August Fields

first day of homeschool 2011!

deanie is 10 1/2

dancy is 8 1/2

boone is almost 7

hank is almost 5

homeschoolers are so ummm….different.  *smile*

the night before i set the school table

each of the four big kids (the ones actually doing school) got a package of fun pull apart erasers and smarties.

of course dubs got a pack of smarties too 🙂  the kids had so much fun going into the schoolroom in the morning and finding the surprises.

english was the first subject we tackled for the day.

this is my area in the schoolroom.  i found this desk over the summer and painted it gray.  i love having my own spot.  and yes indeed, we had to pull out the teacher’s manual for math on the first day! 🙂

a couple other new things this year are the big white board and the stick on world map, both from the office supply store.

boone was so excited when he completed his first real english lesson!

one of the many joys of homeschooling right here people!  opa came over to bring lunch and stopped in the schoolroom to check out all the work that had been done. 🙂

volcanoes: homeschool style

a couple of weeks ago, i mustered up the enthusiasm for a little science experiment. 

i used the volcano kit from usborne books.  since science isn’t my forte, i have no problem purchasing kits to make it more enjoyable for me. 🙂

we looked up several various websites listed in the book for additional reading and information about volcanoes.

we mixed the baking soda, vinegar, dish soap and waited…..

the anticipation!

the funny thing is…..it took a LONG time for anything to happen.  and it was, well…not super exciting.  kind of like fizz bubbling over.  i think the ranch dressing bottle we used was too big.
next time we’ll use a little jar and a LOT of vinegar/baking soda mix!
the kids want to do it again though. 🙂

my white slipcovers for the couch and loveseat

i love love getting email!  i receive questions, compliments, suggestions….i love it all!
one of the most common questions is regarding the white slipcovers on our sofas.
sofa set #1
this is the loveseat from the set.

when we moved we brought our red floral couches with us.  
they are really pretty they just don’t
really go with the look i am going for in this house. 
so rather than spend a fortune on reupholstery,
i opted to try slipcovers.
(the picture below is from our previous home)

the loose, white slipcovers are from wal-mart.  you heard it hear first.  wal.  to the mart.  
 they are the classic sofa slipcover.  if the link doesn’t work in the future,
hopefully you can just search that name.  
they do have a subtle stripe through them (white) and don’t
fit my couches as tightly as the picture online…but they do the job.  
and for the price point and one cent shipping it was worth it.
so if you see LOOSE white slip covers in my posts they’re the wal-mart ones 🙂
sofa set #2
if you see TIGHT slip covered couches in my posts…these are from ikea.
 yes, they get dirty.  yes, you need to wash them. 🙂
the loose covers are easy to pull off and throw in my washing machine.
so far with the tight, ikea covers we have just spot cleaned them.  eventually,
this white set may move to the downstairs family room to fulfill a “beachy” look.
at that point we will put some pieces that are a darker shade with more texture,
but until then i love these up here! 
i don’t mind a little smudge here and there, but that’s just me 🙂 

the school room. school is now in session!

welcome to our school room!  
tomorrow is the big day.  and we. are. excited!!
we have homeschooled our children from the very beginning.
so we’re going on 5-6 years.  if you want to count my over ambitious
preschool with our first child! 🙂 🙂
i have no greater joy 
than to hear that my children are
walking in the TRUTH!  3 john: 4
these are the words we wrote on the doorpost of the schoolroom
during the building phase.
in our previous home our schoolroom was set up in the basement
with very little natural light.  one of the top elements in this
schoolroom was to have LOTS of natural light.
the reading nook.  boone is forever sneaking away to this
couch to read!  the wall shelf just has some favorites in it right now,
but i will be rotating either seasonal or topical books.
awww…remember the pillow from so long ago 🙂
little dubs is happy as a clam for about 10 minutes in his playpen.
this is his spot when i am reading aloud to all the kids.
typically Bible, history and/or a storybook.
the artwork display wire is from ikea.  i think we typically
have 8 to 10 new pieces of artwork daily.  they don’t
all make it to display *smile*.
another fabulous ikea purchase.  a large clock!  great for teaching time
and great for checking what time it is on your own.
the sink with bowls for water when painting.
some schoolroom necessities (at least for us!).  a copy machine/printer and a laminator.
on the other end of the counter i have a jar of sand with a bible verse and a water fountain.
i really like a lot of the montessori concepts, especially the setup of their schoolrooms.
so i included a live plant and this water fountain.  unfortunately, this particular
fountain will not be here for long.  i bought it at target for pretty cheap,
and well, it is cheap.  i can’t even hear the water over the motor.  boo.
newer, nicer water fountain is on the list! 🙂
ahhhh….lamplighter books.  they are so beautiful.  inside and out!
the stories are purposeful and the covering is gorgeous.
Bible books!
each child has a crate where their particular books are kept.  
this is deanie’s 🙂  she is starting fourth grade.
i’m looking forward to the journals.  i don’t proof these.  they are for 
expressing thoughts and learning to put them on paper.  
here is one from deanie 🙂
this is her schedule.  i fill one week out at a time for each child.
usually on sunday evenings.
our bible time basket.  it is the first thing we do each day.
we spread out the sheet and i read a bible lesson aloud while 
the children color or play with something quietly.
we pray and sing.
peek a boo.  this door remains open a majority of the time and peeks right into the kitchen.
i ALWAYS know what is going on in the schoolroom! 🙂
and now…at this point little dubs has had it.  all soft toys and books have successfully been
thrown out of his playpen.