Beyond FIAR Co-op - Cricket in Times Square 1

We are in our 3rd and final year of doing our Beyond  Co-op.  What a fun couple of years we have had and I look forward to even more fun together this year!  We are in Volume 3 this year and our first book is The Cricket in Times Square.  We covered topics in the first 3 chapters in this co-op.

We started out learning about New York City.  Each student was given a card with a picture of a prominent landmark in Manhattan.

 They were then asked to find its location and place it on the map.

They discussed the artist and the author.  They then looked at some of the pictures from the book.  Later they chose one of the favorites and drew a copy to include in their lap book.

 There was also a discussion about mammals, rodents and insects.

 The students were each given a lapbook with pieces included from Homeschool Share.  You can find it here.  They filled out a number of the books from the things that they had learned (NY, CT, Mass Transit, Rodents and more).

 After all of that hard work, it was time for a snack.  More than a snack really - a spread!

 This was our menu for the day.

It was a fun start to a delightful book!  I look forward to sharing more of it with you!

Blessings
Leslie

Field Trip to Pullen Park

We started off our field trip season with a trip to Pullen Park,  We missed going last year due to construction here and it was fun to see some of the changes that had been made.

We have a number of new families joining our group this year and this is a great place to have time to talk and play together - for new friends and old.  

 We met at the playground where there is plenty to do for all ages.  While the moms congregated to chat, the children explored.

 It was all close and easy to keep an eye on what everyone was doing.

 It was a gorgeous day and what better way to spend it than with family and friends.

 I just LOVE this picture!  It has to be my favorite of the day.  Pure and unfiltered delight!   It also captures one of my favorite moments of the day too!  Christopher came by to see us!  I was hoping since we were so close to campus that he would be able to stop by - and he did along with one of his friends.  It was so good to see them.

 I've always loved seeing my children hanging out and enjoying each other.  As they grow up and have different interests, it still makes my heart smile.

 This is one of the photos that Eliana took.  She loves to borrow my camera and take photos.  Some of them end up being pretty good.  I thought this was a neat perspective.

 Often on our field trips, I like getting a picture of all of my children.  Its not always easy or possible.  I loved getting this one.  :-)  These are some of my most favorite people in the whole world!!!

 Of course, no trip to Pullen Park is complete without going on the rides.

 The train is fun for all ages.

 This just made me laugh.  I'm often taking pictures of the group and they are used to me doing it.  It will be fun to see what her picture looks like as I'm rarely in the photos.

 Eliana really enjoyed the boat ride and Isaiah was sweet to ride along with her.

 Eliana was the only one that wanted to ride the merry-go-round.  And she wanted to ride it until she sat down on the horse.  Then she was done.  Unless she was clinging tightly to me.

 After spending a lot of time there, playing, having lunch, rides and then popsicles, it was time to head home.

This was a fun start to our field trips and we look forward to many more!

Hope you are having fun exploring your world too!

Blessings
Leslie

Book club - God's Smuggler & The Hiding Place

Just a quick post on our last two books.  We are getting a late start to book club due to busy fall schedules and look forward to starting again soon.

We read God's Smuggler.  A true story of a man who smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.  Fascinating story and encouraging too.  I would highly recommend it.  

As always, the food was delicious and tied into the countries that Brother Andrew lived.  Pie, nutella with little crepes, pita chips and hummus, cookies.  I'm not doing a good job describing as it has been too long and I've just forgotten.

Our last book, was The Hiding Place.  Wow, what a story.  It has been some time since I read it and this is a story that would just never get old.  To read about all that she experienced and her faith in the midst of challenges that most of us could never imagine.  What an encouraging book.  A great reminder to give thanks in all things.  Very highly recommend though not for younger children as some of the material is quite difficult to read.  

Lovely centerpiece.

Yes, we do eat well at these fun gatherings!  Strawberries to dip in a yummy chocolate sauce, eclairs, cream puffs and yummy tarts in chocolate and fruit.

We enjoy this fun time to discuss books and be with friends.  Looking forward to starting up again soon.

Have you read any good books lately?  We are looking for some new titles to read this year and would love some recommendations.

Hugs
Leslie

Before FIAR co-op - Yellow Ball

This was just the perfect book for a summer reading.  (Yes, still behind in posting.)  The Yellow Ball is a sweet simple story about a ball that is played with on the beach and then is taken out to sea.  After an adventure in the ocean, it returns to a different beach and is found and enjoyed by a new child.

 We started our morning with a devotion.  I told the story of Jesus out on the boat with some disciples when a storm arose.  We talked about how God is in control of everything and we had no reason to fear.  (Not sure what I'm pondering in this picture.  Love my sweet girl looking at the felts.)

 After reading the story and talking about some of the various elements in the story, it was time for some hands-on fun.  One of the parts of the story shows the ball from various angles - above, below, near and far.  I thought it would be fun for each child to have a ball and put it in various positions.

 Behind their back.

 On their knees.

 Then it was time for a parachute of balls.  Look at all the fun types and sizes.

 The first blanket wasn't quite big enough so we moved to using a sheet which worked much better.

 We popped and bounced the balls together.

 For snack we had an "ocean" of blue jello and gummy fish to swim in it.  (We are working on theme snacks which are also gluten and nut free.  :-)  We also served watermelon and cheese (which they could roll into yellow balls if they wanted to).

 After snacking, it was time for an art project.  Each child was given a small, squishy yellow ball.

 Needless to say, they loved that!

 For our art project, they painted with their balls dipped into yellow paint.

 Fun watching them work so carefully.

 Yes, I am still taking your picture.  LOL

 When they finished painting, it was time to wash off the balls.  They loved doing this and some of them had to do it several times.  LOL

 They were also able to see that their balls floated in the water.

 Which lead to a discussion on buoyancy.  With a bag of assorted yellow things, each child was able to pick something from the bag.  They then guessed whether it would float or sink.

 And tested it out.

Lovely day with friends.  I'm thankful for this sweet time rowing books that I have loved using for 15 years now.  (Wow, can it really have been that long?!)

Hope your days are going well!
Leslie

Starting School

Life is moving so quickly it seems.  We've been in school now a little over a month.  I intentionally started things simply this year to try to get into a good routine.  So far, that is working pretty well for us.  I still need to get a better routine for Eliana though.  

I am thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my children.  I'm grateful this is an option in our country.  It has worked well and been a blessing for my family.  It has allowed us opportunities to explore so many fun things in our area and around the state.  I love going on field trips and know that it has been a great method of learning for all of us.  

I'm thankful that I can work with my children's strengths and weaknesses.  I pray that those with learning challenges will be strengthened to become all that God has designed them to be and not have a distorted sense of their worth based on their abilities or how they might measure up to someone else.   

I had intended on starting school in mid-August when Christopher went back to State.  I didn't realize that he would go quite so early - or that we would end up in the ER twice in one week.  So we started a little later.  Christopher was home just one day before moving back on campus.  

It really wasn't nearly long enough.  It was made easier by the fact that he is close and hopefully that means we will see him more often.

We helped him move into his new room.

Not a lot of pictures in the chaos of moving a lot of stuff into a small room.  This is the view from in front of his suite.

Love seeing my children hanging out and enjoying being together.  We all miss Christopher being here.    I am the oldest and I think its probably a lot easier on the first child to leave home.  Everything is different and exciting for them.  I think its harder on those at home, missing those who are gone.  I am so thankful he is in a school that he loves with amazing friends!  I'm thankful that he is learning and growing in his faith.  I'm thankful that we get to spend time together and also with some of his friends.  God is good.

My oldest, Christopher, a sophomore at NC State.

He missed going on our back to school night outing.  We had planned to do it when he was here, but then Eliana got sick.  Really, really sick.  That through us off for a week.  Then Daniel stepped on the toothpick.  We did finally make it out a full week later.  First stop ... Wal-Mart.  You are already thinking that this sounds like fun, aren't you?  LOL  It was a beautiful night!

Getting ready to pick out some new school supplies!  Worked well to have a wheelchair for Daniel to get around in.  (You can see his bandaged foot.)

After shopping, we headed over to Moonberries.  Love this place!  They have clearly labelled gluten free options!  I had purchased a "groupon" and it covered treats for all of us and our friends.

Yummy and fun.

Fun having friends join us!

Beautiful girls!

Here are my students for this year.  We do family Bible lessons together and each child does Awana/Scripture memory and their own Bible reading.  I am also doing worldview with all but Eliana.

Eliana is 5 and is doing preschool work.  We are using Handwriting Without Tears, Before Five in a Row and working on alphabet, numbers and sight reading.

Daniel is 8.  He is enjoying Five in a Row, Handwriting without Tears, and Math U See.

This is Isaiah who just turned 11.  He is doing Life of Fred, Math U See (we juggle between the two as needed/desired) and Beyond Five in a Row.

This is Joshua who just turned 13.  (I need to do some birthday posts!)  He is doing Math U See, Beyond Five in a Row, Worldview and Rainbow Science.

Rebecca is 16.  She is doing Worldview, Chemistry, Algebra 2, American History, and American Literature.

These are our main subjects and we will add in a few more things as we go.  For now, this is the basics and it is working well for us.

Love being a mom!

Love being able to homeschool!  This doesn't mean that every day and moment is easy or fun.  Its not.  Its hard work, but worth it.

We started back to school with some new supplies and goodies for everyone.  Eliana's things focusing on reading and writing.

A general stack of art supplies and some books for everyone.

One of the biggest hits that I bought - themed cups.  Yes, I know, not really a school supply, but it makes everyone happy.  They remember their cups too.

Fun notebooks.

Starting the year off with a clean desk/work area.  It doesn't look like that now.  But it can look neat, right?  Just not while we are actually working.

More soon (I hope) on what we have been up to.  For now, we are busy with schooling and other things.  We have fun field trips and co-ops to share with you.  I hope your year is going well too!

Blessings
Leslie