Friday Review

So, a crazy yet incredible thing has happened in the past month and I now am a home schooling mama.
This has been something that has been whispering to me for more than a couple of years, and well, it was finally the time.  


This was our first week, and I have to say it went surprisingly SMOOTH.
I am a very over organized person with lists and check lists, so of course that is what keeps me dotting all our i's and crossing all our t's each week and touching on all our subjects.


I decided that Friday's will be our day for REVIEW and tying up anything that we've left unfinished.  
I have to admit I was smiling from ear to ear at my daughters excitement of a friday quiz. It is a low key quiz that covers EVERY subject we covered during the week. (little does she know it really is to tell me what she soaked up during our week.)   She aced every question and it was not a small quiz. Yeah Me!
ANYWAY, I thought it fitting that I do some Friday "reviews" (sharing) of tools, books or sites that I have found to help me paddle our journey more smoothly.


So here we go....


First off, I have a friend who is another mom schooling at home, and I have found her blog to be a very valuable resource.  Check her out here: http://lightningigniting.blogspot.com/


Next is the most amazing historical books by Diane Stanley.  You can see them here at amazon.
We only have Good Queen Bess. (The story of Elizabeth I of England).  But, let me tell you it has gorgeous artwork and the language and story is so easy and fun it is a delight to read.  I would love to get my hands on some of her others such as Michelangelo, Cleopatra, Da Vinci, Joan of Arc and Bard of Avon (the story of Shakespeare).  I am truly inspired by them!


Ok, there was a website I found this week to help make spelling lessons fun here: http://www.spellingcity.com/
You create a free account and then create your own spelling lists, and then your kids play fun games based on YOUR own list.  The games were things like "hang mouse" and word searches, and many more!


There has been LOTS and LOTS of new findings for me over the month, but I hope that every Friday I will have new ones to share with you.


The last book I got my hands on yesterday.  I think it is an absolutely amazing book.  Charming and delightful and quite possibly a MUST in my curriculum.
The Core Knowledge series:
What your 3rd grader needs to know.
Peek at it on amazon.
It is chocked full of every bit of CORE knowledge that your child should know at certain grade levels, but it is in a story book format that addresses your child directly and is FULL of stories and sayings and phrases that are right there in the book with the lesson that is trying to be conveyed.
I am in love, and can not wait to get my hands on every single grade that it offers.


So that is my review guys.  I am feeling like a rock star momma after this week.  Hopefully the momentum will last!


Oh. P.S.
My daughter started her own blog this week.  It is her view of home schooling.  It might be fun to follow a 9 year olds mind in the world of home schooling.
Here 

Where does the time go?

My three little monkeys

have gotten so big.

I put new pictures on my mantel this weekend.

(before it was leaf prints)

I can't believe they are 11, 9 and 3!

{insert muffled cry here}

then,

{insert proud sigh here}

We have started a new journey here.

Home school.  

And so the adventure goes on.

My little Lion

Snow Daize

I have to send a big shout out to my friend for her post here.
She has been totally rocking with ideas for things to do with your kiddos lately.
We are starting to get antsy here.  
My kids are starting to drive me a tad nuts.
So we did two of these cool things that she listed.
Cookie cutter ice cubes.
And this snow melting experiment:

Other ideas she had: Make decorative ornaments for the trees outside.  First, cut lengths of yarn and put them in disposable cups with a long tail hanging out.  Then  fill them with water and put in a few drops of food coloring.  Once they are frozen solid, cut away the cup and hang from trees in the yard.  It's been interesting to see how the colors fade, how the ice drips and reforms and just generally pretty to look at.

Have them write a story using this prompt:
Good luck with all these SNOW DAYS!!!

inspired by:

we have snow...we have more coming down as we speak...

I was super inspired by two posts this week and got to make my version today....

The La La Love you print here...and the valentines decor on the mantel is just plain happy...I think I might cut out some X's and O's for mine....

I la la love it ;-)

&

Ali Edwards hearts collage here.
I don't have a heart punch...so I just used my cricut.

I haven't decided if I'll frame mine like Ali did, or if I'll just in it up and the use it as a scrap page....

what would you do?

Some things are just about making me smile.  And hopefully it will make someone else smile in my house too.

confessions of a 365er

* i {heart} my new Nikon.  
But I {heart} my new camera bag almost just as much.


*sometimes I take only a picture a day, sometimes I take many and have to choose just one


*everything I see is a fantastic photo in my mind


* I have a notebook full of photo shoot ideas for the days I am a little stumped


*if I don't like what anything I get, I take it as an opportunity to learn something new in photoshop


* I am looking at my 365 as a daily expression, not every picture is going to be incredible, but I can alter it to express what I am feeling


* I look at the project as a whole.  As if it will be a book to flip through in the end, and I consciously try to mix it up.  Not too many people, not too many objects, not all black and white, not all horizontal....but you know sometimes you just get what you get.


*I am driving my family crazy maybe a little.


* I used to think that morning was the best time to snap pictures-
but am falling in love with the glow that a 4-5pm photo create
...what is that called???


* I'd like to take a photo field trip on the next pretty day we get.


* I am learning about my camera, I am learning about composition, I am learning about myself.


*sometimes I want to save a photo for the next day....


**I dream in pictures :-)


Here are some that have recently not made the cut:

Where have I been- My mind is all a flutter...

I have been a busy momma.  A happy girl.  A avid 365er.  I have been hit with so so much I want to do this year.  My baby girl turned 3 yesterday.  I tried not to be too sad.  I am so proud of that little thing.  I am borrowing these prompts to get me going on here again:

Outside my window...it is piles and piles of glorious snow.  The sun is out and it is just plain GOOD. I feel like a kid when they called for a snow day.  Believe it or not I am quite happy to be snowed in with my little family

I am thinking...that I may homeschool.  Crazy thought?  I think it may be the best decision I've made lately...but I have to trust my instincts and quit feeling inadequate up in that brain of mine.



I am thankful for... my little family.  My home.  My animals.  My friends.  Life today is really really good.



From the kitchen...I am about to whip of a batch of my famous chocolate chip cookies.  I will never pass up a request, especially if my hubby comes home with the ingredients. Hint?

 

I am wearing...cotton yoga pants, cotton tank, cotton hoodie (it's from mid-evil times and says "WENCH" on it. Comfy.

I am creating...an owl, a couple of pages, a ABC book, and a folder full of ideas I have for the year.



I am going... to go play out in the snow as soon as my peanut wakes from her nap.  I think we are going to build a "snow queen."



I am reading...Life is a Verb and 52 More Scrapbooking Challenges.  I want to find another trilogy I can sink my teeth into...



I am hoping...that THIS year is going to be a good year.



I am hearing...my husbands video game in the background.  I also hear the kids outside playing in the snow.



Around the house...is evidence of a family snowed in over the weekend.  It is messy. The aroma from the super bowl wings that are being marinated.  The dryer is going...one of my very favorite smells.



One of my favorite things...music, a fire and a few minutes to sit with my thoughts, or linger over a project.



A few plans for the rest of the week...get out to the store for some dog food before it snows again...Try to make "snow ice cream" with the next snow fall.  DECIDE about homeschooling.

A picture to share...she's 3 now.  In her own little 3 year old world of sweetness.

and lastly, music I am playing on my ipod today:  Corinne Bailey Rae.  Loving her.