Homeschoolers' Math Scores (Really Funny!;)

I came across this cartoon and just had to post it on my blog! It is not meant to be offensive to anyone at all-just a funny little cartoon that made me laugh;)

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Tee, hee.

Our Own Plumply, Dumply, Pumpkins!!

We did a craft based on the book "Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin" by Mary Serfozo. 

It is a very cute book about a boy trying to find the perfect pumpkin. We were inspired by this Mom who made these with her daughter.  


The girls had a really great time with this hands-on (and non-messy;) craft!! They loved stuffing the stockings!!

The girls did a nice job painting their pumpkins as well. Em got most of hers done and Elle's arms were tired from so much painting, lol. Plus, we ran out of paint-oops!  I still think they look great!

Thanks for reading-we appreciate each of you!!

Introducing: {High-Touch Tuesday}!

Our family is already one that I would consider a "high-touch" family. We always love to give hugs and kisses and feel it is an  important aspect of our Attachment Parenting Style of living, But, the more I have been praying about our homeschool journey and how I manage our home, in general, the Lord has put it on my heart to be more "intentional" with our expressions of love.  A lot of times, I will have our days so SCHEDULED that we forget to just have FUN or to just let the girls' imaginations soar!

So, I am introducing (to the blogosphere) our new ritual of {High-Touch Tuesday}. This is when we are intentionally going to plan and implement activities that require us to be close. To touch hands, give hugs, high-fives and stomach tickles. I am going to intentionally spend even MORE time on the floor with our children and cut back on the workbook-type school work and do more hands-on learning activities on Tuesdays. So, while the breakfast dishes may not get washed right away (if my wonderful hubby didn't get to do them before he leaves for work--he usually does;) or even the lunch dishes, I will not stress about it. I will get on the floor and PLAY with my children instead!! I will also continue to have "Taco Tuesday" which we have done for a long time now. This will allow me less time in the kitchen making an elaborate dinner and more time to be close to our children!

We hardly EVER turn on our television (maybe one hour every 2 WEEKS or so now), but I will be sure to not turn it on if it is Tuesday. I will also make it a low-technology day. Only checking email/FB when necessary and only blogging during naps or nighttime (which I normally do).

I hope this will inspire you to look at your schedule (whether you homeschool or not) and see if you can squeeze in some extra time for more hugs and cuddles with the ones that you love!! Or, just turn off the tv and go for a walk outside. Drive in your car without the radio/cd on. Reach out to a loved one and say "I love you".  Call a friend you haven't talk to in a long time.  Just make one intentional gesture of love today--do it now! You will be glad you did;-)

~~~As always, I WELCOME your comments!!~~~

*I will add photos later*

OK, here are some of the photos! I didn't get a lot of photos of us playing on the floor, but we studied the letter F and had lots of fun!! We even ate some fish!!

I also linked up to "The Little Things Thursday." here

 Looking at the Letter F drawer items (fence, foot, french fry, four, fruit and frigde).

 So proud of Em writing M's!!

Picture Magnifying Match Game! {really cool}

One of our Attachment Parenting Moms blogged about this activity and I just KNEW we had to try it! I originally thought it was appropriate for Elle, but quickly saw how interested Em was in participating and allowed her to join in the scientific fun!

There are small photos of animals, modes of transportation and fruits and you match them to the chart after looking through the magnifying glass to see what they are. The girls had a blast doing this and I am glad I laminated it to get a lot of use out of it!

Check out our friend's blog to see how she put this together.

Fire Safety Lesson!

As a part of our Fall theme week and studying the letter F, we visited a wonderful Fire Station. Firefighter Aaron was extremely gracious to our family and gave us a great tour of the fire station and vehicles. The girls really enjoyed seeing all of the equipment, learning about fire safety and pretending to be little firefighters.

Leaves Falling Down Craft! {Really cool!}

We are continuing to study fall this week under our letter F for the week. We found this awesome craft idea here and really enjoyed making it! Elle was able to put it together all by herself (once I cut out the template). It is a fall scene with leaves that "fall" from the trees in a ziploc bag. It is one of the cutest craft ideas I have ever seen! Enjoy!

 When you shake the bag, the leaves fall down! Isn't that adorable?

We also went out for another nature hike and Elle wanted to collect leaves from our favorite tree. Elle and Em both enjoyed some time playing outside as well. Here are a few of our adventure photos and crafts
.

Elle had a lot of fun completing her fall leaves math game.

 Girls collecting acorns.

Here our sweet Ce Ce is enjoying the fall leaf!

We found this amazing book for classifying leaves and trees-it is perfect to continue our fall studies. We really enjoyed matching up the leaves we have collected. Elle is excited to place the stickers on each page of the leaves she has spotted. What an awesome learning tool!

Thanks for checking out our fall adventures! I also linked up at the Hip Homeschool Hop found The Hip Homeschool Hop and here,

Live Like the Child Poem

LIVE LIKE THE CHILD

Live like the child in the present.
Cherish each moment somehow!
Glory in life as it passes,
... Hold and delight in the now.
Walk in the light of the present.
Live every moment as last,
Dimmed not by the rays of the future,
Nor clouded by shades of the past.
Live like the child – live now!

~~Jean Warren

 

What a wonderful poem-it really blessed me today and I hope it blesses you, too!

Apple Picking at the Orchard

To complete our week of studying apples, we drove out to an organic apple orchard and did some apple-picking. Our family always spends our weekends together, but it is always nice just to be outdoors in God's beauty and have fun together! It was cloudy and a little drizzly, but we still managed to pick a half a bushel of fresh Goldrush apples today! Now..............to find some recipes to use up all of these apples! Any suggestions---please, lol???

~Point to Ponder~

"Are you a THERMOSTAT or a THERMOMETER???"

 

 God just put this in my heart and I thought I would share this with you all. Both are related to temperature, but they are fundamentally different. You see, we ALL have the ability to be a thermometer. Someone that simply reports the temperature, the climate, the atmosphere ...of our homes/work environment/relationships etc. BUT, it takes special effort to CHOOSE to be a THERMOSTAT! You see, a thermostat makes adjustments to CHANGE the temperature/atmosphere!! Do you simply complain or do you DO something to IMPROVE the situation? Do you warm up a room when you arrive or are you like a blast of cold air? Do others get warmed by your encouragement or chilled by your words? It is so easy to be affected by other people's emotions/moods/bitterness/words etc. But, you also have the same POWER to influence other people's moods/spirits/emotions by adjusting YOUR vibe to encourage them! Powerful point to ponder....I am going to meditate on this for sure!

{this moment}

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Go here to see more of this moment photos from other bloggers!

 

AND, I just HAD to add this one b/c it is so spectacular~~~seeing President Obama speak!!