Halloween Week Part One

Along with our regular studies this week, we have been having a hauntingly good time preparing for Halloween! We started with our annual trip to the local pumpkin patch. Pleasant Valley Farm is the best one around in my opinion. Not only is the family down to Earth, but it is an actual farm that the pumpkins grow on....not a parking lot where they have been assembled. Besides pumpkins, they also had a petting zoo, hay maze, hay rides and hot cocoa. Not to mention the Christmas trees growing everywhere you look just waiting for their big day coming up in December! Here are a few pics my friend Tara was gracious enough to send to me since my camera mysteriously had no batteries in it that day!!! We had such a great trip with our home school group! This is one of our very favorite events of October!

We also got together with the group this week for a pumpkin paint. The kids got together, shared their costumes, played, and painted to their heart's content. It was a wonderfully spooktacular afternoon!! Here are a few select pics.... The finished products....this one is Frankenstien by BabyGirl

This one is Dobby (from Harry Potter) by BabyGirl--(side one of big pumpkin)

This one is a nice wicket witch by BabyGirl--(side two of big pumpkin)

This one is a Dracula by me :)

Later this week we plan on our annual trip to Camp Cute n' Spooky and a trip to Grandma's to trick or treat. Then, on Halloween night we will carve our ghastly pumpkins into eerie spooks that will haunt until daybreak. Will update pics this weekend!! Booooooooooooooooo

What we've been up BOOOOOOOOOOO....I mean, to :)

We've been having great times, despite the nasty gray weather that has been looming around for quite awhile now. It has given us the chance to do some really fun crafts, science projects and allowed us to spend some quality time together stress-free. I have actually welcomed the time off. Too often we get caught up in the day to day activities and don't really take the time we need to just chill out!!

Today we made the cutest hand print jack-o-lanterns to share. BabyGirl had an absolute blast making these...she LOVES getting messy! I highly recommend this easy craft with the kiddos. Not only is it fun, but others will love receiving this holiday treat!

For history/geography we have completely wrapped up Ancient Egypt. BabyGirl loved this unit and has really absorbed so much information!! This curriculum has totally exceeded all my expectations. I am so happy I bought it! This week we have begun our studies of the 3 World Religions. I love the approach the study guide gives us. It explains the reason we want to learn about these major religions is so that we can better understand people around us and why they do the things they do. I believe this is a very important part of life. It's very interesting so far, and we are having no problems diving right in. This week we started learning about Judaism. We created a scroll to go along with our first lesson, and BabyGirl had a great time writing on the papyrus!

For science we have begun our study of habitats. This week we covered the desert. We created 2 desert diorama's, and also did an experiment on leaves. BabyGirl gathered rocks and sand for our scenes, assembled everything in our boxes, and the end result was amazing!! Check it out!!!

For our second experiment we cut leaves out of paper towels, and got them damp. Then, we put one in a ziploc bag, and sat one out on a plate. We checked them later in the day to discover the one in the bag was still completely damp, while the one on the plate was drying out. By the next day the one on the plate was totally dry, and the bagged one was exactly the same. This showed us how the leaves of the Yucca plant can retain water in the hot desert with their waxy coating.

Tomorrow is our first co-op of this session. I am in charge of the hands-on science experiments. We did a trial run of the first experiment last week. We are doing secret messages. First, we did a short study of acids and bases so we know what we're working with. Then, we conducted the experiment. We mixed 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 tablespoon water. This was our paint. We painted our secret messages on our paper. After the messages are completely dry, they will be invisible. Next, you take your indicator (which is grape juice) and paint over the invisible message....and it magically appears. I'm hoping this will be a big hit with the kids. BabyGirl and I had a great time creating messages for one another.

For literature we started Aesop's Fables, and for music we talked about story songs. We listened to some of our favorite prairie songs, and watched "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from Fantasia. We had our first trial drum lesson on Tuesday and it went beautifully. BabyGirl successfully learned 3 notes and 2 rests during the 30 minute session, and also played several lines of music all by herself! She caught on so quickly that we could hardly believe it! We are going to try one more teacher on Saturday to ensure we choose the right facility, then we're off!! We plan on giving the lessons a little while to see if she continues to enjoy them, before purchasing a drum yet. We thought she may be under the impression she was just going to go in there and wail on those babies!! But, she is realistic and we're taking it one step at a time. :)

Until next week......

An update that's way past due...

It has been so long since my last update! What can I say? We've been having the most fun, and taking advantage of every single moment. Presently, BabyGirl has a nasty bacterial infection and we are staying in this week to get well. That has also given me the opportunity to sit here and come up with a post!

So much has been happening! We've taken our annual family vacation to Branson, MO to spend time with our Grandma and Pappap the Great. I always have some of the best times of my life when we go on these trips. Our cabin was awesome, the weather was beautiful, and we have enough memories to last us a lifetime! We already miss our grandparents and can't wait to spend time with them again.

For science, we've wrapped up our units on plants and animals and are moving on to habitats. It looks like it will be a lot of fun to put together. Our home school group had a little get-together where we discussed hibernation and then created our own critters. We also wrote descriptions and stories about the critters. The children were then able to show and tell their creations! It was so much fun! This month we have many more fun opportunities coming up with our group including Lego club, cooking classes, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and a pumpkin paint!!

For history/geography we're still working on Ancient Egypt. We just finished learning about Egyptian writing. BabyGirl wrote her name in hieroglyphs and pretended to be a scribe. She also created an Egyptian mask for herself. She is the goddess "Sissoo"...Goddess of the animal world.

Our co-op recently got together to celebrate the moon festival. It was such a wonderful experience!!! The children were able to make lanterns, learn to use chop sticks, go on a scavenger hunt, play games, eat traditional food, parade outside with their lanterns, roast marshmallows, and enjoy each other's company. Children and adults alike had the most amazing time. I'm so thankful to be part of such a great group of parents and children!! Our next 6 week session starts later this week. The classes will be Spanish, American history through art, and hands-on science. (taught by yours truly :) We will also be having an open house where friends and family will be invited to see what all the children have learned and created over the past 2 sessions.

For our visual arts this month we played with mixing colors, discussed how the different colors make us feel, and painted with our eyes closed using our minds and imaginations. BabyGirl totally enjoys these art classes! Our good friend Barbie is an amazing teacher with a real talent and gift for teaching children. Again, I am so thankful for not only her friendship, but also the priceless learning opportunities she provides for my BabyGirl!

Last week BabyGirl informed me that her heart was telling her not to take dance class anymore. She said they were becoming boring to her, and she would rather take drum lessons. She did throw in that she loves recital so much that if she could just perform on stage every week she would be happy to continue dance :) So, we have contacted a couple of local music shops and set up some trial drum lessons to see how it goes. We are so proud of her for making this decision on her own. I know it was a very difficult one for her. She is working on her 5th year of dance, and she is anything but a quitter. Her daddy is always talking with her about the importance of following her heart in everything that she does. We are relieved that she is already practicing this, and pray that she continues to do so into her adulthood. After all, that is what life is all about! This month for music we have learned about Mozart. Babygirl was fascinated by him and his music. She could spend hours sitting at her keyboard and xylophone creating songs she knows by experimenting with the sounds until they are just right.

Our phonics/reading/spelling is coming along as usual. We have started on the 3rd Harry Potter book, and BabyGirl received her Hermione costume in the mail for Halloween!! I never cease to be amazed by her spelling abilities! She spells better than some adults I know! We are still enjoying the math curriculum, and she has found an interest in learning about money...which she did not find last year! She delights in doing her math boxes daily, and I'm so glad for her enthusiasm!

A couple weeks ago, BabyGirl found a great Kermit puppet to add to her Jim Henson puppet collection....

Last week BabyGirl did a great creation of Gumby with her play-doh...

I'm so happy to welcome fall and everything that comes with it. Bright, crisp, cool mornings....leaves changing color....pumpkins...home made soup....Halloween....the list is endless. We look forward to lots of fun, and more importantly....lots of happy HEALTHY times together! :) Until next time...