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.