Math Fun!

Some days it just works out that we do one subject for the entire day, usually it is Reading, Science or Social Studies. Today was Math Day! We read many living books of various math related ideas, watched a math movie, played dice addition, domino addition, measured things, worked on estimating and created an addition lapbook.

Kalie creating. She is very particular about how she wants things to be. (Yes, my dining room table almost always looks like this. LOL!)



The cover. The fun foam numbers are left over from teaching preschool (years ago). The numbers 6 and 10 are white and they would not show up when I took the pictures. She drew faces on all of the numbers. Next to each number are small round stickers equal to their value.



One set of the flash cards that are tucked into each pocket.



Each pocket has dots equal to their number.



Most of the day was spent working on this lapbook and playing with the flash cards. We probably have 6 or 7 sets of addition flash cards, yet we continue to create more. Some of them are on rings. We have dry erase ones. At least 3 sets are in lapbooks. We have some in ziploc bags. Kalie likes a variety. LOL!

In about 2 years I will have wonderful resources for someone just starting to homeschool. LOL!

Today was a great day!

Our Yard ~ Phase 1

Phase 1 of the "Big Beautiful Back Yard" has begun.
(I am working on some of the front yard, too.)

First Step ~ Wal-Mart for the beginning of purchases (ouch!). We bought:

1. 4 trays to start our seeds @ $4 ea.
2. a hose @ $6
3. a hose hanger @ $2
4. 2 bags of organic flower/vegtable potting soil @ $2.50 ea.
5. 2 bags of grass fertlizer/starter @ $3.75 ea.
6. 12 pkgs. of seeds @ average of $1 ea.
7. 3 pots to make a strawberry container/tower @ $6
8. 6 large pkgs. of sunflower seeds @ $1.50 ea.

Total $63.50

My first job was to mow the lawn. The lawn mower is not working, I will have to take it to be repaired tomorrow. So I weed wacked around the front poarch. We found this bush that was blooming. It is small but maybe it will grow bigger. Our new hose is peeking out from behind. Where this bush is we do not want grass, we want to put flowers there. I wish I could move this lush grass to the bare spots in the front yard.

I raked and watered the large bare spot in the front yard. Kalie and I sprinkled the grass fertlizer/starter all over. We will add grass seed in a few days.



One of the neighbors moved out and left this pool in their side yard. The landlord said we could have it. It has a small crack so the water leaks out slowly, but Kalie had a wonderful time in it today and it was free. I might buy her the colored sand she wants from wal-mart and use it as a sand box for her and try to get her a larger pool for swiming. (That's Izabel in the corner, we call her puppy-wuppy.)

Kalie planting all of her seeds. She is loving this. We planted a tray of green beans (climbers), some corn, yellow squash, zucchini squash, watermellon, marigolds, black eyed susans, morning glories, cantalopes, johnny jump ups, daisies and onions.



Our "baby seeds" in their bedroom for the night. LOL! Kalie read them a story and told them all good night. During the day we will set them in the sun.

Next Step ~ Lowes & Farmers Market (next weekend)

We need to buy wood to build the garden boxes and pvc to build the green bean tunnel.

We are going to buy the tomato and strawberry plants from the farmers market at their annual sale May 2-4.

Girl Scout Camp

Hannah, Kalie, Karin, Katy, Celeste, Lauren, Hayden & Brooke (L to R)


Here we are ready for our first group activity. We performed a skit about fishing. Everyone loved it and the girls were so cute.



Before breakfast Saturday AM.

After breakfast, playing games in the rain. We were playing Little Sally Walker.

The girls are playing games in Rambler Lodge after our LONG nature/gorp hike.






Here we are Saturday after lunch.

Our Yard ~ Before Pictures

Kalie in her tent. She had such a great time.



Our house.



The front yard.



The back of the house.



Our back yard.



These pictures were taken at about 7:00 in the evening. You can see that our yard really needs help. LOL!

Our Yard ~ Part 2

WOW! I put a call for help out to my "cyber friends" and ... You guys are great! You came up with way more than I ever would have thought of. I do not know what I would do without the collective knowledge my "cyber friends" have. Thanks!

I have put in a reserve of over 26 books from the library (we have multiple cards). Kalie and I sat down and talked about what she might want in her back yard. We looked at MANY links and spent a bit of time on the Internet. She had to print out her "best" projects. This is turning into a GREAT unit study, but I am not going to tell her that. LOL! I am going to make this a blog project for me. I will blog pictures of our before and after (as we go along).

One thing that she really wanted was a place to go and be by herself. So today we set up the tent (4 person) and she had a place to go. We also used it as our schoolroom, so today we had "tent school". It was GREAT! (Oh by the way, we are re-reading Little House in the Big Woods, she does not want to move on to the next book yet.)

Here are some of the things we will be doing (mostly her ideas): taking pictures, making a backyard map (before and after), measuring, comparing prices, researching plants, building, painting, planting, picnicking, . We "planned" many things and created a budget. Tomorrow we are going to Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot to make our list of supplies and prices. The Farmers Market is having a plant sale the first weekend in May, so we will buy most of our plants there. A local homeschooler has worms and their castings for sale, so we will buy some.

Some of the ideas she loves and wants to include are: a sunflower house, plant tunnel, stepping stones, square foot gardening, container gardening, strawberry tower, the certified Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation, a butterfly garden, bird bath and feeders, water and sand play area ... did you notice that a swing set was not on the list? It was not as big of a priority as I thought it was. Who knew? At the end of the season I will try to get a bench swing that the whole family can enjoy. That will be more for me. LOL!

Another thing that was very important to her was that our garden be as organic and environmentally friendly as possible. She amazes me sometimes. LOL!

Thanks for all of the advice, help and support that you guys give me. It has been a rough year and I couldn't have made it without you. Things are beginning to look up!