Weekly Wrap up 13 and 14

I have been trying to do one Science experiment/activity with the kids each week recently. This is one subject Timmy would never get enough of and since he is trying to have a better attitude about his other schoolwork I wanted to encourage him even more.

Working on a T-Rex Dig

These were from a big Smithsonian kit we picked up at Costco last year, we still have a few more in this kit before we have to get something else.

Working on a Gem dig

I still love our Draw Right Now books. I love that the kids and I can do it together and it is a slight challenge while still being actually doable. I also like that we can draw pictures to go along with what we are studying.

Drawing Lincolns Cabin

Hiding her Cabin from me

This is what the big kids school area may look like on a typical day. There is a bit of order in the chaos. See I even have a planner.

Our School Desks. :) AKA the kitchen table

We have been studying Lewis and Clark so yesterday I sent the kids out with an empty shoe box paper and a pencil to Journey around the house and return with information about the environment - weather, animals, plant life ect... They had a blast and want to do it again.

Preparing for a Lewis and Clark expedition

Showing me what information he gathered

One of the expedition journal entries.

We also joined an Oregon Trail Co-op which we will be doing on Thursdays and I will do a post on that in a few weeks.

Valentines for hair

I have seen all kinds of valentine felt hearts this week on blogs. Pins, Garlands, ect... Then Shae sent me an Etsy link to some cute hair clip flowers. So these are my interpretation of a combo of both. :) I think they turned out cute and can't wait to see my nieces and my Girly sporting them for Valentines Day. :)

First I cut out 3 pieces for each heart. One large piece of felt (Just the cheap stuff from WalMart) and 2 smaller hearts of cotton.

Then I glue sticked them together so they wouldn't move while I stitched them.

I stitched around each heart. Middle heart straight stitch inside and out with a zigzag. They are kind of small so go slow and make sure your needle is in the down position when you stop to maneuver corners.

After stitching I trimmed those crazy excess threads and dug through my buttons for some small enough and cute enough to coordinate with the hearts.

Then I sat and stitched all the buttons on.

Next I grabbed my glue gun. It is low temp but seems to be holding fine. If I had the choice I would use high temp so the hold would be stronger. Evangeline had these hair clips she never wears so we used them to put the hearts onto. You could use any small hair clips or even a safety pin and just wear them on your shirt.

My Beauty sporting her new Heart. :)

Tot and a Preschooler

So I keep calling my boys tots but truthfully they are both nearly preschoolers and Caleb is nearly to kindy. :( How did they get so old?

Story time, reading about geography which they love. :)

We got these felt alphabet pillow letters at a yard sale this last summer. This day we put down construction paper in a circle to match the colors of the letters. Then they took turns drawing one and putting it on the matching color. They still have issues with most colors but they both love and know the color Orange!!

I always love that they recognize so many letters already just from watching Leap Frog Letter Factory. (In the back of this pic you can see the slightly mis-shaped pillows I sewed up for our Pre-school corner)

This is a German game we found at Salvation Army last year for .25 - I can't read the rules but IT has wooden candy pieces and 2 dice with colors on the sides. So they each roll a dice and pick a candy with that color on it. Then sometimes we get tricky and roll 2 dice and they have to find a candy with both colors on it. They love, love this game. and have named it the Pinata game! hehehe

Next week I plan to start some more advanced Pre-school type of work with the boys. We shall see how it goes.

Getting the Tots in order

So our new re-implemented "Tot Time" has been a smashing success. Well actually it has probably saved many things from being smashed. I am reminded that the busier I keep there minds and fingers the less time they have to destroy. :)


Our current schedule is simple since I am just getting them into a routine, I hope to add to it as they adjust.


For now the schedule is


1. independent coloring time (Color Wonder, Coloring books, Or blank paper and pencil)

2. 30 minute dvd - either leap frog, veggie tale, or Davey and Goliath they get to choose which

3. Activity tub time with mom. (I have a tub for each school day with an activity in it and they pick each day which to do)

4. Story time - they pick one of the books I have in a tub. They take turns choosing the book.

5. Snack time - with the big kids

6. nap time and they listen to a cd, lullaby or bible songs


So here are some pics from this week.

I found the big kids old Leap Pads up in the laundry room. We had not opened the box since we moved. I got them down dusted them off and they have been so much fun. They all have been enjoying them. :)

This day the boys used crayons to color the bottom of egg cartons to match the dinosaurs they had. Then they placed them all in the matching spots. Dumped them out/ put them back/ and repeat. :) While counting and saying the color of course. hehehe The crayon was very light and next time we will use marker.

We started out making patterns and then they just counted and stacked these.

Here the boys are putting buttons through toilet paper rolls into mason jars. I would call out a color and they would find one that color to put in the jar.

Then we used plastic wrap and a hair band to make makeshift instruments. So we shook and danced for a bit.

We did the build and grow clinic again this week. They are getting pretty good at waiting for directions and hammering the nails in.

Before next week I hope to have a few things sewn for tot time and I will be rotating our activities so we will have a few new ones next week.

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Evangeline Ears and Party!

My beautiful girl and her new pierced ears.

She held my hands but she was super brave! She has read all her aftercare instructions and everything. hehehe

At lunch with Rach and Steph before getting the girls ears pierced.

Sleepover party guests the morning after. :)

Reading with Papa - We had a reading themed party. The kids made bookmarks, played madlibs, we read a choose your own adventure too. :)

Some Loves

Evangelines new movie we got to watch when the kids were settled into sleeping bags with glow sticks.

A Pretty New Dress

Pretties from Katie and Fam :)

The flower cake arrangement Grandma Sherry made for Evangeline.

We ate angel food cupcakes with pudding and lasagna for dinner. :)

Missed our Taiah and Asa. :(

Weekly Wrap Up 12

So we have been back to school for 2 weeks but I would say this has been the first official week back to school.

On the 11th my Beautiful first born turned 10. 1/11/11 Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl!
We had a sparkly brownie with a candle at our small group Tuesday night since it was her real Birthday. We will be having her sleepover party tonight and she will get her ears pierced with a friend tomorrow. Check back for those pics and posts next week. :)

 The kids eating brownies on Tue!

 I got Justin a new Childrens Ministry Bible for Christmas since his was falling apart. Here it is with a cover I sewed this week out of old dress shirts. My first book cover and I think it turned out pretty well.

 Here is Timmy with some little paper houses we printed off of Made By Joel this week. He had so much fun cutting and folding extras to go along with them.

 We made some Game Boxes at Lowes this last Saturday. They really enjoy the Build and Grow clinics.

As for school Evangeline is really doing well in math and sometimes doing 2 lessons per day because she actually gets it. I am still so happy we switched from Horizon to Math U See.
We are still working our way through Studying the Presidents and States and early American History.
Timothy is mostly doing reading, we have cut out most extras until he can really grow in his comprehension skill.s Just in one week of Reading focus I see improvement so we will keep it up until he is fluent and confident which is the main issue. We are mainly using Phonics Pathways, Explode the Code, and Early Readers along with writing on a white board (His favorite).

As for the little boys I have really started to focus on giving them a dedicated schoolish time every day and it is going super duper well. I will post about that Monday if you want to check back.

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