Frog Life Cycle - Montessori-inspired Unit Study

As we wrap up our first unofficial year of homeschool, I am pleased that I feel like I have found a good path for the divas and I to follow.  Our approach has turned a little more eclectic recently.  I still like the blend of Montessori and Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschooling that I had decided upon previously.  But, I'm also adding Unit Studies to our resources.

Our first official unit study is on frogs.  I am trying a few out at as we wrap up this school year, so that we can have a strong start in the Fall. The older diva will be starting Kindergarten and she is very excited about it, so I don't want to let her down! :)

If you follow me on Pinterest, you will see that I have been pinning a lot of Unit Study resources, including resources for frogs, lately.  The divas especially enjoyed browsing YouTube with me this morning and watching some videos to learn frog facts.  The older diva got a big kick out of watching the frogs puff themselves up with air when they croaked in one of the videos.

We kicked off our unit study by assembling a life cycle for a frog - eggs (spawn), tadpole, froglet, and frog.  I do not have a picture of it because I haven't gotten around to displaying it yet (oops!).  But, here are some of the other activities we are working on this week.

Props for the song "5 Green and Speckled Frogs"

Feed the Frog - Math game

Fine motor - could use pom poms and tongs instead

Eggs in the Pond

The frog math game has been a favorite.  The divas really enjoy scooping the number of "fly" pom poms, that correspond to the number on the die, into the frog's mouth. 

One of my sweet friends offered to let us come explore the pond in her backyard to see if we can find some tadpoles.  I'm hoping we can bring some home for observation!  In preparation for the hunt, I created a "frog egg" simulation activity for the divas.  Who knew that Chia seeds soaked in water would look like a frog egg?!?!  Ok, well, I suspected that would be the case, which is why I tried it. Thankfully, it was a pretty successful activity!  Check out the photos below of the divas exploring the "frog eggs" and getting to be hands-on without harming nature.

1 Tbsp Chia seeds soaking in 1/4 C water

Pretty realistic!

Both of the divas said, "Ewww!" 

Scooping "frog eggs" for individual exploration

This unit study has been great fun so far and I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of it with the divas!  I hope you have enjoyed this walk through our fun, too!

Be blessed!

Gourd Festival and Our New Birdhouse

Grandma came over this morning and joined us for a field trip to the Gourd Festival at the local Shriner's hall.  It was her suggestion, so I'm glad she joined us!  I have to confess, I wasn't so sure about a building full of gourds when we first made the plans.  But, I am so happy that we went!

Who knew the gourd was so versatile?  There were baskets, decorations, jewelry, and so much more.  We really enjoyed exploring the different sizes, shapes, and textures, as well.  It was amazing!  The gourd that the divas chose was about the size of a small soccer ball and was hollowed out to function as a birdhouse.  It was plain, so we decided to bring it home and paint it; inspired by some of the beautifully painted ones that were displayed for sale.

My original plan was to purchase some acrylic paints, but the older diiva was so excited to paint it that she got out the watercolors and went straight to work on it when we got home.  I decided that I will buy some acrylic clear coat instead and seal it so that the weather does not ruin it.  When the older diva was done, the younger diva added her personal touch.  

Here is the end result. :)

I love the natural feel of the water colors and how the divas seemed to intuitively choose earth tones when they were painting it.

What a fun way to spend this overcast, dreary morning!

We purchased our gourd from a lovely husband and wife team who own Front Porch Gourds, LLC. If you are interested in purchasing from them, check out their Etsy shop!

Blessings!

Writing station

The older diva has taken a strong interest in letters and writing lately, so today I created a writing station for her.  She has been sitting at it, working quietly (well, as quietly as one can work when they are whistling while they work) for about 20 minutes now with no signs of losing interest.  So, I would say it's a hit!

With little room to create new spaces, I usually end up swapping out one station for another.  This time, I swapped out the art station.  The divas tend to drag all of their art supplies to the dining room table anyway, so I decided it wasn't worth a dedicated space for those materials.  Now, to figure out where to house the art supplies.  Ha!

The writing station is simple.  I used a free-standing file organizer that was a thrift store find for most of the materials, which left most of the table free to use as actual work space.

The items in the file organizer are:

- Alphabet tracing mats (I have dry erase crayons in a flower pot for use with these)

- Manuscript writing paper

- Alphabet stencils

- My Little Numbers booklet (great little freebie on TPT!)

- Envelopes

- Index cards

- Foil stickers that look like stamps

I also added this cute little Hello Kitty mailbox that I got for less than a dollar on clearance in the Target dollar section.

Next up on the blog this week will be the sink station I created for the younger diva.  Both girls are really enjoying that one! 

Blessings!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and our coconut tree!

Wow!  It’s been a while since I’ve blogged anything.  Life has definitely been crazy around here.  The mancubs and divas do a fantastic job of keeping me on my toes! J

Today, I’m going to share one of the literacy activities we have going on in the house.  I am a huge fan of the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book.  Don’t believe me?  Check out my Pinterest boards and you will see that I have one dedicated to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom alphabet activities!  If you are not familiar with it, I highly recommend you check the book out.  It’s a fun way to work on letter recognition and learning the alphabet.  I will share below some ways that we are using the book and the extension activities that we have created (recently and in the past) to use it as a multi-faceted learning tool.

A few years ago, we had a sweet little coconut tree in our playroom that I had crafted out of construction paper.  When we moved, I threw it away and have missed it ever since. So, last week, I decided it was time to craft a new one.  Our original Chicka Chicka Boom Boom coconut tree was much smaller than the new version, so I actually like the new one better.

 

I drew the trunk freehand by laying three pieces of brown construction paper end to end (portrait layout).  I used this pattern to trace the palm leaves.  I drew the coconuts freehand, as well.  Easy peasy!

I found the awesome alphabet letters that we added at Dollar Tree.  They are wall decals, so they can be stuck and re-stuck however the divas decide to arrange them.  I love that it gives the tree an interactive element.  The current arrangement of the letters is the older diva’s handiwork.  She really enjoyed the activity and wanted to do it again as soon as we were done going through the alphabet!

So, here are some of the ways that we use the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book and tree:

> Letter recognition (asking the divas to point to or name a letter)

> Rote memorization (singing the Alphabet Song, using the alphabet in the back cover of the book or by pointing to each letter on the tree as we sing)

> Letter sounds (point to letter and say the sound it makes; say a sound and point to the letter that makes the sound)

> Color recognition (what color is the letter…  This would work better with the tree if the letters were a better variety of colors)

> Read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom sitting next to the tree and point to each letter as it is read in the book.

The possibilities are endless and the above is just a sampling of ways that we have used the tree so far.  I’m sure we will come up with more fun activities as we progress with learning our letters.

Don’t have a copy of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom?  Get one here!  Or, do like I did and check thrift stores.  I scored our copy at Goodwill for a whopping 59 cents!

Enjoy!

Our First Field Trip!

I love when things just come together and work out perfectly!  A sweet friend of mine invited us to join her and her [homeschooled] daughter at our local zoo this week.  We let our membership lapse and I've been too cheap  frugal to renew it since we would not get a full year's use out of it.  So, I happily made plans and today was the big day.

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the flexibility.  I switched our lesson plans for this week and am doing Z is for Zoo.  Then, I decided to officially tag the trip to the zoo today as our first official homeschool field trip. :)

I have been using this fantastic and FREE preschool curriculum called God's Little Explorers*, so "Z is for Zoo" is Week 4 if you follow the link and look for it.  Her plans are great and I find there is little that I tend to add to supplement.  She does have a link at the top of the page where you can purchase a more in-depth version of the curriculum for a very budget-friendly price.  But, I have found that the free version suits our needs just fine for now.

*Disclaimer:  I am not following the curriculum in chronological order by week numbers.  I am picking and choosing based on other factors.  It works well since there is no carry-over week over week.  There's that flexibility factor, again.

In preparation for the zoo trip, we did some letter work this morning and made zebra's out of the outline of letter Z.  The younger diva required a little more assistance with the activity, but the older diva completed almost all of it on her own.

The older diva cut her own paper strips and glued them down while I was helping the younger diva.

 The younger diva had a lot of fun gluing down her zebra stripes and googly eyes.

They were both pleased with their finished products!

At the zoo, we participated in the Wildlife Detective Training Academy and the clues this month were all about zebras!  The divas had a blast going around with their friend, figuring out the clues.  Since the older diva is not yet writing, I wrote the answers to the clues and then had her copy the beginning letter sound of the word next to the box.  Even the younger diva wanted in on that activity, so our answer sheet had some amazing scribble marks on it that were her "letters", too! :)

We did encounter some students from area elementary schools who were on field trips, as well, and they all had on school t-shirts.  That gave me the brilliant idea of making our own field trip t-shirts for the divas.  I will have to blog about it once I settle on a design.

Be blessed, y'all!

Why Cleaning Is Part of Our School Day

Yep, you read that correctly.  Cleaning is part of our school day.  Go ahead, take a moment and let that soak in before you read more!

In subscribing to a Montessori-inspired approach to not just schooling but home life, as well, cleaning is an obvious component of Practical Life skills.  It actually seems too obvious.  But, putting it into motion wasn’t nearly as easy as embracing the concept was – at least not for this momma.  Let’s face it, life with 4 kiddos is mostly [dis]organized chaos peppered with a few peaceful reprieves.  I jokingly confided in the older mancub the other day that I sometimes feel like the human version of saltwater taffy when all 4 of them are clamoring for my attention.  His oh-so-loving response was to chant, “Mom, Mom, Mom,” for the next 60 seconds.  He’s lucky I love him. ;)  So, I often kick into “survival mode” and do the tasks myself to get it checked off the never-ending To Do list that loves to haunt my waking hours.

Enter my New Year’s Resolutions.  At the top of the list?  Engage the kiddos in more household tasks, of course!  I spent the first full week of the New Year organizing and deep cleaning the house.  How else could I justify pinning all of those lovely home organization pins on Pinterest? Then, I formed my plan of action. 

Toys:  True to Montessori method, we now clean up each activity as we complete it.  It was bad form on my part for allowing slack in this area previously.  It teaches proper care of toys and orderliness.  It also cuts down on the number of toys that go missing.  I was amazed at how quickly the divas embraced our new system.  I thought for sure I would meet more resistance, but they seem to intuitively understand and appreciate the need for orderliness.  Whew! 

Kitchen:  With the addition of our Montessori-inspiredsnack station, all 4 kiddos have become more independent with snacks and breakfast/lunch.  I have been working with the divas on setting and clearing the table and will introduce dish washing this coming week.  The older mancub is responsible for unloading the dishwasher.  The younger mancub is on garbage and recycling duty.  I have also enlisted the older mancub’s help with dinner once a week, on average.  I love that he loves to cook! :)

Household cleaning:  I have followed this cleaning schedule for a while now and like the simplicity, as well as the way it breaks the chores up over the week.  Like the toys, though, this is an area where I have been inconsistent about engaging the kiddos.  One of my reasons for slacking was the fact that I did not want them exposed to the cleaning chemicals.  Another nod to Pinterest; I was inspired by all of the DIY cleaning products that have been filling my news feed.  I found this great link for recipes for cleaning products and she includes an awesome (and FREE!) printable for labels.  I followed her advice and affixed the labels to the bottles using packing tape and it worked perfectly! 

Here is my version.

Now, I can incorporate more lessons on cleaning without worrying about the products I am putting into the divas’ hands.  Yay!  Plus, what kid doesn't love a spray bottle?!  So, I’m pretty sure they will be content to spray and wipe to their hearts’ content. ;)

Momma feels less like saltwater taffy and the kiddos gain valuable practical life skills that they will {hopefully} carry with them into adulthood.  Now, to go tackle that mountain of laundry in the garage…

Nature is a Great Teacher

We are on the tail end of our Winter Break, so I took the mancubs and divas to a local nature boardwalk over the weekend.  Because, where else except Florida can you take a nature hike in shorts during Winter Break? :)

We had a great afternoon, although the kiddos (ok, and Momma, too) were all disappointed that the nature center was closed.  So, we will be taking a trip back soon to explore the nature center.  The younger mancub did make sure that I didn't leave until we had one copy of every informational brochure they had on the stand outside the nature center, though. lol

We saw some really cool things during our hike along the boardwalk.  God's creation is always amazing - the way it displays itself, the evidence of surviving damage, the harmony of working together.  There is beauty in all of it and I love teaching our kiddos to appreciate it.

Here are some of the neat things we saw:

I love the learning opportunities that nature so readily presents, as well.  As we were walking, we noticed a teeny tiny caterpillar descending on a silk thread from the tree canopy to the boardwalk below.  Once it made it to the ground below, the perfect opportunity to discuss camouflage in nature presented itself. 

I should probably brush up on my knowledge of caterpillars since finding baby caterpillars seems to be our thing. We didn't touch this one because I couldn't identify it and I didn't want to risk getting stung.

The younger mancub and older diva both enjoyed getting to touch some lichen that was growing on a lot of the trees.

Red blanket lichen

We also got to hear a variety of birds and saw a ton of spiders.  I tried to get a photo of one particularly colorful spider, but it started jumping towards me when I got too close to the web.  I guess he was camera shy. ;)

It was an awesome day and I'm glad we were able to get out for a quick "field trip" with the mancubs before they go back to school.

God bless!

Self-directed Learning Through Play

I just finished reading this fantastic post by another blogger and wanted to quickly share my thoughts about this topic.

When I first began this homeschooling journey, I had grand plans for following a daily schedule, doing circle time, and producing tangible proof of what the older diva would be learning this school year.  Enter perfectionism.  I spent hours (I mean, seriously - HOURS) finding or making the perfect printables to create the perfect Circle Time chart.  I spent yet more time finding a scope and sequence/curriculum that I liked and thought would work well for us as we began our journey.

It lasted about a week.  Ha!

I decided I was simply taking the wrong approach.  Enter Montessori and Montessori-inspired activities.  The heavy focus on independence and practical life skills at the 3-6 age range was attractive to me.  What mom doesn't want to have independent children who will grow into capable adults?  So, I spent yet more hours integrating Montessori and Montessori-inspired activities into our daily life and onto our school shelves.

The older diva barely touches them.  *sigh*

[Sidebar]: The only saving grace is that the younger diva loves the Montessori activities, so the effort was not completely wasted.  I had planned on waiting until she was 3 to start schooling with her.  But, the beauty of the Montessori activities is that I can teach them to her once or twice and then she is capable of executing the activities independently until she either masters the skill or tires of the activity.

Back I went to the internet to find what was going to work.  I have finally settled on a Charlotte Mason/Montessori blend.  But, more importantly, I have decided to take the pressure off both myself and the older diva with regards to what/how she is learning.  Spend 5 minutes with her and anyone quickly figures out that she is smart, observant, funny, inquisitive, kind, (and on and on...) and independent.

Which brings me to the whole point of this post.  Everywhere I turn, there are learning opportunities.  The older diva is definitely interested in learning.  But, what her indifference towards my grand attempts at initiating homeschooling has shown me is that she will let me know what she wants to learn and when she wants to learn it.  Therein lies the beauty of self-directed learning through play.  All I have to do is provide the opportunities and the exposure (and the support materials to encourage learning) and she will let me know what she wants to learn.

I have to admit, it has been slightly disconcerting to embrace this approach completely.  I sometimes fall into the trap of believing that she should know XYZ and she is somehow going to be behind if she doesn't yet.  But, then I remind myself of all of those amazing qualities that she possesses that I listed above and I relax again.

Without a doubt, this teacher often becomes the student and my kiddos each have taught me invaluable lessons in life.

Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

It's exams week for the older mancub, so I have been pushing breakfast even more than usual every morning this week.  Clearly, I have spoiled him because cereal is not acceptable and a hot breakfast is a must have.  So, this morning I made Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal pancakes - better known as the BEST PANCAKES EVER!!  Seriously.  These pancakes are fluffy, but dense at the same time.  I'm not even sure how that is possible.  Don't believe me?  Try them for yourself!  The lousy cell phone picture doesn't do them justice, but if I'm going to keep it real on this blog I can't whip out my camera and have a food photo shoot every time something turns out well.  Maybe someday - like 18 years from now when all of the mancubs and divas are grown and trying not to mess up rearing kids of their own. ;)

Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

1 C quick oats
1 C all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 C milk
1 ripe banana, mashed
Organic coconut oil (for cooking)

Measure the quick oats into a mixing bowl.  Combine the next four ingredients in a sifter and sift into the mixing bowl with the quick oats.  Add the wheat germ, egg, and milk and blend well (I use a fork or a whisk to blend to minimize lumps in the batter).  Fold in the banana.

You can use cooking spray in place of the coconut oil, but I prefer coconut oil.  Cook over medium heat.  Flip one time, once the tops of the pancakes form bubbles (about 2 minutes), and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Serve with butter (optional) and syrup.

Enjoy!

Our Montessori-Inspired Snack Station

The Montessori method has long been a draw for me and not just because I was a Montessori kid myself.  I love the heavy focus on practical life skills and independence in the 3-6 age range that is at the heart of Montessori.  So, I have been busy rearranging aspects of our routine to help foster those skills and independence.  One of the changes that I have just recently made is a snack station.

First, I have to share how excited I am about the piece of furniture that I used to make the station.  I found it at Goodwill for a mere $7!!  It is solid wood and a few coats of paint made it look like a totally different piece!  

My set up for the station from the top shelf down is as follows:

Top shelf - picture tent cards of refrigerated snack options.

Second shelf - One basket with non-perishable snack options.  These will include granola bars, fig bars, rice cakes, crackers (variety), pretzels, etc.  I will limit it to 2 different choices per week and rotate through them to provide a good variety throughout the month.  The other basket has prep utensils in it - kid-friendly butter knives, an apple corer/slicer, and other utensils as I acquire them.

Staging area - The small wooden bowl is a fruit bowl (bananas, apples, oranges).  The red square is a cutting mat (my small wooden cutting board is packed away somewhere, so this will have to do for now. ha!), Cups for drinking water and a pitcher.

I hung a small dowel using thumbtacks to make the towel rod.  I thought it turned out pretty cute. :)

Third shelf - This shelf has paper plates (yes, I know plastic or disposable is not Montessori, hence the word "inspired" attached to it in the post title :) ), a basket with napkins and I will add another basket with utensils for eating.

Bottom shelf - I added a place mat that shows the proper table setting after I took this picture.  But, the real addition to that shelf is coming at Christmas.  Check back to see what will be coming for the younger diva! 

Slow down or you might miss something!

Ahhh, Christmas!  It is one of my favorite times of the year!  The only thing I don't like is the rush and bustle of the crowds.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping online this year just to avoid the crowds.  Yeah, I know - BAH-HUMBUG!

In an effort to slow time down, the divas and I went for a walk yesterday morning.  Our mission was simple:  get some fresh air and find some twigs to use for our playdough snowmen we were going to make.  As we wandered down the sidewalk, a small glint of green spinning in the breeze in mid-air caught my eye.  Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was a tiny inchworm dropping from the tree above on its way to the ground below.  So. Cute.

The divas were immediately drawn to it and spent several minutes staring at it in fascination as it wriggled and squirmed on the sidewalk.  After our walk was complete, the divas came back to the spot where we found the inchworm and begged to bring it home.  We have been working on habitats lately, so it seemed appropriate.

So, we now have a new "class" pet!  Meet Squishy and check out his new habitat that the divas helped me assemble. :)

It's moments like these that remind me of how blessed I am to be home with my kids and to be schooling the divas.  In a world where everything is so rushed and hurried, I can hit the pause button and something as small and seemingly insignificant as an inchworm can hold our fascination.

So, in this crazy busy time of year, I encourage each of you to slow down and look around or you just might miss something!

Love and Peace. XO

Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and the holiday season will be in full swing.

Traditionally, we have focused on the history of the holiday and enjoyed the time with extended family, reflecting on the blessings in our lives.  One thing that has been lacking, though, has been some act of service to others.  I have entertained the idea of serving as a family at a soup kitchen, but soup kitchens seem to be flooded with volunteers around the holidays.

The perfect opportunity presented itself when a friend tagged me in a post on Facebook about a local group calling themselves the Basket Brigade.  The group is making up laundry baskets filled with items to provide a family in need with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Along with donating some items to fill the baskets, we are also delivering two of the baskets.  I'm super excited about this, y'all!

Here is a sample of a basket:

I love, love, LOVE the idea of using a laundry basket instead of a decorative basket because it provides the family with something functional and lasting, beyond the meal it contains.

This is definitely an effort that I will continue with the mancubs and divas in the years to come.  What would be even more awesome is if they choose to continue this tradition with their own families some day.

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Matthew 7:20

Happy Thanksgiving!

Granola Bars

A while ago I decided that I was tired of spending a ton of money on granola bars that were loaded with ingredients that I didn't want my kids eating.  Sugar was the main deterrent for me, but I've been trying to cut out preservatives and artificial anything, as well.

After trying a few different recipes, I finally found one that I liked with minimal tweaking on ingredients.  I love the versatility of the recipe because I have added different ingredients so it's not always the same, boring granola bar.  The result is delicious!!

Some variations we have tried and loved include:

1/2 C crunchy peanut butter (this makes a denser granola bar)
1/2 C Chocolate chip/peanut butter chip mix
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/2 C raisins

You can view the original recipe here: (Note - I omit the sliced almonds and use quick oats.  If you don't have wheat germ on-hand, you can substitute an additional 1/2 C of quick oats - or use the suggestion at the bottom of the recipe to grind 1/2 C of quick oats.)

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup of semi- or bitter-sweet chips or chunks (about 3 ounces)
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-square-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. For bars’ easy removal, line pan bottom up the two sides with a 9- by 18-inch strip of heavy-duty foil. Grease foil with vegetable cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Turn into prepared pan and pat down until firmly packed. Bake until golden brown about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature and put pan in freezer.

When firm, use foil handles to remove bars from pan. Remove foil and use a long, sharp knife to cut bar into 16 1- by 4-inch bars. Can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week or frozen.

Introducing Money

The older diva has been showing a lot of interest in money recently.  She and her sister both love to put coins in the Children's Miracle Network donation tub at the store.  I suspect it is more about getting to watch the coins spin around and around before making their final drop, but we do talk about how the coins are used to help sick babies. 

Since I have been working to re-focus our school activities, I decided to use the interest to my advantage and created a sorting work using coins for the shelf.  I labeled four different containers with penny, nickel, dime, and quarter and have another container filled with coins.  

I sat down with the older diva this morning and showed her the work.  She loved it!  

For now, we will work on coin identification.  Once she master that, we will work on value. I was pleased with how much she seemed to enjoy this activity.  Upon completion, she turned to me and proudly exclaimed, "I did it!"

Ahhh, happy momma!

p.s.  Please forgive the grainy cell phone pictures in my recent posts.  I need to find the cord for my camera.  I know it's somewhere in this mess of boxes... 

Turning Mountains into Mole Hills

Happy Monday!  Today is kind of a big deal in our house - at least in the eyes of the older diva.  She is going to spend the night with Grandma tonight!  She is very excited and has asked me every day since Thursday if today is the day she gets to have a PJ party with Grandma.  Today, I finally got to say yes!

Ever on the lookout for a teachable moment, I explained to her how she would need to pack an overnight bag to take with her and what she would need to put in it.  She promptly emptied most of the contents of her dresser onto the couch...

p.s.  Yes, there are even some items that were hanging in her closet in that pile.  Oy!

After about 20 minutes of negotiation, which included her very tearful insistence that she DID need to take all of her clothes to spend one night at Grandma's house, we finally were able to decide on a pair of jammies, 2 dresses (a girl needs choices, right?!), and a stuffie that would accompany her.

I see this as a win-win.  I had a successful teaching moment and she got to learn a new life skill.  Well, make that a win-win-win since Grandma doesn't have to rent a small moving truck to pick up her little diva this afternoon!

Be blessed!

Intentional Parenting

We have a brand new teenager (as of last month) and a tween (10 this week) in the house, plus a four year old and two year old.  I have to confess - most days I am in survival mode.  Housework, meals, communicating with teachers, homeschool for the divas, and whatever each day decides to throw at me leaves little room for intentional parenting.  But, God has laid it on my heart recently, so I am working on getting back to being an intentional parent.

In my quest to return to intentional parenting, I found this great list at theintentionallife.com:


Here are the nine habits of an intentional parent:

1.  I will not do for my child what he needs to do for himself—when I do, I disrespect him. 
2. I will not overreact—when I do, my child has won. 
3. I will not rescue my child from life lessons he needs to learn—when I do, I weaken him. 
4. I will not treat my teenager like a child—when I do, I create resentment. I will not be dissuaded from doing right, despite anger, tears, cursing or threats—when I do, I am an irresponsible parent. 
5. I will use my Heart—when they are hurting, confused, searching or frustrated. 
    I will use my Head—when they have questions, need guidance or want answers.
    I will use my Hand (take action)—when they are disrespectful, disobedient or lazy. 
6. I will pick my parenting battles carefully—because it’s more important to be the right parent than to be right. 
7. I will give lots of encouragement—because it will help my child to succeed.
8. I will provide training, instruction and support as needed—because that’s my job.
9. I will pray daily for my children—because my children belong to God.

 * See more at: http://www.theintentionallife.com/nine-habits-of-an-intentional-parent/#sthash.rUl1eQRb.dpuf *

Seems easy, doesn't it?  But, how many of us rush to do for our children to save time?  Do we give them enough encouragement?  Most importantly, do we honestly and authentically pray over our children daily?  Beyond, "Lord, keep them safe/healthy" or "Lord, give me the patience..."?

As I am working through the newness of teenager years, I am trying to remember not to violate #4 by implementing #3.  As I meditate on this list, my prayer is simple - "God, help me to remember all of these ways that I need to be intentional about my parenting.  Guide me and show me which ones are the most important with each of my 4 children right now.  But, Lord, remind me that I am only human and am doing my best when the busyness of the day gets in the way and I slip from being an intentional parent to just going through the motions.  Bring me gently back to where You need me to be and how You need me to guide these beautiful, smart, funny, incredible souls whom You have blessed me with and charged me with their loving care as their mom."

Amen?

Have a blessed day!

Back to blogging!

At the beginning of this school year, we decided that I would homeschool the divas.  So, I'm reviving my blog to document their work and hopefully share some ideas and activities and resources with other homeschooling families.  I am very much in the learn as I go phase of homeschooling, but I am confident that I feel like a veteran homeschooling mom in no time. :)

Happy reading!

Time to Get Organized

I've never been a big fan of Spring cleaning.  I usually just attack things when I feel inspired.  Apparently, I am feeling the urge to purge and declutter early this year.  Barely 2 weeks into the new year and I am already tackling this little gem that I have pinned to my or·gan·ized board on Pinterest.

My husband doesn't think I can find 400 things to get rid of in our house.  I told him I accept the challenge. Heh

One thing that is really difficult for me is managing paper clutter.  I'm not talking about just junk mail or newspapers and magazines.  Even my scrapbooking paper and construction paper tends to spread out like a vine sometimes.  So, I came up with a clever way to store construction paper that makes it easy for the kiddos to access and keeps it neatly contained for me.  I'm sure I'm not the first person to have this idea, but I thought of it on my own so I'm posting like it's an original idea.  Humor me, please. :)

I had an accordian file box lying around, leftover from my days of working as a sales rep.  I even had extra labels, which made this quick project a no-brainer.

I labeled the tabs with individual colors, then filed the construction paper away.  I really like this because I can easily see when I run out of a particular color.  Pink seems to be popular with the older diva right now, so I stock up extra on that color.

A quick 10-minute project and another item organized!

I'm not the only one who organizes their colors according to Roy G Biv, right?

Now, on to the next organizational project.  If I can just find that print out for the 40 days of decluttering....

Winning the chore war!

Here is my final entry for craft sticks for the week.  I am posting this in lieu of my Friday Favorites, as I simply ran out of time to post the last few days.

In a house with 6 family members, household chores are always a challenge to keep up with and are seemingly never done.  Laundry alone could be a full time job with two divas under the age of 3 - not to mention two mancubs who love to get dirty, plus mom and dad. 

We are all about each person doing their part to "help the family go", so each person is assigned chores as they are old enough to carry them out on their own.  Even our 2 year old knows the clean up song and helps put toys away in the playroom.

I wanted an easy way to organize and assign chores each day, so I went to the internet in search of ideas.  I found a great wooden chore block tutorial and enlisted my dad in helping me build one of my own.  I'm not afraid of power tools.  It's just that woodworking is his thing. :)

Here is what the body looked like before I painted it.

I painted the block white, but only used one coat of paint because I didn't want it to be blindingly white.  Is it weird that I like to paint with foam brushes?

 

While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I printed up a sign for the block with the word CHORES on it and a scripture reference.  I've started a new habit lately of putting a scripture reference to just about everything around the house, so the kids will see that by being faithful in the every day things, we are also being faithful and obedient to God.  The kids really seem to appreciate it and a few really awesome conversations have come about because of it.

 





If you read my Prayer pot post, you learned that I have an abundance of decorative clay pots.  Another one got put to good use for this project, too.

Once the paint was dry, I glued the sign onto the section of the block where the clay pot sits.

On each section to the left of the chores sign, I personalized it with the kids' names (not shown below).  For now, the youngest diva doesn't have any chores - although, she is really good at making messes for the rest of us to clean up!

 

Each day, I place each child's assigned chores in their block.  When they complete the chore, they move it back to the clay pot.  It works well and I love not having to constantly remind the kids what their chores are every day!

Enjoy your weekend!

Prayer pot

As I began drafting this post, I paused to wonder just how many little clay pots that have been decorated have been given to me as a gift over the years.  The answer was... a lot!  I have received them as teacher gifts, Mother's Day presents, and even got one with those crafty flower pens in it as an Administrative Assistant's Day gift once.  I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has collected these little treasures over the years. 

Most of them have come with a plant or flower planted in them.  But, if you have visited my gardening board on Pinterest, I can tell you it is named My non-green thumb for a very good reason!  So, once the plant or flower meets its inevitable fate of being thrown out, I'm left to wonder what to use the pot for now that it's empty.

If you read this post, you saw that I used one for our Chores.  If you didn't read it, go read when you're done reading this! :)

Another idea I had was to use one for a Prayer pot.  As a family, we were often bringing prayer requests to each other - both for ourselves and for others around us.  So, I decided to convert one of the pots into a Prayer pot.  I filled it with blank craft sticks and added a Sharpie pen, then placed it in the center of our dining room table.

Each person can add a prayer request whenever they want.  We pray over them collectively after dinner and devotional time as often as possible.  When a prayer is answered, we remove the stick to make room for a new one.

I am considering writing the answer to the prayer on the back of the stick and saving them for 6 months - 1 year, so we can go back and see how God has worked in our lives and the lives of those we know and love over time.  Hmmm, I guess I need to go find another pot to store those in now!