Yep we’re still schooling here, just haven’t done the weekly thing in a long time.

I wanted to share more resources:

• http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/christmas/
• http://www.sparklebox2.co.uk/
• http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/
• Curriculm: http://www.currclick.com/
• Reward Charts and more: http://handipoints.com/
• Printable worksheets: http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/free-printable-preschool-worksheets.html
• Free eBooks: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

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These have been helpful to us:

I just post one segment up a week of each:

• Learn Colors with the color snake: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/msnake-colors.htm
• Letters snake: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/msnake-letters.htm
• Numbers snake: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/msnake-numbers.htm

I get excited and tackle things one week and then get burned out and exhausted the next. I am working on the latter to get shorter and shorter, to be non-existant soon! By constantly staying encouraged and motivated, we can get through this! It’s challenging with limited resources, but then challenging with too many resources! So, we’re praying for a middle ground and balance. With God’s help, we’re going to do this!

I hope you had a great thanksgiving day! We have a lot to be thankful for!

Now bring on Christmas!!!! aka: Jesus’ birthday!

I think this year we may try this jesus birthday cake

CAKES found online through an Image search:

the reason for the season… Jesus is a Gift to us from God – you have a choice to accept or not.

Blessings to you.

I know when you have baby #1, everything is a guessing game! Then with #2 you’re better but still guessing. We go everywhere together always. So the store is well a challenge! I know we learned the… go to the toy aisle and give them a toy to play with  while you shop. Then at the checkout just tell the cashier, you don’t want it. Well one time, we didn’t tell the cashier and spent money we didn’t intend to! We were bummed but later were ok with it since those toys became the kids favorite.

We now try not to introduce toys they cannot take home. So what to do? We use other things in the store to distract the kids. Since we’re trying to teach our daughter to read, we try to spell out the signs. With our sobn, we’re challenged more until we found something new!

We discovered.. paint samples! This is a great way to help the kids learn their colors and it’s FREE, and we can take it home and use it there too! Get the primary and secondary colors and whatever else you like! Just get a few and shop and if you need use a second trip by the display top get more. I will warm you it doesn’t last long, as you may know.

Just a personal tip from me, if you don’t do it already! LOL! *hugs*

We want to THANK all veterans past, present, and future for their service for this nation and really for the world. My father-in-law and maternal grandfather served in our armed forces along with many other relatives and friends who served or currently serve.

The Veterans affairs has a great website: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

This is for kids K-5: http://www4.va.gov/kids/k-5/index.asp?intSiteID=2

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From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Father,_Strong_to_Save 

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

The original words are:

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard

And hushed their raging at Thy word,

Who walkedst on the foaming deep,

And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood

Upon the chaos dark and rude,

And bid its angry tumult cease,

And give, for wild confusion, peace;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!

Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;

From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

Protect them wheresoe’er they go;

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee

Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Certain verses have been changed in modern hymnals for stylistic reasons.

Hello! Week 7 was a recap week and I posted our top (free) resources. I thought it was good to recap and see if the kids remember the first lessons and they are doing very well. This week we’re getting a bit more organized for our needs and it’s working. I’m not doing a shape this week because I want to make sure they understand the letter/number/colors. Plus I am reorganizing the way i present them and such. More on that later.

• Letter “G”
• Number – 7
• Color – White
• Shape – none this week

What are you doing this week with your kids?

These are some top resources I use for helping me prepare.

If you know me, I have many more, but wanted to share the main ones for now.

• http://www.dltk-kids.com/ is a great over all resource!!!
  • letters:
    • http://www.first-school.ws/theme/alphabetp1.htm
    • http://www.first-school.ws/activities/bible/alphabet-zb-1.htm
    • http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/index.html
    • http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/learning-letters/books.htm
  • numbers:
    • http://www.dltk-teach.com/numbers/index.html
    • http://www.first-school.ws/theme/printables/number-worksheets.htm
  • colors:
    • http://www.dltk-teach.com/colors/index.htm 
    • http://www.first-school.ws/theme/colors.htm
  • shapes:
    • http://www.dltk-teach.com/shapes/index.htm
    • online game: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/shape_space/shapes/play.shtml
  • Writing:
    • Preprinting practice: http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/dynamic.htm
    • Make your own tracer pages! http://www.kidzone.ws/tracers/index.htm
  • Calendar (days, months, etc): http://www.dltk-cards.com/calendar/

We’re moving right along. I had a discouraging day last week then a fellow mission mom gave me a great pep talk. Her kids are now grown but she too had to homeschool and understands. It was short lived and i was further encouraged by my daughter starting to try to read more. good stuff! according to our state of residence, she wont be in K until next year. Our son is picking up a lot too. He best at memorization. He amazes me. Our baby girl is growing, got her first tooth and laughs as she watches her older sibs. Ife is Very veru Good! We also got our shipment which contained a lot of books and more for the kids. We needed it! Keep on praying, we need it!

This Week:

• Letter Ff
• Number 6
• Color Purple
• Shape Diamond

 nothing like asking your kids… give me and F-word! heehee this willbe a Fun week.

We are moving along…

Staying in order at least once through with the alphabet. This week we’re tackling:

• Letter Ee
• Number 5
• Shape Oval
• Color Blue

If anyone has great ideas on what to do this week with these, I will welcome them. The kids were excited about worksheets and crafts but now I feel like they want more and that is challenging me more. We bought more glue sticks to help. we have it on our list to buy a second pair of kid scissors when we get our next deposit (on the 1st). I have colored paper and white. I still have a decent amount of ink left for my printer. I have saved toilet & paper towel rolls. I have some old socks (laundered) and some cereal boxes. The kids have one can of play dough and we do have outdoor chalk. We do have the letters in magnets. I have yarn and fabric. But not too much else. I dont try to use food stuff because we need that for food, like pasta or beans. I have some paper cups and maybe plates. Ok I think that is it.

Anyway, let me kow what you think!!! We’re going to have a great week anyway!!!!

I am so glad to have fellow home schooling moms share their resources with me. One is www.k12.com, A virtual school resource used by many states. My state uses it, and I am looking into how to get it next year. Another given to me today is http://www.currclick.com/ and then I came across: http://thefrugalhomeschoolingmom.blogspot.com/

Hope you are doing well!!!

Awesome, we’re making progress! I am not a pro at this since I had a cubicle life before being a stay at home momma. I feel like I’m really into my momma role and now a teacher of academics is something new. I am the choochoo… i thnk i can, i think i can! I know two key lessons i want to teach my kids are decision making skills and being resourceful. Those two can get you through and one way to teach is to also be an example.

this week we’re working on:

• Letter Dd
• Number 4
• Color Green
• Shape Rectangle

I am hoping to soon put in a memory verse/scripture from the Bible and more songs. I want to also teach them a sport a month maybe. Of course it’s not too hard to be exposed to Soccer here (futbol). We’ll see how it goes. Posting here is helping me be acountable.

Be blessed.