Scott School

Winner and a Favourite Photo

2012-01-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

The winner of the My Memories giveaway was Tamara Flundra.
People were having a hard time viewing and commenting on my blog... any guesses why anyone?

We are in the middle of a study on Canada and this is one of my favourite pictures this week.

Hudson is putting star stickers on the map to show the places we have gotten postcards from so far. If it was not so freezing cold the past few days we would have probably been able to check the mail for more post cards. So if you have sent us one please be patient we will get your star up asap.

Publish Post

My Memories Review and Giveaway!

2012-01-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to review My Memories Suite Version 3. My memories is a digital scrapbook company with a fantastic software program to create digital albums.
So I played around with it and came up with a couple of cute projects. Here is a layout of Hudson on his 6th birthday:

And here is a possible label for the goats milk soap I have been making.

I'm quite happy with how both turned out.

So here's the nitty gritty on what I think of the software.

The Good:

There are oodles of papers, embellishments and kits to choose from on the site and a good selection of them are free.
The quality of the images is beautiful. I love that the burlap on my soap label makes me want to reach out and touch it.
The set up is quite easy.
The cost is not prohibitive ($39.97 and I have a code for $10 off. STMMMS56033)
Once you purchase the software you get another promo code for $10 to shop for digital images on the My Memories site.
There is a search feature on the site so you can find that perfect item to add to your project.
Sizing items and photos is really easy.
Product support is amazing. You have no idea how many times I have emailed with questions, and they get right back to me.
There are quick pages where all you do is plug in your photos and voilà done.
There is no mess to clean up!!!

Things that could be improved:

It took me quite a while to navigate around the software so a walk through would be nice. And if there is a walk through somewhere already then label it clearly because I missed it.

How to get My Memories Software...

Buy it:

Head on over to My Memories and purchase their software using this promo code for $10 off STMMMS56033.

Win It:

Head on over to My Memories and leave me a comment telling me what your favourite scrapbook kit is there. (Must be done before any other entries count.)

Extra entries: (leave a separate comment for each)

Follow Scott School with Google Friend Connect (Thanks for following if you already do. You can leave a comment too!)
Like My Memories on Facebook (there is a $5 promo code there)
Follow My Memories on Twitter

This giveaway closes January 17, 2012 at 8pm Pac time. Winning entry must have a way for me to contact them. If I have not heard from the winner with in 24 hours of contacting them I will choose a different winner.

Pirates Day 2

2012-01-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Fill in the details pictures.
Hudson used some foam stamps to place the pirate ship and a few whales in the picture. Then he filled in the details of water, plants, a sea horse, fish, a sandy ocean bottom and even a sunset.

Pirates Day 1

2012-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

Yo ho ho and ahoy matey!
Scott School is back in (almost) full swing after the holidays.

Since Hudson received two great pirate books for Christmas I decided that a pirate unit was in order.

We did a science experiment to find the best thing to use for shining our gold (pennies).

Placing 6 pennies in 6 cups (saving out a 7th dirty penny for comparison).

Pouring common kitchen items on to the pennies. Water, vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, dish soap and olive oil.

We left the pennies for 1 hour covered by the liquids.

What did we discover? The lemon juice worked the best to shine up our penny.

What is an Angel's Job Description?

2011-12-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we made the wrapping paper angels in Truth in the Tinsel.

After hunting through the recommended scripture verses we determined four jobs that angels do (I am sure there are more but hey this was a kindergarten activity).
Angels deliver messages, encamp around us, guard us and serve.
We also learned that the angel who brought Mary the news that she would be Jesus' mother was named Gabrielle.
What other jobs can you think of that angels do?

What Name Do You Have For Jesus?

2011-12-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

We have not been stringent in following the ideas in Truth in the Tinsel daily, but we have enjoyed plunking the lessons and craft projects here and there during our week.

It is so enlightening to discuss with small children names for Jesus. Great Healer and Awesome Lover came from the lips of my sweet babes.

Afterward we made crowns for the King of Kings with TP rolls , paint and sequence.

Cute eh?

Christmas Party!!!

2011-12-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

On Monday we had the crew from Our Little T-Pot came over for a Christmas Party.
We used an Advent activity from Truth in the Tinsel and made some gorgeous glittery CD Christmas ornaments to go with the story of Mary's song.

There was cookie decorating:

And cookie eating as well of course.
The children listed to Christmas music, went sledding and enjoyed each other's company in general.
I love these homeschool get togethers. :)

Indoor P.E.-Jump Around!!!

2011-12-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest places in our town is the reuse shed at the dump. We score the best treasures there... like this rebounder trampoline.
I had one just like it when I was a kid.
I has been very useful in my kiddos working off some energy indoors. Bounce bounce bounce...

Book Review-The Love & Respect Experience by Emerson Eggerichs

2011-11-19T19:46:00.000-08:00


Buy		Read

Through the millions of products sold on Love & Respect, Emerson Eggerichs has transformed marriages around the world with his biblically based approach to understanding the love that she most desires and the respect that he desperately needs. Now, in this long-awaited release, Emerson has created an experience for couples that is effective, flexible and life-changing.

I was blessed to be able to study Love and Respect with my bible study group a few years ago. We all agreed in that group though, that there was no way we were going to be able to convince our husbands to read that book on their own.
In comes The Love and Respect Experience to the rescue. With only 52 devotionals, it is much easier to read once a week together than sneaking Love and Respect onto his pillow or leaving it beside the toilet hoping he will get the hint and read it.
The readings in The Love and Respect Experience are not far fetched romantic. Nor are they poetic and frilly. They are man friendly.
I especially enjoyed the suggested prayer at the end of each devotion. I love being ideas of what to pray since they are often things that don't even cross my mind.
Eggerichs really came through with this book to help couples see each other's good will and hopefully stay off the "crazy cycle" most of the time.

Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson

Book Review-Three Cups by Tony Townsley

2011-11-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Three Cups is a book to introduce simple money management to children. The concept of save, spend is not a new concept, but a classic one. Townsley has attempted to make financial learning exciting by talking about an adventure throughout the book. Truth be told though there is no mention of what the adventure might be. Even the child in the book can not figure out what this elusive adventure is. If attempting to motivated kids to use this system of three cups Townsley has missed the target.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(Gingerbread) House Decor

2011-11-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

Grandpa John and Grandma Shar came to visit on the weekend and oh what fun we had.
There was plenty of wrestling and tickling. Grandpa thought up a very popular skiing game where the kiddos stood on his legs and he maneuvered them over imaginary jumps and moguls.

Here is Grandpa doing some sort of crazy dance with Meadow.

There were lots of treats inclusing some very big candy snakes, a Costco size container of Winnie the Pooh cookies and this gingerbread house kit.
With Grandpa in charge of the icing and Grandma in charge of handing out candy they created quite the festive Christmas cookie dwelling.
We miss them already!

Post Office Play

2011-11-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last week we went on a field trip to the post office with our homeschool group... Do you think I remembered my camera? No :(
But I do have pictures of the post office play we did before the tour.

First we wrote pretend letters.

Then colored some stamps onto envelopes.

Then the post mom with her reusable mail bag delivered the mail to each child's "house" (bedroom).

How fun to get mail... even if you sent it yourself.

We also received some sweet swag from the post office...

Tattoos!!!

Book Review Heaven is for Real for Kids By Todd & Sonja Burpo

2011-11-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!

Colton Burpo came back from his trip to heaven with a very important message: Jesus really, really loves children. In effort to reach even more families with this eternally significant story, this runaway bestseller is now told from Colton—kid to kids! Children will receive the same comfort and assurance that so many adults have received from the trade book.

After reading Heaven is For Real, I was really excited to read and review Heaven Is For Real for Kids. I was not disappointed. Not only is the writing wonderful and easy to understand for children, but the illustrations are gorgeous. The paintings are inspirational and make it easy to imagine what heaven is like.
I give this book 5 stars.

Tell Me a Story- Big Party

2011-11-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

I gave Hudson a flannel board and some felt cut outs and asked him to use them to tell me a story. Here is the story he created:

Big Party

Once upon a time a lot of animals came to a party where it was Halloween. Some bunnies brought a cake. And they had wine. They had pumpkin seeds. They went to the apple trees and ate some apples and the fish ate flowers.

The End.

What tactics do you have to help your child explore creative writing?

Tummy Time

2011-11-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Looking at the pretty ponies...

This is hard work...

Zzzzzzz

Fill Your Boots...Uh I Mean Shoe Boxes

2011-11-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season... the goulishness of Halloween is over... the air outside is crisp and cold... and Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are calling out to be filled.

I love this Christmas tradition that we have in our family. It is so exciting to shop for the gifts to fill our shoe boxes and Hudson and Meadow are truly starting to understand giving.

We talked about one place that our shoe boxes might be sent, Haiti. We talked about the big earthquake that happened there and how these presents would help children to feel loved. We talked about how lots of the children in Haiti don't have anything left after the earthquake and that by giving some of the things that we would like to have ourselves they will be blessed.

Some of the things that we put in our shoe boxes:

My Little Pony (Meadows favorite thing)
Hotwheels (Hudson's favorite thing)
Pencil Crayons
Pencils
Erasers
Facecloths
Little People
Coloring Book
Toothbrushes
Bars of Soap

I might be forgetting something, but that's OK.

So have you packed your shoe box yet? What's in it?

Can You Find The Clementine?

2011-11-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I may be a little bias, but in my opinion my children have the coolest grandparents on the planet. Here's an example of how creative Grandpa Tom is:

Hudson received this magnifying glass and picture in the mail with instructions to find the clementine.
He did quite well and found all 10.

This is what clementine looks like in case you were wondering. :)

Indoor P.E.- Twister

2011-10-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

This was actually my homeschool partner in crime's idea but it's brilliant, so I ~~stole~~ borrowed it.

Twister!!!

Hudson is quite the flexible guy... and he knows left from right better than I do :)

Indoor P.E.- Big Ball

2011-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well the weather outside is starting to become frightful... so I have been searching for creative indoor P.E. ideas. Today I brought out the big ball.

He-man! How long can you hold the ball up on your head?

Front crawl isn't just for swimming.

We'll probably do some more practice with balancing. :)

What P.E. activities are you doing indoors?

Makings Of an Indoor Garden -Part 1

2011-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

We have decided to grow a few things indoors this winter. Hopefully this will help with eating a little healthier and chase away some of our cabin fever once the snow settles.
Here's how we're doing it...

Materials:

Containers
Soil
Compost (optional)
seeds (or plant starts)
pottery or dishes that you can break
some medium size rocks

Step 1: Since our containers don't have drain holes and I don't really want them to in the house as I don't have a tray to catch the water we smashed some ugly coffee mugs that we found at the ~~dump~~ re-use shed.

We put the mugs into a pail with a couple of rocks. Put the lid on a shook the pail.

Dropping the pail a few times helped the process along immensely.

Step 2: Cover the bottom of your container with the broken pieces. (I did this dangerous job).

Step 3: Mix the soil and compost. We were winging it with the ratio here but we mixed it about 3:1.

Step 4: Cover the broken dishes in you planting container with the compost mixture and fill the container almost full.

Stay tuned to find out what we plant!!!

Book Review-When God Whispers Your Name By Max Lucado

2011-10-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Do you find it hard to believe that the One who made everything keeps your name on His heart and on His lips? Did you realize that your name is written on the hand of God (Is. 49:16)? Perhaps you've never seen your name honored. And you can't remember when you heard it spoken with kindness. In this book, Lucado offers the inspiration to believe that God has already bought the ticket-with your name on it.

When God Whispers Your Name is a beautiful book full of inspirational messages and wonderful stories to illustrate God's love and purpose for us. Something that stood out to me was the simple and easy to understand writing. This was not fancy theology but real truth.

Lucado reaches his audience with kindness and some doable challenges that are encouraging and not condemning.

Well Done.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Healthy and Unhealthy

2011-10-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today Hudson created 2 collages. One of healthy food choices...

And one of unhealthy food choices...

In this picture he is explaining to me what God food is. It's food that grows and only has 1 ingredient so only God can make it.

The Get Dressed Challenge!

2011-10-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

*Deep Breath* I can do this... I will get dressed and let that lead me to being a better wife, mother and homemaker. Wanna join with me? Click the button at the top and link up. :)

Preparing for Thanksgiving!

2011-10-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend and we are so excited to have our first overnight guests.

We are preparing a special feast...

And we have taken special care to make sure that we decorate just right...

Can't wait to tell you all about our weekend adventures next week!

We May Have Ruined Tonka for Hudson!!!

2011-09-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

I mean seriously what kid wants to go back to little machines after helping to maneuver this real back hoe?

Look at Hudson... so serious and cute. I love that kid :)

Sweet Sisters

2011-09-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

I certainly couldn't post about big brother yesterday and leave out these pictures of sweet sister time today :)

Being the Biggest

2011-09-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

It is quiet in the Scott house right now.
Earlier the sound of great silly giggles as Meadow and Hudson wrestled and tickled each other rang through the rooms.
Now however is the time for snuggles. For a big brother and his tiny new sister to sit and bond. A time for tenderness.
A time for being the biggest kid in the house with this special privilege of holding the baby while she sleeps.

Book Review Our Last Great Hope-By Ronnie Floyd

2011-09-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Join pastor Ronnie Floyd as he challenges readers to face reality and begin a global movement to reach the lost. He says, "God is calling us to an awakening regarding his most urgent command found in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations. This Great Commission is the compelling charge given to us with divine authority by our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ."

Perhaps I missed something in this book but with subtitle like Awakening the Great Commission I expected to be inspired. I had hoped for something more practical than pay tithing and plant churches. I did not even find any wonderful stories of God's work through others in this book.

As for Our Last Great Hope creating any sense of urgency in my to head out and evangelize the world, I must say it failed in this aspect as well. I really did not catch the share the gospel bug from this book. Quite a disappointment.

I'll Never Buy Them Clothes Again...

2011-09-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

Since Hudson and Meadow are quite thrilled to have made belts out of bubble wrap, I'm sure they can come up with other creative "upcycled" clothing options :)

She's Here!!

2011-09-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

At last I can announce to you the arrival of our new baby girl Delaney May on September 15th at 3:54pm.

Weighing in at 7lbs 6oz she is our smallest baby.
I will spare you most of the gory details of labor and delivery as my dad reads my blog.
I will tell you though that I was in labor for 16.5 hours and only pushed for 4 minutes at the end. I was stalled for about 7 hours at 6cm so that was pretty frustrating.
We are home and doing well...

Zoom!

2011-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Our backyard play ground is a bit shabby but it works and we will (probably) make improvements as we continue to clean up our property.

The kiddos hadn't really used this slide much, so I decided to bring out some Hotwheels for races. They loved it.
And what do you know once they started playing with the slide they actually used it for sliding...

Brilliant!

Two by Two by Barbara Reid

2011-09-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

This week we read a very interesting rendition of Noah's Ark called Two by Two by Barbara Reid.
The art project we did to go with it was very cool.

Supplies:

Canvas or heavy card stock
crayons
watered down tempura paint
eye dropper

Have your child draw a picture of Noah's Ark (include details like a rainbow, mountain top...etc if you want)

Then using the paint and eye dropper make it "rain" on the picture.

The crayon resists the paint and you have some super cool artwork. :)

Linking up with stART over at A Mommy's Adventures!

I Have Amazing Friends...

2011-09-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

... excuse me if I get all emotional (my due date is tomorrow so I will totally blame it on the end of pregnancy, get this baby out!, hormones...etc) but I really must tell you that I am a gal with some awesome friends.

Yesterday was my (hopefully) last doctors appointment before baby girl is born and my dear homeschool friend Twyla agreed to watch my children for me. PLUS she agreed to watch them longer so that I could go and have lunch with my husband... like on a date. And not only THAT but she did school with my children and hers! Seriously she is WONDERFUL!

The lesson was based around this Magic School Bus book.

The children cut and colored ladybug pictures.

And they even "took the book outside" by exploring the garden, eating peas and raspberries, and identifying "weed seeds".

I am so thankful for friends like Twyla.

Around the Farm

2011-09-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

Oops it's been a while since my last post. I would love to tell you it's because I am busily getting ready for baby girl's arrival and just haven't found the time... but the truth is that I am just so tired and I lay around doing nothing a whole lot so I guess I have just been lazy :)

Our hens are starting to lay some very cute little eggs and our bantam hens are laying some slightly green colored eggs. So cool!

The turkeys are getting plump and are almost ready to fulfill their purpose as a Thanksgiving feast!

Daisy has joined our farm. She is an 8 year old blue heeler/ border collie cross. She may need to enter a weight loss program as she is quite rolly polly. I call her a walking foot stool (affectionately of course :)

The kiddos are loving the swing set that Auntie Anita found at a yard sale for $10. Hudson was really missing living next door to a park this summer.

Meadow is thrilled that she can swing by herself. Just not too high.

I think that's all of the news from home that I have for now. I will go back to not so patiently waiting for this baby to make an appearance.

Fall Fair Fun!

2011-08-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend our family had the opportunity to exhibit in and enjoy the Vanderhoof Fall Fair.
Hudson and Meadow each won a red second place ribbon for their fair projects.

Hudson's for his very cool cut and paste collage. I am so impressed with how much Hudson's cutting ability has improved lately.

Meadow's red ribbon was for her amazing noodle necklace. It really is lovely.

Craig entered goats milk from our very own Annabell into the fair and won first prize.

I entered clover jelly and also won first place. Looks like I will be giving away some prize winning jelly for Christmas this year :) *note: I will have to ban Craig from taking picture of me... they turn out with me looking tired and fat usually and I just don't love that so much.

Both children were quite drawn to the square dancing.

What is Hudson so interested in?

The draft horse competition! These horses are massive, their hooves are the size of dinner plates.

Climbing at the playground was a very favorite activity.

As was watching our good friend Mr. Ventin and his band Rosewood's Diary perform.

We were quite exhausted by the end of it all, but we had a ton of fun!

The Garbage Bag Threat

2011-08-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today I was my mother. (I do remember some things you said mom... just probably not everything you hoped). I uttered the threat "If this room is not cleaned up in x amount of time, I will come in here with a garbage bag and take away what ever is on the floor."
My boy with his big brown eyes, eyes that looked weary and tired said "Can I just put the stuff in the garbage bag mom?"
Hudson was burdened. Five years old and weighed down by too much stuff. Tired of being overwhelmed with where to put his things.
I gave him the bag and let him toss his way to freedom... I hope to glean this lesson and get myself a big black garbage bag to dump my overabundance.

Pretty Pasta Creation

2011-08-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Meadow chose to make a non perishable food necklace to enter in the Fall Fair happening this weekend.

Tip: we attached a piece of pipe cleaner to the end of the string to make lacing the beads easier.

I am so pleased with the vibrant colors that these dyed penne ended up being.
The recipe I used was:
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol and 25 drops of color and 2 cups of pasta for each different color. I mixed them in freezer bags and left them over night. In the morning I laid the pasta out to dry on parchment covered cookie sheets.

So pretty don't you think?

Meet The Scott School Students!

2011-08-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hudson is 5 1/2 and starting kindergarten. He is serious and silly, rowdy and gentle all wrapped up in one. Hudson loves to collect eggs, jump on the trampoline, go on "adventures" and find treasures. If there is a job to be done around the farm Hudson is usually helping out some how. Hudson is a soccer star and likes to be in goal. This wonderful kiddo could eat noodles and bread until he exploded if I let him. He is a blessing in our family.

Meadow is almost 3 and starting preschool. She is a tough little princess who does not want to be left out of anything. She loves school and often asks if we can do school again in the evening. One of her favorite things is to "chat" about Jesus. Meadow also loves music and dancing. She also loves to talk on the phone to her Grandmas and Grandpas. She is a joy in our home.

Not Quite Bone Button Borscht.

2011-08-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

I am LOVING our Bone Button Borscht Unit. Especially making borscht with Hudson!
Yesterday we went shopping for our borscht veggies:

onion
cabbage
carrots
fresh dill

(I already had beets on hand)

Then this morning we cooked. Hudson started off chopping cabbage.

The dill smells SOOO good!

Once the onions and dill were sauteed Hudson dumped in the chopped cabbage, some carrots that I grated and the jars of beets. He took his stirring job very seriously.

Doesn't this look yummy?

B is for Beautiful Beads!

2011-08-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Meadow in all of her princess glory wore my oversized layer necklace today. I decided to turn it into part of her letter B learning. B is for Beautiful Beads. This then turned into making more bead jewelery with pony beads and pipe cleaners. A fantastic activity that kept her busy for quite some time :)

Button Math

2011-08-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

A couple of math activities we did with buttons:
Smallest to Largest.

Pretty self explanatory. Line the buttons up from smallest to largest.

Adding buttons 5+3=?

Button Tales

2011-08-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today we started our Bone Button Borscht by Aubrey Davis unit study. I love this book. It's a take on Stone Soup and very well written.

Hudson and I sat with a big pile of buttons in front of us and I chose a button and made up a story about it. I did this twice then turned to Hudson and said your turn... This is the story he told me:

This button belonged to a man named Shred. And it was on his coat. And when he was walking the button fell off the coat and was in a high tree. And it was covered by leaves. And someone found it. And that is the story of this button.

After I wrote down his story Hudson drew a tree at the top of the page and then glued the button into it.
I loved this! I can't wait to explore more story telling with Hudson.

How Do You Organize Your Jewels?

2011-08-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

I totally love that Meadow has princess school. I gave her the job of picking up glass beads (jewels) with a pair of tongs and putting them into a small container.

This was a bit of a challenge but not so much that Meadow became frustrated with it. One tip I do have is to try and get the metal loop that holds the tongs closed off. It was quite a hindrance.

Make Vocabulary Stick

2011-08-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

We had a bit more of our Hurry Up Franklin unit study to finish off this week. Our last activity was to come up with words that mean fast and words that mean slow. Here are our lists...
Fast:

speedy
zoom
zippy
quick
run

Slow:

lazy
slither
doddle
snail's pace
walk

Then just to reinforce some of our new words I had the kiddos act them out.

Slither

zippy

snail's pace

What other words would you add to our lists?

Play Doh Mats...

2011-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

I recently printed some letter and word Play Doh mats from Homeschool Creations.

Meadow just had fun exploring making snakes and pressing them to the mat. I figure since she got some letter exposure and some fine motor activity it's a success.

Hudson concentrated quite hard and formed his letters very carefully.

I think he did outstanding at reading the words and forming the letters with the Play Doh.

Princess School

2011-08-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Meadow got it in her head that she is doing princess school instead of preschool. If that is what motivates her then so be it. We do 3 short activities plus reading stories and scripture memory 4 days a week.

Our first day Meadow used a bingo dabber to dab the circles on this Homeschool Creations print out.

Next was scooping beads from one container to another with a spoon. A very princessy thing to do don't you think?

The last task on the list was this graduated sizes apple puzzle. It's still a bit challenging but she is getting the hang of it.

What can you do for a minute?

2011-08-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

Our Kindergarten unit study this week is based on the book Hurry Up Franklin! By Paulette Bourgeois.
One of the activities for this is to experience a minute with a sand timer. How long is a minute???
So I asked Hudson can you stand on one foot for a minute?

This was a struggle, as was holding his arms out to the sides for 1 minute.

Keeping one finger on his nose was much easier.

The highlight for sure though was being able to say AHHHHH! for one whole minute.

Such a fun experiment :)

Book Review- Rumors of God By Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson

2011-08-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

In Rumors of God, authors Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson call us to reject what is plausible, and to cry out for God to bring what is possible in our lives and in the church. It will resonate with Christians seeking a vision of the life God is calling them to, one that transcends the shallowness of our culture.

I must admit that this book was not what I expected it to be. In fact I had hoped for something deeper and more "spiritual" to seek out God and really be fed.
Rumors of God is a very practical book about changing your life so that others will see God in how you live daily. So while my perception of what I thought this book would be were shattered, it was not bad.
The most profound chapter for me was Chapter 9 "The Greenroom". It has caused me to try and discover my privilege and use it to help others. I have been praying to see the privileges I have and how God intends them to be used.
Rumors of God is full of real stories in which ordinary people (like you and me) have stepped out in faith to change their own lives and the lives of those around them to reflect the love of God.

Smoother School Days

2011-07-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't want to get out of bed. As a very pregnant mother of two (soon to be 3) and rookie farm wife, life seems much easier if I spend my day under my duvet. Mornings are NOT my forte. However how I choose to spend my morning can either make or break my day. Here are some ideas on how to have a smooth school day.

Get up before your children. Groan. I did not just write that. It's absolutely true though! Quiet time to yourself in the morning to reflect, plan and prepare is key. Also remember to eat breakfast. I know I am cranky if I am hungry.
Establish a routine. What happens when your children wake up? Do they call snuggle up on the couch and listen to a bible story? Is it breakfast time right away? Are there chores to be done before they eat? Be consistent so your children know what to expect when they come out of their bedroom.
Plan Ahead. Don't be scrambling to figure out a unit study topic Monday morning or try to figure out which subjects you are going to cover for school THAT morning. This cause stress and stress causes me to flee the situation (back to my duvet and dream land perhaps?) Find an organization system and a planner that works for you. We loosely use work boxes (by loosely I mean we have each activity separated into the work box but don't use the card system with it). I use Google Calendar to plan our weeks lessons and activities.

4. Know your limits. Truly if all else fails get yourself a latte and plug in an educational DVD

CD Spinning

2011-07-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from a craft my friend's children did at a library activity day. A really cool CD Top.
Here's what you need:

Markers
A CD
A plastic pop bottle cap
A marble
Scissors
Hot Glue
Paper
Elmer's glue

Step 1: Trace the CD on to the paper and let your child wildly color the template you have just made.

Step 2: Cut out the paper CD and glue it to the top of the real CD. Make sure the center hole lines up.

Step 3: Hot glue the marble to the center of the underside of the CD.

Step 4: Hot glue the bottle cap to the center of the top side of the CD.

Step 5: Be amazed at how long these babies spin for.

Our School Plan...

2011-07-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

We are officially starting Kindergarten with Hudson and Preschool with Meadow on August 2. Then we will work hard until baby girl is born and take a month long break...
Here is what we are planning to use as far as curriculum goes:
Hudson (Kindergarten):

Language Arts:
Come Sit By Me Volume 1
Kumon rhyming words
Bob Books

Math:
Saxon K Math
Kumon Numbers
Various Come Sit by Me Activities

Bible:
For memorization we will be using Songs for Saplings music.
For character study we will use some of the Come Sit By Me activities as well as a devotional book called God's Promises for Boys.
We have a comic bible that my husband reads to the children before bed.
And Hudson will attend Sunday School each week

Science:
Again some Come Sit By my activities
Build on the various happenings on the farm.

Social Studies:
Come Sit by Me (I just love unit Studies)

P.E.
Soccer
Trampoline
Walks and hikes

Art:
This is where I wing it and search out all of your great blogs!

Meadow (Preschool)

For Meadow I will be combining a letter of the week theme with various fine motor, counting, and art activities. She will also participate in Bible and some language arts (story reading) with Hudson.

So there you having it my haphazard plan for the school year :)

More proof of Child Labor at the Scott house...

2011-07-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Oh yes! The second Scott child to succumb to laundry training.... Bwahahahaha!

Bento box plates...

2011-07-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Dinner with Olivia is a Top 10 favorite book at our house... so much in fact that we also have a goat named after this Piggy main character.
Now without giving away the whole story... there is a part where Olivia's friend Francine has a bento box for lunch. My kiddos became bento obsessed!
So I was greatly pleased to find these square plates at the dollar store to serve lunch in:

They're not quite authentic... but my kiddos love them and they have 2 less sections to fill than a 6 cup muffin tin :)

Draw as I'm Drawing

2011-07-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hudson and I played a fun little game last week during quiet time. I would draw a part of a picture and Hudson would attempt to copy it... (example draw a brow rectange in the midle of your page)

Hudson's picture is on the left and mine is on the right. I will for sure be pulling this super simple activity out of my bag of tricks again.

New to us... Green Smoothies

2011-07-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Shh! she doesn't need to know what makes it green. :)

Meet Murdock

2011-07-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Murdock is our first farm birthed baby... Isn't he a gem?

His fur is sooo soft and his ears are so floppy... I'm rather fond of him.

And so is Meadow :)

In My Condition...

2011-07-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

Recently an older gentleman came to look at one of our goats for sale. As I lead him down the short path to the goat pen and climbed over the mesh fence he said to me, "Be careful doing that in your condition." Sigh.
This is my current condition...

Which is not the same as my current state of mind...

Seriously I am looking at just over 8 weeks until my due date...

Who is going to milk my goats when I go into labor and deliver this baby?
How will my house ever be orderly?
Why won't my @#$%^ dog behave? (yes even though this is a family friendly blog I pulled an expletive and I'm not apologizing).
I don't want to do the pain again... I remember and it hurts!!!
What are we going to name this little girl???

I'm warning you people I am not looking for advice on dog training... just empathy for the stress of a third trimester mom...

A Day for Bubbles

2011-07-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

At last the sun decided to shine here and with sunshine came a promise from mom... we can blow bubbles!

Writing a List

2011-07-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

This morning Hudson volunteered to write our to do list.
(Clean the) KITCHEN
(Feed) CHICKENS
(Blow) BUBBLES

I love it when learning is voluntary and unplanned by me:)

Canada Day Adventures

2011-07-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

What a grand day of celebration and fun our family had yesterday. We traveled to Ft St James to take in the Canada Day festivities. Imagine our surprise to learn that a helicopter would be flying by...

To drop envelopes on a herd of kids. (We then traded the envelopes for prizes).

Once the helicopter left we dashed off to the Fort to participate in a plethora of activities.
First the mini train...

On the next round about the train has a wee derailment. Makes for an exciting ride.

Hudson traded this "grizzly bear" fur for a package of skittles. I think this was my favorite part of the day watching my children make up stories about their furs to trade.

There were some hungry sheep to feed...

Both Hudson and Meadow said that their favorite part of the day was horse back riding.

What sweet memories were made.

Let Summer Vacation Begin!

2011-06-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

For the month of July we are taking a break. Sure there will be learning going on and some things to practice, but as far as a regularly scheduled program... nah!

Maybe we will add to Hudson's nature journal, or take in some free festivals and events. I might get curriculum organized for August and post about that at some point. For right now though we are kicking back and relaxing.

Exciting News!!!

2011-06-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

I actually have 3 bits of news to share:
First, yesterday was mine and Craig's 8th wedding anniversary. We will celebrate later this week since yesterday was also the last day of soccer.

Second, have I mentioned that Jemima our goat is pregnant? We are very excited to have our first farm birth this summer.

Third, I had an ultra sound on Monday and found out that...

We thrilled to be welcoming a new baby girl into the Scott family this September:)

Meet Rachel!

2011-06-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I live in the same town and we are part of the same homeschool group, but we have yet to meet face to face. I am inspired by Rachel's view on family. You can read Rachel's blog Cherish The Moment to read all about her life with 5 kiddos and a rather rustic living situation. Here is my interview with Rachel.

Who are you anyway?

I'm a joyful, animated: wife, homeschooling mommy of five and child of God. I laugh easily and smile a lot, but I'm also quick to feel the pain of others. I dream big and I'm not easily discouraged. I feel that my personality has been shaped more by the times of trial and hardship than of the times of ease.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about encouraging and helping mothers and wives to live lives of joy, peace and freedom. I am also deeply passionate about children. I long to be a mother to the motherless; to foster and adopt waiting children.

What is your greatest asset?

I used to be quick to judge, but over time I've learned to look for both sides of every story. This has been such a help to me in understanding others, problem solving and building relationships.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by people who give their lives to joyfully serving others. I long for a servant's heart, that doesn't look for praise, but finds joy in blessing others.
What makes you feel capable?

When I recognize that I am weak. I have found that when I feel like I'm doing really good-that's when everything falls apart! But when I lean on God's strength- then I'm strong.

If you could share one message to the world, what would that be?

Being interviewed is a great way to learn more about yourself.
But more seriously... Life is a gift; don't take it for granted.

Butterfly Study- Coffee Filter Butterfly

2011-06-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

Aren't these little critters cute? Meadow had hers displayed on her window shade and it looks so great there!
Here's how we did it...

Supplies:

Water color paints (and a cup of water)
Clothes pin (the squeeze kind with the spring in it).
Coffee filter
Pipe cleaner
Paint brushes (we were out so we used q-tips)
Googley eyes
Glue

Step 1:

Paint your coffee filter with oodles of colors.

Step 2:

Pinch the coffee filter at the center and clip it with the clothes pin.

Step 3:

Add your pipe cleaner to the clothes pin by wraping aroun just the bottom section. (optional: curl the ends around a pencil)

Step 4: Glue on your eyes. Once dry find a fun place to display your beautiful butterfly.

Butterfly Study- Plant a Butterfly Garden

2011-06-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

We have some big plans for this prime piece of real estate! It's going to be a butterfly garden!!!
First we cleared out the ahem debris. Then we employed some chickens to do some ween eating and ground breaking. (With a little bonus fertilizing going on as well ).

After adding some store bought soil to the area we planted our seeds. A mixture of Hybrid Mix Butterfly Bush, Carmine Rose Butterfly Flower and Antwerp Mixed Hollyhock.

We will keep you posted on growth of our butterfly flowers as well as hopefully get some pictures of any winged visitors we have :)

Butterfly Study-Life Cycle Puzzle

2011-06-21T03:46:00.000-07:00

Oh how wonderful to have homeschool friends who have oodles of cool school tools! Mrs. Thompson is one such sweet lovely resource to us. Check out this fun butterfly life cycle puzzle she lent us.

It starts out with the egg stage... Then as you build upon the layers it becomes...

... a beautiful butterfly!

It Fell From The Sky!

2011-06-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

On a spontaneous trip to the end of the road
We went to see where the water of the Stuart River flowed.

(it flowed over the road)

Out of the sky came a marvelous thing.
A delicate piece of a butterfly wing.

True enough my friends. This butterfly wing came right out of the sky and fell where we were exploring the flooding river. The wing however is not all that fell from the sky... so did the inspiration for our next unit study...

Nature Study-Bracelet Tutorial

2011-06-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

I originally found the idea for these bracelets over at Mustard Seeds. If you have not been to explore Mustard Seeds I highly recommend that you click on over there!

Supplies:

Nature items (small ones work best).
Hole punch
Scissors
Duct tape
Clear packing tape
Ribbon

Step 1: Head out on an adventure to collect your nature items.

Step 2: Measure a piece of duct tape around your child's wrist and then cut (the duct tape not the wrist) with scissors. Lay the tape sticky side up on your work surface.

Step 3: Place nature items on the sticky side of the duct tape.

Step 4: cover your items and the duct tape with the clear packing tape. Sort of like you are laminating it.

Step 5: Fold the packing tape around the duct tape so there are no sticky spots.

Step 6: punch holes in each of the short ends of your bracelet and threat ribbon through.

Step7: Tie to your wrist and enjoy your very cool new bracelet.

Learning Links

2011-06-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Love love love this hula hoop rug craft!

This magnifier discovery board is a really cool idea that I can't wait to try.

I now want to break an umbrella just to make this parachute!

Early Mornings...

2011-06-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

Mornings are some people's favorite time of the day... they are a favorite time of my day as well... to be snuggled in my bed still sleeping.

Alas with the addition of milk goats to the farm I am up early to help with straining the milk. Just so you have an idea how difficult mornings are for me I will give you some examples:

1. In highschool I used to sleep with my clothes on so I could stay in bed for extra time.

2. My husband once sprayed me with water to get me out of bed to catch a plane.

3. I answer any attempts at conversation my husband makes in the morning with a groaning growl.

So obviously this is not a post about having sunshiny mornings...It's a cry for help! Will you pray for me to love mornings? I want my eyes to be open to the blessings that God has for me in the morning.
Plus give me your tips on making mornings much better! PLEASE!!!

Green Construction

2011-06-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hudson and I built a chicken tractor using only items found around our house and yard. Upcycling!!!

The base is some sort of metal cart frame. Then we wrapped around scrap chicken wire and secured it with tie wraps. The roof is made of some boards Craig secured with more tie wraps.

They were pretty excited to be exploring the world outside.

Wordless Wednesday... Hang time with goats

2011-06-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Linking up with 5m4m

Tiny (Crazy) Dancer.

2011-06-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

While dancing around the living room yesterday Meadow sustained a twisted ankle.

And as long as we kept her with a steady stream of books to look at she remained mostly still enough to keep the ice pack on.

No more monkeys crazy dancing in the living room :)

Learning Links

2011-06-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

How cool would this shark watermelon be at a summer birthday party! So great!

I love this reading nook tent! I want it!

A wonderfully long list of milkshake recipes... Mmmm.

Nature Journal Tutorial

2011-06-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

I think this home made nature journal is just so cool!
Here are the supplies you will need...

cardstock
pages for the inside (I used 7 pages from a small sketch pad that were about 6"x9")
a hole punch
a large twig
a rubber band
decorating materials (stickers paper crayons scissors glue...etc)

Step 1: cut your card stock 1/2 and inch larger than your pages.

Step 2: Layer your pages and card stock cover pieces together. Then punch 2 holes through all of the papers and card stock in the side that will be your binding.

Step 3: thread one end of the elastic through each of the holes. (you will need to stretch it).

Step 4 wrap each end of the elastic around the twig.

Step 5: Decorate

Step 6- Fill it with your nature treasures

Step 7- head outside to find more treasures to put in your journal :)

Nature Study-flower pressing

2011-06-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I bought this flower press at the thrift store...

Our family collected up some pussy willows and the remains of a crushed crocus to press...

Here they are fresh...

And here they are pressed and glued into Hudson's nature journal... which I will show you how to make tomorrow :)

Classroom for the 21st Century.

2011-05-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of Mondays ago I ~~forced my way into~~ was invited to a BBQ being held by our church's private school.
Little did I know that there would be a very exciting presentation about classrooms of the 21st Century. Here are the points I took from it:

Kids can Google anything in their own home so what can they be taught in a traditional classroom that they can't learn in their PJ's at their own computer?
Real life experience is what students need.
Christian children need to be out in their community being a disciple of Christ guided by their Christian teachers.
Perhaps schools need to buy more buses instead of build more classrooms.

Here's how I intend to apply what I learned:

Buy an iPad - I am totally serious. This is an age of information and while I want to do plenty of things the "old fashioned way" I realize that my children need to be technology literate.
Choose activities that give my children opportunities to love others. Not just other 5 year olds or their grandparents but truly love and serve those they com into contact with.
Find lessons in real life experiences.

What an exciting time to be a homeschool teacher! How are you creating a 21st century classroom?

Marbles and Playdoh

2011-05-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Oh what a lovely sensation to press cool smooth marbles into soft squishy Playdoh.

Uncommon (for us) Unschooling.

2011-05-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

There was NOT a lot of sit down workbook school going on this week...Instead there were some valuable life lessons learned.

We learned about life. (Hudson "bonding" with Wallace).

A bit about death. (Hanging a dead chicken from a tree).

We tried new things. (Meadow having a drink of goats milk).

Got some exercise. (Herding Dexter home after he jumped the electric fence and followed the car down the road).

We learned that resting is a good idea:)

Book Review- The Final Summit By Andy Andrews

2011-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

David Ponder is back. This time the fate of mankind is in his hands.

This is mankind’s last chance. Centuries of greed, pride, and hate have sent humanity hurtling toward disaster, and far from its original purpose. There is only one solution that can reset the compass and right the ship, and it consists of only two words.

With time running out, it is up to David Ponder and a cast of history’s best and brightest minds to uncover this solution before it is too late. The catch? They are allowed only five tries to discover the answer.

Readers first encountered David Ponder in The Traveler's Gift. Now, in The Final Summit, Andrews combines a riveting narrative with astounding history in order to show us the one thing we must do when we don’t know what to do.

Review: This is a simple read with a profound message. Although The Final Summit is a sequel, I have not read the traveler's gift, and it stood alone wonderfully.

I was riveted by the historical fiction in this book. Especially the story of Eric Erickson. It will amaze you.

The solution to mankind's problem in The Final Summit is still running through my head and encouraging me days after finishing the book.

Mr. Andrews did an amazing job writing this story.

Garden Update...

2011-05-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Err or lack of garden update:) Due to 7 new goats (two who are for sale by the way) and me being a new to farming pregnant mama... something had to give. So alas since construction has not begun on my garden beds or my green house this year I am willing to delay my garden plans until next year.

We did manage to harvest some beans from our indoor bean plants though!!!

This was just one small harvest we did to try out the beans...Oh boy are they GOOD!

Hudson was a bit apprehensive but after he tried one I couldn't keep him outta the bean patch. :)

In Which We get Super Farmy!

2011-05-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok so some of you may not appreciate this learning experience... but I'm posting it anyway.

On Monday night there was a tragic accident while moving the chickens to new ground for grazing.

And my kids learned a little something about death.

Craig learned a little something about butchering a cornish game hen.:)

Not only were Hudson and Meadow watching... they were helping... Hands on.

Here's a video interview I did with Hudson:

Button Cloth

2011-05-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted about the clothes pin cup.
This week I have for you another frugal homemade preschool tool:

The Button Cloth!!!

Sounds exciting doesn't it?

Here's what I did. Using a scrap piece of solid colored fabric (I didn't want it to me too busy) I zig zag stitched around the edge with my sewing machine.

Then using some of the ~~few thousand~~ bag of buttons given to me by Twyla from Our Little T-Pot, I sewed pairs of buttons randomly onto the fabric.

We use this for shape and color recognition, matching, and creative play.

What would you do with a button cloth?

The Herd

2011-05-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well we had quite the adventure this weekend... we added not 1 not 2 but 7 goats to our herd...
That gives us a total of 10 goats!!!

Let me introduce you to some of our new herd members.

On the left is Olivia and the right is Annabell. The little kid nursing on Annabell is Vindaloo.

Tall dark and handsome here is Guillermo.

This big guy is Dexter.

Martha and her yet to be named doe kid.

We also have another buck kid named Wallace who belongs to Martha.

The Scott farm is serious about goats :)

Learning Links

2011-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

What an inspiration Rachel is! I hope her attitude rubs off on a certain discontent pregnant lady I know :)

Twyla is a new kid on the block with so much wisdom to impart. I love how she finds lessons from God in the super ordinary.

This post by My Homemade Happiness made me laugh out loud. Enjoy mothers of boys :)

Clothes Pin Cup

2011-05-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Meadow found this activity quite challenging and we will for sure be doing it again to develop finger strength.

I just had her put the clothes pins around the edge of the cup and then take them off again. Super simple exercise for fine motor skills.

Day Interrupted?

2011-05-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

This post could have also been titled 12 hours of P.E.
Hudson had his first sleep over at our house last night and WOW was it ever an adventure. First the boys took the goats for a walk in the woods. Then we found some old tarps sticking out from under the ground so we proceeded to pull those up and discover all sorts of creepy crawly creatures.
Our fun was soon interrupted by Craig calling to get some help. The meat chickens had all escaped and those little birds are tough to catch.
Finally off to bed... but not without much chatting and giggling coming from Hudson's room.

Off to a rather late start in the morning... but that was ok because sword fighting. soccer playing, trampoline jumpers need plenty of rest. :)

Playdoh Cutting Practice

2011-05-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but cutting with scissors is not something we do a lot around our house. So on a whim I gave Hudson some scissors and playdoh to practice.

It totally worked great! The playdoh was firm enough to cut but not too difficult for the scissors to get through. It was a successful way to practice scissor grip and form.
(I'm sure the mouth open concentration face probably helped quite a bit as well).

The Green Gators!!!

2011-05-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Last week Hudson's soccer team played their first game. They are...

The Green Gators.

Hudson is third from the left.

Water Break!!!

Time to sit on the side and watch.

What activities are your kiddos participating in the spring?

Farm Work....

2011-05-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

We've had a few animal shelter building projects around here lately. The first is the portable chicken tractor. Hudson was a great help to dad.

And now the meat birds are quite happy in their out door home :)

Next was the goat shelter...

And now our goats sleep so cozy and warm at night... with a few laying hens to snuggle in as well.

My outdoor plans for the week are to create a way cooler kid friendly back yard (so totally post any tips or links for frugal outdoor toys) and do some clean up of the woods surrounding our house.
What are you up to?

Homeschool Village Play Date

2011-05-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Folks! I am so excited to be amongst the first to host a HSV Playdate.

We are the Scotts. Craig (the dad), Sarah (the mom), Hudson (the boy), Meadow (the girl). So glad you decided to drop in and meet our shabby chic, Hippy-ish, hillbilly family.

Our homeschool grades are preschool and kindergarten. We use an eclectic mix of curriculum including Bob books, Kumon, and stuff mommy finds in blog land or makes up herself.

Feel free to click on the about me option in the above menu to find out more about our family.

So here is my question for all of you wise homeschool mamas: We are expecting baby #3 in September and will also be officially embarking on Kindergarten with Hudson. What tips do you have to make this a smooth(ish) time for us.... or any tips to ease things up for me.

Ever Have One of Those Days?

2011-05-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today was not necessarily bad... perhaps because I was blessed to have my attitude in the right place... just really busy.

There was bible study this morning at the cutest little coffee shop in town. I love my bible study gals and I love coffee so it was bliss.

Then lunch with my sweet friend Twyla. I gotta tell you Twyla is one of the most "roll with it" people I know. I love that about her.

A doctors appointment where I found out that I have gained 12.6lbs in 6 weeks... ok so my attitude about this is not really wonderful...

A quick stop to get my face waxed by dear Anita.

Then I picked up a pregnant cat from my Sunday School partner in crime Ronda. I hope Misty likes her new home.

Came home to find escaped chickens who needed to be caught in the rain.

Called Hubby to bring home pizza for dinner.

Is it bed time yet?

The First Dandelion...

2011-05-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

After such a LOOOOONG winter I have never been s happy to see a weed in my life :)

He Can Read!

2011-05-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine told me about BOB books. At first I sort of dismissed the idea of these simple books with line drawings and silly characters. I mean really could they be any better than the next beginner reader? OH YES THEY CAN!!!
I purchased BOB Books Set 1 while on vacation visiting family. I thought I would wait until Kindergarten officially starts in September to bring them out.
Well as any homeschool mom knows when you buy a new toy you must play with it.
The very first time I introduced Hudson to Mat (the first book in the series) he read it... I mean really read it! It was amazing!

Look at him read! Doesn't it make you beam with pride? (Well I suppose only if you are one of the grandparents or other Scott family relatives who read this blog).

Note: This post is all my own opinion. I am not in affiliation with BOB Books. I'm just a friend telling you about something really cool that I have found :)

Art With Meadow

2011-05-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

A glue stick and some magazine cut outs of flowers

Make a happy girl and a pretty picture.

Soccer Star!

2011-05-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Hudson's first day of soccer! Something he has talked about since he was 3. Playing soccer with his buddy James... Well the day finally arrived. (Hudson is the kid in red).

Making Crayons

2011-05-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make crayons for a little while now and finally we had enough broken crayons to do it.

Peeling the paper.

Breaking the crayon a little smaller.

Melted and cooling in the silicone mold.

They are so pretty I didn't want to let the kiddos color with them... but I did anyway :)

Good Habits

2011-05-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

After my plea for you to still like me even though I'm ~~a slob~~ less than neat and tidy I thought I would share a couple of habits we have been working on and doing quite well at here.

1. Daily Lists
Even though the list looks mostly the same from day to day it really helps the kiddos and I to stay on track. Hudson and Meadow have a much better attitude about chores and transitioning to the next activity if we cross off what we have just finished. Plus a finished to do list just feels so darn good :)

2. 15 Minute Tidy
At the top of the list every day is a 15 minute tidy. I am finding this so helpful to our day. I may give each kiddo a specific chore for those 15 minutes or we might just look around and see that everything has gone to pot and tidy until the timer beeps.

So there are the little successes that I am happy dancing about today. What are you baby steps to celebrate?

Linking up with Homebody Tuesday Tips

Our Garden Spot

2011-04-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well the snow is gone in some spots and not so gone in others... but out chosen garden spot is bare and we began work clearing and preparing it.

Hudson did a great job helping daddy pile up the branches.

A compost bin was built out of free palates we got from the local Co-Op here.
It obviously required some chalk decorating.
*note: Hudson asked to go outside in his jammies that day. It was a great time for me to practice saying yes.

We had some wonderful helpers to munch the plants and grass growing in our garden spot.

And well err fertilize the soil:)

Will you still be my friend?

2011-04-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Will you still be my friend if I reveal to you my mess?

If I told you we rarely sit on this couch because it's usually covered in laundry?

What does this have to do with homeschooling? It has to do with home. It has to do with attitude. It has to do with the legacy I am leaving for my children.

I no longer want to be cluttered and messy. I no longer want my house to be unwelcoming to anyone who may stop in. I don't want inviting people over to be stressful.

I want a place to have peace and joy with my family. I want to change myself and serve those I love most. I want a place of order.

I've tried FlyLady. She is so sweet and I do use some of her ideas (15 minute cleaning), but I am just not motivated by a shiny sink.
I attempted a 40 bags in 40 days challenge and did get 3 large boxes and 2 bags outta my house, but as you can see there is more to this mess than just tossing stuff.

What I am looking for a heart change.

So I will be participating in 31 Days to Clean Homemakers Challenge.

I've bought Sarah Mae's ebook 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way and I think I am ready to find freedom in the walls of my home.