A few of our Favorite things

Shelby was talking to me today about all of her favorite places to get stuff for school. I thought I would post them here.

1-Library- Almost free! We do not live in the city limits so it does cost us $40 a year but we get 45 books out at a time and during the summer 50 books due to Shelby getting an extra library card for being over 5. Next summer it should go up to 55 books since Matthew will turn 5. We go through a LOT of books, movies and CD's. Without the Library there is no way we could afford to homeschool.

2- Paperback swap! We love to put in our wish list workbooks, reference books and pretty much any book we can't get at the library. We have been averaging 2 books a week as far as what is granted. If you are not a part of Paperback swap click my link on the left and join today!

3.MamaCents Childrens Consignment Sale. Yes I have to brag about the sale I manage. I have gotten a LOT of our puzzles, games, books and even our microscope/science set at the MamaCents Sale. Shelby is already making a list of things she wants me to look for at this next one. It is a great perk to get to be in the first group of shoppers. If you live in the Austin Area you should definitely check out this sale. It is HUGE with so much to choose from.

4. The park .... yes apparently the park is a great place to spend the day and learn.

Weekly Report -4

Better late than never ... right
This week was a busy week for me with all my jobs. I had meetings at the Palmer Event Center for MamaCents, a workday at church for Mothers Day Out and I had bookkeeping work to do ... plus keep up the house and homeschool. I will be glad when September is OVER.


Field Trips-
Monday we went to the Not Back to School Party
Friday- Shelby and I got some art supplies and went to the library. We now can get 45 books out at a time and we DID!

Living books -
From Head to Toe (mainly for Abigail)
Aesop's Fables
Could a Tyrannosaurus Play Table Tennis?
The Impressionists
What did you put in your pocket?
Mummies Made in Egypt (and watched reading Rainbow Video)
Bill and Pete go down the Nile
You can't see your bones with binoculars


Shelby read to me
I like Stars
Zip and Zoom
Run and Jump
First 1000 words - cast,cap, eggs, back, cut and chin
Did 4 lessons and one quiz on Reading Eggs online
Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons-Lessons 22-24

Matthew Read to me
1 Bob book
Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons Lesson 5
Reading Eggs online -Completed 1 quiz and 8 lessons

Explode the Code
Shelby book B pages 40-52
Phonic Card Game

Copywork-Memorization
Shelby- "I am Fearfully and wonderfully Made"

Handwriting without Tears
Shelby orange book pg 17-27

Journal work
Shelby- wrote a lot about tree's this week in her free writing and illustrated them
Matthew- practiced writing name, letters and numbers

Spelling-Shelby
short i words
test on both scored 6 out of 6

Math
Rightstart math lessons 14 odds and evens
Kumon Addition book lesson 11 and 12 writing numbers 1 to 100 - Shelby
Singapore Kinder book b- Shelby lesson 18 pgs 18 to 24 tens and one
Both helped me bake a cake. Shelby read what was needed and they both measured and mixed it together.

Math Centers
Dot to Dot book- Matthew numbers 1 to 20
Dot to Dot book - Shelby 1 to 40
Sticker Math-Shelby pg 16-22 odds and evens
Cuisenaire rods with cards
Games- domino war, bingo and RS math card games

History (mainly Shelby except for readings and activities)
Story of the World Lesson 2

Science (both)
Living books and reference books
went over Skeleton- we will cover this over three weeks
Games- Skeleton puzzle, Apron Organ game, Built machines with Lego's

Music
Only in Grace Harbor

Art
Impressionist - Read book and viewed artwork
Created our own painting based on Van Gogh's Starry Night

Shelby-
Also got Character Building, Spanish (working on letters), Music (hymns), Art (cutting and writing), Public Speaking (introducing yourself) and PE (endurance and running) at Grace Harbor

Abigail-
Is currently working on her colors.

How He Loves Us - Kim Walker / Jesus Culture

This song was shared by a friend on Facebook. The kids and I have NOT stopped singing it since. Even baby Abigail is singing with us. GOD is good. HE LOVES US, SHARE IT WITH ALL ....

My Kindergarten girl

My baby girl started her first day of school today at Grace Harbor Learning. Grace Harbor is a Christian one day a week program where she will get Spanish, Public Speaking, Character Building, Music, PE and Art. She was SO excited to go and was ready for me to just leave. There are 10 kids in her class, 4 girls and 6 boys.

Shelby with her homeroom/PE teacher Mrs. Turner

Not back to School party

On Monday we went with a friend to a Not Back to School Party at one of the City pools. This party was for homeschool kids. Public school went back to school on Monday in Austin so we had the pool to ourselves (and the other homeschool kids). Shelby and Matthew really enjoyed seeing how many other kids homeschool too. We have another big group Homeschool trip planed next Friday and the kids can't wait.

They also took a group photo of all the kids that came. I put a few that I took up.

Sitting for the group picture

My little fish Matthew. He needs Swim lessons. I think he would do great.

Shelby with her vest. She still refuses to put her head under the water. Two times at lessons and two times wasted money.

Enjoying the water

Abigail showing us what she can do.

Two Hands!

Weekly Report -3

This week we did better at staying on target. We had a great week filled with lots of fun activities and wonderful books.

Living books -
I know how my cells make me Grow
The Amazing Human Body
My Amazing Body
The Philharmonic gets Dressed
Lentil
Seeker of knowledge
First Painter
Aesop's Fables
Archaeologists dig for clues
Max's Math machine
Little Grunt and the Big Egg Prehistoric Fairytale
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom -plus they watched a movie with this on it
The Impressionists
An Expedition on this Spot back through time

Shelby read to me
2 stories out of her Early Reader book
First 1000 words - ax, jars, bus, net, fish, ship, shell, crab, pin and map
Did 4 lessons on Reading Eggs online
Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons-Lessons 16-21

Matthew Read to me
1 Bob book
Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons Lessons 1-4
Reading Eggs online -Completed 1 quiz and 12 lessons (He LOVES this online program and does not even know he is doing schoolwork)

Explode the Code
Matthew book A pages 23-36
Shelby book B pages 29-40
Phonic Card Game

Copywork-Memorization
Matthew- Complete name
Shelby- Complete name (still working on last name spelling) and phone number

Handwriting without Tears
Matthew green book - pg 44-53
Shelby orange book pg 7-17

Journal work
Shelby- wrote at least two sentences a day and illustrated them
Matthew- practiced writing name, letters and numbers

Spelling-Shelby
short e words and review of short a words
test on both scored 22 out of 24

Math
Rightstart math lessons 12 and 13 (both)
Kumon Addition book lesson 7, 8 and 9 writing numbers 1 to 100 - Shelby
Kumon Addition book Lesson 7 writing numbers 1 to 60- Matthew
Singapore Kinder book b- Shelby lesson 17 pgs 1 to 18
Singapore Kinder book b - Matthew lesson 17 pages 1 to 9

Math Centers
Dot to Dot book- Matthew numbers 1 to 20
Dot to Dot book - Shelby 1 to 40
Sticker Math-Shelby pg 10-16
Cuisenaire rods with cards
Games- domino war, bingo and RS math card games

History (mainly Shelby except for readings and activities)
Story of the World Ancients Intro and Lesson 1
Lots of living books (see above) and reference books
Completed an archaeological dig with map of findings and discussion of the people who would have lived there.
Made a Cave Drawing
Mapwork- Fertile Crescent, city of Jericho
"Shaduf" discussion and color page
Map-Floor plans
Completed Family book as project

Science (both)
Cells and My body
Living books and reference books
Experiment- skin cells
Experiment- Why do our fingers have ridges?
Started body book and filled in vital organs
Games- Skeleton puzzle, Apron Organ game, Built machines with Lego's

Music
Conductor
Carnival of Animals
Philharmonic Orchestra- discussion
Played with instruments to keep a beat

Art
Impressionist - Read book and viewed artwork
Created our own painting

Bible
Focused on lying this week and what a lie is.
The Serphants Lie (The First Home) Genises 2:8 to 3:24
Aesops Fable- Boy who cried wolf- Colored picture

Field Trips
Bowling - Both with friends from church
Library- Both
Open house for Grace Harbor Learning - Shelby
She met her teachers and has her first class next Wed. She is very excited to take Art, PE, Music, Spanish, Public Speaking and Character Building at this school. There will be 9 children in her class. This is just a one day a week program but I think she really is going to get a lot out of it.

Wordless Wednesday

Bowling is PE right?

Today we went bowling with some other families at church. This will count toward our PE for the week. We love homeschooling!

Here are some photos plus a few of them doing some school work today after we got back. The kids were excited to find their free lego packet in the mail. They started right away at the assignment of making a duck.

I "think" I have my lesson plan down better than before. I have a two page notebook. One page is for Matthew and the other is for Shelby. I have a column for subjects and each day of the week. Then I have a row for any appointments/activites and a row for each subject. It is so much easier to just glance and see who is doing what during each subject block. Matthew usually only does 2 short assignments per block and then has free time and Shelby has more. Today went a LOT faster than our lessons did the past two weeks and I think the planning has helped.

Weekly Report 2

This week was a little harder on me. My grandma had her upper lobe removed in a lung(to remove cancer)so Monday was out for School. I had a headache almost all week and ended up resting most of Wed.

We did not get everything I had planned finished but we have extra weeks in our school year planned so I am sure we will get caught up.

Matthew also had a harder time and did not want to do school this week.


Books I read to the kids
Aesop's Fables
How my Cells Grow
My Amazing Body
Tubby the Tuba
First Painter
The Egyptian Cinderella

Shelby read to me
Dot and the Dog
A Hat for Hamm
Woody Drops
First 1000 words Usborne book When Shelby can read the word with no help she gets to put the sticker on the page. words this week (rug, bed, cups, bee, seeds, grass, tree and nuts)

Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons Shelby
Lesson 13, 14 and 15

Explode the Code (book B)Shelby
PG 1-28

Handwriting without Tears Shelby
Number pages and review of book Starts orange book this week

Copy work -Shelby
Worked on whole name First, Middle and last

Memorization -Shelby
Name, Phone number and address

Spelling -Shelby
Short e words scored 100% on test

Math -Shelby
Dot to Dot book page 1-3 numbers 1-50
Sticker Math Fun pg 2-9 Counting, patterns and counting by 10's
Kumon Addition book pg 8-13 Writing numbers 1 to 30

Music -Both
Orchestra instruments
Tubby the Tuba

History -Both
First Painter discuss cave drawings in ancient times
Egyptian Cinderella Discuss Rhodopis and how she was a real person
Aesop's Fables

Maps -Shelby
Floor Plan- Reading and understanding floor plans at events, on tickets and for escape routes.

Science - Both
How my cells Grow - What a cell is, how they split and make more, how many are in our body, when certain one's stop making new cells, etc. Drew Skin cells and Muscle cells
Worksheet- What I look like
Worksheet- Human Organs - identify and discuss stomach, brain, heart and lungs
My Amazing Body- What our bodies need to stay healthy
Played Apron Organ game- placed organs on the right spot of our apron.
Played Bone bingo

Field Trip -Shelby
Shelby and I got up at 3:00 am one morning and took our pillows and blankets outside. We laid down and watched the Meteor shower. We talked all about space, planets, stars (SUN) and moons.

Short e words

This week our spelling list is made out of short e words.

Shelby did a great job reading them herself and dictating them to me so that I could write them on our blackboard.

They are as follows
let
jet
net
met
set
pet
get
men
pen
bed
yes
leg

We will be trying out a new spelling program online this week and next. I will give a review as soon as we have completed a couple of weeks!

Our Library adventure

On Sunday we all went to the library to pick up our books for the next few weeks of school. Right now we have a 20 book max and I can't WAIT until the 24th when we can start getting 45. Going to the library with three kids is an ADVENTURE. I was trying to show Shelby how to find the books on our list by call number. Mike had Matthew and Abigail and was getting the CD's and movies on my list.

When we were about ready to leave I had to go grab one more classical music CD and took Matthew and Shelby with me. There was an older woman sitting in a chair at the end of the shelf. I asked the kids to stay at the end while I grabbed what I needed (to prevent hands from taking everything off the shelves).

Well what do I see out of the corner of my eye but Matthew dropping his pants and shaking his rear end at the poor older lady. I was MORTIFIED! I could not say MATTHEW JAMES GET OVER HERE NOW fast enough. He thought it was the funniest thing in the world. The older lady got up and went somewhere else. We quickly checked out our books and headed to the car. Needless to say we will be working on modesty even more this week.

Weekly Report - Week 1

Here is our first Weekly Report

In our slide show you will find some of the books we read, games we played and some extra photo's of our anatomy games I never posted.

Read Out Loud (done by mommy) Both
Going to School
Off to Kindergarten
The Story of Ping
Peter and the Wolf
Mummies in the Morning
Zin, Zin, Zin a Violin
David and Goliath Out of our Bible Story Book
Bible Ephesians 6

Shelby reads
Ed Can Help (Ready Readers)
Teach your child to read in 100 Lessons Lessons 8-12
Phonic flashcards
Phonics Blends book page 4 and 5 "sc" and "sl"
Phonic blend game

Handwriting -Shelby
Completed Get Set for School
Copywork- Children, Obey your parents the Way the Lord wants. This is the right thing to do. Ephesians 6:1
Copywork-Love birds like to be in pairs
Journal Free write 3 days

Handwriting- Matthew
Get Set for School Handwriting without Tears- PG 34-44

Phonics -Shelby
Before the code Book A completed,
Before the code Book B through pg 1-14
Phonic blends "sl" and "sc"
games

Phonics -Matthew
Before the Code Book A -Letter "B" pages

Spelling -Shelby
Review "a" words - scored 100 on Test

Science -Both
Introduction to the body
games/puzzles

History -Both
The Story of the World Ancients Introduction about history

Timeline -Both
1120BC David defeats Goliath
April 15, 2003 Shelby Schmidt is born
June 4, 2005 Matthew Schmidt is born
April 7, 2008 Abigail Schmidt is born
1497-1543 Hans Holbein the Younger

Map work -
Where is China, capital, river (both)
What is a Floor Plan Worksheet (Shelby)

Right Start Math -Both
Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Lesson 11
card games and board games

Kumon Workbook Addition -Shelby
Lesson 1 Writing numbers 1-6
Lesson 2 Writing numbers 5-10
Lesson 3 Writing numbers 1-10

Art-Both
Come see with me- Hans Holbein the Younger- Portrait with water colors

Drawing water with pencil's

Music -Both
Peter and the Wolf - Orchesta introduction

PE -Both
Lots of outside play and swimming every day

Bible -Shelby
Discussed and worked on Obeying God, Parents and others
Memorized Ephesians 6:1
David and Goliath

Project -Shelby
Completed Story of Ping Lapbook and gave oral report

The Story of Ping Lapbook

Today Shelby presented her report to Daddy. Here are some photo's of her lapbook and her explaining everything. I have a 10 minute video also but I won't subject you all to it.

We also received two books today that I have been wanting for awhile. I did not realize how incredible they are until I received them today though. They are a MUST for any school age child (in homeschool, public or private).

They are the Usborne Interenet linked Encyclopedia of History and the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of Science. I have added these to my "Learn through Play" widget on the side. The kids LOVE these books. They both grabbed one and sat down to start looking. They spent probably 30 minutes discussing them. They are so colorful and easy to understand. We got the paperbacks and they are perfect size for the kids to look at themself. What is cool about these books is that they have additional information online. These both will be a great addition to our History and Science curriculums. I can't wait to start incorporating them into our lessons next week.

THE WOLF

See Matthew's Reaction to the "WOLF"

Drums

Kids playing the drums to "Peter and the Wolf". Abigail does not understand why there is not any singing. So she added her own

Thursday Schedule

Thursday Schedule- Shelby (what it will be when MDO starts)

Science - Magic School Bus

Explode the Code

Handwriting without Tears

Copywork- Bible VS

Music

Math Worksheet

Click n Kids

Journal and Reading practice

Matthew will go to Mothers Day Out

Today Shelby and Matthew did a Math Lesson together

So I ask them to make a rectangle and smarty pants Shelby does a Square. Yes, it is a rectangle.

Shelby then did her Click n Kids, Handwriting without Tears and Explode the Code. She did such a good job listening today and got stickers on her Obey chart! She ended up with an ice cream cone after dinner for a reward.

We all sat down and did some Music study together.

Our next Lap Book is going to be about the Orchestra. We are listening to "Peter and the Wolf" (have the book we used in our learn through play section to the left) and reading the book to learn about the different instruments. The kids all sat down tonight and listened. They LOVED it.

Shelby being Peter (Strings) and Matthew being the Grandfather (bassoon)

Abigail being the hunters by hitting herself (the drums)

Shelby and Matthew being the hunters as well!

More Hunting!

Ahhh THE WOLF

We also finished our Magic Tree House book "Mummies". Matthew requested that our book next week be a Magic Tree House book about Dinosaurs. Ummmm I don't have that one babe.

Wed Schedule - REAL Beauty Shop time

One photo of Abigail playing with the headband

Today we had a laid back day. Normally on Wednesday Shelby will be attending Grace Harbor Learning for her Extra Curricular classes.

Her schedule will be (not in any particular order)

School from 8:45 until 2:30

Homeroom

Art

Music

PE

Lunch

Spanish

Public Speaking

So all we did today is do one copy work exercise (bible verse) and one 15 minute reading lesson.

Shelby then sat down and put together her "Story of Ping" lap book. We finally have everything she wanted to put into it completed (except I need to get some photo's of her at the Duck pond printed). So I put together the blank folder pieces for her (so she would have a book) and she put everything together. It has turned out pretty good for her first lap book.

She will do an oral presentation to daddy on Friday. She was VERY proud of her work and has retained pretty much everything we learned over the summer while studying the "Story of Ping". She even did answered some reading comprehension questions orally yesterday and knew the answers to most without needing to read the story again. I am a believer in the "Five in a Row" way of learning. All of the hands on projects has really helped.

Matthew was not feeling well today and played a few board games. I hope it is just a summer cold or allergies.

We also went to Nana's tonight to see if she could fix both of the kids hair. We decided to just comb over the longer hair on him and use gel to cover the hole. Once it gets a little longer we can cut it shorter. I really just don't want to shave him bald and that is how short it is in that one spot.

See no bald spot (it is hiding)

Now Shelby is a different story. Her hair was so butchered in the front and underneath on the right hand side that it had to go short. My mom ended up layering it too because Shelby has really thick and wavy hair. It just looked too heavy without the layers. I think it turned out cute. She will probably wear a headband until her bangs grow out a little bit. What is bad is my mom did not really touch her bangs at all except to even out the longer pieces. Hopefully now Shelby will not play beauty shop with her brother anymore. Matthew told her she looked beautiful though and that daddy would love it. Shelby is not too sure what she thinks. She is a girly girl and likes her hair long.

Back from with her head turned to the side. It is cut at a angle with the back longer. She also has wave in her hair.

Front when wearing a headband

No headband

She looks so grown up to me

Tuesday Schedule

Shelby will be doing independent work on Tuesdays and Thursdays once I start at Mothers Day Out and also taking Theater. PLEASE remember to ignore the kids hair. I have not had a chance to attempt to get it fixed since they played beauty shop. Hopefully tomorrow it will be somewhat better.

Shelby's schedule at that time will be much shorter on these days and probably only take about 2 hours total to do all the work (other than theater class)

Science- Magic School Bus
Breakfast-
Handwriting without Tears
Explode the code
Spelling practice sheets
Outside/snack time
Math worksheet
Map work
Art lesson

She will work on her journal, phonics and free reading on the way to Theater, during Matthew's class time and then on the way home. It just gives her something to do.
Bound for Broadway (90 minute theater class)

Today we actually pulled out some vocabulary and grammar when we had the opportunity.

Matthew will just do
Mothers day Out
Imagine that Theater
Explode the code (during Shelby's theater)
Handwriting without tears (during Shelby's theater)
Read out loud Story of the week (I read to them)
Bible- bedtime

Playing Buggy Bingo while waiting on Lunch

Two of the assignments she completed today- One was floor plans for her Map work and the other was quadrilaterals in math. OH and yes there are 5 rectangles not 4 on this page. A Square is a rectangle .... Shelby had to correct this later.


Matthew and Shelby's "MASTERPIECE" Art. This is what Matthew told me when he was done. He asked me if I loved his masterpiece. He was instructed to do a portrait of someone but got distracted. Shelby's is a very abstract portrait.

Abigail wanted to get in on the fun. I could not keep her fingers out of the paint

Shelby wanted me to take a picture of her bulletin board. This is our work so far this week. Phonic blends "sl" and "sc", date written out and in number form, perpendicular lines and planes, parallel lines and planes (review), quadrilaterals, triangle, and our vocab word we learned today was "cavort". "Cavort" was actually in a going to Kindergarten easy read book so we looked it up and wrote it in our "C" vocabulary page as an unknown word.

Working hard to study the portrait.

Matthew practicing letter formation in flour with finger.

Practicing letter formation with clay.

Today was a LONG day for me. Shelby just did NOT want to write anything. I had copy work assigned today and she just dawdled. She LOVES drawing, math, science, maps, history and her five in a row story books with lap books. I just need to figure out how to get her interested in writing and reading.