October Homeschool Fun!

This month is one of my favorites! We have had an action packed month and it is only the 13Th! We started the month with winding up our leaf study from last week. We did a science experiment that proved that leaf colors are present in the leaf all year around, but it is the changing of the seasons that brings out the change in the colors we see. We have learned that October is national apple month. This is the month when most apples are harvested in the USA. We went to Sky Top to pick apples and have done many apple activities since then. We even made our own applesauce! YUMMY!!

We also did a study Johnny Appleseed separating the facts from the legends. Without this man we would not have such a plenteous supply of apples here in the states. He was said to carry a Bible everywhere he went and had a heart of service and giving. He is a wonderful example of how we need to be. As soon as I can get this blogger to do it I will be posting some pictures of all of our apple adventures.

This week are doing a study on "Wonderful Me". Pointing out that God has created each individual differently and that he has a purpose for each one. We will be pointing out and discovering the many wonderful things God has instilled in Luke and doing many activities to point out how he can use these for the Lord. We are reading, "A Hat For Ivan" by Max Lucado that points out the importance on leaning on the master "hat maker" to find your purpose and the hardships of trying to please everyone else. At the end of the week we will have completed a "Wonderful Me" notebook full of the ways Luke is unique and special. Some of the elements of the notebook are; My House, Where I Live, My Address & Phone #, What makes me special, My signature, My Family, My heart belongs to, A few of my favorite things, When I grow up, My helping hands, My Time Line, If I had this much money, Me, myself, and I, Interview of Luke. All courtesy of www.homeschoolshare.com. Other books we will read are; "God Gave Us You", "You Are Special", "Stormy's Hat", and many more that point to this same theme.

For the last 2 weeks in October we will do a unit on Pumpkins. Anything you can think of for this unit we are doing. We will be reading, "The Pumpkin Patch Parable" as our main theme. We will do many pumpkin activities for math, science, reading, writ ting, language arts, and FUN!

The First Week Of Fall!

It is here! Fall, Autumn, my favorite time of the year! I am so excited to have Janie Claire Lambert's fall nature study to remind me of all the wonders God gives us during this time. To kick off this theme of fall and the beginning of the season of Thanksgiving Luke and I will be rowing, "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. This is a study put together by www.homeschoolshare.com. It is a classic story about a boy and his tree that gives to him throughout the years.

For the Bible lessons this week we will we will study the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. We will discuss the fruits and what they mean to a Christian life. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. I look forward to sharing and learning about the attributes with Luke.

During our social studies lessons we will discuss the many emotions felt during the stages of the boys life and times when we have felt these same emotions. I will record a dictated a story entitled, Happiness Is" for Luke. I can not wait to see what he comes up with. We will also discover what states apples are grown in as well as which 2 produce the most apples. We will map these on a Untitled States map.

We will begin our nature study for science this week on tree's. We will begin a notebook and document one of the tree's in our yard throughout the seasons. We will learn and create a book on the many useful ways tree's help us. We also learn the parts of a tree paint and diagram these. We will take a nature walk and observe the many different trees that are right around us.

During language arts we will review the short 'a' sound and I will have Luke CLAP every time he hears that sound while reading out story. We will also practice the writing of the capital and lower case A. We will make a list of the many uses of threes and of apples.

For art we will draw a tree in our nature journals and try to use the techniques used in this story. We will also gather leaves to laminate and make place mats to decorate our fall table.

For math we will continue to learn our 9 addition facts and do a comprehensive review of all the lessons up to this point.

For handwriting we will keep learning the appropriate technique for all the magic 'C' letters.

I am extremely excited about this weeks study of tree's and giving. All the lessons will essentially point back to God and His awesome design, order, and incredible creation. This tree study will lead us right into next week for our leaf study! The week after that we will do a study on apples. I am sure there will be many pictures to follow! AMEN!

For the next 2 weeks....

We are dooing a unit study on the Solar Syatem compliments of www.homeschoolshare.com It is amazing to me the vastness of our Creator! The organization and order give testimony to His power and resound to me that He and He alone is worthy of our praise.

Pics from "Who Owns The Sun"

"Who Owns The Sun" by Stacy Chbosky

This week we are rowing the FIAR title, "Who Owns The Sun" by Stacy Chbosky. If you haven't read this one you must try to find it and at least read it even if you do not do Five In A Row. It is so rich in so many ways. My first read through was today and I must tell you that I was all teared up by the end. It gently and tenderly introduces the subject of slavery. Something my innocent child had not learned about until this point. It was so hard for him to understand why others were treated so differently just because of the color of their skin. I did not go into a lot of detail, but just enough for him to understand on his level. Every time I row another book I always say, Oh, this is one of my favorites!" This title is no exception. From what I understand this book is out of print and I was very lucky the other county closest to me had a copy at there library. I contemplated not doing this title, but what a blessing I would have missed by skipping it!! Below I will list some of the enriching areas we will learn about all because of this one book.

Today we did the history portion of the lesson. Here we explored American slavery that eventually led to the Civil War. During Social Studies we discussed human relationships and the devotion the boy had for his father. We compared this to the relationship Luke has with Travis and it was at this point that Luke became teary eyed. He stated he loved his Daddy so much that sometime when he is awake early in the morning and hears him leaving he starts to cry. Then he added, "and it makes me want to cry just thinking about it right now"! This was another wonderful FIAR memory I will always cherish. I love that we get to share our deepest feelings together each day!

During Language Arts today we made lists of the qualities of Big Jim, the character in the story that is the slave and father to this little boy. We also listed things that are to wonderful to be owned. Luke nearly remembered everyone of them stated in the book. We will draw pictures of these tomorrow to further drive home this point. Tomorrow we will continue out LA lesson and discover new words such as, squinted, windmill, wanderer, and continue. We will also have a lesson on and activity to learn the appropriate use of a period or a question mark at the end of a sentence. We will continue our writing lessons from our Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. (HWT) What fun this has been! It is a multi-sensory approach to handwriting. Tomorrow we will write the lower case "v" and do the "Alphabet Boogie!" (One of my personal favorites! :) We are even making up our own dance to this one!! LOL!

On Wed. we will also embark on the Art portion for this week. We will view and discuss each picture in the book. We will discuss what medium was used and discover new colors that the illustrator used throughout the book and learn there names. We will also pick a picture and try to replicate it with paint.

For the applied math in this story we will choose the many different items throughout the books illustrations and count each of them. I can not wait to see how many flowers there are! We will also continue our studies in Math U See. (MUS) We are clicking right along with addition and he has nearly mastered all of his 0, 1, and 2 addition facts. On Wed. we will also introduce solving for the unknown.

Our Bible lesson we will study the uniqueness of God's most wonderful creation, US! We will read Matthew 6:26 (one of my favorites hence the blog site name) and Genesis 1:26. We will talk about The Creator and how we are made in HIS image and this is the one reason we can be so creative. For, there was never one more creative than our God!

For Science on Fri. we will review the seasons and what months go with these. We will also experiment with the 5 senses and how they teach us about the world. We will read the descriptions throughout this book that describe the beautiful ways we can use our senses. We have a book to create on the 5 senses as well. We will take a nature walk and observe the many things we can see, hear, smell, possibly taste, and the many different textures we can feel. A nature walk is always a great time.

Other elective type areas are soccer, music, Lego's, and computer time.
For our physical fitness Luke has begun the fall soccer league at church. We have been practicing each day as a family and he had his first official team practice on Monday night. We have also been listening to and memorizing the Kid's Choir Christmas musical. He hums or sings it throughout the day. It is precious! His Bible verse memorization is going great so far as well. I think he is up to 6 and this is the 5Th week of school. I am really proud of him for that.

It is a fun filled action packed week, but what a blessing it is to hold my little boy in my lap and teach him each and everyday. It is not always so easy, but it is always so worth it! I praise the Lord for the sweet times we share. I thank Him for this curriculum that allows us so much time together learning to love each other and to love learning!! And for the dear sisters who encourage me in this journey, my fellow homeschooling Mom's!
Amen!

5 Weeks In!

Here we are already 5 weeks into the school year! I can not believe how quickly this Summer is moving! We have had many adventures so far. Rowing titles such as, "Truman's Aunt Farm", "Lentil", "Paul Revere's Ride", and this week is "Andy and the Lion". I can not tell you which has been our favorite thus far. I just LOVE all the Five In A Row titles! (FIAR) We have explored everything from homonyms to the Revolutionary War. I have implemented Sue Patrick's work box system, as many other homeschool Mom's have. I for one love the system and it keeps me organized. I have also found that all the review has benefited Luke greatly. He is getting used to the idea and likes looking and seeing just how much work he has done and is still to be done. The system is working out well.

There are many stories I could share at this point, but the one that warms my heart most happened last Thursday during our Bible time. In the box with our Bible lesson for the day I placed a candle and a lighter. (child safe of course). He was so inquisitive when he opened this box. In an earlier lesson we had read about Gideon. How God's army had used torches in their battle to defeat the Midianites. I took him the darkest room in the house and shut the doors. I told him how the smallest light can light up even the darkest of places. I lit the candle and the room lit so brightly and warmly. The look on his face was priceless. I shared the verse from Matthew 5:16 that says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Then we squatted and sang, "This little light of mine". Luke sang with all of his heart and had the sweetest most contented look on his face with the candle light reflecting it so sweetly. I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me and whisper, "This is why you home school my child, for moments like this when you are teaching my truths, the most important lessons of all!" I left the candle burning the rest of the day in the bathroom to remind us that we are supposed to be a light to this world, Amen!

1st Grade Begins Next Week!

Here it is it's back to school for us next week. Early some say but we have been out since May 8th. So, we start early and end early. I have been in a frenzy cleaning out, organizing, and planning for our new year. It is so exciting to be on this end of the school year and smell all the potential! It has been a busy fun Summer thus far and will continue to be. We will just be adding school to the schedule now. I am most excited about the planner I have created! I will post pictures. I got the notebook at the flea market for $2.00 and it is working out great! It is my homeschool planner brains and supplies all in one place!
We will be rowing, "Lentil" for our first week. I am excited about the themes we will get to explore during this book. We will continue with Math U See (MUS) and Reading Made Easy (RME) curriculums. We are adding Handwritting Without Tears (HWT) this year as well. I am also exploring the Work Box System to organize our school day. First Grade here we come!!!!!!

Summer Fun!!

It is July 1, 2009 ane we all have a tan line. We have swam nearly everyday and have had many friends and family over to enjoy the Red Neck Riviera as well. We have done VBS and I am not sure who enjoyed it more me or him. I had three hours of peace and he had three ours of fun! I also had a latte' from Dunkin Donuts EVERY day!! (Decaf of course!)

I have begun the planning for our first grade year! WOW, I can't believe it!! I am having fun pondering all the many subjects and topics to cover. We will be using FIAR (Five In A Row) again as our mail curriculum. We will add to that Math U See the Alpha serise, Reading Made Easy, and Handwritting Without Tears (HWOT). We are scheduled to start Monday July 20, if all goes as planned. Above are some pics to share some of our Summer Memories.......

I smell Summer!!

Here it is May 30, 2009! Where in the world did the year go!!? Lots has happened since my last post and much I want to share. I will start with my sweet BIG boy graduating from K5! What a bitter sweet day of emotion and pride!! I so loved the opportunity of being the one who handed him his diploma of completion! My heart was so full as I watched Luke march down the center isle beaming with pride as he took his special certificate. He looked so grown in his royal blue cap and gown. I know it will seem like I blink my eyes and he will be graduating high school. God is teaching me to slow down and enjoy the moment I am in. So many have given the advice to "enjoy it, they grow up fast", and I am learning how true that is! Luke already wants to start 1st grade due to the pride the completion of K5 instilled in him. The best part is he still wants me to be his teacher and that he never EVER wants to go to "big school". He is excited now too at the prospect of a Summer break!

We kicked off the Summer with a BIG trip to Florida. Where we spent 3 days in Orlando and 6 In Madeira Beach on the Gulf coast. It was an awesome fun filled 3 days in Orlando where we visited Disney's Hollywood studios and The Magic Kingdom. On the day we headed toward the beach we spent the morning shopping and riding the monorail loop through the resorts and Epcot loop, up front! That was a fun adventure for us all. We got to watch a young man from Coastal Carolina train to drive the monorail under a 9 year veteran total Disney Geek! LOVED him!! We drove to the condo at Madeira in silence, as Luke slept off all the excitement and labor from the previous 2 days. We arrived at the condo, got settled, and had a relaxing evening. The next day was a Sunday and it was an awesome day on the beach complete with bright blue skies, beautiful white clouds, and sea birds playing and fishing away. This was the last sunny day at the beach. But, we had a wonderful time relaxing and playing in the condo to the rain on Monday. On Tuesday we went to Tampa's The Lowry Park Zoo and enjoyed marveling at God's amazing creation. The rest of the week we spent playing and getting on the beach as we could and only seeing 1 half way decent sunset. By Friday as the rain set in we were all ready to pack it up and head home, so that is exactly what we did. We drove until around 10 pm got a room in Valdosta, Georgia and drove the rest of the way home the next day. We were all glad to get here and the animals were glad we were here too. I still do not think BIG FAT WILLA has recovered yet!! She has demanded more lap time this week than ever in he life. I have been glad to oblige too!

Now we look forward to the rest of our Summer break. With many fun things in the works. We will do VBS, free movies, library activities, back yard camping, Summer reading programs, start a nature journal, and swim, swim, swim! (both here and at the Y). The plan is to start 1st grade on July 13, 2009! I hope and pray Luke will be as enthusiastic about it then as he was the last day of K5!! Until then we will busy doing the Summer thing!! YAY!!

"The Tale Of Peter Rabbit"

This week to drive home the spring theme, I thought it would be fitting to row, "The Tale of Peter Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter. We will discuss the Author of this title and read other stories from her as well. We will discover many new words this week such as, implored, exert, and sieve. We will listen for the onomatopoeia's throughout the story. We will also write an animal fantasy story of our own. For our social studies and Bible lesson we will review trust, setting rules, consequences when they are not followed and obedience. We will also revisit the 10 commandments. During art we will dramatize the story and discuss what a "naturalist" is. During math we do grouping and mutiplicationwith the bunnies and berries throughout the story. We will do a science study on rabbits and also gardening. We will be planting our very own wild flower garden. On Friday of this week we will take a field trip to the Hughe's at our church where they have many bunnies who know how to multiply!! LOL! It should be a fun filled week of SPRINGY TIME fun! Pictures to follow! :)

http://www.peterrabbit.com/index.asp

Catch Up Post..................

Well here it is April 19Th! I can not believe our K5 year is almost over! It has been an enlightening year for us all. Our family has grown closer and learned so much. One thing is confirmed now, we are a homeschooling family. It suits our lifestyle and we are enjoying the many benefits of the homeschooling experience. Especially being able to vacation when we want to. :) Yes, there are many many more benefits and I am sure Luke would have a list all his own if he were asked. God has blessed our family with stronger bonds and the joy of being together as a family. Also in watching Luke grow and learn daily.

I have had many valley's this winter and am glad to see spring slowly pressing through with beams of sunshine. I have reevaluated many areas of my life and as I stated in the Jan. post I have worked on simplifying my life and schedule. This month this will come together in many areas. I will work my final day at AnMed Health on Sat. April 25Th. after 10 years and 7 months on the payroll there. It is bitter sweet. I love that place, it is comfortable like your favorite pair of jeans. It has afforded me many benefits in my career and I have learned so much there and made many life long friends. I little piece of me will always be there. I have moved on now to an amazing place that will serve my needs in this area now, it is St. Francis. I thank God every time I leave there for this opportunity. I am loving it there and the staff is so kind, caring, and patient oriented! WOW! I have also removed myself from the schedule at Easley Baptist. So, my PT focus will now be at St. Francis Downtown Greenville, the place where my life began. And in a weird way I do feel I have come full circle So, in the years to come I will receive 2 W2's at the end of the year 1 form St Francis and one from the Pickens County YMCA. The is also an extended part of my family and organization I am proud to be a part of. This is a blessing to me and I do not take it for granted!! Thank you Lord for your blessings on me in this area.

As far as homeschooling goes we took some time in March to just cover what I have called K5 basics. We have read, sang, and done many fun educational things. Mostly we have learned the basics about life and the tools we need to do this thing called life. Some of the other topics we have explored are; space, the calendar, water colors, creation, fight, St. Patrick and his day. We continued working through the Math U See curriculum with skip counting and solving for the unknown. We are slowly making our way through Reading Made Easy. Math is coming much faster for Luke than reading, but we are still plugging away.

During April we have invited in the new Season and seen a lot of rain. The week of Easter we learned about the Passover and it's many significant symbols to our Christian faith and how Christ coming and dying on the cross is beautifully told through the Jewish celebration called Passover. We also spent a lot of time reading about and discussing the Easter story. Luke was very in tune to the aspects of what Jesus did for us on the cross. It was amazing to see his eyes be opened to the sacrifice and the triumph of the Resurrection story! It is called the greatest story ever told for a reason. This to me is the most important lesson we can teach him. Every Easter activity we used to point back to Jesus. It was a blessed time here in the McAtee home that week. A week of renewing and remembering.

Last week we rowed "The Rag Coat". It is the sweetest story of an Appalachian girl who has no coast so she can't go to school. When she does the children make fun of her pieced together coat made of scraps. When the children realize the significance of each scrap of cloth they all change their tune and welcome her! It is a sweet story that I will soon look for to purchase on Amazon. We discovered the art of quilting and how different quilt patterns can tell a story or share a bit of history. Luke created his own quilt pattern out of his pattern blocks. We reviewed geometric shapes with this lesson as well. We listed the elements of a story and pointed out what each one was in this story. We located the Appalachian Mountains on the map and researched the culture there. It was a fascinating study. We continued with Math U See and are working on telling time. We will continue this into this week putting the hours and minn. together.

Probably the most favorite teaching times for Luke was the weekend I worked and Travis taught him how to saw, hammer, build, construct small things from wood. He also taught him how to steer the lawn mower alone! I cried as I watched my son drive the mower around in the back yard like a young man! After he was finished had a cold bottle of root "beard". What a blessing it is to watch him learn and grow.

We have 3 weeks left at K5 in our Cozies! I can not believe it is coming to a close! I will forever cherish the memories we have shared this school year!! AMEN.