First Field Trip of the year!!! :) Flowing Hills Creamery

We had the most amazing time today!!! :)  We went on our first field trip for the new year!!!  :)  We are really blessed this year to be very involved in some very awesome homeschool groups :)  Today's field trip was with our CFE group to the Flowing Hills Creamery! :)

I just had to share about our day :)  I will NEVER forget it :)

Aunt Catherine rode along with us and really helped Noah and I have a great time! :)  the top right is her holding up Noah to look in at the processing and bottling room before the tour began :)

We got to see cows being milked and learn all about how the entire process works from milking to storing to pasteurizing to the bottle.   

After they talked to them about it all and they were able to look through the windows and watch it all they had a video they played to reinforce what they heard before the tour and what they saw in the tour.  Then they got to learn about how to make whipped cream and butter :)

I was so so proud of Noah for doing such a great job in a new situation.  He listened so well and was very curious about it all, and even talked to the lady teaching them!  I almost cried!  The lady called Noah her little helper! ;)

They then got a little free time and then got to go on a hayride to see the horses and cows.  This was so huge for Noah.  There was not much room on the hayride so only a few parents could ride and so Noah freaked at the idea of getting on without me.  One of the ladies in the group he really loves so I asked him if he would go on with Mrs. Bryn and he agreed!!  He looked so nervous and a little sad when they left so this mama worried sick about how he was doing and that he would fall off but he came back lit up like a Christmas tree telling me all about all he saw and how wonderful it was!! :)  

Then we all had our picnic and visited and the kids explored a bit!! :)  We all got to have a Chocolate Milk with our lunch and taste milk that was NON homogenized and fresh fresh!! YUMM

I did not drink all of my Chocolate Milk so that I could bring it home and share with the rest of the family to have a taste :)  and I bought a small container of the fresh butter and a small container or the heavy cream! :)  My plan is for us to make a small amount of whipped cream and a small amount of our own butter here at home! :)  The lady leading the tour told us a couple of ways to do the butter.  I thought that it would be a great follow up to the field trip! :)  We won't be able to make much but just enough to say we did it :)  and I can't wait to taste the butter we make with their fresh cream and compare it to the taste of the butter they made us there! :)  

I am sooo blessed to spend such wonderful time with Noah watching him learn and explore! :)  I LOVE homeschooling! :) 

Themes and sharing about 2014- 2015

Lots of praying and thinking have been going on in preparation for next school year!  I pray I will do a much better job this coming year about updating this blog for anyone following but also for ourselves to have it to look back over :)  I must say I so do miss blogging.  Facebook has its positives and a ton of negatives.  Anyway for this coming school year we will have some themes to go along with all our other learning.  I thought I would put them up and share in case anyone is interested :)  I am excited about next year though we are very much enjoying our summer fun!

Themes for 2014-2015 

SEPTEMBER

Sept 2^nd thru 5^th Grandparents Day/Family Unit (Grandparents day sept 7)

Sept 8^th thru 12^th~ Teddy Bears (Goldilocks and 3 bears, teddy bear teddy bear turn around etc) (build a bear field trip) (Sept 9^th National teddy bear day)

Sept 15^th thru 19^th  Johnny appleseed (Sept 20 Johnny Appleseed Day)

Sept 22^nd thru 26^th ~Apples (apple picking if we could find a place if not grocery store to see and pick out many kinds of apples)

Sept 29^th thru oct 3~ Autmn

OCTOBER

October 5 to 9^th~ fire safety week (Fire dept trip)

October 13^th thru 17^th  ~ Colombus Unit (October 13^th  Colombus day)

October 20^th thru 24^th~ Pumpkins and Harvest (pumpkin patch field trip)

October 27^th thru 31^st~ Statue of Liberty's Birthday unit

Oct 30^th national candy corn day craft

Corn maze field trip when homeschool day planned 

NOVEMBER

November 3^rd thru the 7^th~Aviation History Month (airport or air force museum field trip)

 November 10^th~14^th~ Pilgrams and Indians

November 17^th thru 21^st ~ Thanksgiving Giving Thanks

November 24^th-28^th Thanksgiving Holidays!

DECEMBER

December 1^st thru 5^th~ Advent Begins/Christmas

December 8^th thru 12^th~ animals in the stable unit ( cow, donkey, lamb)

December 15^th thru 19^th~ Christmas (Birth of Christ)

December 22^nd thru January 2^nd Christmas/New Years break

Polar express train ride IF possible or other Christmasy field trip

JANUARY

January 5^th thru 9^th~National Bird Day (Bird unit)

January 12^th thru 16^th~ Polar Animals /Winter /hibernation

January 19^th thru 23^rd~ Australia Animals Unit (Kangaroo, Koala, Emu, Cockatoo, Platypus, whale, crocodile, and shark) (January 26^th Austrailia day)

Zoo field trip to see Wild Birds and Australia animals

January 26^th thru 30^th~ Mozart /Twinkle Twinkle Little Star unit (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Birthday - January 27^th)

FEBRUARY

February 2^nd thru 6^th ~ Groundhog day/ Pets

February 9^th thru 13^th~ Valentine’s Day (homeschool valentine's party when planned)

February 16^th thru 20^th ~ Washington and Lincoln

February 23^rd thru 27^th~ Chinese/ Taiwanese New Year of the sheep

Need field trip idea

MARCH

March 2^nd thru 6^th~ Dr. Seuss Birthday Unit

March 9^th thru 13^th~ National Nutrition Month

March 16^th thru 20^th~ St. Patrick’s Day/Rainbows

March 23^rd thru 27^th~ Easter/Ressurection

March 30^th thru April 6^th Spring Break

Need field trip idea

APRIL

April 7^th thru 10^th~ Ocean week (National Week of the Ocean)

April 13^th thru 17^th~ Farm Animals/Spring (Farm Field trip)

April 20^th thru 24^th~ Plants, Flowers and Trees/Spring (National Garden Month)

April 27^th thru May 1^st~ Caterpillars and butterflies

MAY

May 4^th thru 8^th~ Space Unit (May 2^nd Space Day) (planetarium field trip)

May 11^th thru 15^th~ Police Officers Unit (National Police Officer day May 15^th) (Police Station Field Trip)

May 18^th thru 22^nd~ Turtles (World Turtle Day May 23^rd) Turtle farm??? 

love all these purple pics :)  it is my fav color :)  Noah picked the boys suits for Easter this year :)

I am so blessed :)

For those who asked to see these, Noah's tball pics from this year :)  Second season playing :)

The FIRST day of Kindergarten Aug 19, 2013

Well the first day has come and is done.  Seems like everything int the world came against us getting this day done and it is one of those days where as a mom I feel like I have not done right by my kids.  I was not feeing well and exhausted and not as patient and loving as I should have been.  The perfect amazing first day I had so tried to make happen was totally NOT what happend but we are started and little by little it will get there.  Lots of praying to do tonight.  I saw that look in my son's eyes of a chushed spirit when he felt like he could not do it and I wanted to kick myself.  I have to pray alot more before we get to the school lessons about how to present, how to respond, how to help, etc.  Noah reallly did wonderfuly considering all we had in our way today to make this happen.  We started out finally with heights and weights and pictures!! :)  I will record the height and weight the first school day of each month just like I did for their big sister for years :)  

Noah WesLee :)

Jeremiah Harold :)

Jeremiah was NOT cooperating at first but when he got alone he finally decided to respond some :)

Jeremiah first day of school Photo shoot :)

Noah first day of school photo shoot :)

Noah working hard :)

Noah playing and watching Letter Factory :) 

I so love my kids and pray this is an awesome school year!  I pray Noah's desire to read and write his name happen this year!!  

Happy School Year all! :)

TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOMORROW!!  

I am having a hard time inside about starting this year for some reason!  I am excited and thrilled to spend this time with my children helping them to learn but for some reason I am very apprehensive.  I guess it feels like a beginning of such a very long and IMPORTANT and difficult job.  This is the first year of the next 13 years of being their teacher as well as their mom!  K is a bigger deal than preschool and I am overwhelmed I guess.  I am also trying to make sure to be sensitive to their special needs and I am so exhausted lately so I guess a part of me is like I just want to sleep LOL  like that will ever happen :)  Anyway, tomorrow is our first day of K at Destiny Christian Academy :)

Going to print these out to have in a picture somehow tomorrow :) 

My sweet Panda Boy this morning at a water park we were invited to this morning!

Both my sweet boys at the children's Hospital last week!

My sweet Frogie boy during music time :)  

I am so incredibly blessed the Lord allowed me to be the mother of two such wonderful little boys! :)  I pray I do well by them in ALL areas!!! 

GOAL for school and life!!  Point them to the Lord!

and it continues...

Lots of work going on here at DCA! :)  School is not in session yet but I am in hyperdrive trying to get things ready and organized.  It is overwhelming to me that I am on this journey of homeschooling again!  I look at Noah and Jeremiah and think WHERE did my babies go?  Noah is showing more and more signs of being SO READY!!!  LOVE when the Lord gives me confirmation that a decision WAS indeed in HIS will and the right one.  I think Noah will be able to handle full time school and Kindergarten work this year and I am so excited for him and me! :)  I am going nuts trying to figure out how to make this all work storage and organization wise!  Bobby and I were discussing using a good part of the China cabinet (which other than some Christmas dishes does not have china anyway! LOL  but does have alot of special things in the top behind the doors and had all kinds of other stuff in the other parts.  Anyway we were discussing using it for school and we were like well we will be schooling 9 months a year for the next 13 years AT LEAST so guess that is a good decision!!  Now what to do with the other stuff?  LOL

I am still nowhere near done but I am on the way.  It is so important that I be very organized and have a place for everything and not just in a stack or bag. We use the dining room and living room for school and I do NOT want to get into having the table covered in school stuff and never able to eat together at the family table so I have to make this easy for me so I will follow thru and clean up at the end of each day!!  Right now with all this work going on we are eating in the living room on tv trays , which is fun from time to time but I really want us back at that table!!!  And it has shown me that during school it will be a problem if I am not diligent about putting stuff away and having a place for everything!!!!!    Anyway that is what I am working on at this point!!!  

I feel like my poor kids wonder if I have lost my mind! LOL  I am busy doing all this for them!  But anyone with little kids knows that you have to stop and do things for and with them too!  Today Noah really wanted to get in and start helping!! He was awesome with what he could do and did not get too upset with things I said he was not able to help with. He got a treat tonight!  I am babysitting our friends twins and she he is having a late night playdate and slumber party till they pick them up! :)  He is in heaven! :)

Getting excited about co op coming up in September too!  I have been told they willl do 5 in a row and some things to go along with it :)  I hear they do crafts and we NEED some help in that area so I hope they do one every week :)

LOOK at that smile!!! He wrote his name with help and was beaming!!!  He has SUCH a hard time!! He still can not write it by looking at it but can trace it now!!! For a long time he could not do that.  He was doing a bit better and then got worse again writing it on his own and I am not sure why because he tries many times a day!

This was last year during one of the therapy sessions from the school.  Noah gets involved with helping Jeremiah!!!! I LOVE IT :)  I know this will continue ;)

I saw this and loved it :)  

Mama Prep Time

I am giving thank to the Lord above for the freedom to homeschool my children!  I am so excited about this year and I really think it is going to be an amazing year for everyone!!!!  I have started the PREP time which means the house fall apart because I am so obsessed with working on school! LOL  After I get it all ready I will do end of summer massive clean and organize.  I really want this year to be wonderful!

working on making file boxes to store units for MY FATHER'S WORLD K!

Folders for each unit of MFWK

Thought I would share this picture from Easter!  The boys have grown so much since the pics up on this blog :)

We have been doing alot of praying and decision making!  My hubby (THE PRINCIPAL) of our school has had to step in and help me make some wise choices so as not to over commit.  It is funny to me that so many people talk about how the kids will be cooped up at home and have no socialization and all but for me the issue is finding time to actually do the main school around all the opportunities for them outside our home.  We really did want to do Classical Conversations and that desire will probably always be here but for now financially it is impossible.  There are 2 Co-Op's that I am close to families and have had such a hard time deciding if I could handle doing both!  Hubby says NO!  At least not now.  He says see how it goes with one Co-op, play dates, field trips, homeschool outings, in home school therapy for J, and our own K curriculum before adding a second Co-Op! I am very excited about attending MAD Co-Op as part of our Caffe Homeschool Group!  The Ladies there have really been wonderful in our lives before we have ever even been in MAD.  They are very accomodating for boys special needs and Jeremiah's wheelchair and everything :)  I thank God for hubby stepping in and making the decision about the 2nd Co-op though I really am sad to not be a part of it.  

I am trying to find more and more ways to help the boys learn or should I say to help me guide them in learning and help me to teach them!  I am excited about My Father's World and I do believe this curriculum will be great for them.  I am also trying to find some Montessori resources second hand such as the movable alphabet and other hands on things to help in teaching.  I am trying to decide how I will incorporate Jeremiah into our school days and expose him to as much as I can.  I am also praying that the time will come that I can get at least Jeremiah back into private therapy.  I have to look at him and see things differently about what School for him will mean!

I saw the picture below and had a fit!  The very first Homeschool Tshirt I ever had for me and Celeste had this exact picture on it!!!  It is so very true!!! 

 My First student Celeste graduated with her 2nd College Degree (this one a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry!) in May right before her 25th Birthday!!!!  Proud MAMA here!!!

I can't wait to see what God does through her!! 

I appreciate any prayer you may have for us as we prepare for the 2013-2014 school year here at Destiny Christian Academy! :)

KINDERGARTEN is racing our way!! 2013- 2014

I am trying to get everything ready for our new school year!! I can firmly say that deciding last year Noah was NOT ready for Kindergarten was very wise and I must say WHAT a  difference a year makes!!  Emotionally this boy is SOO ready for K this year!  And I really think he is going to do quite well!  I was blessed with a large portion of an AMAZING Curriculum from a friend whose children were really needing first grade so she did not use this.  I was excited at the time but now that we are ready for K and I have really started looking at it and preparing and all I am ever MORE excited!  I LOVE it and I think Noah will too!  Jeremiah will be as involved as I can make him with adaptations as necessary!  So for our main curriculum this year we are doing My Father's World!

I am in LOVE with this curriculum!!  It has units that cover Bible, learning to read, light math, science and social studies concepts and everything!  I love that we willl read so many books this year.  It is a challenge to find all the specific books I need and then others as well for each units theme but I know it will be worth it.  I found Thriftbook.com and that helped alot with the first 9 weeks books.  There are still a few I do not have but I got a good bit of them.  

In addition to this we willl be doing Bible Memory verse with each letter is learned from this book :)

and I made the following from resources I found so that I can put a tiny sticker each time one is memorized :)

We also will be doing a good handwriting program that has been advised by OT friends.  Noah really has a hard time with writing so I am praying this helps him and that he is ready this year!

and we will also be doing a separate Math Curriculum because I feel like Noah needs a bit more than what is in the My Father's World to help him learn the concepts and a friend was selling a copy of McRuffy Color Math she used last year with her children.  

So far it looks good and I really hope Noah responds well to it :)

We will be doing THEMES again this year that are part of the MY Father's World and we will add a few fun projects in to fit seasons and holidays.  I have found some lapbooks to go along with some of the themes and some of the books we are reading so I think it is going to be a very fun year! I so want it to be and I PRAY Noah takes off this year and can learn the things he really wants too.  He is hitting a point where he is very emotional about how hard things are for him and it is hurting both our hearts :(

I am trying so hard to be more faithful to this blog this year and all my blogs so please keep checkin in :)

Pray for me as I try to do all the planning, printing, laminating, cutting, organzing and getting ready for the new year and still tend to all I have to with the kids, house, etc and give the kids a fun summer!

I will post the themes and all later for those interested :)