Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lindsey Clair and I am a happily married (12 years to my best friend) mother of three girls. I am about to embark on a journey and chapter in my life which greatly includes my children. What journey could it possibly be? You’ve guessed it, homeschooling! If you would have told me this a few years ago I would have laughed in your face but all this became real to me towards the beginning/middle of this last 2010-2011 school year. My oldest daughter just completed her final year at a local public school and has been there the past three years. It was a great experience and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it but I just felt a tug towards home education and my girls seem to be on board the decision as well.
Sweet pea will be starting third grade (8), cupcake will be starting Kindergarten (5), and jelly bean well, (These are our daughters nicknames in case you are wondering, we aren’t weirdos, I promise lol) she’s our little 2 year old toddler so you get the idea where we are at with that stage of development. Yes, we are currently potty training and it has been a wonderful bed of roses. HA! Yeah in my dreams, right? No, it’s been a challenge but I am hoping, just hoping and believing she will be fully potty trained before the start of the school year. I guess this will be one of my major challenges as a home educator. I would rather not chase around a toddler but I am brain storming ideas throughout the day to keep jelly bean occupied all the while learning. Thankfully, being an early childhood educator this task will become easy, did I just say easy? Okay, it will again be a challenge but hey, they are only so little once I would hate to rush this stage of development. We will all just roll with the punches so to speak.
As a new homeschooling mom I can honestly say in the beginning I went through a brief, very brief, honeymoon phase. I was super excited and on top of the world knowing I would be my daughters teacher. But, then it hit me. Wait a minute! Can I really do this? Can I really teach my child at home? Apprehension started sinking my feelings of joy then eventually anxiety took over and then I just felt completely overwhelmed. What was I to do? With whom should I talk to? It was then I started researching high and low everything Michigan had to offer as far as homeschooling goes. I fortunately found a wonderful homeschool fellowship in Northville, Ward Homeschool Fellowship. It was there I was greeted very warmly and all my worries and fears were completely gone, well for that time being. Shortly after joining the group and joining on with HSLDA, I started realizing that it was all going to be okay. Why? Every homeschooling family is different and what may work for one may not work for the other. This statement completely helped me put things into perspective on what it actually means to”Home school.”
I am still a little apprehensive here and there because our journey begins the last week of August, (kind of a preview/practice week) and then full swing after Labor Day. I am only doing what I know I can do as far as schedules and keeping things in order. Sweet pea will be doing A Beka and cup cake will be doing a “Learn at Home“series by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. I realize that these curriculums may not work for them and I may end up switching completely. I was told it will take some working with different ideas etc. until I fully know what will work for my children. I am totally fine with that. My main goal is to just stay relaxed and not get all stressed out about it. Breathe in, Breathe out!
What about you? Are you a new homeschooling mom? What feelings have you experienced? I would love to hear from you. Stick around on my new journey as a homeschooling mom. I am sure it will be quite a ride but I can’t wait to share withyou the things I have learned. If you are a seasoned homeschooling mom or dad, I would love to hear from you as well. Any advice is always valued, especially since I still have no clue how this is going to work for my family. Hey, sometimes it’s fun not knowing right? Surprises in life make life very interesting! Happy Homeschooling!
*I just wanted to say a big thank you to Christina for allowing me the opportunity to share my journey with all of you. I look forward to meeting new families and creating new friendships along the way!
Well, I can’t believe it, we are now in the month of August which means time to think “back to school” right? Well, homeschool of course. Walking through Target the other day I noticed all the back-to-school supplies and almost got burdened by it thinking I had to pick up my daughter’s school supply list. Then it hit me, WAIT! I don’t have to do that. I can just get the supplies I need for my homeschool and call it a day. It felt so good to not have to worry about details like that. Now I look at the back-to-school supplies in a different light, and it’s a much brighter light I must say.
Anyways, with all of this homeschool planning just today I received a group email through WHSF that there will be a homeschool support meeting for new homeschoolers on Monday, August 15th, from 7pm-9pm at Ward Church in Northville. Let’s just say I will make it a point to be there since well, I am new to homeschooling and support from seasoned and veteran parents is just what I need right now. It will be so nice to have my questions answered. I won’t feel like I am hanging suspended in the air anymore. HA! So great.
I think after the meeting I will be able to get all my ducks in a row and start homeschool planning with a little more confidence. I am excited to be starting on this journey and can’t wait to connect with so many fellow homeschoolers. It is now that it is starting to become more real and thankfully, I am not alone!
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As a new homeschooling mom I think I am having curriculum overload. Is this normal? I have heard so many different things about ways to approach home education that I am now trying to figure out what is best for my children. For now, I am going to try a packaged curriculum (A Beka) with my oldest daughter (8) and a variety with my Kindergartner just because she is still so young. And well, my toddler I will just be giving her age appropriate things to do in the mean time.
I of course want to eventually figure out what their learning styles are and I am definitely prepared that each girl will be different. My head is spinning just thinking about it. For all of you moms that have been homeschooling for two years or longer, what do you suggest? I guess because I am just starting out I will have to play around with different learning styles and curriculum’s until I figure out what is best for them. My concern is how pricey some of these curriculum’s tend to be.
I think my curriculum overload began when I attended my first homeschool book sale a few weeks back. Talk about wow! There were so many to choose from. At first I was super excited then that bubble completely burst when I couldn’t figure out what was best. Because I am familiar with A Beka curriculum I just jumped on that for now for third grade. The Learn @ Home series with a variety of supplements is what I will be working with for my Kindergartener.
Have any of you ever tried Time4Learning.com? I have heard mixed reviews about it. I am currently doing a free trial and then doing a blog review for them. So far, the only thing I have noticed that it doesn’t seem to be perfect for complete homeschooling. I see it more as a supplement or summer sharpener. Please share with me your experiences with Time4Learning if any.
I am still also searching for the best foreign language curriculum or program for homeschoolers. If you know of any or are currently using one that has been successful for your children, I would love to hear from you.
I guess I just need the assurance that my feelings are completely normal and I am not going crazy with all my rollercoaster feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to begin this homeschooling journey but boy, do I feel like I am heading into this completely blind. I look forward to your comments and connecting with many of you in the future! Maybe some of you that are also new to homeschooling will be attending Ward Church’s Homeschool Fellowhip in Northville on August 15th at 7pm, If so, I will see you there.
Happy Homeschooling!
Image: Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Well, I can honestly say that our “homeschooling” area has been established and cabinets have been stocked. I am ready to start homeschooling, I think! HA! Well, after attending the “New Homeschoolers” support meeting at Ward Church this past Monday evening a lot of my questions were answered and fears were put to ease. Thanks goodness I am not the only one feeling like I am standing out on a limb heading into this.
One of the biggest topics of the night, and you’ve probably guess it by now, was “SCHEDULES.” One of the main questions I heard asked was;” How is a typical homeschool day usually run?” After quite a few chuckles the answer was simply this: “You have to go with what you’re comfortable with.” There is no right or wrong way of doing it as long as you are educating your children properly and daily.” Some seasoned parents expressed that they “didn’t have any schedules and just went with the flow during the day.” Now, as a major scheduler this will not work for me. I must have a schedule and routine. Other parents in the same boat as myself expressed that they “did have a time when they did what and when.” But, and this is a BIG but….”don’t stress or freak out if you don’t get through everything in one day.” “Only you know your child the best, try to work around what they are comfortable with too.” “With this in mind you may have a happier child and a child who is willing to learn instead of them feeling pressured here and there.”
Wow, okay, so let’s just say after all of this information I came home and changed around my schedule a little bit. Let me just say it was pretty intense and very, very structured. Maybe too much. I don’t want this to become a negative experience that is for sure. And who knows, I may end up changing my schedules a hundred times before the year is out. It’s always good to try things out though right?
As a homeschooling parent, whether new or seasoned, what do you think about homeschooling schedules and what does your “schedule” look like? I most definitely would love to see the differences or the similarities of your schedules. Please feel free to share with us.
~Happy Homeschooling!
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Don’t you just love those wild and crazy roller coasters at amusement parks much like the ones at Cedar Point? I can honestly say that I do and I always get those butterflies in my gut while climbing up that very first hill. The one that really gets me is the Millennium Force at Cedar Point. Traditional and classic roller coasters you usually climb up the hill nice and slow but not with the Millennium Force. As soon as you are strapped in and seated, the ride begins and it takes you up that first steep climb pretty quickly causing extreme butterflies and possible apprehension. That first drop is a big one and not knowing how it will turn out is always the question, right? Well, this pretty much goes for homeschooling, especially being new to the whole adventure.
Right now I feel like I am climbing that hill (not at a slow pace I might add) getting ready to take the first drop and wondering how everything will turn out. The first start of my drop will begin this coming Monday the 29th, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, etc., well, you get the picture. I think by the time I reach the end of that first hill so to speak on Friday I will have a clue as what our homeschooling journey will like. Right now it’s just those endless butterflies and apprehension like I mentioned. I have told myself to relax and the support of homeschooling families have been great but I guess when starting something fresh and new it’s just inevitable to feel this way. Don’t get me wrong I am also VERY excited as sometimes the unknown can be quite a rush at least it was this way in the beginning, now getting closer not so much.
Who is currently climbing that roller coaster hill with me? Are you ready for that first drop? Let’s just throw our arms up to the sky together and begin on this journey the best that we can. Please feel free to share what your homeschooling roller coaster ride has been like. I most definitely would love to hear from you.
Happy Homeschooling!
Image: Boaz Yiftach / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
All I can say is “wheewww” what a week! We did it though, we completed our first homeschooling week and made it safely to the bottom of that homeschooling rollercoaster I had mentioned in a previous post. Was it a smooth ride? Not at all. There were quite a few bumps and obstacles along the way but I think we worked through those now and have an idea of how our schedule will flow. I am so glad that I went with my gut instinct feeling and started this week because after Labor Day the extra curricular activities (dance, piano, and Palaestra classes) will blend into the mix.
Were we able to stay on our homeschooling schedule that I created a few weeks ago? Yes and no. I am realizing that I will need to just use it as a guide and roll with the punches so to speak.
Day #1. I can honestly say that the first day of our homeschooling adventure (Monday, August 29th) was very intense and quite frustrating. How to tackle a third grader, Kindergartener, and a toddler’s schedule was quite challenging to say the least. By the end of the day I was asking myself if this was for me and my family. Of course when starting something new you have to give it time. I can honestly say just after that first day I felt discouraged and was ready to just pull the plug on the whole thing. With much encouragement from my husband and extended family I was able to keep my focus and just keep pushing forward.
Day #2, August 30th, was so much better than day #1. Things started rolling along and I felt as if my girls were actually learning and excited about our new journey.
Day #3, August 31st, made homeschooling an exciting experience, finally. We were really starting to cover some ground all the while potty training my toddler. All I can say for that is WOW!
Day #4, September 1st, was hectic but we rolled smoothly. It was a very productive day!
Day #5, September 2nd. We just did some review and unit studies and called it a day after the morning hours so that we can enjoy Labor Day Weekend as a family!
If you and your family completed your first week as a homeschooling family I would love to hear how your adventure went. Please feel free to share with us your experience.
~Happy Homeschooling!
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Well, last week we officially completed week two of our new homeschooling adventure. Let me just say it was much easier than the first week though we are wholeheartedly trying to establish our own routine and schedules. I thrive on structure and routine so this is a must in our homeschool but I do allow room for flexibility of course. I don’t want to be too hard but I don’t want to be too lenient either. There just has to be some sort of balance or this momma will go crazy nuts and turn into a bear ROOOOAAARRR! Hahaha. Just thought I would throw that in there if any of you out there can relate.
This past week was also exciting for us as we got to experience the “Not Back to School“ picnic over at Trinity Church in Livonia on Wednesday, September 7th. Though it was a very dreary and rainy day many homeschooling families still came out and took advantage of the resources that were made available. We didn’t get to meet new families like we wanted to because of the rain but that’s okay, more events to come I am sure.
Friday morning began the Palaestra adventure. My oldest daughter (8) is taking Fashion Design and my middle daughter (5) is taking a class called “Brain Games” which is a math and language arts supplement. The girls had a blast and look forward to the weeks ahead. I met quite a few new families and a few I have already met through Ward Homeschool Fellowship. I got the awesome opportunity to chat with seasoned and veteran homeschooling moms. This helped me so very much and the main words of advice I received, (and these same words may help you as well), is “get to know your children first.” “Even if it takes a few weeks just really get to know your kids.” “Don’t worry about curriculum as of yet.” This made so much sense to me and words that I most definitely have taken to heart. Though we already started our curriculum, I do plan on setting a side special times throughout each day just to get to know my children in a different light so to speak.
I would love to hear how your homeschooling journey has been. In the weeks ahead I not only will be talking about our experiences but I will also share recipe ideas for kids, projects, etc. Please feel free to share with me your ideas as well. Homeschooling families need each other!
~Happy Homeschooling!
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It is hard to believe that this past week has marked our third week of homeschooling. I can honestly say it has definitely been an adventure but is it normal to feel this exhausted in the beginning? Ha ha! It’s getting better now considering that the nights leading up to homeschooling I was not getting much sleep due to excitement and nerves. (Plus my gears were constantly spinning, bet you can relate)!
We are gearing up for our very first homeschooling field trip coming up on week four. Palaestra families will be meeting out at Erwin Orchards for apple picking, cider and donuts, and a Bee 3-D adventure movie. The girls are beyond excited and I can’t wait to meet more families. This past Friday, September 16th, I got the privilege of meeting two new families at Palaestra, let me just say this excited me beyond words. When you started homeschooling did you feel like a fish out of water? I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect with families since I noticed many have already been homeschooling for a while establishing solid those connections. Thankfully, these wonderful families have welcomed me and other newbies with open arms.
How is your journey unfolding? I would love to hear from you, don’t be shy!
~Happy Homeschooling =)
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Happy fall to all my fellow homeschooling families. I can’t believe that we are a month in on this adventure. So much more is unfolding each day and routines are finally starting to fall into place. I can honestly say I had a couple dark days these past couple of weeks but we made it through and we are now back on track, thank goodness. What do I mean by dark days? Well, I was having my doubts and was starting to feel like a failure in this whole thing. I was really just ready to just chuck it all and send them back to school. I was starting to feel like I wasn’t cut out for this. In all honesty, I know that my family is supposed to be doing this and the battles in my mind were there to discourage us as a whole. We fought the battle and won. I had to come to the realization that “I am not supermom” and that I am not “perfect.” No way, really? Mom’s aren’t perfect? What a shocker right? HA! I guess we wouldn’t need any of this if we were perfect so I am glad that this opportunity has surfaced and has now become a reality that I have now accepted. Talk about phewww! I guess my flaw being new to homeschooling is thinking everything has to be completed on the schedule in a single day. I need to learn to be flexible and realize it’s not going to be like that. I think I am finally broken of this mentality and can homeschool with peace. Communicating with other families has been very helpful too.
Now enough of this drama (sarcastic sigh) and on to homeschooling itself. Last Wednesday we got to go on our very first homeschooling field trip to Erwin Orchards in South Lyon. So many families from Palaestra showed up. It was a blast. We got to experience a wagon ride and go apple picking and enjoy a refreshing cup of apple cider and scrumptious donut. Afterwards the children enjoyed a Bee 3D Adventure. Very awesome and something you should check out. Very clever idea to say the least. The weather was perfect and we all just had an awesome time.
We are now looking forward to our very first “Fun Friday” with other Ward Homeschool Fellowship Families. We are registered and ready to roll on Friday, October 7th. The children will be making kites and having an open gym experience with other children. My girls are looking forward to that.
My family will be heading out of town this weekend. We will be taking our homeschooling adventures on the road with us to experience Michigan’s autumn beauty. Pretty excited about that.
Next week I will be sharing about our academic adventures and how the curriculum I have chosen seems to be working for my girls.
~Happy Homeschooling
Photo by Lindsey Clair
This past week has by far been our most unique of homeschooling experiences. We took a trip up north for the week and did our homeschooling in our family’s cabin. It was a blast. We took a nature walk in the wonderful woods and collected the most amazing colors and contrasts of leaves that I have ever seen. The beauty of autumn in Michigan is just breaktaking.
The girls learned about fire pit safety and how to behave around a camp fire. They got to collect the sticks and help with the wood as they helped their daddy build an awesome fire. They were awestruck at how quickly a fire can start. They also got to experience grilling hot dogs on an open camp fire. I never have seen my girls gobble up a hot dog like I did that day. They just seem to taste so much better, YUM! And of course after our yummy hot dog meal we roasted marshmallows and built smores. They really just enjoyed eating the toasted marshmallows alone. Not me though, I basically inhaled the gooey goodness of the smores, haha!
We took a short road trip further up state to Mackinac City (one of our most favorite places on earth). Our oldest daughter (8) got to learn about the history behind this magnificent city. We usually take a ferry ride over to Mackinac Island but we decided to stay in the city for the day. One day we would like to go to the fort to really learn some rich history. Their daddy taught them how to skip rocks. Yeah, that was a very competitive experience haha. Our sweet 2 year old even tried skipping a few rocks or two, too cute.
It was all in all a very productive week for our family. They did some much needed chores up there which was a nice change for them as well.
While we were gone my brother and his wife had their second baby. It was tough not being in town for the blessed event. The girls were in love with the pictures that were forwarded to us and got to slightly learn about the miracle of birth. So it was indeed a very eventful week for all of us. We did get to rest thank goodness and just enjoy our time together as a family. We most definitely did not want to return home as we love it so much up there but like they say, “all good things must come to an end.” We look forward to our next trip up.
It was exciting to be able to just pack the family up and do school anywhere we wanted. I can honestly say if my girls were still in a brick and mortar setting we most definitely would not have planned this trip so randomly. The flexibility of homeschooling is by far my favorite of our whole new experience.
The girls still enjoy their co-op classes on Fridays and got to experience their first homeschooling “Fun Day” with Ward Homeschool Fellowship families. They made kites and had open gym which is nice for all the kids to mingle and create new friendships.
I would love to hear how your homeschooling journey is going. Please feel free to share your experiences.
~Happy Homeschooling
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Happy Fall! It’s finally starting to feel like autumn here in good ole’ Michigan. Don’t get me wrong, I love the warm weather but when it’s time to transition into a new season let’s just get on with it! I know I am not alone in this, right? (sigh) Anyways, with autumn in full swing I am so excited to be doing things with my girls in a different light. For example, instead of picking a pumpkin off of a hill at a cider mill, we will be taking a trip to a pumpkin patch and picking out our own pumpkins. Stuff like this excites me as a new homeschooling mom.
How was our week? Well, I can honestly say that this past week has been pretty productive. The girls are moving along and doing great in their learning and I am starting to really enjoy being their teacher. Yes, there are still those challenges that get in the way but hey, it’s all how we learn and grow in this process. The girls are currently reviewing some educational toys that will be sharing very soon. One of the toys happens to be a science experiment that my oldest daughter and I will be doing tomorrow. When the experiment is completed I will post some pictures in my next post.
Anyways, this past Tuesday and Wednesday my oldest daughter took the MEAP at her old school. Yes, I know I let her take the public school MEAP test. How that came about was her old principal said that many school districts open their doors to homeschoolers even the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) test. Because she will not be measured with the school’s scores she is marked as a homeschooler and her scores go directly to me as the educator to see what she needs work on. Of course I couldn’t say no to this opportunity. She completed the reading portion and will complete the math portion next week. I am curious to see what she scores on both subjects. After she completed the test on Wednesday, the 13th, the principal offered us gym, P.E, art, and music. This is something I will have to think about as I really would rather my oldest daughter to get acquainted and establish friendships with new homeschooling families. Ugh, what am I to do?
On Friday mornings we still enjoy the classes at Palaestra. It’s always a chance to reconnect with other families and friends. I am so beyond excited at the relationships we are building. It is so different than that of relationships with parents in public schools as the connections are on a deeper level.
We are looking forward to some events coming up one being a tour at a chocolate factory, can’t wait! I will share with you those details as they come up.
Happy Homeschooling~
Image: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
It is so hard to believe that this week has marked our eighth week homeschooling. So very exciting! I can honestly say that though it went by fairly quickly, it was also the longest 8 weeks of my life. Does that even make any sense? If you are new to homeschooling, you definitely know what I mean by that, HA! We have officially been broken of strict schedules and routines. Though yes, we still follow schedules and routines to keep things flowing, I don’t feel like I have to be by the book so to speak anymore. I have learned to be flexible and just change it up if I need to. For example, I realized just these past few weeks (upon hearing it from other homeschooling families), that if you don’t get a subject or two completed in a single day, IT”S OKAY, that’s right it’s okay. I was skeptical of this at first because if you are familiar with the A Beka Curriculum you know that there is no falling behind allowed. It just keeps on going which could potentially cause your child to become lost. I discovered this a couple times when we went out of town. So, I came up with a “Homeschool Homework System.” Basically, what this is is if my oldest daughter sweet pea (8) doesn’t complete her work after instruction and by the time we move forward with our next lesson, she has the rest of the week to complete it all, all the while learning the next lesson. This leaves us room to discuss anything she may not understand but also stay caught up. It has been working thus far. Who wants an ugly learning experience anyways? I am trying so hard to make learning a fun experience rather than a by the book experience. This is my goal.
On a different not, this week has been pretty calm. My two youngest daughters; cupcake (5) and jelly bean (2) have had a great time playing with a toy that we have been reviewing for a Michigan based educational toy company. My oldest daughter; sweet pea(8) conducted an experiment with growing glow in the dark crystals from the same company. I could elaborate on that now, but I won’t until the upcoming review post. Let’s just say things aren’t going as planned with the experiment and we are just a little disappointed at this point. But that’s okay, sweet pea still did learn a lot of things regarding chemicals, etc. Stay tuned for our review post coming next week!
FALL RECIPE FUN
Image: Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Have you tried baking a new fall recipe lately with your homeschooler? We have had a blast trying out new recipes and have become addicted. Not only is it a blast teaching children how to bake but the end results are oh so yummy! We are still working on our cookbook. I will keep you updated on that as we go along. Right now it’s coming along very slowly but I think it’s because we have had to adjust to homeschooling altogether. I found a new recipe that we will most definitely be trying over the weekend. “Pumpkin Cupcakes” YUM! You can check out this mouth watering recipe over at Homeschool Articles.
Here are a few other fall recipes you may be interested in trying with your homeschoolers, these are also via Pinterest if you are a fan!
Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate
Don’t these sound just fabulous? I can’t wait to try a few if not all of these before the autumn season is out. What about you? Have any yummy fall recipes to share with us that have been a success with your homeschoolers? Please do share, I crave new ideas.
NEXT WEEK: We will be taking a visit to the chocolate factory on Monday for a group homeschool tour. Can’t wait to share our experience and post pics. Have a great fall weekend!
~Happy Homeschooling~
Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I can’t believe we are in the final week of October. This month has definitely breezed by, wouldn’t you say so? I can’t fathom that Christmas is just around the corner already. Do you have your Christmas lists ready to go? If you do, GOOD FOR YOU! I am just not as motivated to complete my shopping this early on though I know the benefits are very great if you do complete it early. How about those motivated parents out there who already have their Christmas shopping completed? If that is you, you rock! I guess I should worry about getting over the next hump and that being THANKSGIVING!
Homeschooling Week 9
Image by Lindsey Clair
On Monday, October 24th, we took a homeschool field trip to Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Northville. It was a blast as you can see in one of the pics. Our Tour Guide did an amazing job with the kids. In the pic she is showing us how they make chocolate molds. I believe this one was either a pumpkin or a football (she showed us both). The kids got to dip their own pretzels and decorate them along with decorating their very own chocolate bar. It was a yummy time for everyone. I think that this was our best and favorite homeschool field trip thus far. Can you say CHOCOLATE? YUMMM!
That same evening, my two oldest girls (8) and (5) had a costume party at ballet and tap. They both enjoyed parading around their costumes (A Barbie, and a Princess) and passing around and receiving yummy treats. A fun time was had by all.
Image by Lindsey Clair
Thursday, October 27th, we took a trip to the pumpkin patch. We were supposed to have done this last week and just never got around to it. So in the unpredictable crazy fall Michigan weather we had that day, we just went with gusto and picked our pumpkins. They had a blast even though their little hands were freezing and we got all muddy. So much fun, HA HA! When we returned home, we were excited to see a beautiful rainbow form over our home then slowly turned into a double rainbow. The girls were beyond excited at the beauty of this rainbow. You could literally pick out every single color as the sun was hitting it beautifully behind the dark and mysterious clouds. It was truly awesome.
Image by Lindsey Clair
On Friday, October 28th, was our Palaestra day. The girls took part in their very first “Pressed Leaves” contest. The true Palaestra title is “Fall Leafs Me Happy Contest.“ Isn’t that so cute? They had such a blast with their creation. I may be partial but their creation turned out amazing! Pics of their creation along with results will be posted next week.
Are you currently looking for some unique yet fun and creative craft/art project ideas? Here are a few your children may enjoy. You can also change it up to make it age appropriate if need be.
Creative Craft/Art Ideas
Drawing Ideas
Painting and Printmaking Projects
Paper and Fabric Arts
Crafts using Clay and Plaster
All of these fantastic projects can be found on Familyfun.com
Happy Homeschooling~
Image: Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Welcome to November. Thanksgiving is coming and I am so excited. I love this time of year as it reminds me to be truly thankful. As a new homeschooling family, I am on a mission to make sure my children really do understand the meaning behind Thanksgiving as I hear so many just refer to the day as “Turkey” day. Sure, we have yummy turkey on this day to honor the Pilgrims and Indians of the very first Thanksgiving feast, but I really want them to understand the reasons and importance of being thankful. I have a few fun learning projects lined up to to reinforce this and can’t wait to post pics when they are completed. Stay tuned for that.
Homeschooling Week 10
This week was quite challenging for our family. The flu hit two out of three of my children. It fortunately did not spread to my oldest daughter or to my husband and thankfully, yours truly. Can you say disinfect and sanitize? HA! Yeah I went a little crazy with that but it seemed to work so far. My 2 year old got hit the hardest and kept me up three nights in a row. Well, our schedules most definitely got thrown off and I am so exhausted but I think we are getting right back on track.
The end of our homeschool quarter was on Monday and I got to issue cupcake and sweet pea their homeschool report cards. They are doing great and I am really proud of them. The smiles on their faces were so priceless as this was their very first (non-public school) report card. And yay, no conferences haha! I guess I just get to talk to myself? I can handle that.
Sweet pea (8) is currently working on a Laura Ingalls Wilder Lapbook. It’s coming along splendidly. When it’s completed I will post pics. She is so excited to be doing research as she loves Little House on the Prairie books.
Image by Lindsey Clair
I mentioned last week that the girls entered a leaf contest ( pic on the left) at Palaestra. Since it was our first time we most definitely did not know what we were up against and my goodness the creativity was beyond amazing. They unfortunately did not win but received a recognition certificate. We know now the degree of creativity we can get with this particular contest. So much fun.
On Tuesday evening, sweet pea started Pioneer Girls Club at Ward Church in Northville. She just loves it. I can’t wait to see what comes of it in the months ahead. Next Tuesday night is father/daughter night. That should be a fun time for sweet pea and her daddy.
What cause will you be supporting this Thanksgiving with your family? We will be doing a food pantry for inner-city children and I can’t wait to get my girls involved for the first time.
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
“I’m dreaming of a white, Christmas.” Okay so not really, not just yet. I just thought it was fitting with the snow showers that we briefly experienced on Thursday, November 10th in the afternoon/evening. I am not one for snow (gotta love the post pic right, feeling cold yet?) but I must admit, it sure was pretty to watch. My girls just couldn’t resist and turned on the radio (100.3 WNIC) for Christmas music to set the mood. It would have worked but we don’t have our Christmas tree up as of yet, not until Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to our Thanksgiving Day family tradition. We watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, eat cinnamon rolls and drink hot chocolate all the while putting up our tree and Christmas decorations. I love that we are creating life long memories for our girls as I remember all of our traditions growing up.
Homeschool week 11
This week by far has been the most unique of our homeschooling journey. I woke up on Monday morning, November 7th, with Pink Eye! Ugh! I was pretty shocked to say the least. Why? All my years teaching and working with children I was never infected with this thing and I saw more than enough pink eye to last a lifetime. Now that I am homeschooling I get Pink Eye? Ha, I know it’s a coincidence I just thought it was pretty comical that it turned out this way. Anyways, it was a miserable experience which made homeschooling a whole lot more fun let me tell you (sarcastic giggle). But, we got through it and my eye is better now thanks to good ole’ home remedies. Baking Soda and water did the trick for me. I tried a couple other remedies but didn’t seem to really work that well. It was definitely a learning experience for the girls. They were told to wash their hands I don’t know how many times that day.
Image by Ron Clair
To add to my pink eye we have been dealing with our precious family pet and the fact he is getting old and pushing through severe arthritis. It got so bad we thought it was the end for our sweet Alaskan Malamute Bailey, but he is doing well and we will just love on him even if we don’t know when the end will be. Talk about another experience. We had to talk about death this week. It was tough but we got through it.
We are still working on lapbooks and other projects which I will post when they are completed. My oldest daughter took her daddy to father/daughter night at Pioneer Girls held at Ward Church on Tuesday night, November 8th, 2011. She was just beaming with joy that her daddy was taking her. I couldn’t have been more thrilled.
The girls attended their normal Palaestra day and attended WHSF’s Fun Friday. The children put together a timeline of events, birthdays, etc. that took place on November 11th in years past. My girls did theirs on the oldest fossils being discovered on November 11, 1988. They were 350 million years old. Pretty cool. They also got to have open gym time with their homeschooling friends and enjoy special surprises provided by WHSF. (Ward Homeschool Fellowship)
Next week, the girls will be learning how to make a decorative cake, I cannot wait to post pics of the outcome. Have a great weekend!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I am so excited that Thanksgiving is next week that means Christmas is just around the corner! WHOOT! I am thankful for so many things this year as our family has been through so much these past few years. We have overcome obstacles that I never thought that we would have to overcome but we made it and I am here and I am blessed to be surrounded by three beautiful daughters and a wonderful husband. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
Homeschooling Week 12
Our Homeschooling week went pretty well. I had to exercise my “flexibility” muscles so to speak as we had a lot come up. As I have mentioned in previous posts I am not one for spontaneity. Everything has to be organized and on time. I am getting better though and it was easier for me to be flexible and move things around. Was I happy about it? Absolutely not, haha. I like having my schedules but my girls are teaching me a lot about myself in that area, I am sure you can relate in some way, shape, or form right?
Image by Lindsey Clair
Last Friday, the girls attended their second Fun Friday at Ward Church through Ward Homeschool Fellowship. The children put together a timeline for anything that took place on November 11th in years past. My oldest daughter (8) did a brief report on science discovering the world’s oldest insect fossils on November 11, 1988. They were found to be 350 million years old. She did very well presenting in front of everyone. She was nervous at first but I think she did a great job.
My 5 year old enjoyed making cupcakes from scratch for her class at Palaestra. Will post pics next week. It was a great cooking lesson and math lesson as well as she learned about measuring. That was most definitely a fun math class as it included chocolate. Gotta love that!!!!
I am very excited to say that my toddler has reached a milestone with our homeschooling journey. She now automatically plays with her toys, etc. while I am doing instruction with the other girls. The first few weeks were rough because she demanded all of my attention. Phewww, I think we made it over the first hurdle with her. Now if I can just get her potty trained……..
My 8 year old is still working on her History project. She is creating a lapbook in honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder and it’s almost completed. Will most definitely be posting a pic of the end product. I gave her a deadline to have it finished by Thanksgiving for accountability reasons. She started work on it in September so it’s coming along nicely.
Because next week will be a short week I will be posting on Wednesday, November 23rd. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. It came and went so quickly. Now our focus is on the Christmas season. Do you have your Christmas shopping completed? I am almost done but there is still so much to be done. Before we know it Christmas will be gone as fast as it came. Let’s just really take this time to enjoy our families and friends during this time.
Homeschool weeks 13 & 14
Since last week was Thanksgiving I made a decision to just take the full week off. We hadn’t had any time off since we started the end of August. Don’t get me wrong, I kept the girls quite busy with Thanksgiving projects, etc. My oldest (8) completed her Laura Ingalls Wilder Lapbook. It turned out adorable. I will post pics next week. They also had fun making cornucopias out of sugar cones, vanilla frosting, and fruit shaped fruit snacks. I unfortunately did not get any pictures but here is a link to give you an idea of what they made…Sugar-Cone Cornucopias. They also made pilgrim hats out of marshmallows, fudge striped cookies, melted chocolate chips, and frosting. The girls also enjoyed decorating placemats for our family Thanksgiving Feast. It was a joyous time filled with lots of food. I feel full again just thinking about it.
Image by Lindsey Clair
This week we started on some Christmas craft fun as you can see in the pics. Today they did Christmas stocking lacing crafts. They were $2 a set at Target and absolutely adorable. I will post pics also next week. They sprinkled cinnamon on their gingerbread people to give a lovely Christmas smell. The Wreaths and Christmas tree were just paper craft fun that they thoroughly enjoyed. I had fun with my creations as well. It’s just fun to get involved and have a great time too. Hey, it makes me feel like a kid, how about you? Ha Ha! Love it!
Fridays they continue with their classes at Palaestra. We will be starting new classes next month already. My oldest is thinking of taking weaving or sewing and my (5) year old will be taking a class called “Reading Adventures.” If you haven’t had a chance to check out Palaestra, please do. It’s an amazing experience for the homeschooling family as a whole.
Happy Homeschooling!
Lindsey
Image by Lindsey Clair
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. I am not much for snow but I do love it when there is snow around Christmas, it just isn’t the same without it. Honestly, just with that little snow we had earlier in the week, it almost got me in the Christmas spirit. If we can get a nice and beautiful blanket of snow for Christmas it will…..well, feel like Christmas. I guess I am nostalgic that way. I don’t know about you but I remember growing up and it always seemed like there was snow on the ground for Christmas, especially here in good ole’ Michigan. It doesn’t even feel like December to me right now. Is it the weather? I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.
Homeschool Week 15
Well, wow! Our homeschool has hit week 15 and we are doing alright, haha! It’s coming along and I found a schedule I think we can stick with from time to time with less stress on myself. We try to end our instruction by lunch time. If there is any work left over it goes in a “work” folder and they finish it to stay caught up. It seems to be working out for all of us and it is helping me “Deschool gently.”
Here is a pic of the Laura Ingalls Lapbook that I mentioned last week. Sweet Pea (8), did a pretty good job considering it was her very first lapbook. She started the lapbook in September. I gave her a deadline for accountability purposes. She had until Thanksgiving. Sweet Pea put
finishing touches on it the night before her deadline. I was proud of her for her dedication to the project. She is looking forward to starting her next lapbook project.
Lapbooks are pretty simple if you know what you are doing. I can honestly say in the beginning I was a little confused at what lapbooks consist of as I had never even heard of them prior to homeschooling or maybe I have heard of them and just didn’t give them a second thought. Lapbooks are so educational and we love the idea of them.
Have you done lapbooks with your kids? Would love to hear on what topics or people. We are trying to get good ideas. For this particular lapbook I let her choose a person from history whom she’d be interested in learning about. I was excited that she picked Laura Ingalls Wilder as I always loved learning about her as well and reading the books and watching the series.
This week was a pretty exciting week besides completing the lapbook. Cup Cake (5), is officially reading, YAY! I have her reading at the first grade level. She is so very proud and just loves reading. Sugar Bean (2.5), drew an amazing snowman (pic next week). I was amazed at the detail her being a toddler and all. I will most definitely be starting her with preschool work in the spring as she is turning 3. I think she will be ready by then.
Both school-aged girls will be continuing next semester at Palaestra with the classes they are currently taking. Sweet Pea adores Fashion Design. Her class has taught her so much on the subject. Her first sketch for a doll was in Palaestra’s art show on Thursday night, December 8th. She was so excited. Will post a pic in week 16 of our journey. Next semester they will be learning how to sew and apply their sketches with fabric and start creating. Sweet Pea is so beyond excited about that. She will need to teach her mommy a thing or two about sewing basics, haha! Cup Cake will continue with Brain Games but on a new level. They changed the name for next semester to Lollipop Logic. Cup Cake is looking forward to this reading and language arts supplement class and so is mommy!
How is your homeschooling journey going? Would love to hear from you. I am always eager to meet new homeschooling families and hear their ideas.
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
I’m still dreaming of a white Christmas. Do you think it’s possible? I don’t know, this slight heat wave we have been having is just not the face of December that is for sure. Oh well, snow or not I still plan on celebrating with my family as I know you are looking forward to Christmas traditions with your family.
Homeschool Week 16
This week was full of baking and gingerbread fun. On Monday, we packed up the car and headed over to grandma’s house for some Christmas cookie baking. We made three types of Christmas goodies:
- Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Cinnamon-Nut Crescent Rolls: (These included a yummy cinnamon roll type frosting drizzled on top, YUM)!
- 7 Layer Cookies
The girls thoroughly enjoyed all three experiences as not only was it a chance to work with goodies but a chance to learn about recipes and how they come together. Mommy of course loved the experience as well it was so delish! haha! We are still enjoying the Christmas goodness.
Image by Lindsey Clair
On Tuesday, we packed up and headed to the other grandma’s house and created a gingerbread village. It was so much fun as you can see in the pic but let’s just say it didn’t start out that way. The frosting was being stubborn and didn’t want to bond the gingerbread together. Our little houses just kept caving in. When we finally got them to hold, the results were super cute!
On Tuesday night, Sweet Pea (8) and I headed to her Christmas party at Pioneer Girls at Ward Church in Northville. The night started out with Christmas carols. Then the girls made a Christmas tree craft and learned about the Candy Cane. Afterwards they enjoyed some yummy ice cream and cookies. The night concluded with songs and a cute little Christmas skit. It was a fun experience for everyone involved.
Because the girls didn’t have dance classes on Monday night or Palaestra on Friday, we had some extra free time. The girls got to pick out Christmas gifts for the grandparents and aunts and uncles out of the dollar bins at Target. My goodness did they have a blast with that!
Is your family ready for Christmas? Is all your shopping completed? I am excited to say that I am finished with my major shopping I just need to pick up a few stocking stuffers etc., and we are good to go!
I want to wish all the homeschooling families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you again in the New Year! We will be continuing with week 17 the first week of January 2012! The last couple weeks of 2011 will just be enrichment based and Christmas fun. See you next year! Haha!
~Happy Homeschooling
Lindsey
Image: Matt Banks / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
August 2011
The last week of August we began our homeschooling journey. Let me just say it was one of the toughest things I have ever faced. Being a teacher I thought it would not be a problem, boy was I wrong. The first week was so disorganized and just too long most days. Behaviors were uncontrollable at times and my sleep patterns were disrupted due to stress. Did I make the wrong decision? At that time I thought I was going to lose my mind. I clearly didn’t know what I was doing and needed to connect with the homeschool community ASAP. Our first week was VERY dark and discouraging. Would we be able to adjust? Was homeschooling right for my family? Only time would tell.
September 2011
The month of September was our “get hooked into the homeschooling community/get to know each other better month.” I was very fortunate to have found homeschooling support pretty quickly. Ward Homeschool Fellowship of Northville, was a life saver for me as well as Palaestra. Just those alone helped me meet amazing families to keep me encouraged and focused. Were things getting easier in our little homeschool? Heck no! It seemed harder if anything. My girls just did not get along and mommy was losing patience and frustrated all the time. School work was a pain in the neck. It was until I met a homeschooling mother who told me it will just take the first couple months getting to know each other even if it means putting academics on the shelf for the time being. Character-building was our new subject for the month. While I am one not to put things aside we still did academics but shifted it slightly into other things which included character-building. Was I beginning to see a glimpse of hope?
October 2011
Something most definitely needed to change by the time we hit the good old month of October. Because I am a former Pre-K teacher, I thrived on lesson plans and tight schedules. Yes, some of this was good to have but this momma had to learn to be flexible and not be so worried about completing everything in one day. Oh goodness did I ever struggle with that. Would it get better?
November 2011
By this point in time I realized that our homeschool days were just too long. I didn’t know how to just relax at times and my days were just downright stressful and I was becoming a crabby mother whom nobody wanted to be around, poor hubby. It was at Palaestra I met another mother who told me to try just doing all of our academics in the morning and quitting at noon. If any work was not completed they could finish it on their own time. This sounded like the perfect idea and it took so much stress off when I discovered it worked for us! Yahoo, I feel free and happier and my children are happier. This is where I created a “work” folder for them to place unfinished works in for the afternoon. Works like a charm.
December 2011
This was by far the funnest month I have ever experienced with my children considering it was our first Christmas as homeschoolers. We took days to just complete fun Christmas crafts and recipes all the while learning. I became the most flexible I have ever been and it was a joy being a homeschooling family. Busy? Oh yes, there was constantly stuff going on as I am sure you can relate but it was so nice being in control of all of our plans without worrying about this or that. Would I be ready to start a fresh new year with a fresh perspective on homeschooling? Absolutely!
January 2012
Well, here we are in the new year and here I am excited to move forward in home education. So much to do but with all the time in the world, gotta love it!
Welcome 2012, we are ready to tackle you! I can say that our little homeschool has come a long way in such a short amount a time. So very blessed and thankful for this opportunity.
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
Wow, it’s hard to believe that we have hit week 17 as a new homeschooling family. Where does the time go? It’s funny though, and maybe you can relate, even when the hours just speed on by there are still some days that just don’t seem to go fast enough? Make any sense? HA! I know you know what I mean, especially if you have little ones. Even on those types of days I am learning to just soak even the hardest moments in because well, it won’t last and they will eventually grow up and not need me like this anymore (sniff, sniff, tear, tear). I definitely could use some encouragement from seasoned or veteran homeschoolers right about now……Please feel free to share any advice, I will definitely take it all in.
Homeschooling week 17
We have had a pretty interesting week. On top of our learning the girls got to make some really neat things. On Wednesday, January 11, we took a field trip over to a good friend’s house where she shared with us the secrets of her amazing cake making business (Kimi’s Custom Cakes). The Barbie cake you see below is Sweet Pea’s creation. Sweet Pea and Cupcake were instructed on these masterpieces and they did a pretty amazing job with the help of their talented instructor. The girls were so very proud of their creations and the styles most definitely showcase their personalities. They don’t even look like cakes they look so real. The girls are dreading cutting their amazing cake creations and I definitely don’t blame them. I told them we can print out the pics that we took and I can frame them. They were very excited about this as these are their own personal Barbies.
On Thursday, January 12, the girls got to put their painting skills to work. Their Grandma, A.K.A Geegum (my mom) put this project together for them and they all had a blast. It was fun watching their little eyes concentrate on every detail. They are looking forward to hanging them on the tree outside my parent’s window where we do homeschooling on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. Birds are always in this tree so it will be very fun and educational to watch them be used. My parents live out in the country so this makes it all the more special.
The girls are coming along swimmingly in their learning. This Friday morning, January 13, was their last day of Brain Games and Fashion Design for the semester at Palaestra. They have thoroughly enjoyed their very first homeschooling classes. I signed them up to continue in these classes where they will be learning more than what they learned the first round. Brain Games will now become Lollipop Logic and the Fashion Design class will be learning how to sew and create. Sweet Pea (8) is super excited!
The Sweet Pea (8.5) and Cup Cake (5) are currently working on piano recital pieces for the end of spring recital. This will be Cup Cake’s very first recital and we are so very proud of her. It has been fun yet a challenge being their piano teacher, yes I play piano haha. I have been playing since I was 4. We have a whole line of musicians in our family so it’s only natural for the legacy to continue right? Well, it’s most definitely in their blood and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Sweet Pea is picking up stuff pretty fast that she is advancing pretty quickly. She is playing her very first jazz piece and it’s coming along very well. One blessed momma!
Sweet Pea and Cup Cake are also preparing for their spring dance recital. Sweet Pea is in her first year of Tap Dance and Cup Cake is in her second year of Ballet. We are so excited to see the performance this year as last year it was phenomenal. Central City Dance of Canton put on amazing performances. Such talented children.
Well, I hope you have a wonderful and restful weekend with your family. We are looking forward to tackling another week. How about you?
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
Wow, have we actually seen a glimpse of winter here in good old Michigan? My girls are wanting a really big system to blow through just once so that they can have the joy of sledding and building a snowman. Originally, I am completely against the snow and cold. Give me 80 and 90 degree weather and I am one happy camper, hey it’s in my blood can’t help it, haha. But, I must say I remember having so much fun as a kid playing in the snow which seems like we always had from November to February/March. I guess if we really want to take advantage of a winter wonderland we should pack the family up and head up north for a weekend because all of that snow action is alive and well up there, so I have heard.
Homeschool Week 18
This week was a pretty laid back week. On Monday, I chose to take a day off as it was a much needed day off. We have been going full speed for quite a while not only with our homeschooling but with dance, piano, and other extracurricular activities. It most definitely has been a blast either way as I love the flexibility that homeschooling brings. As Michigan homeschoolers we are truly blessed at how much flexibility we are allowed and we need to make sure we are fighting for our right. Just yesterday, I received an email from HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association), regarding the Michigan State Board targeting homeschoolers. You can click here to read the original article if you haven’t already. I most definitely do not want to take our freedom for granted. It’s important to stay alert on what is going on around us as homeschoolers. This I am learning very quickly as a new homeschooling family.
Image by Lindsey Clair
This week we have been making our own wall art. We thought we would decorate our walls with some cuteness before we have to do cosmetic painting to sell our home. You can bet I am taking a ton of pictures before this is all said and done, haha! The girls have so many ideas up their sleeves I can’t wait to see what they come up with. (Sorry for the smudge in the picture on the left, I think little peanut butter fingers got a hold of my phone) 
On Friday, Sweet Pea (8) and Cup Cake (5) started their classes for the winter semester at Palaestra. They are most definitely excited! Sweet Pea will be taking Fashion Design II for Third to Fifth graders. Basically, last semester they sketched their creations. This semester they will be learning to sew then create. Sweet Pea cannot wait to get her hands on that needle and thread as she has been practicing here at home. Cup Cake will be taking a class called: “Lollipop Logic.” It’s pretty much like the other class “Brain Games” but more concepts have been added. Cup Cake is excited because she gets to have the same teacher. She just loves her!
Just to ease my own curiosity, what curriculum are you using with your homeschoolers? I am trying to round up ideas for this coming fall. I am thinking of sticking with A Beka Book because it’s going really well but I also want to weigh all my options.
Happy Homeschooling!
It’s hard to believe that we are in the final week of January! Where did the time go? It literally seems like yesterday we were opening gifts under the Christmas tree. Well, I most definitely will not complain. The closer to spring and summer we get, the better!
Homeschool Week 19
Well, this week was full of surprises and schedule changes. What? You mean you are not shocked by this little bit of information? Haha! As homeschooling parents we know that there is no such thing as strict schedules and routines. Sure, it’s a good thing to implement them and try to follow them when we possibly can but do they always stick? Absolutely not! For example, the beginning of the week was supposed to be full of appointments and activities from dentist to dance etc. My busy schedule was axed to nothing! The sickies decided to knock on our door and force it’s way in to infect my oldest daughter and I. Sweet Pea’s (8.5) allergies bothered her and tend to do so when the weather patterns shift like they have been doing. Her allergies then turned on her and she was knocked down with a fever. So strange. Me? Well, I got hit hard with a head and chest cold and boy did it suck the life out of me. It was terrible. I had a few friends that just recovered from pneumonia so I know that that was going around, yikes! So, because of all this craziness our homeschooling week was well…. quite dull and boring. Nothing to report, ugh. We disinefected our home with natural cleaning products. Does that count as educational? (sarcastic laugh)
Hopefully next week we will be back into the full swing of things and I will have educational things to talk about. Hey, isn’t it nice to know I am a human being? (LOL) I mean I wish I was supermom but oh well, there will be pics and info next time, or will there be? Sorry, feeling a little on the sarcastic side today but it’s with a side of humor. Gotta have a sense of humor in times like these, wouldn’t you agree?
Everyone have a blessed weekend and stay healthy!
Happy Homeschooling!
Welcome to February! Wow, it’s hard to believe we hit week 20 of our homeschooling journey! I can honestly say I am very pleased with the progress we have made since starting the end of August 2011. Has it been easy? Definitely not, but now that we are deep into our homeschooling I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It is been a blessing homeschooling my children. I am starting to see some positive changes in their behavior too, YAY!
Homeschooling Week 20
We thankfully had a healthy week this week compared to last week. If you remember last week I mentioned that we really didn’t get anything accomplished due to sickies that entered our doors but we played catch up this week and things are going very well.
Thursday, February 2, we went to Michael’s Craft Store (My fave) to pick up some valentines supplies for our crafts this coming week. It was an absolute blast as you can see in the picture below, the deals were awesome! What will we be creating? Well, you will have to wait and see the finished products in next week’s post! Can’t wait! We will be making special Valentine’s for family and friends. One of them involves candy making. Yeah, couldn’t resist that! What’s Valentine’s Day without candy right?
On Thursday, February 2nd, I received an invite to participate in an early reading program for my 5 year old. It’s called Funnex Reading Program. We can’t wait to get started on it. Cup Cake (5) is doing so well with her reading, she just loves it!
I am also excited to say that we officially have a potty trained 2.5 year old! Hurray! Jelly Bean must have finally gotten a revelation of the concept because she has been going #1 and #2 pretty well. Well, okay #1 as we know can be tricky with toddlers as they get so caught up in playing they tend to forget. Jelly Bean will run down the hall to the potty but not quite make it, but as long as she knows that we are good to go.
Today, Friday, February 3rd, they had Palaestra classes in the morning and Fun Friday through Ward Homeschool Fellowship. Today was bike day! This was the first time Jelly Bean will be riding along with us to a Fun Friday! She is very excited.
I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed weekend! I am looking forward to spring and summer how about you? Not that winter has been that bad but still, I am rooting for warmer temperatures!
Happy Homeschooling!
Who is loving this sunny and slightly warmer weather? Sense a little hint of sarcasm? Hehe! I know, winter didn’t really hit our state like it usually does but one can only hope we will stay this mild all the way until spring. Can you believe that technically spring is next month?
Homeschool Week 21
This week was a fun yet busy week in the Clair household. We got a lot accomplished and just in time for our family trip up north this next week. We will be taking our homeschooling adventures along for the ride. So looking forward to a change of scenery and family bonding time. I will post pics of our trip the following week.
Tuesday, February 7th, we had a busy day. We did our homeschool schedule out at my mom and dad’s ranch and then attended our first homeschool “gym” day. All three girls had a blast with that, even Jelly Bean (2.5). She just ran, ran, ran. Hey, it’s what toddlers do best right? She conked out in the car just a few minutes after pulling out of the parking lot.
Wednesday, Februrary 8th, we had a……Pajama Day! It was a long time coming. Did we still do schooling? Yes, a little bit of schooling along with chores and major cleaning of rooms. It felt good to be productive all the while sporting our jammies. We also had breakfast for dinner. Pancakes…YUM!
Thursday, February 9th, we had a Valentine’s Day CRAFT DAY! It was messy fun but the results turned out to be adorable. We made doily hearts, book marks, and homemade suckers. We made a ton for family and friends. The candy suckers turned out to be super cute and very delish!
Friday mornings are always our Palaestra days and the girls thoroughly enjoy attending. They are learning so much. I look forward to the day when I can enroll Jelly Bean into a class. Maybe when she turns 3 for the preschool program, we will see.
Now thinking about it, I need to start researching curriculum for next year. Who has started their search? I am thinking about attending a homeschool book fair.
Hope everyone has a blessed weekend! See you next week when I talk about our northern adventures.
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
The sun is shining, hurray. I am ready for spring to make its grand entrance, how about you? It sure does make for funner learning experiences though we had a blast this past week in the northern snow.
Homeschool Week 22
This past Saturday evening (February 11th), we packed the family up, snow gear and all and headed up north for the week. My in-laws have a place just south of Gaylord. They let us hold down the fort for a few days and it was a blast. And yes there was snow, lots of it. It snowed pretty much every day on top of snow they received from a huge storm they had a month ago or so. We definitely took advantage of it though it was freezing and not my cup of tea, ha!
The girls enjoyed making a snow fort and snow-girl. The snow was perfect for packing so it was not a challenge to make a snowman, or snow-girl for that matter. After snow 101, we did attempt to do some regular schooling to stay on top of things. Though we took a break from curriculum I brought along enrichment sheets and activities. They even practiced their piano recital pieces on a keyboard that my mom-in-law keeps handy up there.
Sweet Pea (8.5), enjoyed an educational game that I can’t wait to share with you in a review so stay tuned for that. It turned out to be a hit as it was for her age and up. It definitely sparks creativity but enough of that. The review will be made available sometime next week.
Friday, February 17, 2012, we jumped back into our Palaestra routine after returning from our trip the night before. The girls woke up ready to start the day. They sawed logs all night as I know our trip was busy fun. This mom needs a vacation from a vacation. Ha!
I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Who is gearing up for the big Homeschool Book Fair in Farmington Hills? I cannot wait. I went to a mini one last year but super pumped about this particular fair since it includes workshops, used book sale, etc. My hope is to really find some great deals on curriculum for fall 2012 since I will have a 4th grader, 1st grader, and preschooler. I am currently using A Beka with Sweet Pea (8.5) and just love it. I am looking forward to bringing Cup Cake (5) on board. Jelly Bean (3 in May) my future preschooler, will just do fun stuff that mommy puts together. I think I am qualified to do that being a former preschool teacher right? (biting nails) Haha! By the way, what happened to that huge storm we were expecting today? I know that it is icy and windy, either way we had no Palaestra today. My girls were so bummed.
Homeschool Week 23
This week has been pretty calm to say the least. Nothing really awesome and spectacular to report. But I must stay, I very proud of my sweet girls and very blessed. They are really coming along in their learning. Cup Cake (5) is amazing me with her reading and math skills. She thoroughly enjoys learning and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Sweet Pea (8.5) has excelled in A Beka and I cannot wait to move her along into 4th grade when the time comes. She just got done learning about Louisa May Alcott. She discovered that she wrote “Little Women.” Sweet Pea is looking forward to reading this book now that her reading skills are very sharp. I will most definitely be having her do some sort of book report or lapbook on “Little Women” when she is finished reading it. Love it!
I just completed the educational game review that I previously mentioned. It should be available within the next week or so. This one was definitely a blast to review. Stay tuned for that.
Sorry that this post is on the short side, but I guess that’s the way it goes sometimes. We are enjoying a pajama day with pancakes. Hoping to get out there and build a snowman with the little bit of snow that we did end up getting, haha. I heard it’s a great packing snow.
Have a blessed weekend!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Welcome to the month March! Can you believe it? These months are just cruising right on by. I don’t like to say it but time does seem to go faster the older you get. Ugh! I remember hearing that when I was a kid but it never phased me. Well, yeah now as an adult with kids of my own I kind of get it lol.
Homeschool Week 24
Our Homeschool week didn’t exactly turn out the way I expected but I guess it comes with the territory. The sickies made its way back in, ugh. Hubby has strep throat and a sinus infection and Sweet Pea (8.5) has a fever and a cough. The other two girls and myself seem to be hanging in there with no symptoms. Praying it stays that way.
Because our week was slightly thrown off, we didn’t get much done. Cup Cake (5) continued with her math and reading adventures and is doing very well. But, that’s really all I have to report this week. Sorry that its not very exciting or impressive for that matter. But, again it comes with the territory and after all it’s something we all like to call…..life, eek! My mom always made my younger brother and I say this saying growing up: “Life’s rough but I like it.” Oh man did this make me so mad but it’s so the truth. Here I am teaching my girls the exact same thing. It keeps you positive and thankful to be alive to enjoy life itself even when the going gets tough. Thanks mom!
Next week I am hoping to jump back into our weekly homeschooling routine whatever that is, right? Ha!
Have a blessed and healthy weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Spring is coming! Spring is coming! Though it most definitely doesn’t feel like it today, we got a nice taste of spring on Wednesday. It was beyond refreshing even in spite of the wind. Next week’s forecast looks like spring for sure, cant wait!
Homeschool Week 25
Well, after our confrontation with the sickies last week in our home we enjoyed a normal week again. Okay well, as normal as homeschooling adventures get. Ha!
We did play catch up with math, reading, and writing, then tagged back on History, Science, etc. It felt good to be productive and back into the swing of things.
Monday evening, March 5th, the girls were beyond excited that their dance costumes have arrived. They are working hard towards their recital. Can’t wait to see the end results in our little ballerina and tap dancer. They are also preparing for a piano recital as well. We have been busy bees that is for sure.
Since this past Wednesday was absolutely gorgeous outside, we took our learning adventures outdoors. I just couldn’t resist. It was especially great to have opened the windows to air out the house.
This next week I am planning some fun St. Patrick’s Day activities from crafts to recipes. I will post pics next week.
Cup Cake( 8.5), will be working on her next lapbook. She will continue to learn about the pioneer days. Kind of an add on from her Laura Ingall’s Wilder lapbook which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Everyone have a wonderful yet restful weekend!
~Happy Homeschooling
Who has been adoring this early spring weather? I am super excited for next week’s forecast. It’s going to be absolutely beautiful. Welcome Spring! But, most definitely let us not forget those who have lost their homes in the devastating tornadoes that hit Metro Detroit yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are most certainly with them as they rebuild and get back on their feet.
Homeschool Week 26
This was was a fun week for the Clair Clan. We did a lot of our homeschool journey in the great outdoors. It was just perfect. Earlier this week we did a couple St. Patrick’s Day crafts. They weren’t too involved like our Valentine crafts but I must say they did turn out cute. We also snuck over to McDonald’s and enjoyed a shamrock shake, yum! This was a definite treat for the girls since we never eat at McDonald’s.
As you can see in the pic we had fun with the most sweetest horse I have ever met. His name is Smokey and belongs to my parents. They also have a mini horse named Dustin but he is such a little stinker. Cute, but a stinker. I will post a pic of him some other day.
Next week we will be taking a few days off from our homeschooling journey. We haven’t had much time off since we started and thought it would be a great opportunity to do so.
Hope to see you many of you at the Homeschool Book Fair in Farmington Hills tomorrow. I am greatly looking forward to it. Time to whip out the check book, haha. I know I am hoping to find great deals to get us started for next year.
Have a blessed weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
What a gorgeous week! Forget spring fever, I’m ready for summer. It’s so great pulling out the shorts and flip flops in March, love it! Any homeschooling parents out there do their schooling outside this week? We most definitely couldn’t resist that idea. Breathing in the fresh air and taking in the sunshine just helps make learning more enjoyable. I wish we could do it every day.
Homeschool Week 27
As you can see in the title, “Character Training” was a big part of our homeschooling week. We most definitely needed it considering my husband was gone on a business trip the entire week. Not a big deal right? It is if it’s the first time ever being a part that long. Wow, I don’t know how families do it. So exhausting. Because of this change behaviors kind of took a nasty turn. I know it’s because the girls missed their daddy but my goodness, ugh something needed to be addressed.
We did do our normal learning off and on throughout the week but the main focus was on character training. I even had the girls act out scenarios on different situations the wrong way and then the right way. This seemed to really do the trick in some cases. Because we have all girls, the drama and emotions can sometimes be at an all time high which can be overwhelming at times, I am sure many of you can relate haha. There is usually a lot of whining, tattling, etc., so because of this I developed a red flag system. Well, okay it’s just a red sheet of construction paper I place on the book shelf for them to see, but you get the idea. Here is how this red flag/red paper system works. When one of the girls (mainly my two oldest soon to be 9 and 5.5), have a problem with one of their sister’s no matter what it is, they go over to the book shelf, grab the red paper, and walk over to me holding it up for me to see. This way I know something is wrong and we can work it out. Honestly, this has been working out great! They even catch themselves getting ready to yell, scream, kick, whatever and run and grab the sheet. We are able to work things out in a calm manner. I hope this system holds for quite sometime until it encourages them to work things out on their own.
I am currently searching for character training curriculum’s or studies so if you know of any please feel free to share. I would like to make character training a big part of our curriculum next homeschool year. Also, while I am thinking about it, what Spanish curriculum is your family currently using, if any and what are the pros and cons of it? I am also researching this for the next homeschool year.
Next week we will be jumping right back into our academics at full speed. I am currently getting ready to order our next year’s curriculum for 4th and 1st grade! Pretty excited about that.
Enjoy the weather and have a blessed weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Well, you can most certainly tell we live in Michigan! Crazy weather. I guess we shouldn’t be shocked or dismayed by these twists and turns as Michigan is known to throw us mighty weather curve balls from time to time. Hey, I will take the colder weather over snow anytime. Who is with me?
Homeschool Week 28
Last week we did a little extra character training in our homeschool. This week we had a lesson on how to keep a clean and organized house. It was just getting out of control and something had to be done about it. It seems as if the land of toys has traveled abroad and in unsightly piles here and there. I can honestly say that I have not been as diligent as I used to be (prior to homeschooling) but I guess we need to establish a “domestic” system now encouraging domestic skills. It took some doing but we have a system that seems to work for my family and it is simply this. You are not allowed to leave a room with toys, dishes, etc., left anywhere in the room. I will say “STOP” take out your pretend binoculars.” “Do you see anything that should be picked up and put away before leaving this room?” They understand this well and it has been working so far so good right along with our character training red flag system. Do we have perfect days where it runs flawlessly? Haha any homeschooling parent knows it can be like climbing a mountain sometimes but at least there has been definite progress and most likely you can relate.
Due to our domestic training this week, our learning wasn’t necessarily put on hold so to speak but the instruction part was put on break. It was nice giving them review materials to work diligently on their own in between other life lessons. Next week we will be doing some fun Easter crafts along with our learning. I will post pics of those for week 29.
On Monday, March 26th Sweet Pea (8.5) and Cup Cake (5.5), had fun getting their dance costume pictures taken. They first did class group shots then individual. I can’t wait to see how they turned out! Sweet Pea is excited since this is her first year of dance. She is taking tap. They are gearing up for their big dance recital this coming June. Sweet Pea and Cup Cake are also gearing up for their piano recital in June. Talk about busy but so much fun. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, right? They are continuing with their classes at Palaestra on Friday mornings. We can’t believe that these will be coming to a close on May 11th. Time is flying by so quickly yet I am so thrilled and blessed by the progress we have made in our homeschooling journey. I can’t believe it will be 1 year since we started this August. I wouldn’t trade any minute of it, not even the rough learning patches.
Have a blessed weekend everyone and Happy Homeschooling!
Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I hope everyone had an amazing Easter and hopefully you and your family enjoyed some much needed time off. Because I didn’t post last week I will be talking about our homeschool adventures last week and this week. On top of our busy schedule we did enjoy family time away from homeschooling. It was a blast!
Homeschool Week 29
Since last week was the week of Easter, we of course did a lot of crafts in honor of it. We made stain glass Easter eggs out of construction paper and tissue paper, crosses, and of course we had to jump on board the tradition of dying Easter eggs. I have always done this prior to homeschooling. It’s just really fun to see how each Easter egg turns out differently.
The girls also earned Easter basket fun. We try not to do too much candy as we want those smiles to stay healthy and fantastic! But, it’s always fun to see those smiles as we laid their baskets out on the table so it was the first things the girls saw on Easter morning. So priceless!
Sweet Pea's latest fashion creation
Sweet Pea (9) really jumped on board finishing her fashion design project from Palaestra. As you can see her design turned out wonderfully. She added the lace detail the end of last week and she couldn’t be prouder. I think she sews better than me now, ha!
Homeschool Week 30
This week has been a slower week. As new homeschoolers I was trying to decide if we were doing spring break or not. We ended up taking Good Friday off and the Monday after Easter off. We did schooling on Tuesday and Wednesday. We took Thursday off as their grandma and grandpa surprised them with a sleepover Wednesday afternoon. My husband and I of course cleared the rest of the day and went shopping and on a dinner date. It was greatly needed and such a blessing.
Because it’s spring break there was no dance, Palaestra, or other events this week. I have loved the calmness but we will most definitely be ready to jump in full speed this coming Monday.
Have a blessed weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling!
I dedicate this homeschool post to our sweet family dog Bailey. You will be missed buddy!
Homeschool Week 31
Our family dog, Bailey. R.I.P. buddy!
This past week has been a very emotional week for my family. We had to say goodbye to our family dog of 12 years. His name was Bailey. He was an Alaskan Malamute and the sweetest dog you would ever meet but, I may just be a little partial. As you can see in the pic he was a large dog but he was a delight. I always called him my bear rug.
The past few months we started preparing ourselves because of his age and the severe arthritis he was experiencing. If you know anything about Malamutes you know their life span varies based on size. We had to sit down with our girls, the two older ones anyway, and talk about life and death and what Bailey would be facing. Ugh, talk about a life experience not only for my girls but for myself as a parent. I am sure I can speak for my husband as well.
These past few months Bailey had been on dog medication to minimize his pain and the vet said we would just know when it was time to have him put to sleep. Talk about a sock in the stomach. On Monday, the medication just seemed to not be working anymore and he would whimper a lot. He stopped eating by Tuesday and just could not get comfortable anymore. He would limp in pain especially, at night.
Thursday at 1:00 am in the morning he just went further downhill and seemed to be going out of his mind. My husband and I had to sit up with him all night has he paced the house like crazy in pain and panting heavily. We decided then that later in the morning we would have to say our goodbyes and take him in.
This is where it got tricky and a life experience I will never, ever forget. We had to wake the girls up and then sat them down to tell them what was going to happen. Oh the heartache and tears. At this point, precious Bailey could not walk anymore. We just loved on him and said our goodbyes. My poor husband carried him with all his strength to the car and left alone. Ugh, it was so heartbreaking and my husband had the strongest bond with Bailey so you can imagine the hurt he was experiencing. The girls saw their daddy cry and that was really tough but I believe it was good for them as they don’t ever see him cry. So this was another life experience learning that everyone, even boys, experience sadness and heartache.
It is hard not seeing Bailey around the house and the girls had to cross feeding him and giving him water off their chore charts. We expect to see him lying around but he’s not there. Last night, I went to lock up the doors but routine is to let Bailey outside to do his business then lock up. I went to call his name but the reality hit, he wasn’t here.
Cup Cake (5), is slightly on the confused side as she thinks he’s coming home after he “wakes” up. Sweet Pea (9), is taking it pretty hard and our little preschooler, well she keeps asking where he is? Ugh, being a parent is so difficult sometimes.
We did do some homeschooling this week. I will be posting a new project we will be working on starting next week.
Have a blessed weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
I am posting early this week as we are headed up north for some homeschool fun and family R&R. Hopefully there won’t be any snow, yikes.
Homeschool Week 32
I was hoping to post about our project we will be working on but we haven’t quite started as of yet, ugh. This is due to our schedules being slightly thrown off due to a couple family events. I am hoping to get started sometime next week. The girls have been learning about fashion through the ages. Cup Cake (5.5), started paper dolls from around the world so I will be posting a couple pics very soon. They are turning out to be really cute. Sweet Pea (9), will be starting her project hopefully next week. I will keep you posted on that.
This week we basically have been reviewing what we have learned thus far. I am very proud of their progress. Cup Cake earned a reading certificate this week. She loves reading and is doing very well. She will most definitely be ready for first grade work. She was kind of bored with Kindergarten academics so we took everything up a notch. I am hoping she will excel in first grade A Beka.
Image by Lindsey Clair
Sweet Pea is gearing up for our pony camp event the end of May. She will be doing a presentation as she has been in training on horse safety, grooming, riding, etc. This past week she was given instruction to properly clean a saddle. She passed inspection, haha and did a great job. My parents will be hosting this pony camp event (which filled up pretty quickly) at their ranch so Sweet Pea has had a couple advantages there. I look forward to posting pics on that event as well.
Jelly Bean (2.5), is still potty training but almost there. Can’t wait to rid ourselves of Pull-Ups! Jelly Bean’s vocabulary is building and it’s so amusing to be able to understand her words, haha. Goodness, where has the time gone? We have been working on her numbers and letters. She can count to 20, yay! She can also sing her colors in Spanish, haha I just couldn’t resist. It’s so cute. She has learned how to cut with preschool scissors thanks to her big sisters. She holds a crayon correctly and is very observant of everything. She is most definitely a busy bee and keeps me on my toes.
Do you have any fun homeschool projects you are currently working on or are planning? I would love to hear from you.
I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!
~Happy Homeschooling
Happy weekend everyone! Can you believe the little heat wave that we had? We actually had to turn on the air. I personally enjoy the summer weather but my husband might beg to differ. We are like night and day when it comes to temperatures. I love the heat, he loves the cold. So yes, you can guess he did not like this heat wave we experienced especially since he chose to cut the grass. So glad that he did though considering the wild thunderstorm that rolled through. Yay, summer is coming!
Homeschool Week 33
If you remember I posted early last week since we took a homeschooling trip up north. We always stay at my in-laws cabin and property just outside of Gaylord. It’s on 10 acres back in the woods and just beautiful. On this particular trip the girls learned a lot about the different types of trees and even replanted one to a different location on the property.
It was very educational and exciting for the girls as their daddy taught them this particular lesson. They learned about saplings and seedlings. Daddy even quizzed them afterwards and they remembered everything. To my amazement they were pretty intrigued by it all. Hands on was definitely key instead of learning about them in some text book. Now that alone can be on the boring side. I remember being bored by reading and looking at pictures of trees. It’s way better to see them and touch them. It made the learning experience more exciting. They even counted a few tree rings on the stumps. It was cute as they tried to figure out how old a few of the trees actually are.
We are looking forward to another homeschool trip back up north in just a couple of short weeks. My husband has the week off this time so we will be staying a little longer and enjoying nature on top of a little bit of curriculum learning.
As you can see in the pic in the beginning of this post, Cup Cake (5.5) is almost finished with her paper dolls from around the world. They are turning out really cute and she has been eager to learn about each country with outfit and doll. She almost remembers the name of each country.
We just celebrated Sweet Pea’s 9th birthday on May 2nd. We took her out to her favorite restaurant, IHOP. They sang to her and gave her a free ice cream sundae, yum! She only got one present from us because she is going to be getting a big one on Sunday at her family party. I am so pumped about this gift. I won’t share it as of yet as it is a surprise, shhh. I will post pics next week revealing her gift. She has been wanting this for 2 years and is so passionate about it we just couldn’t help but get family in on it to cut down the cost. Oh the suspense haha!
Sweet Pea also earned her rights to co-ownership of my mom’s horse Smokey. She works hard in the stables and helps take care of him when she can. My parents presented her with a certificate stating the ownership, isn’t that great? She is currently learning horse safety and is having a few riding lessons. She is gearing up to do a presentation at our Homeschool Pony Camp on May 25th. I will also be posting pics on that as well.
Jelly Bean (3 on May 13th), is still a very busy bee. She is talking up a storm and forming her words to make sentences very well. She is almost completely potty trained yay! She is an absolute joy just like her sisters.
Have a blessed weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling
www.customcakesbykimi.com
This week has been a week of birthday fun not only for my now 9 year old Sweet Pea, but also for Jelly Bean, who will be 3 years old on the 13th! I can’t believe it, where does the time go? Cup Cake (5.5), is getting a little envious of all of this attention but I assured her that her time will come this September 1st when she turns 6!
Homeschool Week 34
As you can see in the pics, her amazing birthday cake was made by a very close friend of mine. It’s a Stardoll cake. Stardoll is a fashion design wesbite for young girls. Sweet Pea was so in love with this cake. No one wanted to cut it, would you want to? Haha
Sweet Pea opened probably one of the best birthday gifts in all her 9 years. I had the grandparents and her aunt and uncle go in on this one. An American Girl doll! As many of you know these dolls do not come cheap and I didn’t feel that this would be a practical gift just from us (mommy and daddy). But, if other family members could chip in it would be perfect and worth it. Boy, was it ever! I videoed her opening and screaming with excitment at this gift. Now, it wasn’t just a normal girly scream! I can hardly describe it but the love and gratefulness that came out of her heart caused all the women in the room to tear up. Sweet Pea even cried with thankfulness. She has been inseparable with this doll ever since. We got her the “Me Doll” one customized to resemble her. So cute and sweet. She is now determined to save up her monies to purchase accessories for it. Oh, she named her doll Kaden.
www.customcakesbykimi.com
On top of her suprise birthday cake and doll, one of her best friends showed up making it a truly special day! It was all around a very rememberable day for a very special 9 year old. We are very proud and blessed.
Jelly Bean hasn’t quite yet received any gifts but she has made it very clear in her preschool vocabulary that she wants cake with strawberries on it and a baby doll! So easy and sweet right? Love it! We will be blessing her this Sunday with those simple little things.
Did we get any homeschooling done? Haha, for sure but I am excited to say we are winding down out of the curriculum’s! We should be done completely by the middle of June and starting enrichment. I just can’t believe it! I guess I need to start ordering the next homeschool year’s curriculum, yikes!
Today was our last day at Palaestra! What a milestone. We ended our first homeschool adventure for the year. It feels great and we can’t wait to return in September. Sweet Pea is a little heartbroken as her fashion design dress she had worked so hard on has vanished. It was hanging on the board for the art show last night and we still saw it on there this morning. Just before we left it was gone, ugh. Not sure what happened to it but hoping someone returns it. Sweet Pea is determined to exercise the sewing skills she has obtained and move forward with making another one. At least we have pictures as a memory! Still a proud momma.
Have a blessed weekend everyone and…..
~Happy Homeschooling
Image by Lindsey Clair
This week has been fun as we are up north for some R&R but also homeschooling. The girls are learning about the pioneer way of life. From Mackinac to the woods it has definitely been an educational experience.
Homeschool Week 35
The cabin we stay in has a visitor. We have a momma Robin and her babies nesting above one of the windows. The eggs have not hatched as of yet but the girls are having a ball watching the mother take care of her eggs. We had to teach them to stay away from her as not to upset her, etc. They actually have been singing to her, it’s been so sweet to watch.
We got to grill our hot dogs over an open camp fire flame. Yummm, it just tastes so much better that way. We went trekking through the woods looking for different types of plants and even berry bushes. It’s so great to be able to spark the girls creativity and get them away from the TV, etc. We are hoping they are learning to be thankful for everything they have at this point, haha!
Momma bird visitor
We are sticking with our curriculum when we can while adding educational experiences from our lovely state. We are heading back home either tomorrow or Sunday. Life up here is just so much different and more exciting, haha. It’s a nice change of pace that is for sure. I hate to see it come to a close.
Sorry so short. I am currently typing our experiences in a Subway in town since they are the only place that has WiFi around here, haha! Wow, rustic living right?
Have a great weekend everyone!
~Happy Homeschooling
Lindsey Clair is a happily married mother of three daughters. She loves reading, blogging and does freelance writing on the side. Along with her blogging and writing passions, Lindsey has a strong background in music: Piano, Voice, and Flute. She is excited to be sharing her knowledge of music with her daughters as well as on the music team at her church.
Prior to homeschooling she exercised her degree in Child Development by working at day care centers as a caregiver, assistant director and director and then teaching in a private program for 8 years. She is currently the children’s director at her home church. Now on her homeschooling journey she is thrilled to be a part of the homeschool community and what it has to offer not only for her children but for her entire family.
In addition to her adventures here, you an also find her at Peaceful Island Mother.
Hi,
My husband and I are going to attend the meeting at Ward Church. We have been talking about homeschooling for our 16 year old. We would like to find someone or a program that she can attend. I was thinking that we may be able to get some questions answered and information that can help with our quest.
Thanks,
Terri
Hi Terri,
I think I remember you. Did you bring your daughters as well? There was only one husband and wife team with kids there so that may be why I remember you, ha, if it’s not you, oops, sorry! If it’s who I am thinking of your husband was absolutely a stitch thinking he was bothering with all the questions which as a new homeschooling mom I was pretty fast with the pen getting my same questions answered. Have you decided what you are going to do?
Lindsey~Lindsey’s Journey
Hey Lindsey,
I’m also an early childhood educator. We started our journey last year when my oldest was 4. Before then I was working full time as a teacher for the public schools. So as a teacher, you think I’d be better off? Somewhat, but it’s still hard to “go against the grain” so to speak. I’ve heard great things about Ward. I’ll be joining this year. Friends have told me great things!
Love your site!
Kelly
Hi – I don’t even know how I stumbled upon your blog but I’m glad I did. I’ve really enjoyed reading it. We’re originally from MI – (Plymouth/Livonia area)but moved to CA 4 years ago for my husband’s job. We may be transferring back and we’re not sure exactly what area yet so we are researching homeschool groups, co ops, clubs… anything we can find so that hopefully we can settle in a homeschool friendly community with many resources to dive into. We may get placed on the East side of the state near St. Clair or Downriver and I know nothing about those areas or if they are many homeschoolers yet! There is also a chance we’ll get placed in Detroit which means we could easily move back to our hometown will definately look into Ward (I used to go there as a teenager!) and Palaestra. Thanks for sharing this info!
We weren’t homeschoolers before we left. We began homeschooling here in CA. I was like you – I never thought about homeschooling before but when my son (6 at the time) was hurt by the hands of a school aide (I know…right?) I immediately pulled him out and knew homeschooling would be the best option. I had to hit the ground running! Here we have several ways to homeschool. We chose a public charter homeschool. They – file with state,turn in samples, offer 1 or 2 day classes and they even pay for the cirriculum. It’s still overwhelming at times but it’s nice to have some hand holding along the way. I think there are many times we ALL feel like we’re doing it wrong or our kids will be ruined for life but then there are so many amazing days and more moments when you just know it was the best decision you made.
So I don’t know if this helps but we’re working with a very ecletic cirriculum. We use McGraw-Hill for 2nd grade math (the link didn’t work but if you google it it has the picture of yellow, red and purple jax.) The teacher’s edition is great to work with as well. Many people I know like Singapore math but my son had a strong aversion to it. LOL.
For spelling/phonics we use Modern Cirriculum Press. We really enjoy using this. The format is broken down nicely for the kids and the workbook “chapters” are short and sweet! We supplement a lot with different writing “opportunities” such as thank you cards, letters inviting a friend over to play, pretending we’re script writers then producers of our own movie etc. You know, the kind of learning that takes place when the kids don’t know they’re learning, they just think they’re playing!LOL We also use a few online spelling tests and a spelling app on my cell phone. We do a weekly test and then it’s texted to grandparents out of state!
For Social Studies we have Evan Moore History Pockets always on stand by. We like them, we learn from them but for my son, the cutting and pasting gets a little boring. A lot of cutting and maing of the folders but it’s a great concept.
For science we haven’t used any prepacked cirriculum. We go to the science museum then write about it in his journal with photos and in CA we have a company called MAD Science which is a group of collage age kids that put on these mini science demos. Sometimes at the charter school, sometimes free at the library. The kids love it – it’s a lot of fun. I have a future Astronaut/scientist here so I have to admit we are not lacking in those type of lessons. He is always creating a potion, or designing a working robot with Lego Mindstorms… some might say we tend to be a bit “unschooly” in science (and social studies too). He recently created his own country (due West of Australia!)called Welch’s (yes I think it had something to do with those fruit snacks) and created a travel brochure to encourage visitors and then named himself president – which led to the much needed discussion on elections and campaigns! When we both have creativity block – we pull out the Evan Moore HIstory Pockets as our back up!
We haven’t used Time4Learning but we do use Brain Pop Jr. Have you heard of that? It’s nice because there are many tools to use to really expand on a lesson. It also has the option to print out a quiz at the end of each 5-10 minute lesson. They’re very brief so it holds their interest. They have a few free lessons to check out if you’re interested and I think our first 30 days was a free trial.
Well, I’ve talked too much already! Thanks for writing your blog. It’s really eased my mind about homeschooling in MI. It’s sounds like you’re doing a great job and that you’ve found a great homeschooling community!
Lindsey,
I just came across your blog on accident and I’m so glad that I did. I haven’t been able to read all of the entries, but the ones that I have are right on the mark with me and how I am feeling. My husband and I have decided to try out homeschooling next year with our kindergartener. My daughter will then be 2 which leaves me a little (or a lot) worried on what I’m going to do with her while I’m trying to get my son to focus with me. The choices for curriculum or whether I should use a curriculum for kindergarten or just a bunch of workbooks, what is the best support group to join, etc? I am going to go through all of your entries so I don’t miss a thing, but if you have ANY quick and easy advice, best thing you did, do not do this, I’m all ears (or shall I say eyes). Thanks for all your advice and blog!
Sandy