An impromptu experiment

Today we went to the Grapevine Arboretum. It is fairly new and honestly doesn't have a lot to look at. (Nevermind that it is January and everything is dead!) The kids needed to burn off some pent up energy and Troy and I just needed a break with them! (I didn't take my camera).

While we were there and the kids were able to explore freely we found many things; fish, leaves, bird nests with babies, rocks, squirrels, hawks, and even horse apples! We found one rather large one and the girls and I decided to cut it open and see what was inside when we got home.

We started with a list of "Observations"

We wrote different things about our horse apple. What it looked like, how it felt, how much it weighed, etc.

We also decided to compare the size with other fruit in the house. Is it bigger than an apple? How about a small grapefruit?

I don't have a scale (shame on me!) so we decided to compare the weight with other items in the house. We determined that 4 lbs of sugar and a 2 lb can of beans was too heavy. But the 1 lb can was just right!

Then it was time to make a hypothesis! What does the inside look like? How does it feel and smell? Are there seeds?

The girls were almost dead on with their guesses! I was very proud. This was a lot of fun and we learned about weight, measurements, comparison, and nature in general. We even looked up if it was okay to eat one of these apples! We also looked up why we write "lb" for pound!

 
Our finished "Observation Sheets".

The girls loved this and so did I. Jackson wasn't interested which was fine. He and his Daddy are working on their own projects! This is just a small part of what we do in our unschooling day!

Our First Year Unschooling!

It has been so long since I have even thought about blogging but today is the day! Our homeschool life...well our life...looks so different than any year before it. We have tried all different types of curricula. We have tried different schedules. We have been in co-op's and we have tried both traditional and non traditional set-ups for "school". Nothing has seemed to click with us.

Many months ago (maybe over a year) I said I wanted to try unschooling. Such a foreign concept and one I am still learning about. This 'year' I have decided to take the plunge. Unschooling, is a broad term I have learned, or student-led learning is the what we have decided to try.

The results? So far it is working! There are definitely kinks but honestly they are not with the kids, they are with my perception of what 'school' is. Here is what our 'schooling' looks like. I have pictures to post too but they are with my mom in Houston! ;)

Daily Devotional (I have decided that this is NOT optional). I really liked how the kids and I started with this last year and stuck to it! I am using a book called, Today is the Day. I bought it at Lifeway a million years ago for $2.50 and am just now using it!

Sonlight Cores B&C I know, I know...Unschooler's do NOT use curriculum, but we LOVE Sonlight! The kids have learned a lot from the history and geography (H&G) portions. So I have tailored it to us! Since we are only pulling from H&G we can cover an entire week in a day.

Media There are many forms of media! We use the internet including YouTube, Google, Wiki, etc to find out about different subjects that the kids may be interested in. The other day we watched videos on how the Great Wall of China was built. We also go to the library every week. The kids pick out the books and I help when they may be stuck on what to find. Jackson is really into graphic novels right now. Our library carries tons of educational ones and so he is learning too! :) We also use Netflix for educational purposes (and fun). The kids love The Magic School Bus and documentaries about animals. The Kindle Fire is used often as well. We have also found some free games online for math and reading.

Reading We go to the library a lot! I also set aside time for them to read. We are new at this still and they don't automatically choose to do something like read (except Char) so I guide them! Ellie is still struggling with reading but it is coming along nicely!

Math This looks different for each child! Right now we have thrown out the workbooks for Jackson. He is still using math skills and I am impressed at how much he is doing without the book! The girls are constantly asking me math questions and are figuring much of it out on their own! We still have workbooks for them because they wanted to keep them.

Basically we are taking each day as it comes! One day may be more "educational" than the other. We may go to the park and learn about static electricity while sliding down the slide. The thing is I am being more mindful of the cues my kids are giving me! I am a guide and they are choosing what interests them! There is much more to what we are doing. We have several mission projects and field trips planned for this year. I will keep you posted on our progress and will post pictures!

What we have done so far!

I have neglected this blog!  Not on purpose. Life has just been busy. The last time I posted it was about Unschooling. I would like to update you on that!

Since we have started school we have moved to the DFW area.  We are now living with my parents. I do not have as much control over when the TV is on or off anymore and because we are sharing a living space our day looks a lot different than what I had first hoped. The good news? We have adjusted well!

Our day starts with the kids playing outside, or legos, or some other fun playtime.  At this time I wake up!  The good thing about having grandparents in the house is that I can sleep in a bit! I wake up, check email, facebook and blogs. We start school about 9 am.

We always start with Bible (Sonlight). The kids and I enjoy memorizing Scripture, praying and talking about the story or lesson.  This Sonlight curriculum has a lot of read-alouds! So I have incorporated drawing or painting of the Bible lesson into our morning while I read the, sometimes endless, pages.

Then we go on to History, Geography (sonlight), and then science.  We started the year with Apologia but I quickly realized that this was not a good fit for our family.  So we are switching (as of January) to unit studies. We just read a fun story "Owls in the Family" and the kids wanted to learn more about owls so we are working on a lapbook about owls.

Then it is time for individual work. Ellie is still very dependent on me for most of her work. So Jackson usually starts with math. I only help when it is a new concept or if he is confused. This leaves me time to work with Ellie.  She is really not getting math.  I noticed recently that she is relying on me to tell her the answers. So we have started over.  We are taking it very slowly. Today was the first day I saw the light bulb turn on.  She is starting to understand the concept of adding.  We will most likely do Kindergarten math again later in the semester. For now we are sticking with some little books that are meant to reinforce addition and other basic concepts.

I also like to take this time to help Charlotte. She only gives me about 10 minutes max!  She loves to play Sound-o Bingo, which is bingo with only letters and their sounds.  She also loves playing cards. Ellie joins in too.

Ellie reads to me and works on other LA and is usually done well before lunch. Then she is off to play with her sister!

Jackson and I work on ELA together and then he is working on an additional geography program that is based on the US.

That is it!  Oh, we have just started Health too.  Like just started today! So I don't know how that will go yet,

The unschooling has not really happened like I wanted but I feel a lot less pressure this year than I have in years past. We have had a lot of big life changes since October including: a move, Troy out of work for 2 months, 2 deaths, and me having to be the full time caregiver for my father. I have learned to let a lot of things go. My kids are benefiting from that.

All-in-all, it has been a good year!

Unschooling

Did I get your attention?

We have been homeschooling for 3 years now.  Already we are looking into year 4.  Jackson will be in the 4th grade, Ellie will be in 1st and dear Charlotte will be only 4 years old (I don't believe in homeschooling that young but we do have some fun activities planned). I have actually purchased all of our curriculum.  We are doing a variety of things.

There is a giant box in my living room full of books. Some are for reading some are text books and some are teacher's books.  This big box is starting to feel daunting.  I don't know if I can do ALL of that next year!  We live a very busy life and the thought of getting behind is overwhelming!! 

I have been scoping the blogs and have come across several unschoolers.  Here is a quick definition: Unschooling is when you don't necessarily have a structured "school environment".  Children are free to learn through play and exploration.  Some extreme unschoolers wait for their kids to ask to learn.

I am not on board with the extreme scenario of unschoolers but I have been thinking that maybe, just maybe this could be for us.  Jackson HATES sitting at the table with a text book and hours of writing and reading.  The boy is smart, he just wants to move around. Why not let him have that freedom? We already take more time for breaks than we do for learning.  In the meantime he is outside exploring, playing legos and now...wait for it....reading! All of these "breaks" include some kind of learning.

So how can I incorporate this with out school day?

I am thinking.  I still want to use that big box but I also want to not feel tied down to that big box. So one idea that I am working on is "Unschooling Boxes".  These will be little boxes (or baskets) with different items like crayons, lego, magnifying glasses, paper, pens etc.  The kids will always have access to them and will be able to work on them whenever they want.  The catch? There will be no more TV and video games!!  I am so excited to try this.  I will have to blog about it and let you all know how it goes!! :)

Just a little update!

Wow!  I have been gone a while! I am sorry about that.  It is not on purpose.  I just never can seem to find the time to post something that I think you all want to really read!!


So what is going on here? I am working and loving it.  It has been an adjustment to say the least but the kids and are getting the hang of it.  I had a hysterectomy last week.  I am recovering well.  I am hoping to go back to work next week. 

Jackson is doing well.  We are struggling with some heart issues.  He is at an age where he obsesses over things.  We are trying to teach him about false gods.  About allowing something to consume your mind so much that your focus is taken off of the Lord.  This is something that both Troy and I struggle with too.  We are not perfect but if we were then what would be the point?!

Ellie is still Ellie.  She is excelling in her schoolwork and is reading really well.  I am so proud of her.  She is super sensitive and I am still working on my own responses to her. I don't get her sometimes.  Remembering that this a gift that God has given her helps me to be more compassionate with her. She loves going to work with me.  She LOVES art.  She loves her teachers. 

Char is Char! She is a mess.  She is super bright and witty.  Because of this I am constantly laughing at her antics.  She is a mess and we love her for it!  Her outfit of choice is Minnie Mouse pajamas and to be honest I think that is a GREAT choice!

Troy is employed but looking for a new job. He has an interview today! Yay! We are praying it is better pay and a place where he is appreciated.  We want him to have a fun job!

I want to be a mermaid

We have been really busy.  I am rarely home anymore and at times I think it is taking a toll on the kids.  But then there are those times that they act like Goofy Goobers!

While at work Char came up to me with a head of wet hair.

Me-Shocked "Char! Why is your hair all wet?"
Char- As plain as can be without any incedents... "I want to be a mermaid, Mom.".

Well, there you go! We all had a good laugh and I let her run off and finish playing.  It is the little moments! Right?

Silence

My house is quiet.  Too quiet.  There is no laughter, no yelling, no screaming, no stomping on the laminate floor. It is quiet.  Why? you ask. My kids are at Grammy and Popsy's house! A few weeks ago when Mom called to see if we would come there for Thanksgiving she also asked if they could take the kids a few days earlier.  All 3!!!  This has never been done before.  So yesterday I met my dad halfway between here and there and dropped the kids with him.  The ride home was nice and quiet.  Once I was able to get home and be still it was too quiet.  I almost couldn't stand it.  This morning I have been very productive.  I miss the kids but I am enjoying the silence. We will see how the rest of the week goes.

Learning to read..take 2!

Two years ago I started teaching Jackson to read.  The experience was traumatic to say the least! There was a lot of crying and yelling.  From both of us.  So when Ellie started showing signs of readiness I was a little nervous.  Ellie's personality is nothing like Jackson's.  I knew that it would be different.  I was just worried that I might make the same mistakes as before. 

We have taken this whole entire process very slow.  She has finally started to express frustration because she cannot read.  One of her good friends is an excellent reader.  This frustrates her.  I have been preparing her for reading since June.  That is when I formally started teaching her letters and sounds.  The reason why I waited is because I wanted to make sure she got it.  A lot of times letters and numbers are taught at a very early age and I don't think kids really get them.  I think they memorize but then don't know how to apply them.  This is one of the problems that Jackson had.  Anyway, I started with just teaching her letters and sounds.  We worked and worked on them until I felt she was ready for the next step.  Last week we took the plunge.  We have officially started SSR&W.

It is not as easy as she had thought.  We are learning to blend letters like "b-a". Today she was very frustrated.  She really just wanted to read a book.  So today was not as easy as she had hoped.  I on the other hand knew it would not be so I was able to remain calm when she got upset.  I know she will get it.  Jackson did and he was hard for me!

Thankful Part 3...

It is time to talk about the third child. My sweet sweet Charlotte Grace.  When she was a newborn I would sing "Charlotte Grace with a pretty face".  She is beautiful.  She has to be for all the trouble she gets into. 

She gets into everything!  She cannot sit still.  She loves to torture, I mean, love the kittens.  She is constantly watching them. She has a song for EVERYTHING!  She turns a simple task into a song.  She loves to hold out the last note as long as she can. "I am brushing my teeeeeeeeeeeef". She loves to work on her own schoolwork.  She has amazing fine and gross motor skills.  I noticed it when she turned two but more recently I have had several people comment on them.  She is a "lefty". The only one in the family that I know of.

Have you seen the movie "Up"?  The part where the dog is talking and then is quickly sidetracked by the "SQUIRREL!".  We lovingly refer to that movie when talking about Char.  She is easily distracted and still struggles with one step tasks.  She will get it one day. 

Even with how busy she is, Charlotte still loves to cuddle.  She is the most still of them all when it comes to "snuggles".  She finds a good spot in your lap and then makes that unmistakable clicking sound with her tongue as she loves on her sheepy. 

I love you Charlotte Grace!

Thankful Part 2....

Today is Ellie's turn.  She is definitely the middle child and a girl. She frequently gets her feelings hurt and always thinks that her brother and sister get more love, toys, time, etc etc!  It can be trying at times.  But with all that being said, she is such a blessing to me!

Her goal in life is to grow up and be a mom and a "cooker".  She loves to cook.  Our favorite time together is between 2 and 4 when Charlotte is down for her nap and Jackson is off doing "Jackson things". Ellie and I snuggle up in my bed and turn on the Food Network and watch her favorite chef, Giada De laurentes.  We talk about the recipes and then we plan what we are going to make for dinner.  It is really fun. 

Her newest thing is that she wants to film herself cooking.  I am still trying to figure out the best way to do that.

Ellie also loves passionately.  She has a few really close friends and she cares so deeply for them.  So much so that I have threatened to make her take a break! :)  All in all she is a great girl.  I know the Lord will use her personality to grow me as a mom. 

Thankful for...Part 1

I have been participating on the 30 days of thanksgiving on Facebook.  Day 4 was for Jackson, Day 5 for Ellie and Day 6 will be Charlotte.  I thought I would make more detailed posts about each of them on my blog too! So here is Part 1:

I am thankful for Jackson. He is only 8 and yet he has such a giving spirit about him.  The Lord has truly given him a heart of compassion and of generosity.  Last week we had to stop and get gas by our home.  The plan was to fill up and then head into Houston.  Jackson noticed a homeless man sitting out by the intersection.  This man has been around for a few years.  Jackson wanted to know immediately if we could stop.  I said no.  After driving for a while Jackson asked if we would be out for lunch.  I told him that I did not plan on it.  He was adamant that we stop somewhere to buy this man lunch. His response to me was "If no one else will feed him, I will." How could you argue with that.  Unfortunately the man was gone by lunch time.  He usually is.  It was a lesson for me, not to leave things undone.  Next time we will have something for him. 

That is only one little reason why I am so thankful for my boy!

True Greatness

This summer I did a book study on Raising Your Kids for True Greatness by Tim Kimmel.  A great book for all parents, especially Christian ones!  Anyway today, Jackson, out of nowhere brought the book to me.  He said, "Mom. I want you to read this book." I smiled and told him that I had.  He then wanted to know if Troy had.  I asked why and he responded "Because I want to do good things with my life." That is exactly what this book is all about.  I was so proud of my sweet boy when he said that.  He is an amazing kid.  And my hope is that we can raise him up for TRUE greatness.

Baby Steps

Jackson has really been struggling with ELA.  He hates grammar. He hates reading. He hates writing.  Now that he is in the third grade the curriculum expects him to be doing much more of ALL of these things.  Today we started out the day struggling.  We took a break at the bowling alley!  When we got home it was time to start up again.  He saved Friends and Heroes for the end today.  He had to write a mini-report.  He was able to choose from 3 different things and today he chose Nile Crocodiles.  We researched and then it was time to write.  He was upset.  But I decided to be merciful (something I couldn't do earlier) and told him as long as they were complete sentences written correctly he only had to write 3.  I figure since we are still getting used to all of this this would be a reasonable amount of work.  He was still a little discouraged until I told him I would not grade his spelling.  Amazingly out of 3 sentences only 3 words were misspelled! He was so proud of his report when he was done.

baby steps...

For reading today I told him he could pick any book.  He chose The Snake Dictionary. He has not been able to put it down. He is reading on his own without help.  This is monumental people!

It just goes to show that when you let go of what YOU want to do and allow what really needs to, happen.  Your day gets a whole lot better!!!!!!  I am so glad our day ended this way! :)

The Creator's Kids

I am so blessed to have a God that works out ALL of the details!  If you don't know, more than 2 years ago I went back to school to teach Special Education. At the same time the Lord called me to homeschool Jackson.  I know...CRAZY!  It was and has been.  Each year we pray about what we are to do.  Each year God has told me to continue school and continue homeschool.  I began to ask God what he had planned. Not in a what the heck are you thinking kinda way, but a what is the plan kinda way.

He answered me this past Spring. Through a series of circumstances I was put in touch with and then subsequently hired by a woman starting a brand new business.  It is called The Creator's Kids. I will be the assistant director.  I am so excited!  We open our doors January 2nd.  And what is even cooler is that I will still continue homeschooling my children!!! 

Right now we are looking for teachers!  If you know anyone that lives in this area that would be interested in something like this please have them email a resume to info@thecreatorskids.com.  We are looking for part time and possible full time teachers to teach; music, art, home economics, creative dance and theater.  I would love to hear from you all! We will begin interviewing and hiring in November!  I am so excited!!!

Busy with School!

The kids and I have been busy with school!  We have been going through the motions and it has been pretty good...for the most part!  We still struggle with attitudes and that can be a bit challenging, especially when I am not in the mood.

Jackson finished an ETC book last week.  It felt like it took forever (because it did) but he finished.  I asked if he wanted me to take a picture and he said "No!".  Oh well.  We have also taken a break from Horizon's Math.  I could tell that he was getting too frustrated with it and for the last 3 weeks we have been only working on fast facts on the computer.  He really likes doing it and it takes less than 5 minutes sometimes.  There are parts of me that think he should be doing more but then the laid back, just let him work at his own pace cause this is why we chose to homeschool, part of me says that 5 minutes of math is fine if he is learning.  He finished a chapter book that was part of the Hooked on Phonics program we are using.  He really enjoyed the story line and I could tell he was really proud of himself when he finished.

Ellie is still trucking away at ETC.  We will be starting SSRW before Thanksgiving I am sure.  Part of me wonders if I should wait until after the new year.  I probably won't because she is so willing to learn right now.  We are still working on number recognition and some addition. She is doing well with it.

Charlotte is craving some school time.  I have started working with colors and shapes with her.  We are also learning "C" for Charlotte.  Last week we talked about circles, purple and the number 8 by making a spider.  She really liked it.  I will have to take a picture of the project.

Overall we have been doing lots of fun things.  There have been times I thought about taking pictures but then didn't because I was enjoying my time with the kids. 

Want a QUILT?

My best friend, Mindy, is adopting a sweet sweet boy in a couple of weeks. He is so precious.  His name is "Frank" but it will soon be Henry.  He is only 2 months old and his parents are here on work visa's.  They love little "Frank" but you see he has Down Syndrome.  In China, people who are a little different are not accepted.  He will never be allowed to go to school.  He will not be allowed to be seen in public.  His birth parents love him so much they are willing to give him to a family that will love him and give him the best life! 

Adoption costs money.  The Lord called and the Churchill's said "YES!". They didn't know how they would raise the funds but the Lord does. So right now you can check out their fundraiser.  Mindy is an awesome quilter!  Please check out her blog.  You can win one of 4 quilts!!!!  I LOVE those odds!  I have one of her quilts and let me tell you....I LOVE IT!!!! 

Thank you for considering!!!

Something Different

Yesterday my sweet friend was sharing her struggles with homeschooling with me.  I encouraged her to try something a little different and today she said it worked! 

Taking my own advice we went outside and picked up leaves and pine cones.  The kids even picked little pink flowers off of my crepe myrtles (is that how you spell that?). Oh well!  Anyway we came in and painted with leaves and used tissue paper and crayons and even googly eyes to decorate all that we got.  It was great!  We had 3 extra kids over so you can imagine I did NOT get pictures! :(  But the kids made some really cool collages. I will post pics of the finished masterpieces soon!

What kind of fun things do you do to break up the monotony of the day? Ours was impromptu, what about you?

Natural Consequences

About a month ago, Charlotte burned her hand on the stove.  It was a very scary moment for me!  I literally did not shaking until the doctor walked into the exam room at the ER. 

I had just finished telling her to get back from the hot stove.  I removed a pot of boiling water and she put her hand flat on the still red eye! If ever there was a lesson in natural consequences...this was it!

She is doing much better and the scarring is minimal.  Needless to say she doesn't go near the stove!!!

Get Set....DONE!!!

Ellie is blowing through ETC! Last week she finished book two of the "Before the Code series, Get Set for the Code".  If we hadn't had so many breaks over the last couple of weeks she would be even further along!  I am so proud of how hard she works and her WONDERFUL attitude toward learning. We have also been supplementing with Reading Eggs.  Not that we need to, it is just something fun!  We have already started Go For the Code!  When we are done with this book we will start Sing, Spell, Read and Write!

As always here is a picture of Ellie with her completed workbook!

Charlotte

Each day we start with breakfast and a few chores.  Then we go on to start our school day.  Charlotte is old enough to realize that she is missing out on something.  Lately she has been asking for her "school".  She has a few things that she just loves!  Some of them are independent play and others are with Mommy!

Matching these bears is always fun!  She is learning size and color with this activity.  As I type she and Ellie are pretend playing with them.  They have each grouped them by color making "families". 

Puzzles are always fun.  She has actually begun to do more difficult puzzles.  She is learning how to look at the colors on the pieces of a traditional puzzle and is able to match them up.  She still can't quite finish one but she is getting really close!  Luckily, Ellie is a puzzle whiz and is very patient and loves to teach her sister!

She also LOVES to color!  You can see that she is a lefty! She has excellent fine motor skills and has been holding a pencil/crayon correctly for about 9 months now.  Recently I noticed that she was starting to color in the lines really well.  Occasionally she will scribble on the paper, mostly when she is being silly.  She is also starting to "write letters" with a pencil or pen.  She already recognizes what writing looks like and is very intentional with the lines and curves that she makes on a piece of paper.

We also LOVE to read together.  Each morning when the big kids are done Charlotte and I pick 3 or 4 books and read them together.  I have started asking her context clue questions and have even asked her to read to me.  I love the stories she makes up just by looking at the pictures.  She even does the voices! :)

We also have started going to PBSKIDS.org.  She does not use the mouse but I let her point to the place she wants me to pick.  She really enjoys that!

All in all she is doing really well.  She is very bright.  I don't want to push her.  I want this to be as organic as it can be.  I am going to continue to put things in front of her that interest her.  After all she did JUST turn 3!!!!!