morning mama love

my morning started out fab for many reasons but here are a couple.

[3 came into the kitchen...]

[without a word, raised this hand...]

[this hand next...i love it! *smiling mama heart*]

sorting thru some of our fave things

today as the girls did their school work i got carried away with my obsessive hobby :: sorting. im not really one for collections (except shoes, shells & rocks maybe) but for years we have adored & collected carus publishing mags. they are beyond fantastic quality learning/teaching materials for kids (adults too!)

science based ODYSSEY is one of our absolute faves!

no one ever reeeeally got into Spider enough to keep the subscription. though i think now that they are older & enjoy reading longer stories they might. i'm also thinking of adding Dig to our list for history enrichment.

Ladybug is our all time fave HANDS DOWN! i myself heart Molly & Emmett. we have some issues dated 2001. 

i pull out each months issues to read.

i reinforce the edges, weak or torn pages, etc...with tape. & i even re-glue the spines if needed. (TOLD YOU I LOVE THEM!!!)

"i want to find all the gross ones!"

science based ODYSSEY is precisely the mag for that. it has just the right amount of gross out factor for my kiddies.

FOUND IT!!! POOH her current interest. disgusting, but this child has a very curious mind...& loves to find as much info as she can no matter the subject!

magazine bin labeled by mag name & month.

soon each month will have its own bin. 

("Mom! Did you forget your label maker?!?" No Mia, usually i use my label maker...but i wanted to use these extras up & they will prob be removed soon.)

all of the past & present October issues gathered & ready for reading in one of my (many) favorite fair trade baskets.

Can't Give Up Now- by mary mary(with lyrics)

fabulous day :: tended my garden. productivity in the classroom.nature walk with my doggies. quiet time for mama. working in my kitchen with this song on repeat today :)

3's dirt experiment. science & homeschooling...do i have anything else to talk about {YES!}

3 had this cup of dirt sitting on the kitchen counter for MONTHS!  she kept planning & discussing this  "dirt experiment", but never could decide on what to actually do & how. among many other ideas, she thought about taking a few dirt samples from the yard & comparing them, but she couldn't figure out a good plan. or after many hand drawn attempts (shoulda took pix!) design the right tool (YES SHE'S FIVE) etc.... so in the interest of uncluttering my forever cluttered kitchen counter (aka the living kitchen lab), i threw this idea out there...cleverly disguising it as her own (she's not the only smarty!).

of course there was a whole lot of this

(warned you about the counter)

maybe now we are getting to the point...

this is a great pic of temptation

ummm NO! still  more of this...

ok so playing in the mud dressed up as a princess may very well have been the point...

the next day, after the dirt experiment settled...we discussed & analyzed our predictions & results.

here is a little snippet from her dictation (will spare you the entire thing) ::

Me: tell me what happened when you added the dirt to the rocks & water.

3 :: (with a devilish grin & thoroughly pleased) IT TURNED TO MUUUUUDDD!!! 

*AND YES* i realize so far most of my homeschooling post are based on science..but i do have some other fun stuff coming up.

*AND YES*  i do & will  have ALOT of other things than homeschooling to post about...but be patient none of them are ready for sharing just yet.

WHY SO MUCH SCIENCE???

1.  i was a science major & LOVE it! & it's just the way i roll.
2.  kids & science are like peanut butter & jelly! these girls seem to be taking after their mama. & this is what this age is all about...if you ask me :)
3. this early in the school year we are working on the rythmn of the classroom part of our school day.

at this point in our "brain training" there is some boring desk sitting in our classroom...some boring drill work, some foundational book work...as much as i HATE to say it some structure...etc...mixed in with our fun.... it's just necessary with the way we school & the girls ages. then of course there are days like today where the rain makes us over sleep & unable to function properly in the morning & we dont get going until 11 am. it happens.

 BUUUT when we get it down & together (& everyone learns what to expect)... things loosen up a bit. & amazingly we FLOW! 

like father...{like daughters}

like father...{like daughters}

Dad had to work on my car...

soooo the little cuties had a brilliant idea

(& maybe in order to be busy but stay out of Dad's way)...

why not set up their own shop of course...

 

since their car needed a tune up too...

 

love the Barbie Jeep on ramps...

 

& the skateboard crawler...

these girls are resourceful & smart cookies.

(yet not quite so good at putting things back together)

{FIELDTRIP} beach adaptation study

a few weeks ago we spent seven amazing hours at the beach. it was hottest day in history here to date at 114 degrees, which in our house with no A/C was unbearable. we suffered through some math work at home as the temps rose. then said FORGET IT!!! packed up & headed to the beach.

the beach is one of our fave classrooms. surprisingly the beach was packed with homeschoolers (during other schoolers time). we met new friends & it was one big playdate. this particular beach is nicknamed "mommy beach" which meant i actually had a swimsuit on out in public! mostly just us moms & no one cared. we stayed in the refreshing water the entire time.we packed up our school box to go, but never took it out of the car. regardless, it was still a school day & an educational trip so we did a lot of observing along with our playing.

the next day at home we were beyond exhausted, still hot & muggy. our classroom is the hottest room in the house so we brought our classroom to the front room couch in front of a fan. for science we discussed (compared & contrasted) & studied some of the animals we observed at the beach. (surprisingly it may have been the most involved discussions we've had yet) we have been studying animal habitats & "adaptations" they need to survive in them. we listed the animals we saw at the beach &adaptations they were created with in order to survive in their aquatic environment. *

exhausted bodies schooling on the cozy couch 

animals we chose for our discussion & write ups

dolphins (ex: streamline aerodynamic bodies)

clams (ex: shells, filter feeders)

pelicans (webbed feet & torpedo shape for diving)

MATERIALS & STUDY AIDES

 

for the kinder...stuffies rounded up for her dictation & drawings

other resources:
THE BEACH
various books
computer
each other
poetry

poems...like the one above that i love. adding to the memory work list.

* discussion of adaptations was also a way for us to carefully dispel the notion of evolution as an explanation for the way each creature perfectly suited with their particular adaptations for their environmental needs. we also discussed that adaptations are one way animals/we were divinely created for their protection & provision.

homemade facial scrub

homemade facial scrub



{olive oil, honey, oatmeal, brownsugar, aloe vera facial scrub}

the girlies & i needed a little pampering so we mixed this fantastic little facial scrub up.

sorry no recipe...just mix ingredients until it looks good to you (should be thick though). slather on. sit for a few. then wash.

{goopy}

{sticky}

{scrubby}

{refreshing}

glow!!!