Math

This week is Spring Break around our area. Our kids have already had a week off while Cam and I were on our trip so we're still working this week. We do not have our co-op homework to do so it's a lighter load than usual. God is so good to me b/c He reminds me to constantly evaluate why I'm doing what I'm doing. I think going through the National Boards for Professional Teachers process definitely urged me to the more of a reflective teacher. WHY am I doing what I am doing? If it is not for student achievement/growth then maybe it's just busy work and has no place. I've started doing some unit studies with the kids. We are having so much fun learning about Australia (I'll post more on this later:). The boys are using Math U See for their math curriculum and I really like it. I also like to do small units with them in Math. This week we are exploring 2d and 3d shapes. They've been introduced to these before but we've never looked at the nets. They loved seeing the different nets and trying to guess which figure it would make. I then took the nets away and they had to draw some for different shapes. I printed a couple of sheets for Piper so she could be involved in our lesson and had Park grade her work. 

Andrew is in 3rd grade and has learned his multiplication facts. He's always been good at math. I want to be sure that we are not stopping on the lower level of Bloom's Taxonomy. (I would actually LOVE to get with some local mommas and talk Blooms!! Share different ideas and encourage one another to do a little extra leg work to make sure what we're preparing for our kids is for their best achievement.) I've been really trying to create new ways to look at a problem. I love Math U See b/c it really digs deep on concepts. This year he has learned multiplication facts, several digit by double digit multiplying and he is working on factoring now. He can easily spout off the factors of 20 but I want him to fully understand the concept. I made him a few dot pages of different numbers to factor. Since we were doing factors I thought I would go ahead and introduce him to prime and composite numbers. 

This may freak a few of you homeschool mommas out;)

I'm just not a type A kinda girl;). Truly this bothers some people but it's just the way I am. I can absolutely relax even if my house is a wreck. I have no problem starting a crochet project even when another one isn't finished. Now don't get me wrong... I do our laundry, our dishes, the kids do their chores and by the end of the day our house is alright. It's NEVER perfectly clean.. NEVER!! I am totally okay without perfection. I'm the same way in homeschooling (I have a 3rd grader, 2nd grader, 4 yr old and 3 yr old). Take today for instance... the boys both got up and did their Math U See work. I went over a few problems out of a Kumon Geometry and Measurement book with Andrew. Actually I sat with him during most of his math, also. He is doing double digit times double digit and I try to help him remember to put his place holder where it goes and mark out what he carried so he doesn't confuse it when he starts the next step. I then started preparing tonight's dinner (around 11:00 this morning-that's out of the norm!!) and Park read a chapter of his Cam Jansen book to me. We did Language (but we don't always... they have about 100 lessons a year in Language and they're both near the 70th lesson so we're on track). We did some exercises with our prepositions (we do this daily b/c my 4 year old reminds us all the time... btw she knows them ALL but just b/c it's fun;). I also worked with Piper on her Easy Peasy Homeschool lesson.

I bought this book a couple weeks ago and thought they'd enjoy learning their Roman Numerals so we read it today. It's a great book teaching you the different symbols and then has several pages where you have to find the objects. The kids LOVED it! 

                              

After dinner last night, I randomly played for them a youtube about how many days are in each month so this morning we continued with that. Now they are exploring the field across the road from our house. That's how we school! Mondays we usually spend time working on our assignments from KCA (our FABULOUS co-op) and then we just do a lot of language arts and math throughout the week. We try to get all of our history read. Last week we really focused on geography and Andrew can label all 50 states on the map! CRAZY?! I definitely wouldn't say I'm lazy in home schooling but I'm also very laid back BUT I also think people who are scheduled to the minute are doing what works best for them. I think my kids are exactly where they should be academically (or a little above). Mostly though we are SOOO enjoying life together. It would be easier for me to have lots of worksheets printed for them and say, "get to it" every morning but I really do enjoy pulling up a chair right beside them to watch their brains in action. It is SO fun! I do feel like I have very little ME time but I will. One of these days they will all be grown up and I'll wish for these moments again. 

****They just got back from their adventure in the field and Andrew runs in and says, "MOM... which state does this rock look like?" Of course I said, "Oh that's South Carolina" He beamed in agreement;) ha! 

                           

He makes me giggle:)

Last year Cam gave me this top 10 for Valentine's day and this year he wrote a poem;)

A True Love Story...

It's a story for the ages
One of excitement and flare
A perfect match made in heaven
With which none else can compare

It's a tale of a girl
From a small quaint town
She was beloved by people everywhere
Her presence never producing a frown

Her beauty was unmatched
Her personality glowing
On a windy day one is mesmerized
By her long, blonde hair flowing

All the fellows around
Tried their hand at her heart
But she did not settle
She was much, much too smart

For she had on her mind
A young man from nearby
Who had charmed her and wooed her
And so caught her eye

He was handsome and dashing
His eyes blue as the sky
He was strong as a bull
His muscles stretched his shirt tight

His plan was quite clear
His feelings he could not hide
He had to capture her love
And make her his bride

So with his wisdom and wit
He pursued her to no end
They became best friends
And her heart he vowed to defend

As he dropped to one knee
All the towns folk agreed
These two loved each other
More than Snoop Dog loved weed

So the wedding bells rang out
The day she became his mate
Thus proving she was smarter
Than a big raisin or a lil grape

Oh I laughed and laughed. The last line is my FAVORITE movie line from Cats and Dogs 2. Cameron is by far my best friend and God fills our home and hearts with laughter. He is such an amazing man!

School time

We are sick today so we are missing out on our kCA day. We always miss our KCA fam when we can't make it. I saw this on my friends blog and decided to do it with the kids today. They loved being doctors and performing surgery on some contractions.
Andrew is learning a lot of multiplication around here. We did a matching game with his 4's and 6's.

Chocolate with Coconut Oil

Oh this is good stuff and good for ya!!! A sweet friend of mine gave me this recipe. She's a health food girl. There's only 1/4 cup honey in each batch and it doesn't bother my blood sugar much at all. It taste a lot like a hershey's bar with almonds. We've also done plain chocolate, chocolate with peanut butter chips and peppermint chocolate. It's all DELICIOUS! You must give it a try. Here's the recipe:

1 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract ( IF you want to make peppermint chocolate which taste just like junior mints you also need to add 2 tsp of peppermint extract)

Thinly sliced almonds (as many as you'd like)

I use a small food processor and mix all ingredients EXCEPT slivered almonds. After all ingredients are mixed, I add almonds and just mix with spoon. Pour on cookie sheet that is covered with wax paper and put in freezer for about 10 minutes. Break into pieces and store in freezer. OH it's SOO yummy!!!

(Coconut oil a solid unless it is stored above 77 degrees so it's not going to be right by the other oils, usually on same aisle but possibly not right beside it.)

This is a batch of peppermint chocolate

Day 3 brought to you by Piper Jane:)

Today we had fun. We went to the beach. Today we looked for some crabs. Today we had fun and we swimmed and we built sand castles and we made a tunnel. We had fun. We went to buy a couple of things at an airplane museum. I got to get a bear that has goggles on. We had shrimp and fried rice for lunch. We got to have a chinese cookie (fortune cookie;). Now we are watching a movie.

Day 2 recap by Andrew

I liked today because we got to go to the Gulfarium and see the bloodthirsty alligators. We got to see two green anole lizards in the wild. Before we left for the Gulfarium, we peered out of our window and saw 4-5 stingrays. Parker saw them first and momma said it was just seaweed and then Parker said, "well it's flying seaweed". I saw amazing dolphins swimming by our condo. While I was snorkeling, I saw a black crab. I also saw a large dead crab. We got to eat drumsticks for dessert tonight. Dad took us swimming tonight after dessert. Today was one of my favorite days on the beach.