Does This Compel You?

I came across this article written by a public school educator and administrator: 12 Most Compelling Reasons to Homeschool Your Children and I thought I would share it.  Some of these were definitely true for us, but they are only a handful of the reasons we chose to homeschool.  One comment from a teacher last year (when our children were still in public school) that really sticks out in my mind is "I treat all the kids in my classroom the same.  I don't want anyone to stand out as different."  Really?!?  As a parent, I know that what works as a reward for one child may not work for the next.  That's the joy of getting to know your children.  We do not all speak the same Love Language. We are all unique individuals with our own quirkiness.

Math, The Fun and Easy Way

Sometimes you need a quick activity and here is what we came up with one day.  We had these foam number dice on hand (I knew they would come in handy for something).  I had each of the boys sit down with a piece of paper, pencil, and a set of dice.  Dad helped too!

They rolled their dice and wrote their own equation, then solved it.  Everyone was just working on addition on this particular day.  To make it easier for Johnathan, I divided his paper into squares which he was to write the equations in.  This helped with his organization!

Even though this wasn't particularly challenging, the boys had fun and were able to practice setting up their equations.  I didn't have to copy any worksheets beforehand which made it even better.

~Nicole~

Chicken Salad

This is a family favorite for lunch and very simple.  I boil the chicken (seasoned with fresh onion and garlic powder).  Let it cool, then mash with our Pampered Chef Mix 'n Chop.  Chop celery and dill (or sweet) pickles.  Add mayonnaise and mix.  Serve with Wheat Thins, on a salad, or as a sandwich. Enjoy!

Fall Tree Craft

I found this idea from one of my favorite blogs.  Here is her post on this project 

(plus SO much more): 1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com

First, we dot-painted the ground (white construction paper) to represent the fall leaves.

Then we painted paper towel rolls to represent our tree.  This was the favorite part and the kids concentrated so hard making sure to cover every spot.

Love how Amada is "observing"

To finish it up I cut slits on the bottom of the paper towel tubes and glued/taped to their "ground".  I also cut slits in the top of the tubes and bent them for the branches.  I cut leaves out of construction paper using fall colors, then the kids glued them to their trees and ground.

Here is the finished product!  Theses turned out great and the kids had a fun time making them.

Budding Photographer

Our oldest daughter, Adriana, is a senior in high school and has recently taken an interest in photography.  We invested in a REALLY nice camera and she is now in charge of taking family pictures.  Take a look at some of her recent captures while we were camping.  

Alex, 9

Amada, 2

Amada, look at those dimples

Dad, climbing a HUGE rock

James, 7

Johnathan, full of energy

mom, in camping mode

The kids found a fort on the beach made from driftwood.

Alex hiding.

Camping Trip to the Ocean

Our family recently returned to the community of campers with our purchase of a travel trailer. In my opinion, that is the only way to camp, especially with little ones who have special needs. We are able to go away from home and still have some level of sameness and predictability. It's already stressful enough traveling with children who NEED routine so it is nice that we are able to bring our own food and sleep in our own trailer every time we travel. Besides, when (not if) the kids have a meltdown we can close ourselves in our relatively soundproof trailer and watch a familiar DVD. The car ride is a little tricky as towing the trailer puts added stress on our van so we can't use the air conditioner, one of our children has anxiety when driving on the freeway, and a few of our children experience motion sickness on curvy roads. 

Our solution is to leave early in the morning when it is still cool and some of the children will sleep. When all else fails, we distract the children with the iPad, scenery outside the car, or treats. We discovered the Seabands for motion sickness and they work wonderfully without having to use medication.

Everyone in our family loves visiting the ocean and what better way to wrap up our homeschooling unit on the ocean than to visit one.  (This was a very private beach and we were the only ones there most of the time.)

The kids were able enjoy the full sensory experience of the ocean: the smell of the moist salty air; the calming rhythmic sounds of the waves; the feel of the wind and sun against your face and the sand in your toes (some of our children prefer to wear shoes and socks on the beach and that's ok too); the taste of eating a picnic lunch at the beach with a little sand mixed in; and the sights of sandcastles, driftwood, and sea life. We were very fortunate to see dolphins and seals jumping and swimming through the water.

Even though our children experience the world differently, and sometimes the world IS a bit scary, we still want them to have the opportunity of different experiences.  And we will be there right beside them.

Mommy & Johnathan

In Honor of Columbus Day

We didn't go into much detail, but we talked about who Christopher Columbus was and what he is known for.  We made ships out of egg cartons, play-doh (to hold the toothpick in place), a toothpick and post-it notes cut in half vertically (wrap the sticky end around the toothpick).  I assigned a ship name to each of the boys (Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria) to remember and quizzed them periodically throughout the day. 

We also made binoculars from toilet paper rolls and the kids went "exploring" throughout the house to see what they could discover.  It was raining outside today so we weren't able to do this activity outside.  I love listening in while our children are playing.  I overheard one of the boys say he spied an octopus.  Too funny!

Enchanted Learning also has ideas for more projects.  This is one website I subscribe to for homeschool activities and worksheets. This is where I downloaded the world map.  

I also found this rather short (3 min) video on National Geographic Kids which might be helpful for those children who are a little more attentive.

Crayola Undersea Adventures Color Stories

Our boys need extra practice with fine motor control and following directions so I thought the Crayola Undersea Adventures would also be a great addition to our ocean theme.

The package came with 4 coloring books, 4 individual boxes of crayons, and the DVD.  This allowed for little sister to join in.  

We moved our table so the kids could see the television while they had fun.  We actually split this activity up over 3 sessions.  The DVD & coloring book have 3 stories and each one was just about the right length of time for our kiddos.  

I LOVE Crayola's website for resources as well!

Killer Whale Costumes

        

I search (more like scour the web into the wee hours of the morning) for hands-on activities to help "lock" the learning in through experience.  I found many great activities to do with the children related to our ocean theme in August at:  Sea World Classroom Activities.

The boys LOVED the "Baby Shamu Suit"!  They were able to identify the dorsal fin, as well as the fluke.  It was also lunch time and what do killer whales eat?  Fish!  So we made grilled cheese sandwiches and cut them out with our fish shaped cookie cutter.  I have never seen the boys eat their sandwiches so fast! 

Here are a few pictures of them enjoying their "fish".

               

Wordless Wednesday

This is our {sweet boy} James after enjoying some Cool Whip.  Due to his sensory processing disorder and cleft palate, he prefers foods that are mushy.  Also, the bigger the mess he can make, the better.

Parenting Children with Health Issues - NEW LOCATION

Friday, September 9, 2011

8:30am - 4:30pm

Sutter Health University
2700 Gateway Oaks Blvd., Sacramento, CA  95833

Guest Speakers:  

Dr. Foster Cline, Child Psychiatrist and Co-founder of the Love and Logic Institute, will address handling refusals to take medication, strategies for preventing arguments and avoiding power struggles, promoting responsibility without nagging or lecturing and enabling children to make good self care decisions.   

Lisa Greene, Co-author of Parenting Children with Health Issues is a parent of two children with cystic fibrosis who will speak on her professional and personal experience with this topic.  

Class is open to parents, caregivers and clinicians working with children with chronic health issues. 

Breakfast, lunch and class materials are included.
Sponsored by Sutter Health and Electromed.  

Register at: comptong@sutterhealth.org, or call (916) 262-9154.
Registration fee $20.00