Less Traveled By

What We Did Last Week

From this:

To this:

FUN!

I was a little sad to see the pink go----until the "SimplyAqua" took its place.   It is just perfect for DG right now!

All About Me - Back to School Tradition

The first day of our new school year is rapidly approaching, and I am making plans and getting materials together.  We have a few first day traditions, one of which is filling out an "All About Me" page.  When DG was younger, we made handprints, footprints, measured height with string and stored it in a pocket, and our "page" was a little book.  Now that she's older, she makes a page/pages that go at the front of her yearly portfolio. 

I'm uploading our "All About Me" for this year if you'd like to download it and use it as is or modify it for your child.  It includes a space to write favorites including Bible verse, book of the Bible, books, author, songs, singer/musician, color, food, sport/recreation, movie, school subject.  There is also space for your child to write what they'd like to learn more about this year and to write other things about him/herself and to name some friends.  There is a box for a photo or drawing of your child on the front and then a box for a photo or drawing of friends or whatever your child would like to add.

Thinking back on our very first book I became nostalgic  :-)  ---- I decided to add an extra page this year for a handprint and height measurement even though we've not done that in a couple of years and it's included in the file as well. 

Download as a WORD document:  Download AllAboutMe2012

Download as a PDF file:  Download AllAboutMe2012

Wordless Wednesday--Busy Bee and "Early Spring"

Zoo Blooms

We were able to visit the zoo for awhile today.  The weather has been GORGEOUS and we saw early signs of spring.  Some of my favorite photos of blooms.....

Planning for Fifth Grade (2012-2013 School Year)

Because we school year round and start our new year in June, it is already planning time for me!  Most years I feel like I am in a perpetual state of planning; but this year since we used Heart of Dakota's (HOD) Creation to Christ program as our base,  a lot of the planning was already done----and I really liked that aspect of our year because most of HOD's choices were books I had already purchased.  (The same can be said of the next two year's of HOD book choices----I have had many on our shelves for years.)

However, next year we are going back out on our own, so to speak---and I'm excited about that as well.  Both my daughter and I have really enjoyed the year with HOD, but there are several reasons I am going to once again attempt to coordinate our studies.

• I want to go at a different pace in history for the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation and I want to use different "spine" resources than those selected by HOD.
  
  While it is VERY appealing to me to continue on HOD's  four year history cycle and wrap it up by the end of seventh grade and hence be ready to jump into Ambleside Online Year 7 in eighth grade (what I've always hoped to do), I really want to spend a year in the Middle Ages (400-1300s) and then a year in the Renaissance/Reformation time period (1400-1600s)---with maybe a start into the 1700s as well.
  
  DG also enjoyed The Story of the Ancient World a lot---and we already own all of the books in that series, so I want to use The Story of the Middle Ages and The Story of the Renaissance and Reformation as the spine texts for history.  (Though I reserve the right to change my mind at some point and use The World of Columbus and Sons and The World of Captain John Smith in sixth grade instead, both of which we already own as well.)

• I want to broaden our studies and include more arts into our days.  Along with that, I want to have an even bigger Charlotte Mason "feel" to our day.  I don't know if I will achieve it, but it's my ideal.  (I know this can be done even while following a HOD guide too, just for the record.  :-)  ) 

• I want other subjects to hold equal footing with history and find a bit more balance in our studies, i.e. not be quite so history centered overall.

• There are several things scheduled in HOD's Resurrection to Reformation that we don't want to use at all (the Diana Waring CD and Mystery of History for example) or have already used (Exploring Creation with Astronomy).  These resources are central to the year's program.

This has been a big and at times a somewhat agonizing decision because HOD has worked so well for us this year; but I have talked about it, prayed about it and have even started working on plans just to see if I could organize and focus enough to start (narrowing down choices can be H-A-R-D for me, and this in fact was a big reason I chose to use HOD this year); and am finally feeling a peace with going this route, for which I am very thankful!  

So I have a big job ahead of me-----DG has THRIVED with having her daily assignments completely written out and having a rhythm to the week.  She has become very independent in her work and she is very self motivated most days.  (So much so that I really miss the days where we did everything together---but I know this growth is necessary and beneficial.)  Therefore, I am going to attempt to make a guide book for her to use next year as well. 

I'll be glad to share the schedules we use as they are finished, so if you are interested in exactly what we will be using and how, stay tuned....

A quick overview:

• History: Middle Ages-The Story of the Middle Ages and When Knights Were Bold
• Science:  Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day and Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
• Science Biographies:  Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, and one more yet to be decided
• Natural History:  Still deciding (too many choices on the shelves upstairs---must narrow down....did I mention this can be hard for me?!)
• Geography:  Marco Polo; U.S. Map Drill
• Citizenship:  A basic overview of our governement and an overview of our Presidents
• Personal Development:  Beautiful Girlhood
• Worldview Studies:(similar to what CM would have called Sunday Reading):  Who is God and Can I Really Know Him?
• Bible:  Community Bible Study
• Shakespeare:  Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
• Foreign Language:  Still deciding
• and of course, there is a bit more (Literature, Church History, music, art, etc.), which I'll comment on as I continue writing about our plans for next year.....

Here's to it!

 

 

Project Noah

Thanks to a fellow CM blogger (that I can't currently find in my feed reader to give credit to), I learned of a very neat website and mobile app called Project Noah.  Project Noah was started "to encourage people to reconnect with nature and document local wildlife".

The site already has an amazing collection of photographs from all over the world.  You can browse from the home page feed as new spottings are uploaded or you can search for a particular species.  You can follow favorite spotters and upload your own nature photographs.  If you need help identifying something, chances are you'll find it here!  This would be a neat way to share your own nature study finds and to document what you are learning!

Homeschool Mother's Journal- January 1-7

In my life this week.....
We had some really cold weather and some really nice weather.  We took advantage of one of the nice weather days to go to the zoo for awhile with Grandma.  It was beautiful!

In our homeschool this week.....
DG finished Unit 18 of Creation to Christ.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share....
Take advantage of the beautiful weather days as much as you can!

Things I'm working on....
Cooking more, reading more, writing more.

I'm reading or finished reading....

• The Bible in a year chronological plan.  I've read the beginning of Genesis and half of Job.
• Charlotte Maon's Volume 1---Lessons as Instruments of Education
• Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

        This was a really good book!  From the author's website: 

Remarkable Creatures is the story of Mary Anning, who has a talent for finding   fossils, and whose discovery of ancient marine reptiles such as that ichthyosaur shakes the scientific community and leads to new ways of thinking about the creation of the world.

I'm cooking....
More plant based meals.  I think one of my favorite things this week was the Banana Blueberry Pancakes recipe from 1,000 Vegan Recipes.  Something new coming up next week......Maple Pecan Pancakes! 

I'm grateful for....
My husband's support and love for me, our daughter, and family.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share....

 

Linked up at The Homeschool Chick

Memories--Wordless Wednesday

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I've never really had a new year's theme, but this year I'm trying one on for size. 

"DO"  

Don't just think, dream, wish.....DO. Be intentional.  Stay in the present and DO.  (I'm hoping this helps slow time down some.....do you think it will?)

And so, since I always WISH that I could have monthly main dish dinner plan, and I always THINK I'll get around to doing one, and I DREAM of delicious home cooked meals for my family.....I have jumped in to 2012 with my first "DO"---make a January main dish dinner calendar.  It took me a lot (lot) longer than I wanted, but this is one "DO" that is now "DONE"!  And the ingredient/shopping list for each dinner is also done too!  Woo Hoo! 

(If you're curious, you can click to enlarge.  The recipe books:  Vegan Holiday Kitchen, 1,000 Vegan Recipes and Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker)

I am trying out a theme night idea that I've seen elsewhere on the internet. 

Sunday- Hand Held Night (wraps, sandwiches, tacos, etc.)

Monday- Casserole Night

Tuesday- Soup and Salad or Sandwich Night

Wednesday- Slow Cooker Night (something thicker than soup!)

Thursday- Breakfast for Dinner Night

Friday- Baked Potato Night (Baked potaotes and different toppings/sides)

Saturday- Pasta or Rice Night

I am going to keep the calendar posted on the refrigerator where we can circle/rate dishes that we especially enjoyed so I can file the plan away and use it in the future to cut down on some of the time this initial endeavor took.   Hopefully after a few months of cold weather menu plans and warmer weather menu plans, I'll be all set to just rotate dishes and add a few new ones in here and there!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas day
and a new year filled with
God’s peace and joy!