My first TAG!

Matthew is off to Shreveport for a wedding and we are just home for the day. I was very happy to see a tag for me on Alison's Blog.

First off I would like to talk about Alison for a bit. She is just one of those mamas that I have met online and that I just LONG to meet in real life. I wish she lived just us the street. We could do so many neat homeschooling things together. She has the cutest kids. 3 boys and 1 precious little girl that I could just borrow from time to time.

I see a blog post almost everyday that shows how much fun they have. She allows them to be free and messy. Her mothering is not smothering. It is enough to mold and guidel but they also have room to grow into who they are. Not who she wants them to be.

Her laid back attitude to life and schooling is just something I wish all mother's could see and then emulate. She is a valuable resource to all women. You are blessed to know her. And I am blessed to call her friend. Even if we are miles apart. :)

Okay...on to the tag. :)

1. My joys

- Holding my youngest childs hand as he falls asleep.

- Kissy Therapy (This is when I am sick or my head hurts or I am stressed, Matthew will kiss really hard all over my face really fast and hard.)

- I love it when my dogs are walking next to me and their noses touch the back or side of my leg just for a second. It always reminds me how much I adore them and I give them a pat.

- The conversations my 9 year old and I have.

- Our home.

- Starting and finishing a new day of homeschooling lessons.

- Helping women prepare for birth and giving birth.

- I love leaving a birth and knowing a new family was made and I am leaving them to start the best part of their lives.

- Visiting a clients house to check up on her and the baby. To see how they fall into a rhythm all their own. It is beautiful. :)

- The way a baby feels in your hands all wet and wiggly and fresh out of his mama!

2. My fears

- Passing away and knowing that my children will always have a void. I am such a neat mama according to them that I don't think anyone could fill my shoes. EVER! That is sad for me.

- My husband passing away. He is my world. He is my forever companion. The children will leave...he will always be with me. :)

- Too much government control.

- Babies not breathing at birth. Resus-ing is just not something I am thrilled about. Also a stuck or sticky baby. Makes me want to pass out!

3. My goals

- To raise neat children to go out into the world and live out the life God would have for them.

- To love as many people as much as I can.

- To live everyday like it is my last.

- to lose weight.

- To live as well and healthy as I can.

- To be a good wife.

4. My current obsessions/collections

- OWLS

- Yard work

- Gardening

5. Random surprising facts about me

- I love ballet and can even dance, even if I am fat and out of shape.

- I love to look at and play with the placenta after a birth. I like to see this "organ" everytime. I love to see how they are different and alike. They are always different. And each one has a surprise all it's own. You would have to see and have your hands on alot to know what I mean. *Hee hee*

- I love doing laundry.

- If I am near a cliff or up way high I have to crawl. My knees just collapse and I shake the whole time I am crawling.

Okay Sherri and Retro...your TAGGED!

Our Arabic/Jewish meal day...

Today we had a BLAST!

Remy did his 3 R's very quickly, about 10 minutes for it all. While he did that Eli started on his 3rd book in the Lemony Snicket books he has been reading. When Remy was done we had some science time with reptiles and turtles. Nothing to really show from that today.

We then read a book on Jewish Holidays and in this book were the directions for the Hora. It is a popular dance in Israel and the people do it on happy occasions. So...how do you think the boys did on the first try?

Now...if you hear the words "pick my boogers" please forget you heard that! LOL!

We also colored our Joseph comic "book" pages from SOTW today. It was pretty funny!

We then went outside while our Challah dough rose.

New stuff in the pool: Eli is jumping in! Getting braver!

After a small swim we came in and prepared the Challah for the oven!

It was YUMMY!

We also made a Honey Cake.

This was so darn good! Sweet with Honey and YUMMY!

For the main meal we had falafel and hummus on flat bread with tomato and lettuce. The whole meal was so good and vegetarian because it is veggie! I love recipes I get to make that are already veggie. :) *Big smiles*

There is nothing like learning through doing! It just makes you excited!

I asked Remy how it felt to make and eat the food that they would have eaten. He says, "I feel good, and I FEEL JEWISH"! *emphasis added*

Matthew and I just belly laughed!

So that is how we did today. I can't wait for tomorrow!

Neat, neat, NEAT!

It is just so neat to see a couple that everyone knows...homeschooling...AND working towards the change we need in this country. I only hope and pray that they are able to stick to it and actually last. So many attempts to change the public schooling machine have failed...it would be nice to see one succeed and make a difference.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Congrat's on your school!

http://www.essence.com/essence/themix/entertainment/0,16109,1809861,00.html

And thanks to Mrs. AHermitt for her blog that keeps me up to date! She is not afraid to use her voice for homeschooling. :) Just a neat woman all around.

http://www.nfahm.blogspot.com/

Reading and Math assessment sites

I am posting the links to the assessment sites I used to see where my kids are in certain subjects.

You can go to: http://www.test4free.com/assess.asp

For a FREE Reading Aptitude Assessment Test.

Another site for Reading and Math is: http://www.mindsprinting.com/msfree/(5t24ep55yt4z1045vfepx455)/index.aspx

This is a tutoring site, but the testing is free. :)

And I usually use ACE's diagnostic testing once a year to kind of see where the kids are since I haven't had my kids tested formally just yet.

http://www.schooloftomorrow.com/acediagnostic/

This site allows testing to see where you would place in the curriculum they sell.

Creatures, Exercise, and Fishy Facts!

Hello....So we all had a longer holiday. We did have school on Memorial Day, but it was very spontaneous and laid back. :)

Remy found his biggest snail yet!

If you look close you can see the snail slime in the second photo. EWWWWWWWWW!

It didn't bother the mad scientist *cough* little boy at all. :)

We have been doing some stuff on Fish and the boys made a Fish Poster with Fishy Facts on them. Eli's was just so sweet...showing me yet again how very big he is. *sigh* The facts were so him and showed how much of a thinker he is.

The boys had their first day of a ballet/pilates/yoga workout. They did the WHOLE thing and had so much fun! I laughed so much. They are so hard on each other and push each other to the MAX!

They say they can't wait to get more flexible and they can't believe that their mama was once THAT flexible. Maybe I should train too so I can show them?

We found eggs surrounded by jelly in the pool a while back. We decided they were indeed frog eggs and put them in a bucket...today we had TADPOLES!!!! The four that made it (the other eggs dried and didn't make it) are little bitty things and we can't wait to see them grow!

When Eli went to check on the eggs I heard all kinds of screaming and excitement! And it lastest for some time.

Elijah has finished his second book in the "Series of Unfortunant Events" and his 3rd book is waiting up at the library.

He read a small book on Twisters today. With his 8th grade reading level last time I tested him, leaves me with really nothing to do but to allow him to read and learn all on his own. Isn't that just brilliant????

We read a story book on Joseph and his Brothers for History today. And we have been reading through book two of the "Little House" series. I even came across a reading comprehension booklet for the one we are on. But that will be in another post soon.

Remy is really just trucking along in his kinder work. It is funny but since he as been reading with 1 vowel words and a few sight words for a while he has realized that some of the words do not go by the same rules he has learned. While in the bathroom at Target he asks he daddy to teach him how to read the two vowel words he saw. So in the Target Bathroom my husband took from me the sweetness of teaching the 2 vowel rule! :( LOL!

What is FUNNY is that his books started teaching that TODAY! He was ahead of his books just a thinking and trying to work it out in his head all on his own. And Daddy was the one there when he decided to ask for help. Mr. John Holt (He wrote: How Children Learn) would be very pleased with this outcome. *laugh*

BATHROOM PHONICS WORKED FOR ME! *laugh*

Anywho!

Remy made our dinner tonight, a soup. His little voice going NONSTOP while he stirred and added to the brew. *laugh* I wish I had recorded the little guy talking away, the subjects flying in and out of each other. Cuteness is what it is. :)

Magic Math!

This is the neato thing of the day here in my house!

http://www.kidzone.ws/magic/magic_envelope_trick.htm

You take the current year 2008 and double it to 4016.

Put that number in an envelope or folded paper and set to the side.

Then ask the person what year they were born. I was born in 1978

Ask them to tell you the year of an important event in their lives. Mine is 1998 when my first child was born.

Ask them their age. I am 29.

And lastly, ask them how many years it has been since the year of the important date. You have to count that year to this year. So I would could 1998-2008 for a total of 11 years.

Add those numbers up!

1978

1998

29

11

=

4016!!!!!!

Have fun with it!

Praying for the Chapman's!

They have had a very sad loss of a sweet young daughter! My heart is aching for them! Lift them up in your prayers again and again and again!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357046,00.html

Rain Rocks

Today the mad scientists were full of energy and just ready to take on the day. We awoke and attended the local homeschooling used book sale. I got some neat deals...but more on that in another post. :)

We then came home, ate some Taco Bell for lunch and daddy left us for work.

Eli read some of his book and Remy started on his lessons. I drew a very bad image of a cake with words around the cake that I knew he would know. This was just for fun. As he read a word I circled it and then he could decorate the cake. :) WOW! He loved it! Funny how the things I use that cost NOTHING and are so SIMPLE are the things he LOVES!

He then went through his math and phonics paper. He did some copywork and number work. And then he made his disciples puppets. I read three sections from the bible and we acted them out. You know, the one about fisher's of men, and walking on water. ;) When daddy came home he was very excited to tell him about it and he did a GRAND job of telling the story with his puppets to daddy. Gotta love daddy show and tell time each night!

Eli has been looking and drooling over a science project in a book for DAYS! If you know him you know that he collects rocks and crystals. He can't enough of them. And at the library he usually has a crystal book or two in his stack to bring home.

First he put flour in the pan and collected the rain drops. Let me tell you he was more than thrilled that it was finally raining so he could do this.

It leaves these little droplets of water on top of the flour.

Then you shift them...

And bake them in a 350 degree oven until they are hard.

And that is how one little boy can save and preserve the raindrops of today...for tomorrow.

And until tomorrow...the scientists need rest. ;)

Kinder Lesson Day 86

Today we just had alot of fun. Elijah read some of his book and Remy and I started on his little star book on bedtime.

Here he is putting the bubbles on the first page.

The first one he added the painted bubbles, the second he but glitter glue on the toothbrush for toothpaste, the third he dictated the title "Little Star's Bedtime by: Remy", and the third one he glued the blues clues fabric for a comforter on the bed. :) He said that the little star must like Blue's Clues. *laugh*

Elijah then made a little neat book that opened up and revealed more and more. If you want this sheet to do on your own let me know!

First you draw your state and pinpoint where you live in that state. He did write the city and state but I erased it in photoshop because it is online. :)

Next to you open it some and it is the USA with your state colored.

And once you open it again it shows your country colored in on the world map. It is a really neat way to show where you are in this huge world. I did a video of Eli doing this and explaining but I do not want to wait for it to upload. Yes, I am lazy!

The boys worked on the frog life cycle books. It was below Eli's level, but he enjoys redoing that kind of stuff. :)

We finished "The Little House in the Big Woods" today and we checked out the next one in line. :)

I was not aware of how the Little House series was such a history lesson for that time. I have some neat things planned to go along with our Little House reading. :)

Remy Is BETTER and he LEARNED to SWIM!

Remy didn't have anymore sickies after 6:30am this morning. And he was up to his old self and full of energy. Daddy was off from work, so this means no "real" schooling, and a day of fun! Since Matthew and I were feeling a little wiggly ourselves and we didn't want Remy over doing it we stayed home. We were supposed to go geocaching with some family friends today. But it has been put off until another day. We have lots of time since all of our friends are out of school for the summer! YAY!

We waited until after lunch so Remy could have something in his tummy. But after that we went swimming with daddy!

Daddy will not allow his picture in his suit to be on my blog. Hee hee...

But the boys don't mind. Here are a few shots.

We saw a rainbow in the sprinkler. :)

Yesterday Remy whinned a few times about how he hated being sick. And he told me he had planned on learning to swim without his floaties. I didn't think much of it...

But as you can SEE, he got in all by himself without floaties and made one of us stand off for him to swim too. And then of course Eli couldn't be outdone. So he swam with us holding him up. He hasn't let go just yet. ;) But I have a feeling he will soon enough!

We then watched a movie and had dinner. It was a pleasant say, just pleasant in every way. The children were such a joy to be around. And we enjoy it even more when daddy is home for the splashy fun.

The pool was the best temp we have had yet. It was just delicious and freeing be so weightless. *sigh*

School starts back up tomorrow! See you all then!

Remy's Sick Day

Today we were forced to close down shop and to tend to our smallest human today. He awoke with throw uppies and bad potties! :(

Daddy was able to be home with him until 1pm.

He found some energy to talk on his gameboy with his brother. And Stitch was there to give him some good company. He also had his little dog Reese at his feet. :) Everyone was tending to him.

And when I mean everyone tended to Remy, I mean it. After one really bad sick episode Elijah went and ran him a bath and then bathed him and helped him to get dressed.

I know that them being home with each other for normal stuff and for school together has made them close. And when one needs the other, the other is really there. :) I am glad that they don't feel seperated by grades/classes/peers. I remember feeling worlds away from my sister...this still lingers in our lives today. Old habits are hard to break. It is just another + *I* see from their homeschooling. :)

6:30pm was his last sick time and he seemed to be up hill as daddy came home. He even begged to do his snowman art. So here is our Snowman in May! The temps got up to 91 degrees today! Good thing he is made out of paper!

I am thinking tomorrow that he will be back to his old self! With his Indiana hat and whip to defeat the snakes and evils of the DAY!