Day #106/175 Days (Co-Op Day)

Co-Op day is always a bit nuts. Add in almost 20 kids between the ages of 5 and 13 and it's even nuttier. Today we did not do a country study. However, we did count all the money the children collected to donate to Haiti. It went really well! The lady that usually teaches and really - put this whole thing together - was home with a sick child. She sent her mom with her son and her mom just jumped in and taught the kids all about money! It was great. They had a wonderful time. Then we counted and rolled all the change collected. Phew! There was a lot! The final total for Haiti was $320 and change (I don't remember the exact number). I thought that fabulous for a completely spur of the moment idea! I do have a photo of all the kids to place in the paper but I know at least one family who doesn't like having their children's faces posted on the internet so pretend you see cute kid faces here.....

CUTE KID FACES

After we were all done with this, it was snack time (after a long line for the bathroom to wash hands) and a short "game time." One of the moms started this and it works well for our small space. The kids line up in the wide, long hallway. A mom calls out various things (usually about the country we're studying) along with an action. For instances, today I heard, "If you are wearing pink, take three giant steps forward." Most of the kids enjoy it and it gets the "wiggles" out of all the boys.

We had a dental hygienist come in for the last half of the class. She was wonderful with the kids and did a fantastic job with them. She brought in a video of "sugar bugs" on teeth (plus some other nasty things!!) which the kids loved. She also brought in all her "instruments" and taught how they were used and let the kids touch most of them. She also had a "goodie" bag for each with a brushing chart, a toothbrush, toothpaste, "honesty" tablets (they show where kids have missed brushing!), flossers, regular floss, and a tongue scrapper. The kids, of course, thought this was wonderful!

Again, I took a photo with all the kids and our hygienist so pretend you see it here....

CUTE KIDS AND A DENTAL HYGIENIST HOLDING BIG TEETH AND A BIG TOOTHBRUSH AND SMILING (of course)

Day #105/175 Days

Together School

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud
• Matthew - Chapter 13
• Lent Devotional
• Language Arts Tests (for Conductor & Lego-Man)
• Created Rainbow poems - saw them here.
• Math
• Read This Little Prayer of Mine
• Watched episode #2 of Wild China
• Wii Fit

Happy

• AWANA
• Alphabet Beats - Letter A
• Letter Test (He did this in record time. He had to mark the lowercase letters I called out. He kept repeating, "This is so easy!" I'm so glad it was!)

Day #104/175 Days

Together School

• Viewed one episode from "Wild China" (excellent)
• Popcorn prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud
• Matthew - Chapter 12
• Lent Study (had to get caught up from last week)
• Math
• Writing Journal
• Gave the two older boys spelling tests from Spell to Write and Read - they did well.

Happy

• Time4Learning
• Played a game: Where Does it Come From?

Day #103/175 Days

I'm still working on getting back on schedule and tweaking what we are doing. This week has been kind of crazy with outside activities. This morning we spent time doing:

• Popcorn Prayer
• Reading aloud - two chapters in our Terrestria Chronicles book
• Catching up on our Easter devotional book - we were almost a week behind.
• Watching an African Wildlife cam - we saw the sun starting to set and a lot of antelopes watering
• Watching an Owl cam - we saw the owl eating something and feeding her babies. Two have hatched.
• Took our first nature walk of the spring season

Our family cemetery located behind the house.

Some snow still left - but not a lot.

Standing in two places at once. To the right of the photo above they are standing in our town (and on our property) and to the left they are in the neighboring township.

The boys will end their day tonight at AWANA club.

Day #102/175 Days (Co-Op Day)

Today at Co-Op we learned about the country of Haiti. Obviously this has been in the news lately. We had to change up our schedule a bit so this past weekend we thought to do this. Our plan was to ask for donations Sunday morning at church (which we did) and then have the kids count and roll the money and make a donation. The friend that thought up the co-op concept and I help was going to teach about earthquakes and I was going to do the country facts and the craft. Unfortunately, her son ended up becoming very sick the night before so I was on my own. Another friend stepped in to do the earthquake part and we are putting off rolling money until next week. 

The kids seemed to have fun once again. We learned about the country. We learned about earthquakes and did a pretty neat hands-on visual about how they work (Take a shallow box and cut it in half. Overlap the two halves. Place sand or sugar - which is what we used - in to the box. Move the box apart to see what happens and then move it together to see what happens. The kids loved it.) We had fresh pineapple, mango, and bananas for snack. I also talked about how many Haitians have a Creole heritage and also celebrate Mardi Gras so we had to make Mardi Gras masks. The kids really loved those. I'm modeling my sample and Conductor is showing off his as well - while eating a Popsicle. He's multi-tasking. 

We will be continuing our geography study in two more weeks while traveling to Kenya. Next week we'll be counting and rolling change for our Haiti donations. Then we have a dental hygienist coming in to talk to the kiddos.

Day #101/175 Days (Children's Museum)

This morning I spent time with the older boys working on what we'll be using for next year. I'll share those plans later - they are still a work in progress.

We then spent two hours at the Children's Museum. We had fun - of course. We just wish we could have stayed longer. Entering as a group allowed us a discount but also meant we had a two hour time limit. Here are some photos:

He doesn't have a dirty mustache - honest. He was sick recently & it's a chapped area of skin still healing. At least I think that's it.....

Conductor seemed to enjoy sitting on plastic animals. Here he is on Wilbur.

Hanging out in Brazil. 

The three crazy boys.

Working hard loading packages on the cargo ship.

The group who went today minus three little girls who were still playing.

Day #100/175 Days

Woo-Hoo - 100 days!!!! And I wasn't even home. I left work boxes for the boys to work on while I was away at the homeschool convention. ;-)

Lego-Man:

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wiglinton & Wenks
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/Walking outside

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wigington & Wenks
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/Playing Outside

Day #99/175 Days

Lego-Man:

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wiglinton & Wenks
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/Walking outside

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wigington & Wenks
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/Playing Outside

Day #98/175 Days (Co-Op day)

We've been enjoying our mini co-op and studying various countries. So far we've covered China, Slovakia, and Egypt. Today we traveled to the country of France. I was teaching so no photos.

We talked about where France is located and discussed the different aspects of the country (currency, flora, fauna, animals, language, religion, etc.). We just touch on all of these things in order to give the kids an overview of the country.

Our snack was, of course, French bread, cheese, and grape juice. The kids ate this while we watched bits and pieces of a video called "Discovering France." We spent about 30 minutes seeing various aspects of the video. It covered all the regions of France as well as the food and culture.

We ended the class with a fun art activity - at least I thought so! It was an Matisse inspired art collage. The link includes free templates making this a super easy but fun project. I highly recommend it. The kids seemed to enjoy this.

Next week: Haiti

Day #97/175 Days

Lego-Man:

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wiglington & Wenks
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• Blog
• Assigned Reading
• Playing outside

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wiglington and Wenks
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/playing outside

Happy:

• AWANA
• Handwriting
• Playing outside

Day #96/175 Days

Lego-Man:

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wiglington & Wenks 
• Blog
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• Assigned Reading
• Walking outside
• Youth Group

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• Easy Grammar
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Wiglington & Wenks
• Update & fix Geography notebook
• Assigned reading
• Wii Fit/playing outside

Happy:

• Time4Learning
• AWANA
• Rod & Staff book
• Wii Fit/playing outside

Day #95/175 Days

Together School:

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud book
• Matthew Chapter 11
• Lent Devotional

We played two of our new games..."Plot and Plan" - 

The goal is to get your pieces from one corner of the board (the start) to other (home base). Yellow & red start opposite each other as do blue & red. There are two dice included. They was suppose to be one red and one black. We had two black so I just switched one out for a white die. You roll both die. There are two axis marked on the board - one black and one red. The black die determines how many spaces you move along the black axis. The red white die determines how many along the red. The goal is to get to home base. Along the way though, you can take our your opponent. The white area in the middle was free hunting for this part of the game. The shaded areas around home base were safe. 

It took a lot of thinking. See - I lost a piece already. I was playing yellow.

The next game we played was called "Round Up." 

The goal here was to "round up" or pen in as many sheep as you could. This game was actually more complicated than the last. It had many different variables. There was a black sheep that allowed you to assign points to other players. There was a wolf that would allow you to either have to deduct points from yourself or add them to other players - depending on how it was played. The hunter (the red one above) cancelled out all that. In the little purple circles were also either one star (go again), two starts (go twice), one arrow (skip the next person), and two arrows (reverse play). I think we played it right and it was fun. This is Conductor's favorite game thus far and he's been playing it on his own. 

These were both purchased from Educators Outlet as part of their 80% off sale. I paid about $2 for each of them. Round Up is still available. List price is $2.50 but I'm sure there was a further discount taken at checkout. Plot and Plan is also still available listed for $2.75. 

Evening:

AWANA club - 2 hours.

Day #94/175 Days (Co-Op & Field Trip)

Since deciding in the fall to post my homeschool record as a blog, we've actually accomplished more days at this point then we ever have in the past. Yeah!


It was a busy day today but worth it.

We started out heading to church for our little geography co-op. Unfortunately, the gal who was suppose to lead today was home with a sick kiddo. That left me and another gal throwing together some stuff to teach the kids about Egypt (we knew about this yesterday). Actually, the gal who was suppose to teach did send us all she had planned to use. We just felt the need to add more - a lot of which we just sent home with the kids.

Since I was teaching today I have ZERO photos of the co-op. I did just take photos of two of the crafts we did though....

The bookmark says "Read a Book" on one side and the same thing in hieroglyphics on the reverse. The kids colored them and then I brought in my heat laminator (any reason to use it really) and laminated the bookmarks for them. 

The other project is "sand paper" art. Just pieces of sandpaper and then they drew a picture on it using crayons. I told them they didn't have to draw anything Egyptian unless they wanted to. Two out of three (at least my boys) chose not too. I think I see some triangle shapes in Happy's photo to the far right so I'm calling them pyramids.

Our snack was hummus and wasa wafers and animal crackers (camels!!) for anyone who didn't want hummus. There was water to drink, of course, since a large part of Egypt is desert. 

We had music to listen to and my co-teacher today had even downloaded some videos to her laptop for the kids to watch. Overall it worked well and the kids had a blast - which is always the important part I think.

Co-op ended early today as a few of us were heading to the city. The Opera House there puts on four plays a year for kids. We've been to one a couple of years ago but due to the nature of it (Toying with Science) the place was packed. I wasn't sure I wanted to do it again. This time, though, it was a real play and sadly, my boys have never been. So we went. Even though the play was called Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. (The link takes you to a review of the play done elsewhere - but shares the basic plot and such.)  Apparently Mrs. Slinger was supposed to be Mr. but I didn't know that and neither did my  boys. We all loved it - even Lego-Man - in all of his thirteen years of age. It was funny. It made some excellent points about how to treat others and friendship. I was so glad we went.

We ended the day with grocery shopping. Not nearly as exciting as the rest.

Day #93/175 Days - Art Class

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked if there was any interest in an "outside" art class. To say there was interest was an understatement. She was flooded with, "Yes! Sign us up!!!" replies. So many that there were two classes. One yesterday for one of the groups we both belong to and one for the other group this morning.

It was held at an art studio about an hour from my house. The woman who owns and runs the studio was wonderful with the kids. There were twenty-five kids at the shop today. Every table was full and the parents either sat down out the way (on chairs we brought since they kids were occupying all the available ones in the studio) or milling around acting like the paparazzi.

For $10 a child we were given an hour and a half of time (although many started wondering out after about an hour) and the kids could create AS MUCH as they wanted!!! They started out with terra cotta clay and about half way through they were given some "white" clay. My boys all had a blast.

I lost track of how many items each boy made, but I finally scooted Jack off his chair near the end and made myself a couple little bowls. It was fun. So much fun that I would seriously considering going to Karen's "open pottery" classes. 

The boys all had fun "playing in the mud" today. In a few days we'll be able to get our finished products. Karen was drying them and then planned to fire them and glaze them. I'll be adding photos of the finished products later.

Day #92/175 Days

Together School:

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud
• Matthew Chapter 10
• Lent Devotional
• Madsen Method/English for Life
• Grapevine
• Pandia Press History Odyssey 

Lego-Man:

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• BBC Typing
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Easy Grammer (new addition this week)
• Galaxy of Math
• Blog
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/walking outside

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Easy Grammer 2/3 (new addition this week)
• Galaxy of Math
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit/bike riding outside

Happy:

• Zoodles
• Head of the Class
• AWANA verses
• Sequencing book
• Wii Fit

Day #91/175 Days

Together School:

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud (Terrestria Chronicles Book #1)
• Matthew Chapter 9
• Lent Devotional
• Grapevine Studies
• Pandia Press/History Odyssey
• Watched "Reading Rainbow: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters")
• Read Only One Cowry retold by Phillis Gershator
• Read The Village that Vanished by Ann Grifalconi

Lego-Man:

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• BBC Typing
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Galaxy of Math
• Assigned Reading

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Facts First
• Galaxy of Math
• Assigned Reading

Happy:

• Zoodles

Day #90/175 Days (over half way done!)

Together School:

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud (The Sword, The Ring, and the Parchment by Ed Dunlop)
• Matthew Chapter 8
• Lent Devotional
• Grapevine Studies
• Pandia Press/History Odyssey
• Artistic Pursuits - Lesson 2

Today for Artistic Pursuits the boys had to draw something from their imagination and use the whole sheet of paper. I pulled out their smaller sketch books so they wouldn't be completely overwhelmed. 

Conductor's drawing is on the left. It is a picture of "Paddle-to-the-Sea." We just listened to this story on audio book last weekend while traveling. Lego-Man's drawing is on the right and is of a day in the park. He even labeled it as such. There is a person sitting down to a picnic on the far left. The person in the middle is tossing a Frisbee for his dog and the person on the right is flying a kite. 

Lego-Man:

• Pirvate Devotions
• Mathletics
• BBC Typing
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Galaxy of Math
• Assigned Reading

Conductor:

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math
• Facts First
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit

Happy:

• Head of the Class (a lot of math today with only a little writing)
• AWANA
• Mathletics
• Zoodles
• Updated Geography Notebook for co-op class (finished what wasn't finished during class time)

Day #89/175 Days (Co-Op Day)

Today was our second co-op meeting.  Last week we learned about China and had about eight kids in the class. This week we focused on Slovakia and had 17 kids come! Wow!

The lady who has been putting this all together has been able to find some ladies who have actually lived in these countries to come in and talk to the kids. This week we had Miss Petra come and she had all kinds of things to bring and show to the kids.

These decorated eggs were amazing. So delicate and intricately designed. As a craft, the kids later used crayons to put designs on the eggs and then dyed them. This was, of course, the cause of much fun.

This was just a small portion of what Miss Petra had brought to share. It covered two long tables. Here you can see some traditional dolls, some corn husk dolls, traditional dress and ribbons plus lots and lots of photographs. She said that her family goes back to visit every other year.

We started the class learning stats about the country. Then Miss Petra came to talk. The kids also enjoyed some peppermint tea (or water) and some bundt cake (all traditions of Slovakia). Miss Petra did an excellent job teaching us how to say a few words (hello, goodbye, thank you) and was wonderful about sharing all of her information with the kids.

Next week we are headed to Egypt!

Day #88/175 Days

Together School

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud (We have switched to reading The Sword, The Ring, and the Parchment by Ed Dunlop. I need to review this for the TOS Crew.)
• Matthew Chapter 7
• Lent Devotional
• Madsen Method
• Grapevine
• History Odyssey by Pandia Press
• Artistic Pursuits - Lesson 1 (draw a line drawing of an object)

I was very impressed with Lego-Man's line drawing of my Kitchen Aide mini-clock. 

Lego-Man

• Private Devotions
• Mathletics
• BBC Typing
• Writing Journal
• Math-U-See
• AWANA
• Galaxy of Math (Whole Numbers)
• Update blog
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit

Conductor

• Private Devotions
• Math-U-See
• Writing Journal
• AWANA
• BBC Typing
• Mathletics
• Galaxy of Math (Whole Numbers)
• Facts First
• Play game with Mom (Battleship)
• Assigned Reading
• Wii Fit

Happy

• Zoodles
• Facts First
• Wii Fit
• Head of the Class

Day #87/175 Days

Back to the regular school stuff....

Together School

• Popcorn Prayer
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem
• Read Aloud (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
• Matthew Chapter 6
• Caught up in our Lent devotional - we did five days worth!
• Wii Fit

We're easing back in to the routine. No workboxes today. The two younger boys are currently playing with K'Nex on the floor behind me. Conductor is working on a roller coaster.