Reading!

Music to my ears! So much fun to hear these two reading together.

Sorry I could not chose. I loved both of these pictures!

Good Bye Colorful!

On one of our nature walks we found a beautiful caterpillar that Dacia Grace brought home in hopes of watching it transform into a butterfly. We googled caterpillar to find out how to care for it. We followed the instructions but unfortunately Colorful as he was named did not make it. There were many tears the afternoon that Dacia Grace found Colorful dead. She made a headstone and buried Colorful in our backyard. It was so sweet!

Busy making the headstone

Headstone close up

Placing the headstone

#1 Homeschool Resource

The teacher's manual offers many options for additional reading on the lesson of the week.  If I were to purchase these books, we would have to create a separate budget just for books.  This is not a reasonable solution for most homeschooling families.

Our number one resource is our local library.  We LOVE our library and the children's librarians!

When I begin planning for the upcoming week's lesson I begin by looking at the list of books that are suggested as optional reading.  I have also gleaned from some moms the list of books that they have used for the same lessons.

Equipped with this list of books, I begin to search the online catalog of our local library system.  I place all the books that I can find on request which allows me to pick up the books once the library has collected all the books for me.  Letting them do the legwork frees up time for me to do other things as well as enjoy looking through the library with Dacia Grace for fun reading books.

Now everyone knows the frustration of not finding a particular book in our library system.  Most will give up at this point.

WAIT! DON'T GIVE UP!

There is another option that most libraries have.  It is officially called.... World Cat.  It is a catalog of all the books in the world of the participating libraries.  These libraries agree to share books just like a regular library.  While this is available online, I usually always go into the library to have help searching World Cat.  While there is a limit on the amount of World Cat requests that I can put in at one time, I have never had any difficulty receiving a book, cd or dvd that I have been requested.  All at no cost to me!

So go on in and armed with the list of books that you cannot find or that are out of print.  You will be surprised what you will be able to find!  Just know that with some books that are out of print, due to their scarcity and to their condition you might not be able to check the book out of the library.  You might have to view the book at the library and not in the warmth of your own home.

At this point, I have never had to pay to receive any of the books through this service.  They do ask when I place the request if I am willing to pay a nominal fee.  I decline.  They are fine with that.  But with the changing economic times, this could change.  The nominal fee however would still be cheaper than buying the book. 

Wednesday Weads

I have not done a Wednesday Weads in a long time.  So here is a new one for you.

We found Wilfred to the Rescue at the library recently.  It introduced us to Brambly Hedge.  We fell in love with the classic story and the fabulous illustrations.  While this book is not by the same author as the Brambly Hedge series, our interest has definitely been piqued and we will be reading all of the books in the series. 

I grew up with Beatrix Potter and with the Burgess books.  The stories and character development as well as the illustrations are all along the same lines.  Classic and beautiful, encouraging personal character development, etc.

Once all four of the original books have been read aloud, we will then look for the DVDs or videos.  We are so looking forward to them.

Childlike Faith and Expectation

DG:  I am listening really hard, mommy!

Me.  What are you listening to?

DG:  Today is the first day of the new year and I am listening really hard.  Aren't you Mommy?

Me.  What are we listening for?

DG?  Remember Daddy said that Jesus could come back anytime in 2011 and then he would never have to go to work.

Me.  (The fog is quickly clearing and understanding is dawning).  Oh so you are listening really hard for the trumpet that will sound when Jesus comes for us?

DG:  Yep!  Isn't it exciting, Mommy?  I can't wait for heaven!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh to have the faith like that of a child.  May I never forget the wonder of it all!

MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Love, Love Our Library

When we moved into this house in June of 2007 we were excited to be so close to our local library.  (Our home is actually at the end of the walking trail that leads by the library .....how cool is that!)  I knew that the library would be a great resource for us when we began home school.

We have been able to request rare children's books at no cost to us.  We have borrowed countless cd's of classical and jazz music.  Art books.  Craft books.  Cookbooks, etc.

Recently we have enjoyed some DVD's which are perfect for preschool through early elementary school.

Art appreciation:  a simple and straight forward introduction to Claude Monet and some of his most famous works. This DVD is part of a series Getting to Know which includes other masters.  The publisher also has a series on our presidents, composers, scientists and inventors.  We really enjoy these. 

According to Dacia Grace "the movie was Funny and taught you what Monet did." 

Science:  Finding science videos that are age appropriate and content appropriate has been somewhat difficult for us.  One Smart Cookie Productions has two videos that we have enjoyed:  Autumn and Winter and Spring and Summer.  These are the only two that I can recommend with confidence.  I like them because they offer the same material but taught at three different learning stages:  preschool, kindergarten and 1-3 grade.

Dacia Grace found the content to be introduced in a fun and playful manner.  She watched this several times.  Later when we went out for a walk I noticed that she had retained much of the information and was able to recall and apply it appropriately.

Insomnia Strikes HARD!

Occasionally I have bouts of insomnia.  It has been awhile but last night it struck HARD!  I slept a total of about 75 minutes last night! 

After tossing and turning for what seemed like forever, I came downstairs to do something productive:  cleaned the laundry room, washed a load, folded a load, reorganized our family info notebooks and purged duplicate and triplicate to go menus and then finally sorted a large stack of paper. 

Arthur finally tucked me in for some sleep at about 5 AM this morning!  My alarms went off at 6:15 am this morning. 

WHY!?!

Well the Lord has been prompting me for sometime now to add attendance at the Thursday Morning Worship at Athey to our homeschool curriculum.

(Hmmmmmm......any coincidence that last night is when the insomnia hit so hard!)

I contemplated rolling over and going back to sleep.  Boy, am I glad that I did not.

Last night I had Dacia Grace lay out her clothes knowing that hurdle could be very difficult in the morning......once again....very glad that I did.

While we arrived late, what a blessing it was to worship with my girl tucked in beside me singing her heart out to Jesus......

All my life

All my love

My heart belongs to You!

Then to have an opportunity to share communion with her.  To hear her heart as she thanked Jesus for "bleeding so that our sins would be washed away."

I am so thankful to add worship to our curriculum....to train her to worship Jesus .... to love worship.....to hear her heart in this fashion.