It's the First Day of Co-op....

and I have a nature walk planned for my Pre-K Science class....and it is pouring the rain...sigh. Fortunately, I was able to make some quick changes to my plans and we're going to be making a Nature Museum with a glass votive and bits and pieces of "nature"...I have acorns, leaves, sticks, etc. I was hoping that we could go out and gather our own "nature" for the museums but that's not happening. If we have extra time to fill, I will help the kiddos plant grass seed. I have two stories, a drawing activity and two hands-on activities....here's hoping that these fill up an hour...sheesh...and why did I volunteer to do this?? I'm a nervous wreck...

Binoculars for Astronomy

We are having a great time studying astronomy this year. We’ve watched a meteor shower, missed an eclipse and have put together some really nifty science notebooks!

There are several things I wish we had that I think would make our studies much better….a telescope and binoculars. We used to have a telescope but we misplaced a bunch of the lens and the tripod was broken. The binocular we have is not very good.

I’ve been reading about steiner binoculars and I would love to have their astronomy binoculars! These are some really nifty binoculars and really, they could be used for bird watching too. Don’t you think I need these for school??? I do!

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Parol for Prayers

This week we are continuing to pray for the families and missionaries in the Philippines. We made parols this morning so that we would be reminded of the prayers that these people need.


Parols are star lanterns that are used as Christmas decorations in the Philippines. Our parols are a very simple version. I used scrapbooking paper and recycled the fringe from a knitted shawl. You can find the complete activity at the Kids of Courage site. There are also more in depth projects over at MyParol.com.


We hung ours on a branch we found out in the back yard and it's now perched on the bookshelf in the den. Fun!

Fan Blade Bible Memory Verse

Belle has found a clever and fun(ny) way to practice her Bible memory verses. There's nothing like shooting your words through a fan...that wiggledy voice is just too fun! You can't really hear the wiggledness of her voice in this video...you'll just have to take my word for it, it's cute. I didn't realize how close her hair was until after I watched....yowsie!!

PreSchool Science Books

Here's another small, visual list of the books I want to use this year in my Pre-K Science class at our homeschool co-op. I'm going to be posting my completed topic list later this evening...well, that's my goal!

Let's Play a Game of Chess!

Nik got into chess at home-school coop a few years ago and likes to challenge his dad to a game any chance he gets. He would proably play a lot more if he had someone to play with.

Now, I’ve seen movies where the characters play chess through the mail. They send their move to each other and games take weeks, months or years. That would not do for “got to have it now” Nik. This correspondence chess site is exactly what he needs! Basically, this site is just like those games played through the mail, however, now e-mail is used. You can also play realtime if your opponent is online at the time.

Nik could play with people around the world every day. I think this is great, why didn’t someone think of this sooner?! Neat!

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Summer Reading Program

We've missed a month...I can't believe I forgot about this...Yowsie!

The Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is already under way but there's still time to participate. We have until September 2nd. You can stop by your local B&N or you can get the brochure at their website.

I'll have to say that our B&N treats us homeschoolers like we are gold! Several times a year, they host an educators day and we are fed wonderful treats and given a ton of goodies! We are also given the book packs (last time I got 12 books!) just like the ones they give public schools to put into their libraries. Now that's really nice...

Monkey Reading in a Tree

Look what I caught Jake doing! Those of you who have been visiting us for awhile know that Jake hates to read so when I saw this happening I was so pleased! Reading takes you soooo many places and I really want Jake to experience the joy of reading a good book. We're still working on this but I think this photo certainly shows movement in the right direction!

Backyard Homeschool Carnival

Be sure to visit the The 72nd Carnival of Homeschooling: "In My Backyard" over at PalmTree Pundits blog. You'll need a big cup of coffee or tea and a good chunk of time because there are a ton of entries!! Enjoy!!

Harriet Tubman Links

We are going to be studying about Harriet Tubman and I thought I would share the links I came across while putting together the lesson plan.

Crossword Puzzles...this site has 3 different puzzles, scroll down.
Internet Scavenger Hunt...plus a short story and a few other activities.
Enchanted Learning...of course, no need for explanation here! As always, a ton of info...
Spirituals...ideas on introducing these songs

Mrs. Taverna's second grade class...neat site with lots of info!

Code Words

The Underground Railrode...National Geographic interactive games..we love these!

The Quilt Code Myth...interesting reading for those of us who love to quilt. Moms have to keep learning too!!

These are just a few that I have come across that I will probably be using...I would love to have other links if you have them!

Bog Boy

Tea Mouse is hosting the "World's #1 Mom" contest and she is asking for entries. You are to write about why you are a great mom...she really encourages us to share our funny stories! So here's my entry for her contest:

The Bog Boy
(oh how I wish I had a photo! lol!!)


It was a nice day at home school co-op. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze…just a wonderful day to play outside! After lunch, the boys asked if they could stay awhile and play with the other boys and of course, I said yes. I sat with some other moms and we talked about curriculum, current events and whatever else crossed our minds. Belle was playing with some of her little friends. All was well!

Awhile into our conversations, we heard that there was a kid stuck in one of the big mud bogs up behind the church. Not to worry though…he wasn’t stuck bad and he was getting out even as we were hearing about it. So we went on talking…priorities you know! Lol!! I’m not sure why we didn’t go check on the kid but we didn’t! After awhile everyone started leaving…I started calling for my kids so that we could leave also. I asked if anyone had found out who the “Bog Boy” was but no one knew. We were all making jokes about the poor mom who was going to have to deal with all that mud!

2o minutes later I have only managed to gather up one child…I have stopped to talk again and I know that my kids are fine because they know they have to stay in a certain area. As I’m talking to my friend, I see Jake running down the hill waving his arms and yelling at me…I have no idea what he’s saying…then I see it! Coming up over the top of the hill is the “Bog Boy”…this kid is twice his size because of all the mud packed on him….he looks like a monster! Lol!! I turn to my friend and we joke again about the mom who is going to have to deal with all that mud. As “Bog Boy” gets closer I hear a voice that sounds familiar, “Hi, Mom”……sigh…….my first-born, by the book, don’t break the laws or else child, Nik……is the “Bog Boy”!!!

I made him strip down (after everyone left!) to his drawers before he got into the van…his mud shoes were put in a box in the floor along with his “Bog Boy” uniform….sigh….I got myself a big serving of “Never say never!” that day.

Nik said that he had seen something “shiny” in the mud and he wanted it….so he went in after it and soon started to be sucked in by the mud. One of his friends had held out a flimsy little branch to help him and Jake just ran around freaking out!! Lol!!