Weekly Wrap Up: Fall Days

We had a fun week! Uncle Adam stayed a few days and Caley was very interested in "Daddy's friend." He might live with us for a few months this winter--woohoo free babysitting! haha

Monday Daddy took the day off to spend with Adam and we did some lessons. Caley is working on handwriting and she did W, M, J, Z, and S. I'm very impressed with how well she's doing! I think having the slate to practice with helps immensely because it gives a distinct area to write and she can practice making straight lines by drawing along the wooden frame of the slate. The phonics book however, is become a little more frustrating. Caley is having a hard time with sounding out the entire word instead of just sounding out each letter separately. It's probably normal, just testing my patience. I think we will continue using that book but I need to look at it as an exercise in trusting God and leaning on him to give me patience. It also may be because of the time of day we're doing the reading book, lately it's been right before nap and she's a little wired. Hopefully things will get better soon. On Monday we made non-scary spiders by twisting four black pipecleaners together to make eight legs and then beading them. Caley loved it!

Tuesday we went to women's group and Wednesday we did storytime and errands. The girls were very patient on Wednesday as I dragged them to multiple stores looking for things and not finding them. One being maternity clothes. What is up with Old Navy?!

Thursday we went to playgroup where the girls learned more about spiders, made a spider web rubbing and searched for spiders outside. We even found a bird's nest! We also got to visit Daddy at work! That was the best part of the week, for me and the girls. On the way home we stopped and ooohed and aaahed at the beautiful fall leaves along the road. Later at home we made a tree picture.

While we were walking along the tree-lined road I tried to tell Caley how there are so many leaves, more than we can count, but that Jesus knows all the leaves, just like He knows us. It made me think about how God made this world to give Him glory. The leaves are so beautiful, with beautiful colors and textures, each leaf is different. Likewise each person that God created is unique, with different colors and textures and personalities. It made me feel very loved that although I am just one leaf, God knows me and loves me as his child.
Thursday night we had our inaugural fire in the firepit! Daddy has been working hard on this addition to our backyard and it's going to bring us many fun evenings in the future.Friday we had a fun day of lessons and activities. We played Twister which worked on learning left and right and colors. Caley surprisingly knew which one was her left and right foot, with some reminders. They also took turns spinning the spinner and making Mommy play the game. I'm sorry I don't have a picture of me, 6 months pregnant, playing Twister. Actually if there were any pictures of that, the last place I'd put them is the internet! We also made a plate of food which worked on learning food groups. After playing with pictures of food they went on a "food hunt" in the kitchen and found fruits, vegetables, bread and meat.

After an early nap we headed to the local retirement center to help with a pumpkin painting activity with the residents. It was fun to meet some new people, especially people who love little kids! And the girls had lots of fun painting too!

Next week we are getting a visit from Great Grandma Ev, which should be a lot of fun. Have a good weekend!

Weekly Wrap Up: Let's Be Friends!

Recently Caley has been saying, "Let's be friends!" to Amelia, especially while they're dancing and running around. It's the sweetest thing to see my children love each other. They hug and squeeze and kiss and say "I love you" and "You're my best friend." Of course they also get mad at each other and hit sometimes, but what can be expected from 2 and 4-year-olds?

We had a good week this week. Sunday the girls helped make Mexi-pizza and Caley's job was cutting olives (under close supervision of course). Food seems to taste better when it's a group effort! Monday we did activities at home, played some games and worked on handwriting. Caley is to the point with our handwriting curriculum that she is writing on a blackboard with chalk. I'm really enjoying the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, it makes it fun and follows a child's readiness in a slow, comprehensive manner. I would kind of like to get help Caley learn lowercase letters too, since those are the ones mainly used in writing. This week we wrote the letters in her name- CALEY GERLACH. I was surprised at how quickly she caught on and didn't get frustrated. The slate board is a good size to help her learn the correct curve of letters. For being only 4, I'm impressed with her skills in this area.

Tuesday we had bible study and the girls played with some friends. Then we visited a new baby in the hospital- Isaiah Daniel Willett. Welcome to the world Isaiah! We got to hold him and "investigate" what a new baby looks like. I made a point to show Caley his umbilical cord and the leftover vernix in the folds of his neck and toes (Isaiah, though a big boy, was 3 weeks early). On Monday we had been talking about babies and belly buttons, so it was neat to see a new baby and his cord up close. It was also good practice for when they will visit their baby brother in the hospital soon. :)

Wednesday we went to Caley's orthodontist check-up. She has an underbite that will need some work eventually and this was our 2nd trip to the office, just to check on her progress. The doctor said she won't need to have anything done for at least another year, maybe longer. We had slept in a bit and left the house without breakfast, so afterward we went to Starbucks. Then we did storytime at the library, which the girls had fun at. I was very tired...so it was nice to have a bit of a break.

Thursday was playgroup day, and the topic was "The Mixed-up Chameleon" by Eric Carle. We did finger painting and animal charades. Caley has mastered the current memory verse- Proverbs 23:19- "Listen my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path." They also learned about Jonah who learned to listen to God.

Friday we did activities at home and Caley worked on handwriting and cutting with scissors. I drew lines on black, orange and white paper and she had to cut on the lines. Some were dotted, others were curved or jagged. Then we made a paper chain with a pattern. We also took a trip to the library and Caley helped put together our snack. Yummy!

Next week we are taking a trip to the retirement center to paint pumpkins, happy Fall!!

Weekly Wrap Up: "Sick" Days

This week was especially fun for us, partly because we had an unexpected day at home. Days at home seem to make the week (at least for Mommy) go a little better because it makes things feel less frazzled. However if there are too many in a row we tend to get cabin fever!

Monday we took a trip to visit the baby by seeing the OB/GYN. The girls were very well behaved at the office and that just makes everything better and everyone happier. We stopped at the pet store in Kirkland, Denny's Pet World. This is one of the best pet stores I've found. There are so many pets to see at this store, from an uncaged macaw named Tiki to bunnies, mice, small birds, and a huge room of fish; it's a fun place to go. We saw some doves which I pointed out to Caley were the bird Noah sent out from the ark, and they loved seeing the mice and guinea pigs running on their wheels. When we got home we did some coloring and counting with stickers and read some Charlotte's Web. We're about 2/3 through the book. Honestly, I'm liking it less than Little House, but Caley likes them both the same. I'm hoping she'll want to read Little House on the Prairie after this book is done.

Tuesday we stayed home because Amelia had had a fever Monday night and I didn't want to risk it becoming something worse. By morning she was fine, but we took it easy. We did a tea party! It was so fun and good activity to teach the girls concepts in a fun way. Caley helped prepare the snacks (cheese, pineapple, crackers, and hummus) by putting toothpicks in, and she also helped set the table. During the party she practiced pouring tea and cream and used her manners. We also listened to classical music during the party and talked about what we were eating and I helped her describe it (crunchy, chewy, sweet, salty).

Wednesday we babysat some kids and Caley had fun playing from friends she doesn't see too often, specifically James, Dakota, Odessa, and Dexter. On the way out Odessa yelled to Caley, "You're my best friend!" It was so cute and heartwarming! Also Wednesday night Caley and Daddy had another date while Amelia and I went to church. While we were gone they had arranged Caley's artwork and photos on a wall upstairs! It looks great! Caley helped sort the crafts by type, whether color, size, or "doesn't fit anywhere else."
Thursday we had playgroup where the theme was the book "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle. The girls made cloud crafts and played very well with their friends, and even talked with their friends Fiona and Avery on Skype!

Friday we had friends over for a meeting and Caley again played with Dexter and Odessa. I think Caley has a crush on Dexter...and I'm thankful I get to see it and talk to her about it. I remember having crushes in kindergarten, it makes sense that Caley is starting to notice others. And I think Dexter is a sweet little boy. We also did Caley's phonics book and she sight read "little"!! It's encouraging to see her improve and enjoy reading as well.

Have a good week!

New Name!

I decided the "Caley's Classroom" name for our blog wasn't exactly descriptive of how we do things around here. Amelia is as much a student as Caley and Mommy's learning a lot too! We hope you like the new name!

Weekly Wrap Up--Happy Fall!!

This week it actually started to feel like fall, we turned on the heat! Thankfully it's not on all the time though, but autumn is my favorite season so it was a happy change, I guess.

Monday we went to a friend's house and helped clean in preparation for their move. Caley and Amelia helped by wiping down the walls with sponges! A large part of my philosophy in homeschooling is teaching character and service, both by helping friends and people we don't know.

Tuesday we went to a friend's 5th birthday party and the girls dressed up like princesses, their costumes were my dance costumes from kindergarten. They looked so cute! It was especially fun to see Amelia play with some older girls and she picked up on a few of the games and had fun sitting at a big table eating snacks.

Wednesday we went to storytime where the topic was fish. Caley had a fun time decorating a fish craft, she used many colors and called it "fireworks." Wednesday night she and Daddy went on a date to the toy store. They also tried bowling but it was too busy. Amelia and I went to church and I helped in her class where they did some art and played "night-night." It was fun to have some one-on-one time with her.

Thursday we had our first playgroup of the year, our new official name is Proverbs 22. It was at our house and I was the leader. We read the book "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear" and did some listening exercises and made a book and read it at the end of group. Caley also learned about listening to God through the story of Samuel. She did a good job of listening and playing well with her friends, she and Lenora played hide and seek. There are a few new members to playgroup this year, some new boys, which changes the dynamic of the group. It went very well! Also many of the kids are ready for more challenging activities so we are trying to make the activities suitable for the different ages of kids, with harder tasks for the older kids and easier ones for the younger kids. Yesterday the kids got to practice writing their names and the older ones took home "homework" which was just a workbook page about preschool math.

Today, Friday, we had a regular school day and Daddy got to stay home, which was a nice treat. We did some patterning and matching with cards, the phonics book, Bible stories and the memory verse Proverbs 23:19, "Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path." We also had fun reading about chickens and eggs, kites, fish, and we made a kite and a paper airplane. It was a fun, organic lesson day. We also played outside a bit and I discovered that Caley is really good at kicking a ball! This is very exciting, since it may mean she will be a soccer player like her mama.

I am looking forward to the Mars Hill Homeschooling Parents Meet and Greet tomorrow to connect with other homeschooling families, network, and ask questions. I'm hoping to glean some wisdom from families who actually know what they're doing, since I more often than not, don't. I'm especially insterested in how other families have handled balancing all the usual responsibilities while homeschooling. I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of doing school next year with 3 kids while balancing other commitments like leading bible study, writing, service, and staying on top of housework, meals, etc. My outside commitments this year are things I really hope to continue, but if push comes to shove, may need to be cut out (or at least scaled back) if I can't effectively serve my family.

This homeschooling adventure is as much mine as it is the girls!