Back to School

I feel like I have been MIA.  We've just been a bit busy.  The kiddos all started school this week. With one in 8th grade, one in 5th grade and one in Kindergarten we are on the go, a lot. 

I ventured into the world of homeschooling this week.  G and I have been enjoying the flexibility and the ease of learning at home.  I've really had a ton of fun with it.  He is not a newbie to the school scene, he has been in pre school since he was 2.5 and loved it.  When registration time came around I thought about it a long time and my husband and I decided that homeschooling would be best for him this year for Kinder.  He already knows plenty of his sight words for Kinder so it's been great for him to show off to Mom. 

As a self proclaimed Pinterest addict, it has gotten even worse since the homeschool decision.  I have scoured page after page and board after board of amazing ideas.  Just this week, I used probably a few of my hoarded ideas each day. 

I will leave you now with our week in pictures....

Those would be Funfetti pancakes for the 1st Day

Loving his pancakes with sprinkles

Even 8th graders like sprinkles...

and fashionistas too!

T - 8th grade

R - 5th grade

G - Kindergarten

Writing in his daily journal

 We use the question of the day to inspire him to make a sentence and drawing for the daily journal. 

My take on the Number of the Day poster

My version of the Sight Word of the Day poster

Using Play-doh to spell out the letters and numbers for the Number of the Day/Sight Word of the Day

Sight Word BINGO

Using his cool "monster reader" to track his words

Mr. Cool reading his 1st Day of school book surprise

Our Homeschool Station....using vintage office goodies

Self Portrait time!  I traced his hands and feet and drew the body and face shape. He colored everything in and created his face and hair do.

All done!

This portrait idea came from a pin that I just glanced at knew immediately I wanted to try it out.  I never even clicked on the link until just now so I could give credit where it was due.  After I went to the website, I realized it was supposed to be a Falling in Space picture, the idea is from Oodles of Art.  Very cute idea.  We just free handed and traced and created our own kind of thing, and I like it.  We say it looks like he's looking through a glass floor.  

Studying Watercolors while making an awesome butterfly

New Paints!!

I realized as I uploaded these pictures, that someday I will look back at this picture and have a hard time remembering just how tiny those hands were.

Watercolor butterfly, all finished

 You can find this beautiful watercolor butterfly idea through The Artful Parent. I loved so many ideas there and will use more, I'm sure.  With this one, we checked out watercolor paintings online before he got started so he could see the softness of the paintings and the different ways to use the brush to make certain strokes.  This was such a calming activity and really helped his artistic side sprout. He will be using watercolors again soon.

Sight Word - 4 Ways

Our portrait with labeling for the 5 Senses study we did all week.

 I got the idea for this label happy 5 senses portrait from a post on Peace, Love, and Kindergarten.  Her blog is FULL of amazing ideas.  This was just one of many I found.  I look at the idea and use it as a framework for what we want to do. 
In our version, I cut out strips of yellow "hair", a few blue "eyes", a couple of different noses, and a few mouths.  The bow tie was a must for G.  He picked out what he liked best to make his 5 senses self portrait.  A bit like Mr. Potato Head. I cut out the face shape as well, freehand, and he glued the green paper on to make it stand out.

My little man coloring super hard, trying to get the job done. After coloring these bad boys he cut them out by himself.

We had so much fun really exploring and trying out new things.  He loved the 5 Senses I introduced on Monday so I decided to make my own week long unit.  We will finish it up on Tuesday by doing a Magazine Scavenger Hunt to find things to do with our 5 senses and gluing them in the appropriate column.  His favorite activity of the week was probably the taste test we conducted where he had to pinch his nose and taste 4 different liquids.  He has since performed this "experiment" on his dad, sister and grandfather. 

It was a successful first week, everyone came home from school happy and we are trying to get back in the groove of things. 

Happy Back to School, y'all!

Fun with Felt {Betty Lukens Felt sets review} and a bit of homeschool nervousness...

As most of my readers know....I will be homeschooling our little man this year for Kindergarten.  I am feeling such a combination of feelings about it all.  I'm excited to start something new.  I'm nervous to start something new too.  I'm a bit lost...where to start?!  I'm questioning my ability as a teacher and also pumped to gather new skills. 

This is the first review in conjunction with the new homeschooling journey.  I saw the Fun with Felt sets as a sponsor ad on one of my favorite homeschooling blogs, Confessions of a Homeschooler, and was intrigued.  It seemed like an easy activity that we could use as a teaching prop as well as something that could keep G occupied for awhile just making up his own stories.  Imagination is a wonderful thing and I encourage the kids as much as I can for them to use the one they were blessed with.  Easier said than done, of course. 

We received the Ocean scene and animals set and also the Day of the Dinosaurs set.  G picked them out after we looked online so I knew he would love them.  While waiting for them to ship he asked me every.single.day. if the mail woman was going to be bringing his "felt stuff".  When they finally arrived, he was ready to play. 

Like I mentioned before, we won't be starting homeschool until the bug kids get to school so I wasn't planning on using them as a complete educational tool just yet.  Basically, he wanted to play with them, and we would use them as a stepping stone to discuss the animals and Dino's in a fun way but not turning it into a full blown lesson. 

He loves them!  He likes that it's large and he can sit at the dining table and spread out all of his animals and play.  His sets have also migrated to his bedroom where he has some rare alone time.  They are super easy to store because they're flat, we have ours on the bookshelf in the boys' room. 

G doesn't lack imagination so it's fun to listen to him playing with his sets and living in his little world. Betty Lukens promotes the use of imagination and they want to inspire your child to use these sets as a building block to other lessons. 

I love all of the other sets they have and wouldn't mind getting a few more.  I really like the Rainforest and Space sets.  I am excited to get to know this brand and include Betty Luken's products in this blog as a great homeschool resource.  I also really dig that they have dress up sets too....paper dolls but better!

We will definitely be using the felt sets as we include the Ocean and Dinosaurs in our lesson plans and curriculum.  You don't have to be a homeschooler to use these great sets.  These work for everyday play and they even have Bible sets to use at home or even for Sunday School!

This is an exciting journey and I am happy to receive any suggestions, recommendations, helpful tips you guys may have in the whole homeschooling area.

Moving on up.....watch out world!

This week has been all about moving on up in the world.  My husband was offered a job promotion and now G graduated from pre school! 

This graduation thing is really throwing me off this year.  He has been with the amazing Mrs. Holly since he was 2 1/2 and now at 5 1/2, he is ready (more than ready) for Kindergarten. 

The thing is....I will be the teacher next year.  For the first time. 

Out of all three of the kiddos, they have all gone off to Kindergarten with smiles on their faces but tears streaming down my face.  Many thoughts have run through my mind....and have people have not been shy about offering their opinion on the matter but I honestly believe that this is the right move. 

A little nervous? Yes.  Excited?  Definitely.  I am pumped about this new journey and I am confident in our decision we made as parents.  G is already on his last set of Kindergarten sight words and is well on his way to being a great reader.  The other 2 kiddos were in the same spot when they were that age but I honestly just thought that Kinder was the next step...so they went.  Homeschooling has evolved in my mind since then. 

I don't see any reason why not, actually.  He will be able to learn in a loving, encouraging environment.  He will learn about things that sometimes get passed over in public schools.  Yes, he will be the only "student" at home but he will have plenty of social interaction. 

I am excited about all of the possibilities that are out there.  He will be able to have experiences that he wouldn't be able to have in a traditional school.  I have been given the run down by many well meaning family friends about all of the things he will miss about being in a traditional kindergarten but I am positive he will be fine.  He has been in a structured pre school since the age of 2 1/2 and knows how to line up, sit quietly, do his work, keep his hands to himself...all of the little things that some kids are learning in kindergarten.  He will be just fine. 

Now, onto the graduation.  The moms who were in charge this year were amazing and I have no doubt that the main mama in charge could make a successful party planner.  The theme this year was the circus and everything was just too cute.  I realized when I was uploading pictures that I never took pictures of the table all decorated.  So, just imagine it and know it was genius. 

My boy all ready to go

the dudes....

his award this year....Most Clever :)

Our graduate trying to escape from picture taking....

G and his magical pre school teacher, the infamous Mrs. Holly :)

G and his Pop and Gran :)

G and his Boogie :)