tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40476056627113048402024-03-18T22:02:34.553-07:00The Nature of GraceMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-2298886341869845292021-11-25T19:28:00.001-08:002021-11-25T19:32:29.647-08:00Therapy Scarecrows!<p>It has been a long time since I've posted something fun. I'm a busy mom and a therapy mom - by therapy mom, I mean that I am responsible for helping one of our littles with his therapy during the week.</p><p>I'm going to be honest here. Being a homeschooling mom AND a therapy mom is hard - really, really HARD some days. I have amazing kids, and I love them - but there is only one of me and several of them and lots of things to get done! </p><p>And one of those things is therapy. </p><p>For those moms who have kids in therapy and have to complete exercises at home daily, you'll "get" me. Sometimes the point of therapy is to do the same things over and over and over and over because repetition is key to success. But doing the same things over and over and over can get old really (REALLY) fast. </p><p>For those of you therapy moms out there who wish there was a way to make home therapy a bit more playful and fun, this post is for you. If you are short on time - just skip to that section closer to the bottom of the post. :)</p><p>Some weeks we have themes in our homeschool (and sometimes we don't because mommy needs a break) - I do this for two reasons: for fun and to cement new ideas and vocabulary in our little one's mind. A recent theme was "Scarecrows". </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHGziX4XBs5tPvRkP-L64VKSzbJO3WiGXSMF_0kfTaFZk6jh_sMXh9dznXAsEvWfLjKfPZzkXedKPo7CzlmZuwj22BJJizflJFH5u2U4ORzf3gAFK5OWw5gU5O8MnzodCBPnT7A3ks0ID/s2048/IMG_2892_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHGziX4XBs5tPvRkP-L64VKSzbJO3WiGXSMF_0kfTaFZk6jh_sMXh9dznXAsEvWfLjKfPZzkXedKPo7CzlmZuwj22BJJizflJFH5u2U4ORzf3gAFK5OWw5gU5O8MnzodCBPnT7A3ks0ID/w640-h480/IMG_2892_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi488-QxevxRtXWTEjtXYDMOS9gZZEpAXZwHaCnfhA9KTr6iSdn7kA2BD-PIND6uLOQFOdn8ChMJ783hH5cio9srlhMwLKi0fU7Uv5d6TekON7r2TgLetf19cf7JE-OAMT4yl4HSBy5A1aa/s2048/IMG_2893.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi488-QxevxRtXWTEjtXYDMOS9gZZEpAXZwHaCnfhA9KTr6iSdn7kA2BD-PIND6uLOQFOdn8ChMJ783hH5cio9srlhMwLKi0fU7Uv5d6TekON7r2TgLetf19cf7JE-OAMT4yl4HSBy5A1aa/w480-h640/IMG_2893.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What could be more fun than eating "hay bales" for breakfast? Perhaps decorating those hay bales to look like scarecrow faces!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1hoC3WaXojUqBWXljaV7GZeiKBwti7qnXl0IYNSQYtkhSgphi9U3KzPIwNDcqBQa46Xk9gtzlZSoACEZcAEst6qNWqFQK1NW3DEcPhRXuDiCbxdzBFAD81raEvTQXnM4GbFBAUyRz-vE/s2048/IMG_2900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1hoC3WaXojUqBWXljaV7GZeiKBwti7qnXl0IYNSQYtkhSgphi9U3KzPIwNDcqBQa46Xk9gtzlZSoACEZcAEst6qNWqFQK1NW3DEcPhRXuDiCbxdzBFAD81raEvTQXnM4GbFBAUyRz-vE/w480-h640/IMG_2900.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiP_GVEuLTg_hP31SqgNFeJdmEp_rJFoekU3QdHkKGVhLpB8kxrt-9_xbUtt0Ir679l5PugSNedVafHpZBHWyuxHzk0-6JkA6_Dhdo6Qrbo2qpbGcpTN7m-ijLJa2H4isM39x4rTCksoW/s2048/IMG_2901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiP_GVEuLTg_hP31SqgNFeJdmEp_rJFoekU3QdHkKGVhLpB8kxrt-9_xbUtt0Ir679l5PugSNedVafHpZBHWyuxHzk0-6JkA6_Dhdo6Qrbo2qpbGcpTN7m-ijLJa2H4isM39x4rTCksoW/w480-h640/IMG_2901.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What about lunch? How about an open-faced peanut butter sandwich with lots of healthy goodies to make another scarecrow face. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_ahdKfKxTVnSY2ONqudJ8iSge4lvCM0TCaaET1x8efHWyUVfAfI99IoZSskJyyflP3kdmdweGkQHjeF-T6ineZplxEoQiMyYbzRluyy1s-y81yDK_47z9UT9wi5fpdIBxg1LdQFVQ7VM/s2048/IMG_2903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_ahdKfKxTVnSY2ONqudJ8iSge4lvCM0TCaaET1x8efHWyUVfAfI99IoZSskJyyflP3kdmdweGkQHjeF-T6ineZplxEoQiMyYbzRluyy1s-y81yDK_47z9UT9wi5fpdIBxg1LdQFVQ7VM/w480-h640/IMG_2903.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYUSPlMfAj1usIBPmzZrLA8pshGXiY9ceN-1BaxFnzFzT_kbE2hzoH5nuHcrdTMQ0ixGM-K6vSJN4giUONETJcHztrUX79lPMg_4GND-xHxOlE3WpOSMuWhODXBZo5OrQUCg3SVK1i_I6/s2048/IMG_2905.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYUSPlMfAj1usIBPmzZrLA8pshGXiY9ceN-1BaxFnzFzT_kbE2hzoH5nuHcrdTMQ0ixGM-K6vSJN4giUONETJcHztrUX79lPMg_4GND-xHxOlE3WpOSMuWhODXBZo5OrQUCg3SVK1i_I6/w480-h640/IMG_2905.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsQsY_ZQ2Yd0qigbmJs6uFsd_j0Te-FaDBfuxbYkBowJQKetAAXjqnX-Nbt242N212FygaMrXYuVas77Zwzr2mOuzL5a7G6q5mYbFKy76Hz0-mp6ADJ-ZmVOSR_FhuqWsaxCTjD673uie/s2048/IMG_2910.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsQsY_ZQ2Yd0qigbmJs6uFsd_j0Te-FaDBfuxbYkBowJQKetAAXjqnX-Nbt242N212FygaMrXYuVas77Zwzr2mOuzL5a7G6q5mYbFKy76Hz0-mp6ADJ-ZmVOSR_FhuqWsaxCTjD673uie/w480-h640/IMG_2910.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sensory bins are great for kids who crave hands-on everything. I was sure I could come up with something for our theme, so I turned this (below)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8_BB_8lcZ5WIgn-Mo2IMbMoHdHCZNigeHQozysGSodlHdHxDQQDuT1YDxeAWuUamxbrshaNyOPK70_swhstQxAeaRQoLtfPFdjnocEC1wAV7KsKbUzDn6ElHzNMDE1q3bTpIYYfQ4Yij/s2048/IMG_2915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8_BB_8lcZ5WIgn-Mo2IMbMoHdHCZNigeHQozysGSodlHdHxDQQDuT1YDxeAWuUamxbrshaNyOPK70_swhstQxAeaRQoLtfPFdjnocEC1wAV7KsKbUzDn6ElHzNMDE1q3bTpIYYfQ4Yij/w480-h640/IMG_2915.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Into this! Yep - it may not look like much. Trust me though, the fun is in the creativity and enjoyment of textures and colors. Some kids will need help at first. Just show them how to stuff raffia (straw) into a paper sack and rubber band it at the base to create a scarecrow head. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let your child explore by making different scarecrow faces and then take some pictures. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This activity could easily double as an "experience book" opportunity. Simply print the photos and have your child dictate something about each scarecrow: This scarecrow is happy. This scarecrow is mad. This scarecrow is surprised. And so on. Depending on your child's level of skill, you could even add color, shape, texture words (He has two green eyes. She has a soft nose. etc.).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU21kHfSqeXzux5bCVL2jsZXKnCvkEXE0XFQ5OSkw-FAjmMdZAMCuwvxhVL6C7ScXy4ZhJ5utYMZd_4pd-XG8EBywaN3ZuUmSv5D3mED3YBRgToGSi3mgzqKiXo80S3Y7Ce74cE-b6ctiQ/s2048/IMG_2919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU21kHfSqeXzux5bCVL2jsZXKnCvkEXE0XFQ5OSkw-FAjmMdZAMCuwvxhVL6C7ScXy4ZhJ5utYMZd_4pd-XG8EBywaN3ZuUmSv5D3mED3YBRgToGSi3mgzqKiXo80S3Y7Ce74cE-b6ctiQ/w480-h640/IMG_2919.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxr7PWuOoEvX6dLMV2CaOzy0Yrh-go3eBlpjW-pQkIYTWgmFvif8x-q0HIwTmePlZhJw9jUS_3tzF95-t5AxxEFEooKbJoQCcw6yS_lYyeJSmjJNgk5DF7_1BdYGoPndXI4JAC-7yjl8B/s2048/IMG_2943.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxr7PWuOoEvX6dLMV2CaOzy0Yrh-go3eBlpjW-pQkIYTWgmFvif8x-q0HIwTmePlZhJw9jUS_3tzF95-t5AxxEFEooKbJoQCcw6yS_lYyeJSmjJNgk5DF7_1BdYGoPndXI4JAC-7yjl8B/w480-h640/IMG_2943.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHFS-2lsqwdvkjSf73w7F_ItDQlgXO0MCn5pzoO-ECPiFDxi3EZOwjXGSiqHJ-lKrX6JOwclkOOejuORYJmTyjW5zuZNTyefF_oC0CmLNERmW_9XweS_KrI5japO0itRFnpG3Dhva40ZQ/s2048/IMG_2944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHFS-2lsqwdvkjSf73w7F_ItDQlgXO0MCn5pzoO-ECPiFDxi3EZOwjXGSiqHJ-lKrX6JOwclkOOejuORYJmTyjW5zuZNTyefF_oC0CmLNERmW_9XweS_KrI5japO0itRFnpG3Dhva40ZQ/w480-h640/IMG_2944.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdYJVH3uNdw8Uvr2_qZa6whSWxFAr6ipvCe9KHQYdyjtuMYx2thDYuTqu80QeiVmIcqbOQlHiwwoyMbZnKuKGLpspr-hmdJAhiL6htOWyJ4eiUoaPIU31evZMCOKIZR4XK6Na2WdGjDaS/s2048/IMG_2945.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdYJVH3uNdw8Uvr2_qZa6whSWxFAr6ipvCe9KHQYdyjtuMYx2thDYuTqu80QeiVmIcqbOQlHiwwoyMbZnKuKGLpspr-hmdJAhiL6htOWyJ4eiUoaPIU31evZMCOKIZR4XK6Na2WdGjDaS/w480-h640/IMG_2945.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDoix5CzDkX9CRl4HIPREsnM85hMee4Ht2iY2E_zG5arqjtLZ7VhseLZ4lXCtdNLjLUnEvzxGxKk0Zzy6OU_Csi1miil9yVlS1pIYXUJaQ1J2O1jpL4W2Vneib22RrFOKEAlmjGS5yl_s/s2048/IMG_2947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDoix5CzDkX9CRl4HIPREsnM85hMee4Ht2iY2E_zG5arqjtLZ7VhseLZ4lXCtdNLjLUnEvzxGxKk0Zzy6OU_Csi1miil9yVlS1pIYXUJaQ1J2O1jpL4W2Vneib22RrFOKEAlmjGS5yl_s/w480-h640/IMG_2947.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you have a little one who loves to paint? If you don't mind a bit of a mess, grab some raffia and bundle it up to create a "scarecrow arm" brush. Break out the paints and let your child experiment what it might be like to paint with his hand if he was a scarecrow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried to squish some school into the activity by having our little one attempt to paint some of his sight words first. Then I just let him have fun mixing colors and let him paint something of his own. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNsY15kcHqwVjdRTNh11dupX-Gf2tzt9Ah3l8tRungBzXnVw4WSYu_5E8uJ1a55SSvsY5ZHJF2SCaFQKrWMyWL7qGovQFEFIRbV8jKpq9z-Cb9Z5YcjQZJJFUFQ__VjnGDKfLwgXsMv2O/s2048/IMG_2935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNsY15kcHqwVjdRTNh11dupX-Gf2tzt9Ah3l8tRungBzXnVw4WSYu_5E8uJ1a55SSvsY5ZHJF2SCaFQKrWMyWL7qGovQFEFIRbV8jKpq9z-Cb9Z5YcjQZJJFUFQ__VjnGDKfLwgXsMv2O/w480-h640/IMG_2935.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0Y_YzuYOd9492QMTlQt1QASj6OqqiM3z1ABqBylhBUhJFdKIp9IZjUnRQ4eYdFTL8orjAIuz47UwHxnuZjgIck6ohP6WRnzPv8bsWRDohoDtPwzKfZXfrqYO4_WrD5t-491NyCv231ZA/s2048/IMG_2936_jpg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0Y_YzuYOd9492QMTlQt1QASj6OqqiM3z1ABqBylhBUhJFdKIp9IZjUnRQ4eYdFTL8orjAIuz47UwHxnuZjgIck6ohP6WRnzPv8bsWRDohoDtPwzKfZXfrqYO4_WrD5t-491NyCv231ZA/w480-h640/IMG_2936_jpg.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I thought it might be fun to make a book of some sort to go along with our theme and remembered making a similar thing with another of our children many years ago. I simply cut the sides off of a paper sack, accordion folded it, and added the pieces with our little one. Voila! A fun little book which invites a bit of hands-on reading or just exploring of shapes, textures, etc.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdvgQd3buyEwMH8f9fS8fn1Se-sJ8YF-RSpWMeP_TtwGeWqUzu1KL-1wb7wJnGhcoCQ8XGkUC3DBLLFl0zpeVXcC9ilNRYx-uz0kUqKNwLgEaEjAKJZ83eck8bi-m2nefLVCTkRHMxAAz/s2048/IMG_2960.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdvgQd3buyEwMH8f9fS8fn1Se-sJ8YF-RSpWMeP_TtwGeWqUzu1KL-1wb7wJnGhcoCQ8XGkUC3DBLLFl0zpeVXcC9ilNRYx-uz0kUqKNwLgEaEjAKJZ83eck8bi-m2nefLVCTkRHMxAAz/w480-h640/IMG_2960.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMKoxCmWpeEnrd6E2rIyeqbZFO8kRs1A3CfBJTAQ5pu8cZn4Mu0RLrVKuV5suSAG53f3ZPfP_VgxwuwZ7HbkSAiSq6dQ-_hqoiICgaTmP8c70ZqFOxqKV1ZLozmS3hKfZFxS-bzCG5_aH/s2048/IMG_2961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMKoxCmWpeEnrd6E2rIyeqbZFO8kRs1A3CfBJTAQ5pu8cZn4Mu0RLrVKuV5suSAG53f3ZPfP_VgxwuwZ7HbkSAiSq6dQ-_hqoiICgaTmP8c70ZqFOxqKV1ZLozmS3hKfZFxS-bzCG5_aH/w640-h480/IMG_2961.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A big part of our day is therapy work. I decided this week to change things up a bit and merge our theme with therapy. I searched the house for different items to make scarecrow faces, eyes, mouths, hats, and noses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Each time my son had to complete a therapy task, he would earn a piece of scarecrow to build. We'd start with the face (so he'd have a canvas to work on) and build the rest of the face from there. Each time he finished the task and earned his new piece, he would add it to the face. By the end of our therapy session, we had a cute scarecrow face (or even more depending on his interest and stamina). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remember, it is important to keep things happy and relaxed (you'll both enjoy it more) so let your child choose what he/she would like to put on each time and allow him/her to be silly with it ("A four-eyed scarecrow with two noses and no mouth? I love it, honey!"). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z3bK-EeNNeitsG4Zzi-GPXy1R4jxITYw3SYgtEccNckxB2LB_jgn7k6y4XcBcDcwUa8YN1FOkMiQKNt5UXxbX6BOIAokk689yLMv5S_qX0OcJLysUy5uRg8Xu6X1Db7VW8sHcAyMFOd3/s2048/IMG_2920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z3bK-EeNNeitsG4Zzi-GPXy1R4jxITYw3SYgtEccNckxB2LB_jgn7k6y4XcBcDcwUa8YN1FOkMiQKNt5UXxbX6BOIAokk689yLMv5S_qX0OcJLysUy5uRg8Xu6X1Db7VW8sHcAyMFOd3/w480-h640/IMG_2920.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqUaLbuKt7X6poWnEAfASGuyr2r78dvYAvAdxG_yNDa5KAH9Yvi0N1TFR1iLmfHbul-r53IYhCqwA4djLVFzX8jJeR5z_VqJeIoO17gGRO-LgQLAJoHOOJ6K78z4COUpw601-wfz77UHl/s2048/IMG_2924.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqUaLbuKt7X6poWnEAfASGuyr2r78dvYAvAdxG_yNDa5KAH9Yvi0N1TFR1iLmfHbul-r53IYhCqwA4djLVFzX8jJeR5z_VqJeIoO17gGRO-LgQLAJoHOOJ6K78z4COUpw601-wfz77UHl/w480-h640/IMG_2924.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The same thing can also be achieved using a Play-Doh face base (great option for busy little fingers that like to squish things) and a variety of items you find around your home (Legos, cotton balls, buttons, felt, bottle caps, beads, stones, etc.). Your child can even help you collect them!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsH-eqykExmoIanpnnrC6xLDZtFHpY_PdHn3LUvrLkcWEorU7BD4_14TWdY8zFmYdjDEDAF6bMzykKe0Q02UmbPLkkpQjz4uzlDr03nQ47ZJjlEEVwwkrvWpprWH6A0Vn5yiawBe3726A/s2048/IMG_2953.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsH-eqykExmoIanpnnrC6xLDZtFHpY_PdHn3LUvrLkcWEorU7BD4_14TWdY8zFmYdjDEDAF6bMzykKe0Q02UmbPLkkpQjz4uzlDr03nQ47ZJjlEEVwwkrvWpprWH6A0Vn5yiawBe3726A/w480-h640/IMG_2953.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3e2YSlR_0Z_r0lBP3N9IbMq-pVK6MR0mt7qSNk1JZBLehxhuaAm0gKTsOHefmUqeQTgwhqZzkJJErXMeY2JK9HX0hYZ6b-BF2fARzCloiMZToZ_zEMDWz43wx2SENDjMakiiBrjiLv-ao/s2048/IMG_2951.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3e2YSlR_0Z_r0lBP3N9IbMq-pVK6MR0mt7qSNk1JZBLehxhuaAm0gKTsOHefmUqeQTgwhqZzkJJErXMeY2JK9HX0hYZ6b-BF2fARzCloiMZToZ_zEMDWz43wx2SENDjMakiiBrjiLv-ao/w480-h640/IMG_2951.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was something else we did one day to change up our therapy routine. I would draw a piece of a scarecrow face on the mirror we were using for therapy each time he would complete an activity for me. By the end, we had a scarecrow staring back at us!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcApRvm_kfLK5_iUQLR3Vy5qkulIrwHJoI13omoGXRuj-M_QUwFxz-qX-Sf6WNk1Ag4uEGQW1hQnFxCnAfPqfsjCauZU5isamHANgUu7f2XfTSR2p6BTb3avvcTwtZ0i30SWvGLAHBGsII/s2048/IMG_2925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcApRvm_kfLK5_iUQLR3Vy5qkulIrwHJoI13omoGXRuj-M_QUwFxz-qX-Sf6WNk1Ag4uEGQW1hQnFxCnAfPqfsjCauZU5isamHANgUu7f2XfTSR2p6BTb3avvcTwtZ0i30SWvGLAHBGsII/w480-h640/IMG_2925.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Yet another way we would add something fun and different, yet theme-related into our therapy for the day was to match colorful letters to a theme word changing it from "blah" (just black lettering) into a much more colorful word! Each time my son completed an activity, he could choose a colorful letter to cover a "blah" letter until we had a much brighter word. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg0m0hDhhSyfQMlpn_VHUa5vN7Zm7ugX3uj4HP7Mijrnln_8M5XkKBTFG1J7qG_D_YtEUjs546bS0q70wIBXrRLfMYcKoBMIXM7l3HvGwZbHM4bd4WPtl8GJrADo8If7X9dVB9dHVJZD4/s2048/IMG_2931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg0m0hDhhSyfQMlpn_VHUa5vN7Zm7ugX3uj4HP7Mijrnln_8M5XkKBTFG1J7qG_D_YtEUjs546bS0q70wIBXrRLfMYcKoBMIXM7l3HvGwZbHM4bd4WPtl8GJrADo8If7X9dVB9dHVJZD4/w480-h640/IMG_2931.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those who might be trying to keep up with daily therapy and wishing for a better way to keep track of what you need to do each day, consider making a therapy planner of your own or purchase one! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtOTY-bLs1lUzRfMzhIlybXkYdeD0CWzgQlO9TR4I3xd08pygw-QktpRz_tCUuOpU13KlYdruB8TJPiqGlanSxHdcjjeaCOzqo_Zt8L2fgF8NMWVMO5nmzJbcGPONZrNiwG-PQBpbMPfm/s1152/IMG_1586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtOTY-bLs1lUzRfMzhIlybXkYdeD0CWzgQlO9TR4I3xd08pygw-QktpRz_tCUuOpU13KlYdruB8TJPiqGlanSxHdcjjeaCOzqo_Zt8L2fgF8NMWVMO5nmzJbcGPONZrNiwG-PQBpbMPfm/w504-h640/IMG_1586.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I decided to make my own (pictured above) as I was having a hard time finding one I liked online. We decided to share it with others as well so it can now be purchased online. We hope it not only helps families in a functional way but provides a spot of cheer and beauty during those days that feel a bit more dreary. I have mine in a caddy with our therapy tools so it is easy to see and use. I love the bright colors - something to lift the heart when I've hit a rough patch in our therapy journey. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are currently experimenting with an <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PACECREWSHOP" target="_blank">Etsy store</a> set up (we also have a website) and are offering our planner at 30% off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday in our <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PACECREWSHOP" target="_blank">Etsy store</a> until November 30th! Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PACECREWSHOP</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For heart lifting words, inspirational quotes, and stories of other individuals facing and overcoming challenges, check out our Facebook page as well: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaceCrewShop">https://www.facebook.com/PaceCrewShop</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please note:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a FOUR month planner. The smaller size allows us to keep the planner slightly lighter weight for ease of slipping into a purse or therapy bag for trips to a therapist or medical office. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These planners are pretty generic and can also be used for other purposes as well - prayer journals, regular planners, etc. but were specifically created with therapy in mind. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope this post has provided some inspiration for other therapy or homeschooling moms out there! I'd love to hear from you if it did. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Thanksgiving! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-64311919096269885242020-08-13T22:46:00.000-07:002020-08-13T22:46:46.434-07:00In the Trenches...<p>If you've had concerns about whether you are doing enough to educate your child and whether you've covered all the bases - you are not alone. That sentiment seems to echo in the hearts of so many mothers who have either chosen or been forced by circumstance to homeschool their children during this season of life. </p><p>One of the best things you can do when facing the giant of fear and uncertainty is to find someone who has faced the same foe and can still chuckle about it while patting your hand and giving you sage advice learned from the trenches. Enter Sally Clarkson. On some of my most difficult days of battle, I'll sometimes pull up a post or listen to a podcast as she cheerfully discusses tea, memories, theology and the ministry of motherhood which gently reminds me "this is where the rubber meets the road". Somehow in those transformative 20-30 minutes, I will often go from a battle worn mama to charging back into the fray with renewed vigor and determination. </p><p>I highly recommend her books (no, I am not being compensated to say that), AND she has a new one coming out in just a few days about education. You can <a href="https://sally-clarkson.squarespace.com/awaking-wonder-at-home">register here</a> for an online series of video visits this month (related to the book), FREE for a short while. I believe they will eventually be moved to the paid membership page, so now is the time to listen in! It is my hope that many of you who feel like you are drowning in doubt right now will pick up one of her books and be encouraged as you face the new challenges ahead. May you have a restful and sweet year of homeschooling! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-18493228936416284922020-04-06T13:07:00.003-07:002020-04-06T13:07:41.190-07:00Once Upon a Birthday in Quarantine...<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<o:p>Once upon a quarantine, children everywhere faced the prospect of a less than "happily ever after" birthday scenario.</o:p><br />
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<o:p>Is your family facing the nefarious birthday foe - Coronavirus? Do you fear there is nothing for it but to spend this special day in defeat? </o:p><br />
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<o:p>But wait, have you visited your arsenal lately? With the weapons</o:p> of love, imagination, and work this birthday does not have to end poorly. It could still be a day to remember but in a good way! Here are some suggestions to get those creative ideas flowing....<br />
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<b>Lego Challenge Birthday</b>: send friends/family a Lego building challenge (related to the birthday child's favorite things of course - build a birthday hat out of Legos and wear it, build a scene from the child's favorite book, build a birthday cake, etc.) and have several times throughout the day when kids (or family members) go online to share their "builds". You could even award online prizes (gift cards to Amazon, etc.).<br />
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<b>Fairytale Birthday:</b> Be your child's servants for the day! Plan special pampering activities or jousting (pool noodles make an unexpected comeback here) in the backyard! Have friends dress up like royalty from different make believe kingdoms (you could even have a guessing game to try to figure out which kingdoms they might be from based on their costumes)and plan to have a royal assembly online in the evening. Maybe friends could write stories where your child is the hero or heroine and take turns reading them out loud to the birthday girl/boy. They could also simply draw and share royal pictures for the birthday child.<br />
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<b>Drop-in Birthday:</b> Have friends/family drop presents off on the doorstep throughout the day. They can stay in their cars to watch the birthday child open the gift.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Hourly Birthday:</b> Open one gift item hourly along with a phone call or video call from the giver so they can watch the birthday child opening the gift.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Open a gift item hourly from just your immediate family (use items from dollar store, even party goods for that day could be a gift, or provide a card that gives them $5-$10 to spend at a store online, etc.). Having presents to open every hour of your special day is certainly something to look forward to!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Scavenger Hunt Birthday: </b> Create a simple scavenger hunt to look for gifts throughout the day. The birthday child searches for an item, provides what you asked for, and you give them one of their gifts to open or have the gift sitting with the item they are looking for. <o:p></o:p><br />
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A technology enhanced scavenger hunt with friends could be fun as well. Send out a complete list (or send an item hourly) and have friends hunt for items in their homes. Meet at the end of the day on Zoom or FaceTime, etc. to share finds (or kids can send pics of their treasures via phone if doing an hourly hunt). Prizes could be $5 to Amazon or some other store. </div>
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<b>Mission Impossible Birthday:</b> Wake your child up to the theme music from the show and hand them an envelope with instructions inside written on toilet paper or tissue paper (you’ll see why when you reach the self-destruct part below): <br />
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<i>Your mission is to find your presents by day’s end. This message will self-destruct in 10 seconds</i>! <br />
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Make sure you have a water gun ready to spray the message down (to destruct it) and it can’t hurt for memory’s sake if the birthday person also gets a little wet, right? Provide clues throughout the day to help them hunt for presents. If you have yarn on hand, string it across doorways or throughout a room creating a "laser" field they have to get through in order to find their next clue or prize. If you happen to have black balloons - throw some surprise bombs at them which they have to dodge every once in a while. You could even have them interview “suspects” inside your house and allow the suspects to let some clues slip out while being interrogated.<br />
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<b>"Clue" Birthday: </b>Hide presents, dress up as characters from the Clue game or make up your own, and try to figure out who hid the presents, where, and with (or in) what.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Floral Birthday:</b> Have friends or family deliver one flower each hour (or randomly throughout the day) on the doorstep with a special note as to why they chose it for the person (the color made me think of your bright personality, etc.). Another variation would be to possibly attach a special flower message (old custom of flowers having meanings or messages behind them. If you search online, you might be able to find some sites that will list meanings). By the end of the day, the birthday child will have a special bouquet full of sweet significance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Surprise POPty (party):</b> Fill the birthday child’s room with balloons to wake up to in the morning. Place a small slip of paper inside each balloon with a fun activity for the child to complete on his/her birthday (play a game of choice, special movie, eat ice cream, make cookies, new game on iPad, etc.). The slips of paper could also tell of a present they are allowed to open (present from sis or present from grandpa, etc.). The birthday child pops balloons throughout the day. You could even have times written on different balloons if you wanted them to be popped at a certain time. Also have friends or family members "pop" online (Zoom, Google Hangout, etc.) to wish a happy birthday throughout the day at random times. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Movie Night Birthday: </b> Pop some popcorn and call up friends to “watch” a movie together. Start the movie at the same time and enjoy texting or Skyping while watching together. You could send friends/family some small birthday “invitation” packages beforehand with items inside (microwave popcorn, movie candy in boxes, and a movie ticket styled invitation) to be used on the birthday movie night.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Game Night Birthday: </b>Play card games or other online friendly games (FaceTime, Zoom, etc.) with friends. Send each person attending the birthday game night the name of a favorite book character, favorite historical figure, etc. of the birthday person. During the party - let each guest give three clues to their identity or allow people to play 20 questions, etc. until someone solves the mystery of who each guest is supposed to be.<br />
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<b>Book Party:</b> Surprise your child by having a themed party based on their favorite book. Have family/friends dress up as characters from the book (those who don't live at home could do this and visit via an online site like FaceTime, etc.). Serve themed food from the book. Play guessing games during the day or in an online party with quotes from the book (who said this quote ____ or fill in the quote). Have family/friends purchase a book or two as gifts and leave them on the doorstep throughout the day. </div>
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<b>Party in a Box:</b> Send a simple birthday package with fun items inside for celebrating someone’s special day – their favorite treats, or items for making a cake in a mug (or pre-made kits), party hat, party t-shirt, confetti, noisemaker, etc. You could even make it a themed party box!<o:p></o:p><br />
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These are just a few possibilities, but there are so many more! If none of these feels right for your child, enlist creative family/friends to help brainstorm some special activities! Feel free to add your ideas to this list via the comment section as well!</div>
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If all else fails, give the birthday child a puppy or a pony. Trust me, it will probably be a birthday he/she (and you) will never forget. ;)<br />
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And they celebrated (hopefully) <i>happily ever after</i>!</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-90748427171066079382020-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:002020-03-17T08:25:26.177-07:00Quick & Easy St. Patrick's Day Walk<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For moms looking for ways to spice up St. Patrick's Day from home and still do some school or review. This activity is quick and easy. </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It can be made with rainbow construction paper or green (make a shamrock walk) or even white with rainbow colored writing (one paper with red marker, one with orange, then yellow, etc.).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithB6k8_2x9AoSNJHQf_gnaUxlWPX1kvwmjKBx_taUcQkUWyQnPsgXxG2tX0z0u1e-1c5lzy_CpPDd4BF7iHlN4nxqTyRJIlIvMpgDzpVbqbQNkHeHv5Id3XByKPWN1MVwxPq_5QhWglsb/s1600/Rainbow+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithB6k8_2x9AoSNJHQf_gnaUxlWPX1kvwmjKBx_taUcQkUWyQnPsgXxG2tX0z0u1e-1c5lzy_CpPDd4BF7iHlN4nxqTyRJIlIvMpgDzpVbqbQNkHeHv5Id3XByKPWN1MVwxPq_5QhWglsb/s640/Rainbow+walk.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I write items on there that I want my kids to be learning or reviewing. Each time they approach the kitchen table (snack, lunch, dinner, craft, etc.), they have to call out the answers as they step on the papers. You can do this with vocabulary words, sight words, ABC's, Latin, capitals, science terms, etc. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you have multiple children all doing different things, you could assign each a corner of the paper and put their items there. You could also color code (all of one child's be in blue, another child's in red, etc.) or label with an initial. Happy St. Patrick's Day! </span><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;" title="smile emoticon"><img alt="" class="img" height="16" role="presentation" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/teb/2/16/1f642.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span aria-hidden="true" class="_7oe" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">:)</span></span><br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-74893331328732603382020-03-15T11:48:00.002-07:002021-11-16T14:28:20.233-08:00Suddenly Homeschooled!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSGn1ESIysL_D8dO4wN8yM-V4UyrS23G7XYKeXDaFWEYsc38Dy2Yyb9srVkKARmvDuhlz3nXhXEP9ITvpyCH22C0y6yMdULuHT7093hcwWiySrO3rtUF_OX2e0PedWVyuY6jh8n45MpPe/s1600/Suddenly+Homeschooled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSGn1ESIysL_D8dO4wN8yM-V4UyrS23G7XYKeXDaFWEYsc38Dy2Yyb9srVkKARmvDuhlz3nXhXEP9ITvpyCH22C0y6yMdULuHT7093hcwWiySrO3rtUF_OX2e0PedWVyuY6jh8n45MpPe/s640/Suddenly+Homeschooled.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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One week life was normal. The next week it wasn't.<br />
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Has your family recently fallen into the "suddenly homeschooled" group? You didn't choose this. It just happened. <br />
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A virus reared its nasty head. Stores ran out of goods. Schools closed. You might have even been asked to teach your children at home for a while. Suddenly, you homeschool.<br />
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<i>But what does that look like?! Where do I even begin?!</i><br />
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Hang in there, mama! There are many who want to help. <br />
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<i><b>You are not alone in this.</b></i> <br />
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Let that concept really sink deep and take root in your heart.<br />
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<i><b>You are not alone in this. </b></i><br />
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If there is one thing homeschool moms understand and identify with - it is the vital need for support. They understand ups and downs on a daily basis. They understand doubt and fear and even chaos (hmm... <i>especially</i> chaos). <br />
<br />Now, let's talk some homeschool "shop".<br />
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1. Seasoned homeschool moms will tell you - community is important! As you begin this unexpected journey - be it short or long - try searching online for homeschool communities in your area. Reach out to them. Chances are, you will find moms willing to help you through this. <br />
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2. If you are unable to find or join a homeschool group - start your own! Reach out to other "suddenly homeschooled" families and swap stories, share resources, plan a picnic, etc. You might even make some new friends! <br />
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3. Another option is to join an online homeschool community or to surround yourself with a few encouraging mommy bloggers. One of my favorite online sources for encouragement and resources is www.sallyclarkson.com. This woman understands what it feels like to raise children with a variety of needs under very trying circumstances! I highly recommend her books and podcasts (no, I was not paid to say this).<br />
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4. Free or inexpensive resources are readily available online and in stores:<br />
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*Teacherspayteachers.com is an awesome resource! This is a site where teachers (or therapists, moms, etc.) create lessons, games, STEM activities, etc. and other teachers or homeschooling families purchase/download them. There are some <i><u>seriously</u></i> creative people out there who have done a lot of the work for you and made it super fun as well. Just search for what your child has been studying, and you are likely to find much to purchase or download for free.<br />
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*Starfall.com is a great place to brush up on reading, math, etc. skills for younger children.<br />
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*Fun4thebrain.com and www.reflexmath.com are good resources for math fact practice using games, etc.<br />
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*Pinterest. Need I say more? Search for your child's grade level or subject and prepare to be amazed by the great ideas others have come up with.<br />
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*Dollar stores. Not only do some have an education section with short workbooks for younger elementary/kinder, they also tend to stock harder puzzle books (crosswords, Sudoko, etc.), advanced coloring books, small games, and puzzles for only....you guessed it....$1. If you know you are only homeschooling for a week or two, these might help keep your child on his/her toes.<br />
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*Homeschool blogs online. There are moms out there who will share both experience AND great resources with you via their blogs. Remember - community and support! Here are a few to get you started: <br />
www.sallyclarkson.com<br />
www.readaloudrevival.com<br />
www.pambarnhill.com<br />
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<a href="https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/135609/list-of-education-companies-offering-free-subscriptions/?fbclid=IwAR3PGiPHFRuk8xyqWqNTMDgthfxEk-xOglGf7Lotn6X_1LnzdKBQb1DpUYM">Here is also a link</a> to another blogger who lists some websites which are offering free subscriptions right now.<br />
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3. READ, READ, READ! I know many libraries have closed temporarily....but maybe not the private ones. By these, I am referring to many homeschool family homes. Yes. We have books. Many, many, many, many books. It is very possible that some of these families would loan your child books while waiting for school buildings to reopen. <br />
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Also consider checking with family members and friends. You might be surprised at the hardback/paperback treasures you uncover when you just ask.<br />
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4. Play! There are so many educational board games out there which secretly (or not-so-secretly) require your children to put their education to good use. You may be surprised at what your kids learn or skills they review by just playing a great game. You might even suggest your children design one of their own (recycle that old pizza box)! Imagine the education-worthy potential of such an activity: fine motor skills, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, math, language arts, writing, and the list goes on!<br />
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5. Online schools. There are many of these out there depending on what style or level of homeschooling or online schooling you are interested in. This has proven to be an incredible resource for our family! Our kids may take one or two classes online (live or self-paced) which allows me to have some time to work with a younger child or have some time to get chores done, etc. <br />
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One of our favorite online academies <a href="https://veritaspress.com/store/?awraf=6649FBD55D16C64116A1B">www.veritaspress.com</a> offers amazing self-paced courses. These are backed by a 90-day return policy. The courses often present material via amusing characters and sometimes animation. They spice things up with creative games and challenges which my children have really enjoyed. These often seem to be the highlight of our school subjects.<br />
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<a href="https://diveintomath.com/shormann/">DIVE into Math</a> offers graded self-paced learning in certain math and science subjects. They also offer some live courses.<br />
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6. Come up with a relaxed and simple schedule to start with (see a sample below). It should be something which will allow your family to ease into this abrupt educational change, but one which will also provide a source of welcome structure for both your children and yourself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDR4_amP6suoxe4ros9ZOhEEUPk9aBFkegc3vU0hNvlzV9fbiXe4Dnj2rgmoB8za4aSZ0U_tvINTos3qVYfZXdCeYYV8nrt3tryeqWb63VCjjhRi7lw5_Vv61VdOZF1DlZRuGVfnnKb3sF/s1600/Sample+daily+schedule.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDR4_amP6suoxe4ros9ZOhEEUPk9aBFkegc3vU0hNvlzV9fbiXe4Dnj2rgmoB8za4aSZ0U_tvINTos3qVYfZXdCeYYV8nrt3tryeqWb63VCjjhRi7lw5_Vv61VdOZF1DlZRuGVfnnKb3sF/s640/Sample+daily+schedule.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<b>A note about snacks:</b> consider having a box/drawer in your pantry or fridge or both which have snacks your children can choose from. Limit the choices to one or two per snack time. This allows children to practice responsibility and choice (after the first few times, they understand that they don't need to ask you what they are allowed to have for a snack but just head to the snack box).</div>
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7. Consider hiring a part-time tutor. There are many teachers who will be staying home right now who might welcome the opportunity to earn a little extra money while helping other families. <br />
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The list could go on....and on.....<br />
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But I will stop there. Why? Here's another tidbit of homeschool wisdom: too many choices may muddy the waters. Instead of helping, an overload of information could cause you to feel overwhelmed once more. I suggest starting with just some of the ideas above and moving forward from there.<br />
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If none appeal or meet your child's needs, then I would direct you back to #1 and #2. Let the vast community of homeschool moms help! So brew yourself a cup of tea or coffee, take a deep breath, and dive in knowing (all together now) <i><b>you are not alone in this!</b></i><br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-67259290474356181282019-08-17T07:34:00.000-07:002019-08-17T07:34:20.254-07:00"Invalidated" - A Homeschooling Family's Dream Turned Upside Down...Many of you may have benefited this summer (and past ones) from the Bunch O Balloons (Zuru) invention which allows children to fill up a large quantity of balloons in an incredibly short amount of time. Not only do the balloons fill up, but they drop off already tied and ready to go. Absolutely BRILLIANT! Parenting, at least during the spring and summer months, just got a little bit easier (or a lot depending on how many days per week your children ask you to fill and tie their water balloons for them).<br />
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What many of you may NOT know is that the inventor, Josh Malone and his homeschooling family, have been battling in courts over a period of years now. The issue? His hard work and achievement were targeted by others who wished to steal his design and benefit from it. You'd think that his patent would protect him, but you would be wrong. It borders on the ridiculous what this family has had to endure in order to try to protect and fight for his invention. <br />
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The patent he worked so hard for is pretty much pointless. While courts sided with the Malone family, the large company trying to steal Josh's design took their argument to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) trying to prove that one cannot know when a water balloon is "substantially filled" as Josh's patent claimed. Incredibly, the board sided with the large company and said they could now copy Josh's design. And if you think this is an isolated incident...well, I'd just encourage you to take a deeper look at our country's PTAB (the film below contains some alarming statistics and information). <br />
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It is a tragic story but one that should really be heard as it illuminates a very broken patent system. Did you know that while the United States once used to be a leader in the patent system, we have now apparently dropped to number 12 in rank behind other countries?! What this is beginning to mean for many inventors is that they might be better served by taking their inventions to another country for protection and development. I don't know about you, but I find that quite disturbing. And it is happening now. Inventors are being faced with these decisions. How many medical and technological advances might be lost to other countries if ours allows this sort of behavior by the PTAB and larger companies to continue?<br />
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Consider the time that our inventors spend in courts trying to protect their patents instead of investing those years in more inventions which benefit our society. Quite honestly, if you were an inventor, do you think you would even <i>want</i> to invent something again after having your other patents marked as invalid when a larger company sees a profit to be made and takes their arguments to the PTAB? And what of the expenses involved for inventors, especially if they have to go to court and/or the PTAB (at which point, they could be looking at hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars needed to keep fighting). <br />
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"Invalidated" is a film which exposes what the Malone family and others have had to endure and is well worth watching and sharing! We benefit from the ingenuity and creativity of inventors. Isn't it time we supported them as well?<br />
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Note: If you have an Amazon Prime membership, I believe you might be able to view the film for free.<br />
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</iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-58919210107245408372019-05-25T23:24:00.002-07:002019-06-03T20:04:00.492-07:005..4..3..2..1..Blast off!!! Back to School Launch (Space Theme)!BACK TO SCHOOL ALREADY? No, we are not starting school right now. This just happens to be what we did last year. It was a great theme, and I wanted to share some pictures with you while I have a little bit of free time this summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHu3-0ktEd78dzBsV19vQ7PFhK5e48lh6OeoE13nFmSkItox7mkLCf-EOljljqSbgVS2G_wu2QMvYiz3xGev_uopuwFWIaW9-h905081ZmiSfZufiwm-rZVSjEZ07Pc3msRijrwKgEEtkn/s1600/table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHu3-0ktEd78dzBsV19vQ7PFhK5e48lh6OeoE13nFmSkItox7mkLCf-EOljljqSbgVS2G_wu2QMvYiz3xGev_uopuwFWIaW9-h905081ZmiSfZufiwm-rZVSjEZ07Pc3msRijrwKgEEtkn/s640/table.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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The party plates, tablecloth, straws, etc. were purchased at a store, but there are SOOO many options and great things online when it comes to the "space" theme (see links below). The placemats are black paper with designs I drew on them using a silver marker. I then had them laminated. The sign is one I made myself (the flames coming out of the rocket are red tissue paper).</div>
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To make the NASA shirts, I purchased some NASA patches via someone on Etsy and put them on plain white shirts. If you buy some patches that are not iron-on, you can sew them or use fabric glue. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2dtfUiQOy2jncpZGTuDDPiHPiKbhB2tBlPA0zsh96q0sl2862pZ1kM0eZa2wdteqKsYN5xqXcZwaDeXKqr5LkYGLh00qBI94Xzw2KZ845LrEmF7zNW7ZXUy7xNDkatM7-L_9d5lbs-Y9/s1600/background+planets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2dtfUiQOy2jncpZGTuDDPiHPiKbhB2tBlPA0zsh96q0sl2862pZ1kM0eZa2wdteqKsYN5xqXcZwaDeXKqr5LkYGLh00qBI94Xzw2KZ845LrEmF7zNW7ZXUy7xNDkatM7-L_9d5lbs-Y9/s640/background+planets.jpg" width="456" /> </a></div>
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A space-themed background greeted my kids that first school morning. The black star clustered paper was purchased at a store (I think it was Hobby Lobby), and I believe I bought the planet cut-outs online (see link below post).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwHX4GYIDQPkB3nZv9BRzFuLfChBzVC1Ni68W8BtDgMb3CtLdjzqgO8f_3TS9XDwRUiO8LrXHN4Igb20UkmaPkkrKXu2CDb6Lt87oiSxO-Bd0KaK6d33M-8PLMPtKrLVDueTSL34zxDp-/s1600/breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwHX4GYIDQPkB3nZv9BRzFuLfChBzVC1Ni68W8BtDgMb3CtLdjzqgO8f_3TS9XDwRUiO8LrXHN4Igb20UkmaPkkrKXu2CDb6Lt87oiSxO-Bd0KaK6d33M-8PLMPtKrLVDueTSL34zxDp-/s640/breakfast.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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Of course we always like to include something yummy for breakfast. Special cereals are a treat for our kids so these worked into our theme perfectly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY2Sr1rnN_XfqUjGUVRfC54hhVA0EuI29Ya6aZR6sj70ffD4hyphenhyphen4MjAVvdkqyaC-PhLsYonKnK_Jk8opKMO62OFH9R1ZLySZRm9a4zDpBZasjqgNmhJ2E6S2pUitDptmFwCQRqULzOP2XD/s1600/launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1215" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY2Sr1rnN_XfqUjGUVRfC54hhVA0EuI29Ya6aZR6sj70ffD4hyphenhyphen4MjAVvdkqyaC-PhLsYonKnK_Jk8opKMO62OFH9R1ZLySZRm9a4zDpBZasjqgNmhJ2E6S2pUitDptmFwCQRqULzOP2XD/s640/launch.jpg" width="486" /> </a></div>
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After breakfast, it was time to take some first day of school pictures. I made them each a sign with their grade level printed on it (but blacked out for pics). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUUvoKQzf3G6VPExBGSUCk7VECoKzwIress3qlGBHd1QsxMvLy83i419KvLKczBXAyJ9r3VvszBCzS-bnRgQH6cDMvXgXoWoNReFMZPjP7CS1pJc1uEiQa4GFS_s5qUsXdsE3xcyBH7_h/s1600/moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUUvoKQzf3G6VPExBGSUCk7VECoKzwIress3qlGBHd1QsxMvLy83i419KvLKczBXAyJ9r3VvszBCzS-bnRgQH6cDMvXgXoWoNReFMZPjP7CS1pJc1uEiQa4GFS_s5qUsXdsE3xcyBH7_h/s320/moon.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqqK4uY2efYGG2CTb1FmhvpfDxC-P3jS-oh703X8bKbQp2y3glTlwFDOoXz4yNAAIZ5jZLWIR-0-PL8i4N4pGZK0x4kCX-Z-iKd1IMwhhVbu0J4Yf1mT7KhexrDPUDcteVsADcPcGkVMf/s1600/moon+snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqqK4uY2efYGG2CTb1FmhvpfDxC-P3jS-oh703X8bKbQp2y3glTlwFDOoXz4yNAAIZ5jZLWIR-0-PL8i4N4pGZK0x4kCX-Z-iKd1IMwhhVbu0J4Yf1mT7KhexrDPUDcteVsADcPcGkVMf/s320/moon+snack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The kids spent some time exploring the other areas of the house as well. This was the moon corner (more black star paper for the space background) where I used gray party tablecloths on the floor with light paint to create the surface of the moon effect. Speaking of the moon - we also had a "moon" snack (rice cake with cereal and sliced bananas for craters).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrgxkJPrXjREyS68mWcOZXmOREKMObxE0WB_eq_mvw5FKs08QMppdiqDhuikWCSfRB_29_6LRHsioTzWNebSoBnqWipDrQkeJfy29WnM7tCZ5sX5SVMlNwcbo111Bj87WPfKWQnd_VySE/s1600/shuttle_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrgxkJPrXjREyS68mWcOZXmOREKMObxE0WB_eq_mvw5FKs08QMppdiqDhuikWCSfRB_29_6LRHsioTzWNebSoBnqWipDrQkeJfy29WnM7tCZ5sX5SVMlNwcbo111Bj87WPfKWQnd_VySE/s640/shuttle_edited-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This seemed to be one of the more favored areas of the house for a while. The space shuttle was painted on a white vinyl party tablecloth. On one side was "Mission Control" and the other side acted as the inside of the shuttle with a cockpit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbRultrX2j7qYJDMp_RDl4junDPQiX82q0TgKqC6OjUXkj3Z12QPTi1VgMdYq-l-n9bOj57xfIhycLMpgMQVv72JnGne3zXGi2hEU5S8TEOi0R78eB1xA7923QiwmLUUdpkZESlrULOlM/s1600/space+shuttle+inside2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbRultrX2j7qYJDMp_RDl4junDPQiX82q0TgKqC6OjUXkj3Z12QPTi1VgMdYq-l-n9bOj57xfIhycLMpgMQVv72JnGne3zXGi2hEU5S8TEOi0R78eB1xA7923QiwmLUUdpkZESlrULOlM/s640/space+shuttle+inside2.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Here's a picture of the cockpit inside our "shuttle". I created this AND our Mission Control Center using tri-fold school project boards with control panel pictures glued on. Control panel pictures can be purchased <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/270433892/printable-control-panels-coloring-books?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=control+panel++coloring&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1" target="_blank">here</a> for 99 cents! I also added some other little pictures I found online. I hot glued some toggle switches on (these and others can be purchased pretty cheaply on Amazon - see links below). One of the best features though was adding lights (kind of hard to see but really added to the effect). I did this by punching out small holes in the boards and sticking small poster lights through them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKq8QNoMV_rFYgw56bR717K8_a6Z6YcT5qigi7I_O12bt4wDK3Pw2d4ikwS7FrEMx4M_GV1T-yFbBLOhFVOsbO7skBFXevsCw415Jb_5xzwaMPGG2O_imgejaoeaU1yF7iA4VOLWa3Hn_/s1600/space+shuttle+inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKq8QNoMV_rFYgw56bR717K8_a6Z6YcT5qigi7I_O12bt4wDK3Pw2d4ikwS7FrEMx4M_GV1T-yFbBLOhFVOsbO7skBFXevsCw415Jb_5xzwaMPGG2O_imgejaoeaU1yF7iA4VOLWa3Hn_/s640/space+shuttle+inside.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is a close-up of the cockpit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YypO2Sy1PNaVerM2dxJVX54inm2a1sezHDMZsOV152UZ0lrMV77hngUeybzKpkNUuHOmYffbAOz3wa4cPHfoaKGmQlNEs-7PAMWUyZR_VzWPHAWMBZwyF9g34ix2CpV8p8BIMPikD9g-/s1600/mission+control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YypO2Sy1PNaVerM2dxJVX54inm2a1sezHDMZsOV152UZ0lrMV77hngUeybzKpkNUuHOmYffbAOz3wa4cPHfoaKGmQlNEs-7PAMWUyZR_VzWPHAWMBZwyF9g34ix2CpV8p8BIMPikD9g-/s640/mission+control.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a picture of our Mission Control Center.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxJbYRBQNjNOZ3WApd5xVnz07gGE3ZV8mePWYEdCpPU0-eAaIqv6GIrlfYihLJGSu9BBxluXhe3k5-qlxv5cPoXFTrlhxMLYqf6vwwsLc3BDAlNBBqvsGWZ512G2PAGao9a9xVMvBqppZ/s1600/space+presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxJbYRBQNjNOZ3WApd5xVnz07gGE3ZV8mePWYEdCpPU0-eAaIqv6GIrlfYihLJGSu9BBxluXhe3k5-qlxv5cPoXFTrlhxMLYqf6vwwsLc3BDAlNBBqvsGWZ512G2PAGao9a9xVMvBqppZ/s640/space+presents.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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Of course, we had our usual treasure hunt for school supplies hidden by our homeschool elf (note that this time we caught him with them on the moon!). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswCDvBxefw-gSYTHCO63chgnTxmAeB5EFxyWiGtgYuT345qLt5qCkCw9-MpGwK_fJ0p_7yHFUht9UDrVYCcoMwovwbRTvuOVDOnkqIp5yhwKIRVLYPtc4OfA86LcNNh_aJv3_3sUKdi2V/s1600/planet+pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswCDvBxefw-gSYTHCO63chgnTxmAeB5EFxyWiGtgYuT345qLt5qCkCw9-MpGwK_fJ0p_7yHFUht9UDrVYCcoMwovwbRTvuOVDOnkqIp5yhwKIRVLYPtc4OfA86LcNNh_aJv3_3sUKdi2V/s640/planet+pizza.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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We ended our day with a build-your-own-planet-pizza bar. Mmmmm!</div>
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If you are able, I recommend a visit to NASA as well. We ended up having to travel to that area for medical reasons this past year and visited NASA while there. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!</div>
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Linking up here this week:</div>
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<a href="http://totsandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Littles%20Learning%20Link%20Up" target="_blank">Littles Learning Link Up</a></div>
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<a href="http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Homeschool Highlights </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2019/05/wow-me-wednesday-305.html#more" target="_blank">Wow Me Wednesday</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.simplysweethome.com/2019/05/friday-favorites-linky-party-week-479/" target="_blank">Friday Favorites Linky Party </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.create-with-joy.com/2019/06/inspire-me-monday-week-385.html" target="_blank">Inspire Me Monday </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sewcando.com/2019/06/hello-june-craftastic-monday-link-party.html" target="_blank">Craftastic Monday </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.skiptomylou.org/made-by-you-monday-168/" target="_blank">Made By You Monday </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.themodestmomblog.com/category/modest%20mondays/" target="_blank">Modest Monday</a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thenatofgra-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0711MPYJN&asins=B0711MPYJN&linkId=30cf8101f5d250dbb954656681ba9786&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> <br></iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-46243222962121993962019-02-13T20:47:00.000-08:002019-02-13T21:01:03.084-08:00Valentine's Day!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: magenta;">Happy Valentine's Day!</span></b></span></div>
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Just wanted to share a quick Valentine's idea for any little ballerinas out there. I made these using heart lollipops and then used hot glue to add some tulle. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhQ_sPBD6xCJ5bJjh3mzS5qBfaWC_Jmm0xJKjgaH5Ocr9QFSdjhHLZ_5cKwcfSSRGA6vH0TsLG_4I1Ys84AL64b-O59zIRJn1pbG228Yfid9VGJeyMKBs3D7AXjevLUTBHlWjuaxMkG1W/s1600/Balletine%2527s+Day+lollipop+dresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="431" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhQ_sPBD6xCJ5bJjh3mzS5qBfaWC_Jmm0xJKjgaH5Ocr9QFSdjhHLZ_5cKwcfSSRGA6vH0TsLG_4I1Ys84AL64b-O59zIRJn1pbG228Yfid9VGJeyMKBs3D7AXjevLUTBHlWjuaxMkG1W/s400/Balletine%2527s+Day+lollipop+dresses.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-23812053136734350082019-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:002019-02-13T20:49:06.068-08:00We are 100 days COOLer! :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;">While I have been taking a bit of a blog break - or maybe a really, reeeeaaallly long one - I found I had some free time on my hands for a few evenings and thought it might be fun to jump back on for another post. However, I'll be keeping the wording to a minimum (unless you take the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" literally).</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">This year, our 100 day celebration came during a bit of a rough patch of illness for us. We'd been cooped up, and it just seemed like a bit of excitement was in order...</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="616" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBrzgN4vzrClTGQvuK5bNv2G_6C717KzkWKLYemUbrduru2LVY8qo2AMBtCTHKzbEG2tjtRDm4P1ap_6I5rayoDE_tKjX9Ujxfdq055hIEhXXyRe9hJBdcvCGacT5n_1jyvH85lI_KqYc/s640/100+days+of+school+4.jpg" width="640" /> </div>
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We'd already completed a winter themed 100th day at least 2-3 years ago. However, my kids seemed to be really lamenting the lack of snow this year, so I felt it might be time to have a "snow day" once more. </div>
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Cover each activity with a snowflake once completed!</div>
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What an easy way to incorporate 100 with these melting snowman kits! Simply give them 100 seconds to build a snowman and then enjoy the wonder of watching it melt...<br />
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Snowman necklace with 100 white beads! </div>
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Toss the "snowball" in a cup and add the numbers. First child to reach or cross over 100 wins!</div>
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This was a more time consuming activity - consider yourselves warned if you attempt this at home. I had each child lie down in a snowball fight pose (except for the youngest who stood against the wall) and traced around him/her. They then painted themselves and broke open a bag of 100 cotton balls (snowballs) which they glued to the mural. We actually ended up opening two bags because one just wasn't enough!</div>
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We counted out 100 cotton swabs and the kids used them to make
snowflakes - even our toddler was able to participate in this one with a
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Snack time! We counted out 100 items (usually in groups of ten such as 10 pretzels, 10 yogurt covered cranberries, 10 mini rice cakes, etc.) and created our own snow mix for munching. </div>
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It is hard to tell, but these melted snowman pictures are puffy and came out so cute! We made the puffy paint by mixing roughly equivalent amounts of white glue and shaving cream. It can be a lot of fun as long as the children are old enough to realize it should not be eaten (or you are sitting right next to your toddler). <br />
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Spelling practice - the kids practiced spelling snow/winter words in whipped cream. Yes, our toddler enjoyed participating in this one as well! The whipping cream was on top of brown (unbleached?) wax paper. This was definitely a finger-licking activity! </div>
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Note: Make sure you do this one AFTER the shaving cream painting above to avoid confusion regarding what can be eaten. If you do them in reverse order, you run the risk of a toddler assuming that if you can eat one puffy whiteness first, the other is fair game as well. </div>
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Happy homeschooling! :)</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thenatofgra-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00ESIOUGK&asins=B00ESIOUGK&linkId=f4b467e61ec41d72969fd4afc4d63cc9&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br> </iframe> </div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-44030067327182405072019-02-05T12:23:00.003-08:002019-02-05T12:23:49.854-08:00Girls' ClubToday is launch day for Sally Clarkson's new book "Girls' Club"! Co-authored with her two daughters Sarah and Joy, it focuses on cultivating friendships among women and how powerful such bonds can be. If you have been struggling with loneliness, wondering how to cultivate friendships with other women - this book may provide just the direction and encouragement you need!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thenatofgra-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1496432150&asins=1496432150&linkId=1c5d7e0c4f26c734db623950caada7be&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br> </iframe></div>
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As a homeschooling mom of four children (including special needs), I have had my share of ups and downs. Often I have found encouragement AND inspiration while reading one of Sally's books, listening to one of her podcasts, or by reading one of the posts on her blog www.sallyclarkson.com. I highly recommend her to other homeschooling moms (and moms in general). Her ideas, understanding words, and kindness point me towards Christ and the powerful mission he has given me: the mission of motherhood (also the title of one of her books). </div>
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For moms struggling to find time to research great composers, artists, and great books for children, she also provides amazing resources on www.lifewithsally.com (this is a paid membership account). The site includes resources and podcasts that are meant for encouraging moms as well (such as scripture studies, etc.), and the forums are a great resource for moms to share, encourage, or ask questions of other mom members. Highly recommend this as well! :)<br />
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As always - happy homeschooling! :)<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-2417773768241999292016-08-08T13:32:00.000-07:002019-02-13T20:49:28.726-08:00WILD About A New School Year!!!!It's that time of year again - back to school! We're a little WILD about starting a new year. :)<br />
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I recruited a few of our stuffed friends to help celebrate the first day in an appropriate fashion. <br />
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The sign is available through my new TPT <i>Wild About A New School Year</i> (WANS) pack. You'll notice as you read further that many other activities we worked on this past week also came from the WANS pack. For those interested, there is a link to the pack near the bottom of this post <i>along with</i> some very exciting, special news AND a giveaway. </div>
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The monkey sign is from Mardel. The vines I made by twisting kraft paper. </div>
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Breakfast was cereal that morning - an extra special treat for our family. I was able to find some cereal boxes with wild creatures on them. I also added some paper leaves, so it looked like they were hiding in a jungle.</div>
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I hesitated to spend any money on the safari hats, but they were on CLEARANCE (at Michaels). I am so glad I bought them though, because the kids LOVED them and used them quite a bit.</div>
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As for the other items, I bought the sticky frogs in the party section at Walmart. We had binoculars already, so I just pulled them out for my little safari kiddos. The bookmarks and "Safari Adventure Journal" covers are a part of the <i>Wild About A New School Year (WANS) </i>pack.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvfwRBCSXUX_uvCDIv35ikTAzkBjIZ_OFfrEsREwjDbIDJkuDDaSjKzDQvXcrqhli2h9Wr0VJNuc_DKE__l9XB9gnyhYfIFoKjy9oZywprMt46swxZumvaWK390cJnxs10VZ1ZH5ASl8C/s1600/thumb_DSC_0231_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvfwRBCSXUX_uvCDIv35ikTAzkBjIZ_OFfrEsREwjDbIDJkuDDaSjKzDQvXcrqhli2h9Wr0VJNuc_DKE__l9XB9gnyhYfIFoKjy9oZywprMt46swxZumvaWK390cJnxs10VZ1ZH5ASl8C/s640/thumb_DSC_0231_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yum! Jungle juice (actually just some healthy green juice I purchased at the store)!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxDBiWx389ktFhiLU3La2LJZ3L0g9tS1Cl7l1FK3cxl3lro1Pnyt4wwC1neAt1B4xJwORDzWSvu404NoIGDUpkjpDxQr6nWGmiSxFjaZr-a0p-ekEgu6jRs00QPWThXxFPTASF-u2SpwT/s1600/thumb_DSC_0168_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxDBiWx389ktFhiLU3La2LJZ3L0g9tS1Cl7l1FK3cxl3lro1Pnyt4wwC1neAt1B4xJwORDzWSvu404NoIGDUpkjpDxQr6nWGmiSxFjaZr-a0p-ekEgu6jRs00QPWThXxFPTASF-u2SpwT/s640/thumb_DSC_0168_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DPexiJfC4uWFMI7hC32p6F7DZPFP2a6XmRoxHRWcFcEoj7vwSr7XgNKlp3G0xoHz0rnb7LT3Iwm8TYOv3s0-rrkTWsoeKWCNuZwwoZJUdny0DrkG6qVUC2pEoH9gokR1EZvNMMZgCt3Y/s1600/thumb_DSC_0163_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DPexiJfC4uWFMI7hC32p6F7DZPFP2a6XmRoxHRWcFcEoj7vwSr7XgNKlp3G0xoHz0rnb7LT3Iwm8TYOv3s0-rrkTWsoeKWCNuZwwoZJUdny0DrkG6qVUC2pEoH9gokR1EZvNMMZgCt3Y/s640/thumb_DSC_0163_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was the "bridge" leading into our learning jungle. I used more kraft paper to make the "ropes". I cut up unfolded cardboard boxes to make the "boards" for the bridge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX4TBedD9_BuOtoqnOYpfggXzrSsD-eDwuMxWS7x_nn3a7By7aeac18mI7ejps_VnbFm5luqCtRA_cAk1j0QWAr9sacSZ-nkTL8Y-Y3ywI0FywbABSND1Y-Oe8Gg9PzS9GDDgqUZMj_2d/s1600/thumb_DSC_0192_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX4TBedD9_BuOtoqnOYpfggXzrSsD-eDwuMxWS7x_nn3a7By7aeac18mI7ejps_VnbFm5luqCtRA_cAk1j0QWAr9sacSZ-nkTL8Y-Y3ywI0FywbABSND1Y-Oe8Gg9PzS9GDDgqUZMj_2d/s640/thumb_DSC_0192_1024BLOG.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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You didn't think I would just let my kids hop across the boards without making them work to get over to the jungle, did you? One color was for my son and the other for my daughter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8aLiX7d7sL_mVGXkmvM7wTlIE2gCkOQwvdsufLT0r5MieCxEhu3c0MWlT0XWBL1ZvBXd7FjGT6xj8gHbq8Vrxov4_Sz4o01lqKC3C3_9vYJ1rxrJpfsbJTyCukR8R0KmvYjzGaC6sUIl/s1600/thumb_DSC_0194_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8aLiX7d7sL_mVGXkmvM7wTlIE2gCkOQwvdsufLT0r5MieCxEhu3c0MWlT0XWBL1ZvBXd7FjGT6xj8gHbq8Vrxov4_Sz4o01lqKC3C3_9vYJ1rxrJpfsbJTyCukR8R0KmvYjzGaC6sUIl/s640/thumb_DSC_0194_1024BLOG.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVbSdZKjsYnrSJRY5_81UbEaHAUAqIyB6A_D5JsJe_LDfd2Wu-RdURT4cCBWV_cxdePq6yPpr776mQ9KzCFYEPcpkxZBEjFPtxbK1awzuCHVVleZ78AzsWj4uAFMnuo1z0XWHu2st0_u-/s1600/thumb_DSC_0208_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVbSdZKjsYnrSJRY5_81UbEaHAUAqIyB6A_D5JsJe_LDfd2Wu-RdURT4cCBWV_cxdePq6yPpr776mQ9KzCFYEPcpkxZBEjFPtxbK1awzuCHVVleZ78AzsWj4uAFMnuo1z0XWHu2st0_u-/s640/thumb_DSC_0208_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once across the bridge, it was time to go exploring. I used several vinyl tablecloths (about $1 each at Walmart) for this jungle. </div>
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It is kind of hard to see, but a blue one is covering the door to our school room. I cut it into strips to make it look like a waterfall.<br />
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I also bought a jungle (or rainforest?) sounds cd on Ebay and had that playing in the background. I could not find the same one on Amazon but posted a link to one below that might be similar?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lvIsIt95ChQDU_1AoZw8WQti_XKiIpb5A7nH3qwhSv9OAW8HPhVly_V5iZyfzILi2yGCOP7ByWG0qWsTzyPY_SGJeErZq55MDcJdvaSkQUNAg0DBMxzf5VDKrOdTjvs-gEHkpOTMhEE6/s1600/thumb_DSC_0110_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lvIsIt95ChQDU_1AoZw8WQti_XKiIpb5A7nH3qwhSv9OAW8HPhVly_V5iZyfzILi2yGCOP7ByWG0qWsTzyPY_SGJeErZq55MDcJdvaSkQUNAg0DBMxzf5VDKrOdTjvs-gEHkpOTMhEE6/s640/thumb_DSC_0110_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hid creatures (like those in this picture) inside our little jungle which gave the kids an opportunity to use those trusty binoculars. They loved pretending to find animals hiding out in the foliage. The animal pictures I used are part of the <i>Wild About A New School Year </i>pack.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQwCQ0rZd1jt5I2CnvV8WbZkQWSnlrxWfTjx1uU_dw017x6CikR9pCiH0NuTuKzgDgyWn5VRWXJoJLyhFjkD9PTsdGHtJjJhy5NumOGsLXGMPIslQgfsvrdfh-IIN5Y9EzrdsnOpFQRqz/s1600/thumb_DSC_0161_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQwCQ0rZd1jt5I2CnvV8WbZkQWSnlrxWfTjx1uU_dw017x6CikR9pCiH0NuTuKzgDgyWn5VRWXJoJLyhFjkD9PTsdGHtJjJhy5NumOGsLXGMPIslQgfsvrdfh-IIN5Y9EzrdsnOpFQRqz/s640/thumb_DSC_0161_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was the tangled vine mess that greeted my delighted children when they walked through the waterfall (I used party crepe paper). At first they tried to maneuver their way through it, but eventually they just joyfully crashed through the vines. Come on, you know you'd do the same... ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAxMQOWi8CG3b9lCOd3f-s3g3dk5O6BcsZcFUbsHddv43kGRt6P93YLcuGNpAsD9YvAOymW01OgXxD90DWWiu3eXmZyw6gfnehOyWgjnPH95lj4FXj4upHkci7kOYUdLLpnxeghnKpOoF/s1600/thumb_DSC_0240_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAxMQOWi8CG3b9lCOd3f-s3g3dk5O6BcsZcFUbsHddv43kGRt6P93YLcuGNpAsD9YvAOymW01OgXxD90DWWiu3eXmZyw6gfnehOyWgjnPH95lj4FXj4upHkci7kOYUdLLpnxeghnKpOoF/s640/thumb_DSC_0240_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After chopping through vines, they found that our homeschool elf had taken off with their school supplies once more this year, so they spent some time hunting him down via clues. The homeschool elf pattern comes from my book "The First Day of Homeschool" (link at the bottom of this post).</div>
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I usually wrap some school supplies for the kids and throw in an extra little wrapped treat or some unexpected items. It is definitely not necessary, but I think it makes our first day of school that much more exciting. I think I bought this wrapping paper at Michaels.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGMmonDdySWXJLltr1WDpzKf-2jtkhtcHpsPsUaMjsp5eMsdVKGA1dpFAUTg_W4BuuaEIoY0bTk8ynWp5C5Lg_WDSNZwkatY8ScsCLRFrX3Jg9I2gRw3an0uJ8eLpeczs8nJ5oCG3drEr/s1600/thumb_DSC_0290_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGMmonDdySWXJLltr1WDpzKf-2jtkhtcHpsPsUaMjsp5eMsdVKGA1dpFAUTg_W4BuuaEIoY0bTk8ynWp5C5Lg_WDSNZwkatY8ScsCLRFrX3Jg9I2gRw3an0uJ8eLpeczs8nJ5oCG3drEr/s640/thumb_DSC_0290_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lunch time in the jungle! I sent the kids on their merry way with safari packs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrwW2DxBtSR1m2MmuJ_6-GipWuZEJzRsWX6i8In2Tw6m56yVBMrh5VNoTuOFVmfjYvAV4H8bND-aOe1ReMjQ4ZTHj2YNzrKtZatGCIlCLE7XIsJj3TY4gVeI0lnzMNstnP6a71eZ4-eO2/s1600/thumb_DSC_0327_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrwW2DxBtSR1m2MmuJ_6-GipWuZEJzRsWX6i8In2Tw6m56yVBMrh5VNoTuOFVmfjYvAV4H8bND-aOe1ReMjQ4ZTHj2YNzrKtZatGCIlCLE7XIsJj3TY4gVeI0lnzMNstnP6a71eZ4-eO2/s320/thumb_DSC_0327_1024BLOG.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Behold a teaching experiment for me this year! I wanted a way to make it easier for the kids to find which activity we would be doing each day related to our week's theme (hopefully making it something they could do more on their own). There is a shelf for each day, Monday through Friday. </div>
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This set up gives me a spot to organize the items according to which day we plan to use them. At the end of the week (or during the weekend), I just fill up the shelves with the items for the following week's theme. When Monday rolls around, we are pretty much ready to go! :) </div>
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This is an IKEA cabinet with movable shelves. I think it is BESTA?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXltu3mh37I7U2BKDYc6a5kD-AnK0MO2VrxWxMStbejwsgeVsMwNx3A7edrxo-MJp57WRtNm62lC79ZmEb7eTcvA1MDYLi1f1ChtYoOn5pr_znl61DVYMKEKOE04XKusjj3EZ_Zp7tJJ0/s1600/thumb_DSC_0109_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXltu3mh37I7U2BKDYc6a5kD-AnK0MO2VrxWxMStbejwsgeVsMwNx3A7edrxo-MJp57WRtNm62lC79ZmEb7eTcvA1MDYLi1f1ChtYoOn5pr_znl61DVYMKEKOE04XKusjj3EZ_Zp7tJJ0/s640/thumb_DSC_0109_1024BLOG.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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We learned about rainforest layers, and the kids worked at building one on a tinier scale. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2CyA3JIfq6hUXxSTUsRfb04YzxuuzxJ-e6PwdZfU2BJLEp5T_qL4QMP8rWpIbVYsQp30vK6OedH4TnugeocqbdUA3z11ps17uEyni1oQr1JNAo3nKJ1IOe1wLwMBPtcfv1CdGZyMF32z/s1600/thumb_DSC_0100_1024+BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2CyA3JIfq6hUXxSTUsRfb04YzxuuzxJ-e6PwdZfU2BJLEp5T_qL4QMP8rWpIbVYsQp30vK6OedH4TnugeocqbdUA3z11ps17uEyni1oQr1JNAo3nKJ1IOe1wLwMBPtcfv1CdGZyMF32z/s640/thumb_DSC_0100_1024+BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was the "Safari Peek-A-Boo" book (part of WANS pack) we made together. The kids really enjoyed picking out just the right wiggly eyes for their creatures! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOcccZMpKQYo6U5rf_cUBiSycgo8pUUEtqRqp_9T_w-HjzxNYsnKHGzRhiiK8hBWJSIe0-aHbiEpt_HhnBwMMGkSF1H1zZQ24jcj905Qg_nL-TZvD28JQyzIj8X6I8KlmYtAb_yJHPHxv/s1600/thumb_DSC_0112_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOcccZMpKQYo6U5rf_cUBiSycgo8pUUEtqRqp_9T_w-HjzxNYsnKHGzRhiiK8hBWJSIe0-aHbiEpt_HhnBwMMGkSF1H1zZQ24jcj905Qg_nL-TZvD28JQyzIj8X6I8KlmYtAb_yJHPHxv/s640/thumb_DSC_0112_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was a poem I created to go along with our first week of school and our theme. The kids used highlighter tape to highlight rhyming words and subbed in jungle sounds of their own at one point. </div>
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I know some parts are blurry, but sadly I had some concerns about other bloggers or teachers grabbing it and using it as their own without purchasing the WANS pack (it is a part of).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJrrqOI2LXewNJ5BbOH7PYo6_xXO5no9qCbjfuraTcmuJGiEc4XRccr0BdIHwAMBZ5WlzCpyEM0od6DH8s5SCfpoec8Lqca800fI25qHGnJgb4UQF_CH2f5h730Ok9TP_LPokR14vZH1z/s1600/thumb_DSC_0114_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJrrqOI2LXewNJ5BbOH7PYo6_xXO5no9qCbjfuraTcmuJGiEc4XRccr0BdIHwAMBZ5WlzCpyEM0od6DH8s5SCfpoec8Lqca800fI25qHGnJgb4UQF_CH2f5h730Ok9TP_LPokR14vZH1z/s640/thumb_DSC_0114_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was a cute craft idea that was inspired by <a href="http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/2012/09/pirate-storytime/" target="_blank">this blogger's pirate theme</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnsqeq7jw1pPWQRYtWIRnaksIMJXpiq75vmVp-uadJV77WzbaZYdMCh0dfcIRczMEgwC27j1l3V_VfvuQ-Re3H0REI7CPY4uYIYP2v53iKYOfVXrrhOvWjpT9o1wrstPVSgqPZq0zySCD/s1600/thumb_DSC_0325_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnsqeq7jw1pPWQRYtWIRnaksIMJXpiq75vmVp-uadJV77WzbaZYdMCh0dfcIRczMEgwC27j1l3V_VfvuQ-Re3H0REI7CPY4uYIYP2v53iKYOfVXrrhOvWjpT9o1wrstPVSgqPZq0zySCD/s640/thumb_DSC_0325_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Graphing animal crackers inspired by <a dir="ltr" href="http://thepetersonparty.blogspot.com/" style="color: #7759ae; font-family: 'open sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">http://thepetersonparty.blogspot.com/</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IVAKMcuMxSInWEpk3cVdbFf_u1C680Z2_PXzC9TYFW6dg0yzt9Th67gKD6LSY0geRhqXrtGtGvPYGerE5klcD2pBShGtLmRbrdVk5vgPrQFZ4pqT82bkl-L8gytcCafRXX48pg8XC4WX/s1600/thumb_DSC_0318_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IVAKMcuMxSInWEpk3cVdbFf_u1C680Z2_PXzC9TYFW6dg0yzt9Th67gKD6LSY0geRhqXrtGtGvPYGerE5klcD2pBShGtLmRbrdVk5vgPrQFZ4pqT82bkl-L8gytcCafRXX48pg8XC4WX/s640/thumb_DSC_0318_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We spent some time measuring "vines".</div>
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This blank "Monkey Match" worksheet is also part of the <i>Wild About A New School Year </i>pack. I filled it in using math facts for my kids. Others might want to use it for rhyming words, digraph words, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcKTKVvNtvutIiXc1GKhSkEg8P5v0DEq9Aq5NylRZ1pbxwBkdJ5uwOtfDA0QhW5ergp45DU3kR0raMwtybam6nVQkpZskrHRRAySNkimG7Ynw95X1VL9TPTHw98NNuhIQsvWUCTqE60ry/s1600/thumb_DSC_0330_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcKTKVvNtvutIiXc1GKhSkEg8P5v0DEq9Aq5NylRZ1pbxwBkdJ5uwOtfDA0QhW5ergp45DU3kR0raMwtybam6nVQkpZskrHRRAySNkimG7Ynw95X1VL9TPTHw98NNuhIQsvWUCTqE60ry/s640/thumb_DSC_0330_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do your kids like magnets as much as mine? If so, they might enjoy the "Bananagains" game (<i>WANS </i>pack). </div>
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Tape a monkey to a magnetic wand or tape/glue magnets to the back of it and drop it on the paperclip pictures of bananas. The number your monkey picks up (gains) is recorded on your goal sheet and added to the previous total (you have to remember to write the math sentence or you lose your bananas). First player to reach the goal is the winner!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaI6dH8ZLL2_se_boD9W3xXDYNhWsJoZ7swT_I0IoOUi4SuQ0KjgSSUqkmi3Iuf3iZL7IvxAbpUWiC-WFhv_Cf9GzBuDCLt-lkwnT69AzFC24p536rsONU9EvBcO7sQKVOSczYXDMiMMN/s1600/thumb_DSC_0336_1024BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaI6dH8ZLL2_se_boD9W3xXDYNhWsJoZ7swT_I0IoOUi4SuQ0KjgSSUqkmi3Iuf3iZL7IvxAbpUWiC-WFhv_Cf9GzBuDCLt-lkwnT69AzFC24p536rsONU9EvBcO7sQKVOSczYXDMiMMN/s640/thumb_DSC_0336_1024BLOG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What would a jungle theme be without exploring some of the different items we get from a rainforest? I created this punch board using some empty applesauce containers glued to a board. I put different items (we get from a rainforest in some way) inside each and covered them with tissue paper. The kids would poke, punch, or peel back the tissue to see what item was in the cup.</div>
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This is a picture of our morning board at the END of the first week of school. As you can see - it was a busy one!</div>
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As promised, a lot of our activities were ones I created for my new <i>Wild About A New School Year </i>pack which can be purchased for $2.50 in my TPT store <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/WILD-About-a-New-School-Year-2714347" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VSUBmZ6bn4IL3bHguqUzyqnAv5aIxC75rK7GLnMvKPFpO44RiJYUct2jOcUisp1-GJviv_9SNOtQo94ndWL_gsMVNDQQE40GO2BLBeDHnL8trYF5_WTAOry3wf3UNAHZ5ef7MFrDu2-x/s1600/Wild+About+A+New+School+Year+Preview_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VSUBmZ6bn4IL3bHguqUzyqnAv5aIxC75rK7GLnMvKPFpO44RiJYUct2jOcUisp1-GJviv_9SNOtQo94ndWL_gsMVNDQQE40GO2BLBeDHnL8trYF5_WTAOry3wf3UNAHZ5ef7MFrDu2-x/s640/Wild+About+A+New+School+Year+Preview_edited-1.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope you all have a <i>grrrrrrr</i>eat year of homeschooling! </span></div>
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</iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-15372843244761970322015-09-26T22:05:00.000-07:002015-09-26T22:05:16.090-07:00Lesson Theme: Transportation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Whew! We have had a rough September so far (travel, unexpected bad news, illness and loss of a loved pet, etc.). However, I wanted to make sure I posted at least one of our themes for this month before October sets in!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSEWKij9kX7pTkosIAAprgh5zpt2aq2AdGOxZPLnZICZRBPkRvHwUpttFisaOvpw0e-eALiFzrETxHONdzXJq8jUYQMWvN1RZX10zXPiZmL0Ta9ktcJGwFisF5DARkGZK3y65B4_rKMGf/s1600/DSC_0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSEWKij9kX7pTkosIAAprgh5zpt2aq2AdGOxZPLnZICZRBPkRvHwUpttFisaOvpw0e-eALiFzrETxHONdzXJq8jUYQMWvN1RZX10zXPiZmL0Ta9ktcJGwFisF5DARkGZK3y65B4_rKMGf/s640/DSC_0070.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a shot of our morning board. We made some word webs for our transportation topic and sorted vehicles according to land, water, air types (I believe I saw this activity on Pinterest but do not remember where).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwnrFZJUq-FtoFwGe_0grsb394rVPH3jqcu9y1fRn0A1e6xm9XRMqKSfl29b94bNrb7WKv1F9EUxjU5yQ_RClrUX5xsLJoybGCiwhE7BRcr7rikNPPXtDh-XbvqF3_girPxKjeuMzYDdK/s1600/DSC_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwnrFZJUq-FtoFwGe_0grsb394rVPH3jqcu9y1fRn0A1e6xm9XRMqKSfl29b94bNrb7WKv1F9EUxjU5yQ_RClrUX5xsLJoybGCiwhE7BRcr7rikNPPXtDh-XbvqF3_girPxKjeuMzYDdK/s640/DSC_0058.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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I bought one of these at Mardel and posted it outside the classroom door. The idea was for the kids to stop before entering the classroom and either read sight words (Mr. J) or translate Latin words (Miss A).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtvs8fqj-Puk0AdvIPV-OumfOQbU9tlGvTAbYJd_2NmtwLXmEONBTIrUZo9IzDLNowh_7i2dv96qsw3QpQVRdATxRwOA1P8X3k-AcOpm89FnQlGyCed0ZoK75ZokGDqiq5WHat1v8ZkGI/s1600/DSC_0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtvs8fqj-Puk0AdvIPV-OumfOQbU9tlGvTAbYJd_2NmtwLXmEONBTIrUZo9IzDLNowh_7i2dv96qsw3QpQVRdATxRwOA1P8X3k-AcOpm89FnQlGyCed0ZoK75ZokGDqiq5WHat1v8ZkGI/s640/DSC_0059.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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This was another Mardel purchase, and I posted it near our dining area. I wanted the kids to practice their math facts before eating. I color coded the facts for each child so he/she would know which ones to practice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqwheuSEGDdB4GbK487W31A-gUXzwQCGXsiXkOk2AN-vXI2Ae7CPvnsJbSt7zJCpAK5DfUtFXPdrff_5Wnn7LvRrTFCNJYW4yq8wQEixeEe9RcGEtpMKr0Zak0w7BAx9__jdI0RWw5qDI/s1600/DSC_0069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqwheuSEGDdB4GbK487W31A-gUXzwQCGXsiXkOk2AN-vXI2Ae7CPvnsJbSt7zJCpAK5DfUtFXPdrff_5Wnn7LvRrTFCNJYW4yq8wQEixeEe9RcGEtpMKr0Zak0w7BAx9__jdI0RWw5qDI/s640/DSC_0069.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I turned some stickers into a graphing game. We would roll the dice and graph what came up. The stickers are on small green Post-it notes, which made it easy to remove and play more than once.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtq7f_-arjyFRWpSemaP8k7mAcsm43LObp4s2dScI_5L26lKmbdMbYTe5aoDEyEERGiUZ8houEJ1KUEAut_tWNpHq5XPij_7k9j5VWgEFItU9PUyC6-KTxKsh9ecrXo5CdFeKQvga-Kt5/s1600/DSC_0060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtq7f_-arjyFRWpSemaP8k7mAcsm43LObp4s2dScI_5L26lKmbdMbYTe5aoDEyEERGiUZ8houEJ1KUEAut_tWNpHq5XPij_7k9j5VWgEFItU9PUyC6-KTxKsh9ecrXo5CdFeKQvga-Kt5/s640/DSC_0060.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I found this cute poem <a href="http://mrsnelsonsclass.com/lesson-units/thematic-units/transportation-unit/" target="_blank">here</a> (along with other transportation idea gems), and we made a stoplight to go along with it by gluing tissue paper behind the cutout circles. Inspiration for the stoplight can be seen <a href="http://littlelearnerslounge.blogspot.com/2010/03/stop-and-go.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1UDjf5b1OvHZ5o1p9uqfI97xMYroWd7rdaGdh-Agsdwh20RzkzGrN1cDNY25pwzyBYwv7vNSv97PN2wm00dClPKt_kBkK38ocdYqT7f9316Jhg3eFQZ8xqhXZDYHHyS4KtjP7huTAF0N/s1600/DSC_0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1UDjf5b1OvHZ5o1p9uqfI97xMYroWd7rdaGdh-Agsdwh20RzkzGrN1cDNY25pwzyBYwv7vNSv97PN2wm00dClPKt_kBkK38ocdYqT7f9316Jhg3eFQZ8xqhXZDYHHyS4KtjP7huTAF0N/s640/DSC_0075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Speaking of stoplights, this was part of lunch one day. I toasted the bread and cut out the circles using a round cookie cutter. The red "light" is tomato. The yellow "light" is cooked egg (whipped up an egg and poured some in the circle to cook while the bread was toasting in the skillet). The green "light" is avocado. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ABqVouM2WYveBnS96fBCuXAfkvDsKfjlpQdBweK_LzcOB0BH4UsZCgu9TKWzSv5QpaBW7fQsleBmpKe4ZzERksDGgMf07LdLk4cu9510ugWxJUc6_94StjqHzT3HX3L2W6mWnkYevV_b/s1600/DSC_0056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ABqVouM2WYveBnS96fBCuXAfkvDsKfjlpQdBweK_LzcOB0BH4UsZCgu9TKWzSv5QpaBW7fQsleBmpKe4ZzERksDGgMf07LdLk4cu9510ugWxJUc6_94StjqHzT3HX3L2W6mWnkYevV_b/s640/DSC_0056.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We played a memory game with some road signs and then added them to a city we made. Inspiration came <a href="http://mrsnelsonsclass.com/lesson-units/thematic-units/transportation-unit/" target="_blank">from this post</a>.<br />
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Another fun idea for this activity is to have the kids practice giving directions to each other using the words "left" and "right" as they use small cars to visit different buildings or deliver items.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiRNl82I9dQ6NcC_AGvYWt1vOzhqGkfMXkHbochyphenhyphenCJ42iQicMzr0iy_pjkJfKSLK4_QaOX376uydmuhWET-drvxA5vjXBzHX-2aLIkS_QH7tCmO3lImjPDVldxD9-Z1koqdMejIb8DRQ7/s1600/DSC_0065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiRNl82I9dQ6NcC_AGvYWt1vOzhqGkfMXkHbochyphenhyphenCJ42iQicMzr0iy_pjkJfKSLK4_QaOX376uydmuhWET-drvxA5vjXBzHX-2aLIkS_QH7tCmO3lImjPDVldxD9-Z1koqdMejIb8DRQ7/s640/DSC_0065.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We read "If I Built a Car" and then practiced building our own lego cars (inspired by <a href="http://teachbesideme.com/if-i-built-a-car-activities/" target="_blank">this post)</a>.<br />
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We painted with car wheels (inspiration <a href="http://sortingsprinkles.blogspot.com/2013/02/transportation-for-preschoolers-part-2.html" target="_blank">here)</a>, but I added a twist by giving the kids driving directions. The kids had to dip the car wheels in paint and then drive from one letter's house to the next until they had completed the word. Then they would use a different color paint for another word, etc. Mr. J practiced sight words while Miss A practiced some spelling words. :) We did this over a few days so that the paint would have time to dry (didn't want them crawling over wet paint to get to a letter).<br />
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Lest you think we only focused on land transportation, here are a couple of water activities we did as well. We performed a "sink or float" activity with a variety of materials. </div>
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Based on the data collected from that experiment, we chose what material might float the best and made a small boat with it (see boat in activity below). The sail is made from cloth and craft sticks. The bottom is a foam meat tray that a grocer was sweet enough to give us.</div>
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Loved this <a href="http://www.thejoysofboys.com/foil-river/" target="_blank">foil river idea</a>. I added a twist by putting cards with words by the river. The kids had to either read the sight words (Mr. J) or translate the Latin words (Miss A) as the boat sailed along. The idea was to race the boat to see whether the child would reach the end of the words (and river) first or whether the boat would be the winner.</div>
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This was an easy cute craft inspired by <a href="http://mykidcraft.com/button-hot-air-balloons/" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br />
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While I had intended to do more with air transportation, life got in the way. Those on Facebook already know that we had a beloved pet pass away after a very expensive and emotional week of caring for her during her mysterious illness (which we now know was probably a very aggressive form of cancer). </div>
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While we are glad she is no longer suffering, it was hard on the family to lose her. I basically cancelled school the next day and spent that time grieving and desperately trying to pack everyone for a trip we were scheduled to take the following morning. </div>
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So, while we did not do many activities or crafts for air transportation, we DID actually go to an airport and fly on an airplane which I consider a pretty cool grand finale for our transportation theme!!! :)</div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-37912013634224538962015-08-08T20:12:00.004-07:002019-02-13T20:52:07.988-08:00Back "Choo" School Time!!! (Train Theme)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Alllllllll aboard for a new school year!</span></b></div>
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I decided to surprise the kids with a train theme this year - pictures below. Many of the items shown below (signs, tickets, etc.) can be purchased through my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-Choo-School-Train-Theme-2018561" target="_blank">TPT store</a>! The entire set is only $1.50, but I will be offering it FREE for ONE day next week. I will be posting the information on my Facebook page so check there if you are interested. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoIGodTq8_z6moxmN5BYoPwY0QXnYiG3bGTtkSZ1vIsI-Mbkv6YS_H-PYSNe_oGBfUOiAe_AgsdlTsClKfvwrozbq2b7emirS3XMK_c0VoSQSsbOEAGx9BGSd5J1f2Z-FDM-ZThGNOVXK/s1600/DSC_0531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoIGodTq8_z6moxmN5BYoPwY0QXnYiG3bGTtkSZ1vIsI-Mbkv6YS_H-PYSNe_oGBfUOiAe_AgsdlTsClKfvwrozbq2b7emirS3XMK_c0VoSQSsbOEAGx9BGSd5J1f2Z-FDM-ZThGNOVXK/s640/DSC_0531.jpg" /></a></div>
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Breakfast set-up in the "Dining Car". I was very excited to find a battery operated engine that fit with the train set we already had, so I was able to surprise the kids with a train that actually moved around the tracks! :) I posted a link to one at the bottom of the post in case other moms out there have been searching for the same thing.</div>
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I also printed out "Sleeping Car" signs (not shown) and posted them on their bedroom doors during the night.</div>
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The mats are construction paper. I purchased the caboose cups, train pencil toppers, and engineer caps (yes, they even had PINK) through <a href="http://www.trainparty.com/" target="_blank">this website</a>. The whistles came from the Dollar Store (Tree?).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX0lwDYj9Ebqzt6x6lcLdWbHbCMPAe-cEiEngWQieDwxN0DbmDFGu6WMImY6wsz8Pmapf98hdWQQ3R-brc2s7tHbthCA8Gm-OMAxsEHbZx8k_RRvvy7h6RHTWu1VeOGYXRg5kyxqnyNZe/s1600/DSC_0576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX0lwDYj9Ebqzt6x6lcLdWbHbCMPAe-cEiEngWQieDwxN0DbmDFGu6WMImY6wsz8Pmapf98hdWQQ3R-brc2s7tHbthCA8Gm-OMAxsEHbZx8k_RRvvy7h6RHTWu1VeOGYXRg5kyxqnyNZe/s640/DSC_0576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I opted for an easy breakfast this year. My kids love cereal because it is not something they get on a regular basis, so I surprised them with cereal that had princesses on the front (Frozen) and a cereal with Star Wars on the front (strangely enough - my kids have not seen Star Wars but still really like it). </div>
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I made a train track (black and silver duct tape) which led to the school room. I also made a simple cardboard train out of some empty boxes and an oatmeal container (wrapped with black paper). The kids handed me their tickets, and I punched them with a hole punch so they could board the train (the train was too small for both, so we had to do this one at a time).</div>
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They arrived at "Education Station" right on time for the first day of school!</div>
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This is a photo of our morning meeting board which usually seems to change every year depending on what worked last year or new needs this year! :)</div>
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First day snack time was a success! Found this cute idea <a href="http://play-trains.com/candy-train-game/" target="_blank">here</a> and used it for our snack time. They enjoyed eating freight! I even threw in some items we wouldn't normally have (candy, bunny grahams) because it was a special occasion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI47KfetwXQX0CF-4PdnwW6gKOxqhzGfvpHJAvxmemGQPSX8gtf1DYT09tn-FLVCKtk9-ST2nDC_AQ1yN6m4AhP4aWTMeXfBJ-GKC-4lcQGlvTEGt8u7ro-wte90Pre2T7HySi-CPJsK2I/s1600/DSC_0642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI47KfetwXQX0CF-4PdnwW6gKOxqhzGfvpHJAvxmemGQPSX8gtf1DYT09tn-FLVCKtk9-ST2nDC_AQ1yN6m4AhP4aWTMeXfBJ-GKC-4lcQGlvTEGt8u7ro-wte90Pre2T7HySi-CPJsK2I/s640/DSC_0642.jpg" /></a></div>
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After reading "The Little Engine That Could", we completed this activity. I folded a sentence strip accordion style and glued the pictures of an engine and a caboose onto it (engine at the front and caboose at the back). I let the kids paint or draw train cars on each fold (my littlest didn't quite get his on the folds but still had fun).</div>
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I then had them write (or dictate to me, depending on ability) things THEY can do on small Post-it notes. These then became "freight" which they could add to their cars. More "freight" could be added during the day as they came up with more ideas of things they are capable of doing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIAJHL-wYOJnrXx2pHngA5aMvqzR5oKjC7qYQL4VB2PUoho4mHhClXl-mEp2sP8RDEVEyt6GnEGtWt52-e1i_iddITF2ExCQTx54Nr0ZnGoKwizBJe_NIcb1oOBT2STCQ_DFqxcras6rB/s1600/DSC_0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIAJHL-wYOJnrXx2pHngA5aMvqzR5oKjC7qYQL4VB2PUoho4mHhClXl-mEp2sP8RDEVEyt6GnEGtWt52-e1i_iddITF2ExCQTx54Nr0ZnGoKwizBJe_NIcb1oOBT2STCQ_DFqxcras6rB/s640/DSC_0643.jpg" /></a></div>
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Found this great idea <a href="http://www.theeducatorsspinonit.com/2014/02/preschool-math-activities-learn-with.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYtnY1KXzixe60CKBQDfDGhkAYKhp1Qkbmdb_RGUDN0wmjolBP7yWcdCLABdwQkeyXub2KsCMMeIan0bTgZICVsX8rZPpnc05pkPLLMwignf3KH5akWfBOAwGYcLBF7MCqXDzqbUn9woh/s1600/DSC_0644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYtnY1KXzixe60CKBQDfDGhkAYKhp1Qkbmdb_RGUDN0wmjolBP7yWcdCLABdwQkeyXub2KsCMMeIan0bTgZICVsX8rZPpnc05pkPLLMwignf3KH5akWfBOAwGYcLBF7MCqXDzqbUn9woh/s640/DSC_0644.jpg" /></a></div>
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Inspired by the many fun things I saw on the website "play-trains.com", I put words on tracks and had the kids make sentences or simply practice reading sight words by setting up the tracks and using a train to guide their reading one word at a time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8znwHfSqONRrePNdPnLbFWotFW4lHLT-6AabT65lgbW0CEzSZna1IGsX8jof9uIQZkyPyB-dToz58-CeqPSW03qUl0eDgg5KkdubzFTljzIZwes3DU-W0AgOQ_5C5bFkwrb0hWBalwJW/s1600/DSC_0645_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8znwHfSqONRrePNdPnLbFWotFW4lHLT-6AabT65lgbW0CEzSZna1IGsX8jof9uIQZkyPyB-dToz58-CeqPSW03qUl0eDgg5KkdubzFTljzIZwes3DU-W0AgOQ_5C5bFkwrb0hWBalwJW/s640/DSC_0645_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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For my eldest - I used Latin words she was learning. The Post-its are "stations" and the Smarties are "freight". If she could translate the word when she arrived at it, she was allowed to add that station's freight to her car. If she couldn't translate the word, I would give her the translation but NOT the freight. She had to go back around the track again a few times until eventually she had successfully translated all the words and collected all the freight (enjoying every last piece of it for a job well done). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvkBPGuMs01NjDgl3Kd3_9r4n5-7DoqwTVyVTkUc62SKlZBh9sP5YQAdNIzVVdP8A6FQDgFqRP-3XAHruBrGo5P0VuHXbXpYd6t0QoQBdsggCWSyOH1x9dPc9MjA7Mvc5FRYdQO_8Wsqi/s1600/DSC_0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvkBPGuMs01NjDgl3Kd3_9r4n5-7DoqwTVyVTkUc62SKlZBh9sP5YQAdNIzVVdP8A6FQDgFqRP-3XAHruBrGo5P0VuHXbXpYd6t0QoQBdsggCWSyOH1x9dPc9MjA7Mvc5FRYdQO_8Wsqi/s640/DSC_0646.jpg" /></a></div>
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Another fun activity we found <a href="http://play-trains.com/train-reading-game-railway-word-crash/" target="_blank">here</a>. Set up words and crash into them! </div>
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For my littlest who is just beginning to form words, I had him first form the word in front of him so he could see the letters from left to right. Then we set them up vertically. </div>
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Notice the Latin words set up on the side showing an older kid option (Latin words or harder spelling words, etc.). The red blocks have Latin endings which make it easier to build a Latin word quickly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRecIFcSi0d-c_WZLM17t-zOtLNzLhRbHci1vpwIctyfkr7w2LmxvlckYHURTdCVvRCRCU_ylgnkbkZVbwrLWPcmHBwvD6pijWJrmvYiDuIC962-PmgZDxGCadDPWgwEWo3D-_X0PFXb4/s1600/DSC_0653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRecIFcSi0d-c_WZLM17t-zOtLNzLhRbHci1vpwIctyfkr7w2LmxvlckYHURTdCVvRCRCU_ylgnkbkZVbwrLWPcmHBwvD6pijWJrmvYiDuIC962-PmgZDxGCadDPWgwEWo3D-_X0PFXb4/s640/DSC_0653.jpg" /></a></div>
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I cannot remember where I saw something similar to this or I would give credit, because it was what inspired our snack freight train. The kids added their "freight" to each car (celery). The stations were their mouths so after the freight was picked up, their trains headed to the stations.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ary-QkfJu0zq9xeANWwpZPASPQEhSe0ymC5IQYGgjHOek4liGB_vvw07dDf4rBgLxR8yc83DM9VWKNyIoDcP-6CpfyeRAW7G8gMFqv08z8tkc8W2yy3EeGhkdeyaTYRDHD4az0GpJKa6/s1600/DSC_0655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ary-QkfJu0zq9xeANWwpZPASPQEhSe0ymC5IQYGgjHOek4liGB_vvw07dDf4rBgLxR8yc83DM9VWKNyIoDcP-6CpfyeRAW7G8gMFqv08z8tkc8W2yy3EeGhkdeyaTYRDHD4az0GpJKa6/s640/DSC_0655.jpg" /></a></div>
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My eldest needed to review some math facts, so I wrote them on the train tracks. Great way to practice each fact on the way to our school room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWbJ-Hzn2AiMoLN_hfQmWsr6sx8gMumJnFwg4lBmrqHe571K6Fq529cMVLVNn-JdaORSULtlLZWyMplNZYhHeaVVlRLKWZuxK9WmM5IgknrmU7B1HqzmpEA7ST06IRY3lG2k4Q5V1kgc1/s1600/DSC_0658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWbJ-Hzn2AiMoLN_hfQmWsr6sx8gMumJnFwg4lBmrqHe571K6Fq529cMVLVNn-JdaORSULtlLZWyMplNZYhHeaVVlRLKWZuxK9WmM5IgknrmU7B1HqzmpEA7ST06IRY3lG2k4Q5V1kgc1/s640/DSC_0658.jpg" /></a></div>
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We read "Freight Train", and the kids made their own colored trains using small sponges for the cars (<a href="http://buggyandbuddy.com/sponge-painted-train-craft-inspired-by-freight-train/" target="_blank">inspiration here</a>). I then gave them a bin of "freight" to add to the cars. Each car carried the letters (freight) which matched its color.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0zdfmzvXVmsRJj0TjEoPRXNCi4jHg_-ZdoRPJJJNoTcHpcuuj0UKoEtGH7pS0LJRdSHw1ZaaAeYmoIppBKkC8K2yHEsdz7rdm7WbEGvpRFB4tySjZSpSXM65WiKJm3XEQQ_1153mCBHq/s1600/DSC_0660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0zdfmzvXVmsRJj0TjEoPRXNCi4jHg_-ZdoRPJJJNoTcHpcuuj0UKoEtGH7pS0LJRdSHw1ZaaAeYmoIppBKkC8K2yHEsdz7rdm7WbEGvpRFB4tySjZSpSXM65WiKJm3XEQQ_1153mCBHq/s640/DSC_0660.jpg" /></a></div>
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Before we threw out the sponges, we decided to try showing a speeding train motion together by brushing the sponges along a paper. This went along with the "Freight Train" book as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC99mjfffKN9lvH6CrxHIcuxHNpYcHNFFwv5MxFe5bE-Bun3jWcG3iejxSQpTKvLCFITwT3rj800dKfbA68K5vzKVn33l2LEu7XswBdsnxzAb6tnqF30Zf_s0DX-u6XHknLOPOdq99VAFB/s1600/DSC_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC99mjfffKN9lvH6CrxHIcuxHNpYcHNFFwv5MxFe5bE-Bun3jWcG3iejxSQpTKvLCFITwT3rj800dKfbA68K5vzKVn33l2LEu7XswBdsnxzAb6tnqF30Zf_s0DX-u6XHknLOPOdq99VAFB/s640/DSC_0007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What child doesn't enjoy playing with vinegar and baking soda? Inspired by what I saw in <a href="http://play-trains.com/fizzy-engine-baking-soda-and-vinegar-trains/" target="_blank">this post</a>, I decided we would make some bubbly colorful "smoke" of our own.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr_miZRODCO36Yjm0oWpcf-cOrVbybEx_Zij24hwNaTFLA0qZN3T1xzxCg1IHNFuYk563FEeDnWGuba71ROza-svxFsWlJsnKS8F3kcYSSvwRwAj9CaFini-LvH00mq_OWhrlBKvQUJUW/s1600/Trains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr_miZRODCO36Yjm0oWpcf-cOrVbybEx_Zij24hwNaTFLA0qZN3T1xzxCg1IHNFuYk563FEeDnWGuba71ROza-svxFsWlJsnKS8F3kcYSSvwRwAj9CaFini-LvH00mq_OWhrlBKvQUJUW/s640/Trains.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Mr. J enjoyed rolling the dice, adding the numbers together, and placing that many puffs of smoke above each train engine. We found this activity and many more <a href="http://www.sortingsprinkles.blogspot.com/2012/10/trains-week-for-preschoolers-part-3.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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If trains are not your thing, you might be interested in our back-to-school theme from last year (frogs - "Leap Into a New School Year")! <a href="http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2014/08/leaping-into-new-school-year.html" target="_blank">Blog post here</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-First-Day-of-School-Homeschool-Frog-Theme-1381417" target="_blank">frog theme items for purchase here</a>.</div>
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</iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-87628033389648010742015-05-09T20:15:00.000-07:002019-02-13T20:54:12.909-08:00"Hoppy" last day of school!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The title says it all (and went along with our <a href="http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2014/08/leaping-into-new-school-year.html" target="_blank">first day theme for this past year</a>)! I couldn't let this day pass by without sharing a little bit of it with you!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZMcCapYwGQoQICrOEQhKZzARLu2hhArKe4chTZOzV8iauW5o9cTkSf-9knOzOmQhatWQextJKHfh8Is5YC-BIO4TQeSpbtvQ3k49BUuGKpJ9KPlhARG2Bc_x-KT18kdCPWvrtnWihCAb/s1600/DSC_0476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZMcCapYwGQoQICrOEQhKZzARLu2hhArKe4chTZOzV8iauW5o9cTkSf-9knOzOmQhatWQextJKHfh8Is5YC-BIO4TQeSpbtvQ3k49BUuGKpJ9KPlhARG2Bc_x-KT18kdCPWvrtnWihCAb/s640/DSC_0476.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Breakfast: green lily pad pancakes with a tangerine flower and chocolate chip "flies". We also had homemade whipped cream available for those who wanted/needed it. ;) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-8u4lt26XV4uvnMU2Yt4o2SGlpluFVYI8HdM1mxuxHyTCK41mjZsky7QIW6YZn2wzalBdM3qXa2-2UaSUeicTW_oNMMf-pqpxsAEzIxy92IgXTWqRAkBtZUPneJqyJYzgIIUOIUe5A4Y/s1600/DSC_0488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-8u4lt26XV4uvnMU2Yt4o2SGlpluFVYI8HdM1mxuxHyTCK41mjZsky7QIW6YZn2wzalBdM3qXa2-2UaSUeicTW_oNMMf-pqpxsAEzIxy92IgXTWqRAkBtZUPneJqyJYzgIIUOIUe5A4Y/s640/DSC_0488.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Once the last assignment was turned in for the day, I told the kids to get into their swimsuits and meet me in my room. This doorway was what greeted their little eyes. Through it was a pond I created for their playing pleasure!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPUSEvH7LHsapGV0ijqlwFowRqFxU_ZKtuX7wCqD_eyGsZpxD7BM3EqRGkKMGqpl2rTFxPUi5BNeLLNMWn-0X_R4luqyGA0q4twV5Hvjtwf6365BznVXRHJwGk5Dspk3moO4pOPCI-uYL/s1600/DSC_0492+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPUSEvH7LHsapGV0ijqlwFowRqFxU_ZKtuX7wCqD_eyGsZpxD7BM3EqRGkKMGqpl2rTFxPUi5BNeLLNMWn-0X_R4luqyGA0q4twV5Hvjtwf6365BznVXRHJwGk5Dspk3moO4pOPCI-uYL/s640/DSC_0492+-+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzjpdrBsDuqoPM4-0aRvpYTMobMO9WWzdBPWWDmix_js6EPMD_BCrIYjriB56Kz9-i4soeQos5A3NzMSgc8pkkdkiI64CxZEJUhMdJFVbP9hojUU0rHPwWJZpg-wRfrwXm8uawbE3l8bm/s1600/DSC_0494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzjpdrBsDuqoPM4-0aRvpYTMobMO9WWzdBPWWDmix_js6EPMD_BCrIYjriB56Kz9-i4soeQos5A3NzMSgc8pkkdkiI64CxZEJUhMdJFVbP9hojUU0rHPwWJZpg-wRfrwXm8uawbE3l8bm/s640/DSC_0494.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These were my homemade lily pads (I cut up a leftover green vinyl tablecloth and glued the pieces to the lids of plastic containers). The flowers were just some cheap pretend flowers I found in our box of spring things. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5uMSfyImxtsTwi07rx0Ht42gkiOVqGeer7f2kYaG7f9__quZ8HswuGeKzuZzKn2T231dSFuufYBOSMCaMQEE6sO6RQhnYmXQDLLxjgzLKym3Xvo1JBAZAbIlRq8DQe0Gr3u48_YEm3TH/s1600/DSC_0487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5uMSfyImxtsTwi07rx0Ht42gkiOVqGeer7f2kYaG7f9__quZ8HswuGeKzuZzKn2T231dSFuufYBOSMCaMQEE6sO6RQhnYmXQDLLxjgzLKym3Xvo1JBAZAbIlRq8DQe0Gr3u48_YEm3TH/s640/DSC_0487.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A pond wouldn't be complete without some creatures, right? I included a container of ducks, plastic flies, plastic frogs, and frog tongues (party blowouts). They had so much fun!</div>
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After splashing in the pond for a while, we headed out for a dinner of burgers and fries followed by dessert at home while watching a movie. It was a cozy way to end our day (and school year) together! :)</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4047605662711304840%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-sztSS6ltsdg%2FVU0wOxrzQwI%2FAAAAAAAACk0%2Fsovtp7gkTq4%2Fs640%2FDSC_0476.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 141px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 72px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4047605662711304840%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-sztSS6ltsdg%2FVU0wOxrzQwI%2FAAAAAAAACk0%2Fsovtp7gkTq4%2Fs640%2FDSC_0476.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 141px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 72px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-73390211154758036902015-02-11T08:32:00.000-08:002019-02-13T20:52:39.515-08:00Happy "Ballet"ine's Day! (Happy Valentine's Day!)We recently attended a ballet Valentine's Day party! This is a picture of the card I created for Miss A to hand out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbt4I1VboYaieW7c18pnFZ0GqE0V4KlN5RL-aPXWNWjgYAHeCikGxeEz4Qy-Ze_LPAVhzEXhfx-ZSserlH4mClS19LsjIi0zdWKSazrAZXnymTCPlSrFj531m_LwEB8d-RA5ekDNdoWGP/s1600/Balletine+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbt4I1VboYaieW7c18pnFZ0GqE0V4KlN5RL-aPXWNWjgYAHeCikGxeEz4Qy-Ze_LPAVhzEXhfx-ZSserlH4mClS19LsjIi0zdWKSazrAZXnymTCPlSrFj531m_LwEB8d-RA5ekDNdoWGP/s1600/Balletine+Card.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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She helped me attach the ponytail holders to the hugs ("O") part, and she decided to add some chocolate kisses to the kiss ("X") places as well. <br />
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Other ways to use these versatile cards:<br />
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*Color in the "XOX" and pass them out just as they are.<br />
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*Add a ponytail holder to the "O" part and pass out (see picture for example of this).<br />
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*Add a ponytail holder to the "O" part and chocolate kisses to the "X" part (see picture for example of this).<br />
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*Add a chocolate hug to the middle of the "O" and chocolate kisses on top of the "X" portions of the card.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Balletine-Card-Ballet-Valentine-Card-or-Ballerina-Valentine-Card-1701680" target="_blank">Find the card here!</a> <br />
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Interested in other ballet inspired cards? <a href="http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-ballerina-valentine-and-homeschool.html" target="_blank">Here is another post showcasing a card I made last year (that file also contains one that can be used as a party favor for birthdays).</a><br />
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Happy Valentine's Day! :)<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-45214076433478606282015-01-20T17:24:00.002-08:002019-02-13T20:52:57.405-08:00100th Day of School!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know, I know. I said I wasn't planning on posting much the next few months as I attempt to rest and hopefully better recover from an ongoing health issue. However, it was the 100th DAY OF SCHOOL, ya know?! I couldn't just let that go by without a peep, right? I'll make it quick though - promise.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqs4D2aS1RM4qgQ9vDFTjRlW-9bcfP3cL9r8McY4F4a2g6eN4hbQPjosOrEB5FlFKCPkzXAzGECua0P_RTht3OjMYYlJ2peu8Gm5cIvpcwikNsThp6Fw9U7jp0trFLwJQT1bzplrnlkuAb/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqs4D2aS1RM4qgQ9vDFTjRlW-9bcfP3cL9r8McY4F4a2g6eN4hbQPjosOrEB5FlFKCPkzXAzGECua0P_RTht3OjMYYlJ2peu8Gm5cIvpcwikNsThp6Fw9U7jp0trFLwJQT1bzplrnlkuAb/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school1.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Our theme was "Snow excited for the 100th DAY OF SCHOOL!" Yes, you read that correctly - I decided to incorporate winter into our fun day mix (it <i>is</i> January after all). </div>
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The picture above shows the sign that greeted my kids that morning (I also hung some snowflakes above the table).</div>
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Hunting in the "snow" (flour and salt mix which I later turned into play dough) for 100 cents! <br />
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Once they found all one hundred, I traded the pennies for a dollar bill (actually, I gave each one a dollar because that's just sooooo much more impressive than splitting the cents and each only getting $0.50).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW33PdVXHgZXXLQC5GYjUq0U7DDCGP3g8MUCkfVMXREwbzUKfayAwSf7cVPe4VXj5GAzzrjv7FhnxXNYavRUjDXNF9figBuR_BR1ANALpKewjseoiVRJVmPZxtQ46x7cSCYZlDeTByaufn/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW33PdVXHgZXXLQC5GYjUq0U7DDCGP3g8MUCkfVMXREwbzUKfayAwSf7cVPe4VXj5GAzzrjv7FhnxXNYavRUjDXNF9figBuR_BR1ANALpKewjseoiVRJVmPZxtQ46x7cSCYZlDeTByaufn/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school5.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Our themed shirts. :) Several days beforehand, the kids and I stamped one hundred snowflakes and snow dots on these. <br />
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This picture also shows one of the crafts they made - a snowball necklace with one hundred snowballs (beads in groups of ten). The groups of ten are separated by some snowman face beads (just wooden beads I painted to look that way).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf26JVnF1Fdm317CZVVLKzk0HxTAs35MXvKFkFpxxFvjBxcO_Q9tTCaPUv7ffZXDDrQ38dX1UfT-WxLCKFqLKkk86o_FkB5-DutisY2Vas0qdRwTkpgltwKBXQO-WNeY8LbKK_vlw7JKms/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf26JVnF1Fdm317CZVVLKzk0HxTAs35MXvKFkFpxxFvjBxcO_Q9tTCaPUv7ffZXDDrQ38dX1UfT-WxLCKFqLKkk86o_FkB5-DutisY2Vas0qdRwTkpgltwKBXQO-WNeY8LbKK_vlw7JKms/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was inspired by <a href="http://kailochic.blogspot.com/2013/12/snowman-pancakes.html?m=1" target="_blank">this post</a> to make a surprise snowy breakfast. I also made a "100" out of a sausage link (the number one) and pancakes (the zeros).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb9-j6vvdTOXPAoLcHmcad3V-g7y0UqsKgngYT6oBismCaoqQTlE7r7fJWMCDnDLwAkrtykaL54_muE_MoUfk69SFAF8M3soDUxVN8Z8YCk-TyJQDWmxa1m7M5iXIO4qgBnNl5Y56NAXH/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb9-j6vvdTOXPAoLcHmcad3V-g7y0UqsKgngYT6oBismCaoqQTlE7r7fJWMCDnDLwAkrtykaL54_muE_MoUfk69SFAF8M3soDUxVN8Z8YCk-TyJQDWmxa1m7M5iXIO4qgBnNl5Y56NAXH/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was a craft where the kids glued one hundred snowballs (cotton) and one hundred snowflakes to a mural depicting a snowy day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dO5aNanvTCfsr9t_sZOgMfaNmAPd3vxGUvvyrL5U2JbOtLUZY3UFYJE47ncthBy51Rr6lnCfk7AYhTtWwD_aI5vTUs5xipjy364mKXtsd0b8cP5hmfWJTnrzKE3q2r9BWc2JASGlg8wu/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dO5aNanvTCfsr9t_sZOgMfaNmAPd3vxGUvvyrL5U2JbOtLUZY3UFYJE47ncthBy51Rr6lnCfk7AYhTtWwD_aI5vTUs5xipjy364mKXtsd0b8cP5hmfWJTnrzKE3q2r9BWc2JASGlg8wu/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school4.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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A game where the kids had to wear a snowman nose and try to keep a balloon (snowball) in the air until we counted to one hundred by tens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNrTgwBeC8EDZBNTzC89AmglWXC1WK9y_qnA1uk2c0-AAIG4BCSVCk0SFluFSvw9mDfnYcHXG6Cd6B_ZQDO-9LVq5CneAWvljm4qYvRN3mgAPtenET2byLs5A9I-KguoW6Ydh36iZ9qZ-/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNrTgwBeC8EDZBNTzC89AmglWXC1WK9y_qnA1uk2c0-AAIG4BCSVCk0SFluFSvw9mDfnYcHXG6Cd6B_ZQDO-9LVq5CneAWvljm4qYvRN3mgAPtenET2byLs5A9I-KguoW6Ydh36iZ9qZ-/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yum! The kids helped me count to one hundred as we made a snowy snack mix for our 100th day (we would switch snack pieces after every group of ten we dropped in - ex. 1-10 macadamia nuts, 11-20 yogurt raisins, 21-30 bunny crackers, etc.).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizggRAdE_bA2QffPeNrjRM9gnM4YkpWnUXu90ZU-LEUU5U9eTKgDO8YpIJp0IAV6-Rt1n2L4_S6aUUEUGAi2wCm5hmVgS1niZf8xTLkwdNjVLarKEvtHqVT6k66DMOtCAk-3V5MTzw_6XZ/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizggRAdE_bA2QffPeNrjRM9gnM4YkpWnUXu90ZU-LEUU5U9eTKgDO8YpIJp0IAV6-Rt1n2L4_S6aUUEUGAi2wCm5hmVgS1niZf8xTLkwdNjVLarKEvtHqVT6k66DMOtCAk-3V5MTzw_6XZ/s1600/one+hundredth+day+of+school8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We ended the day on a sweet note by making igloos with one hundred mini marshmallows (using white frosting as glue). Let me just say, this wasn't as easy as I first thought it would be - but it was tasty! :)</div>
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(Not shown but noteworthy - I issued a snowball challenge to my kids and husband. I told them that if they could design/create a catapult that shot a snowball one hundred inches or further, they would all get a prize. I am happy to report that they rose to said challenge and earned their prizes!)</div>
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If you are celebrating <i>your</i> 100th day milestone now or soon - a huge CONGRATULATIONS to you and your kids! Hope it is "snow" wonderful as you make new memories together! ;)</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4047605662711304840%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D4521407643347860628%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-VrUsCKTMy40%252FVLr9YZh49cI%252FAAAAAAAACjY%252FQTeRoROijrY%252Fs1600%252Fone%25252Bhundredth%25252Bday%25252Bof%25252Bschool8.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 4404px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4047605662711304840%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D4521407643347860628%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-VrUsCKTMy40%252FVLr9YZh49cI%252FAAAAAAAACjY%252FQTeRoROijrY%252Fs1600%252Fone%25252Bhundredth%25252Bday%25252Bof%25252Bschool8.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 4404px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-38721719184309213772015-01-03T19:00:00.000-08:002019-02-13T20:59:54.826-08:00December in Review and Looking Ahead...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
December was a bit of a rough month for us as we all came down with something over Thanksgiving, and it just seemed to hang on for weeks afterward. :( However, we still managed to slip some fun in after everyone began feeling better.</div>
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We enjoyed a life-size game of Candy Land (sort of) with a friend who came over. In order to move ahead to the spot listed on the card they picked up, the kids would have to answer a review question (depending on the child it could have been a math fact, historical question, sight word, etc.). This worked well for catering it to the different age levels.</div>
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(By the way, the target on the door is what my son uses for his bow and arrow practice and is not related to the Candy Land game.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV5N-fpAQ6qzIlic63C3CZ6Gt66Nw3exykUmAwOCI6eEv6MenMA_QP5WiNRNm5yLjIwDeBZYAoa_hCogMSVlSHBhbLY4NMqe5AgxSh8qtEF45NsQ-5E47zRiP4lyODWmAgljEraVQSbhQ/s1600/Candyland2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV5N-fpAQ6qzIlic63C3CZ6Gt66Nw3exykUmAwOCI6eEv6MenMA_QP5WiNRNm5yLjIwDeBZYAoa_hCogMSVlSHBhbLY4NMqe5AgxSh8qtEF45NsQ-5E47zRiP4lyODWmAgljEraVQSbhQ/s1600/Candyland2.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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In an effort to have the kids encourage each other, I made it clear that they could not enter the "Land of Sweets" (our own little twist since we were also having a Nutcracker movie day) at the end of the rainbow walk until everyone had arrived. Once the kids made it there, they were allowed to enter through the candied door and then headed to the kitchen where a small (but delightful) tasty spread had been laid out for them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSF70X328ryo0590bnUXHvzdIuHy1yuv0D-GF9-39xJ45LscxvYd128iDu68x9FhQzCqP7Qj4dIACoWR6xvi5cVBDtPKby0Gf92ToFrmniynFA3_AG9TnzJDvEzUlS19JX0mADIa0Pk_O/s1600/Candyland3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSF70X328ryo0590bnUXHvzdIuHy1yuv0D-GF9-39xJ45LscxvYd128iDu68x9FhQzCqP7Qj4dIACoWR6xvi5cVBDtPKby0Gf92ToFrmniynFA3_AG9TnzJDvEzUlS19JX0mADIa0Pk_O/s1600/Candyland3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They feasted on cupcakes, nuts, and warm peppermint milk while watching a movie to end our fun day together.</div>
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We also managed to sneak in Gingerbread Day before Christmas!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhQRg1R_CvQJ29D2fdbOOx8QnKGr9rCuRA_l_n5FSw7i3uHK31njoNnS8L19XXhjgUdQ9zQweGcKnFIQ71yDtX_POk5kx7NZAWsOz1TFS-gSxbRH25Bch4DBFMLshLPySvdIRxN2StIjh/s1600/Gingerbread+Day2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhQRg1R_CvQJ29D2fdbOOx8QnKGr9rCuRA_l_n5FSw7i3uHK31njoNnS8L19XXhjgUdQ9zQweGcKnFIQ71yDtX_POk5kx7NZAWsOz1TFS-gSxbRH25Bch4DBFMLshLPySvdIRxN2StIjh/s1600/Gingerbread+Day2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After breakfasting on a gingerbread puffed pancake, the kids visited "The Little Gingerbread Store" where they practiced some math in a fun setting. They enjoyed buying all sorts of items for decorating their paper gingerbread figures...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HjgeXU07v7n__2aVMz8NON_kY5GorC2HesPZAu1NaIqIk5YFB5FFJINs_7cMfg08GCqP5-344XL4Qbjd-8FnJ1ym4redvsRLsSElaWEuFFHDcVXV7lI1VOSq3Xmrer3jMSqolgAGk2d6/s1600/Gingerbread+Day3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HjgeXU07v7n__2aVMz8NON_kY5GorC2HesPZAu1NaIqIk5YFB5FFJINs_7cMfg08GCqP5-344XL4Qbjd-8FnJ1ym4redvsRLsSElaWEuFFHDcVXV7lI1VOSq3Xmrer3jMSqolgAGk2d6/s1600/Gingerbread+Day3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And had fun putting it all together!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUfcbxLOi449-70JkPKpDFAnmzP1pYJK_AqBrv_RCIMT3AnLYSXwf-gRPHaJCJaW3yPW7twlhwN_kKtMkh28PBBIbBcBxHxPikYAHxRWDUWypQCkp5oKpIoyz8nfMSoyghJMkW7Vz4p5w/s1600/Gingerbread+Day4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUfcbxLOi449-70JkPKpDFAnmzP1pYJK_AqBrv_RCIMT3AnLYSXwf-gRPHaJCJaW3yPW7twlhwN_kKtMkh28PBBIbBcBxHxPikYAHxRWDUWypQCkp5oKpIoyz8nfMSoyghJMkW7Vz4p5w/s1600/Gingerbread+Day4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Later in the day, we cut out gingerbread cookies and the kids decorated them.</div>
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We ended the day by putting together a gingerbread village kit the kids had chosen. Let me just say, I had not anticipated the many steps involved where my help would be needed (call me naive). My dear husband sweetly stepped in, so I could make dinner. The evening might not have ended as well if he hadn't. By this time, my son was showing signs of being "ginger breaded" out so my daughter ended up doing most of the decorating herself and did an amazing job! :)</div>
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In addition to the above activities, we enjoyed days of making cookies, visiting family, and trying to stay on top of school work (talk about a juggling act). I love Christmas, but it sure is a busy time of year. </div>
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Speaking of year... the new year is upon us! :) After much, much, much deliberation it looks like I will be taking a several month blog break (although I might slip in a post or two). Plagued by a major health issue, I am hoping that a few months in low key mode will help my body get back to where it needs to be. In the meantime, if you have not hooked up with "The Nature of Grace" Facebook page, you may want to do so as I sometimes post updates and other little tidbits there. </div>
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Wishing you all a very happy homeschooling new year!</div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-64938132168695078772014-11-26T17:28:00.000-08:002019-02-13T20:59:05.369-08:00Thanksgiving! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy day-before-Thanksgiving! :) Here are a few pictures of things we did this month:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj749U4EYFtbJlEGWuMDR6ielsYXGrmB9qTWTpjiBy1j_rn_jF6gjaoqJiMEz3yM8xoj4taMhYyRzh45oh16KvFny_KWObX6pvwWdFLbywHH6vEbeq6WIiXy_2vmYkIySLMXBbO0gG2KQF9/s1600/DSC_0193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj749U4EYFtbJlEGWuMDR6ielsYXGrmB9qTWTpjiBy1j_rn_jF6gjaoqJiMEz3yM8xoj4taMhYyRzh45oh16KvFny_KWObX6pvwWdFLbywHH6vEbeq6WIiXy_2vmYkIySLMXBbO0gG2KQF9/s1600/DSC_0193.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The little surprise my kids found on their desks the first school day in November.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4txmcDrb7CIjMaENaiiuM49FjHgnYFcXaA59G5DSnL_QuQ4RR_rsFkCiiI4qVbdST45B0Lv1hvMo45s_qWjnK5ZroPvsXSxfreciQRRfg-yksCeMuhyCOC1YEwDXqEuJ6w4An56V69An2/s1600/cranberry+picking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4txmcDrb7CIjMaENaiiuM49FjHgnYFcXaA59G5DSnL_QuQ4RR_rsFkCiiI4qVbdST45B0Lv1hvMo45s_qWjnK5ZroPvsXSxfreciQRRfg-yksCeMuhyCOC1YEwDXqEuJ6w4An56V69An2/s1600/cranberry+picking.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I created a cranberry bog of sorts in my bathtub and the kids had a blast pretending to harvest cranberries. Prior to this activity, they watched some short online videos about the process.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSqHLIRVSIvZBsFpyQJR_yTNKh9YfU7-zR0EUsrm3O_cGx3fFt5RVqA8yTApHjzjcu_wf9A29PctjvvGmPS_IGJFMWRYbso31Pl2qIBwjQnCr8b12cSgRvxXZcoDTtztAIS3rqj0rGX7p/s1600/turkey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSqHLIRVSIvZBsFpyQJR_yTNKh9YfU7-zR0EUsrm3O_cGx3fFt5RVqA8yTApHjzjcu_wf9A29PctjvvGmPS_IGJFMWRYbso31Pl2qIBwjQnCr8b12cSgRvxXZcoDTtztAIS3rqj0rGX7p/s1600/turkey1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWdaGMMmz5hCO-k5g298SMFJiIdkLtoStWuEmRY6uXu_-a1Yjp4oXXv77PJHe71MMel4R8q4udmUzpBLekWw8qFd4DRwc2oIzpN3zK4-G6zmwBYqfCgYdLpdaymbjod2I0_hrWQPI227Q/s1600/turkey2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWdaGMMmz5hCO-k5g298SMFJiIdkLtoStWuEmRY6uXu_-a1Yjp4oXXv77PJHe71MMel4R8q4udmUzpBLekWw8qFd4DRwc2oIzpN3zK4-G6zmwBYqfCgYdLpdaymbjod2I0_hrWQPI227Q/s1600/turkey2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made a featherless turkey and the kids had fun creating feathers for him out of pattern blocks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfs0PIPPea8x6JiZNhfLSzdJQk2mAj0koSUo269a005YT8XV1yOF3yKWU8Mol7b5TA-EGQQWHcnk11cYlptvCdDQt6MYmpGdvm5VC71SuKcy_D64eZgs5ag1VEJM_pMweTAZubah5qo6y/s1600/turkey3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfs0PIPPea8x6JiZNhfLSzdJQk2mAj0koSUo269a005YT8XV1yOF3yKWU8Mol7b5TA-EGQQWHcnk11cYlptvCdDQt6MYmpGdvm5VC71SuKcy_D64eZgs5ag1VEJM_pMweTAZubah5qo6y/s1600/turkey3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We used the same turkey when I sent my son on a sight word hunt (inspired by this <a href="http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/11/turkey-feather-hunt-gross-motor-game.html" target="_blank">post</a>). His job was to collect the missing feathers, tell me the words, and add them to the turkey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b4R_DVA0ejYcqeIZec7sb0HibMiTbA05nkp5dzkmyObyb1zGgIR67Z_9fGDaNnnp-FHd5VAO4n6yIB0vbTADi7FUqNCcuhUqfWQ7aiS4kYw-T5i4MYeRuK52EdNxXC172OTsyUzs1h7k/s1600/fish+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b4R_DVA0ejYcqeIZec7sb0HibMiTbA05nkp5dzkmyObyb1zGgIR67Z_9fGDaNnnp-FHd5VAO4n6yIB0vbTADi7FUqNCcuhUqfWQ7aiS4kYw-T5i4MYeRuK52EdNxXC172OTsyUzs1h7k/s1600/fish+picture.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was a picture my daughter drew by looking at a picture in a book. We then glued goldfish to the paper showing how the Pilgrims learned about planting fish with their seeds (inspired by this <a href="http://www.123homeschool4me.com/2012/04/early-settlers-2-pilgrims.html" target="_blank">post</a>).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bg_QR6Ll3L9oShe3CFAPMf3QiFeOFnX5ZAocKyzU1Izv_Kk5Hv40uwpHG7azvtexQr5GoHpeupITwaf7o4OKbkRRnfQOAwm-ZGicEsmcuh1TFBC7e4Z1d1RGZq8k1bL1o8IlKVCsF-gg/s1600/DSC_0212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bg_QR6Ll3L9oShe3CFAPMf3QiFeOFnX5ZAocKyzU1Izv_Kk5Hv40uwpHG7azvtexQr5GoHpeupITwaf7o4OKbkRRnfQOAwm-ZGicEsmcuh1TFBC7e4Z1d1RGZq8k1bL1o8IlKVCsF-gg/s1600/DSC_0212.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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We also enjoyed hours of pretend play after reading about the Pilgrims. Our Mayflower was made using two folding tables and a brown vinyl tablecloth. The mast was a tall box wrapped in more brown vinyl and fitted with a makeshift PVC pipe frame to which we attached our white vinyl tablecloth sail. We used a sound machine with "storm" and "ocean" sounds on it to make the journey seem more realistic as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYnYFQJtaIsDVxlrPRYf7BAfT5Y_Rwj8Jzno36kpCCDRskSicIYWatZCWwewwBnOcuXBXk-KmPlvSF1kSRNdC8NQMvuTX3NoD5DnwCrew3tHOMQ-4gCEw2CbSAoQt2yvNmI5u_ZTVjOw0/s1600/medicine+making.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYnYFQJtaIsDVxlrPRYf7BAfT5Y_Rwj8Jzno36kpCCDRskSicIYWatZCWwewwBnOcuXBXk-KmPlvSF1kSRNdC8NQMvuTX3NoD5DnwCrew3tHOMQ-4gCEw2CbSAoQt2yvNmI5u_ZTVjOw0/s1600/medicine+making.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is "Humility" mixing medicine made from real sage leaves, cornmeal, and lard (vegetable shortening was what we had on hand). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FnMjlkzzXgRP4tKu4_6Z1aWOQPaFEjpFBeCh6CkxGCTLAbU556wysgqhsmbd4L-3qwwEjvvtG209VClMXY0F_fG3redh8uf4U0a4cynOML-4863iLBMlhJlFOGFX9jFoVoiHpIf-R-FU/s1600/plymouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FnMjlkzzXgRP4tKu4_6Z1aWOQPaFEjpFBeCh6CkxGCTLAbU556wysgqhsmbd4L-3qwwEjvvtG209VClMXY0F_fG3redh8uf4U0a4cynOML-4863iLBMlhJlFOGFX9jFoVoiHpIf-R-FU/s1600/plymouth.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was our own little settlement complete with fence, fire, garden patch and house. :) Isn't it so fun looking? If I had had more time, I probably would have tried to figure out how to add thatch to the roof. Oh well. The main thing is our little Pilgrims looooved playing in here with their babies, fixing leaks, hunting, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaabjAXa59i8ctTVtoa5xg-bCAEl-oupMHOWiiCPNERbRYbRJ6i2wPR_ZX6PpU53F5nYaPiubIwezjtqOfGB_p-CBx0hYZBOxZufZaRParcqqnqj1CtLG-bn4COY1IchvpW19u-7_lFp4/s1600/Thanksgiving+kid+feast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaabjAXa59i8ctTVtoa5xg-bCAEl-oupMHOWiiCPNERbRYbRJ6i2wPR_ZX6PpU53F5nYaPiubIwezjtqOfGB_p-CBx0hYZBOxZufZaRParcqqnqj1CtLG-bn4COY1IchvpW19u-7_lFp4/s1600/Thanksgiving+kid+feast.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I leave you now with a photo of the mini Thanksgiving feast that our kids and their little friend enjoyed together at their settlement. Our homemade bread is spread with homemade butter! Yes, I know there is controversy about popcorn and whether it was truly offered that first Thanksgiving - but we opted to have it. :)</div>
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Side note: Instead of plates, Pilgrims used trenchers. I really wanted to find some trenchers but eventually had to settle for buying some mini cutting boards (see picture above) instead.</div>
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Happy Thanksgiving!</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4047605662711304840%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D6493813216869507877%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-eXoqTYmAeX4%252FVHPviSdqsQI%252FAAAAAAAACfw%252FjKHGivv9urQ%252Fs1600%252Fcranberry%25252Bpicking.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 496px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4047605662711304840%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D6493813216869507877%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-eXoqTYmAeX4%252FVHPviSdqsQI%252FAAAAAAAACfw%252FjKHGivv9urQ%252Fs1600%252Fcranberry%25252Bpicking.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 496px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-63071971735695583162014-11-12T20:19:00.001-08:002019-02-13T20:57:58.132-08:00Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!Happy November! I am taking a break from building the Mayflower in our dining area. :) Actually, I think I can say it is ready to go for pretend play tomorrow - and it isn't that grand - just something rigged up with some plastic tablecloth and boxes, etc. I have nothing to show you yet in that department via photos, but I DO have some things to share that we did in October this year.<br />
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By the way, I loooove October! It is a "breathe"r month for me as we leave behind the craziness attached to the beginning of school and family events. :) Plus, fall is my favorite season so October gives us a chance to enjoy it before the holidays begin.<br />
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Here are some snippets from our month...<br />
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<i>I apologize in advance for the poor quality of pictures - I am still having trouble figuring out our new computer.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVpOqMmsZGAbXXoodMg_fuO_F0J6pgFEQqT6V3x3oQgeE4h0gs1zn3S9r-eZWT7391TrLLPyow7P0YR2wr2lEkQG_AXlJkvfoIG9VoPI7u0QDL8tDKsEiWcxjjMDfzoCdFTi8sgAnVUkJ/s1600/DSC_0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVpOqMmsZGAbXXoodMg_fuO_F0J6pgFEQqT6V3x3oQgeE4h0gs1zn3S9r-eZWT7391TrLLPyow7P0YR2wr2lEkQG_AXlJkvfoIG9VoPI7u0QDL8tDKsEiWcxjjMDfzoCdFTi8sgAnVUkJ/s1600/DSC_0114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
A pumpkin surprise on each child's desk to welcome the new month! We carved these into mini jack-o-lanterns which the children kept on their desks until rot dictated otherwise.<br />
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Miss A practiced her square roots by building pumpkin patches with orange inch squares.<br />
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Then it was time for a real life application when I had the kids build their own pretend pumpkin patch. Miss A practiced her problem-solving skills and area equation when planning how big we might want to make the patch if each pumpkin needed roughly one floor square to grow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1ph2QKUEkkOR76Dy_W_j8XMqsUeYUBo1sUZ9XC-xRuC_0V6Qmj0_lSTgP-JTyAr7zLpM15Zx05pK7K8tIjkmFZqfinIkX1cilmoGCXyyO45vdcRYiClpnJODrT58D2IRpMm3UrAU8sUu/s1600/pumpkin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1ph2QKUEkkOR76Dy_W_j8XMqsUeYUBo1sUZ9XC-xRuC_0V6Qmj0_lSTgP-JTyAr7zLpM15Zx05pK7K8tIjkmFZqfinIkX1cilmoGCXyyO45vdcRYiClpnJODrT58D2IRpMm3UrAU8sUu/s1600/pumpkin2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
The green math problem post-it notes on the floor corresponded to "seeds" containing the answers. To plant a seed, the kids would place the correct seed (answer) under the post-it note. I tried to make sure there were age appropriate items for both Miss A and Mr. J during the week so each could enjoy preparing our patch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8d3MiXR0T3EuAflWeaHnjKiYvdS-nrlf1EhOIOU64vHFTQuyoSehy5uOAbM9EZl6Vb39CI5MbyL9tgLegtkmriO8ItPujVNOkT5mvsiqkEdC2QawLOau0wNAtAzm1xhdEvubZ13VYOwHo/s1600/pumpkin4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8d3MiXR0T3EuAflWeaHnjKiYvdS-nrlf1EhOIOU64vHFTQuyoSehy5uOAbM9EZl6Vb39CI5MbyL9tgLegtkmriO8ItPujVNOkT5mvsiqkEdC2QawLOau0wNAtAzm1xhdEvubZ13VYOwHo/s1600/pumpkin4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nh7JupezI_kjPOL-wf8OQiju6ATPjy0Bymnl7fai5FiWkPC0qfsa3VEvmGOoDJG23KauwA7LKxXS3bnXFBV6bZAzu3RD-73fY84hd6GPP4YEA44YJzA9RgtZXBCp91ae4iDg1RjNxU66/s1600/DSC_0157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nh7JupezI_kjPOL-wf8OQiju6ATPjy0Bymnl7fai5FiWkPC0qfsa3VEvmGOoDJG23KauwA7LKxXS3bnXFBV6bZAzu3RD-73fY84hd6GPP4YEA44YJzA9RgtZXBCp91ae4iDg1RjNxU66/s1600/DSC_0157.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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At times I would have a math review involved with parts of the patch such as the seed activity and the one shown above where the kids had to remove the "weeds" (incorrect math problems) from the pumpkin sprouts (correct math problems).<br />
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Other times, they just had fun engaging in pretend play and using their wonderful imaginations! <br />
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At night I would "help" our pumpkin patch along so it changed almost every day that week.<br />
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These were some jack-o-lantern faces made with pattern blocks (I believe one has an eye patch).<br />
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<i>Note: we've also done something similar in the past with black paper pattern blocks - I just traced pattern blocks onto black paper and cut them out. This gave more of the illusion of a true jack-o-lantern face, but it is more time consuming to prepare. </i><br />
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These pumpkin gems (acrylic?) frequently come in handy when we study pumpkins! This year we used them to practice more patterns.<br />
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Bingo is a game my children really enjoy. Here we incorporated it using math (youngest would place a "pumpkin" pom pom on the number that was called out while the eldest would find the matching math fact on her corrugated cardboard patch). <br />
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We also played bingo using words associated with pumpkins (not shown). I drew pictures to go along with the words for my youngest so he could play along.<br />
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Mr. J practiced making sight word pumpkin patches. We then placed those patches in a pumpkin story that he read aloud to different people. :)<br />
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We created a pumpkin field collage complete with clothespin people and typed stories/poems to go along with their pictures. Notice my four year old found particular enjoyment in experimenting with the "shift" key. :) I helped him a little bit with his story - especially reminding him to add spaces between words. I think he did an awesome job! And I LOVE my daughter's cute poem! :)<br />
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We also integrated a little statistics into our morning routine by seeing what kind of pumpkin we'd come up with each day for our calendar.<br />
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And speaking of pumpkins, I hope you are enjoying the beautiful season as you watch your own little "pumpkins" learn and grow this year! :)<br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thenatofgra-20/8010/da7495ef-3132-4040-b541-268dfcccf020&Operation=GetScriptTemplate" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthenatofgra-20%2F8010%2Fda7495ef-3132-4040-b541-268dfcccf020&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-51184904311764333842014-10-08T21:30:00.000-07:002019-02-13T20:57:31.313-08:00Homeschool Theme: Apples!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixds5oLE9ScP1RdAm9Sl8YTpUD_ya3j4wFpwN1ZE-vBXHqBR2GRjH2KkfVGwEOS5cHVjbcj91TBqpodpPk30JvLNLCGjab_CAOe7dPO8LCTaYse2VCyFjLfpymos3bwW8ecN71-qfqDapZ/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixds5oLE9ScP1RdAm9Sl8YTpUD_ya3j4wFpwN1ZE-vBXHqBR2GRjH2KkfVGwEOS5cHVjbcj91TBqpodpPk30JvLNLCGjab_CAOe7dPO8LCTaYse2VCyFjLfpymos3bwW8ecN71-qfqDapZ/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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September was apple month, and I started it off by leaving this little treat and note on each child's desk the first school day in September. It is a tradition I hope to keep up - welcoming each month with a little something for the kids in the school room. :) <br />
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In addition to those below, I had some other activities I wanted to take pictures of. However, it quickly became apparent that if I waited too much longer, it might be November before the post was up. Thus, I decided to just make do with the pictures I have.<br />
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Bobbing for apples! I would call out a sight word and my youngest would find the word and "bob" for that apple. He did not use his teeth but scooped the apples out with a utensil. However, if you are feeling ambitious, your kids could use their teeth. <br />
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My eldest also wanted a turn so I adapted the activity to one of her subjects. I would call out an English word, and she had to "bob" for the apple with the matching Latin translation. <br />
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Additional possibilities for this game could be bobbing for apples containing certain letters, matching sounds, numbers, math facts, vocabulary (just call out a definition and the child finds the matching word apple), etc. BTW - the apples are simply circles cut out of red craft foam.<br />
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I honestly can't remember where I found this handy green apple "thing" (ice cube tray?) - maybe Target last year? I wrote numbers inside with a wet erase marker and my son had to place the correct number of "seeds" inside each apple (we used beans because I did not have apple seeds ready).<br />
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I saw this activity on a website years and years ago and thought it was cute. I made it for my daughter when she was young and now my little man gets to enjoy it as well! The green pipe cleaners are little worms that he had to match up with the holes on each apple.<br />
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We also practiced sorting good and bad apples. My daughter would look under each "apple" for a spelling word. Some words I spelled correctly and some incorrectly. It was her job to sort each into the appropriate pile based on the spelling of the word.<br />
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This was another sorting activity for pronouns (subject, possessive, object of). My daughter would push the word worms through the correct apple hole.<br />
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Apple bingo is a great homeschool activity because children of different skill levels can all participate together. For our family, I would call out a number and my youngest would find that number on his tree (covering it with a pom pom "apple"), while my eldest and her friend would find the math fact which matched the "answer" I called out and cover it on their trees. <br />
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We also used one of the same trees to practice making our sight word for the week!<br />
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Even if you don't live near an orchard, you can still pick apples! I used a green vinyl tablecloth for the top of the tree (they run about $1 or $1.50 in the Walmart party section). The trunk was made from wrinkled up packing paper and the apples were cheap red paper plates (I think they were about $1 as well - found in the Walmart party section). <br />
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This is another excellent activity for more than one age/skill level. We used it for more math fact practice. I would call out an "answer" (ex. 6), and my daughter and her friend would pick the apple with the matching math fact (ex. 4+2). My youngest would find and pick that number (6) from his tree. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJSPjUtTH3YEKxqC85h4O0x_UhB47CcbWTDi5Cy5xVffQM7UEl8TaOWzovog52JMt5puF8vZI9GMBPoiqHM3N2l9EYhIsBz9ExMtzQUYy6vTjY_yNMe_XTg4c6qSPgZElGfwvFAdW-MVu/s1600/DSC_0107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJSPjUtTH3YEKxqC85h4O0x_UhB47CcbWTDi5Cy5xVffQM7UEl8TaOWzovog52JMt5puF8vZI9GMBPoiqHM3N2l9EYhIsBz9ExMtzQUYy6vTjY_yNMe_XTg4c6qSPgZElGfwvFAdW-MVu/s1600/DSC_0107.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Who knew caramel apple cups could be educational? These were a take-home treat the day we had homeschool friends over to celebrate an "apple" theme with activities, games, a craft, etc. The kids each received one so they could make their own caramel apple at home while learning about liquids and solids, the different processes of changing one form to another (melting, cooling), etc.<br />
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<b>Additional activities which I don't have pictures for:</b><br />
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- An artist study of some of Cezanne's paintings of apples (followed by an activity where the kids were given the opportunity to draw their own picture)<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apple-Craft-Life-Cycle-of-an-Apple-Craftivity-343554" target="_blank">- An adorable 3-D apple (life cycle) book</a> my friend purchased on TPT<br />
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- apple tasting (unusual kinds) and graphing<br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thenatofgra-20/8010/a9f84647-bc37-4659-b7ba-fede42e34bfd&Operation=GetScriptTemplate" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthenatofgra-20%2F8010%2Fa9f84647-bc37-4659-b7ba-fede42e34bfd&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-82394670397300157362014-08-12T21:40:00.001-07:002019-02-13T20:56:13.754-08:00Leaping Into a New School Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn33J38MfCapYB2-Wfdh9pWIHl6Bd9pI1xgbgTENztPEHUbQcZC8tuDR0biumKkGBzrcZ6d2FuDYWmjUKCNfIQaJmti1Wf-GTU0DAWnX099CqDVn8TzwleORWnHTgWEjJyyu13YNaIaKs/s1600/DSC_0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn33J38MfCapYB2-Wfdh9pWIHl6Bd9pI1xgbgTENztPEHUbQcZC8tuDR0biumKkGBzrcZ6d2FuDYWmjUKCNfIQaJmti1Wf-GTU0DAWnX099CqDVn8TzwleORWnHTgWEjJyyu13YNaIaKs/s1600/DSC_0237.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sign above says it all! Fredrickson Academy is back in session. :)</div>
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Before I show you more of our frog themed first day and week, here is a quick peek at what our morning board looks like this year...</div>
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We've changed a few things - removing items we didn't use as much and adding new things like my son's star (sight) words and the Pledge of Allegiance.</div>
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Don't you LOVE our handprint alphabet? If you'd like to make your own, <a href="http://mommyminutesblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/alphabet-handprint-art.html" target="_blank">we found most of our ideas on this blog</a>. :)</div>
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And YES! That is a new homeschooling fiction book in our reading corner. I quickly whipped one up to go along with our first day of school and our frog theme. More on that further below in the post.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Here is another exciting addition to our classroom. We have our very own candy machine now! :)</span></div>
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Did I ever mention we have our own hospital in our homeschool room- a pencil hospital to be exact. When pencils get broken, we can drop them off at the hospital to be healed (sharpened) when the electric sharpener is brought out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bxV0kg02mhxUk5wKDYrokNToD4Rx39A3ujSxIlOFzph-WQk8ulNdPJOommWkQLpxJHm7sfGHMU2vNu3qj6qvqX8TKzCx9Mr6Z8lPQoYKh1Fs2v13U_o8BX0sxwCbeBznXL52Qq6JTyhw/s1600/DSC_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bxV0kg02mhxUk5wKDYrokNToD4Rx39A3ujSxIlOFzph-WQk8ulNdPJOommWkQLpxJHm7sfGHMU2vNu3qj6qvqX8TKzCx9Mr6Z8lPQoYKh1Fs2v13U_o8BX0sxwCbeBznXL52Qq6JTyhw/s1600/DSC_0004.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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My kids each have a paper above their desks listing ways they can earn money towards a turn at the candy machine. They earn pennies for great assignments, cleaning up, etc. Once they have 25 pennies, they trade them in for a quarter and a sweet reward!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8Oo0-4pmhixiz2HMYh_zimraUlZ0CaJU8GTC7WzwAtWQjxvPm1Ic-PGvRQLhrR8Rk0khHDIzuZ8uorpJcg6vMQeAD2KL78cEDyAM99AadT5rtJlNAvCP_yPb9q6PKiXmQpxu_b4imldA/s1600/DSC_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8Oo0-4pmhixiz2HMYh_zimraUlZ0CaJU8GTC7WzwAtWQjxvPm1Ic-PGvRQLhrR8Rk0khHDIzuZ8uorpJcg6vMQeAD2KL78cEDyAM99AadT5rtJlNAvCP_yPb9q6PKiXmQpxu_b4imldA/s1600/DSC_0006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>I can't remember if I posted about this before so I'll post the idea again just in case - it is so cute it deserves a second mention anyway.</i> </div>
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Every homeschool room needs a good jail, right? ;) Ours is made from a plastic protector sheet, and the bars have been drawn on the front with a permanent marker.</div>
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The jail is where we put commonly misspelled words or perhaps repeatedly missed math facts. To remove a word or fact from jail, one must be able to successfully spell or repeat the math fact (or perform some other form of "bail"). I was inspired to make this because of another blogger's post <a href="http://madeintheshadeinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2012/02/please-not-thay-again-word-jail.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Okay, okay - let's <i>hop</i> to it and get on with the first day theme! ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F1SyySsMYawc5-nMoj3CImq8h-WJY_u1zApaPg74FV82Cikg888aO3plPvXhWofDf1BJjYx1c0uCOPW_WU940aCJwbKeLogu_ycolq3wBSBodlPt5rjF4gLOZXW8JhD1r_dlqbfL60IK/s1600/DSC_0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F1SyySsMYawc5-nMoj3CImq8h-WJY_u1zApaPg74FV82Cikg888aO3plPvXhWofDf1BJjYx1c0uCOPW_WU940aCJwbKeLogu_ycolq3wBSBodlPt5rjF4gLOZXW8JhD1r_dlqbfL60IK/s1600/DSC_0229.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's our breakfast table, complete with "lily pad" plates. Each child's chair also had a sign proclaiming that spot his/her lily pad seat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EVRKwDQGGbq_3q0R8s0i4ah7orgIT_Oj5RsKSojBvevy2Mq3vIxUpU7KlqO1Wl1jqtuLXmBdTxuugCnZhcMRkiOnqVa3xw1PmSN9KavesnAOzSO5CiQiSFS4mxAuVMd_n5FjMxzmvW-C/s1600/DSC_0230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EVRKwDQGGbq_3q0R8s0i4ah7orgIT_Oj5RsKSojBvevy2Mq3vIxUpU7KlqO1Wl1jqtuLXmBdTxuugCnZhcMRkiOnqVa3xw1PmSN9KavesnAOzSO5CiQiSFS4mxAuVMd_n5FjMxzmvW-C/s1600/DSC_0230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Each child received two bookmarks (these are available as part of a homeschool packet in my TPT store), a frog pencil, and mini frog.</div>
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What did we have for breakfast? Fly pancakes (chocolate chip pancakes) and cattails (sausage), of course! ;)</div>
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Since we're on the topic of food, I should also mention that for a snack later on each child had blue (pond) jello with a gummy frog on top. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCF8OsUOuLV0BLywCDDHQtkt2tTvVreTRBs3DUPZZ3dFkpyHPX1wvWHpV_rMKYe3br3yDBb861pd-km-hHHKtrb83-zM8hMZ_Qln967Ml34nA7PfecaEAcQIov7rzld4KCJW8mJDEBB34/s1600/DSC_0240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCF8OsUOuLV0BLywCDDHQtkt2tTvVreTRBs3DUPZZ3dFkpyHPX1wvWHpV_rMKYe3br3yDBb861pd-km-hHHKtrb83-zM8hMZ_Qln967Ml34nA7PfecaEAcQIov7rzld4KCJW8mJDEBB34/s1600/DSC_0240.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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With breakfast over, the kids literally hopped into the school room via lily pads on a pond made from cheap vinyl blue tablecloths. </div>
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The frog is holding party blowouts (those curled up red things you blow into and they uncurl) which were GREAT for frog tongues! My kids really loved running (or should I say hopping) around with these. I can't take credit for this idea though- I saw how someone had used them on a frog craft and knew I wanted them to be a part of our big day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDpIy-UD-xvPatuR-WqipyQEIduAy7_C5GXj4GMpag9v06jtzRzP14TEwT4VaMSIHcOgVmLzOOwEE6g8qr1qZFDU-kmxuSWbNefO7pHCsZI8FqGQxmOSnN6eaNQRYBk11lzaAbMwNsNkk/s1600/DSC_0246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDpIy-UD-xvPatuR-WqipyQEIduAy7_C5GXj4GMpag9v06jtzRzP14TEwT4VaMSIHcOgVmLzOOwEE6g8qr1qZFDU-kmxuSWbNefO7pHCsZI8FqGQxmOSnN6eaNQRYBk11lzaAbMwNsNkk/s1600/DSC_0246.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Here is what greeted the kids on the other side of the door - lots of blue balloons! Hey, a pond has to be fun, right? </div>
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I also made each of my kiddos a giant lily pad (not shown) to sit on during our morning meeting time. I simply cut these out of a cheap green vinyl tablecloth, and the kids were pretty pleased with the results! It isn't every day you get your very own giant lily pad to sit on, ya know!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDd80K6rH_lSjLF3mfpwHXyOI07LWB7EhZlVgWvjOGZyNMHt3odhsO2mcg1Z1GCBEuZ9dd-UaEmANXCViHz-ge4xOPGAi_OdmEOb4Sbp6OMvX34oRsHfE_zP0_p5lMWBaHXslhOE6-hqr9/s1600/DSC_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDd80K6rH_lSjLF3mfpwHXyOI07LWB7EhZlVgWvjOGZyNMHt3odhsO2mcg1Z1GCBEuZ9dd-UaEmANXCViHz-ge4xOPGAi_OdmEOb4Sbp6OMvX34oRsHfE_zP0_p5lMWBaHXslhOE6-hqr9/s1600/DSC_0256.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Homeschool Elf strikes again! <i>The reproducible pattern of Homeschool Elf can be found inside "The First Day of Homeschool" book (see link below).</i></div>
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Part of the morning included our fun treasure hunt tradition of following clues left behind by the little mischief maker himself. The kids finally found him and their missing school supplies hidden in a kitchen cabinet (the presents are wrapped up school supplies - unwrapping gifts just seems to add to the excitement of the first day of school).</div>
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BTW - the frog M&M container was super easy to make. Just add two pom poms and wiggly eyes.</div>
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What's a first day without a good book to go with it, right? We read "The First Day of Homeschool" (see link below) AND this new book to begin our day...</div>
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<i>Note: These are not all of the pages of the book - just a snippet.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkaNSP-rNWofnhIhnc_p4xY4xMKTY9OJcKcm-BHYGg882jJF3h6BCNW2s4jCWfk5NdbHsB6GnEW5444woiMb-nYHYlxohDwJuL8TFUbojDex-t01e6yzAZVooJ8Qsfusre3WoDHnZ3qzp/s1600/Frog+Book+Title-watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkaNSP-rNWofnhIhnc_p4xY4xMKTY9OJcKcm-BHYGg882jJF3h6BCNW2s4jCWfk5NdbHsB6GnEW5444woiMb-nYHYlxohDwJuL8TFUbojDex-t01e6yzAZVooJ8Qsfusre3WoDHnZ3qzp/s1600/Frog+Book+Title-watermark.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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Without getting into too much detail, the story tells of a frog who decides he wants a homeschool (although he doesn't know what one is) and follows <i>your</i> family home one day in hopes of finding a homeschool of his very own. </div>
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What?!? Our family?</div>
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Yep. <i>Your</i> family. I inserted blanks throughout the story for parents to insert their family's name and individual children's names as well so that the children become characters in the story. </div>
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My kids loved hearing their names as we read together! :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflGgLxKqkJSkg7VMkqSzkGFZs7xuoT1RRN1JaJ7iCiGXH8HKBfCYMRQWKYrLnIL8vjFr5Bm1jL1Wq9Qb9dR3BLAojox67JJryuwKhUJH9EFlHPC85V1bNqbuD-eUq_NTIAiXU3qYx2xxj/s1600/Frog+Book+page+2-watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflGgLxKqkJSkg7VMkqSzkGFZs7xuoT1RRN1JaJ7iCiGXH8HKBfCYMRQWKYrLnIL8vjFr5Bm1jL1Wq9Qb9dR3BLAojox67JJryuwKhUJH9EFlHPC85V1bNqbuD-eUq_NTIAiXU3qYx2xxj/s1600/Frog+Book+page+2-watermark.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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After following your family home, Mr. Hop-a-lot finds himself among items he assumes must be pieces of a homeschool. He attempts to build with them, eat them, and even wear them!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwxvfO8Vl0pedDuNq7MlcybkNCj6rNGLZib3PeKLMWvy1nnTHFcM0LZcu-ySb53I_vvZraTCs9EqKjpBFULTnF0vO2fboOWsglhqteWG5KD2rXCahy0FCYWlpsADBJiILV_GxLEFUGJqX/s1600/Frog+Book+page+3+-+watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwxvfO8Vl0pedDuNq7MlcybkNCj6rNGLZib3PeKLMWvy1nnTHFcM0LZcu-ySb53I_vvZraTCs9EqKjpBFULTnF0vO2fboOWsglhqteWG5KD2rXCahy0FCYWlpsADBJiILV_GxLEFUGJqX/s1600/Frog+Book+page+3+-+watermark.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKfGE_Bxwddt1pZkQjK9KpMStoNfQ0E50s0I5VQEjcq_Ybi_IwfDHUfwAGFmPft_T4fO1a1QMHp2OeAIUp7nbEigS0bf2PspLXp7O6R1DZqEOVOxitPDjQGXiw0ryh7iXem2YW6lRpNjL/s1600/Frog+Book+page+4+-+watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKfGE_Bxwddt1pZkQjK9KpMStoNfQ0E50s0I5VQEjcq_Ybi_IwfDHUfwAGFmPft_T4fO1a1QMHp2OeAIUp7nbEigS0bf2PspLXp7O6R1DZqEOVOxitPDjQGXiw0ryh7iXem2YW6lRpNjL/s1600/Frog+Book+page+4+-+watermark.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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Finally <i>your</i> children walk in on him and put an end to his confusion and silly behavior by telling him what a homeschool REALLY is. I included blanks on that page so you can add your children's own words to the story explaining this concept.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzK_SPmN3wyQUeu-wL6Dk9Lp3UzuOZk3nnZd1MpAB40BXWtwxrWOsMgHHwRI5V6H-WAFo0LMakwhTApwTstGLij4kk6HYfJc0mtrfWT27OvaAe0n2ji5Ve2WRguhHRXIASOxSiTKLgU-3/s1600/Frog+Book+page+8-watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzK_SPmN3wyQUeu-wL6Dk9Lp3UzuOZk3nnZd1MpAB40BXWtwxrWOsMgHHwRI5V6H-WAFo0LMakwhTApwTstGLij4kk6HYfJc0mtrfWT27OvaAe0n2ji5Ve2WRguhHRXIASOxSiTKLgU-3/s1600/Frog+Book+page+8-watermark.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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As you can see from the final page above, the story ends on a very happy note with your children inviting him to come live with the family. The delighted frog agrees, and they all homeschool happily ever after.</div>
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The book is simple, fun, and only $1.75! Just download, print, and bind - we had ours comb-bound at an office supply store for only $1! It is part of a packet I made which includes the frog bookmarks and sign shown in the breakfast pictures above AND the Venn diagram below. <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-First-Day-of-School-Homeschool-Frog-Theme-1381417" target="_blank">Ready to download? Click here.</a> </div>
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<i>P.S. If you find any errors in the story, please feel free to let me know. I was trying to finish this in time for our first day so my editing efforts may not have caught everything.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdgn8oHzMceAu1neKnbfZ1q1BJlTqy5DVZS_ILM9zlMxK0t8VWHGTEHP2Z4Ao6lJ-75W3eODNYM07YeW5SAvMMZxVUytWJxJxYQvgWf__y0IQ92IMdKn1qoeDDNNfIIiDuD4ncLboMv-7/s1600/Frog+Venn+Diagram+-+Watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdgn8oHzMceAu1neKnbfZ1q1BJlTqy5DVZS_ILM9zlMxK0t8VWHGTEHP2Z4Ao6lJ-75W3eODNYM07YeW5SAvMMZxVUytWJxJxYQvgWf__y0IQ92IMdKn1qoeDDNNfIIiDuD4ncLboMv-7/s1600/Frog+Venn+Diagram+-+Watermark.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With so many back-to-school books available that involve a classroom setting, I thought it might be interesting to compare school and homeschool settings, so I created this Venn diagram to do just that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWAFvq3M8x0-5gtfGZCqmxFKZaNjGyGA9sY51NYscu8vr_nqtLNJwOJzqC1qD4ZNCb44ESTwZjksHrqBYWG63YNs7gRhyphenhyphenwc9z3ZyAM4GHHAvoBqZ0pgd_kDMp_He3eAD2sRR09l4pp7lZ/s1600/DSC_0371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWAFvq3M8x0-5gtfGZCqmxFKZaNjGyGA9sY51NYscu8vr_nqtLNJwOJzqC1qD4ZNCb44ESTwZjksHrqBYWG63YNs7gRhyphenhyphenwc9z3ZyAM4GHHAvoBqZ0pgd_kDMp_He3eAD2sRR09l4pp7lZ/s1600/DSC_0371.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Remember the pond from the first day of school? Well, I decided to put those lily pads to further use. The kids were supposed to hop from one lily pad to the other and tell me the math fact answer or letter stuck to the lily pad.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwYUVVEdd8fBXfkLWSInDvT4MXPUFaoiFycHa3Wxxg8e91jMfLqMqGz20NbpChZBiP-DXevk4iK-5rWrYNf_e6U46g-xHoJLJNW_qkpq99DaTK8Fd9s53DjcbFDPbCC7pkZVGsWGmkUfJ/s1600/DSC_0373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwYUVVEdd8fBXfkLWSInDvT4MXPUFaoiFycHa3Wxxg8e91jMfLqMqGz20NbpChZBiP-DXevk4iK-5rWrYNf_e6U46g-xHoJLJNW_qkpq99DaTK8Fd9s53DjcbFDPbCC7pkZVGsWGmkUfJ/s1600/DSC_0373.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For this activity, the green plates were considered lily pads. Each time my son could tell me a letter name correctly, I would let him place a frog sticker on top of that letter. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjqfZA4WL_5uvKbuE9Tie44REMGjyLtaIGvyVh3YryfiQE0GnaKPzswaatKgRKg_quVDg5V28Td6Xwz1tz1JkIb2s99fJiXYs-TNhKEyz3CHkbxtXPDi0yXlFstwTOChn0We3S-URjVKQ/s1600/DSC_0374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjqfZA4WL_5uvKbuE9Tie44REMGjyLtaIGvyVh3YryfiQE0GnaKPzswaatKgRKg_quVDg5V28Td6Xwz1tz1JkIb2s99fJiXYs-TNhKEyz3CHkbxtXPDi0yXlFstwTOChn0We3S-URjVKQ/s1600/DSC_0374.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was our frog life cycle project. I found several of the items we used for it by searching in our pantry (those eggs are dry chickpeas). We painted them, discussed the different stages, and put them in order to show the life cycle of a frog.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2b_-mtjAVKpXSutxsRhYaSqady5CjyGIwSi68qBCDwf1xQIl6NspkzB_-qNQGXwmxtw3krhG9EQ3R_RNYrLMa-HX9iczWEKM_8GwfGq6UpFYC5QCAfTixy2IQFvuble-7pvtWAs1RFaS/s1600/DSC_0381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2b_-mtjAVKpXSutxsRhYaSqady5CjyGIwSi68qBCDwf1xQIl6NspkzB_-qNQGXwmxtw3krhG9EQ3R_RNYrLMa-HX9iczWEKM_8GwfGq6UpFYC5QCAfTixy2IQFvuble-7pvtWAs1RFaS/s1600/DSC_0381.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My kids love sticky hands! Because of this well known fact, I knew they probably wouldn't need any convincing to try this game. ;)</div>
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They were supposed to be the frogs, and the sticky hands were their tongues. They would roll the dice, find the corresponding numbered fly, and try to catch it using their sticky hand/tongue. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKgnRgr_sPBff9POPP1lKhfXo0wQRgXBKWmY-IEycw27Jo9c99dDGhWf5GcHvAHqB8PeLZV3GA8rzt7rZOFsWmEXI7LiKZDJYoRm98W0kNwQUFqMNRgpiKh3heF2yClLGxR7rwFufNScW/s1600/DSC_0386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKgnRgr_sPBff9POPP1lKhfXo0wQRgXBKWmY-IEycw27Jo9c99dDGhWf5GcHvAHqB8PeLZV3GA8rzt7rZOFsWmEXI7LiKZDJYoRm98W0kNwQUFqMNRgpiKh3heF2yClLGxR7rwFufNScW/s1600/DSC_0386.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Mr. J was reviewing the alphabet this week so I used these colored frogs for some ABC practice. We put them in order first. I would then hide one frog, and he had to guess which one was missing and find it.</div>
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Last year we had caterpillars for class pets. This year I TRIED to get a tadpole, but it didn't work out. However, I came up with the next best thing (or something fun at least) - paper pets! :)</div>
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The terrariums are plastic sleeves with a paper inside. Each child decorated the paper in a way they felt would make a great habitat for their frog pet. My son mentioned a lily pad but ended up drawing lots and lots of presents for his frog. Too cute. I'm sure any paper frog would be overjoyed to live there. </div>
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The frogs were actually from a frog notepad. I cut slits for the mouths and stapled a plastic baggie behind the mouth to catch the flies they were fed. I then gave each child some sticky notes with either number sentences (older child) or numbers (for younger one) written on them. Those notes told them how many flies to feed their frogs that day. </div>
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You'll notice the frog in the picture has the word "Jill" on it. Well, what fun is a pet if you can't name it? So that is what they did and that is why the frog has the word "Jill" on it. Being clever moms, I'm sure you had already figured that out. ;)</div>
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BTW - I also purchased some multi-colored frogs on Amazon for sorting and counting practice. I just didn't take pictures of them. :)</div>
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Thanks for hopping by today to see what we've been up to! <b> </b>"Hop"e your first day is a great one!</div>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thenatofgra-20/8010/8dd22f1c-ea87-455f-8bce-0f2840b42468&Operation=GetScriptTemplate" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthenatofgra-20%2F8010%2F8dd22f1c-ea87-455f-8bce-0f2840b42468&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-59707139960425195212014-07-10T15:40:00.003-07:002014-07-10T15:46:10.828-07:00Baby-Shower-In-A-BoxHappy summer to you all! :) Enjoying your break yet? I certainly am!<br />
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As many of you know, I usually take a blogging break during the summer (I do post little stuff on Facebook though). However, I did want to share something I did for a friend recently because I thought others might be interested in the idea as well. I threw her a baby shower....in a box. Yep, you read that correctly.<br />
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A baby-shower-in-a-box is a really great way to spoil a pregnant friend or relative who lives far away. I had the opportunity to send one recently and had a lot of fun planning and shopping for it. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC_8I58MUIvfqbutXnZw1gOT7jKV8v5eNgKebXfTXjdRvaxl8RjHg2OJkOYJUzKA28lsX8j-ZSTCqGvu18cmx0LuOHwk_kC_cEtM3lcvsAKHd8o9GWLLjju_WP6eOggnVIh6v0D35Pe8X/s1600/baby+shower+in+a+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC_8I58MUIvfqbutXnZw1gOT7jKV8v5eNgKebXfTXjdRvaxl8RjHg2OJkOYJUzKA28lsX8j-ZSTCqGvu18cmx0LuOHwk_kC_cEtM3lcvsAKHd8o9GWLLjju_WP6eOggnVIh6v0D35Pe8X/s1600/baby+shower+in+a+box.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are many creative options that could be included. I would say "the sky is the limit" except we all know that the limit is really determined by one's budget. ;) I kept my package on the small side because the family was planning on moving shortly after having the baby, but I wanted to make sure my friend had something special to open and enjoy! <br />
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Here are some of the things I put in the package I sent:<br />
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* a baby shower card<br />
* a grocery store card for them to use for purchasing snacks or cupcakes/cake to eat while opening presents<br />
* a small diaper cake<br />
* diaper cream<br />
* rubber ducky<br />
* Flatobearius (sooo cute and so soft - the company also makes a variety of other animals as well)<br />
* a teething necklace<br />
* baby clothes<br />
* gift certificates to a fast food restaurant near them for nights when mommy doesn't have energy to cook and wants daddy to pick something up <i>quickly</i> on the way home<br />
* money to join <a href="http://emeals.com/" target="_blank">Emeals</a> for 3 months (a service that e-mails a weekly menu plan and shopping list to you each week so all you have to do is print and shop - great time-saver)<br />
* little packets of coffee for those hard mornings after long nights<br />
* chapstick<br />
*Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy<br />
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If you feel inspired to send your own baby-shower-in-a-box, here are some other ideas: <br />
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* toys<br />
* pampering items for mom<br />
* baby toiletries<br />
* baby books<br />
* gift cards to spa or restaurants for pre-baby treat<br />
* favorite snack or food (unless you live somewhere where the heat would spoil it)<br />
* cozy socks<br />
* special tea or favorite caffeine<br />
* baby sitting money<br />
* nursing necklace (I think you can find some that double as teething necklaces too)<br />
* cute nursing cover or wrap or one of those infinity scarves that doubles as a nursing cover. <br />
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Happy baby shower planning! :)<br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthenatofgra-20%2F8010%2F592673ad-91de-46a2-8c60-6e1f57191a70&Operation=GetScriptTemplate" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthenatofgra-20%2F8010%2F592673ad-91de-46a2-8c60-6e1f57191a70&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-19115216164515777072014-05-24T19:22:00.000-07:002019-02-13T20:54:33.424-08:00Last Day of Homeschool!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We celebrated our last day of school earlier this month! <i>Yahoo!</i> In keeping with our <a href="http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2013/08/new-school-room-reveal-first-days-new.html" target="_blank">first day theme of "growth and change"</a>, I ended the year with our "hatching day".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RM_-gmyJJqEbV8a_6TCREfUsOWLo30xaKMSVUEMHI0Itn3xqfP3l5a3OP-YkL0t9kzhyRmqWQqYTRxyUKxPh6tqavCn0tCsVy-XXJfZWRbIwhIPv52T2f1ikh2DJT53aBp8unTTGoO3c/s1600/last+day+of+school1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RM_-gmyJJqEbV8a_6TCREfUsOWLo30xaKMSVUEMHI0Itn3xqfP3l5a3OP-YkL0t9kzhyRmqWQqYTRxyUKxPh6tqavCn0tCsVy-XXJfZWRbIwhIPv52T2f1ikh2DJT53aBp8unTTGoO3c/s1600/last+day+of+school1.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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Here is the sign that greeted them that morning, followed by pancakes which I TRIED to make into butterflies and caterpillars (I won't burden you with pictures of the sorry attempts). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62CClbRm8j95kU-_m2GNQdJkrGHfHKqKnATmelmL7A8SD1c8beej48TvT9pDj01yrKUg-tzql_Dea_0q60LELUSMfuVOgk8aGkWlvSjvcuEAzFlgf_h1K3-PnaEM2PRpxA86rVl7CwfdD/s1600/last+day+of+school2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62CClbRm8j95kU-_m2GNQdJkrGHfHKqKnATmelmL7A8SD1c8beej48TvT9pDj01yrKUg-tzql_Dea_0q60LELUSMfuVOgk8aGkWlvSjvcuEAzFlgf_h1K3-PnaEM2PRpxA86rVl7CwfdD/s1600/last+day+of+school2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After breakfast, they finished up final papers, etc. in our school room. While they were doing that - I was secretly posting this sign on the inside of the doors to the room and creating a cocoon on the outside...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnLwLkVDhHu1wVq5-ziBIS5NCSC6LSfucqvlAStfCNm2u67nTwSxNl2VqViMyigr0mpjNNr0H0CkfDS2Gu1LwN1IQD9wiDpHL9kUe-lO_KjxC8s_asqGyIW3j2dDpIOo4DTvwF40aNowo/s1600/last+day+of+school4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnLwLkVDhHu1wVq5-ziBIS5NCSC6LSfucqvlAStfCNm2u67nTwSxNl2VqViMyigr0mpjNNr0H0CkfDS2Gu1LwN1IQD9wiDpHL9kUe-lO_KjxC8s_asqGyIW3j2dDpIOo4DTvwF40aNowo/s1600/last+day+of+school4.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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The idea behind the cocoon was that they had started the year as my little caterpillars (I made caterpillar masks for them on the first day of school) and had grown and changed since then. I wanted them to be able to burst out of their "cocoon"(year of learning, growth, and change) that final day of school when the last worksheet was completed. </div>
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I was worried they'd see what I was up to before I had finished, but the timing of it worked out pretty well! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6NTFVySastPZqM8ggN3iGRoG-UXQ40qmgXo8jlG7E7y96YMSgTu1Y_KJT_TonUb9knn9y8DB9jdSiT81vfOx8ZtUpaV7Mf5v7LMc-65jUZSdw0t3E5yQlMyb_3MsR6FcBOy4i5cnwdlN/s1600/last+day+of+school5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6NTFVySastPZqM8ggN3iGRoG-UXQ40qmgXo8jlG7E7y96YMSgTu1Y_KJT_TonUb9knn9y8DB9jdSiT81vfOx8ZtUpaV7Mf5v7LMc-65jUZSdw0t3E5yQlMyb_3MsR6FcBOy4i5cnwdlN/s1600/last+day+of+school5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here they are bursting...sort of.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LSMc2w0sr4lweWK_uAEB807ITIAzbrqVfTzw7fFuFeNkO_MyoYqBs5Nv9VkJtPyQM_riirNpw-p17sgLYwXHm4vQ3tIWJgi43FGOtl8uMhHMZXdP78QQmdHUANsQDHacNBRydXViCXEg/s1600/last+day+of+school3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LSMc2w0sr4lweWK_uAEB807ITIAzbrqVfTzw7fFuFeNkO_MyoYqBs5Nv9VkJtPyQM_riirNpw-p17sgLYwXHm4vQ3tIWJgi43FGOtl8uMhHMZXdP78QQmdHUANsQDHacNBRydXViCXEg/s1600/last+day+of+school3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the other side of the door, I had placed some wings for them to wear that day (butterflies need wings, right?) and gave them each a butterfly certificate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KQjrdHowGv8LRVu7KRvShYykfNVKLx3X-fds405gZ5TosjjPLnf1Mir13CPptlFpViSG01EWjrl2NTGRuaoJgAjKG0MlfvdevO7GRGl2wW-RtsjOottMxIp3TyWlrqU4ZZbWavStOmUo/s1600/last+day+of+school6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KQjrdHowGv8LRVu7KRvShYykfNVKLx3X-fds405gZ5TosjjPLnf1Mir13CPptlFpViSG01EWjrl2NTGRuaoJgAjKG0MlfvdevO7GRGl2wW-RtsjOottMxIp3TyWlrqU4ZZbWavStOmUo/s1600/last+day+of+school6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When family came over later in the week, we had this up for viewing so people could see what their work had looked like at the beginning of the year and what they were accomplishing now at the end.</div>
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Our last day of school ended with Daddy taking the afternoon off from work and taking us mini golfing and to a restaurant for dinner. :)</div>
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Do you have a fun last day of homeschool tradition? If so, please feel free to post it in the comments section! </div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-21329339975054135382014-04-19T21:40:00.002-07:002014-04-19T21:40:55.846-07:00Seeing Green in More Ways than One!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This is what I intended to post several weeks ago but ran into trouble with our computer among other things...</span></div>
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It's that time of year again for all things green! Green shamrocks, green leprechauns, green, green, green (and of course, rainbows thrown in for good measure). <br />
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While I'm sharing pictures of some of our "green" adventures, I'd also like to address a topic I keep coming across (and indeed have experienced myself): the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side homeschooling syndrome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WfZVE1Yxr7P7NqzL4sZn8gqp1ERaGAX-HFj7vkONch2M_INBAnwvLflo6VmUb_aRxZbYN1cwUaSBfH3W-HATmXVJOYPlkwWtx8cmqRQVCY8lnV6nL1Gh8oitPXcek3q9Kdx4VOFk2UYX/s1600/Birthdays_998+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WfZVE1Yxr7P7NqzL4sZn8gqp1ERaGAX-HFj7vkONch2M_INBAnwvLflo6VmUb_aRxZbYN1cwUaSBfH3W-HATmXVJOYPlkwWtx8cmqRQVCY8lnV6nL1Gh8oitPXcek3q9Kdx4VOFk2UYX/s1600/Birthdays_998+copy.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>Our leprechaun, Dooligan, shows up for the first time this year -leaving a note for the children. He also spent time rearranging some flowers we had purchased earlier in a rainbow of sorts.</i></span></div>
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Let me paint a scenario (use rainbow colors, please): homeschool mom hops online, begins browsing blogs for ideas and ultimately ends up overwhelmed and wants to give up.</div>
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Instead of being inspired, she feels inadequate and uncreative. Her homeschool seems to pale in comparison to what she sees online. She may <i>even</i> have thoughts such as these...</div>
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<i><br /></i><i>Wow, her kids must have so much fun in homeschool! They probably never wish they were in a real classroom. She probably never snaps at her kids or has to beg them to concentrate. I sure wish I could be that kind of mom (you know - the infinite cup of patience, I-can-juggle-it-all-and-then-some-with-a-smile kind)...</i></div>
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Sound familiar?</div>
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You're in good company here. I am guilty of wallowing in the mom and homeschool comparison mud as well. I think everyone wants to be THAT mom.</div>
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But I don't think she exists. The picture perfect painting in our hearts - now, THAT is very real. It is a self-made image pieced together from mental clippings of various posts, pins, articles, etc. until we have indeed created a monster - an ideal no earthly person could ever completely live up to.</div>
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Please understand I am not talking about the Proverbs 31 woman who conducts the affairs of her household by depending upon the grace of God. What I AM suggesting is a June Cleaver on steroids type of person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zn5zpCriYqKRuEPg2mfDBF9O-CNubQOrOWh9XzlCJrgQdjwo22LRLH0PfS2V8IPYp1Pg2NEvcDxhlkkh5sNuzBtvxnWmpVqsc3GMBJ_RsUHrX3EdETYS4EKjZkCEORh0j3VJEkLz6ySw/s1600/green+jello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zn5zpCriYqKRuEPg2mfDBF9O-CNubQOrOWh9XzlCJrgQdjwo22LRLH0PfS2V8IPYp1Pg2NEvcDxhlkkh5sNuzBtvxnWmpVqsc3GMBJ_RsUHrX3EdETYS4EKjZkCEORh0j3VJEkLz6ySw/s1600/green+jello.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>Dooligan strikes! School supplies in green jello!</i></span></div>
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Now, before you go blaming this grass-is-greener mentality on the blogger next door (after all, you felt the unrest begin after reading about her family's perfect homeschooling day), please consider this:</div>
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Bloggers are human. They make mistakes, lose their tempers, etc. <i><u>They just don't always blog about it</u>.</i></div>
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It is important to keep that in mind when reading what may seem like "perfect life" posts. Chances are, what you are reading is a <i>moment</i> in life - not a 24 hour lifestyle. <br />
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I cannot speak for other blogging moms, but THIS mommy is well acquainted with little people vying for attention, night wakings, early morning children, dirty diapers, meals to make, squabbles to handle, lessons to plan, loss of patience (mine), mommy guilt, school work reluctance, and laundry that seems to border on eternal. ;) I just don't blog about it. I seriously <i>don't</i> have that kind of time.<br />
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Plus, let's be honest here. Do you REALLY want to spend your precious nap time minutes reading about someone doing the same things you are doing (excluding those posts which offer wise, creative solutions to a problem)? Probably not.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LUMsXEmbcyhjTzjxjjE-7GksQb5yQT9swaC47vUrqlMkFneRgyiMqrxGqYyK5isHGUGKsFiJrwI8PqXpfMW5u1wZSYYTMBjHTJ8ZiPTu39C8tLvgdaRYX2skkW7hBAgFCr1CrrErF7yC/s1600/St.+Patrick's+Day+pillow+stuffing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LUMsXEmbcyhjTzjxjjE-7GksQb5yQT9swaC47vUrqlMkFneRgyiMqrxGqYyK5isHGUGKsFiJrwI8PqXpfMW5u1wZSYYTMBjHTJ8ZiPTu39C8tLvgdaRYX2skkW7hBAgFCr1CrrErF7yC/s1600/St.+Patrick's+Day+pillow+stuffing.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Yet another Dooligan prank - removing the children's pillows and stuffing the inside with green faux grass.</span></i><br />
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I believe there are many homeschool moms who blog to encourage others, offer advice, and/or to earn money to use for curriculum or family expenses. They are well aware that this isn't going to happen without an audience. Hence, they write about topics they know are of <i>interest</i> and not the daily grind.<br />
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Please guard your heart against blaming bloggers for posting inspiration rather than commiseration! <br />
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Trust me - as one blogger to her readers - more goes on behind posts than "reads" the eye.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5kd8wzYc43AIkQcfKH7u5xFFmoXkyAOzcaP9-kZYtVCcNRBGBvy3RQb4Ifd9kLdpJzNytr0x78fpekBbsQyJap3x-1yR1-Ho1wK8Zkxv_caRiYB180G9Aj_ajFRVZWXgvvV21cCq89uA/s1600/patterns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5kd8wzYc43AIkQcfKH7u5xFFmoXkyAOzcaP9-kZYtVCcNRBGBvy3RQb4Ifd9kLdpJzNytr0x78fpekBbsQyJap3x-1yR1-Ho1wK8Zkxv_caRiYB180G9Aj_ajFRVZWXgvvV21cCq89uA/s1600/patterns.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>Having fun with patterns using clovers and gold coins.</i></span></div>
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So what's a mom to do? How can she resist being sucked into keeping up with the homeschool Jones's family? How can she avoid feeling self-doubt and despair every time she jumps online to read a blog or update her pins?<br />
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I believe very simply, it can be done by solely relying on the wisdom and grace of the Lord! Would you like me to expand?<br />
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Creativity is a blessing from the Lord! We live in an age when we have amazing ideas available to us with the simple click of a button.<br />
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<i>But HOW we approach what we see is a <u>matter of the heart</u>. </i><br />
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People may think I am strange, but it is a relief to me that my Creator knows every nook and cranny of my heart. Every motive. Every sinful thought. Why a relief? Because I don't have to hide from him. He already knows me deeper than I know myself<i> - AND STILL LOVES ME. </i><br />
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He knows if I am hopping online to compare my homeschool with someone else's. He knows if I am just online trying to find a more creative way to "one up" my homeschooling friends (inciting envy). <i>He knows e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g! </i><br />
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And what does that have to do with how we approach what we see? Consider a thief in an empty room with a precious jewel. Now consider that same thief in a room with a witness and a precious jewel. Will he behave the same way in both instances? Probably not. <br />
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Well, guess what. Unlike the witness in the above example, God is <u>always</u> in the room and our thoughts are an open book to him. Because of my love for him and my desire to glorify him, the reminder that he is observing all I do AND think, can help me to make sure my time online is pleasing to him (and not an exercise in covetousness).<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85Seh-deEG_-key5VTujbhQ7kJhEzHTA1mZns1hEtXZzsFqhIpealQ6OFw9jR3voqNVjDUoofribmRVbq6JuwQISF0lorxBxoQzrojetbE-4okgL_Pjx8xSDfQti6bBQJgj1gihLXsA9w/s1600/rainbow+balloons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85Seh-deEG_-key5VTujbhQ7kJhEzHTA1mZns1hEtXZzsFqhIpealQ6OFw9jR3voqNVjDUoofribmRVbq6JuwQISF0lorxBxoQzrojetbE-4okgL_Pjx8xSDfQti6bBQJgj1gihLXsA9w/s1600/rainbow+balloons.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">One of Dooligan's better tricks - filling the bathtub with rainbow balloons!</span></i><br />
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Keeping an eye on the attitude of your heart before, during, and after you hop online is critical to maintaining a healthy, realistic homeschool environment. Are you getting online for the right reasons AND are you staying online for the right reasons? <br />
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If you tend to end your screen time feeling despondent about motherhood and homeschooling, perhaps (dare I say it?) it is time to unplug completely for a while. Give your mind and heart some time to freely soak up the blessing of motherhood. I would suggest seeking out some wise moms in your church, asking them over for tea and letting the warmth of their advice take the place of electronic chatter.<br />
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If circumstances do not allow for this, I would suggest searching for books by women whose lives as mothers are testimonies to their desire to live for the Lord (Sally Clarkson, Edith Schaeffer, etc.). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD8x6QrX0nSwks0ZJyt2MmsKVkfKkA-t1Gylg4AeNvPUn3xNK-Ucd6HmQ7lXBID2CgFP1hs0Fkk-rz-2r0q0IHZfeU-5uhjWeSujkWPOv2lczuKe3S4iwOn_P3gbmR6gi0p0U6b-7uwvM/s1600/game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD8x6QrX0nSwks0ZJyt2MmsKVkfKkA-t1Gylg4AeNvPUn3xNK-Ucd6HmQ7lXBID2CgFP1hs0Fkk-rz-2r0q0IHZfeU-5uhjWeSujkWPOv2lczuKe3S4iwOn_P3gbmR6gi0p0U6b-7uwvM/s1600/game.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>The kids loved this game! I picked math facts Miss A was having trouble with and placed them under the hats </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>(this could also easily be done with spelling words, letters, etc.)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>. One hat contained a picture of gold coins. The kids would take turns peering under the hats and writing the math fact they found underneath (Mr. J would practice writing one of the numbers in the number sentence). If they found the hat with gold coins, they received a treat! They were willing to play this over and over and over - thus getting in plenty of extra practice with math facts. ;)</i></span><br />
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When you feel strengthened and self-controlled enough to tackle the virtual world once more, I suggest trying to incorporate the following steps:<br />
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Step #1: Thank God for creativity and ask him for discernment, wisdom, and <i>self-control</i> before you begin to browse blogs, articles, Pinterest, etc. <br />
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Step #2: Set a time or idea limit and <i>stick to it</i>. <br />
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Ten minutes can turn into hours online if you are not careful. Speaking from experience, a wealth of eye candy can definitely make you (heart)sick!<br />
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<i>But what if I miss a really great craft or idea? </i><br />
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You will. Life is constantly moving on several levels all at once. If you're online, you might catch a great idea but miss the opportunity to spend time with your husband. You might pin a super craft but forfeit snuggling in with your kids for a story before bed. <br />
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Life is full of choices. I don't know about you, but I want mine to be ones that will count for eternity. I can choose to spend a majority of time <i>searching</i> for memory-making opportunities (and never have any) or I can create special moments with my family, just by being present with them.<br />
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Moms, set a limit, and I think you and your family will be glad you did.<br />
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Step #3: Inspect your heart and guard it well. If you are being sucked into another person's virtual home reality to the point where you don't want to re-enter your <i>own </i>real home<i>, </i>something is not right<i>. </i><br />
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Ask the Lord for wisdom to help you recognize the seeds of discontent before they have a chance to take root. As you wade through the barrage of blogs, tips, crafts, recipes, lesson plans, etc. - take note of those which seem to continually leave you with a sense of "want" rather than joy and avoid them in the future (even if that means this one!).<i> </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlRllv-X8W0apYtpwMkizy1wKACKFBLHNRoPBuCzSbs6Ddsh4S-5NsVs0Spsa6ZVQ4_BG-2LoZ9OZo-0rgCI2KKMDD2K6lZR7qi5iqmv1GEyQE1VaD52cxkXascVkx2-8Rmn-9tu6Jv4Z/s1600/note.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlRllv-X8W0apYtpwMkizy1wKACKFBLHNRoPBuCzSbs6Ddsh4S-5NsVs0Spsa6ZVQ4_BG-2LoZ9OZo-0rgCI2KKMDD2K6lZR7qi5iqmv1GEyQE1VaD52cxkXascVkx2-8Rmn-9tu6Jv4Z/s1600/note.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Our St. Patrick's Day note from Dooligan complete with leprechaun mustaches and hats so the children could pretend to be him for a day. </span></i><br />
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Quick recap...</div>
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Mommies, if you are tempted - even just a teeny tiny bit - to compare your life to this blog or some "picture perfect grass is greener life" blog - DON'T.<i> You'd just be comparing your experiences to a BLOG</i>, not real life.</div>
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Ask the Lord for wisdom and self-control when you hop online. </div>
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If your discontent meter still surges every time you go "pinning" or blog surfing - it is probably time to unplug.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDL8ZYODPNJURzU4XDuUs6TL_S8NgWV3LYy2uwLUptd-gmDRry9PLqetY4b6ZGx9QkUDzJKXNJdfwhdCgeYb0fzJny_9BuxXFWrFTZdb2j4KN-nzCBHvdDR-8oRPoplMtrDPxfnZGwgzE/s1600/St.+Patrick's+breakfast1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDL8ZYODPNJURzU4XDuUs6TL_S8NgWV3LYy2uwLUptd-gmDRry9PLqetY4b6ZGx9QkUDzJKXNJdfwhdCgeYb0fzJny_9BuxXFWrFTZdb2j4KN-nzCBHvdDR-8oRPoplMtrDPxfnZGwgzE/s1600/St.+Patrick's+breakfast1.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXRuh3UUFMP78ZBb2pCVGV82iqSw7UFTkMFdMhC7vex5ZvlnNO_R-FleJsO0tQQvpK_6QV2KYRbG2-Wt1-QT_aUxFJ0rbNCHbpjWo6DQEGArvSRjOSitdw-DH_Izx1B1P24se1Yko9hlN/s1600/breakfast2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXRuh3UUFMP78ZBb2pCVGV82iqSw7UFTkMFdMhC7vex5ZvlnNO_R-FleJsO0tQQvpK_6QV2KYRbG2-Wt1-QT_aUxFJ0rbNCHbpjWo6DQEGArvSRjOSitdw-DH_Izx1B1P24se1Yko9hlN/s1600/breakfast2.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>St. Patrick's Day breakfast: Lucky Charms (a rare treat for us) and green eggs.</i></span></div>
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Final thoughts...</div>
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1. God created YOU to be the mom of your children. He can equip you with whatever you need to parent and instruct <i>your</i> children.<br />
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2. Your <i>weaknesses</i> could very well be the things God uses to draw you and your children closer to him during your homeschool hours and throughout the day. <br />
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No, I am not saying losing one's temper is a good thing (speaking from plenty of experience here). HOWEVER, God convicting a mommy's heart and humbling her to ask forgiveness for snapping at a "wee someone" unnecessarily - well, now<i> that</i> is a teachable moment. <br />
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Moms - YOU can be a living example of God working out his sustaining grace in your life. We are on a life stage, and little eyes and ears are attentive to our performance. When we mess up, let's do so gracefully! Apologize, ask for forgiveness (yes - even from your kids), take a deep breath, and move on with the day.<br />
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3. You DON'T have to be super creative to have a warm, memory-filled homeschool. Trust me on this one. Creativity is nice, but <i>love</i> is the defining thread in beautiful homeschool tapestry! <br />
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Acts of love don't have to be expensive or time consuming. Plan a surprise hug attack on your child during a lesson. Slip notes into your childrens' textbooks telling them how special they are or how proud you are of them. Pull your kids up on your bed and snuggle while you read a story or practice spelling. <br />
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And smile. </div>
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Smile, smile, SMILE! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqIfmOuubhrSfUoAuO_FazTbweJUYuQk9CqCwmsPdop_7FlHbcY2M_4FAx1OuwUY7Eu05vVEu3s-Xo7gGlaf1sJPHhyphenhyphenb3CKyp_wQP3ziFa0TnsELHbtDzUU6PrsessYJ-C931vpwNhWe2/s1600/trap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqIfmOuubhrSfUoAuO_FazTbweJUYuQk9CqCwmsPdop_7FlHbcY2M_4FAx1OuwUY7Eu05vVEu3s-Xo7gGlaf1sJPHhyphenhyphenb3CKyp_wQP3ziFa0TnsELHbtDzUU6PrsessYJ-C931vpwNhWe2/s1600/trap.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>The final trap! </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>Yes, those are Dooligan's feet sticking out from under the pan (and his pot of "gold" nearby). He was a wee bit hasty trying to move in and was finally caught - much to the children's joy! </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><i>See you next year, Dooligan! </i></span><br />
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Have a happy and blessed homeschooling day!<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4047605662711304840.post-62754279544785207592014-02-11T21:20:00.001-08:002015-02-09T12:42:29.173-08:00A Ballerina Valentine and Homeschool Party Suggestions!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Who says homeschoolers miss out on party days?</div>
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Not I.</div>
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We have THREE valentine parties this week - count them one...two...three! Can you believe we could have actually attended FOUR - but I had to draw the line somewhere, ya know?</div>
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Well, actually we now only have two remaining as Miss A celebrated one today with her ballet class. </div>
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For said special occasion, I created these for her to hand out to her fellow ballerinas. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJKQCxNNRbbgqXAwmIHsvGGWBxkONfMveBAK7kM-sBdW-ScjQBHsyRpo7Y7dIhXNpON35O_23PZGV6MIffkqTa7POkWE7WPKAnYS4zx56WWIH7iRKu4T3PfTDwd1Q8x3-rK_uk4nuuCYJ/s1600/Birthdays_993+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJKQCxNNRbbgqXAwmIHsvGGWBxkONfMveBAK7kM-sBdW-ScjQBHsyRpo7Y7dIhXNpON35O_23PZGV6MIffkqTa7POkWE7WPKAnYS4zx56WWIH7iRKu4T3PfTDwd1Q8x3-rK_uk4nuuCYJ/s1600/Birthdays_993+copy.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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Pssst. You want to know a little secret? The tutus on the card are....SCRUNCHIES! </div>
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How perfect is that? A little ballet bun bling, anyone (with alliteration on the side. Can you tell I homeschool...)?</div>
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I picked these ones up at the Dollar Tree (3 for $1). Miss A colored the leotards on each card to match. </div>
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Don't we make a great team? :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgifpebAuWTOibXHbRX2jEIAaks1_BEy_Rujgyfj6mH4rjMpflY_zgHpOvutYSO9dcF9cOo6p8ZsCGJ0w3CxAjBgPcCroaiuAYp5GtAwXPfag1YTly1QB3gqk2q7utsaETLdMbVocfxzRN/s1600/Birthdays_995+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgifpebAuWTOibXHbRX2jEIAaks1_BEy_Rujgyfj6mH4rjMpflY_zgHpOvutYSO9dcF9cOo6p8ZsCGJ0w3CxAjBgPcCroaiuAYp5GtAwXPfag1YTly1QB3gqk2q7utsaETLdMbVocfxzRN/s1600/Birthdays_995+copy.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scrunchie-Ballerina-Valentine-Card-1109280" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scrunchie-Ballerina-Party-Favor-and-Ballerina-Valentine-Card-1109280" target="_blank">The template can be found here!</a></b></div>
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I plan to make another card in the same format that could be used for ballerina party favors as well. I'm hoping to get that out next week sometime, so pin this link now if you are interested! </div>
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<i>For those new to homeschooling who are worried their children might be missing out when it comes to school parties, here are some valentine party suggestions:</i></div>
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1. Have a party with your family! Plan to exchange homemade valentine cards and let kids decorate a mailbox or paper sack for each person in the family.</div>
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2. If you are part of a homeschooling group, check within the group to see if others might be interested in having a valentine event. There's a good chance other moms would love to meet up for coffee while their kids enjoy an afternoon together passing out cards and sharing a fun snack. </div>
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3. Have a small party with just a few of your children's friends.</div>
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4. Do you live in a remote area? Do you have internet access (you probably do if you are reading this)? Try scheduling a time when family or friends can hop online and chat, skype, etc. Let your kids make a valentine card or valentine story to read or show them.</div>
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5. Minister to someone this Valentine's Day! Hand out carnations or roses or cookies to elderly residents at a nursing home. Surprise a widow with a love package - flowers or cookies or a gift card to order out that night, or an invitation to your home for the evening! :)</div>
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And most importantly, have a happy, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>grace</i>-<i>filled</i></span> homeschooling week! :)</div>
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<i>Michelle</i></div>
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Sharing this post on:</div>
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www.tipjunkie.com</div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523092012817093487noreply@blogger.com4