Outside The Sandbox

Lego Logistics: Storage and Building Project

2012-01-18T22:24:00.001-08:00

Okay so the Lego collection had gotten a little out of hand in our house. Each time Ironhide wanted to play or build he had to spread tons of Lego into the middle of the floor. We had them in a 4 drawer container but they were so jumbled it took hours to find parts. It was not a creative environment.

Then one bright November morning I saw this lovely low cost Lego organizing system in Family Fun Magazine.

This design could utilize the drawers we already owned and give Ironhide a proper building space for all his creations. I wanted to do this project that very weekend but the entire family came down with strep so it had to be postponed until after Thanksgiving.

When December I arrived I knew the holidays would bring more Lego sets so the entire family sat down for what we thought would be an hour of Lego sorting. We were so very wrong. This pile looks manageable in the photo but in real life this was a big job.

It took two adults sorting and one kid kinda sorting kinda building 4 HOURS to turn that pile into these six neat drawers. I have to admit it has been a long time since we sat down as a family without the TV on and just talking working on a project together. I loved every minute of it.

(Hubby's enthusiasm turned to dogged determination by the 2 hour mark and by hour 3 he was promising never to purchase another Lego. He was kidding.)

Christmas was mere days away so I only had a $25 budget for this entire project. So the next day I made my supply list and headed for the stores.

Project Materials	Qty Needed	Price Per	Total Cost	Actual Cost
Neon Green Duck Tape	3	$6.00	$18.00	$6.00
Lego 15 X 15 base plates	2	$15.00	$30.00	$0.00	We owned multiple green base plates with fit.
Sterilite 4 Drawer Storage Cart	3	$25.00	$75.00	$0.00	We already had them.
Industrial Strength Velcro	3	$4.00	$12.00	$4.00	Coupons!
Plastic Drawer Dividers	8	$5.00	$40.00	$0.00	I made my own with leftover presentation board and Duck tape.
2” Thick Presentation Boards	2	$7.00	$14.00	$7.00	(The original designed called for wooden board but we thought thick sterofoam was a better solution saving time and money. If it didn't work we could always go back later and get a board.)
Total			$189.00	$17.00

But again illness sideline my team and we put the project on hold until after the Christmas.

We were blessed with lots of new Legos that needed a home so we got right to work to keep the sorted Legos in their new proper homes. In order to get this into his room we did a complete room re-organization. We moved shelves, rebuilt beds and brought in new bedding. Once Ironhide saw the work space he just help to build there was no more design time he had to build. He said “It's like a home make over show!”

We still have to label the drawers (he didn't like the Duck tape plan) but we have one happy kid. He has been at this station everyday since it was built. He even completed a set that had missing pieces because now all he had to do is look in the color drawer.

His birthday is coming soon so we may end up expanding the work surface.

This was a blast to do and gives him a creative space.

Wordless Wedneday: Snow Showers

2012-01-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

Be A Part of MLK Day 2012 and Keep Kids Warm This Winter

2012-01-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

"Be part of MLK Day of Service 2012 and help us reach a coat drive milestone – collect our 1 millionth coat and help those in need stay warm all across the country!

Dr. King called for individuals from all walks of life to work together to strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions. How can you be part of MLK Day this year? It is easy, donate any gently worn coat in collection boxes located in all Burlington Coat Factory stores all across the country. To find your nearest store visit the Burlington Coat Factory Store Locator.

The Warm Coats and Warm Hearts Coat Drive runs thru MLK Day, January 16, 2012. As a thank you, those who donate receive 10% off an entire purchase at Burlington Coat Factory, redeemable through January 16^th." reposted from OneWarmCoat.org

Mini Unit Study: The Legend of the Candy Cane

2011-12-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

We are doing a mini unit study on The Legend of the Candy Cane one of our favorite stories. But as always the major question is "How do they make that?"

We have found some nice supporting videos.

History Channel-Candy Cane

How Did They Do That- Candy Cane

The Week In Pictures

2011-12-16T10:05:00.001-08:00

Studying the human body.

Making gifts for others.

We are done and just need to mail them.

Live Drive-Thru Nativity with the whole family.

Family Dinner Questions

2011-12-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is giving away Our Family Dinner Questions. During the holidays with family and friends visiting for dinner this is a great way to break the ice and share memories.

Thanks Jen!

This Month Goal:10 Points of Joyful Parenting

2011-11-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

I am currently reading One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.

It has been on my "To Do" list for a year and I am determined to finished it. There has been a lot of strife, anger, depression and loneliness in our lives this year, but there has also been great strides, joy and progress. I want develop my ability to focus on the gifts of life and live in mode of Jesus.

Also she has a wonderful short study about the joy of parenting. It is a great reminder that children are a blessing and the act of parenting is joy-filled.

October Field Trip: Apple Picking

2011-11-20T12:37:00.001-08:00

Lego Quest- 2 Brick Challenge

2011-10-27T13:42:00.001-07:00

We completed our first Lego Quest Challenge. It was fun for the whole family.

Praise Report

2011-10-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

So we just got back from running errands, so it is Quiet Time in house. Ironhide has the option to color, read a book or create crafts. He decides to pull out his AWANA manual just to read. Then he gets his bible to look up scripture passages they are discussing in that section because he says he wants to understand lineage of Timothy in 2 Timonthy. THEN he pulls out a notebook and starts making notes about it "kinda like the Jesse tree mom."

Just watching him sitting at the table engrossed in God's word filled my heart to bursting. All on his on...he has a love for the WORD!

I told him that it is good to understand the word and what it means, he then said that's what they learned in 2Timothy 3:15.

I try to document these days because all to often we focus on the days like earlier this week where we want to send them to their rooms until they are 18.

Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Fall

2011-10-12T15:41:00.001-07:00

Simply House Keeping

2011-09-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Day Art

2011-09-21T16:13:00.001-07:00

Art project found at Art Projects for Kids and Kathy Barbor.

First Week of School 2011

2011-09-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our first week of homeschooling is two weeks behind us. It was a good week with a field trip and learning new tools. It was not a full fledge workboxes out and six subjects week. I decided this year to keep things simple and cover the basics.

We awoke and had pancakes while discussing our day. The expectation was set with the following sign.

During the summer we started the day with breakfast while watching an hour of TV. That's right breakfast was over an hour long. An hour for breakfast is not a great way to start a homeschooling day.

Then we completed two chores and sat down at our new IKEA desk to begin our daily devotional. This desk is setup up stairs looking out a window so he has plenty of sun light and is not distracted by the kitchen, frig, TV or couches. The table is adjustable so he always has an age approiate writing surfaces. It even tilts so he have a drafting desk.

Week 1 Summary

Bible

We are disussing Luke and the story of Jesus this month.

Math

We are using Mammoth Math. During the summer we completed at least one page everyday of math. It is easier to start back when you have been practicing all summer. The first day Ironside completed three full pages without a single prompt and was signing while doing his work. GOAL!

Science

At his request we have been studying storms and natural disasters for the first week of science. This is because in the week before school we experienced an earthquake and the edges of Hurricane Irene. As an adult I was shaken so just imagine what a child feels with these events so close together. I used science to discuss his fears and give him pro-active plans for living through a diaster.

Our resources were:

Bill Nye -Storms

Brain Pop- Weather

Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll (An old favorite.)

We also discussed how God has a plan, a big picture which we do not have access to but he promises it is all for our good.

History

Field trip to Newusem and MLK memorial.

Fine Motor

These activties were a lot of fun and a great way to get warmed up for handwriting.

Theraputty scavenger hunt with buttons, pearls and mini-figs.
Geo-Board: Stretch rubber bands over the pegs of a geo-board to make artistic designs, letters and patterns then copy the design on grid paper.
Whiteboard shape race while crossing the midline of your body.

Physical Education

Martial Arts

It was a good week but we did not see a lot of friends because they were either sick or still on vacation or started public school. Social time will pick up next week with the return of homeschool activties.

Blessings,

First Field Trip 2011 Part 2: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

2011-09-17T19:19:00.001-07:00

Our first field trip was to Washington D.C.'s newest addition to the national mall, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

This was such a moving experience for the whole family. I just keep thinking about my grandmother who was a civil rights activist in Mississippi from 1950 well into 1970. She would have been so proud.

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

We got to see a newsperson at work while we were visiting. Earlier we visited The Newseum to learn how reporting started and captures history. This was a great learning tie in for Ironhide because he got to she her use all the equipment we just learned about.

It was a beautiful day that we will remember forever.

Composer of the Month:Georg Philipp Telemann

2011-09-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

Georg Philipp Telemann

We are continuing our study of the Baroque period composers with the most of productive composer of that time Georg Philipp Telemann. We will be listening to his music and completing the activities provided by Classics for Kids.

This Week's Prayer

2011-09-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

Father we ask your blessing on our day as mothers, educators, wives and sisters in Christ. Father help us to remember our children as pure potential and not get caught up in their current isses. For Father you have a great plan for them.

In Jesus we pray Amen.

Wordless Wednesday: Handwriting

2011-09-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

Good Advice for Starting School

2011-08-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

Melissa Morgner at Half Dozen Mama has some good advice about starting school. The statement stayed with me was number 4.

4. Don’t be discouraged by the tears. Yours or theirs. They will cry, most likely. You might, or will at least feel like it. It’s hard for everyone to get back into a routine. Give your children and yourself LOTS of grace.

Things that make you go hmmmmm

2011-08-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday Smile

2011-08-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

I found this on This Funs For You website while searching for proverbs for the kid.

The teacher of a first grade class collected well known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Here are the results:

Better to be safe than . . . . . punch a 5th grader.
Strike while the . . . . . . bug is close.
It's always darkest before . . . . . . daylight savings time.
Never underestimate the power of . . . . . . termites.
You can lead a horse to water but . . . . . . how?
Don't bite the hand that . . . . . . looks dirty.
No news is . . . . . . impossible.
A miss is as good as a . . . . . . Mr.
You can't teach an old dog new . . . . . . math.
If you lie down with dogs, you'll . . . . . . stink in the morning.
Love all, trust . . . . . . me.
The pen is mightier than the . . . . . . pig.
An idle mind is . . . . . . the best way to relax.
Where there's smoke there's . . . . . . pollution.
Happy the bride who . . . . . . gets all the presents.
A penny saved is . . . . . . not much.
Two's company, three's . . . . . . the Musketeers.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and . . . . . . you have to blow your nose.
Children should be seen and not . . . . . . spanked or grounded.
If at first you don't succeed . . . . . . get new batteries.
You get out of something what you . . . . . . see pictured on the box.

Wordless Wednesday: Library of Congress

2011-08-17T19:25:00.001-07:00

Just the Basics, M’am

2011-08-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

Tricia has a great post at Heart of the Matter this morning about ramping up the school year. It speaks to my heart because that is my plan for the year.
Just the Basics, M’am

Tim Hawkins - Home School Blues

2011-08-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Homeschool Day Programs: Washington DC and Northern VA

2011-08-13T09:15:00.001-07:00

Every year we miss some of the homeschool days because the dates get buried in my email pile and never get put on the calendar. This year I vowed to make at least one of these adventures and incorporate it into our lesson plan for the year. Here are our top three opportunities.

National Aquarium Baltimore Homeschool Days 2011

September 13–15, 2011 In Baltimore MD

Designed for homeschool families/groups (ages 5 and up), each half-day session features a different environmental theme and includes an interactive presentation, a classroom activity and/or a discovery lab. This is an opportunity for parents and students to learn together, so parents, please plan on attending with your student. Please provide the reservationist with your student’s grade level so we can plan accordingly.

Colonial Williamsburg Special Events for Homeschoolers

September 10-25 Colonial Williamsburg

During the year, Colonial Williamsburg designates several weeks as Homeschooler Experiences. In addition to the variety of activities and programming throughout the Historic Area, special programs are scheduled for homeschool participants including a variety of hands-on opportunities. The 2011 Homeschooler Experience dates are September 10-25; 2012 Homeschooler Experience dates are February 11-26 and September 8-23 . Special rates are available during this period for homeschoolers. Groups or individuals are welcome. Sample itineraries are available.

National Building MuseumHomeschool Days

Wednesday, November, 16, 2011

The same programs offered throughout the year for school groups will be offered to individual families during the Museum's upcoming Homeschool Days.

2011-2012 Days (registration will open in fall 2011):
Wednesday, November, 16, 2011
Tuesday, April 3, 2012

We also always have to drop in on there Lego Exhibitions and build room.

They also have great curriculum kits. Re-create the Museum's design education programs in your own classroom with our curriculum kits.

So those are some of the big field trips planned for the school year.

Lego Fun: Lego Quest

2011-08-11T21:29:00.001-07:00

Can not wait until September and the fun starts!

“Not” Back to School Blog Hop: Curriculum Week

2011-08-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the good folks at Heart of the Matter is hosting a "Not Back-to-School Blog Hop. I so love this time of year. It has become a tradition as well as a necessity in our adventure. Because this Blog Hop always helps me organize my plans and is the skeleton for our required state yearly Notice of Intent (NOI) homeschool documentation.

The theme for this year is character building and simplicity. We did not finish some core programs last year due to hospitalization and family issues. We needed this summer off and I did not want to rush through the material in May. Some of what you see may look like a little like last year.

I will be trying something new this year. I call the concept layering. Instead of starting with all six subjects on the first day of school I am going to start with three basics and add on one additional subject in three weeks. This allows us to slowing expand the day as opposed to just jumping back into the jammed back schedule which leaves me wiped out and the family in chaos.

Here we go....

Bible and Character Development

Positive Action for Christ's program Growing with God. And weekly review with church provided material from Studio 252.

We are considering AWANA, but it may make the schedule to intense and not leave time for play dates and down time.

History

Will continue with Story of The World program Volume I, Ancient Times. We stopped with the Phoenicians and will be picking up with the the Greeks and Rome. Then we will move into The Story of the World Vol. 2 (The Middle Ages) with the accompanying Activity Book and CD. Volume 2 covers world history from the fall of Rome to the rise of the Renaissance (AD 400-1600).

The projects and Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History links were a big hit last year. We will start a Timeline Notebook this year and using the first week for review parts of Volume 1.

Language Arts

Sonlight Language Arts for Grade 3 will include good literature and

“ Includes full schedule, teaching helps, separate parent instructions with full answer and definitions, reader schedule, dictation, spelling, creative expression, and student activity sheets.”

Grammar
We will still use living books from the series “ If you were” to supplement Sonlight grammar.

Spelling
We began http://www.all-about-spelling.com/in late September.

Handwriting

Handwriting without Tears Cursive Writing

Additional resources for literature Beyond Five In a Row and what ever takes our fancy at the library.

Math

We went through two different mathematics curriculum last year until we found our solution with Math Mammoth.

We will add if need with lectures from Khan Academy , Math Games and Stuart J. Murphy Math Start for Visual Learners .

Fine Motor Skills/ Life Skills

This is still an area of concentration we will :

Creative coloring
Learning Chess (pincer grip)
Knot So Fast (Think Well Game)
Free Typing Game
Montessori Activities and even more and just a little bit more

Geography

This was difficult because I did not want to max out on the states at his age. He loves playing Scrambled States of America and absorps facts fast. He is addicted to How the States Got There Shapes .

So I was going to leave states as just fun time and do one country a month for world geography using Expedition Earth: A Journey Through God’s World . We will listen to music of the country a couple of times of the four weeks and end the month with either dinner out or homemade meal from this country.

Physical Education

We are enrolled in a Homeschool Physical Education co-op class and martial arts. Whew!

Music/Drama/Art

Our primary resource will be Grace Abounding The Core Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature, Music, and Art (AAALMA).

We are enrolled in a local art co-op class and visiting museum exhibits throughout the year. The National Gallery of Art has a great homeschool program were you can borrow material and get free online tours

Still need to find a music class we can afford but we will be taking part of in free concert/play venues in the area. The search is still on for individual instruction but we do have an at home drum program. As well as alternating sources with a musician month using Classics for Kids and AAALMA.

Science
We are enrolled in a accelerated local co-op class and visiting museum exhibits throughout the year. We still have Real Science 4 Kids Pre-Level Biology to complete but we will take our time. We have a month of things to do just with the microscope.

Remember plan subject to change due to real life events.

Blessings

Hezekiah Walker "Faithful is Our God" Awesome Praise Break

2011-08-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Pressing Forward

2011-08-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

This has been a tough summer. I was literally burned up and out. There have been months of financial struggles, close friends divorces, illness with family members and a chaotic home life. So I finally just stopped the roller coaster that is our fast paced lives and just shut down for a couple of months. Not that a mother can ever completely shut down, but we are operating on the bare basics without outside activities, classes, field trips and entertaining visitors. We needed to bring the laughter and joy back into our home and homeschool.

Most people don't understand how much energy, planning and creativity that is required to mother as well as educate a high energy, curriculum absorbing and strong willed male child. It has been a great challenge and I have loved every minute of it. So much in fact that I think we were overextended and my expectation of myself were to high. We all longed for the last day of school and did not look forward to starting up again.

It has been a season of praying, debating and doubting. There are so many changes happening in our live, community and small homeschool group. A lot of days are spent without friends and that has been my biggest concern. My prayer has always been “Am I doing what is right for him? Can I keep up the pace? Where can we find Godly friends?”

This year for the first time of our almost four year journey we seriously considered public education. At first my prayer was not directed at what was best for our child, I admit that. It was the fear of not measuring up in some way...him being that weird socially awkward kid that gets bullied .....or the kid that never had the school experience or overprotected child who later can not cope. Fear that he would be lonely and would not have friends. FEAR!

It manifested itself physically with sleepless nights, stress headaches and depression. Through it all a fellow homeschooler, my spiritual sistah kept reminding me:

2 Timothy 1:7...
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Every place I went I kept hearing this message in church and on the radio. Faith that is what was missing. Faith!

So I started to pray again. Asking for the faith to follow what God's plan for us. Because God does not want us to live in fear. It brings him no glory or joy. So we started anew with a spirit of faith. We sat down wrote out a pros and cons list and prayed over it. God began to work, not in large flashy ways but on my heart, in still quiet moments. Everyday showing me where I needed to work, labor and rejoice.

So again this year with step out on faith and move forward.

Knowing Faithful Is Our God lyrics

Used Book Sale Gold

2011-06-25T16:41:00.001-07:00

This week we attended our local library's used book sale. It was a home educators dream with three gyms full of used books and a free book for every kid attending the event. Last year I did not find this sale until late into day one. This year I grabbed some of the ladies and we where there when the doors opened on a bright sunny morning.

Being a veteran of homeschool conferences and book sales I brought along my trusty bright orange suitcase. I fear it was bulging after just twenty minutes.

Can you guess how many books I shoved into this beauty?

I was very selective because we still have curriculum to buy for next school year but we got most of our wish list.

26 Magic Tree House Books
Usborne Reference Books
a raw cookbook
CM book

So we got 64 books for $49.00!

Happy Homeschooler!

Virtual Learning for free

2011-06-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan talk at TED 2011 (from ted.com)

Shuttle Crew Says Farewell, Closes Hatches

2011-05-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

STS-134 Memorial Day Message

2011-05-31T05:28:00.000-07:00

STS-134 Daily Mission Recap - Flight Day 2

2011-05-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ironhide did notice that this mission is the Ultimate Boys ONLY road trip. (He is firmly in the "Guys Rock" age range.)

Mini Unit Study: Space Shuttle Endeavour Math Day2

2011-05-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

How fast is the space shuttle Endeavour traveling around the earth?

So we go to Real Time Satellite Tracking at N2YO.com which gives the location of Endeavour in latitude and longitude as well as ~ travel speed. According to this site Endeavour was traveling at 4.62 m/s during Day 2 of it's mission. That means it travels 5 miles in about a second. WOW!

So we have to do a little math to get miles per hour.

Let's start with basics:

60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minute = 1 hour

16 272 m/h

This means that the Endeavour orbits Earth (and sees a sunrise) once every 92 minutes!

We finished the day with a writing prompt titled "What would you bring on the shuttle?"

Mini Unit Study: Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch Day 1

2011-05-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

We decided to mark of the end of the Space Shuttle program with a mini-unit study on the remaining shuttles flights.

Endeavour May 15, 2011 STS-134
Atlantis mid-July 2011 STS-135

So on May 16th we grabbed some gluten free pancakes, grapes, OJ and Matchbox Shuttle orbital to watch the launch on CNN online. Hubby was so thrilled he stayed around to watch it with us. This was after all the final launch of space shuttle Endeavour STS-134 and there were pancakes on a weekday. No matter how many launches you watch your heart races at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and GO for lift off! It was thrilling to share it as a family.

It was a special time as we shared our memories of watching our first space shuttle launch back in 1981!

Also if you are old enough your heart stops the minute the solid rocket boosters separate with an explosion of smoke and fire. Challenger STS-51-L we will never forget.Back row (L-R): Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Front row (L-R): Michael J. Smith, Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair.

“ We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of Earth' to 'touch the face of God." President Ronald Regan

Later we pulled out our shuttle and simulated Endeavour's flight path which we were tracking via the internet.
We look forward someday to seeing Endeavour in CA when it is retired later this year. Discovery is bound for the Smithsonian and the National Air and Space Museum at the same time and we will be in the opening day crowds.

More to come...space shuttle math.

The Write Shop Primary Review & Giveaway

2011-05-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Write Shop Primary Review & Giveaway

Erica at Confessions of a Homeschoolers is giving away another great program.

Looking for some help teaching your children how to write? Write Shop is different. It is a teacher directed program that literally shows your children the “how to” of writing through examples, brainstorming, working together, and editing. No longer are they just trying to come up with something creative out of thin air. I know that seems simple, and it is, but its works!

So hop on over to Confessions of a Homeschooler to enter for the giveaway!

Homeschooling vs Home Education?

2011-05-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Which do you prefer homeschooling or home education?

home·school·ing/ˈhōmˈsko͞oliNG/ Noun: The education of children at home by their parents.

home ed·u·ca·tion Homeschooling or homeschool (also called home education or home learning) is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school

Does it matter?

Great Giveaway:Expedition Earth: A Journey Through God’s World?

2011-04-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Erica at Confessions of a Homeschoolers is giving away her great geography curriculum. She has been a great inspiration for curriculum, character studies and monthly menu planning. She has been a true blessing in our homeschool adventure.

Expedition Earth is Godly journey around the globe.

"Get ready for an exciting voyage across the world! Come along as we walk on the Great Wall of China, wander through the Amazon Rainforest, and climb the Egyptian Pyramids! Within this curriculum you'll discover the sights and sounds of 31 countries across the globe. You’ll get hands-on with fun activities, crafts, recipes and more! So grab your passports, and get ready to go! It's time for Expedition Earth!"

So head over to Confessions of a Homeschooler s for your chance to win.

Question of the Day: Why is a Penny called a Penny?

2011-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

One foreign currency we were using was British money. The British pound was not divided into 100 cents like our dollar, but its smallest part was called a penny, and that's why we call our cent a "penny" today. But for more than one, the British called them "pence" while ours are called "pennies."

Source US Mint for Kids

Question of the Day: Who was Poor Richard?

2011-03-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Who was Poor Richard?

Poor Richard's Almanack (sometimes Almanac) was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" or "Richard Saunders" for this purpose. The publication appeared continually from 1732 to 1758. It was a best seller for a pamphlet published in the American colonies; print runs reached 10,000 per year

Poor Richard

Franklin borrowed the name "Richard Saunders" from the seventeenth-century author of the Apollo Anglicanus, a popular London almanac which continued to be published throughout the eighteenth century. Franklin created the Poor Richard persona based in part on Jonathan Swift's pseudonymous character, "Isaac Bickerstaff." In a series of three letters in 1708 and 1709, known as the Bickerstaff papers, "Bickerstaff" predicted the imminent death of astrologer and almanac maker John Partridge. Franklin's Poor Richard, like Bickerstaff, claimed to be a philomath and astrologer and, like Bickerstaff, predicted the deaths of actual astrologers who wrote traditional almanacs. In the early editions of Poor Richard's Almanack, predicting and falsely reporting the deaths of these astrologers—much to their dismay—was something of a running joke. However, Franklin's endearing character of "Poor" Richard Saunders, along with his wife Bridget, was ultimately used to frame (if comically) what was intended as a serious resource that people would buy year after year. To that end, the satirical edge of Swift's character is largely absent in Poor Richard. Richard was presented as distinct from Franklin himself, occasionally referring to the latter as his printer.[8]

In later editions, the original Richard Saunders character gradually disappeared, replaced by a Poor Richard, who largely stood in for Franklin and his own practical scientific and business perspectives. By 1758, the original character was even more distant from the practical advice and proverbs of the almanac, which Franklin presented as coming from "Father Abraham," who in turn got his sayings from Poor Richard. (source Wikipedia)

What are those flowers at the Smithsonian Castle?

2011-03-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Photo by kimberlyfaye @ Flickr

I have had several inquires about the trees pictured in my March post about the Smithsonian Castle. These are not Cherry Blossoms, they are tulip magnolias.

Museum: Smithsonian Gardens-Enid A. Haupt Garden

A 4.2-acre rooftop park, named for its donor, features an embroidered parterre in a geometric design of plants and flowers rotated seasonally, an Asian-influenced garden adjacent to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, and a Moorish-influenced garden adjacent to the National Museum of African Art. Saucer and tulip magnolias, wide brick walks, and 19th-century cast-iron garden furnishings from the Smithsonian Gardens' Garden Furniture Collection line the perimeter. The entrance gates off Independence Avenue were re-created from a design by James A. Renwick Jr., architect of the Smithsonian Institution Building, the Castle.

Welcome Back Cherry Blossoms

2011-03-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

We love the Cherry Blossom season because it is the first sign that Spring is officially here in DC. Although the weekend forecast does call for snow. :-(

National Park Service Cherry Blossom WebCam

Cherry Blossom Bloom Schedule

Average Peak Bloom Date: April 4

2011 Peak Bloom: March 29 - April 1

2011 Blooming Period: March 26 - April 7.

__________________________________

Green Color in Buds: 3/7/2011

Florets Visible: 3/9/2011

Extension of Florets: 3/16/2011

Peduncle Elongation: 3/19/2011

Puffy White: 3/22/2011

Wordless Wednesday: Finally Spring

2011-03-23T03:04:00.001-07:00

Using The Microscope

2011-03-21T10:08:00.001-07:00

Over the holiday break I finally gave in and switch science programs from Winter Promise to Real Science-4-Kids. Ironhide was not enjoying Winter Promise Shoots, Buzz and Sprouts because the information was presented in a disjointed and confusing manner. The hands on experiments were good but there were also information gaps that were not acceptable to us. I spent a lot of time trying to fill in the gaps and not enjoying science time. So after a short Google search we found Real Science-4-Kids (RS4K).

RS4K may not be our long term science program but it is a nice transition for spring where we tend to be more literature and math intensive. Our major science study for the spring will be our garden and outdoors so we chose the Biology bundle. This program actually gives us the detail we searching for with a nice kid friendly text. We supplement with interesting websites recommended from the Usborne Internet Linked Science Encyclopedia.

This week we will be learning how to use our microscope. Last year we were gifted with a new Celestron Digital Microscope. This is a neat tool because it allows us to connect to the computer and save our pictures to share.

Tools for this Week

-Celestron Digital Microscope

-Brain Pop Video on Microscope

-Looking through a microscope by Linda Bullock

-Lakeshore Learning Prepared Slides

-Laptop computer

Math Lesson: Gluten free baking flour and Legos

2011-03-10T04:55:00.001-08:00

Hey Mom, why do you buy all that gluten free flour? Why are you getting so much?

Son, it is cheaper to shop in bulk than to buy big small bags. Let us go to the white board and bring the laptop.

First we found the price of favorite GF bread at the local grocery store and online.

Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour
Local Grocery $3.99 for 22oz (3.99/22) = $0.18 per oz (add tax,gas) = $0.25
Amazon $26.80 for 176.oz = (26.60/176) =$0.15 per oz

The Amazon flour is sold as a bulk item, so it may look like we are saving only pennies but factor in driving to the store, local sales taxes and just time spent shopping it can actually add time to our day. Amazon.com is better than local grocery store price per pound and you get free shipping over $25 dollars. Which saves on me driving to Wholefoods to buy Gluten Free items.

Hmmm Mom, does that work with Legos? Let's do the math.....

Okay at the Lego Store's small pick a brick bucket is about $8 you get about 40 pcs. The bigger bucket is $15 dollars and you get squeeze about 90 medium pcs or 200 small pcs in the bucket.

$8/40=$0.20 for the small bulk bucket and you points towards more Legos.
$14.00/90=$0.16 for the Big bulk bucket and you points towards more Legos.

So it's cheaper to buy the big bucket. Can we go to the Lego store?

(Why didn't I see that coming. LOL)

Kitchen Tip:
I also use http://www.mambosprouts.com/ which has organic food coupons.

I use my crockpot using this http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/03/perfect-gluten-free-bread-baked-in.html to make bread. All of her dishes are gluten free and it saves time, but you have to plan.

(All photos are borrowed from the web because my camera is off-line.)

Groundhog says Spring is coming...Almanac says snow

2011-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

We have been using the 2011 Farmer's Almanac in our study of weather this year. So far the Almanac has been about 50% which has been better than our local weather team. Now Phil says spring is on the way. What do you think?

Flubber and Forgiveness

2011-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

We have been using Erica's @ Confessions of a Homeschooler Character Study series based on Diligence to supplement our church bible study. It is meshing very well with regular studies and Ironhide loves the weekly challenges.

Today we were discussing Jonah and his journey. In his adventure Bible it discussed how God forgives and the experiment was to throw a super ball. No matter hard you throw it always bounces back. Like God no matter what the sin God forgives over and over again.

Ironhide's face lit up and he says, "God's forgiveness is like Flubber in the movie. It never stops!"

That made my day. :-)

Wordless Wednesday: Snowschooling Tool

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Caffeine!

But only for the teacher/principal/bus driver and lunch lady. NONE for students.

No matter how deep the snow our Starbucks is always open.

Snowschooling 2011 Day 2

2011-01-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

A quiet walk to the library.

A big hill and friends provides hours of fun.

A frozen pond and science observation.

Snowschooling 2011 Day 1

2011-01-29T15:13:00.001-08:00

Recently a friend asked my son "What do you do on a snow day?" His bemused reply was "Have school in the snow." Since we have moved north I try to incorporate snow days into our school plans. Last year we had a blast discovering the joys of snow. It was a challenge with 40 plus inches of snow of the ground and Dad for constant company for week but it was one of the best weeks of last school year. So in Ironhides mind it is just the nature of things to include weather, national events or moving into what we are learning.

Secretly I have been yearning for snow days just to slow down the pace of life. We have been on a head long rush since December with plays, concerts, play dates, parties, holidays, visitors, birthdays and classes. I love the quiet of life that accompanies more than six inches of snow. In this area six inches seems to be the magic number between "Oh, it going to snow" and "Close everything down it is going to snow."

Well last week we got full out DC Snow panic with 10 plus inches of snow during rush hour. It was a dangerous time to travel and the wet heavy snow left thousands without power.

We watched as our driveway go from this

to this in just under 5 hours.

We learned a lot that night about preparing for emergencies and directed prayer. Daddy arrived home safe after 6 plus hours.

Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Book

2010-12-22T20:05:00.001-08:00

I have been following a local homeschool blogger Jennifer at Planted by Streams for a few months now. She is always inspirational and fun. Earlier this month she blogged about Ann Voskamp's Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional. It has been a blessing to our family. If you did not get a chance to do it this year, I encourage to you make it part of you homeschool adventure in 2011.

Christmas Decor: Homemade Mantel and Fireplace

2010-12-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

Mom,can we have a Christmas mantel like we did in our old house? Sure son. (Internal grimace.)

During our move the kid lost a backyard, sunny Decembers and his life long friends. We can not replace any of that but try to give a little Texas Christmas by giving him a mantel on a tight budget.

I felt like MacGyver minus the chewing gum. I had left over USPS boxes, brown butcher paper, a Wii Fit Board Box and the Family Fun Christmas book from the library.

My normally none crafty son was very pleased with the results.
In true boy fashion he had to take it up a notch. "Mom, can we make fake fire?" He runs to the Michael's bag and pulls out two flickering tea lights (battery operated) then places behind our fake logs. "Mom this is going to be AWESOME!" It is awesome.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday:Christmas Edition

2010-12-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

Our first rolled out gluten free Christmas cookies.

My Homemade Christmas Workbox Tags

2010-12-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

I just got into a festive mood and made these Christmas Workbox Tags for our workboxes.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C.

2010-12-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

As part of our holiday celebration we are reading "The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C." by Candice Ransom. This is a great way for us to discover the city and start new family traditions.

So far we have done 5 of the 12 activities discussed in the book. Most of which have been free admission and loads of fun. However the blistering cold of the last couple of weeks have made each an adventure dressing for winter.

I have been having camera issues so most of the pictures will be borrowed from other sources on the web.

Some of our favorites are:

Zoolights at the National Zoo

A chilly Saturday morning visit to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The lobby has a beautiful glass floor with an amazing Christmas tree.

While there we visited the First Ladies at the Smithsonian exhibition. The gowns were wonderful and the space incredible.

My favorite dress. I loved it! The shoes were AWESOME!
Also on the display is the George Washington Statue from 1841. This was a different view of the first president. I personally did not care for it. Then Ironhide say "Look at your man, now look at your president" (reference the Old Spice commercial), I was well and truly done.

And of course the Ruby Slippers.

Our next adventure was on a cold and windy day to visit The White House and the famous squirrels at Lafayette Park.

The original black and gray squirrels where actual escapees from the zoo who found a home here in the park. These are the chubbiest squirrels I have ever seen. They have no fear of people and will come right up to you. When I did not feed them one actually stepped to block my way.

We were all in awe of The White House. It is beautiful sight.

And of course it would not be DC without the Washington Monument.
Well that is all for now.

Blessings,

Our Darling Daughter's 10 Year Homecoming Anniversary

2010-12-01T04:43:00.001-08:00

Co-Op Question: How do you celebrate Gluten Free Thanksgiving?

2010-11-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

Okay so here are the main dishes. The family voted against turkey this year because we eat turkey in some form almost every day. I will try to capture pictures this week.

Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Onions and Garlic

Ingredients

· 1 3 to 4 pound frying chicken. (It’s easier to roast a fryer, and they have less fat on them overall.)

· 1 apple, cut in four pieces

· The juice of one lemon

· 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces

· 1 large red onion, cut in 1-inch pieces

· 6 cloves garlic, peeled

· extra virgin olive oil

· Salt and Pepper to taste

· Liberally season both the inside and outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the apple slices inside the body cavity of the chicken and pour the lemon juice inside as well. Place chicken in the center of a baking sheet that has a cooling rack placed right-side up in the pan.

· Toss the potatoes, onions and garlic in a bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil, some salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg if desired. Arrange around chicken on baking sheet. Pour any remaining olive oil over the chicken.

· Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh, making sure the probe is not touching any bones. (I generally slide the probe all the way through the bottom of the breast and into the thigh; just to be sure I’ve got the tip in the right spot.)

· Place chicken and vegetables in a 350° F oven and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 155 degrees. (You may have to peek in on the veggies. If they look like they’re over-roasting, turn once.) Remove chicken from oven and cover loosely with two layers of aluminum foil. Allow to rest until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (Approximately 15 minutes)

Gluten Free Southern Corn Bread Dressing

To prepare: Preheat oven 350 F. Makes about 8 cups; 12 servings

Ingredients

· ½ cup (1 stick) butter

· ½ cup chopped onion

· 1 cups chopped celery

· ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

· 1 teaspoon rubbed or ground sage, or to taste

· 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

· ¼ teaspoon rosemary seasoning

· ½ teaspoon ground black or white pepper

· ½ teaspoon salt (optional)

· 5 cups crumbled Bob Mills Gluten Free Corn Bread mix

· 3 large eggs, slightly beaten

• 1 ½ to 2 cups Chicken Broth

Heat oven to 350⁰ F. In large skillet, melt butter; add onions and celery. Over low heat sauté until tender (but not mushy), about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, sage, thyme, pepper and salt (if desired). In large bowl add crumbled corn bread and vegetable mixture. Stir in eggs and 1 ½ cups of broth. If mixture seems dry, add remaining ½ cup of broth. Taste and if necessary, adjust seasonings

To cook inside turkey: Spoon dressing into body cavity (do not pack); spoon any additional dressing into neck cavity and/or buttered baking dish.

To bake dressing separately: Spoon into large greased baking dish; cover loosely. To cook along with turkey, add to oven during the last 30 to 40 minutes roasting time.

QOTD: Why Do People Yell Geronimo When They Jump?

2010-11-15T11:00:00.001-08:00

So my curious son asked last week, "Why Do People Yell Geronimo When They Jump?" My answer "Let's google that." We found the answer which was a great lead into my little mini unit study on Veterans Day, which took 10 minutes with craft.

Since then we have been talking about Native Americans and planning field trips. Oh well off to revise the plan again.

Geronimo Stilton: A FAB-U-MOUSE Adventure

2010-11-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

We discovered a series of books about an adventurous journalist mouse by the name of Geronimo Stilton. This is a wonderful series of books written for kids 8-12 years old and appeals to Ironhide's need for action based stories. This series uses different colored text and Onomatopoeia to bring the story alive. It covers topics from the Amazon, Ancient Egypt and the Ice Age. Ironhide starts reading them standing in line at the library.

I am working on a Lapbook for a couple of the titles and should have them on the blog before Christmas.

So come join us for a Fab-U-Mouse Adventure.

Amazon.com Widgets

Cold Rainy Days of Homeschooling

2010-11-08T03:51:00.001-08:00

If you had asked me two years ago what were my worst days for homeschooling, I would have told you the rainy days short days of October and November. Those were days of just us, without the possibility of going outside because of the allergens in central Texas would have everyone of our gang (us included) trapped inside on some type of antibiotic or breathing treatment. The rain brought sunless days which only served to deepen the feeling of isolation and depression. It was a time of multiple doctor office visit, medication, cancelled play dates and soggy trips to the library.

Last October and November where a whirlwind of co-ops, field trips, hours spent playing outside in the crisp afternoon air and days spent watching the beautiful foliage of the Metro DC area. We were rarely at home and loved it. We became Smithsonian regulars because there was no tourist traffic and our little band of homeschoolers had the run of the place. We took cool classes about flight, visited the Senate chamber and explored Mount Vernon. Did the "schooling part" of homeschool suffer? Nope we were learning without books. Did the workbooks suffer? Oh yes, but I was assured by experienced homeschoolers in this area we would well make up the time during the cold and snowy days of December and January. Which proved to be oh so true and we did and survived two epic blizzards as well.

This October started like last year with field trips, co-ops and the like. But the difference is this year I didn't fell rushed because we had a schedule. I had a plan. There were tough days but I was confident enough to slow things down when we needed to, allowing us to focus more on the "work". It was going well, some curriculum change but still going well.

Then a medical condition that I was getting treatment for started to get off track. I was having days filled with nausea, headaches and general "ugh". I felt guilty because I felt like I should be giving more to my son, my husband and my co-op friends. However through prayer and spiritual sisterhood I started to realize I was doing exactly what I was suppose to being doing , taking care of myself.

Then my son became ill and needed to hospitalize for a short time. Praised God he is healthy and home. During the mist of his illness he ask "Why does this always happen to me? Allergies? Ear Infections? Asthma? Pneumonia? "Then he answered himself just as quick "Because stuff happens and then it's okay. Like rainy days."

So as we recover from our rainy October I ask you to pray with me for the following:

-for the health

-for guidance

-for the ability to see the rainy days as just rainy days.

Wordless Wednesday: Apples

2010-11-03T14:24:00.001-07:00

Transitioning from Lapbooking to Sorta Notebooking

2010-10-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

This year I changed things up and moved to more of a notebooking system for our studies. We love lapbooking and my continue to do some now and again. However I thought this was a good time to incorporate notebooking into our school because of the volume of the work we are doing this year.

These sturdy sketchbooks cost about $5 each with a coupon but are so great for keeping everything in one space. Ironhide is having fun looking back through his month of work.

However he has requested a least one lapbook a semester.

Winter’s Promise Science Adventure -September

2010-10-04T21:53:00.001-07:00

Winter Promise advertises Shoot & Sprout, Buzz & Bite as "Spend a year exploring the living things that populate our planet. Wonderful pictures will make the journey come to life as you see this world up close! Fantastic resources allow students to learn by observation and simple experiments. This program can be completed in 2-5 hours per week." So far the program lives up to it that claim.

The program has enough structure that I do not have to pull together material for science which often leads to delays a loss of student interest. The support books remind me of Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia. The e-books are wonderful full color guides to interesting and up to date websites. The only drawback is The World of Plants textbook which was just not a good fit with the rest of the program. We supplemented with a standard 3^rd Science text.

We have had a lot of fun understanding the nature of plants and growing our own balcony fall/winter garden. We have explored several local community gardens understanding the pollination and seed travel. There have been tons of cool experiments, so much so our kitchen table looks like a botany lab.

Our first experiment was the growing of a bean from seed to plant. Ironhide was beside himself because he was actually growing food. He got so into it we added kale and more beans to the lineup.

Homeschool View - Dealing with Loneliness in an Only Child

2010-09-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

A good read for those rising super singletons from Alpha Omega.

Question of The Day Fall Edition or FQOTD

2010-09-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

I really should document Ironhide's questions but there are so many it is hard to keep track. They are good questions. Questions that make you go .hmmmmmmm.

Last night we as a family watched Bizarre Foods on Travel Channel. The host was in Japan and sampling the lunch favorite of Chanko-nabe.

Which is a dish of s a Japanese stew (a type of nabemono or one-pot dish) it contains a dashi or chicken broth soup base with sake or mirin to add flavor. One thing we found interesting was that the Sumo wrestlers take turns cooking. They also cook in sumo gear…that's right no clothing except for that little underwear thingy. (So says my son Ironhide.) The food look good but the abundance of sweating cooks kind of spoiled the experience for me.

This morning Ironhide asked "Are there any women Sumo wrestlers?" Good question and off to Google went for the answer. And yes Virginia there are women Sumo wrestlers.

Mom how much do they weigh in pounds? Well let's covert (This morning Mom used the online converter after 20 minutes of trying teach it.) with Online Converter. These ladies have to be big to do their jobs. The largest are over 300lbs.

So for the rest of the morning ds is doing his version of Sumo wrestling with the sofa cushions while inserting some Russian folk dance. That is another blog. Oh you got to love homeschooling.

Wordless Wednesday: Living Science

2010-09-15T04:39:00.001-07:00

Online Reading Log

2010-09-13T06:08:00.001-07:00

We read so many books here at the Sandbox it is hard to keep an updated list. I feel the need to capture that experience to help plot our future reading choices. Our library's summer reading program had an excellent online tool that allowed Ironhide to document what he read and review it. I was able to print out a list at the end of summer for our records. The log also provided him with a sense of accomplishment at the end of the summer.

For the school year I wanted something along those lines to keep up with everyone's reading list. I could have done it on Amazon but I wanted a commercial free zone to capture thoughts and feelings without market forces coming into play. So we are trying Goodreads.

"Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world. We have more than 3,500,000 members who have added more than 100,000,000 books to their shelves. A place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more. Goodreads was launched in December 2006."

This is a great place for the avid reader. I love the founder message about why he started Goodreads.

"When I was in second grade, I discovered the Hardy Boys series. Ever since, I've loved to read — both for fun and to improve my mind. And I'm always looking for the next great book. Reviews on Amazon and other sites are helpful, but I thought there might be a better way.

One afternoon while I was scanning a friend's bookshelf for my next great read, it struck me. When I want to know what books to read, I'd rather turn to a friend than any random person, bestseller list or algorithm. So I thought I'd build a website — a website where I could see my friends' bookshelves and learn about what they thought of all their books."

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: Field Tripping Again National Zoo

2010-09-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

We visited the world famous Smithsonian National Zoo. My camera was not charged up so I have to borrow stock photos to share the experience.

I love this zoo for the up hill walk which leaves the kiddo happy and tired at the end of the day.

You can visit virtually via their zoo cams.

Just a little advice if you are going to the FONZ:
-Go early if you are going to drive and get parking.
-Pack your lunch in a rolling cooler so you or the kids can drag it around the park. It will save tons on food and water prices, not to mention the ick factor with the water fountains.

Wordless Wednesday: Fieldtrips

2010-08-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

Science Boys Will Love...Graphic Science Comic Book

2010-08-27T09:21:00.001-07:00

This summer we found this great collection of action graphic comic science books featuring Max Axiom. Max Axiom is a superhero scientist with all the super hero trappings, cool car, cool tools and super smart. Bonus he is a hero of color kicking down the doors about the stereotypical nerds. Bonus Bonus he kind of looks like DH. Big educational bonus the books have real substance and are engaging to boys.

DH and son have spent hours sharing Max's adventures. We just wish there was an action figure.

Here is what Kevin Hodgson of The Graphic Classroom had to say:

"Capstone Press has created its own brand of superhero – Max Axiom, Super Scientist – whose exploits uncover the mysteries of the scientific world. Max Axiom, who sports a bald head and cool glasses, dives into many adventures in the series, exploring such concepts as sound, energy, ecosystems, and others.

With INVESTIGATING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD WITH MAX AXIOM, the reader goes through the steps of the process of scientific discovery in a very meaningful way. The story doesn't skimp on explanations and the writer (Donald B. Lemke) and illustrators (Tod Smith and Al Migrom) use the graphics inherent in this form to its advantages, showing detailed illustrations that reinforce the story and explanations."

Frederick Douglass Quote

2010-08-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks Ann@His Grace To Me