Rainy Days...

Rainy days make for sleeping in, aches and pains multiplied, and cuddling on the couch with the kids and a good read-aloud!!

Halloween Happenings...

This week we are taking a break from our usual planned studies to do some fun Halloween things...  I know lots of families choose not to celebrate Halloween, but our family choice and decision is, that to us, it's a fun time for us and the kidlets..So while we don’t celebrate with spooky witches, lots of superstition, black cats crossing your path, or ghosts, etc.,  we do love dressing up in costumes and going to our friend's and families' homes for treats...

Some of the books we'll be using this week are:

1. The Halloween Grab Bag: A book of tricks and treats (all kinds of fun crafts and activities)

2. Halloween Poems by Myra Livingston

3. Crafts for Halloween by Kathy Ross    

4. We Celebrate Halloween by Bobbie Kalman (which is a great book that discusses the history of Halloween)

Plus I was able to save a copy of "The Book of Halloween" by Ruth Edna Kelley published in 1919 from Homeschool Freebie of the Day... ( a fabulous resource)... You can get a free PDF  of it from Librivox by clicking on the above link...

We'll be using a FREE Halloween lapbook that I found here.

A cool video I found here...

An interpretation of  "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe done by William Shatner that can be found here... An excellent short clip on the origins of Halloween from National Geographic found here...

 

We'll be learning about the life cycle of the pumpkin and about creatures of the night like icky spiders and bats... Eeeewwww!!! 

and some incredible Halloween facts too....

Halloween Facts 

• Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in the world-pre-dating Christ.


• Halloween in Welsh is 'Nos Calan Gaeaf.'


• Halloween is correctly spelled 'Hallowe'en.'


• When Christianity came to England and the rest of Europe, November 1 became All Saints Day--a day dedicated to all those saints who didn't have a special day of their own. They performed a mass called 'All Hallow Mass' and the night before became known as 'All Hallows E'en,' and eventually Hallowe'en and Halloween.


• When the Romans conquered England, they merged Samhain with their own festivals, a harvest festival called Poloma, and a celebration for the dead called Feralia.


• In Mexico, they celebrate El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) starting the evening of October 31.


• The very first jack-o-lanterns were made out of hollowed-out turnips.


• Growing big pumpkins is a big-time and serious hobby. Top prize money for the biggest giant pumpkin is as much as $25,000 dollars at fall festivals. The current world record for giant pumpkins is 1446 pounds (that's a lot of pumpkin pies!).


• With an estimated $1.93 billion in candy sales, Halloween is the sweetest holiday of the year (beating out Easter, Valentine's Day, and Christmas). In fact, one quarter of all the candy sold each year is purchased between September 15 and November 10. Now that's one of the sweetest Halloween facts around!

We're going to discuss the history of the Jack O'Lantern and use some resources found here...

Some great pumpkin worksheets found from worksheets 4 teachers.com here...

Family Education has a great maze (you have to register but it's free)   and a Squidoo lense with some free Halloween printables and coloring pages...

and then finish off our week using some printables on activities, spiders, and bats from Enchanted Learning...

and of course, Halloween wouldn't be complete without watching "The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and then carving pumpkins!!

Now every year when we carve our pumpkins, we talk while the kidlets do it... It is such a sweet way to remind them what we are as Christians...

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. He selects each and every one of us. We are in the world, but of his family as his children...

He then washes all the “dirt” off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the old things are washed away and all things become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the “yucky stuff” called “sin” out from the inside. He changes us through removing all the "yucky stuff". That’s why it is important to go the church and learn about God’s Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you will experience the changing power of God’s love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face just like the smile we have after accepting Jesus!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So when Jesus lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us. “Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify the Father, who is in heaven.”

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us. We can say like this jack-o-lantern, “Thy presence, my light!”

Roar, Roooooaaaaarrrrr!!! a week with "Terrific Tigers"

We just finished a week with tigers, using a new Download N’Go unit study called “TERRIFIC  TIGERS”… and what magnificent creatures they are!!



 This was the first time using a DNG unit that I decided to use only information from the internet in the links included in the unit, resources that I already owned, or videos that we were able to get online or from Netflix.  And I can’t begin to say how easy it was for me and how smooth the week went for both myself and the kidlets.

In this 5 day unit the areas of study are broken down into these areas:

Day 1: What Is a Tiger?

 Day 2: Getting to Know Tigers

Day 3: Where Are the Tigers?

Day 4: The Science of Tigers

Day 5: Cool Things About Tigers

Now each DNG unit is geared towards the K-4th grade levels, but there is so much information that only with a little tweaking (if any at all) you can easy expand that for older students (my 5th grader loved it).

We learned several things about these beautiful, graceful hunters… Especially how endangered they are… We watched lots of videos, drew our own tigers, and attempted to learn how to play Pachisi ~ which is the national game of India (home to a large number of Bengal tigers).

 As usual, the night before, I did my planning by briefly looking over the unit, and then printing out what we would need. This time, I decided to work the unit a different way… Instead of lapbooking / notebooking, I took the approach of letting the kids do some copy work and oral quizzing. They loved it ~ it made the unit one big learning game. This is just another of the many reasons I love these Download N’ Go units, because they are versatile and really be adapted to any way that someone teaches or anyway a child learns. But you can tell by this photo that DNG “TIGERS” has some great worksheets and minibook components included.

We covered extiniction, endangered animals, and discussed the animals use of speed, claws, and teeth… Our trek with the tigers led us into learning about Project Tiger, which was started in 1973, and helps protect tigers and their habitats… and how the demand for tiger bone and other tiger parts in the medicinal markets of Asia has made dead tigers worth lots of money to poachers. Geography is one of my favorite things that Amanda Bennett really makes use of in the DNG series and it is such a great way for kids to learn about a topic and where it is from and the habitat..

And did you know that a big, hungry tiger can eat about 100lbs. of meat at one sitting?  That's about 1/5 of it's total weight...which is like my 10yo son eating 40 hamburgers in one meal...(a fact that absolutely fascinated him).  Another thing that impressed the kidlets was that the tail does all the talking with tigers. An upright tail that wags slowly back and forth says, " Hi, I'm friendly"... a tail that lashes rapidly from side to side says, "I'm excited"... and a lowered tail that twitches feom side to side says, "Watch your step"!!    After we talked about these tiger behaviors, the kids tehn watched the cat all afternoon, trying to interpret her moods by watching her tail...

Since I didn’t reserve any library books this time (even thought a wonderful book list is included with the unit), I used some that I had at home…Two of these were:

An issue of Zoobooks named “Tigers”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and from the Kingfisher Knowledge series “Dangerous Creatures” .

 And we got to watch some great movies this week on Netflix and some great video clips online… We watched a documentary from Animal Planet called “Animal Face-Off : Lion vs. Tiger”… and then these 2 movies also...

                                      

Our local zoo has a great exhibit of tigers. They also have "Zooboxes" which are take home "exhibits" of items that homeschoolers can actually borrow (of course you have to leave a deposit) and they happened to have one perfect for this study called "Habitats: Realm of the Tiger" ...Here are some of the beautiful animals the Knoxville Zoo has in their tiger exhibit... 

      a beautiful white tiger (my son's favorite animal)

  and then this Indochinese beauty...

This fantastic unit can be purchased here from Download N’ Go or in the The Old Schoolhouse Store…

Now to finish our wonderful week with “TERRIFIC TIGERS”, I would like to include the address of the World Wildlife Fund where you can find out you can help these beautiful animals by supporting the work of scientists and conservationists who try to save the tiger, and by learning all you can about tigers and other endangered animals.

World Wildlife Fund

1250 24th Street NW

 P.O. Box 37180

 Washington, D.C. 20090-7180

Now for the giveaway!

DNG and TOS has graciously allowed me to offer one lucky reader a copy of "TERRIFIC TIGER"...

Here’s how to win your very own copy of the DNG's Terrific Tigers unit:

Leave a seperate comment for each entry.

Sorry but TOS/DNG affiliates including the DNG Review Team and TOS Crew are not eligible to win.

1. Let me know what is your favorite species of tiger.

2. Follow my blog and leave a comment that you did.

3. Write a blog post about my giveaway and link back and leave me a comment that you did.

4. Share my post link on Facebook and leave me a comment saying you did.

Contest ends October 31, 2010 .

***Disclaimer Statement*** We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, in exchange for writing my honest opinion about the product.

Homemade Chicken Strips ~ YUMMY!!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts cut into strips
Buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
2-3 tsp Lawry's Seasoning Salt (or other seasoning) *I also used a little Cayenne pepper
Vegetable Oil *I used vegetable and canola oil

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry chicken strips and submerge strips into buttermilk for at least 15-20 minutes. (I let them soak for an hour and a half.)

In another bowl, combine flour and Lawry's. Mix this together well. Next, add about 1/4-1/2 cup buttermilk into the mixture and stir lightly with a fork as you add it.


Remove a few of the buttermilk soaked strips and place them in the flour mixture, turning them over to coat them thoroughly. Place them on a plate. Continue coating them until all the chicken is ready to cook.

Heat oil in a skillet. When oil is ready, begin cooking strips a few at a time. Cook them for a minute and a half or so on each side. When golden and crispy, remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Some great new freebies found this week!!!

I just love finding freebies that I can use in our homeschool and that I can pass along to others... It's almost like hunting wild game, I just don't have to kill anything... *LOL*

So here's the 2 freebies I found today for you....

A great coloring book about milk and it's affect on your teeth and body...   You can grab a PDF copy here ....  

And then the weekly CurrClick freebie is fabulous... It's a unit study on the American Colonies by Dori Oakes who is a wonderful resource person to the homeschool family having homeschooled her children for years...  You can grab it here ....

Happy Learning!!!

My Little Cheerleader...

I can't say enough about the Upward Sports programs... they have something for every child...

Upward Football 2010...

DS loves sports... but we don't have the time that alot of sports require to practice... Upward sports provide the activity, uniforms, knowledge about the sport, all with a Christian aspect and bible verses... All the kids get a turn at the positions and we practice once a week, with games on Saturday... DS loves it and it's a perfect fit for our family!!!

 Playing in the rain!!

Happy Birthday to my man!!

Yes, my wonderful husband is turning 45 today...
I am so thankful to have every moment with him and thankful to God for giving him to me as my spouse, my provider, my best friend, the father of my children, and my other half...
I can't imagine life without him...

Happy Birthday ~ I love you!!  

 

Blowing out the candles on the cake made by the kidlets!!

Making frugality easy!!!

 Recently I was given the opportunity to review Molly’s Money - Saving Digest for October and being the frugalista that I am, I jumped at the chance, and I can say I was thoroughly pleased with what I saw and learned from this digest.

Molly is a long-time money saver and frugal mommy. She has great ideas and offers them up to share.

I always had thought I did pretty well at frugal living, but Molly has definitely helped me in more ways. She offers simple, completely doable ideas with links to other creative ways and frugal sites. Her suggestions and helpful tips on cooking, finances, home décor, and so much more are gonna keep me using these monthly installments for a long time.

In the October issue, Molly begins the issue with a brief discussion on Fall and things that it reminds us of in “Molly’s Minute” and then heads into some great fall recipes that are sure to save you and your family money and keep you full and satisfied. She shares her favorites along with some warm ways to use up that left over Thanksgiving food. And I can’t wait to try her slow-cooker “Texas-style Chili”.

Next she offers up advice on what is on sale this month and how to get the most bang out of your buck when shopping. And October is the time to stockup on candy for some Christmas stocking stuffers!!

The monthly holiday list is great for me as a home-schooling mom, since my kidlets love waking up to some unusual holiday that we may never have celebrated before, like October 10^th being National Angel Food Cake Day… I can count on some great fun that day with Angel Food cake as our snack.

Her tips and tools for organization are a plus this month because it is the “laundry room helper” and what mom doesn’t need help in that area? Well, Molly has it covered with some great ideas for stain removal and a fantastic checklist. And for those of us who don’t already make laundry detergent, she has included some great recipes to try that will really save money in the laundry room. “The Kid’s Corner” features some great laundry inspired activities that can be used not only to save you time, but also instill laundry knowledge in your kids. I mean, what mom doesn’t want or need help with the laundry?

I am always looking for crafty ideas to use when decorating or have gift giving coming up, and I love doing it economically. Molly has a great idea this month for wall art that I am going to be using not only for my home, but as Christmas gifts this year for several on my list using inexpensive canvas’ from Big Lots and road maps.

“In the Kitchen with Molly” has some great menu ideas and comfort food for the cooler fall weather, as well as, more money saving ways to use up those great left-overs.

But my favorite sections has to be the “Something Old - Something New” section. In the October edition, Molly shares how to make a dress out of two shirts and a spare belt. I can’t wait to try this for my daughter who is the budding fashionista.

Molly’s Money - Saving digest has something something for everyone and for those who are finding it difficult in the economy well worth checking into. Her frugal tips and great ideas are definitely helpful in saving my family and others time and money. In reviewing this for The Old Schoolhouse, I have found that I not only need to subscribe to Molly, but I can definitely find more ways to save just by doing so and the savings are definitely worth the small subscription price. Making saving simple - what more could I want?

Jiu-Jitsu ~ good for ya'

My kids have been taking karate for the last several years and loved it... their instructor decided to branch off  more in to the jiu-Jitsu area and recently has became an all jiu-jitsu training facility... well, it has definitely became the sports love of both of my kidlets...

They have been to several tournaments and recently we had another one with a belt promotion at the school... They both placed 3rd in their divisions and my hubby and I both as thrilled as they were... even though I still have trouble watching at times (fear of pain) it is wonderful to see them compete at something they love and something that is not only good physically, but has so many other benefits the main one being "SELF DEFENSE"... In jiu-jitsu, it's referred to as being the graceful art, because size doesn't matter ~ technique is key!!

You can find out more about the Gracie method of  Brazilian Jiu-jitsu here...  

      Libby in action...

 Tommy making the moves...

 She worked hard for her trophy!!

 DS and some of his friends...