F is for First State ~

The other day Buck asked what the first state was.  Of course I knew the answer...  as I quickly Googled it - Delaware!  This reminded me of the geography study I've been wanting to do with the kids for a while using the Sleeping Bear Press series of Discover America State by State books!  I had wanted to buy these notebooking pages to go along with it, but never got around to it.  Then I came across these **FREE** Notebooking pages on Pinterest. 

So, I checked out F is for First State from the library and this morning after we were home from Mass we all gathered around the kitchen table and enjoyed it together.  As I read aloud they filled in info they heard like it's nickname is The Diamond State.  I printed off a state map and flag from Enchanted Learning and we glued them as seen below.

Then they colored in the flag to match.

Once they were finished we added the date to their time lines ~

and filed them in the back of their Book of Centuries.

U.S. Geography Maps and Notebooking Pages

I just came across these great maps and notebooking pages for U.S. Geography study from Home School in the Woods.  They look great!  I hope to download them soon and start working through the Discover America State by State series with Buck and Honeybee.

Jessica used them with her Pennsylvania study.

You can check out the sample here.

Magic Tree House books, Geography and Much more

Buck, Honeybee, and I have started out on an adventure with Jack and Annie, characters from The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne.  In her first book

Dinosaurs Before Dark, we are introduced to this brother and sister team.

I was sooo excited when I found CurrClicks Lapbook Study Guide for this book.

We have already read the first two books.  For this study we are going back and reading a chapter at a time and lapbooking it. 

Now I have to ask, have you read the cover story of the Spring 2011 issue of

Mater et Magistra magazine?

This is a magazine every homeschooler should subscribe to! 

The article is entitled, "Further Up and Further In" written by Jennifer Mackintosh.  You may recognize her name from her blog Wildflowers and Marbles.  As I read this article, I felt as though I was sitting at a homeschool retreat/conference listening to an awesome home educating mother's inspiring story of "real learning" in the home.  I have long shared her thoughts on giving our children room to build relationships and discover connections in the everyday rhythm of our home.   I found it most intriguing that we would have one of these experiences this morning.

Buck was a little restless in putting together his lapbook this morning.  He was wanting to color in a Power Rangers book I picked up for him yesterday.  We don't watch the show...  Anyway, as we were going through the lesson, we were asked to find Pennsylvania on the map.  I pulled out the globe to show them. Buck had a "light bulb" moment and asked, "Mom, do you remember that big map that used to hang on the girl's wall?  It's downstairs on Snuggle Bug's bookcase."  I ran down and got it and we opened it up on the table on top of all our other work.  We found PN and AL and they filled them in on the teeny map that goes on the lapbook.  Then he said, "Mom, we should color in all the states like they are on the map."

I could have had two responses here:

1. OK, we will do that after we finish this work for the lapbook. or
2.  That's a great idea!  I'll print out a map for you and you can get started right away.

Can you guess which one I chose?  If you said #2 you are right!  If I would have insisted on finishing the work I had "planned", I probably would have lost or at least dampened his interest. 

I printed off a blackline map for the two of them and they both sat with map spread out on the floor in front of them and we talked and talked.  They started coloring in the states according to the color they were on the map.  We discussed the abbreviations of the states, what it meant to be a bordering state, places we had been or are planning on going to.  We also called their grandparents, who are on a trip, to ask where they were right then so we could find it on the map.  These are just a few things we talked about. 

This was the best kind of study. 

It wasn't planned, it just came about naturally.

Wonder where tomorrow's adventure will take us??

Thank you, loving Father, for this amazing homeschooling journey we are all on!

More Saint David's Day fun ~

Yesterday was one of those beautiful "real learning" type of days!

I take no credit for it!!!

It all began with morning prayers and reading about the Saint of the day.

I visited some of the links Waltzing Matilda had posted on Saint David and

God took it from there....

The little ones had a great time making Saint David and knight figures.

They accompanied me to the store and found leeks to cook for supper.

Snuggle Bug was a huge help chopping potatoes and bacon for the soup, which hubby said was delicious!

The House Cat found this poem and Snuggle Bug dictated it to her as she wrote it on this pretty paper. 

They also learned a lot from these Enchanted Learning sheets.

Buck colored this Welsh flag

The House Cat and Snuggle Bug worked on these

sheets and then we put the work into this lapbook.

I just LOVE these kinds of days!

Winter Geography with Buck and Honeybee

I love the way God works! He put together this wonderfully fun geography study for me. It all started with the thought that I should read Mr. Poppers Penguins to Buck and Honeybee. Then I had an email from CurrClick with this free Kindergarten Mini Study. The first part of it focuses on what else but geography. I also randomly (or so I thought) picked up The March of the Penguins DVD from the library. We also just happened to have a penguin playdough cutter. Hope you enjoy!

A Thankful Woman's Daybook

For today ~ Monday, September 28, 2009

Outside my window ~ Fall is in the air :) I enjoyed a morning cup of coffee out on the deck. Definietly a step in the right direction!

From the sofa ~ Life goes on. Dad's back in the office today. The House Cat and Snuggle Bug are keeping things going around here. So far today HC has vacuumed, switched the laundry, and is now making lunch for Honeybee (mac n cheese her favorite). She's also very kind to be sharing her new laptop with me. It's definitely helping me to pass the time today. SB has also been busy picking up, sweeping and helping out with lunch. She's going to read to me about St. Bernadette later. Homeschooling at its best!

I'm listening to ~ Cars on the tv and Buck and Honeybee playing cars on the floor. If Mater doesn't make you smile, nothing will!

I'm wearing ~ One of the new nightgowns my sweet mama got for me, new comfy grey slippers, and grey cotton capri's. She took me shopping a few days before the surgery and spoiled me with lots of new comfy recovery clothes :) My hair's up in a clip, and I'm wearing my new reading glasses and my mama's pink and white checked robe. We couldn't find a robe for me on our outing so she lent me one of hers. There's a special comfort in having it wrapped around me. Kinda like she's giving me a big hug right now :)


Looking forward to ~ Can't wait to get back on the treadmill. I'm feeling a new surge to really work on a healthy body. Let's hope this is still the case when I actually can get back to exercising!

So many things to be thankful for ~

I am getting better - SLOWLY - but surely.

My sweet husband is such a gift from above. He has been working so hard taking care of us, and, as if that's not enough, he's still there to dry my tears.

The House Cat is a wonderful little mama around here. She cooks, she cleans, and she bathes her baby sister. She is learning so many wonderful skills that I never had.

Snuggle Bug is a wonderful companion for Buck and Honeybee. She's such a fun playmate and is teaching them so many things in return. She has so much love to give - just like a little snuggle bug :)

Buck is a thriving little man - wanting to be just like his daddy. He still loves his lullaby before bed. The sweetest thing is hearing him sing me the lullaby when I'm not feeling well.

Honeybee has been my little Florence Nightengale. She's always looking for a way to make me feel better. As I've said, I move from couch to bed. She's quick to grab my pillows and head to my destination, making me as comfortable as possible.

From the kitchen ~ Lots of food coming from so many beautiful people wanting to help. I'm so grateful for this. It's a huge help to my honey. An added blessing is we have been able to share with our neighbor who is also recovering from surgery. I must admit that I can't wait to be back on the "giving" end.

My plans this week ~ Rest, rest, rest and more rest :)
Also, have my two week follow - up on Thursday.

I hope to start this soon ~


State By State Scrapbook


I'm also looking into this for Snuggle Bug's future use ~


Literature For the Young Lady


I'm enjoying hearing ~


The House Cat play guitar and Snuggle Bug reading aloud to Honeybee. She's also started reading Bernadette: Our Lady's Little Servant aloud to me. She was sharing with me yesterday about St. Bernadette and her prayer to be a faithful and cheerful sufferer for Our Lord. I asked her if she would read to me about her. She light up and was happy to oblige :)

My motto today and for a while I expect:

"Give me an occupation or I'll shall run mad!" (Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility)

Doing laundry never sounded so fun!

Celebrating with Lions

Hi. Just a quick post of a couple of fun things we're doing today in honor of St. Mark. He is sometimes pictured with a lion because his gospel begins with John the Baptist crying out in the desert, like a lion. He is the patron saint of Venice and his gospel is believed to be the first written. He traveled with Saint Peter and was very close to him. So, after confession today we'll decorate some lion cupcakes while dad grills some red meat....ROAR.... a lion's favorite. I'll also make some Risi e Bisi while the kids begin working on some of their geography sheets I printed from Enchanted Learning. I'll read aloud from our saint books and hopefully we'll start reading his gospel tonight with our night prayers. We'll probably take turns reading about a chapter a night. Have a blessed day :)

Tea, Scones, and Shakespeare

Today is the feast of Saint George, patron saint of England. It's also William Shakespeare's birthday. Therefore, we had an English tea this morning. The girls enjoyed setting the table, while Honeybee and Buck helped me prepare scones. As we enjoyed our tea and scones, Snuggle Bug shared some Emily Dickinson and House Cat read some of our favorite Shakespeare Sonnets.

The scones turned out delicious! This is the recipe we used.

Yummy jams and jellies.

Tea Time!

As the House Cat read Sonnet 116, Buck spoke up and said, "Hey that's from Sense and Sensibility!"
Once we were finished in the kitchen, we moved out front for Saint George and the Dragon. Buck was ready with his knights and horses. The dragon is still hiding from us, somewhere...
Oh, and here's a weapon he made while the scones were cooking. How's that for a catapult?
That mean old dragon better watch out!!! (Notice the ball of dough on the handle? It shoots pretty far :)
Saint George was believed to be born in Palestine and was a Roman soldier. He helped spread the Christian faith to modern day Iran. He visited Britain and is most well know for his legendary slaying of a dragon. In 1415 he was named patron saint of England. Crusaders adopted his red cross on a white background and is still part of the British flag today. Enchanted learning has a British flag to print and color with explanations of the colors and crosses used. I didn't realize the flag of the UK is a combination of the flags of England (the cross of St. George), Scotland (the cross of St. Andrew), and Ireland (the cross of St. Patrick). I should have paid better attention in history class :) Another wonderful benefit of homeschooling - learning things you should already know. I love it and my wonderful family! Thank you God.