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{A}’s Chipmunks are Back….

March 25, 2009 By Laura 3 Comments

….and boy did they miss her!!

training chipmunks

She got this shot with her Daddy’s point & shoot camera, as he climbed up her leg.
Is that not love or what? lol

A few other quick notes tonight:

*I am working on the baking post that’ll be up very soon, (lots of photos), but we just wanted to thank all of you who let us know we are not the only ones  who are spring-less! lol.

*We also appreciate your condolences for the loss of our friend, as well as the sweet comments about our little toothless Beauty.  She’ll soon have toothless company!  I would love to get a shot of the 3 of them missing teeth on top.

*Also, looks like the consensus is to do progress posts of Michael’s projects…so that’s what we’ll do.
That’s easier for me to manage anyway…photo-wise.

And to Gramma–Thanks again for your ditties!! XOXO

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Filed Under: Elementary Homeschooling, Homeschooling, Life In General, Nature Study, The Big Picture Tagged With: chipmunk training, chipmunks, homeschooling, homeschooling-nature-study

Math Boy – Elementary Math

March 22, 2009 By Laura 4 Comments

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As I pondered this post I had coming up, I had a vague recollection of blogging something similar before. So I went looking and found this post from almost a year ago; Math Madness and Memorization.  So today’s post is basically talking about the fact that nothing has changed….but merely progressed quite a bit since then.  I especially love the last 3 paragraphs of that old post, as my feelings have not changed, but only grown as well.

From the time this boy, {S} was about 1 year old, he has loved everything about letters and numbers.  He was less than 2 years old when he already knew the entire alphabet.  Not just saying/singing the alphabet…..but recognizing any letter, upper case or lower case, any where, any time, in any letter style.  He gave the same zealous interest to numbers. Number recognition. Counting. He’s always been very physically active, but even so, he has always spent a lot of his mental energy on letters and numbers. And he still does.

All 4 of our kids happen to do very well with their schooling, and in all subjects. Naturally, I have a whole philosophy that explains why, in my eyes, they do so well….and enjoy it!  (Because at this age, they need to have fun learning, to learn to love learning.)  But {S} just has a particular fondness for numbers, in the form of math.  And that’s the reason why he does so well in math. Simply because he loves it, so he enjoys it, so he learns more.  I love the look he gets when you give him a problem. He looks off to the distance, and with that little content smile, you can see him calculate in his head. And then he whips his head back and let’s out the answer in a big announcement sort of way. And then he is ready for the next one. And the next one.

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He usually zips right through his math, and rarely has one wrong either.  If we ask {J} or {O} a math problem to do mentally, {S} often blurts out the answer in a heartbeat, because he can hardly contain himself. We have to remind him over and over to not answer for them. But he REALLY wants to….because he KNOWS THE ANSWER!

math-workbook

Most times, when he sees me correcting books, he wants to know if he had any wrong. He doesn’t much expect me to say ‘yes’ either.  But on the occasions when I did say yes, because there was indeed one wrong, he’s off to get his pencil and eraser, because he MUST fix it.

He loves to count days too.  How many more days until this day, or how many days ago that was.  He wants to be the score keeper when they play Scrabble or Uno, so he can add the points.

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He’s just really focused, and content, in the numbers world.   I recall one week that he was just having a run of days of LOTS of extra energy, and it was tending to get him into trouble.  So over those days, when he was ‘heading down the wrong road’ so to speak, I redirected his attention.  I would simply call him over, and say “I just want you to stand here, and count to 100 by odd numbers…..real-ly slow-ly.”  And he would say ‘Count to 100 by odd numbers?  Ok!”….with a very pleased look on his face….because he was HAPPY to do it. Or, I would give him a REALLY big math problem.  Any of those times, he never ask why I wanted him to do it, because he was so excited just to get to it, that the WHY wasn’t occurring to him.   I could see the numbers going around in his head, and the little smile remained. Once in awhile he would just let me know what number he was on, to assure me he was going slowly.

By the time he was done, he was in a content state of mind, and would go off to play, imagine and create…..with the  behavior we expect and appreciate. :  )  Worked for both of us!  I’m keeping that one in my tool box.  ; )

The funny thing is…..when I was in school, I didn’t like math, because I wasn’t good at it.  Actually, more likely, I wasn’t good at it, because I didn’t like it!  It wasn’t FUN to me.  I found math and algebra hard. But I was ‘Geometry Girl’. My teacher said I rocked Geometry in a second nature way, because I was an artist.  The funny thing is….I do love math now, AND I’m pretty good at it!  Maybe because I’ve been having FUN doing it!

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The other day, {S} was talking to his big sister about math, and numbers.  So she shared with him that soon with school, he would be learning how to add with carrying numbers over.  She decided to show him what she meant, and then let him try it. Well by golly…he got it!  And that has been his ‘new thing’ lately.  I taught him how to know where to put the commas simply by giving him a pattern, left to right, 1-2-3-comma. 1-2-3-comma.  We have not gotten into teaching the 1st grade trio the hundred-millions place, yet.  lol.  But I am guessing soon, now!!  lol

After doing this particular math problem (above) at the table, he was pretty happy.  As usual, he said “Hey Mama!  I have a great idea!  Why don’t you take a picture of me, and blog about it!!”  (Well Ok…..twist my arm why don’t you, Math Boy. : ) And then he wanted me to take a photo of his shirt….which is his very favorite t-shirt (which he got from his aunt, uncle and cousins for Christmas one year.)

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So I did.

shirt

I can see why he loves it.

It think it has the truth written alllll over it!

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Filed Under: Elementary Homeschooling, Elementary Homeschooling MATH, Homeschooling, Math Tagged With: elementary-homeschooling, elementary-homeschooling-math, homeschooling, kids-who-love-numbers

Nicholas – A Massachusetts Tale – Elementary Reading

March 18, 2009 By Laura 5 Comments

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I think I’ve mentioned, oh, maybe a kazillion times, that all of our kids just love reading books.  (But it’s true!) Thank God too.  I mean, to love reading is just, helpful, to get through the school years enjoyably.  Because they love it so much, they are way above their grade level with that.  So I started thinking they (the triplets; 6 years old) were probably quite ready for bigger chapter books.  But….I really didn’t know, like, WHAT chapter books.  Because the thing is, I am very particular about content of most anything where TV/videos/reading material goes. All I could really think of, was possibly some  Magic Tree House books? Which turns out are pretty easy for them. But they do like the stories.

So one day not too long ago, I was at the children’s library with my girls.  I am a fanatical person about really nice children’s illustrated books, as an illustrator of sorts myself.  When I am looking through books, any books,  I really do judge them by the cover. Especially if it’s a children’s book…..and has bad illustrated cover?  I don’t even open it up. lol  So I was flipping through and piling up a lot of ‘worthy’ books to have lined around our school window sills, for the kids to grab when they feel like it. I do this a lot. Even though…all 3 of the little ones just read them all in a matter of 30 minutes.

So sitting there on the library floor, ( I know…yuck….that’s what I was thinking at the time…), I started looking at the books on the shelf behind me, and saw this title:  Nicholas – A Massachusetts Tale. Hmmm.  That alone got my attention, so I grabbed it.  One look at the cover, and I was sure it was a gem!     ; )       I read the inside jacket of the front cover:

MEET NICHOLAS- a lively field mouse from
Massachusetts. He lives tucked under a
farmhouse outside Stockbridge until a flood
destroys the journal that contains his
family history. Faced with the loss of all
his family stories, Nicholas embarks on a
journey across the state to find his Uncle
William and a copy of the precious journal.

Early in his travels, Nicholas meets up with
a haughty chipmunk named Edward, and the
pair decides to head east together. Along
the way, they learn a great deal about their
home state-the animals that live there,
the geography, industries, and even about
the state’s history. West Tisbury is their
destination, but when they arrive there, will
they be able to find Uncle William, and will
he still have the remaining copy of
Nicholas’s family journal?

I was hooked already! I opened the book in the middle, and quickly read a few pages.  It was passing my ‘appropriateness for 6 year olds test’ too.  But dang…it was a big book!  So I called {O} over, opened it to the first page, and told her to start reading to me.  She did.  Now, if you could hear this girl read anyway…she sounds like a little adult. I’m not kidding.  Expression….use of punctuation….vocabulary and articulation…you’d probably chuckle. It’s just kind of funny.  She almost sounds like a teacher or a librarian, reading to the children.  So….it was cake for her. And I was EXCITED I found a great chapter book.

We checked it out, along with the ‘window sills’ pile, and {A’s} her own hefty pile, and headed home to meet the boys, who had been at a basketball clinic.

{O} got right to reading that book. After the first few chapters, she was telling me all about what happened. But you know…I couldn’t ask her any questions, because I hadn’t read it myself.  So later when I got the chance, I read the first few chapters, just to check her com-pre-HEN-sion.  (I just had to type that word out like that…because the kids love that word, and we always giggle when we say it.  They also love…actual comprehension checks. Which works out great, because I love to put the little people on the spot, and they love to prove to me that I didn’t ‘get them’.  We’re a very competitive family. lol)

Anyway, maybe a week or so later, {O} was done with the book.  She had chatted excitedly every day, after reading a few chapters, about this little adventure Nicholas went on, or where she left off and she was wondering what would happen next. So when she was done….I grabbed the book, and read a few chapters a day myself, by the fire.

I am telling you…I am SMITTEN with this book. CHARMING.   It really is. Now, I am sure, being a Massachusetts girl, it was all the more cooler. I grew up in western MA, and now our family resides on the south shore. So I was like “Hey!  I know where that is!”    As these little critters traveled across the state, meeting new friends along the way, and having quite the adventures,  I learned quite a bit myself, about places I had always known, been, seen….throughout MA. Very interesting little bits I didn’t know.  And having been to these places, it was all the more fun to read, and BE there. {A} had to grab it herself to read, and she enjoyed it as much.

Not only is the style of writing charming, but there are beautiful pencil sketches  scattered throughout the chapters, from cover to cover.

Nicholas-A-Massachusetts-Tale_2

When I was done, and with all of the chit-chat about the adventures of Nicholas, {S} decided he was going to read it too!  He loved telling me what was going on, in between the chapters he read over those few days. It was nice to be able to have these conversations with him about the book, having already read it myself!  When he was done….{J} decided he wasn’t letting it go back to the library before he read it too. (We’re a very competitive family.)

So basically….I guess we had a BOOK CLUB thing going on here.  Only Daddy hasn’t read it. But hey…..he’s been busy reading the Bible cover to cover…and who am I to suggest interrupting THAT. He can just check this book back out later, if he feels left out. lol.  (Because I am quite sure he won’t be done with his any time soon. That’s a bigger good book!)

So I have really just been eager to tell you about this great book, and I am glad I finally did.  It’s great for any elementary kids….maybe even some middle school kids….to read.  Especially if they are from Massachusetts….because it is loaded with history and geography. ALL good stuff. Just a great piece of children’s literature.  It’s hard to find books this great these days! (Especially when you have to read them first, yourself, to find out if they are!)  For picky me, there always seems to be parts that I deem inappropriate, unnecessary, or just a shame. Where, otherwise it would have been great. But this one is ALL good!! So I HIGHLY recommend it for your kids if they are at the right age or reading level. If not, than I highly recommend you cuddle up on the couch with your kiddos, and read it TO them! Huh, huh??  (Am I sounding pushy yet? lol)  I looked it up at Amazon, and the (reading) age level for this book is 9-12 years old. As I said before, it’s 27 chapters, and 152 pages long. And did I mention it has great illustrations?

Nicholas-A-Massachusetts-Tale_3

Once I was done reading the book, my attention/fascination turned to the author, Peter Arenstam. Wouldn’t you know…he’s a native of Massachusetts!….and lives very close to home. : )  I might go track him down very soon.  Perhaps shake his hand. Maybe catch him off guard, freak him out a little, and hug him for a very long time? The illustrator is Karen Busch Holman.  She and her pencils are very gifted. Together, they did one HECK of a job.

To our delight, there are TWO follow-ups, that we’ll be tracking down.  (ETA:) Well, one is a follow-up (Nicholas-A Maine Tale), and the other looks like the beginning of a new series (Oliver’s Travels-An Ohio Adventure) , but I do not see a Book Two to it yet. AND….there is also a whole series on 2 other mice who go on state adventures, called Mitt & Minn.  Same illustrator for those books, but a different author named Kathy-Jo Wargin. THAT series looks awesome too!  I guess we’ll let you know~

books

Maine and Ohio!  Here we come!!

(Oh gosh….I was so excited to blog about this book. I just knew I was going to blab on forever.)

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Filed Under: Elementary Homeschooling, Elementary Homeschooling READING, Homeschooling Tagged With: book review, childrens-chapter-books, elementary-homeschooling, elementary-reading-books, homeschooling, Nicholas A Massachusetts Tale

Fly Him to the Moon – Solar System Mobile

March 15, 2009 By Laura 3 Comments

rocket-12-june

…..but PLEASE bring him back.  We would miss him terribly!

jandmobile

Our boy, {J} is frequently on creative missions. In fact, more days than we could ever count, he has jumped out of bed in the morning and gone straight to the school room, to gather all of the supplies he needs.  He’s on a mission to build just “what I had an idea about when I was laying in bed last night before I went to sleep!”

On this day recently, it was a mobile of the solar system.

unlabeled

All of the planets are not there, because there wasn’t room, he said. But he can tell you what we do have here….

labeled

He also made Venus….but he threw it out because he didn’t like how it came out. He has standards. lol

He works so diligently, building and creating all kinds of things, all of the time.  He’s a very quiet worker, with a lot of stamina. It may take hours to complete whatever it is he is making.  Or days.  But he doesn’t mind. He works joyfully. He’s in it for the long haul, until the project is done, and he can take a step back, and look at it with a grand sigh of approval.   If he has to stop mid-project,  for some reason out of his control….like having to go somewhere, do some schooling, or something else….there is little else he can think of, but getting back to that project!  If we’re out somewhere, and he ‘gets an idea’, …oohhhhhh boy!   The pressure is on (us!) until we get him home!  He needs to get RIGHT to it. It’s important!

We just love his creative  imagination. His deep desires and ability to bring ideas to some form of tangible fruition.

We don’t know what it means for him in the big picture. Where he is going in life, or to do what. But it’s got to be a good thing!

We’re curious, but we don’t need to know now, really. Like all of our children…..it’s a fascinating privilege to watch him ‘get there’.

There is really nothing else we’d rather do, in the whole-wide-universe.

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Filed Under: Crafts & Creations, Elementary Homeschooling, Elementary Homeschooling SCIENCE, Homeschooling, Kids Arts and Crafts, Kids Arts and Crafts, Life In General, The Big Picture Tagged With: elementary-solar-system, elementary-solar-system-mobile, homeschooling, homeschooling-elementary, kids-arts-and-crafts

A Quiet Dr. Seuss Day Celebration

March 2, 2009 By Laura 12 Comments

We just wanted to share with you a peek into our quiet Dr. Seuss Day celebration.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

~  Dr. Seuss


dr-seuss-day-ideas_1

Earlier today, we celebrated the 105th birthday of Dr. Seuss.  It was a much quieter celebration, than our usual fanfare, because most of our kiddos (6 years old triplets) are a bit under the weather.  Low grade fevers, little coughs and headaches, and a big dose of the ‘Quiets’.  That’s just who they are today. Actually, 1/4 is recovering, 2/4 are pretty down and out by this time of the day, and 1 was out playing in the new-fallen snow.   But late this morning and early afternoon, they were up for a little quiet fun and reading. We did some Dr. Seuss – themed face painting for them, for the occasion.

triplets-kids-reading-dr-seuss-book
Dr. Seuss was a man of wise words.  One of my personal favorite quotes from him is:

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

That’s one I try to keep in the forefront of my mind, because we need to remember it frequently!  It’s so hard for us to understand why some people are the way they are.   So what to do?  Well,  another Seuss quote comes in handy as well:

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

Enough said there. lol


We’re blessed in that all 4 of our kids truly do love reading. They just love books, and always have. And we know that will take them a long, long way in life.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

The little ones are quite beyond their grade level in reading, so the Dr. Seuss books are at this point, way too simple for them.  They are reading chapter books now. But today, as we celebrate this gifted author and artist, for his great contributions to children’s literature, we honor the value of his non-sensicals, that are so cleverly woven with his words of wisdom, which even an adult can gleam advice from.   So we all enjoyed his books today, none-the-less.


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It was the perfect activity, for a day that called for quiet and rest.


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Here’s another great quote, that simply must be a Pro-Life declaration!:

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”


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They were somewhat smiley this morning, as quiet as they were. But as you know how fevers go….as they day wore on, they were feeling less and less their best.  I sure hope they feel better tomorrow. Meanwhile, we’ll keeping enjoying the quiet, and  giving cuddles.  Things could be worse!  lol

Thanks for dropping in!  See you again soon, perhaps!

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

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Filed Under: Elementary Homeschooling, Elementary Homeschooling READING, Homeschooling, The Big Picture Tagged With: Dr-Seuss-Day, Dr-Seuss-Day-ideas, elementary-books, elementary-homeschooling, elementary-reading, Green Eggs and Ham, homeschooling, homeschooling-Dr-Seuss-day, The Cat In The Hat, The Lorax, There's A Wocket In My Pocket, triplets, triplets-reading

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