just a girl and her bear

Wrapping up The Year

We are finishing our Sing Spell Read Write and Saxon 1 this week. Today we completed our study of the ancients and learned about the fall of the great Roman Empire. I caught princess Poodle rereading the chapter on Julius Caesar getting kidnapped by pirates. She was reading with such fervor and passion. I think she really likes this history stuff. The rest of the week will be pretty dull except for Thursday on which I have planned an end of the school year bash complete with water balloons and icecream! Here's some pics of recent projects, artwork, nature journal entries etc. Summer break here we come!!!!




Painting by Princess Poodle
Princess Poodle's History Project
Abtract String Painting

Poem Orally Narrated by Princess Poodle

My Personal Project Kitchen Redo
Painted Walls, Friend installed floors, refinished table and chairs

A week of Goodbyes

This week is going to be a week of goodbyes. Tonight I must tell some dear friends goodbye as they journey far away to serve God as overseas missionaries. One of them I have had the joy of knowing for nearly 20 years..and most of those 20 years we have spent saying goodbye in one fashion or another. God has used him in many ways in my life and his spirit continues to be an inspiration and encouragement. The other is a new friend..but one of those friends you just kinda love from the start. A woman that I can laugh with, cry with, trust completely. There is not one ounce of selfishness, jealousy, bitterness, or mean spiritedness within her. That is a rare thing to find in a girlfriend..I know I sound harsh on women here but lets admit it..women can be the most difficult people to befriend. And so I must tell these sweet friends goodbye knowing I will not get to see them, hear their voices, or embrace them for at least the next two years. But this IS a good goodbye. I mean goodbye has "good" in it for a reason and I can think of nothing more good in a goodbye than getting to see them be obedient to God's call. I look forward to hearing of all that God will teach them and how He will use them in the coming years.

And this week I say goodbye to someone even dearer than these mentioned above. My Kindergarten girl..it is our last week of Kindergarten and after Friday I will have her as a Kindergartner no longer but as a First Grader..growing up so fast right before my eyes. I am so proud of her accomplishments this year. She reads well but more importantly loves to journey into a book. She has gone through many changes this year. I can see glimpses of the woman she will become. I so do not deserve this little angel. I don't deserve the passionate love she holds tenderly for me. I don't deserve her theological geared mind. How do I explain to a 6 year old why the blood Jesus shed was crucial in our salvation. I don't deserve the optimistic spirit she shares and fights for when I have allowed my own spirit to become way to negative in the last few years. I don't derserve her praise of me or her regard of me. But I guess we don't really deserve anything so good. Thats where Grace comes in. It sweeps down from heaven and by its might allows us to feel and know such love. And to know that God loves me even more than this little angel. The thought is overwhelming. So to my sweet little Kindergartner I say goodbye. You have been a joy to teach, a blessing to watch learn, and although I will miss this year and hold its memories in my heart; I look forward to all that next year holds for my bright-eyed,strong-willed, open-heartened Princess Poodle.

And lastly I have some goodbyes I want to say to some bad habits. Some things I have allowed to creep into my life that don't belong there. I know this won't be easy but this is one goodbye I want to say and say for good. So to those bad habits, those annnoying sins, those things about myself I detest at times...I will simply say as I pray for God's help.. Goodbye!

Language Arts Struggle

I am flip flopping big time with Language studies. Do I want to go a more Mason approach and stick with Language Lessons for the Very Young and then move on to Primary Language Lessons or do I want to use First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease. I think I won't be able to figure this out without giving them a try. So I plan to start our year in July with LLFVY. July is a lighter month for us as we ease back into the routine of school. Then I will start bringing in FLL and WWE in Aug or Sept. Hopefully I will get a feel for which one I like and which one dd likes. I may end up using FLL and WWE as our primary sources and pulling in picture study and some of the story telling elements from LLFVY. I just have to have each of these books in front of my face..flip through them with my own fingers and actually implement them so I can feel them. Hopefully by the beginning of October I will have a solid direction for one of the other or a combo of both. So now I have some present peace just less money for having ordered them all. My poor husband. Sorry for the dull post..I'm just trying to process all this in my head before my summer break which I really want to enjoy. Oh, and I already planned our lessons for the first week of school in July. Like I said I want my May and June break to be about spending time with my kids and organizing my home ...not writing lesson plans. Here's hoping it all comes together.

Recent Backyard Nature Pics

Our ornamental Cherry Tree in bloom


Picture of a beautiful male cardinal


One of our favorite fuzzy little friends

To a Child 2nd place IS the gold medal!

We have been very busy here at Hazelnut Academy.
Princess Poodle was in her first musical "Sermon on the Mound". She worked very hard learning all the songs and her short duet. I was so very proud of her and how she overcame her fears of being up in front of people. She sang loud and it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard (because she's mine not because she is the next American Idol). The day was wonderful. Princess Poodle also entered the Art and History Fairs. She got a participation ribbon for her art piece and she got the 2nd place ribbon for her history project! Yeah! Her history project was entitled The Great Nile of Egypt. She was judged in the Kinder-2nd grade category. I was very proud of her hardwork and enthusiasm and she was very proud of that beautiful 2nd place ribbon! She slept with it that night!
We are also hard at work finishing our Sing Spell Read Write program (minus the way too much writing part) and also finishing up Saxon 1 in math. She is currently reading The Boxcar Children which is on a third grade level and is breezing through it and able to tell me what is happening so I feel pretty secure in her reading. She does need some refreshing on her skip counting and to be drilled more often with her math facts. We are also wrapping up our study of the Ancients. She has loved history and as a gift to give her for her Kindergarten Graduation party I am going to have the review cards printed and laminated for her. She will love this as strange as it sounds.I have also purchased her first real necklace that has this little silver angel on it. So, two and a half more weeks of school until summer break. I am working hard on planning for next year so I can relax some on the break. Language Arts has me stumped and I thought I'd chosen my path. Hopefully clarity will come soon.
Have a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by.

Perspective

God speaks. Its so clear sometimes I feel stupid and silly when I miss it. But he has spoken to me today ...Godly wisdom I have gleaned from a conversation with my sister, a post on another Godly womans website, and so I will pick up the Bible and wait for God to clarify and solidify what He is trying to tell me. Its nice when God takes the scales off our eyes..when He reaches down and places a new set lenses on our noses and allows us a new perspective on a old situation.

American History Schedule : First Grader 2008/2009

Will be adding to this as time permits.



Spines: The Childrens Encyclopedia of American History, SOTW 3 various chapters,

I plan to read the appropriate pages in our spines, add in lots of living books, and hopefully pull in some fun projects.

I. Explorers of North America (August-September)
Childrens Encyclopedia: pages: 13-17

SOTW Chapters: 4
map. 11, color p.12 Samuel Champlain, color p. 13 Henry Hudson
Living Books: The Discovery of the Americas
Exploration and Conquest
Rookie Bio Christopher Columbus (Wade)
Videos: Schlessinger Media: A History of Exploration, English Explorers, Spanish Explorers, Henry Hudson; Christopher Columbus
Projects:1. make a compass
2. make a floating galleon and make believe play explorers
3. create Explorers Lapbook for final project



II. New Colonies/Colonial Period (October-November)
Childrens Encyclopedia Pages:A.First Americans pp. 18-21
B. Colonial pp. 22-23
SOTW Chapters: Chapter 3 map 9, color 10 Susan Constant
Chapter 6 map 17, color 18,19 Stuyvesant
Chapter 15 map 46, color 47, 48 Penn
Living Books: The Courage of Sarah Noble (IR with report)
Read Alouds: A Lion to Guard Us
The Pilgrims of Plymoth
Three Young Pilgrims
Sarah Morton/Samuel Eaton's Day (library)
Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims
Thanksgiving on Thursday + companion guide (library)
An Early American Christmas Library (Dec. )
Pochanhontas a Rookie Bio
Videos: Pochahontas Animated Bio, Jamestown the beginning
Projects: Churn Butter, Dipped candles, quill pen with ink,
Games: target practice, hoop roll, hide the thimble
(perhaps do colonial day with friends)



III. American Revolution/Creating a Nation (January) Childrens Encyclopedia pages: Rebellion pp. 38-43
Declaring Independence pp. 44-45
War pp. 46-51
Constitution pp. 52-55
SOTW Chapter: 22 map 68 color 69 Boston Tea
23 map 74 color 75

Living Books: Betsy Ross A Rookie Bio

Projects: paper dolls SOTW pp. 70-71 incorporate these into American Revolution Lapbook Project
Videos: Johnny Tremain, Schlessinger: Indepence Day, America Rock,
IV. Changes in America (cotton, slavery)



V. Westward Expansion

Wordless Wednesday

Anybody in there?

Here comes the rain and the books!

I have started to get in some of the books I ordered from Amazon for next year. I do not order alot of books..wish I could but the money issue is overwhelming. I am a library junkie and they know me when they see me coming. How many times do I have to tell them that I know I can only check out 50 books! ha ha

I got the Handbook of Nature Study and can't wait to read it. I also got our encyclopedia of American History. We won't use the whole book this year but what a great coffee table book to have. This would make a great present to all families. Some other books that I did order..never hurts to have some on hand in case another crazy homeschooler beats you to it at the library, came in. I'm getting some books on the founding of our Country, our constitution, etc. Can you tell I'm excited to teach American History next year. I swear I could spend 1,000 dollars in books easily. Well I could get close I'm sure. Oh and something neat..CBD sent me the wrong Saxon course, they sent another 1 instead of 2. They told me not to worry about it and they shipped out a Saxon 2 already. That means I have a free Saxon 1 for my ds3 when he hits Kinder. Yeah!

Well I'm off with husband and the kids to go shrub shopping in the rain! Yes the rain has finally come to Georgia like one of those Canada Geese and I think it plans to stay here awhile. Praise God for the rain..it is much needed.

So that's all on this Saturday morning...books and rain. Both of which I love and take pleasure in. Now off to put on my slicker, my camo rain boots, and an old pair of jeans and t-shirt to search for shrubs and then I think a good bath and my new Nature Book will be perfect for later.
Thanks for stopping by.

My Precious Little Girl

Adoption Sadness

Ok..I haven't written much on our adoption process from China. I guess because the process has gotten so difficult I sometimes do better not to think about it. We have been waiting a little over a year to adopt a baby girl from China. We were told it would take 10-12 months. Well the wait has grown and is now at three years which would leave us only a little less than two years to go. I'm ok with that. But there are murmurings of it taking even longer...will we ever see our baby girl. Will my kids ever get to meet their sister? Will I know what it feels like to hold a baby in my arms again? I turn to God and know that He is in control...I must release my ideas and timeframes to Him...but its hard somedays like today. If our family is complete and we will never get our third child then I pray God will change my heart because right now a piece of my heart is in China...