Tuesday Treasues

Treasures of the most eternal kind: our children.

Just when the break seemed so chaotic, yet easy,
God brought encouragement of the most genuine kind...thanks for Miss Amy.
Lord, You are our hope and strength. These children are a treasure to you,
may we be found responsible stewards of your treasure. Amen.

Warrior's day began with really sleepy eyes, and a body that he said was "Too tired to get up on his bed, again."

Giving him some encouragement, the crayons and the Star Wars coloring book came out to play.



Mascot got right into his lesson of scattering and resorting the magnet board letters.



And Student took to the table for seatwork. Warrior by her side, he decided he could try some seatwork. Observing and aiding in his Phonics, Teacher sees he exhibits the tongue-tip trait from Teacher's father. Concentration is always more focused when the tongue us exposed.



Erasing and writing, and reading must have brought on Warrior's fever.
As he warmed up, and the ibuprofen kicked in,
Warrior found his energy again and insisted on some Activity.



Stretching and the regular routine to Gnarls Barkley was enough to wear him out. Teacher observed this strange reaction and noted he must truly be sick. And so he retired to bed with water and snoring.

Make way for Student! Practicing her Spelling list with some games of Hang Woman and creating sentences, here are some of her writings.

I told my friend about the parade!
My clothes are dirty.
We both have rules!
My nose is red!
I have my own computer!

I believe every one of those sentences were true, too. Especially the dirty clothes part! She fixed that, though! It's amazing how much Student can fit into her day when Warrior takes an extra nap! She completed her Current Events Reading, FAVORITE STORY HERE, and even timed the naps of both Warrior and Mascot to sprawl out on the floor and sew! That a girl!

Student's Christmas wish was given from Papa. She had been praying as to what she should use her chore savings for and she kept coming back to Rebecca. And this is a story of a girl and her doll and the doll's cold shoulders:

Mom, I wrapped this fabric to make her a recital dress, since I don't know when we'll sew one. But, it's only covering one shoulder so she needs a cloak. There are cloaks in the catalogue, but they are $24.

Well, Miss Heather just gave us some fabric that just might work for such a project.

But when? When can we make it?
Because the boys are sleeping...can we?

Yes!



BEGINNING LIKE A CIRCLE SKIRT, THE DECISION WAS MADE HOW LONG TO HAVE THE CLOAK, WHILE REFERENCING THE A*G FELICITY CLOAK PICTURES. STUDENT PICKED A DOUBLE-KNIT IN BROWN THAT NEEDED NO HEMMING AND CREATED AN EVEN QUICKER FINISHED PRODUCT, THANKS MISS HEATHER.


THEN, A RECTANGLE WAS CUT FOR THE HOOD. SIZING A RECTANGLE IN PROPORTION TO REBECCA'S LOVELY LOCKS, THE AMOUNT OF FABRIC WASN'T QUITE ENOUGH, BUT WE WORKED WITH WHAT WE HAD.



STUDENT USED THE ROLLER CUTTER TO TRIM THE CORNER OF THE INNER SEAM OF THE HOOD, JUST AS A PILLOW CORNER WOULD BE DONE.

THEN THE BIAS TAPE WAS SEWN TO THE FRONT OF THE HOOD AND THE HOOD THEN TO THE CLOAK. USING SCRAP STRINGS FROM THE LEFTOVER BROWN DOUBLE KNIT, THEY WERE HANDSEWN AND COVERED WITH STUDENT'S CHOICE FROM THE BUTTON JAR AND FINISHED OFF WITH A BURGUNDY FLOSS THAT WAS PART OF STUDENT'S CHRISTMAS CRAFT BASKET FROM GRAMMY.

REALLY, READING THE PROCEDURE, TEACHER GUESS THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION IS REQUIRED AND SEES THAT IF SHE WERE TO EVER WRITE PATTERNS, THE INSTRUCTIONS WOULD TAKE TEN TIMES LONGER. SO FOR THOROUGH INSTRUCTIONS, TEACHER WILL HAVE TO TRY AGAIN ANOTHER FREE DAY WITH NOTHING ELSE ON THE PLATE.

After reawakening into the world, Warrior ate a full lunch and listened well to the lesson and instructions from Student on their bean plants.



Afterwards, he decided his school day needed to be a Halfie because he was going to lay down, yet again. Oh, the honesty of a boy when his body hurts. God designed we humans to know when we need rest, it's just that adults often don't listen! Oh the lessons God teaches each day through children in our lives. Thank you, Lord. We are trying to listen. Please open our ears to receive knowledge and wisdom from You each day. Amen.

Make a Difference Monday

Beginning our last semester of the year... WOW! His grace has been, and will continue to be sufficient. Thus, we continue our journey through 2011. We are making a difference in the lives of these children of God, on Mondays and always, as we will not be strangers to their souls.

Our mornings are beginning with Student's reading aloud a Psalm each day. This devotional has some fun insights, and Student is learning more about pausing with punctuation and elocution. Warrior is just trying to learn to LISTEN & SIT simultaneously. Today he opted to piggy back on Teacher and listen.



Continuing seatwork and finishing up Christmas thank yous to our thoughtful relatives put our new pencils to work. Thanks to Grammy for the school supplies! Nice rulers just in time for Student's transportation lessons in Math. She's measuring to the quarter inch and even singing about it! The song will have to come later, after Teacher can play it succinctly on the keyboard!



Teacher had thought including this song was far less than NEEDED, and maybe even under the maturity level of Student, but it just so happens, that Warrior enjoys it and loves all things TRANSPORTATION, so God went before us and lined-up an opportunity for Teacher to read music and play the keyboard! Oh what fun! (Yes, Teacher has not had a lesson since 1996...and that was clarinet!)

On the homeschool campus, Mascot roams and finds the best places to park it and learn...



Of course, that's when he's not in on the lesson...



With the constant help of Student, our semester began right on track. Oh what love the Father has lavished upon us, as that girl is the nucleus of everything that goes on, here. In addition to her own studies, she is actively helping others. Thank you, God.



The day is done, the lessons are learned,
and the result of Warrior's continued practice cutting with scissors
has yielded the sweetest one-legged bear!
God is smiling, and so are we!

Friday School

Finishing for the break, Teacher snapped these shots and then began to breathe. Oh, the much needed break and opportunity for reorganization. Thanks, God. You are good, and know just when we need to rest. Amen.









Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Thursday School

Because one can never have too many Box Car Children books on hand, Student lead us to the local library again!

Sprawled out like sitting at our own dining table, our load took up the whole table!



Student worked her new Spelling list and tested to master her post test of the previous list. Working her Math seatwork and Science reading on bees and their contentness on God's job for their life, she eyed the latest American Girl magazine! That's out little lady!

She spotted a snowball recipe that we are planning on sharing at the large family gathering for Christmas.

Warrior began his regular search for Spiderman books.



Collecting our books and belongings, the Homeschool ventured back to campus for baking cookies and afternoon activities in the backyard. God is good to bring warmth AND sunshine in December and we are not going to let it pass by!

Wednesday School

Give a boy a motor...

Warrior had his day with a motor running and piercing through paper...
even if it was a pink motor, he didn't seem to care.



Using Student's beginner chain-stitch sewing machine, Warrior kept his attention focused for longer than usual. Coming back, again and again, he practiced his stitch on paper much of the morning.

Having focused on the Bible lesson lately on telling, and retelling the story of the birth of Christ, Warrior was very familiar when the package came in the mail that yielded a toy nativity of Christ.

His first question was why Fisher Price forgot to include King Herrod in the toy-set! Good listener. Not always a convincing listener, but a good listener indeed!

Finishing up his big brotherly duties and studies, Social Studies brought Mascot to the table. Together, they talked of all the people in their community. However, the Baker was quite popular. Men and their food!



Among the daily grind, Student had fun reading a library pick about Winter that was full of acrostics. She created an acrostic for her name that brought tears to Teacher's eyes. Oh Father in Heaven, that these children should see themselves through Your eyes, and not those of the world. From this day forward. Amen.

Tuesday School

Sharpening pencils.

Sharpening focus.

Sharpening life skills.

Oh how the daily lie is a learning process.



Student would prefer to have something NEW everyday.
Review and building upon learned information is not her favorite.
But, alas, certain life skills are ever presenting themselves and the
newness often comes in a sketchbook or a good read before the truly blessed day is over.

Warrior, however, is ascending upon NEW territory daily, as is the stuff of preschool.



Teacher sees that she has been quite the mess-monitor and not encouraged enough scissor activities. These are the things, and messes we will clean without complaining so that we may become blameless and pure children of God. Amen.



He also insisted on addition being a part of his Math lesson. So, he used these Spiderman multiplication cards and Teachers hands to add the numbers he transferred from the flashcards.



Roadmap Reading was a new idea to help encourage Warrior to read a complete story. His attention is complete for 2 pages at the max. His interest in Reading is high, and thus Teacher is trying to familiarize but not force the correct way to read page after page until the BIG FAT END! He moved his vehicle to a new destination on the map after each sentence he read. Nice, again, to see how God has gone before us at the Homeschool and provided all of the teaching aids that fit Warrior to a T!

Monday Bed School

Retraining Warrior as to what a bed is created for...he began his Mathematics lesson in the comfort of his room, bed and favorite hero uniform.


Counting, locating and recognizing individual numbers, Warrior has gotten to be quite familiar with his counting chart. It's the opportunity to sort and then build a rocket after his mastery of the lesson that keeps him going through his repetition rote lessons.

Eventually returning the a TABLE for seatwork, Warrior went to work with Tad today. Tad the tadpole, not the uncle! And for him that meant a marker and dry erasing...capital F-U-N!



Mascot shared in the learning fun with his flashcard pile-up!



On the other hand, no biggie for Student was her switch from one to two seatwork sheets per day in Mathematics. Welcomed with a smile, actually...God is good!

Tuesday, Last

Awaiting the weekend trip North, the Homeschool will call this the last full day this week.
Preparation to leave the campus clean and orderly will indeed take the next 3 days, if not a year! Oh, Teacher laughs out loud!

Camera was in the hands of some littler people today, and without pictures of oh-so-normal seatwork being accomplished, there was this...







Working into the late hours of the afternoon readying a supper for Grammie and Papa Randy, we are all remembering to offer hospitality and love to them as they lost a family member this week. God knows, we trust.



Student found a face in her potato peeling game...as Teacher is sure God is smiling!

Monday School

How better to start the week than sleeping late & waking up to some PRINCIPAL play!



Student has been helping Warrior much with his reading, during their backpack time.



Not only a lover of Reading herself, but this love is being passed onto her brothers with a smile! Including Christmas accounts of the CHrist-child's nativity...




Really, this account of our days schooling is such a blessing to look back at all the blessings He hath bestowed upon our lives. Our lives that are but a vapor...may we continue this good work He has begun in us until the day Christ Jesus returns.

And with great gratitude we thank our Lord for bike-riding/skating weather!





As for this day, through the learning, play, pencils and erasers, the days ends as sweetly as it began...PRINCIPAL play!

Friday Construction

Yes, the ONLY construction enjoyed during pre-winter weather...
Gingerbread Houses!



Beginning, and getting distracted by the fair weather, Warrior constructed a win block with two walls!

Student had planned to visit Great Papa Marshall and construct hers, so she let her guest go first.







It was ending up to be a wish box, as the triangular roof we didn't plan for, wasn't working with the curved store-brand crackers...so an adobe/wish box to hide a Christmas wish inside...that's what the Homeschool created.

And, working from the brain and not experience or directions...Teacher figured out, by the second attenpt, that the frosting really had to be specific-to-this project! So, adding egg whites and moving on, Student created hers...



Topped with pixie stick!

Treading across town to the Rec Center, energy bounded off the walls.



Then, witnessing the delightful weather, the sword fighting finished the afternoon after seatwork. All for one, one for all! Thanks, Lord above!

Thursday First

Into the last month of the year, the semester will soon be gone! Teacher has high goals and expectations! Onward Homeschool, to the Spring semester!

Oh, WAIT! There's much to do FIRST!

Student began studies of the Holocaust. Beginning with the definition of this word: complete ashes. That alone is enough to make a grown man cry, God forgive us. God forgive YOUR children who sat in YOUR house for so long and prayed and acted in nothing to stop this evil that consumed this world You created. Oh, Lord, forgive us.

Student has been very curious, as she received an oral summary from Teacher before digging into the memorial museum website's encyclopedia. She'll follow this us tomorrow with an audio CD of a personal account, and then Ann Frank the movie next week. History WITH God makes for a much more interesting learning experience! Teacher just smiled at Student's remarks of LOVING HISTORY! Afterall, it is His-story. God IS in everything, it's up to people to search for Him.

And Warrior, seeking ways to make his daily rote exercises, anew, played number pool today!



After counting through the complete chart, he shot the ball at the number orally specifies by Teacher. And what a shot he is!

Reading in his latest library pick, Warrior gets answers for curious questions of WHY!?
Today's curious contestant was time and how animals, plants and people have an inner clock.



Preparing for the world of GETTING ALONG WITH OTHERS, but NOT adjusting the Bible's definition of truth, Student and Warrior find inventing new uses for old objects quite the group exercise!



But, when alone times comes, Student does enjoy the peace. She has finished her latest stash of reading material and the Homeschol just MUST find time to gallop over to the local library. Yes, she really would spend the whole school day reading, and so somedays, she does! Thanks to God for this love He has put in her heart!

Continuing with the virgin birth in our Bible lessons, the children spent some computer time arranging nativities. Nativity: the story of one's birth.

Student's symmetrical arrangement:



Warrior's high in-the-sky angel arrangement:



May each receive blessings of being in His perfect will...weather stormy or calm...right smack dab in the center, this Christmas season. Amen.