Friday, October 7, 2011

Homeschool Weekly Wrap-Up and Preschool Corner

One of the biggest parts of our week has been working on our house. Ryan and I had decided it was time to fix up our bedroom. 1) We have not had a cute, organized bedroom since we've moved into our house three years ago. 2) We built our house with no extra space (on purpose, to avoid excess), and we knew we weren't making the most of the room.

We painted the walls one night. Suddenly Sapphire. We used Olympic Premium No-VOC paint so that the kids and I could help for a few minutes. Ryan did most of the hard work. We have ordered a bed frame, armoire, computer armoire, tv stand, etc. and should receive it within a few weeks! It's exciting! We bought a huge mirror at Garden Ridge and are picking out pots for a few houseplants that are specific to cleaning indoor air. We also bought a new ceiling fan/light fixture because the original one we'd picked out for our house was sooo dark. Can't wait until it all comes together.

Saturday, October 1
After my 6 year old's soccer game Saturday, I took him immediately to the birthday party of one of his friends. When we returned, we saw what Ryan and the other two had been up to. They took the big boxes that Sissy's new bed (She's been sleeping on her boxspring/mattress without a frame or headboard.) came in and made a house in the driveway.

I was pretty impressed. It was very spacious inside, and it only just fell down today, after a week of enjoying it.

Wednesday, October 5
This day, my 6 year old came inside and asked if pretty, please could he and his brother have a mud bath outside. I saw enough traces of mud on him to know that he was asking permission a little bit after the fact (but at least he finally remembered to ask). I inwardly sighed and said okay. I heard him say, "She said, 'Yes.'!" as he bolted out the door. I checked on them later and found this. I can't pretend to understand all of the mind of a young boy.

But he cleaned up very nicely as he and Sissy were leaving here for Awanas. We continue to be big fans of Awanas. It makes us very happy to see them there, so lit up. Earlier this day, I took the kids to the Christian book store to buy Dash his first big boy Bible. He is very proud of it. And it also must have helped his team win points that night because he said, for the first time, they won "the trophy." He's doing a great job of memorizing his scripture each week. Sissy is, too.

Thursday, October 6
Someone forgot to tell him that the mornings have been kind of cool outside lately. But that didn't stop him from playing in the sprinkler...fully clothed. It was another, "Momma, come outside and see what I'm doing." moment.

Sissy ended up coming to homeschool co-op with the boys and me today. I teach K-4, so she goes in my class. I still wholeheartedly feel that her preschool is the best thing for her this year, but it was nice to have her with us this day. The kids all got their (home) school pictures taken; I watched, and they all did GREAT. (They haven't always done GREAT at that, so yay!)

I had added these pumpkin picks (from Hobby Lobby) and farmer harvest hats to my fall sensory tub that morning.

Because the kids had went on a field trip their alternative K-4 day, we took a week off from their My Father's World curriculum. We put together puzzles, including this farm one, which went along with our pumpkin activities for the day.

We went through some different pre-writing worksheets that my friend at Random Writings posted about.

The kids completed this worksheet, found at First School. .


The kids also did this pattern activity, also found at First-School.

I asked them if they could guess which colors they would need on their plate to make orange. After a little bit of guessing, they finally came up with the combination. I squirted a little yellow and a little red on their paper plates and let them mix it together as they covered their plates.

This was the finished product.

Friday, October 7
Her class is in the middle of a Construction Unit. They took a field trip to Home Depot, where they were given a tour. (They wear red t-shirts on field trip days.) They received aprons they wore while they built these little wooden shelves. She also got to bring an extra shelf kit home. She was really excited pulling item by item out of her bag, telling us about each.

She said, "And even what they got me...is a carpet!" Then she pulled out, with flair, a really small sample of carpet. I told her she could put it in her dollhouse.

We enjoy the activities that Lowe's and Home Depot hosts for kids. We've marked our calendars to attend the "Monster" Truck Workshop at Lowe's on October 8.



8 comments:

Unknown said...

What a cool Mom you are to let the kids play in MUD!! (I can see my son getting into that too! LOL)

We LOVE the workshops at Lowe's and Home Depot, but soccer games fill up our Saturdays right now. :(

All the best for the upcoming week. Stopping in from Weekly Wrap-up!

Mama Bird said...

Very cool house box fort, I hear such cool things about the Lowes workshops I think I will have to check that out this week. If I am lucky I will remember to pick up housware items that I need while I am there.

What a great week

Vicky @ Mess For Less said...

I am so impressed with the box house! Looks like you all did some great activities this week. We made similar pumpkins this week and the kids loved them! I am a new follower from Preschool Corner. Vicky from www.messforless.net

Sarah at SmallWorld said...

Box houses are the best!! And I am so impressed that you painted your bedroom in 1 night. I've been staring at our room thinking that we really need to get some furniture that actually matches....

Debbie said...

We love Awana too. Selena begs to go to Cubbies almost every day.

MaDonna Maurer said...

Loved that you let the boys play in the mud.
Thanks for the mention and for the pumpkin ideas. We will be doing pumpkins this week and probably some next week.

Jolanthe Erb said...

You are a WAY braver mom than me!! ;) My boys would love you for the mud!!!!

Jenny said...

Replied in email:
Our Side of the Mountain,
I bet he would! Weird, isn't it? :) Soccer games have been getting in the way of the workshops for us, too. Thanks and enjoy your day!

Mama Bird,
Thank you. There's always something we want at Lowe's! Have a great week.

Vicky, thank you!!!

Small World at Home,
I was sort of impressed we painted in 1 night, too. I had stoked myself up to stay up until 1 a.m. or whatever, but we were done by 10! It made all the difference that he had taped the ceiling and trim, etc. the night before so we were ready to go! Our bedroom has been very uninspiring, which turns itself into a junk room/where to throw stuff when company is coming room - we had to put a stop to it! :)
Thank you!

Debbie, it's so sweet, isn't it? Sis also asks almost everyday if it's time for Awanas yet.

Madonna, sometimes it's not a matter of "letting" them play in the mud. It's like it can't be stopped...so I might as well smile about it. :)

Jolanthe,
I guess I'm used to it, by now. And I guess I better get even more used to it since boy #3 will be here in a few months. :) Actually, my oldest son never wanted to play in the mud until my wilder second son came along.
Have a good day!