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Field trip Friday

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We didn’t want to be stuck in the house on the nice day yesterday,  so we went to grandpa’s farm and called it Field Trip Friday!

The kids were busy playing in the snow and asking Grandpa all sorts of questions about the cows. He loved just having us there for the afternoon.

We did do a spelling test before we went and of course our reading, but from there it was a day of living and learning. The farm has so many different playing and learning opportunities than our in town backyard. I wouldn’t trade days like that for anything!!

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Gym Class? What Gym Class?

My big kid (12) has been asking me why we haven’t been having gym class. I thought a moment and said…”You have been outside going up and down that sledding hill in our backyard every day for hours each day! You are doing gym class.” He didn’t believe me…until I asked him questions like if he was sweating, out of breath and if his heart was pumping. Every answer was a yes and than it hit him. He was doing a funner kind of gym class than he would ever do at public school!

Now this sledding hill didn’t just happen when it snowed. We have a base hill, but daddy spent a whole day outside with the kids building a bigger, steeper and funner hill. Now we have the best snow hill in the neighborhood! Too bad all the other kids have to go to school during the week days!!

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I don’t want to learn today!!

That is what my 12 year old said, as he was helping four year old G practice his writing skills and math. That was fine by me…what do you want to do I asked? I want to do a project. Got the perfect idea!!

I pulled out the lapbook for the Ancient Egypt unit, since we were finishing that up today anyway I had him work on that. He has never loved doing something so much!! He kept asking if there was something more he could put in there! Talk about not wanting to learn!!

After that was done and complete the two boys were playing together. I asked them if they wanted to make something for me. They did of course and I asked for a Lego Pyramid. Now you would think that would be something simple…only it wasn’t. They pulled out our library books and had to read about how they were built first, no learning there! Than they added a tomb and a mummy to the mix, of course they just knew that and didn’t learn it… I guess they knew that the mummy needed some food and jewelry to take with him to the next world, because they added that too. Oh, and who could forget the gate so nobody would come and steal anything, because boys just know that kind of stuff.

Now we have the problem of them not wanting to stop playing mummies and pyramids…so much for learning today. Oh well, maybe tomorrow!!

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My Past Week (and more)

What Have I Been Up Too

I have been busy since I last posted. I pulled my 6th grader out of public school and started homeschooling him…in the middle of the year!!! It has honestly been the best thing we have ever done!! He is thriving instead of being left on the side. He needs one on one help, which he was supposed to be getting at school, but wasn’t. I don’t do anything for him answer wise, but I do ask thought provoking questions as we go and he is doing great!!

I am still working with G, my 4 yo PreK, and little sister A, 21 months, is watching everything! Now that we are getting on a schedule again, they will be getting more of my time again too! Either way, they are having fun with big brother home and watching an listening to everything we talk about!!

Plans For The New Week

I am starting a new math program this week with J. I heard a lot about it and will see how he likes it. J has had issues understanding math for awhile and at PS, he had to go with the class. Now we get to go at his speed and work on what he needs the most. I am happy about this and hope he really likes this new program. I will write more about it later and list pros and cons at that time.

I need to work on writing practice with G and I think we will work on some new site words again this week. I know he loves reading like big brother!

We are starting a new read aloud book today, The Imagination Station Voyage with the Vikings. I have seen good reviews on these books and actually found them at my library yesterday!! What a good day for me!!

Mommy and Daddy Time

My husband and I had a “date night” last night. We went and bought new guns for each other 🙂 Yes, that is what we have fun doing!! And yes, with the kids we have them safely locked up and stored out of reach of everyone (mommy too it seems like).

 

I hope you all had a great week and have a great week! I will try to post again this week and let you know how everything is going!!

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A New Begining

Well, it is official. We have withdrawn our oldest from public school and will begin home-school on Monday! He was hesitant at first, but is now asking about different things he wants to study. This is making me happy!! I have connected more with local home-school families in order to keep up his interaction with other kids his age, and we are making pen pals from across the US!

Along with this, my 4 year old is loving that his big brother will be home and I foresee him doing much better at his school work as well.

I plan to keep everyone updated on our fun new adventures, the first big one being a trip to the post office next week! Have a good day and keep warm!!

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Weekend Is Here

A quick post during the weekend. Daddy has the time off and we are enjoying some time with him. G and A had their first class at Early Childhood and loved every minute of it. It was so fun to see them playing with the other kids and learning while they did it. J had some problems at public school. He needs extra help, but isn’t getting it the way he is supposed to. Mom and Dad are now talking about homeschooling him too 🙂 I really want to, and have found numerous resources to make it work for little cost if any. Now just to decide if we do it now in the middle of the year, or wait until the start of next school year. If anyone has ideas, I would love to hear them. Now off to enjoy the time with the family!!!

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New Year Means New Goals

Wow, it’s 2013 already. This is my first ever blog post and it is something I have always wanted to do. Since this is my first post, I want to introduce myself.

My name is Amanda and I am a wife and stay at home mom to three beautiful children. J is 12 and was adopted (that is a long, detailed story for another time). He is a “special needs” kid with ADHD and FAS. Right now he is in the public school, but wants to be homeschooled next year. G is the “first born” boy…but you would never know some days. He is 4 and in Pre-K. I am homeschooling him after he “dropped out” of the Pre-K class he was in. I am still trying to figure out what happened to make him not like it, but love that I get to teach him the way I want! A is the baby and 19 months old. She is the princess of the family and knows it!! Her brothers and daddy spoil her like there was no tomorrow.

We are the typical American family and learning as we go. I have no idea about homeschooling, but learning a lot from Pintrest 🙂 and the other blogs I have been following, and loving!! I am also learning about budgeting, with only one income and a family of 5, I need to do something!! Along with those goals, I also want to plan and cook more healthy meals and get back into shape!!

I hope this blog of mine will be an all over (topics) blog, with me just telling it like it is everyday. I am not perfect, I don’t have the perfect house…not by a long shot, and as much as I love my children and husband, they are not perfect either, but that is why I love them!!

Thank you to everyone who is reading this first ever post, and I hope to figure out a schedule (another goal) and keep my posts coming to you!

Amanda