Paper airplanes

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I picked up a couple of paper airplane books at garage sales the last two summers, and they were one of my best buys!  The boys (all three older ones) have been spending just about every day this week folding and flying their paper airplanes.  They even made up a bunch of simple ones and put them up at the mailboxes with a sign saying “Take one!”  I was so impressed.


 


They also took them all outside and had a contest  for distance and accuracy.  All of this was done on their own.  I just love “summer school!”


 


So, if you ever see Paper Airplane books at garage sales, SNATCH them up!  If you don't want them, send them to me!! 😉

Competition and lack thereof…

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I have been frusterated with the kids not taking care of their books and toys that they take in the van with them when we go places.  It seems like we are always on the road, so there is constantly a mess in the van.  Yesterday, even though we had about 2.5 hours rt in the van, I decided that they kids were not allowed to take books, because I keep finding them on the floor.  It was amazing the fun we had on the way to town!  We played a couple of different games: Find the Flag, where everyone looks for flags and gets a point for each one found; Milepost, where you get a point for each milepost sign you see first; and the most popular one was the Alphabet game, where we took turns finding the next letter in the alphabet.  Some of the letters are a *LOT* harder to find than others!  I think we had the most fun with that one because we were all working together to find them instead of it being competition.  I am not one of those who proclaims that “Everyone is a winner!” at everything!  I think that competition is good, but sometimes it is nice a really good family relationship building time when we work together to accomplish something so simple. 😉

AK Freeschoolers Picnic

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Wow, it has been *WAY* too long since I wrote here.  I really wanted this to become a journal, as I never seem to be able to keep a written one.  I can type so much faster than I can write, and I can actually multi-task with the kids better when I type.


 


Yesterday, we had a nice time with a big group of other like-minded homeschoolers.  We were all Christians and are all homeschooing without government intervention.  We met at a park with a big field where the kids played Capture the Flag, Soccer, Kick-ball, and Red Rover, a basketball court, playground equipment for the little kids, and a covered pavilion with picnic tables for the mothers.  It was a little on the cold side and actually rained at one point, but we all had an enjoyable time in spite of the weather!

Random Blogs for the day

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I started this on Friday, but wasn't able to finish until this afternoon.


 


http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MiikoGibson/


Kids with allergies


http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Whitney


Some Things I Love – what a great idea!  I am going to start my list.  I really need it today.


http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/EmptyNestMom


I actually “found” this site a few days ago, so I was pleasantly delighted to have it pop up again today!  What a neat site with lots of helpful hints and ideas!


http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/BarbaraFrank


She informed me of the Office Depot Advantage program!  I wish I had known about it last year when we bought my printer/copier!  I LOVE it!  It is definitely one piece of equipment I can't believe I went without so long.  It prints AND copies double sided.  Love it, love it, love it!  It also looks like she has a great website with articles and a newsletter that I have yet to peruse too.


http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LandmarkGeek


A fellow book lover.

Hands-on science

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The library summer reading program up here is on Medieval times, so the closest Science Center (99 miles away!) came and talked about and showed the kids reptiles today.  The kids got to touch a baby alligator, a monitor lizard, a box turtle (really a terrapin), and a ball python.  Did you know that a monitor lizard cannot open it's jaw after it has bitten something unless it hits it's head against something, that a monitor lizard stores it's fat in it's tail, that ball pythons can't hear, or that an alligator's back is bullet-proof?

 


Nothing like hands-on science, is there?


 


Oh, and the homeschoolers in the group raised their hands to answer the questions the most, and their answers and observations were very intelligent!  The Science Center employees were very impressed.

My “baby” turned 10 yesterday!

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My oldest child turned 10 yesterday.  I just wanted to write out my thoughts about this godly, handsome, brilliant, young man.  B has a serious love of books.  He learned to read at the age of 4, and he has spent much of his time since then curled up with a good book.  He also likes to draw and write stories.  He would like to become a writer and/or an illustrator.  He also enjoys writing poetry and reading his Bible.  He is working on his third time of reading through the Proverbs.


B is such a blessing to me.  He helps take care of the baby by reading to him, playing with him, and even changing his diaper!  He reads to his other brothers and sisters, and enjoys playing board games with them.  He has tackled mowing the lawn without being asked, and strives to please those around him.  He is also very giving, especially toward his grandparents.


I praise God for this little man that He has entrusted to my care.  I pray that I may raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and that he will grow strong in his faith and love of the Lord.

B’s Father’s Day Poem

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B's Father's Day Poem

I asked my newly 10yos B to write an acrostic poem for his dad for Father's Day, and was so proud of the results that I had to post it:


For always being there for me,
And loving me since before I was born,
To you my teaching was given, and you taught me well,
He who created all the fathers has given me the best
Everyone has flaws, but you have very little,
Rolling on right to first place, in the father race!


Pretty impressive, eh?

“Teaching” the littles

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Electronic games are good for something!

The kids and I were sitting around last night watching the lightning storm, and 3yo N. was getting awfully nervous, hiding her face whenever she saw streaks of light.  I was telling her that the Bible tells us not to worry, and that God is in control of all things.  I. chimed in, “Right, just like when we play on the XBox and we control our guys, right Mom?”


Pretty good analogy for a 5yo, eh? LOL!

Just a’ swangin’

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Sorry, a little lapse into my past musical inclinations.  I can't even remember any of the other words to the song.  Funny how it happens that way.


Anyway, I tried M in the outdoor baby swing today for the first time.  He had such a good time!  It was so cute!  He would squint his eyes whenever he would swing forward.  I am not sure if it was from the wind, or if he was a little scared, but he would always end with a smile!


We have also started him on a little solid food.  I have a list of foods that should be introduced first, so we started with carrots and then moved on to sweet potatoes.  He absolutely enjoys the sweet potatoes, and gets mad when he thinks we are stopping.  Daddy has to tell him “no” in a firm voice, and it is amazing how quickly M stops fussing, and looks daddy in the eyes.