Randomness

Just some general randomness here posting some pics of war paint and regular paint that we did today =-} and one of AB2 napping with the cat.

I LOVE THANKSGIVING

I just love Thanksgiving so much! Its such a special time to Thank Heavenly Father for all that He blesses us with and its a wonderful opportunity to make our children more aware of just where all there blessing are coming from.This Thanksgiving was especially fun and you know what we did? We just stayed at home! hahaha We didnt try to run ten different places and see twenty different people. We just simply stayed home and cooked and played and watched movies and enjoyed being together. It was blissful! We have TONS of leftovers! I wont have to cook for days! Turkey, stuffing, corn, greenbean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and two pies all for my little family of five!! I have put up some pictures of the day and some pictures of the kids wampum bead necklaces they made.I also put up pictures of our oldest battalion coin he received from my husbands battalion commander. Also are the beginings of the decorating changes. After our Thanksgiving meal I took down the pumpkins and gourds and put up the snow men =-}

Bathing Cuties

I got some really cute pic's of the kids in the bath the other day and I had to post them up. The three of them just crack me up some days!

A FUN DAY

Today was a fun day. A feel good day on my part. I just really tried to focus on the kids and enjoying them today. I know that sounds silly but sometime amid the housework, childcare, homeschool and everything else you just let your self be to busy to enjoy them and its a shame.

AB1 sat on the counter and read Dr.Seuss while AB2 and I made pancakes for breakfast, we did puzzles and played, we talked about Jesus and how cool it was to have the scriptures to teach us about him,I wandered up and down the hallways with AB3 just holding my finger and "showing" me everything. It was just a really good day.

AB1 also lost another tooth. He is very proud of himself and I cant help but giggle to look at him. His familiar smile has changed and is taking a bit of getting used too. The picture above shows his "new" smile as well as some chocolate from the chocolate chip cookies we made today.

AB3 was having a good old time playing peek-a-boo and laughing her head off and dear hubby got his glasses today. I have been lovingly calling him four eyes ever since! He doesnt get mad though because I follow that by telling him how cute he looks! haha

NEZ PERCE BREAST PLATES

This week we learned about the Nez Perce indians and made Nez Perce breastplates. The Nez Perce wore them mostly for decoration.

This week we also had a Family home evening lesson on preparedness. We talked with the kids about the difference between a "want" and a "need" and what the prophets have told us about being prepared. We all made goals that can help our family be more prepared. AB1 's big goal was to not ask to eat out, which is something he does every time we leave the house!

Not much else going on this week really!!

Mound builders

This week we have learned about a few different tribes and the one that caught the boys attention most were the Natchez indians. They were moundbuilders and since we used to live right next to moundbuilders park it was really fun totalk about the mounds, why they build them and then to build some of our own. Here are some picks of the boys making there mounds as well as little Miss just hanging out.

Learning styles

Since I have started homeschooling I have read alot about the ways people learn and why public school just doesnt work for some people.

We all learn differently. For example my oldest son learns best if he can touch it, move it, feel it.Movement seems to be VERY connected to his memory and learning new concepts.

Well I was faced with my own learning style this evening and I must say it was fairly amusing.I have always known that the best way for me to learn is to have someone show me. Let me sit beside you and be physically shown how to do something. I have a very hard time with sitting down and reading the instructions to something and being able to do it. Like the time I bought a knitting loom and was going to teach myself to knit hats.. it was so pitiful! I just could not figure it out!! But when my sister came over and physically showed me how to do it I picked it up fairly quickly.

Now for those of you who homeschool you can imagine what a challenge this can be at times. I want to teach my children to make, do or build a certain thing and I have to read the instructions and figure it out! Well tomorow for part of our unit study on North American Indians we will be weaving burden baskets out of colorful cardstock. Knowing myself I figured it would be best to figure one out tonight so that tomorow would go smoothly. My husband had a good little chuckle when I told him what I was doing.

"But Honey," My Dear Hubby says "thats easy, its kids stuff, just read the directions!"

Well I did end up finishing my basket and it only took 1 hour and 1 failed attempt to get it right!!

I enjoy reflecting on these experiances that just reinforce to me that God is so smart. He made us all to be unique and different and wonderful and because he did that sometimes we have to try a little harder or try something different to help our children learn a new concept. Its not that I'm a bad teacher or there a bad student. We are just wonderfully unique.

Climate Regions

Well we started our month long unit on Indians today and I am SO excited!! I have been doing research galore! I got to go to the library this weekend ALL BY MY SELF! hehehe I love the library and being there by myself to wander the isles and browse at my leasure is truly a treat!
Today we talked about climate regions in the U.S. We talked about what climate means and what terrain means and talked about the different climates and terain throughout the U.S. We have a big dry erase map that we filled in the 7 climate regions we are learning about this month and through the month will fill in the tribes we study into each region. We also discovered that we have lived in three different climate regions. The North East, the Sounth East and now the North West.
I have found more good that has come from our fairly nomadic lifestyle. The boys could really understand what we were talking about today as we discussed how hot and dry Georgia in the South East climate region was (our first duty station) how much wetter and cooler it was in Ohio in the North East climate region and how we get to see the beautiful mountains in Washington which is in the North West climate region (our second duty station).
Today we also have accomplished Math and English, read aloud and scripture study. Its been a good start to our unit!!