Triple H and Preschool starting in January

I've read alot of posts and thought on this until I can think no more but only do. So here goes my attempt at giving my 3 year old some preschool now rather than waiting until next school year. He knows his capital letters and can county to 25almost with no mistakes. Shapes, colors etc. are already well founded.

MotorSkills/Prewriting: Pages from Kumon Tracing and Kumon Cutting
Math: we are already doing this: using 100 chart to count to 20 and by 10's, play with pattern blocks, counters etc.
LA: Letter of the week/sound of the week:
color letter page from SSRW; put in notebook, cut and paste magazine pics for letter, read story related to letter, ABC Bingo/ABC Match, sing A_Z phonics song, snack for letter or other fun activity

He also sits in on most of the SOTW reading and of course we read alot of library books each week for storytime. Crafts come into play with our SOTW and holiday/seasonal related crafts. We also have free painting at least once a week. If this goes well I hope to be through the letter Z by mid summer. Next year for PreK4 I hope to do SSRW Kindergarten(which we will start with letter review as necessary) and FIAR. I am praying (all my friends with PreK kids next year) for God to provide a few friends to do this FIAR Literature with on Tuesdays while Princess Poodle is in school)


Thoughts on Next Year at a glance: Princess Poodle:1st grade TripleH: PReK

Princess Poodle: Finish SSRW (we don't! do all the writing), FLL,Journaling at her request, Spelling Workout (we will start A as a summer item), Saxon 2, SOTW 3 (we think), Christian School homeschool Course on Tues: Science, History (SOTW), Music and ARt, Activities: Awana, Baton Lessons

Triple H: Listed above plus some math games etc.

So I am hoping this works out. I think it feels good to me which means alot. Of course I am open to suggestions from my homeschooling friends. Thanks for stopping by.
Sheryl

New Semester...Need Structure and so on

Ok..I've been using this downtime to think about how to start next semester. I started this year structured and reved up. Well the structure, in somewhat of a clandestine manner crept away. We are still half way through our curriculum and I feel good about where we are but: I've let chores slide, I've allowed our 7:30 rise and shine to become 8:00 or whenever you get up. Our starting school by 8:30 has become more about 9:30 some days etc. So here is what my goals are for the new semester starting in Jan.

7:00 Mommy up and shower. Time to pray and think about day.
8:00 Kids up and eating breakfast. Cartoons on.
8:30-9:00 Princess Poodles's chores and Mommy and Triple H play.
9:00 30-40 minutes for Math Block
Little snack and break after Math.
10:00 LA block 30-40 minutes
After LA: playtime and lunch and cleanup activites until 12:00

12:00- 2-3 days a week; HIstory Block, other days library runs etc.
1:00 Outside time or exercise kids video/ read books on blanket etc.
2:00/3:00 somewhere in there 1 hour of room time for both kids.
4:00-tv time/computer time while Mommy preps dinner

7:00: Read aloud/science reads
7:30 lights out for Triple H. / husband does Bible with Princess Poodle
8:00 lights out for Princess Poodle

10:00 in bed and lights out by 10:30pm!

I have got to start exercising so I can start sleeping. I have a sleeping disorder..talk in another post about that one...but I know exercise will help.
I have got to have some playtime with ds in the moring before! school starts. He needs this time with me.

So...these are just thoughts and when I am trying to plan next year and add in prek activities and spelling etc. I just feel overwhelmed. One semester at a time. Here's hoping I can stick to most of this most days.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to share any advice on scheduling you may have.
Sheryl

Embrace the Season

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Take hold of the many magical moments and may this Christmas be filled with wonder and amazement as you ponder the coming of our Savior.
Love from the Hazel"nuts"

A Look Back in Pictures

I have fallen behind on the weekly updates. The holidays are upon us and I can't stop making glitter ornaments and cookies to type so a week or two in pics should give a gimpse. We have been all over the place...Princess Poodle was in her first parade as a baton twirler..I love a small town parade! And she got to be the angel at our church's Hanging of the Green service. We have started learning about Crete and Anicient Greece. Triple H loved Theseus and the Minotaur and Princess Poodle loved the story of The Trojan Horse. We have been reading The Adventures of Odyessus; today we played make believe in the backyard. We blinded the cyclops, escaped the song of the spheres, got caught in a terrible storm sent by Posiden, and fought a six headed dragon to name a few things we did on our adventure. So much fun to reinforce this way!
Subjects all going nicely and I feel good about where we are mid year. So here's the pics enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

I've Been Tagged by Jennifer (SSA)

Ok here goes. These are in no particular order.

8 things I'm passionate about:
1. Simplicity...I have always and still do yearn! for it. Sometimes I get in the way of it but I still yearn for it and all the peace it brings.
2. Showing my love to my kids verbally and physically. Each day making sure to tell them, hug them, kiss them, dance with them, laugh with them.
2. Photography...I'm no expert but love the camera...I love to see life through that little frame and stop it for a brief moment and capture something priceless.
3. Growing my relationship with my husband. We have had 10 wonderful but hard years and I am passionate about continuing to know him deeper and love him even more.
4. My Savior...God is using circumstances of late to deepen my understanding of His love for me and for that I am passionate and thankful.
5. Weather..sounds silly but I LOVE a thunderstorm, miss the snow, feel alive in the wind...I could keep going. Who else but weird me runs and splashes in the pouring rain with my kids in the summer(the neighbors think I'm a little odd)
6.Homeschooling: a growing passion but is quickly becoming one.
7. This is only # 7 ....I have to move on.

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. See my children saved by God (praise God I have seen this in one already..wow!
2. See my children grow and become what God has planned, to see them happy,with families of their own.
3. to have one of my stories published.
4. To renew my vows with my husband and all of our children present.
5. To bring our adoptive daughter home from China to be with us (we have been waiting to adopt for a year now and looks like God has planned for us to practice our trust in Him ...could be another 3 years)
6. To go back to Hawaii with the kids and take them on the road to Hana and jump with them hand in hand into the waterfalls.
7. to be in another play on stage (other than at church).. I miss the theatre.
8. To become a better cook and homemaker...


8 Things I say often:

1. I love you (to kids and husband)
2. You make my heart smile)
3. Lately to "TripleH" Don't chew on your clothes!
4. Make a smart choice.
5. You're my Princess Poodle doo.
6. Everynight for my daughter " Dear God please help "Princess Poodle" have no bad dreams.
7. What I'd like to and need to say more of Dear Lord Jesus and Amen


8 books I've read recently:
1. Knowing God by J I Packer
2. Some sappy (not tacky) romance novel given to me by my Mother in Law
3. The Well trained MInd...over and over and over
4. So your thinking about homeschooling. (welch)
5. Lots of children's Christmas books
6. Starting to read to my daughter Ida Early Comes over the Mountain by R. Burch ..a well loved author of my youth that is dying. Note to self..go see him this week with pictures from the kids.


8 Things I've learned this year

1. Disease is hard. My husband has been diagnosed with rheumatoid disease. He's 33.
2. God can and does hold us up when things are hard.
3. My daughter is growing up and I don't know all the answers anymore.
4. Boys cry and whine more than girls!!!
5. I love homeschooling but need to continue to pray for God to give me wisdom and grace.
6. I still want another child and I know this cause I'm willing to wait 3 more years for her.
7. I miss my old friends...they know who they are. Some are far away, some are grown men now and for obvious reasons I don't keep in touch too much.
8. I'm stronger than I thought I was.


8 songs I could hear over and over
1. Somewhere over the rainbow.
2. God bless the usa
3. Crazy Love by Van Morrison
4. Anything by van Morrison especially his MoonDance alubm
5. What a wonderful world.
6. Its a small world after all (but I like to be on the ride for that one)
7. Silent Night
8. Hymns of old..

People to Tag:
I'm new to this world of blogging so I don't really know many people..if you want to play join in!

Thanks to Jennifer for tagging me..I enjoyed these quiet moments to stop and think about these things. Off to get stuff ready for the week!
Thanks for stopping by.

Sheryl

A Look Back at very little and a visit from the Polar Express

I have missed doing my weekly updates but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging and I have always wanted to make sure that the living gets done before the writing about the living. So, I am behind on the weekly updates. To tell you the truth I have hit this strange state over the last two weeks and haven't been that motivated. For the first time we didn't get all our assignments completed and now I am two lessons "behind" in math. I'm not freaking out or anything but I would like to catch up. A few things to mention..we had a wonderful bookclub meeting at Ms. Karrie's house complete with tent, campfire, mystery to solve, and smores! Of course the kids enjoyed seeing their homeschooled buddies that they have been with the past three years. We are a small self made group but the two other moms are a blessing to me. So I think I will talk about each of them.

Karrie: She has come into my life in a very strange way. She is the "love" of my husband's young teenage life and you would think this would be odd at the least. But how could this bother me when I have "fallen in love" with her too. She is gracious and caring, she is simple but put together, she is quiet-spirited but strong as an oak. She is a mother of three, a wife of a busy man, a believer longing for something deeper, and quite the encouragment to me.

Donna: She is single mother filling the role of mom, teacher, and sometimes dad. She loves her son with a ferver that you don't see often. She juggles work, homeschooling, parenting, and helping care for her mother and she does this all with grace and resoluteness(ok this may not be a word but it works for me). She sacrifices and she too is an encouragment to me.

Thank you God for these two women that You have divinly put in my path for so many reasons.

We also had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My newest nephew was born early Thanksgiving morning and he and my sister are doing well. We had good fellowship with my husband's family on Thursday and I ate the best turkey I have ever! had.

Today we will enjoy decorating our house for the holidays. We have a winter wonderland theme ( I am so much the theme person). I love this time of year. Our dormant Bermuda grass and simple home get taken over by snowflakes and polar bears. Its as if the Polar Express came rumbling through our yard late one night and left behind a touch of the North Pole for us southerners to enjoy. And when they light up something lights up inside of me.....that little girl with long brown hair down her back and big blue eyes and barefeet comes to visit me and I must say its nice to be with her again.
Happy Holidays and thanks for stopping by.

Our Kitchen Fix up project

Ok...I have to be honest and nobody get mad please...but I don't like orange oak cabinets. There I said it. Since we bought this house three years ago I have been aching to change them but knew I would have to do it because money couldn't be found to have new cabinets put in. So I sanded, and primed, and painted, and glazed until I actually lost feeling in one of my fingers. Im not kidding! Luckily after almost two months the feeling has returned so no permanent nerve damage. Due to my dh's recent RA diagnosis along with two knee surgeries our dear friend Jon installed our floors for us. So here are some pics of the project. We are almost done but not quite. We will be adding glass to two cabinet doors and putting down the quarter round which I just finished painting last weekend. Tell me what you think. ...honestly I can take it.

Sheryl

A Look Back: Hazel"nut" Academy Week 14

Some highlights from our week:

Language Arts: This week in phonics we are working on words that end with "ed". Some of them have the "t" sound others the "d" sound. Princess Poodle is having a hard time distinguishing these two different sounds and it is hard to do. This needs a bit more work. We are spelling short u words this week and continued to read in her readers. I do not think we will make it to the end of Sing Spell Read Write this year. There are 36 steps and I think we will make it to around Step 28. What to do? I guess I could continue some over our summer break. I have curriculum picked out for next year and would like to be done with SSRW. Hmmm? I guess I will keep going and when we do finish we will start First Language Lessons then not worrying about what month it is. Princess Poodle took an assessment of Reader 8 including word recognition, word vocabulary, sentence comprehension, and story comprehension; she made a 100%...way to go Princess Poodle!


Math: We started telling time to the hour which Princess Poodle already knows how to do. She also started counting by two's along with her 10's.

History: This week I combined the Middle and New Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt. Princess Poodle is only in Kindergarten and I think this will be ok. We did our map work, looked up pictures of King Tut's mummy and sarcophagus on the internet, read Temple Cat which she dictated a summary for, and made gold jewerly. She also did her copywork and coloring page for these chapters. I am really ready to move on to Ancient Greece and all that will come with it. I plan on spending alot of time there so I will be combining or skipping (I know I'm horrible) a few chapters to fit it all in before the summer. There is a reason for my madness but I won't take the time to go into it now.



Autumn Project: On Monday I took the kids out and let them use my digital camera to take their very own pictures of the changing leaves here in GA. We printed them out and they got to make a collage/project page with them. Princess Poodle wrote a poem to go along with hers.


We are finishing up our read aloud of The Campout Mystery for our next book club meeting. Ms. Karrie will be having us all to her house soon for a book club meeting in a tentwith a campfire and everything. We can't wait. And I must say that Princess Poodle LOVES a mystery! We are almost finished with the book and have had many! discussions about who is causing all the mysterious things to happen at the campsite. I really like reading a chapter book with my kids so we can have this to share and discuss. I recommend it to anyone homeschooling or not!

It has been a good week at Hazel"nut" Academy. We usually take Fridays off but needed Friday morning to take assessments and do some extra reading. The weekend ahead looks beautiful with sunshine and temps in the 60's. This weekends project: to paint the bonus room a neutral color. We are attempting to get the house ready to go on the market by February. I'm excited but nervous about the change. Our home has been our home for three years and I have enjoyed seeing my kids grow here. I cling to things in search of stability I think. But I also know that with each new open door God brings new life, new people, and new ways of experiencing Him. I'm trying to be open to the idea of selling. We would like a house with one more bedroom for our precious daughter from China....still uncertain of when she will join the family. Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

HappyHalloween

Looking Back: Week 13

A few highlights from this week at Hazel"nut" Academy:

On Monday we painted our faces to represent people of Ancient Africa. We also enjoyed the many stories of the master trickster Anansi the Spider. The kids made plate shakers and performed a dance.

Wednesday was a math morning and we filled the day with many Halloween stories. That night was spent with good friends and festive trick or treating.

On Thursday we had one of those rare but perfect homeschool days. We started with a math lesson involving colored water ..and of course anything with water; especially colored water, is a winner with the kids. We finished our reading and math lessons and then headed out for a picnic at the library. After a quick lunch I performed Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock with puppets and then Princess Poodle did a puppet show of Anansi and the Magic Stick and Triple H even tried to perform The Talking Melon. It was a riot and we laughed and had such a good time. Thank you God that I can be with my kids on a day like today. After our puppet shows we checked out more!! books from our library trying to get a hold of the books we need for upcoming history lessons.

It has been a good week. Princess Poodle is growing in her reading and was able to figure out in her little Kindergarten head that with 12 chicken nuggets we should each get 4 because "Mommy..4 plus 4 plus 4 is 12".

My thought for the week:

Thank you God for Autumn. I am so amazed at the brushstoke of our Creator. Master painter He is. Fall brings a strange mix of emotions for me...a longing for things past like highschool football games on a Friday night, an appreciation for things present like having a picnic with my kids or tackling my son holding a football in the grass, and hope for the future, yes its like God sends hope riding in on the cool breezes. Autumn...Thank you God for Autumn.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Thousand Words..

What does this picture say?

To me it says: Its not easy being little bro.

M. I .C. K. E .Y...and a little school

Our 10 year anniversary trip to Disney World was wonderful. I think I want to make an October vacation a family tradition. After homeschooling July, August, and September I find the break a perfect fit and now I have the energy to push through until Christmas Break! Disney lent us its usual magic and fairytale dreams and we in return lent them alot of money (ha ha). I really can't say enough about the trip...so needed, so wanted, so appreciated! We did manage to work in some school before we left, we read a Magic Tree House book about China while there to wind down at night, and we even took some pictures that were meant to represent India which we studied not that long ago.

The rest of this week we worked on just the basics, reading, spelling, and math. Next week we will be studying Ancient Africa and all the Anansi stories..what a perfect fit for Halloween week: Spiders! For all of you that enjoy the jack-o-lanterns and goblins I'll simply say "Boo to You" from the Hazel"nuts".

Thanks for stopping by.

A Look Back Oct. 15-19

Another zany week at Hazelnut Academy but here goes the weekly report. Sorry no time for pics!


Language Arts: Princess Poodle is working on color and number words and moving right along with her reading. I have this gut instinct that we are about to hit another breakthrough...I wonder what this feeling is and if there is any merit to it? Triple H is doing so well with his capital letters but argues with me when I show him the lowercase letters. He says "No Mommy...that is not a T" for example when he is shown a lowercase t. I'm not sure what to think about this or what this says about him? He is also learning to write his name and is doing well considering I haven't really been teaching him at all. I just threw in a couple of lowercase letters to see what he thought but I haven't really been teaching him anything poor guy. In fact everything he is learning he has picked up on his own. Not sure what this says about me?

Math: So far Saxon 1 is still too easy for Princess Poodle. She's going to go nuts with this so I am speeding us along a bit and have skipped a few lessons. I know it will get harder we are only on lesson 38; hopefully she is gaining alot of Math confidence which can't hurt I guess. So we forge ahead with addition facts and measuring in cubes (my 3 year old can do this math)

History: By far our subject of choice and I have to discipline myself or I would spend all our time on History. What does this say about me? This week we are learning about Ancient China, the Yellow River Valley, Pictograms, and the many inventions that we can thank the Chinese people for. I had no idea; a compass, wheelbarrow, kite ...the list goes on and on. This week we read The Story About Ping; Princess Poodle did an oral summary which I wrote down for her. I like her summaries but am still uncertain what I am supposed to be looking for. All this learning about China has me missing our daughter...is she born yet? Is she warm and cozy and well fed? The adoption process from China has gone topsy turvy this past year and we got stuck in the middle of it. So what we thought would be a 10 month wait is turning into a potential three year wait. I keep reminding myself that God's timing is perfect and that He will bring the little girl to us that He wants us to raise and love. Sometimes my impatience wrestles with my faith.

In Art Princess Poodle has been learning about Claude Monet and in Music at her school she is learning a hymn each month. I will try to get her to sing America the Beautiful and put in a video clip. It is precious.

Memorization: Princess Poodle has her Awana verses each week and I don't want to stress her out but I am hoping for one Psalm and one poem by the end of the year. I picked the psalm and when I read the poem The Swing to her she loved it as I did so we will hope to have both of these ready for her Kindergarten graduation party this spring.

Thought this week: Getting Old... Scary or Sacred
My dh grandmother is 91. She fell a couple of weeks ago and is in rehab. The kids and I are going to visit her as much as we can. She is so strong. Grandaddy died more than 30 years ago and she has been living alone in her home all these years. She still volunteers at our local hospital. I have been thinking about getting older..the fears I have. But I have also been able to look at her along with the many others in the rehab facility/nursing home for some, and see something beautiful in it. We come into the world completely dependent..we gain independence and with it pride, arrogance, selfishness etc. and then we become dependent again. Almost as if God knew we needed this step to wash away the years of pride and reliance on self. I pray for a long life..a chance to see my children live, learn, laugh, cry. And I pray that I age gracefully and I don't mean in appearance but in heart. And I pray that each day I might become a little more dependent on God than the day before and a little less focused on myself. Is it possible to age before our time and find wisdom there? Is it possible to be humble before the "fall"?


And now we are off to Disney World...a chance to laugh as a family, a chance to be herded like cattle along with the other million people I am expecting to be there, a chance to see something other than the walls of our house, but most of all a chance to be a kid again and get swept up in the magic. Thanks for the past 10 years sweet Papa Bear. I love you and more often than not you make my heart smile.

Under a Tree, Princess Party, and Hero home from War

This week has been our Fall Break. What a blessed week it has been. I have been able to do more sidewalk chalk, storytelling under our one little tree, and cooking a decent breakfast each morning. Tonight is Princess Poodles Princess party. We will eat a lite dinner and then go see Beauty and the Beast at our local theatre. She is very excited as are her three little friends. On Saturday we go to welcome home our Uncle Tater from Iraq. He served 9 months driving a humv with men and supplies across Iraq. He is our hero!

Next week will be interesting. We jump back into reading, Math, and history. Ancient China will be a blast as we are in the process of adopting from China. On Thursday we leave for DISNEY WORLD! I am so excited about this trip. For those of you that don't know my dh was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 32 years old. It has been a very difficult last year learning to deal with this disease. We need this vacation and any prayers would be appreciated: that dh can hold up on the trip and enjoy being with our kids.

So not a great weekly update but it sure has been a great week!
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheryl

A Thousand Words

They say a picture says a thousand words..So I am going to try to make A Thousand Words a regular post..When I take a picture that says something I'll post it. You tell me what it says to you.

This first pic is one I took this summer when we took dd6 and ds2 to ride the real Thomas the Train.

What it says to me: Magic...pure magic!

Little Girl: Wise Soul

Today is my dd's 6th birthday. How could this be? Why do they grow so fast? I long to slow down the clock but I know I can't. My tears over her growing up are in vain..well maybe not. Let me take some time to tell you about my little Princess Poodle.

She was born to us while at seminary. My husband working and schooling full time. I was in NC away from family, friends, church..and God brought this little miracle into our lives. She was a hard baby...colic, reflux, crying and more crying. She didn't sleep through the night until she was one! I saw early own that this little girl was special. Ok..all moms think that but its like she has this aged soul. She is wise beyond her years, she feels deeply, reacts emotionally, loves whole heartedly, carries burdens far too heavy for such a age. She is a princess and a pirate all rolled into one; sparkles and swords and usually both of these at the same time. She is a moral compass already at the age of 6. She yearns to learn and is amazed at cultures and places and times past. She is a performer and is shy, she is young but she is old, she is a laugher and a crier; she loves company but relishes solitude. She is in alot of ways me.. and this makes me smile and scares me at the same time.

I am so grateful that God has given the task of rearing her to me and her Papa. I'm not sure if I'm up to such a task...something tells me God will use her in ways I cannot fathom. I fail often as a Mommy. I lack the optimism she savors. I lack the patience she needs. But I know that the Lord knew my flaws even when He entrusted her to me. I know she is not mine forever. She is His child and I only pray that I can in some way be a blessing to her and a tool God uses to help form her.

For those of you that know this little hope of our family...I think you will agree and for those of you that don't know her thanks for taking the time to read about this little person. Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

A Look Back Oct. 1-5

On Monday we journeyed to ancient India. We discussed the importance rivers played in ancient civilizations. Princess Poodle and Triple H enjoyed making mud bricks much like the people of the ancient Indus River Valley. We continued working in the double vowel/silent e reader and Princess Poodle read it with more fluency this week.

On Tuesday Princess Poodle went to Art/Music class. During this time Triple H and I got to spend some time alone. We played on a rope swing, played with Ninja turtles in the dirt and read books together. It was a great Mommy and Son moment.

On Wednesday we read two tales from India; Once a Mouse and One Grain of Rice. Here is Princess Poodle's dictation/summary for One Grain of Rice. Tell me what you think as I am not sure what to look for in dictation.
When I asked her to tell me what the story was about:
"Once there was a very greddy Raja. He didn't keep his promise. But a very smart woman had a great smart brain. The Raja rewarded her for bringing back some of the missing grain. She had 1 grain of rice, then 2, then 4, then 8 and it kept going on and on. That story teaches us that you should not be greedy and you should keep your promises."
Some elements were left out but all in all I think its pretty good.
The rest of Wednesday was taken up with Flu shots and church activities.

On Thursday we had our book club meeting for A Cricket in Times Square. The kids seemed to really get the meaning of the book and did a great job of discussing the setting, characters. etc. We watched a live webcam from Times Square, made a pet cricket, and watched the short animated movie.

Next week is Fall Break and I need the mental and emotional downtime. It has been a good week but a strange one. Math seemed too easy this week so we took an assessment and skipped some easy lessons. Princess Poodle still doesn't love phonics but likes to read and history is still the subject of choice.

As as for me....I'm dealing with a lot lately. I can't help but wonder what God is trying to tell me. Next weeks slow down will be a good thing. A time to be still and seek His face.
Have a wonderful weekend and thans for stopping by.

A LOOK BACK October 1-5

Wordless Wednesday

GOD MADE LITTLE BROTHERS

Next Year Already?

Ok.,... I am a nut. I'm already thinking about next years curriculum. I know we will be doing Story of the World 3 along with Princess Poodles School. I will also be doing science along with what the school is doing. I will move her on to Math 2..saxon, horizon,...I don't know. Maybe a combo plan. I am thinking twice about First Language Lessons. I like Trivium Academy's idea of incorporating parts of speech into copywork etc. What about writing..creative writing...maybe some fun spanish. So many ideas. I know I will increase her copywork and memorization of poems. HOpefully Papa Bear will tackle the Kids Westminster Cat. with her. Sorry for the rambling...so many thoughts. Any ideas? Thanks for stopping by.

Comments on Pics Below

The slideshow below is of our day with some friends at The Rock Ranch. Princess Poodle and Triple H are wearing the cowboy hats. We had a great day of riding trains, getting lost in a corn maze, jumping on a giant pillow, and seeing all types of animals. I am so happy Autumn is here. It is my favorite season. Something about the coolness in the air is a gift from God and it refreshes me; body and spirit. Thanks for stopping by.

A Day at the Rock Ranch

A Look Back at September

This week was a good week at Hazel"nut" academy. We are in the middle of a kitchen revamp(pictures coming soon) and this along with the homeschooling has our house a little topsy turvy.

Language Arts: We completed our read aloud A Cricket in Times Square. Next week we meet here at our house for our first Detectives Book Club meeting. (I'll post some pics)Princess Poodle practiced on her two vowels and silent e rule and read in her readers. She is also practicing a Presentation book that she reads all week and then presents to the family on the weekend. I got this idea from Jennifer at Smooth Stones Academy.
Math: We are starting to memorize math facts and Princess Poodle seems to be handling this new challenge.
History: We talked about different types of leaders and how Hammurabi conquered lands in a much more peaceful way than the Assyrians. Next week we are off to Ancient India and will try our hand at making a mud brick. I'll be sure to post pics of that event. How much fun will that be....an excuse to play in the mud!
Art/Music: At crosspoint academy Princess Poodle is learning about the works of Claude Monet. She seems to love her one day at school.

Triple H has had a couple of good days but continues to be a challenge. He is learning his letters so fast considering I'm not really teaching them. Mostly he loves to ride his bike, play with his racecars and his trains, and he loves all three of these even more if I or Papa Bear can play too. We love our little man!

And now for the great news. Papa Bear surprised us all with a trip to Disney World coming in October to celebrate our 10th anninversary. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Really, I have butterflies in my stomach and find myself smiling at the thought of it. Oh and the kids are excited too. Any one with any good Disney advice feel free to pass it on. Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

A Look Back

Here is Princess Poodles's Nile River model we made together when studying Ancient Eygpt. The first picture which I can't figure out how to rotate (ahhh!) is Princess Poodle in her "coat" of many colors. Princess Poodle is loving history. She is fascinated with other cultures and how God was working way back then. I am doing my best to weave God's plan of redemption and salvation into our studies.

We have also been working in Saxon Math. I'm not sure how this program compares to others other than what I have read on the internet. So far it is working and she loves math too. I was very proud of the picture she made with her pattern block shapes. This was her first time using them and she had no direction. I think she might be more spatial than I am. Way to go Princess Poodle!

The first few weeks of school have been a joy and have been challenging. Triple H at only 3 wants so badly to do everything his big sister is doing. Sometimes our days are smooth, other times our days are rocky...everyday I pray for patience and wisdom. Maybe this whole homeschooling adventure is more about what God wants to teach me than them. Check back later for this weeks Look Back and thanks for stopping by.

Sheryl

Hazel"nut" Academy

Family: Myself, my husband of 10 years (lets call him Papa Bear), my daughter 6 (lets call her Princess Poodle) and my son 3 (lets call him Triple H).

Hazelnut Academy: This is our first year homeschooling officially. We homeschooled Princess Poodle for two years of PreK. This year she is Kindergarten. We are using The Well Trained Mind, Sing Spell Read Write, Saxon Math, and Story of the World: Ancients. She attends a private school one day a week for Music and Art. We also have a book club that meets once a month. I am still trying to determine what to call our type of schooling. I am still finding my way. Right now we are Christian, Classical, with a little bit of "I have no idea what I'm doing"!

Our mission: To raise children who will love and fear the Lord, to be a family that is happy and a good example of Christ's love, and for me to continue to find that simple truth and simple love go very far in this life and to pass this on to my kids.

A blogger...no it can't be!

Ok...I admit it...I thought bloggers were odd. I mean why would anyone have nothing better to do than read about what your kids are doing, or what new wall paper you hung in the bathroom...but then I became a homeschooler ...officially..and I started to visit other homeschool blogs and what did I find? Inspiration...determination....emotional support...creative ideas...the list goes on and on. I became somewhat jealous of the ability to share ones homeschool life with others. I mean nobody got to see how hard I was working or what cool thing I did with the kids. And the truth is I have always kept a journal ...at least until the busyness of life with two toddlers set in..so here goes my attempt at blogging; for me more than for anyone else. Next post I will talk about our family, our school, and why we are Hazel"nut" Academy.

Sheryl