Tuesday's Top 10: From the Mouth of Babes

One day I asked Old Crow, "What do you love about homeschooling?"  He was quick to reply, "I just love being at home with you."  This melted my heart and caused me to wonder what else he loved about homeschooling.  While he wasn't in traditional school for a long time and doesn't have much to compare with homeschooling, I was interested to see why else he enjoyed schooling at home.  

So over a period of several days I spontaneously asked him about homeschooling.  And these are his answers (from the mouth of a 6 year old).

Old Crow's Reasons for Loving Homeschool

1.  I want to be smart and learn.

2.  I like all of us being together.

3.  I like making sweet stuff for people.

4.  It is fun.

5.  I like when you read me adventure stories and books about the pilgrims.

6.  I like doing spelling with you.

7.  I like to play games with you.

8.  Because I love you and would miss you if I left.

9.  I like doing school on the screen porch.

10.  I like playing with Crazy Horse after lunch.

May he always have this love for his family and learning. :)
Jenny 

     

                               

Cloth Activity Books for Tots

We love cloth books.  What's not to love???  They are quiet, interactive, colorful, and educational.  As a baby, Crazy Horse was given this book called Walk with Jesus.  We read and played with it so much I was worried we would lose the movable Jesus figure.  

Then I found another cloth book called Right at Home, and I decided to let Memphis Belle give it a try. She loves it!  She enjoys playing with the pillow animals in their homes (pockets) and zipping and unzipping the book.  It also keeps her occupied for many minutes at a time, which is a plus for this mom. :)  Whether these are for your own tots, your grandchildren, or a gift for someone else these are highly recommended. 

Here are some other great fabric activity books:

My Quiet Book for Toddlers

Count and Play: Counting Book for Children

My Quiet Book by Alma's Designs

My ABC Animal Train Book

Mimi's Motifs:  Lots of Bible story fabric books

Lullaby and Goodnight by Pockets of Learning

Etsy: cloth activity books

Tuesday's Top 10: Fun Foods for Fall

During the fall months we love creating treats that remind us of this season.  We spend the afternoon in the kitchen putting together some yummy snacks for parties, friends, or to leave in our own kitchen. :)  Here are a few that I have tried and some that I look forward to setting my mixer and spatula to.  These were compiled from the wonderful world of Pinterest.

Favorite Fun Foods for Fall

1.  Scarecrow Crunch

2.  Homemade Applesauce

3.  Mummy Wrapped Hot Dogs

4.  Thanksgiving Tepees

5.  Pumpkin Pretzels

6.  Oreo Spiders

7.  Candy Corn Bark

8.  Oreo Owls

9. Polka Dot Cupcakes

10.  Thankful Rolls

Happy Fall!

Jenny

Treasure Hunt!

Storytime is one of Old Crow's favorite parts of the day.  He gets to paint pictures in his mind as we read aloud to him.  We usually read a portion of our current chapter book in the mornings along with our other studies, but some days he asks to save it until bedtime.

Biography was our genre at the beginning of the school year.  To introduce this genre and book called William Henry Harrison, I had him fill a paper bag full of things that would tell about him.  Then he presented his items to us and told the "story of his life."  

Now that we completed the biography, we are turning to the genre of adventure.  The Heart of Dakota teacher's guide suggested a treasure hunt to help introduce kids to this new genre.  I knew Old Crow would love this!!  So I set out to create a treasure hunt and the treasure would be a snack and our new chapter book, The Sword in the Tree.  :)

This brought back such fun memories.  As a child, my mom would make rhyming clues for my friends and me to follow all through the house.  We would beg for her to come up with these on the spot...and she was so good at it!  Now it was my turn, and I gave it a shot.

I placed Clue #1 in his storytime workbox.  He was so excited he ran outside.  He read it a few times and the more he focused on the word "score" he realized he should head to the soccer goal.  

On the soccer goal he found Clue #2.

As he read it he kept saying "a rock" instead of "rock".  So he wanted to look for a rock...with a little guidance he headed for the front porch rocking chairs.

On the rocking chair he found Clue #3.

He quickly realized he should look in the fishing boat...and there he found a treasure map.

Old Crow followed the map to where X marked the spot.  And he found his treasure!!!

We took our treasure inside...shared our snack with Memphis Belle and began reading The Sword in the Tree.  I think this adventure genre will be right up Old Crow's alley.  :)

Jenny

Tuesday's Top 10: Great Reads for Mom

Books are such a delight for me.  I love the feel of a book in my hands.  I love the smell of opened pages.  I love how characters come to life and their emotions my own...even making me physically sick sometimes.  Has that ever happened to you?  That sick feeling you get while reading a compelling novel?  

I enjoy going to the library and being surrounded by books.  I will read just about anything...fiction, self-help books, devotions, magazines.  You name it, and I'll pick it up...anything from great works of literature to drug store novellas.  I've read so many books over the years that I couldn't possibly think of my top 10 favorite (because for various reasons I usually enjoy the majority of what I read).    

When I decided to think of a book list for my Tuesday's Top 10, for whatever reason, these are the 10 books that came to mind.  They are not necessarily my favorite (though some are) and they aren't necessarily my top recommendations (though some are), but they have definitely been on mind.  Some of them years after I've read them.

Top 10 Books

(and these are in order of how they came to mind)

1.  Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  A romance novel with biblical themes.  This is a book I had to buy a copy to keep for myself.  I have returned to this book again and again.  It leaves such an impact on the the way we unconditionally love others.  Beautifully and powerfully written.

2.  Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell.  This book has strengthened and encouraged my role as a mother and a wife.  It led me to seek the Lord and a meek and quiet spirit instead one where daily activities can lead to frustration and discouragement.  A wonderful read for any mother...stay-at-home mom, working mom, homeschooling mom, and grandmother.      

3.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  Such a sweet, poignant look into 1960's culture.  Relationships nor love know no bounds.     

4.  Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst.  This devotional made me take a hard look at the things I crave first before God.  While the book focuses on food, we found in Bible study that food isn't the issue for everyone...for some it is obsessive cleaning, shopping, etc. Craving isn't a bad thing.  We were made to crave God alone.

5.  The Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson.  A Biblical self-help book on parenting.  It helped me appreciate and adore my strong-willed child in a way I hadn't before.  I was brought to tears to see how this quality should and can be treasured.  It gives practical help in "shaping the will while protecting the spirit."

6.  Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With, and Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin.  So basically anything by Emily Giffin ;)  I enjoyed all of these romantic dramas and they are spiced with humor.  Perfect beach reads!

7.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  A psychological thriller.  It was definitely a page-turner and left me thinking about it days after I finished reading it, but I'm not sure I would recommend it.  The ending left me reeling...thinking "What????!!!!???"  Don't want to spoil it though.

8.  Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah.  I read this book years ago, and it still resonates with me today.  I'll catch myself remembering this book, its themes, and characters.  A compelling and powerful look at friendship and how it shapes our lives.

9.  Gilgamesh by Joan London.  A fascinating look at a woman's world during WWII.  Initially set in Australia, it transports you through London, Soviet Armenia, and other exotic places when the world is on the verge of erupting in war.

10.  A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve.  Vivid imagery of Kenyan culture and landscape.  A look into how seemingly innocent actions can affect your marriage.     

              

Happy Reading,

Jenny

From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Everyone loves butterflies.  The delicate beauty, colorful charm, and wonder of their "birth" all add up to one fascinating creature.  This year we wanted to take a look at the butterfly life cycle.  While a lot can be learned from activities and books, I decided to give the kids a little something extra.  We watched the life cycle take place in our home!

I bought The Butterfly Pavilion and then ordered the caterpillars.  

We observed the caterpillars and began a daily chart to record our observations.  The chart helped us see the growth and know the length of each stage.

Soon we began to see the caterpillars crawl to the lid and hang upside down...they were preparing for their chrysalis.  In a few days, they had all formed a chrysalis.

We removed them from the cup and attached them to the side of the butterfly pavilion.  And now the waiting began.  For many days we watched and saw no changes.  

Then one day as Old Crow and I began school I looked up and saw that a butterfly had emerged!!  It was so exciting to see this drastic change in a living creature.

So we quickly mixed together sugar and water for their food.  (Once all the butterflies had emerged we would release them.)  We sprinkled this sugar water on flowers that we placed in the bottom of the pavilion.

We all loved to check on the butterflies regularly.  And each day more butterflies appeared.

Then release day came.  It was such a happy time watching them fly up and away.  Everyone cheered and clapped!  It was also a little sad...having our work come to an end and seeing the butterflies we watched change and grow leave their "nest."  I expect this is similar to what I'll feel in about 12 years. :(

Along with observing the stages of the butterfly, we also did extra activities each day.  Our main project-long activity was completing this free booklet called From Caterpillar to Butterfly.  It is excellent!!

Here is Old Crow completing one of the pages.  He compared the butterfly's body parts to his body parts.  Then he drew a picture of our butterfly.  We would try to complete one page each day.

Some days we read From Caterpillar to Butterfly.  This book goes along perfectly with our project.

I also wrapped Old Crow in toilet paper to symbolize the chrysalis.  We talked about how during this stage there was no visible movement, but a lot of changes were taking place.

And last, but definitely not least, we made an edible life cycle. :)

We gathered mini marshmallows (eggs), gummy worms (caterpillars), Pirouline rolled wafers (chrysalises), and Sociables crackers (butterflies).  On a paper plate we created the life cycle with our snacks.  Crazy Horse and Old Crow worked together to place the snack in the correct spot.  They made an extra one for Memphis Belle to have after nap time.  This was a huge hit!!!

Our time studying butterflies was one of deep fascination and learning.  It was such a joy to experience this with everyone in the family...from Memphis Belle up to Daddy.      

Jenny

Tuesday's Top 10: Favorite Fall Activities

Bright, clear skies.  Breezy days.  Rustling leaves.  Cooler temperatures.  

A brief glimpse of fall recently came through the south.  Everyone stayed outdoors to soak up as much of this wonderful weather as we could.  The first hint of fall makes us all itch to dig out our sweaters, carve some pumpkins, and drink hot chocolate. We are eager to celebrate the change of seasons and all that comes during autumn.  Here are some of our family's favorite fall-time fun. 

Top 10 Favorite Fall Activities

1.  Going to Friday night high school football games and college football on Saturdays.  "I can feel it coming in the air tonight"...this pretty much sums up the environment surrounding ball games.  There is almost a tangible quality to the atmosphere.  The tradition, sense of community, and excitement is so strong you can almost feel it.  The smell of grilled hamburgers, the sound of roaring crowds, and the sight of an entire community coming together to support their own mixes together for one grand experience...for all ages. :)

2.  Visiting a pumpkin patch and then carving the pumpkin together.

3.  Drinking hot chocolate on a cool night.  There is just something about a cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows that makes me smile.  Invite some friends over and have a hot chocolate bar with lots of toppings.  Add a fire and it's near perfection!

4.  Eating soup and chili from a big pot that has been on the stove all day.  Growing up I loved coming inside the house and seeing a warm pot of chili on a cold night.  The entire family would come over for chili and chili dogs.  This is a sweet memory that I love reliving...a lot.  We eat a lot of chili and soup in the fall and winter. :)

5.  Raking leaves into a huge pile and then jumping in!  While I don't think I did this very often as a child, my boys LOVE it.  The last house we lived in had tons of fallen leaves.  They would work so hard to rake them together and then in they would jump.

6.  Making smores by a fire.  Once the weather is cold enough for an indoor fire, we love pulling out the coat hangers and all making this yummy treat.  When the kids go camping with their grandparents, this is a favorite tradition no matter the season.

7.  Going to fall festivals.  Church festivals.  School festivals.  Community festivals.  They have such charm  and warmth that they are hard to avoid.  Yes, the kids may get a little over-excited...but it's all in the name of fun.

8.  Watching the corn and cotton grow.  Since we live in and near rural farming communities it is the norm to see fields of crops growing beside houses and along roads.  Cotton and corn are symbolic of both our southern heritage and the autumn season.  Once harvest time arrives, the boys love to jump on the harvesters and take a ride.  :) 

9.  Taking a hayride.  What is it about a hayride??  I think everyone from toddlers to grandparents love a good hayride.  On a cool night with a warm blanket...I'm ready.

10.  Going for walks, collecting leaves and branches, and then making decorations.  As the season changes, it becomes visible in the rich leaf color, bare branches, and falling leaves.  It is the perfect time to get outdoors and go for a walk and bike ride.  You can collect leaves and branches for seasonal decorations...wreathes, flower arrangements, centerpieces, etc.

After looking over my list, I see that these are all about memories...either remembering them, reliving them, or making them!  I hope your fall season is full of warmth that can only come

from the love of family and friends.

Happy Fall Y'all (almost),

Jenny

P.S.  Please share some of your favorite fall activities below.

Also, I'd love suggestions for future top 10s. :)