Homeschool Photo Portfolio 2011-2012

Homeschool Photo Portfolio 2011-2012
I am thinking that this coming year I want to get more photos into this. We did much on geography, but it was mainly in writing. Hopefully, this year I can get a better grasp on everything we did through a photo portfolio.

A Single Moment of Impact

My six year old never ceases to amaze me. Let me preface this with the reality that he is a typical six year old. He is disobedient frequently; he argues like a teenager; he is obnoxious; he lacks tact. However, he has one trait that I am particular found of...

COMPASSION! Does he always show it? No. He's six still grasping control of his emotions, and is aware of his incline to sin. Yet, when he executes this trait, I have to step back and watch it. It was really a beautiful thing. It is one of the main reasons I am so excited about him coming to Peru with my husband and I in October to meet one of our Compassion children, Smith.

If you read my blog you know that I have met Smith and his wonderful family. So, this reunion is going to quite a moment for not only me, but the rest of my family. We have a strong heart for Compassion, and their work for the nations.

Smith is our first family sponsorship:

 I chose Smith knowing that my husband has a connection with Peru. Now, I have it more than ever.

As a youth group family we chose Pataso from Thailand:

Our last addition to our Compassion family was Abdou. Now, this was Luk's decision. He said to me one day as we were talking about different countries, "I want to be a missionary in Africa!" I stood silent for a moment. Then I asked if he would like to have a Compassion child from Africa that he can have a relationship with. Needless to say, he jumped on that really fast, asking for a boy.

That night I emailed a friend of mine that works for Compassion for a child that need a correspondence sponsor, and the next day we had Abdou.

Seriously, we have some handsome boys in my family! You see God carefully placed these three boys in our lives, and after meeting Smith the clarity in our decision of cutting back on luxuries to have these three in our lives has been several moments of impact for us.

There's a single moment of impact for us all, and I think it was the day that Luk got Abdou. He finally made the decision to be apart of each of these boys lives. Before he didn't really write Smith or Pataso, it was a picture here and there, but nothing that he started. I usually asked him to, and he would do it without complaint.

However, it was when he got Abdou that he took over. It wasn't me asking anymore. It was Luk saying, "Let's write Smith, Pataso, and Abdou!" OKAY!

The importance of letter writing to your Compassion is something that is hard to explain. It's when you go and visit and the children ask you, "Do you know my sponsor? They don't write. Do they love me?" My response was a huge hug. Hearing Smith say... "I have only three letters."

Shook me. I wanted him to have a better foundation than that.

I had a single moment of impact that almost broke me, but decided instead of being broken to embrace my shame and write. Write with more intent, with more heart, and giving more of myself in process. I'm excited to see it in Luk, now.

Here is his letter writing process:

1) I ask what he wants to say.
2) He tells me. (He responds to Abdou's current question.)
3) I write it on our board.
4) He copies it on his paper.
5) He draws his picture.
6) We look and remember just how far our friend is from us.

Luk has asked to meet Abdou. He knows that we are planning a trip by the time he 10 years old. He is actively reminding me when that will be. Countdown... 3-4 years...

Here's what's coming in First Grade

We have had a great time in our first year of schooling at home, and now that first grade is coming this fall I have been planning away. In our Homeschool Co-op, many of the moms are doing FIAR for their core curriculum while matching it with Galloping the Globe.

Two years ago, my husband and I bought the Galloping the Globe bundle, and after seeing how our co-op was doing their program I realized very quickly how I was going to set up first to fourth grade for Luk. The beautiful thing about this is that Logan can tag along with the maps, books, and worksheets we are doing. 

I had to find something that included Logan into our day because right now he was a distraction wanting to sit on his brother's lap to do the work. Since he is two, I found it hard to fit him into what Luk and I were doing this year. I never imagined that he wanted to be so involved in the formal aspect of our day, but he does. So, here we go teaching a six year old and two year old with the same work. The expectation is for him to have fun doing what his brother is doing, and who knows maybe he will become a geography wiz! ;)

I haven't see many sites showing how they link FIAR with GTG, just that they do. Here is what our month-to-month looks like following the books from FIAR to the countries of GTG.

AUGUST 13-31:

Introduction to Geography

Bible Verse Copy work

"How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World" (week 1)

Prince Henry the Navigator (week 1)

Explode the Code

Writing Prompt: "If I were an Explorer"

Right Start

Considering God's Creation Lesson 2 (week 1)

Make a Paper Mache Globe (this will be labeled and pinned throughout the year)

Label Map

Bible Verse Copy work

"Katy and the Big Snow" (week 2)

Ponce De Leon (week 2)

ETC

Writing: Making a funny story

RS

Real Science for Kids "Butterflies" and Insects (week 2)

Butterfly Garden Kit/Make a Big Snow on the Map

Maps, Charts, and Graphs Book B

Bible Verse Copy work

"Miss Rumphius" (week 2)

Christopher Columbus (week 3)

ETC

Alphabetize the Explorers List

RS

Human Body

Field Trip- MOSI Mummies

Each Month we will do "Children Like Me," Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives, Country Facts, Who's Famous, Vocabulary sheets, and Book It! Daily Reading (refrigerator reminder).

Also, during the countries we will cook recipes, reading about missionaries in the area with two books, looking at historical figures, Zoo and Aquarium Guide. 

Here is the World Map we use.

One last thing, for each country we will be visiting Compassion International's website to pray for some of the children in that country that will find sponsors. If you don't know Compassion, you must! It is an amazing organization with a sponsorship program. Luk will get to meet one of our sponsor children, Smith in October. Peru with my son, husband, and church! We can't wait! 

More to come...

Kindergarten is Coming to a Close

I haven't written in two months and they were a busy two months. Out time in kindergarten is coming to an end, and I must say that our relaxed scheduling will come to an end at the start of first grade. Luk was already doing most kindergarten work, but really wasn't ready for "all" the demands in first grade. So, through the year we took our time in the class room not really rushing through anything. Here is a post of what has happened in the two months gap and then another post on things to come.

My trip to Haiti

Drawing Dinosaurs

Baby Boy's first hair cut

Is there a DR in the house? Yes, yes there is!

Preparing for Easter

Pinterest Idea: Sight Word Tower

Easter

Happy/Sad Gorilla

Soccer

LegoLand for a six year old

Happy 6th Birthday!

A Case of Croup

Panning for Gold

Surprising me with his Alligator eating those numbers

Things that have worked this year: phonetic understandings, catching on to reading fluency, math (always), Science is fun at LegoLand (video below), flash cards for sight words, and we are ready for a tougher schedule.

Things that didn't work: spelling test with sight words, and separating the boys during school.

Watch his car fly!

Fair Week 2012

It has been awhile since my last post, but rest assured that we are busy learning and growing as a family. As mentioned in previous posts, we have a little girl in our family names Acorn.

She was so tiny, but today she is beautiful Senior Doe Mini-Rex.

Acorn is a very timid rabbit; she loves to be cuddled, played with, and she is a champion lounger!

Our Fair Week was quietly approaching, and I was growing anxious on what was to be expected of our rabbit and Luk. As a homeschooling mom, you question if what you are teaching is being absorbed, you wonder if you are doing enough, and (honestly) I ask if I'm the best teacher for my son. I know the answer to all of these questions, but the father of lies is good at what he does.

Needless to say the Father of Truth brought great peace in this mama's heart. Our rabbit went on a feeding strike while at the fair and was refusing to drink her water. Her timid personality was affecting her stay in a loud barn with swine, heifers, and steer. However, on Monday night was our show night, and I couldn't be prouder.

The Showmanship was voluntary, but my husband and I felt a strong urge to have Luk do this portion of the event. But first things first, Acorn had to show herself off to the judges. Luk bravely carried her to  the arena and into her cage.

I must say that I was very proud. Luk is a natural friend maker, and he proved this to be true at the fair. The majority of the students attend public school, some he knows from VBS that other churches put on, and even with those that he didn't know he was happy to "know." He found a commonality in having a rabbit with each child. It was sweet. There were many others that were like this, too.

His rabbit received a blue ribbon for participation.

During her health check, we were told she was a wee bit chubby. ;) We already knew that as she was one of the biggest in her litter (if not the biggest), but on awesome friend Andon, got Best of Breed with Acorn's half sister, Charlee.

And with old friends came new friends...

Luk was in the first group of seven... now, with a five year old this becomes an eternity in waiting time.

He was beginning to get restless, aggravated because he just wanted to go Showmanship. As we waited... we practiced...

He grew so impatient. My husband had a man-to-man talk with him, but then he was told he had to wait more. When this happened the five year old in him was about to roar its' ugly head, when God spoke louder to my heart. It wasn't a you need to act better issue, it was a selfish heart issue. I look at Luk, and I remind him that his attitude can either glorify God or not. I explained that our purpose is just that, and that if he didn't change his attitude people would not see God in him. He looked at me, shook his head, and composed himself. It was a great mother/son moment because in that moment he allowed God to change his sinful nature. In my book, that deserves more than a blue ribbon. =)

When Luk showed Acorn to the judge, I just sat back and enjoyed him talking about his rabbit. He was incredibly friendly with the judge, he handled Acorn to the best of his ability, and he answered his questions as truthful as he could. Even though we have talked about how bad lettuce can be for Acorn, he still wants to believe that she can have it "sometimes." He did explain that the best food for her was her pellets, hay, and water. He told the judge about her "sore hock" (back foot), and talked about how her back is fragile. He did great.

At the end of an extremely long night. We stayed to hear about the results of Showmanship. Now, if you don't know (like I didn't) showmanship is the judging of the student not the rabbit like at the start of the night. There were 48 rabbit entries and the most showmanship entries for 7 year of age and younger group in years. I was so proud of all the kids, they worked hard on taking care of their rabbits and learning about them. To our pleasant surprise, Luk placed Second in Showmanship!

WHAT?!

It was a great night, we were proud, but most importantly the spiritual journey with Luk was enough. After the win, I looked at Luk, and I told him no matter if you got the red ribbon on not... I am proud of you! You worked hard, you fixed your attitude to glorify God, and that is more important than that ribbon. By the way... the ribbon was chewed on by our hungry rabbit... the battle scars of our night...

WHOOPS! The committee kindly gave us a new one.