Got to love fun days. Soccer practice then fun day with a buddy with water tower of fun swing set and chalk on chalk board and concrete and painting outside. Add to that bubbles and hula hoops life is good.

Moving up a grade

Wow it has been a while. We are just beginning our 1st grade year. We just ended our second week. So far we are doing great! We have already doing some switching around with subjects. We were going to finish Math U See Beta, however , I did not like how much she had to use her fingers so we have moved to games and MEP. The games have bee n a great hit. She is also like the MEP because to her it doesn't seem so “math” but little does she know she is gaining knowledge and confidence. She is picking up speed with some on line games. XtraMath is the one we have been using for the last two weeks and we just started one today. It is more game based so I will see if I will continue that one because I don't like the video games aspect. Daddy said “Not sure we are going to keep with it as she is having more fun with the game and not caring about the point of the game.” I rather the card games and the games I am finding from other blogs. Board games with math addition and subtraction facts as well as spill and add math have been the biggest hits. We are going to start a system that I saw on line called BUILD. Buddy, Use manipulatives, independent reading, Learning about numbers/Logic Doing Math. We will add Life of Fred as part of the Independent reading as well as books from the library. Story of the world is rocking along. She isn't wanting to turn books back to the library (which is fun because she has complained every time we start to read one then she gets in to them or the pictures) so she can reread them. Yeah! We have done two projects. We went on a dig in the garden looking for broken pots. She was so cute when she was pointing out the things that we were doing that was not how they really do them but it was ok because it was just as fun. We did a cave painting with crumbled up grocery bag over a large bucket. I left her in the school room to paint a story. She had blast painting and then giving me a long story of how she had crops then she painted a shaduf so she could water her crops and the animals she had on her farm. This is such a big hit she wants to do it again tomorrow. We did try to make a tent/shelter out of the large limb that fell out of our tree however someone was running a small fever and it was 106 degrees outside so it didnt work well. She is working on making a family history for each family member. We are going to work on that over labor day weekend when the whole family will be over. We are decorating the pages now and will do the interviewing while they are here. I am typing up the review questions and letting her answer them and I am pleasantly surprised how well she is doing. First Language Lessons. I planed to drag out the lessons nope she wont stand for that. She is doing a lesson a day. I have a feelling I will so have to start something else sooner than I planned. We are doing review in All About Spelling. She is rocking through the review cards. We have had a few stumbling points and will continue to review until she is strong in her answers. She is spelling with confidence. We are letting her pick if she wants to write out the words, spell orally, use the tiles or finger spell. She choses finger spelling most of the time because it is faster. Writing with Ease is still something she loves to do. She loves the stories however hates writing the narrations. I have her do it orally first because of her ability to retell the story is remarkable. I wish I had her memory. However when she writes her sentences she will write out the smallest fact she can remember. Normally I would not care however that is the what we are using for her handwriting at the moment. There is not enough pages I could let her do in ETC. She loves doing those pages. One day on summer break she did 18 pages for fun. She is doing My Pals Science and it so fills her need to do workbook pages. She is moving fast forward thru the Diversity book. We are working plants so I have lots books and dvd on order from the library. Plus what we have at home. I want to make this last longer that what it seems to be going to last. She loves it and wants to do it every day. We also are doing Classical Conversations at home. It is remarkable how much she can remember in such a short time. Daddy and I are having to look in the manual to check her. To her this is a huge game. Sadly for us she is winning she is totally beating us on the memory work! We will add Song School Latin in a few weeks as we just ended a summer class on Spanish I am looking for away to keep that going. She LOVED that class. We will be taking Art class with a professional art teacher once a week, a week of drama this summer ending with her playing two roles (not sure if either are speaking roles) and then begin her drama class and ballet and music class in the form of co-ops and then ballet jazz and tap at a studio. Not sure if we are going to do a girlscout type class or not. There is one Keepers of the Faith on Friday afternoons but not sure if I can fit that in. I may try. She loved the girlscouts last year but we just were having issues getting that in evening plus getting to bed at a decent time.

1st of 52

289 pgs of a quick fun read.

Garden Spells opens on the house of Claire Waverly. The Waverly family has always been special. The townspeople have sought potions from their garden to help them with life and love. Claire owns a catering business and has a special talent of making just the right food to make what her client's desires come true. Her distant elderly cousin, Evanelle, has the gift of anticipation. Evanelle is always giving people things she knows they will need down the road. When Claire's estranged sister Sydney returns to town with her 5 year old daughter Bay, Claire's life is turned upside down. What magic will happen when the Waverly women reunite?

Starting new things

We have decided to start something new. I am using this as a health class but we are also doing this as a family. We have lots of food allergies and GI issues in the house and we are in the middle of flare up. I know that food has a lot to do with how we feel and so on my way journey I have found that keeping food journals are very helpful. Well getting a five year old to write down is not easy so when I saw this journal: I thought BINGO. We started yesterday and she had a blast doing it and was more thoughtful about her what she was going to eat.
Now lets hope this is something we keep up!

New Year New Beginings

I had not realized that we had just dropped the ball on this. Working two jobs, health issues and learning a new way to cook eat I just failed this little blog. So to fix this I am going to do a few things. I am going to have my husband the main teacher of our little student write about their day or week and then have our little student write about her day from her perspective. I planning on joining in the fun when I can.

Cleaning Schedule

Our life needs some more routine. Thing just dont get done because we are so busy running in circles or getting involved with life we are not getting everything we want to get done in a day. So while I have tried for a long time to come out with a doable schedule I havent. So again I went out to the blog world and looked at what other mom's are doing. I love Trivium Academy and found myself again on her blog. I love her ideas so I am fixing them to our world but the base was all her.
I have a printed copy ready to be hung on the fridge so that it is a daily reminder of the dailies and weeklies/month written in the calendar

KITCHEN
Daily:

* Empty/Fill Dishwasher
* Wipe Counters
* Sweep Floor nightly
* Set up coffee pot
* Empty trash after dinner
* Replenish Paper Towels
* Feed Dog


Weekly:

* Clean out Leftovers
* Sweep/Mop
* Clean Microwave
* Wipe Cabinets
* Clean Trash Can
* Wash Dog bowls
* Check Expiration Dates


Monthly:

* Clean Fridge Inside and Out
* Wash kitchen window inside and out


Basement
Daily:

* Toy Pickup (before lunch, before bedtime)
* Put away books
* Put movies back
* Vacuum if needed


Weekly:

* Vacuum
* Dust Furniture
* Dust Lamps
* Clean TV screen
* Spot clean walls
* Dust/Clean Baseboards
* Clean under furniture
* Vacuum under cushions


Monthly:

* Wash blankets
* Wash curtains


BATHROOMS
Daily:

* Wipe Sink/Counter when finished
* Stock Toliet Paper
* Put clothes in hamper
* Hang Towels
* Put Toys Away
* Squeeze/hang washcloth


Weekly:

* Empty trash, preferably Wed. (day before Trash Day)
* Clean tub/shower
* Clean sink
* Clean toilet
* Clean mirrors
* Sweep/Mop
* Wash cabinets
* Wash baseboards
* Dust lights
* Restock TP supply in cabinet
* Replace towels


Monthly:

* Wash windows
* Clean out drawers
* Clean out cabinets

Learning Room & Formal Dining Room
Daily:

* Books & Supplies Tidy-up
* Toy pickup


Weekly:

* Vacuum/Mop
* Dust furniture
* Dust chandelier
* Dust lamps
* File papers
* Spot clean walls
* Clean baseboards
* Clean under furniture and under cushions


Monthly:

* Dust drapes
* clean windows
* Purge school items


BEDROOMS AND HALLWAY
Daily:

* Make Bed
* Put clothes away
* Put toys away nightly


Weekly:

* Clean sheets
* Sweep/Mop
* Dust
* Clean mirrors
* Clean baseboards
* Spot clean walls


Monthly:

* Clean out closets
* Wash blinds
* Purge Drawers
* Dust drapes


OUTSIDE
Daily:

* Water plants and yard
* pick up toys


Weekly:

* Dog Poop Detail
* Wash dog
* Clean carport and drive (leaf-blower)
* Wash car inside and out
* Weed garden areas


Monthly:

* Seasonal responsibilities

Thou Shall Obey

We are going through a rough time with many eyes watch and each set of eyes has their own rules. Well between that and many people coming at Lily at the same time for the same offense I have decided to come up with our If/Then chart. It was harder than I expected so I went out in to the blog land I love so and found one that fit us and stole from it.

IF

Don't cooperate at bedtime
Ephesians 6:1 Child do what your parents tell you

THEN

Loss of of story
Psalms 95: 8-11 The disobedient wont be able to enter into God's rest.

IF

Disobedient
1 Samuel 15:22 Obedient is better than sacrifices
Then

Loss of Activities, Privelges (game night, going some where, TV)
Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the wicked come to nothing

IF

Haughty Expression (Sassy)
Proverbs 21:4 Arrogent eyes and a aproud heart are just plain sin

THEN

Loss of Privileges (ie TV game night)
Pslasms God saves the humble but God brings low those with proud eyes

IF

Interrupting Others
James 1:18-19 Be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry

THEN

Stand still in Corner (time out)
Exodus 14:13 Stand firm and watch God do His work
IF

Nagging and Whining
2 Timothy 2:23 Stay away from stupid and senseless agruements

THEN

Isolation
Numbers 21: 5-6 The Lord sent a plague among the people to silence the complaining

IF

Agruing
Acts 20:35 Live in Peace

THEN
Isolation
Titus 3:9 By persisting to argue she cuts herself off

IF
Using mean words
Proverbs 27:2 Mean people say mean things their words hurt and burn

THEN
Loss of right to speak
Psalm 12: 3-4 The Lord cut off all flattering lips and beautiful tongues

IF

Using your body to hurt (kicking punch pinching)
Proverbs 6:17 God hates hands that cause harms to others

THEN

Loss of Activity and Isolation
Genesis 9:5-6 Whoever causes someone to hurt himself must be hurt
IF
Not Sharing
Romans 12:18 You are happier giving rather than getting

THEN

Loss of Possessions
Proverbs 13:7 He that makes himself rich has nothing

IF
Unwilling to play by self
Proverbs 27:20 your eyes are never satisfied
THEN
Isolation and Loss of TV
Mark 6:31 Jesus said come off by yourself. Let's take a break and get a little rest for those was constantly coming and going.



I will check in later to see if we all are consistant with this.