You Don't Know What You've Got...

Got spyware on my home computer, so it is temporarily fried. I feel like I'm homeschooling in the dark ages. I feel helpless! So, I will only be able to blog once a week until my computer can be fixed. Jack and Chloe turned a year old last Saturday. Here are some pictures of the party.

B is for Beetle

In order to prevent Bloggie Burn-out, I have had to limit my posting to only a couple times a week. As a new blogger, I had the mindset that I had to post something everyday...you can all breathe a sigh of relief...I have come to my senses.

This week the kids studied beetles from our Christian Liberty Nature Reader. We watched some neat little backyard nature video clips off You Tube. For a craft, the kids painted plaster beetles. I found the idea off the Family Fun website. I mixed the plaster Monday and then let the kids paint them on Tuesday. I have noticed a trend in the painting habits of my children. Jackson loves lots of color, but by the time he's done with his masterpiece, it's all black because he just has no regard for separating colors and heaven forbid he should rinse his brush out before double dips into another paint. Lillie on the other hand is obsessed with pink and purple. Everytime I ask her what color paint she wants on her palette she says "pink and purple". As much as I grovel and beg, she is steadfast and unmoveable in her opinion that pink and purple are THE colors. Craft time really tries my patience. I can just about handle Chloe throwing a fit all the way home from Krogers better than my nerves can handle craft time. I sometimes forget that my kids are 4 and soon to be 3 and don't have the luxury of fully developed eye-hand coordination. They glue things in the wrong place, they over mix colors, they cut crooked...AHHHHHHHHHHH! Okay, I am ashamed that I feel that way. I have been trying to just let them be kids and create...it's awful hard for a control freak such as myself, though. Here are some pics of the beetles we painted. I did finally convince Lillie to let me paint some little flowers and eyes on her beetle!

I've been sewing all week. My girls need dresses bad for the summer, so I've been pumping out these t-shirt dresses left and right. They are very simple and very cheap and look so nice.

The kids finished up their family tree for history. Lillie started practicing the letter "B" and read the first two lessons in McGuffey's Primer. She knows the books of the Bible Genesis-Ruth.

This is Jackson who begged for a writing worksheet, so I printed him one out to trace. He did alright for a little guy, but got mad because he messed up and pitched a fit.

Lillie wanted a picture of me and her together, so I snapped this one.Then Jackson wanted in on the action...I am seriously considering this one for our Christmas card this year...but Jody and Chloe aren't in it. Bummer.

Backyard Nature Study

One thing I have heard and know to be a truth is that your kids will love the things you love. What my kids see me passionate about will influence what they will be passionate about. Ever since I first read Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola I have set it in my mind to make nature study a big part of our school. To admire God's handiwork makes Him a little more real to me. I have always liked to be outdoors, spent most of my childhood there. My parents really instilled in me a sense of wonder and amazement of our natural world. As I got older, I lost that wonder and zeal, but now I feel like I may be getting it back. I am resolved to lead by example in our nature study. And it's amazing how much stuff there is to explore in our own little yard. We have a huge bush in front of our house that is just a buzz with bees(excuse the cheesy play on words). An eastern kingbird has built a nest right under the lip of our backporch roof. The porch is screened in and the nest is about eye level, so the babies are very easy to observe, though it tends to make mother kingbird a little nervous for us to be so close. She flys at the screen like she's going to peck your eyes out, but ( I hope) she's just warning us. I usually go inside when I see her do that, I can totally relate to the nervousness of strangers gawking at my children. Saturday it rained and the snails were out in full force. We've been doing some landscaping and the earthworms fascinate Jack. I have bird feeders everywhere and try to take time to just sit in front of the door and watch what birds come by. Monday , there was a HUGE red headed woodpecker just strolling through the backyard. Rabbits eat my hostas (not cute at all) and lizards scurry up the foundation of the house. It's like a zoo and I love that I don't have to go anywhere to come in contact with some truly amazing creatures. I was rather surprised that my backyard was such a hot bed of nature study!

Lumber Jack