta.

Mommy: Turning to Abi, “Is that what you learned too?”

Rachael: “No. She didn’t learn anything. She just walked around, she wouldn’t do a paper and she ate animal crackers.”

– Sorry Abi, better luck next time. 😉

And thus you have it: the Sunday Morning Recap… from the mouth of our two year old.

(sigh) – love her.

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