Learn to Draw

Wanted to share a neat web-site my daughter and I use from time to time.  There are free drawing lessons available to you and your children! You also have several options to take classes for a fee if you wish (we have not).

Visit Drawspace to see the levels of drawing instruction provided.   I think your 7th grader and up would do very well with these lessons.

*Please pre-view the many galleries of member drawings before you let your child look through them.   Occasionally you could find something objectionable in a gallery so I encourage you to either disregard this feature or use with discretion.

Kids Chore Charts

I found a great web-site where you can create chore charts for your children for free! The neat part is you can choose different themes for each chart and total customize the chores, colors and days of the week.

http://www.dltk-cards.com/chart/

We made a Veggie Tale chart for Josh’s morning chores.

Summer is a great time to work on daily habits that need to be under control before your new school year begins!

Home-made Playdough!

Whip this up in 5 minutes and keep them happy for a whole hour!

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

a drop of food coloring

Mix all but the last ingredient in a small saucepan. Cook over a very low heat until it turns into a dough – don’t leave it, it’ll will stick to the bottom of the pan! Knead the dough until cool enough for kids to touch. Add a few drops of coloring and knead until evenly mixed.

I have the kids ‘work’ on a plastic place mat at the table.  Just add some toothpicks, little toys, dull knife and let the creativity happen!

Looking forward to Free Time this Summer!

I’m having difficulty finding time to blog along with all the other things we homeschooling mommies have to do! Homekeeping along with Homeschooling is quite the balancing act!

 I’m really excited about finishing up our school year in about a month or so (Jordan and Jesse have finished some subjects already) and having a bit more free time to tackle all my house projects on the back burner as well as return to blogging.  With the HSB upgrade right around the corner,  I’m thinking our wonderful community here will be a buzz and it sure will be fun linking up with many new like minded moms.  =)

With Art In Mind

This year I used the book “With Art In Mind” from BJU Press as my guide for art lessons with Jordan and Jesse.  This book is very well suited for mixed media art with 4 – 8th grade students. The boys completed 12 lessons (one per week during our 3rd quarter) to meet our NY state requirement for Art.  While they worked we listened to lessons from “Classics for Kids” which helped to fulfill our music requirement as well!

“With Art in Mind” is a collection of 60 lessons divided into seven categories such as “Colored Markers/Crayons”, “Tempera”, and “Cut or Torn Paper”.  We took some lessons from each category.

I explained what they were to do and often completed one of the projects ahead of time as a sample.  The book also gives 2 or 3 examples of the completed project.  I chose projects that could be completed with basic art supplies we have at our home.  I’m offering a few photos of what they accomplished:

Bubble Aquarium:

Illuminated Letter:

Chalk Animals:

Torn Figures:

Abstract Still Life;

Silhouettes:

I was surprised at how Joshua (4.5 years) became interested in doing his “art” and began to ask “Can we do Art today, mom?”.  He was proud of his pictures too!

Classical Music Web-site for Kids!

I recently found what I think is a great resource for us non-musical homeschool moms who wish we could add music appreciation to our schools painlessly!  The most popular classical pieces are explained to children at the Classics For Kids website!  Complete with lessons plans (if you want to " go there") the site is so easy to use!

Maybe you have heard these broadcasts on the radio.  If not,  you are able to listen to past broadcasts right at the site – which are brought to us in a kid-friendly tone that includes commentary and snippets of music.   I think this is wonderful to put on as "background noise" while the kids are coloring or doing lego’s.  I am using it to have Jordan and Jesse listen to as they work on art. (Killing two birds with one stone!)  Of course,  you could certainly set aside 20 minutes a week and have them focus completely on the broadcast and then play one of the games on-line or do a quick work-sheet (some are provided!)

Ideal for elementary age – if you have been looking for a music appreciation web-site you have to check this one out!  Classics for Kids

A First Corinthians Christmas

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

Richly Blessed

We are celebrating this Thanksgiving with grateful hearts for God’s gift of salvation,  matchless grace, and provision to us way beyond our needs.

Thanking our Lord
for
Family,
Friends,
Faith,
Forgiveness,
and
Freedom.

Truly,  we are richly blessed.

Hello Autumn

Here it is October already!  When did that happen?  We are moving along in our schoolwork but not without some issues.  Not everyone has a great attitude about school so the principal has stepped in to help work out some adjustments!  Homeschooling the upper grades is quite different from the younger years.  We shall persevere and the Lord will see us through! 

As I glance out the window beside me I can see beautiful color in the trees across the street.  I love this time of year,  not only for it’s beauty but because the crisp, fall air brings about welcome changes. The fresh apples are out and they are abundant here in western NY!  (I feel an apple crisp coming on….) Not too mention all the baking I’ve tried to avoid through out the summer — now I want to flick on the oven (it’s a new convection oven to boot!) and bake up some muffins, breads and roasts. 

And don’t you just love to pull out the cozy throws and snuggle up in the evening?  It has me thinking about what new book to choose for a read-a-long. I’ve already coaxed Jordan into lighting the fireplace a few times. =) 

Freebie from The Old Schoolhouse!

Just as we begin our new school year,  The Old Schoolhouse is offering a wonderful e-book to help us get off on the right foot!  And it’s FREE!

The opening article by Karen Sargent (homeschool to mom to 4 graduates and 1 still at home) was encouraging and the "special OPS" section looks especially good to me.  You can get your free download here:

 

The New School Year – Planning your Course and letting the Lord determine your Steps