Me Before and After

This is me Before the cut:

And here is me After:

Quiet a difference right?!

Weekly wrap up*Daddy’s home addition*

This week marked the end of our first month of school for the year!Very exciting for us all.We did lots of fun things this week and got school done ta’boot!

This weeks science was all about movement,force and Isaac Newtons three laws of motion. We experimented with a hard boiled egg and uncooked egg.Spinning each in turn,stopping them briefly and then releasing them to see what happened.Demonstrating Newtons first law of motion.The liquid inside the uncooked egg kept moving and in turn made the shell start moving again after we stopped it.Dad did a couple other fun experiments this week with the kids to help them understand Newtons second and third laws of motion.

History has been all about ancient Egypt.Justin our almost six year old seems content to go with the flow but shows little enthusiasm in general.That is TOTALLY  his personality.He is so laid back that he usually has no opinions over anything that happens. Isaiah on the other hand has really enjoyed what we have been studying.We use “Story of The World” along with several supplemental books. The topic that got the most excitement was of course mummies!We talked about the mummification process in all its grossness.It was a huge hit!My favorite though was today when we sat down to history and I told the kids we would be reading about a man who with Gods help saved all of Egypt.Isaiah immediately said “I know who your talking about!That one guy!” LoL Yep that one guy.That one awesome guy who had faith in the Lord,did not wallow in self pity over his trials but instead relied on the Lord and saved Egypt.Of course I am talking about Joseph.I really enjoy making those kind of connections.Putting the history in the Bible in context with “the rest of the world” history.

We’ve had some great developments on the reading front from both boys.Justin our Kindergartener is progressing to reading simple sentences and needing less and less help.That is of course if he is in the mood to read that day!LoL.He still has days that he drags his feet and fusses.Those are the days I try to just back off and let him play.I know that nothing good can be accomplished by pushing and prodding.  The past week Isaiah on the other hand has asked to do reading FIRST thing.Now this is NOT typical Isaiah behavior!When asked to read the usual response is “do I have to?Couldnt you just read?” But I have found a new secret weapon..”Fablehaven”! These are books introduced to me by my sister.Her 9 year old daughter absolutely loves these books. I must say I was doubtful these would work well for Isaiah.Although the content is right up his alley he is by no means as good a reader as my niece. She is reading,with comprehension I might add books far above her age level.Isaiah is much more comfortable reading right at his age level.But Glory Be I figured we would try them and he is hooked! Instead of setting the clock for 15 minutes and hearing groans and complaints starting after about 8 I am leaving  him to his own and he reads in his bed for a good 25 minutes before he is ready for a break :0) Such a huge accomplishment for my big guy!

Aside from the school front we’ve had lots of fun outings this week.Particularly trips to pick blueberries and a birthday trip to the aquarium! All in all a great ending to our first month of school!

Feeling “At home”

As a military family we move a lot.One of the things I struggle with is feeling “at home” in our new church each move. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.What that means for me is that I am lucky in that no matter where we move to my church is there.The same things are taught,in the same ways and I don't have to search for a church that is a good fit. That being said I still sometimes have a hard time feeling like a part of the congregation. See I am not a particularly outgoing or bubbly person. I am not the sort that just attracts friends. So how do I become/feel more a part of each new congregation? I am pondering and praying about this and plan to blog more on this as the answers come to me.I'd really love to hear from any of you that may have felt the same thing.Or anyone with suggestions on how to feel more at home in our new congregation.

Blueberries YUM!

We found a fantastic place here in our area called blueberry park.Blueberry park was originally a blueberry farm.The local school district bought the farm several years back and had plans to build an elementary school there.The school never materialized and the school district decided to sell the land.A portion was kept aside to become a park.Now blueberry park is a 20 acre park with more than 4000 blueberry plants and is maintained completely by volunteers.The best part?Its completely free!You can go on down any day and pick as many blueberries as you want for free! That is exactly what we did on Tuesday.

Today we made blueberry pancakes for breakfast.Tomorrow will be blueberry muffins I think :0) Now that we know about blueberry park I am going to need some more blueberry recipes!

1 Month Down

We are almost finished with our first month back to school!WooHoo for us!! Its been going really well so far and I’m proud to say we are still on schedule..kinda.. haha! We have stayed on schedule with the subjects that are usually the hardest for us to keep up on.That would be math and science.

Other things we have gone completely of the planned schedule and are now just doing what I think we should each day.Those things are language and spelling.We have been doing both regularly.Just not along the planned “route” so to speak :0)

Some things we have completely tossed out all together.That being composer and artist studies.To be totally honest here no one in our house is artsy.My boys do draw on occasion.Mostly things like plans for machines,weapons and forts.But no one really cares to do much in the way of art.So we dropped it.The same goes with composer studies as well.We enjoy listening to music but that's really as far as the interest goes.There are so many other things to keep up with.So many other things my kiddos WANT to do.So why make all of us endure something that NO ONE wants to do! Its actually kind of liberating :0)

The next few weeks are going to be a special treat because my husband is on leave(vacation) from work for 27 days!So there are special things going on each week like blueberry picking,a two to three day camping trip,trips to the zoo and the beach.It also means some great learning time with dad.I am usually the primary teacher and homeschooler.It will be really exciting to have dad around and involved this month.

My firstborn Son

Tomorrow my first born will be nine years old.Its amazing to me just how fast the last eight years have gone.When Isaiah was a baby it felt like he would be small and helpless forever.Now I am often in awe of him.Isaiah is very thoughtful and loving.Always asking to help me with anything.He is also one of the silliest boys I know!He is a real clown at times.

 

Because my husband is on leave right now we are going to be able to spend the whole day as a family celebrating.We are making a trip to one of Isaiah’s favorite places,the Seattle aquarium.Then out to dinner at the rainforest cafe.Another favorite of his.

I’m so thankful to have been given this sweet spirited,energetic boy to raise for God.He is such an amazing blessing.

Our first week back to school

This week was a definite success! I was really not sure how things would go for our first week back to school but everything went really well. The kids natural schedules are really lending themselves well to picking school back up.

Isaiah my earliest riser is also my oldest and has the most school work to do.When he gets up we sit and chat over breakfast.Then have been able to get one or two things done before Justin wakes up. Justin is our five almost six year old and has just started school.Once he is up and has breakfast I start on some of his work with him and Isaiah takes a little break or moves on to some of his independent work.At some point after this the girls both get up. Alyssa is the baby and just hangs out all day long ;) but Hannah is almost three and I find if I can devote some time to her alone first thing after she gets up then working with the boys later on in the day goes smoother. After Hannah has her breakfast she and I will sit and do a puzzle,play with playdoh,math manipulatives or any other thing that catches her fancy.

Hannah playing with teddy bear counters.

We do as many subjects together as possible and that really cuts down on my teaching time.We have separate math and reading/language for each boy.But scripture study,science,art and history are done collectively as a family.So far this is working well.We have been finished with school by lunch most days.

Jumping of his chair after a discussion about gravity!

One change I am already making though is in our science. I had planned on doing science twice a week.Well I can already tell this isnt going to work for my boys and for two totally different reasons. Isaiah wants more plain and simple.He really enjoys science and limiting it to two days a week just wont work. For Justin its about coving less in a given day. If I try to throw 3 new concepts at him in one day he wont pick up half of it. But if I present those 3 concepts over three days then he has more time to digest each one.

Because it was our first week AND because daddy has just gotten home from his deployment we decided to throw some fun in there and made a mid week trip to the zoo as well as having an afternoon at the lake with some friends.

Justin enjoying a snack at the zoo.

All in all a successful first week back!

Dad tossing Isaiah in the lake!

A GREAT weekly wrap up

I know I’m late posting this up and probably wont be able to link to the wrap up on Kris’ blog.That’s ok though I still wanted to blog about our week! This was one of the best weeks we have had all year! My hubby came home from Iraq this week! :0)

Early in the week the kids and I decorated the porch

Then we decorated the car

We were really trying to stay busy! We knew Justin would be getting home Thursday morning and we needed to fill time!

A friend of mine came over with her three kids and stayed the night Wednesday night.Her husband was coming home that morning as well and they live about 30 minutes away.Since we had to have all the kiddos up and at the gym at 5am I offered to let her stay.I think it helped all of us to pass that slow evening of waiting!

The wait at the gym seemed like forever! We got to watch a big projection screen of the guys getting off there plane.Then a bit more of them while they waited to check in their weapons,for single soldiers to get assigned rooms and then finally they were bused to the gym. This is what it looked like.

I can not even begin to describe the cheers that filled that gym as our soldiers marched in. It was the most wonderful feeling!After a long hard year our soldiers were finally home!

 Finally we were all together again! What an amazing week this was!