Pre-school last week!

Learned about seasons! Each square represents a different season. The winter and spring got filled in after this picture.

'The Ugly Duckling" by ??? (i'll edit cause this is the greatest version) is a wonderful representation of seasons and morals.

We also used Charlotte's web movie to learn more; they colored a picture of one scene from the movie that had to do with a season. Wilbur running and playing in the mud when he first got to the Zuckerman's farm - no one else would play and enjoy the weather. and when that same spring pig triumphantly lived to see the first snow fall! Dylan wrote a couple sentences on what his favorite season. He said he loves all of them, except the summer is too hot.

They did lots more, like observing the globe, hemispheres and why the tilt of the earth and sun result in the seasons.

YELLOW is the color this week.

Read lots of Yellowish books.

Ping.

They pulled each of these objects out of a paper bag and discovered Yellow; there was one red ribbon. Different/Same lessons.

Painted a 'sun' and glued handprints on the outside for summer.

Big kids help the little kids at craft time. And they love that!

They all helped cook yellow playdoh. A favorite!

I hope to take more pictures of Dylan and Kaya working on their projects more but those times are the busiest so it's harder.

~ Dylan learned to tell time quickly and easily last week.

~ Kaya has an incredible memory; "Gosh mom, when I hear it it just sticks in my head" auditory learner? partly for sure!

_Bowen is all about cutting and glue sticks and sits alone talking to himself and creating layer after layer of art.

~ Ella really likes to play imaginary and with all the little animal characters and barbi dolls for hours alone. and is totally happy!

Thursday @ School

Months ago we read Judy Blume's Fudge. So I gave the kids a choice to pick their next chapter book and they wanted to hear the next one in the series. I'd say it's likely better for older kids, say 4th grade but they love it anyway. We read while the twins nap!

Ella playing blocks, dinos and everything else in the play school room!

We're playing Go Fish with letter sounds as our review!

Wednesday night we star gazed and this is Dylan's illustration in his nature journal about his experience.

The twins are learning about RED and math skills of top, middle, bottom. They used red stamps, press one stamp on the top of the page, two on the bottom and a huge one in the middle. They sorted colored bears and shapes that fit on a peg board. Little Ella sits at 'circle time' in the morning like a proper little teachers pet; places her hand over her heart for flag and is too cute!

* The kids love their Sing, Spell, Read and Write program. The music is cute and the little ones already are picking up on how sounds are related to words we say! They sing, write and play games to reinforce the concept for the day.

First day of school tradition!

(our tradition was delayed because we had NO water all day yesterday)

but today...

We bake cookies!

* As we mix the ingredients we discuss how they look, sound, smell, feel and taste. The changes that happen as they are blended.

* Then we talk about how this is just like when we are thinking. God gave us 5 senses to take all the things we experience around us into our minds. When we think we are baking!

* What would happen if we put in rotten ingredients, or didn't follow the directions? (like adding A1 sauce instead of vanilla or putting the whole egg in without cracking the shell open)

* If we put bad things into our minds that's what comes out- bad stuff- rotten stuff. Think of examples like watching bad shows on tv or looking at violent pictures all the time)

* We'll learn Phil 4:8 Finally brothers, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable --if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think of such things. ( I have one who often thinks themself as inadequate and has lots of self defeating ideas, i cant do it (right, or good) so This is a focus this year.

* When we speak and act we are taking our cookies out of the oven! If we don't let our thoughts bake for a while we may say things that are not kind; we may say things that are hurtful to others and to ourselves. As we watch and mix-take in all our thoughts and as we bake them (think about them) We should always remember we do these things for the glory of God. "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel." Proverbs 11:17

* No matter what we're doing the first thing we need to do is dedicate it to the Lord. "Commit your work to the Lord and you will succeed" Proverbs 16:3 That means doing your very best For Jesus. Be focused! You have to think he's really right there next to you, how would you act? Would you work really hard or be lazy? And when you feel tired or grumpy you can always whisper to him and say...I'm tired God but I want to do my best for you please help me now; i need you. Even the little things we do show God how much we love him. We love him because he loved us first and he loves us the most, and the biggest and the highest and he wants us to be successful every day.

* Because my morning was so crazy with the goat attack and all - i stuck with the simplest recipe ever - and my new favorite - Use a lemon cake box mix and just add 2 eggs 1/3 veg oil and lemon. They pressed them with a fancy design from a spoon. and put on a lemon flavored frosting (from powdered sugar). Easy Peasy! I wanted to try this recipe: cake box, 1 egg, 2 c. cool whip, roll on powdered sugar. But didn't have the ingredients.

PS sorry there's no pictures, truly a tragedy, my battery is dead and my charger is in Rainbow.

2009-2010 School & Home Schedule

Here's my game plan for our schedule this year!

Certainly we wont follow it perfectly, but it gives me a goal to shoot for.

We will start our school weeks on Thursday so our fantastic fun days will land on Wednesdays.

~ No end of the week burn outs for us ~

Each year I choose several goals to focus on - last year one was Never Give Up.

This year one of them is FOCUS! To be successful one must be able to absolutely focus on a task - Short increments of intense focus will help them learn how and why it's important!

More important than this schedule is being flexible for opportunities - some call them Interruptions I call them Teachable Moments.

Weekly Assignments 2009 - 2010

August 13 (Thursday) ------ August 19 (Wednesday)

Saturday & Sunday PLAY & REST

		Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Wake-Dress Devotion	6:00 7:00	*	*	*	*	*
Chores	8:00	*	*	*	*	*
Breakfast & clean-up	8:30	*	*	*	*	*
Attendance
Circle Time	9:30	*	*		*	*
a) pray, calendar
b) pledges, read aloud
c) hymn
Bible History	9:45	*	*		*	*
a) reading
timeline, memory
d) pre-k activity
Music Fun-	10:10	*	*		*	*
Pre-K with Dylan	10:20	*	*		*	*
K. Math	10:20	*	*		*	*
D & K ssrw games	10:40	*	*		*	*
K. phonics reading D. writing	11:00	*	*		*
D.phonics reading K. writing	11:20 :30	*	*		*	*
clean - up LUNCH	12:00
Pre-K SSRW Big Kid freetime	1:00	*	*		*	*
Nap and read alone time	1:30	*	*	*	*	*
Art : Come and See	2:00	*			*
Drawing			*			*
Chapter Bk. Read Aloud	2:15	*	*		*	*
Science				*
Nature Journal				*
Lifie Skills
Piano
Horseback riding				*
wood working				*
write letters				*
computer				*
Strength Training - PE Skills	Late After- noon	*	*	*	*	*
Dinner Helper	4:30	Dylan	Kaya	Bowen	Ella
Set Table		Bowen	Ella	Dylan	Kaya
Dishes		Kaya	Dylan	Kaya	Dylan
Night Chores	6:00	*	*	*	*	*
B. & E. winter Bedtime	7:00
D. & K. winter Bedtime	7:30