Krazy Kuehner Days

Visiting Atlantic City - Part 2 ---- The Steel Pier

2013-05-21T02:00:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to go to an Amusement park on a pier. So we jumped on the opportunity to take the kids to the Steel Pier in Atlantic City.

What a fun and cold trip. It was windy and about 40 degrees that day (in the wind though...it was freezing!!)

Enjoying our walk along to the boardwalk to Steel Pier.

The kids were excited to see it in the distance.

Anyone remember the movie Wild Hearts Cant Be Broken. This is where it took place. The horse diving show.

Joey looked down and saw the ocean underneath. Now they have been on piers...but there's just something different about riding amusement rides on one!!

That is my hubby in orange.....and they were not expecting it to go upside down.

Our ticket booklet

The girls making a Bobble head video.

Riding the ferris wheel on the Steel Pier...very cold and very neat to do!!!

You can see the other car where Joey is...

Joey and Brayden riding Crazy Mouse.

Final ride on the carousel.

Enjoying a burger on the boardwalk.

Then a quick chilly walk on the beach to collect shells.

and chase seagulls.

Caty and I on the ferris wheel.

Riding the ferris wheel.

Ok....I wasn't overly impressed with Atlantic City. We have been once, probably won't go back. I didn't think the beach was clean. It was very dirty. And seriously....the amount of casinos was unbelievable. What a waste of beautiful beach front property....oh well. It was definitely fun to visit it once though :)

What we are up to this week....

2013-05-20T00:55:00.001-04:00

Wellllllll.....I was hoping for an easy week. Nope :( !! I was just looking over the calendar and may cry a bit.

We have our last Adventure club and LEGO Clubs of this official School year. Lydia has gymnastics. Joey has horseback riding. We are all going to a Toledo Mudhens game Tuesday morning. We have a playdate with some homeschool friends on Wednesday. An Art Museum tour and American Girl club this week. Also an Ice Cream Social on Friday....whew. And I want to go to the zoo Friday afternoon to see the new exhibit that is opening. Not sure yet how we are going to do it all, and cram in work. But we fell a little behind last week, so playing catch up in a couple areas.

Joey
Math - Working on adding money
Science - Taking his test over Invertebrates and learning about the Desert
Grammar - plural nouns
Presidents - Learning about John Adams, James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson
States - Will be learning about 4 regions (basically the East coast areas)
4H - Will be keeping a food diary and also learning about (First Aid) poisonings and dog bites

Brayden
Math - Subtracting multiple columns and reading a chart
Science - Finish his unit on Frogs
Grammar - plural and possessive nouns
History - 1850s - 1860s - acquiring lands in the West
Working on Reading comprehension and starting a new social studies book

Lydia
Math - counting/adding quarters and then mixed coins
Science - continue our earthworm projects
Grammar - working on proper nouns with Months of the year names
Phonics - A beka phonics 1
Reading - Next lesson...up to number 38
Finish a State Fair project
Cursive C & D

Caty
Science - earthworms
Math - continue practicing number recognition (add in simple addition)
Reading - Tale of Peter Rabbit (and bunny themed activities)
Letters - Review (phonics dance)

Hope everyone has a great week!!! See you on Friday!!!

Visiting Atlantic City - Part 1 The Absecon Lighthouse Tour

2013-05-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

During our last trip to Pennsylvania, we decided to go to Atlantic City and visit Steel Pier and Absecon Lighthouse!!! It was only an hour and half drive there, and it was great and yet freezing that day.

It was a beautiful and clear day.

The very interesting thing about Absecon Lighthouse is that it was built on a empty area and buildings were built around it blocking it's actual use. So they had to build a second smaller lighthouse in order for ships to still see the coast. Now all you can see is the casinos wrapped around the front, blocking the view of the ocean. It was deactivated in 1933, but the light still shines nightly.

The original lighthouse

From the museum shop:

Oil can

She is obsessed with pick dandelions and must stop to pick them up, no matter where we are.

They had a community garden originally, and were required to remove it by the Lighthouse Association. They now have a community garden on this land in honor of the original attempt.

It was Lydia's second lighthouse climb and Joe, Joey and Caty's first. They had fun...even in the cold wind !!!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - Week 50

2013-05-17T09:43:00.003-04:00

In my life this week.....

It started out a really, really, REALLY bad week. It was just rough with some emotional stuff with Joey. Oh...and the washer broke too. :( The stupid part was going to cost more than the washer cost us originally. Go figure. We have been doing our schoolwork around all our activities. We had Art Class, SMASH Club, Zoo Homeschool Project Fair, and now our family Garage Sale. So today I had Lydia practice counting money. I wanted her to do reading, but she did not want to have any of that. So fun, fun, fun....she got out of reading tonight.

In our homeschool this week....

The boys have been doing well getting their schoolwork done, or so I think as I have been glancing at their to-do lists. I haven't graded or really checked anything real close. But they know if they don't finish, they have to do it on the weekend. There has been a lot of Magic School Bus this week. The girls have been watching it. It's one of Caty's favorite shows.

Lydia and Caty started an earthworm project. We are watching some worms in a jar that we collected out back.

Places we went and people we saw......

We had SMASH Club and Art class this week. It was our last art club of the current school year. We had so much fun!!! Can't wait until September :)

The kids worked on Pointellism in art class.

Grandma and Lydia at SMASH Club working on a page together

On Tuesday, it was our Special Olympics Spring Athletic Banquet. This is Joey with the Cheer Squad. It was fun!!!

Joey's Cheerleading pic.

We did some van schooling this week. Lydia is working on her math and phonics workbook on our way to the zoo.

Lydia's project for the Toledo Zoo Homeschool Project Fair. She is ready for next year's classes to start already.

Caty's last tap class before her recital on Saturday.

Family Garage Sale again.....lots and LOTS of stuff out.

Last night I decided to try and make marshmallows from scratch. I am allergic to corn....so no marshmallows. One of my FAVORITES!!!! I will share the recipe I used. And do a post on these. They turned out great. Going to try and roast them tonight or tomorrow on the campfire !!!

What I am reading.....

I am still working on a Nicholas Sparks book. But also had to start pulling out my sensory books for Caty. Need to tackle this and refresh myself on how to handle her meltdowns.

What I am cooking....

Being creative. We didn't have time to go to the store this week. So using up what was left in the house. They ate from the dairy bar in town a couple times this week too. That was a HUGE treat. I usually only let them get food there maybe once a month. I made homemade marshmallows last night. Watch for a post when I see how versatile these may be!! They are super yummy!!!

Things I am working on....

I worked on their schedules for schoolwork the next couple months. We school year around, and take a week off or a few days off here and there. Seems to work better that way. Too much time off and it's a pain to get them back doing their studies again. I am also working on our Summer Science club.

Cleaning closets, bookshelves, and now we need to clean up from that mess again. I have basically created a massive mess again.

Linking up with other homeschool moms at iHomeschool Network.

and

and

Everyone have a great weekend!!!!!

Independence Seaport Museum - Visiting a War ship Part 3

2013-05-15T02:00:00.000-04:00

Launched in October 1892, the USS Olympia became famous as the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after returning to the U.S. in 1899, but was returned to active service in 1902.

She served until World War I as a training ship for naval cadets and as a floating barracks in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1917, she was mobilized again for war service, patrolling the American coast and escorting transport ships.

Following the end of World War I, Olympia participated in the 1919 Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, and conducted cruises in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas to promote peace in the unstable Balkan countries. In 1921, the ship carried the remains of World War I'sUnknown Soldier from France to Washington, DC, where his body was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. Olympia was decommissioned for the last time in December 1922 and placed in reserve.

News room....

Officer's Country....they slept in these areas and had a huge open area to eat and socialize.

Had 6 pounder guns on both sides of the room...

This ship was well armed...

The machine shop so that parts could easily be fixed and created as needed.

The Berth Deck....yep, soldier's would sleep in those hammocks hanging from the ceiling.

The Scuttlebutt or water filtration system.

Print room where the newsletter was created

Barbershop

Operating room and medical area.

This ship was huge....we were all exhausted walking.

The recovery area/sick bay.

The Chapel

Joey checking out the firepower.

Kitchen....

This was rather interesting. The cooks or their helpers would sometimes lose the money for food during bets or spend it unwisely and then the sailors would have to make do and not get their proper food rations because of their stupidity.

The tables would swing from the ceiling. They were raised and lowered for meals. You can see the wooden table on the ceiling.

The Admiral's Quarters....he got the big guns!!!

On the top of the ship...

This was a great experience. We all learned so much visiting both the inside museum and the ship/submarine. We would definitely recommend this museum for the large amount of information that we had presented to us!!

The highlight for everyone though was definitely the submarine. The only one who didn't want to visit the sub again was Brayden. So we waited for the others to visit it again.

Next stop......Atlantic City....Steel Pier and Abscon Lighthouse.

Spanish for You! - Fiestas Review

2013-05-14T23:26:00.002-04:00

I feel that learning a second language is important. Joey has learned a few phrases here and there, but has struggled with our old Spanish software. The lessons were longer than his attention span could handle. Lydia though wanted to learn French, and no offense to everyone out there...but I wasn't feeling French as a necessary language. At least not yet. Spanish is really a second language in our area, so I felt this as more important. I was very excited to get a chance to try out Spanish for You! - Fiestas with them.

Spanish for You! is written to be used for approximately Grades 3 through 8. This program is easily adapted for use with multiple grade levels at the same time. I was able to use this with Lydia (an early 2nd grader) and Joey (in 6th grade).

It is so easy to use, everything was laid out for me. The lesson plans require little extra work for me, unless I wanted to be a little more creative and make a few of the suggested games. It is very flexible, and you can use it as little or as much as you would like each week....but bear in mind the more practice the better the kiddos will learn.

We had the opportunity to try out the Fiestas program by Spanish for You!

Our review copy was all downloadable, including our audio files. It was super easy to download and save. Included in the package, is a 24-30 week lesson plan to follow. Depending on the package that you choose, it is broken down by grade level. There are easy to use worksheets for each lesson. There are flash cards and also an audio file of the entire book.

I actually used the Grades 3-4 level with both Joey and Lydia. Joey has been in an easily frustrated lately, so I decided not to challenge him too much. This seemed to work for him. I included their "Spanish class" on their to-do list for their schoolwork. Now I took Spanish in High school and done really well with it, but that was over 20 years ago. I still remember bits and pieces, so my FAVORITE part of this program was the MP3 audio files.

So when they would get to the point of doing their Spanish class, I could just play the file for their section they were working in. It was that simple!!! The lessons are fairly short, and able to keep both kids attention spans. I was able to pause the files, as needed to review words/sounds with them.

With all their other interests, learning a new language has not been a top priority, but something they thought was neat. Neither see the true benefit yet. I would have to say that a lesson is maybe 20 minutes for us 2 times a week. So we are going through this slowly, but they are moving at a pace that is good for them. You could easily (and they do provide lesson plans for a 5 day a week schedule) use this in your classroom daily.

Spanish for You! does not leave you hanging. There are many suggestions on how to help your students learn the information, including ideas on how to make flashcards and games to play to create repetition. (The more the children hear and use it....the more they will remember it.)

This by far is my favorite Spanish program to use with the kids. They have enjoyed the length of the lessons, and since our study lessons have been about parties....they enjoy the content. I like that I can easily print the materials needed...lesson plans, worksheets, game materials and flashcards are already set up for me. The audio file is the real clincher in my decision to continue using this product. Since I am in refresher mode with learning Spanish, I can make sure that the kids are getting the right sounds out. It is also of great benefit to have those lesson plans (optional purchase, extra fee) laid out completely for you. Less planning!!!

You can purchase Spanish for You! - Fiestas in several different ways. If you would like to purchase the Grade 3 - 8 package it is only $64.95. You can purchase smaller units that feature specific grades. If you want Grades 3-4, grades 5-6, or Grades 7-8 you can purchase these individually for only $39.95. You can also purchase extra workbooks for only $12.95 each. The teacher lesson plans can be purchased for each grade level for only $12.95.

Several members of the SchoolHouse Review Crew had the opportunity to try out Spanish for You - Fiestas in their homes. Vist the SchoolHouse Review Crew blog to find out how it worked for them.

Independence Seaport Museum - Part 2 - Visiting a WWII Submarine

2013-05-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

While at Independence Seaport Museum, we had the opportunity to tour a WWII Submarine...The USS Becuna.

She saw dandelions....had to stop yet again.

The Olympia and Becuna.

Walking across the deck of the Becuna.

This was a bit difficult, but very fun to climb down.

The rear torpedo bays.

The shower is smaller than a closet.

The officers section of the ship was more private. Their pantry.

The War Room

The next two pics were the Captain's Quarters

Junior Officer's State Room

Chief Petty Officers Quarters

The news/message room

Engine room....

Radio Room

Main Galley

Mess hall

Sink/Coffee area

Sleeping quarters for regular men.

Climbing our way back out....most of the kids and Joe decided to tour through twice. They really liked this submarine!

Part 3 is touring the Olympia.....Watch for it on Thursday.

What we are up to this week.....

2013-05-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

Well, chugging along. Our "official" 2012-2013 is almost over. We will still continue along, using the same materials. There will be a few changes, and a few additions.

Joey

Science - Invertebrates

Math - Continue addition problems in booklets

Grammar – Lesson 31 Singular and Plural Nouns

States – pg 5 Color regions

Presidents – Presidents (George Washington pg 26 and John Adams pg 27) – Dover coloring book

4H – Snack Attack – Activity 2 Keep food diary (blueberry smoothie) & #3 Digging for Grains

4H – First Aid – Dog bites pg 20 & 21, First Aid for Poisons Pg 22 & 23

4H - Collectibles

Brayden

Science – Finish up learning about Frogs

Spelling – Regular stuff

Grammar – Lesson 31 Singular and Plural Nouns

Math – pg 14 – 16 Subtraction Review

History – History - learn about Industrial Revolution and a little about Immigration

Lydia

Science - Earthworms (with all the yardwork, found a ton in the yard)

Math – Continue work with money...adding quarters and dimes into the mix of adding and counting

FLL – Lesson 40, see/saw/seen, Lesson 41 Months of the Year, Lesson 42 – practice writing full name and birthdate

Phonics – Unit 37

Reading – Finish Saige Book 1

Geography – Israel

Girl Scout projects for State Fair

Abeka – Phonics workbook 43-46

Geographical Features – Fjord, Ford, Forest, Geyser

Caty

Science - Earthworms (going to combine her with Lydia)

Letters A & B

Shapes - Circle

Team Umi-Zoomi Math

Start reading Tale of Peter Rabbit

**Practice Phonics Dance Daily

Caty is going to have lots of review. She has chosen to throw tantrums and fight, so we are going to try the Easy Peasy Homeschool Curriculum. Going to start at Level 1 with her, so lots of review this first month. And then we'll move forward with new lessons by the middle of July.

Lydia has her Zoo Homeschool Project Fair on Wednesday. This is her 3rd year in Zoo class, and our first Project fair. We are usually in Tennessee right now, so we never make it the last month of the class. So we are pretty excited. Even have her project ready. She is also working on her State Fair projects. Many in the works, only a couple near completion.

Our last art class of this school year is tomorrow. Sad and excited all at the same time. Same for our Smash Club. Hoping to keep that going this summer though.

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

Papa's Pearls - A Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom - Review

2013-05-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

*****Disclaimer......I received Papa's Pearls-A Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

You know all those pearls of wisdom that our Grandparents or Parents are always sharing with us when we are young, and yet we do not want to listen or just choose not to. Well Dianne Flynn Keith was wise enough to share her Papa's Pearls, A Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren ($14.97) with all of us.

This uplifting book is packed full of the life experience of a very hardworking and loving family man. He wanted to make sure that his kids were well prepared for life. But not just financially, but able to make good choices and look to the past to help them in the future.

He was always optimistic, even when life seemed to be weighing him down. Always had kind and wise words for his family when they were suffering. This made a huge impact on the lives of those around him.

This book made me sit back and think about our life. With multiple kids considered special needs, life feels like it is throwing bricks at us daily. Do I remember to tell them how much I love them, no matter how frustrated I am feeling? How about a smile or a hug? Did you hug your spouse today, yesterday...do you even remember?

Have you told them that you love them? Papa made sure to tell all his family, ALL his family that they were loved. And loved unconditionally. He always told them, "I love you. You know that, right?"

No matter how frustrated things make us, those bad feelings will actually harm and destroy the family bond. Papa's Pearls - A Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren strongly encourages and gives wisdom on how to improve/strengthen what in today's society is being quickly destroyed.

Each chapter is broke down into easy to read sections, for either your own personal reading or for read-alouds with your family. I could barely put this book down, and plan to read it again. Also am going to encourage my hubby to read it. It is excellent reading for children and adults.

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were able to read Papa's Pearls - A Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren. See how they used it in their homes and with their families. Be sure to visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.

Independence Seaport Museum - Philadelphia (Part 1)

2013-05-12T02:00:00.000-04:00

While we were in Philadelphia, we had the opportunity to visit the Independence Seaport Museum. After battling traffic to get through downtown on a Saturday, we were exhausted before even got there. It was a sunny day though. I am splitting this trip into two blog posts, the first is the inside of the museum. The second is the outside....the tour of a WWII submarine and Pre-WWI battleship. Both very cool to tour.

It was a bit of a drive, and we expected a sandwich cart....the kids were counting on it. But there wasn't one, so they were excited to eat ~~crap~~...I mean snacks out of the snack machines.

While they were enjoying their treats, I enjoyed reading about the reasons sailors chose certain tattoos.

As soon as you walk in the main area of the building, there is a large recreation of the Ben Franklin Bridge. This was very neat to walk under.

There is a HUGE exhibit on the ship disasters and ferry disasters on the Delaware River.

As far back as the Revolutionary War.

This plank is from a British Frigate in 1777.

Showing how they turn shipwreck sites into archaeology areas to find out what went wrong.

They build boats there. They were working on some while we were out.

What beds were like in the late 1800s on ships.

Cookware/dishes from late 1800s to early 1900s.

Section on immigration....we didn't get to see much here. The kids had saw so much it was overload.

Captain to the bridge....

Silly time!!!!

Laser tattoos....

Hands-on exhibits....

They had a cannon in the lobby. The kids loved making it "blow up". It made a loud noise...they kept fighting over who got to go again.

Watch for Part 2 touring the ships....

Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 49

2013-05-11T21:07:00.003-04:00

In my life this week.....

Ahhhh!!!! Supposed to be in Tennessee this week soaking up the sun in the parks with the kiddos. No instead here in Ohio, soaking up the sun doing yard work. I am loving the warm weather, but my allergies are leaving me fogged over and exhausted. I seriously feel like I can't think at times. My brain feels in constant overload, and there are no over the counter remedies that I can use because of my other sensitivities. Even with the brain fog, soar muscles, and exhaustion....at least the house will look nice on the outside. Because it is total chaos on the inside.

In our homeschool this week....

We worked our way through their weekly assignments. They ended up not finishing Friday assignments because of the book sale we went to. So I will move those assignments into next week. No big deal. We are still working hard at keeping up our weekly assignment sheets. I went a different route with the boys. I actually typed up their assignments for each day and printed them, and used my binding machine to make them a nice neat notebook. They could work ahead if they chose, of course they both chose not to.

What I am reading this week....

I didn't take the time to read this week. I have a Nicholas Sparks book I bought....hoping to start it soon.

Places we're going and people we're seeing.....

Went to see a movie with some other homeschool friends on Friday and our homeschool group had it's first Curriculum Trunk Sale. It was a huge success. Twice the amount of people as last year. Everyone seemed to have a great time!!! We visited the Botanical Gardens in our area for the first time. Lydia and I can't wait to go back. While there, Lydia took a fused glass class. She had a great time. Joey and his dad went to see the new Iron Man movie. They had a great time together.

What I am cooking this week....

I made chicken and dumplings (yet again....Bug's favorite), Cincinnati chili (Joey's favorite), and little things here and there. Been a rough week for cooking. Lots of outside work to deal with. So I have been exhausted.

What I am working on....

Well planting flowers, clearing weeds in the kids play area, mowing, cleaning up the back deck, clearing high weeds and starting to plant veggies in our back area. Only got green beans and a couple strawberries planted. We had nice weather all week. We were also going through and looking for things that were broken beyond repair for the junk pick up. And my parents surprised all the grandkids with newer pool for the backyard. So today we broke down the old one with my brother and sister-in-law and cleared the area for when the installers come in a week or so. I had an ongoing list though that I need to work on.

Because I spent so much time outside (courtesy of pre-planning their schoolwork), I feel like I am behind of blogging. So trying to catch up this weekend a bit.

Rewarded the kids this week....

Since Brayden finally caught up his schoolwork with me, they did get slushes (we have an crushed ice machine). They also got ice cream downtown once. They were well rewarded this week, although for not helping to clean up...that's for sure :)

Something I'm oogling or have my eye on.....

A patio couch...need a new one. My parent's took their wicker couch and chairs off the back deck, so we need some new seating for the back area. Most are way out of budget right now, so going to start watching Goodwill and Garage sales.

Photo from this week....

Brayden loves corn on the grill. I just throw the ears on about 30 minutes, with my grill temp set about 400 degrees. He will eat a couple ears at a time. Well I let him pick the ears that day, and when we got this one off, he got a bonus ear in the same husk. He thought that was cool.

Linking up with other Homeschool Moms at iHomeschool Network.

Literacy Soft - Phonics and Reading with McGuffey App Review

2013-05-07T23:27:00.000-04:00

*****Disclaimer......I received Phonics and Reading with McGuffey App free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Anyone who follows our adventures knows that Lydia is struggling with reading. She does well in all subjects, and would actually be a grade ahead of where she is if not for her struggle in this area. We have tried so many fancy options...and finally I decided to go back to the basics. People learned for many year using McGuffey readers, why don't we try it. Lydia started making progress....and more progress. Bingo!! And then we got the opportunity to try the Phonics and Reading with McGuffey ($19.99) from Literacy Soft.

Phonics and Reading with McGuffey on the iPad was such a wonderful addition to our reading program. We homeschool on the go a lot. So this was a great portable reading program for Lydia. It has allowed her to feel like she is getting extra bells and whistles, without getting away to far from the old-fashioned way of teaching phonics and reading.

At first Lydia was really hesitant to use the program. Fun and reading are two words that do not go together for her. Now I wanted her to "play" a reading game.....yeah right. She and I sat down and started doing her "schoolwork" on the iPad, and she really liked it. In fact, it didn't take long before I realized that she was practicing lessons without me telling her. She has enjoyed using the program very much. When we are spending half the day in our van driving between events, it's nice to tell her to please do a reading lesson on her iPad.

Phonics and Reading with McGuffey has really added the "glitz" and "glamour" to an old-fashioned reading program or basically modernized it.

I was skeptical at first, because I have been burnt on pricey applications for the kids iPads before. Basically I have spent money and been very disappointed. To me, the cost of this application made me nervous. But I was very happy with this program. I think one of my favorite parts of the program was when kids are encouraged to experiment with sounds to create new words. Lydia thought this was hilarious and would spend so much time "creating" new words.

Things I liked about this program:

*User friendly- even Caty enjoys sitting down with this program and doing school
*Portable....she can do her lessons almost anywhere we are!
*Good use of old-fashioned reading program.....adding a modern twist to a classic
*Ability to repeat lessons if desired and no time limit set for the kids in areas they enjoy.

Lydia enjoyed this section....the program gave her the word she needed to spell out. She would choose from the letter options to fill in the sounds she was looking for. The truck would drive away when she spelled it right.

This is her all time favorite part though of the Phonics and Reading with McGuffey program. She loves "making up" or creating her own words. She would just play this the whole time if I didn't catch her and ask her to move on to the next area. But at the same time, this section really reinforces letter sounds.

Phonics and Reading with McGuffey was created to be used with children and adults who may be struggling with reading or learning English. Adults can work in the privacy of their own home if they need a bit of help in the reading arena. But even older students can feel like they are getting extra help that they may be needing. That is another nice thing about this program.

Most reading programs are written for younger children, at some point the pretty rainbows and fairy wands are not appreciated by older children and adults. Phonics and Reading with McGuffey does a wonderful job presenting this information to all age levels. You can use this is early readers or adults, and attention is kept at all levels.

This app includes:
• All 52 McGuffey Primer lessons
• All 44 letter sounds of English and their graphemes
• 60+ letter sound animations
• 400+ practice word vocabulary
• 9000+ nonsense word audio dictionary

We had the opportunity to try this on the iPad, actually a Gen 1 iPad...so not even a new generation iPad. But you can also get this for iPhone and even download the application on your computer. You can also download this program to use on your computer. In fact you can try the first 10 lessons with the need to purchase, so you can see how it will work for your little (or big) one. You can also try out the iOS Lite version for free.

We will definitely be continuing with Phonics and Reading with McGuffey. It has been a great benefit to Lydia and I will continue encouraging Caty to use this program also. Millions of have learned to read using the McGuffey Primer, so this modern twist has really been a great addition to our homeschool program.

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were able to try out Phonics and Reading with McGuffey in their homes, please take some time to read how it worked out for their families. Visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog.

What we are up to this week....

2013-05-06T07:49:00.001-04:00

Well we are basically wrapping up for the year. I have contacted our assessor to make an appointment for the kids to visit with her. Would like to get a step ahead on the paperwork, since our district is notorious for losing it annually.

This week....

Joey will be working on "life" skill math, or reinforcing the basics. Lots of practice may help him with those basics. We'll wait and see. In History, he'll be learning about Tecumseh for Adventure Club, and then next week we'll return to Modern History, 20th Century. With Science, he'll be reading about amphibians, reptiles and birds. Quite the combination, but that is the sections he'll be covering in the A Beka science unit. He has a video he'll be watching on Tecumseh. He'll also be working on a product for review about Web page design. In 4H, he'll be working on his First Aid project and Snack Attack projects this week.

Lydia will continue working on money in math. In Grammar, was/were and practice calendar work (First Language Lessons). Science, she'll be learning about clouds. Geography, starting a new World Geography product (watch for the upcoming review). Also practicing her Spanish. She'll be making an Israeli meal. She'll continue her sight words and reading.

Brayden will be learning about Frogs. Doing his usual spelling and reading comprehension program. He'll be starting his new Math curriculum also. In History he'll be reading about Lewis and Clark and the Industrial Revolution. There are videos on Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. he will also be watching.

Caty is doing her typical "preschool" stuff. She has her Hooked on Phonics Alphabet she's working on. A couple games to remember her upper and lower case letters and UmiZoomi math book. She's going to be also learning about the different habitats of the world.

Hopefully we'll get to see my niece's play today. We have typical gymnastics and dance. Joey might get to go to horseback riding tonight also. We have our Homeschool book sale this Friday and a cool activity with Scouts. The weather appears that it will be nice all week. So pretty excited.

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

Homeschool in the Woods Review

2013-05-05T20:50:00.000-04:00

*****Disclaimer......I received The 20th Century in American lapbook free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

History, much to my disappointment, is not a favorite subject of my kiddos. Lydia enjoys it more than the others. But the boys would rather be covered in peanut butter and rolled in bird seed than do history. I have hidden history for the past few months in their Adventure Club reading assignments, but I really miss studying history with them. Joey wanted to study more "modern" history, and I was looking for an outline to get me started. We were very excited to get the opportunity to try out The 20th Century in America lapbook ($21.95) by Homeschool in the Woods.

The download was very easy for this project pack. The file is very large though, and it is broken down into several sub-categories to make it easy to use. I created it's own folder in my documents for easy referral. There is a lot of printing, but the nice thing is I could pick and choose what I printed. Such as the Terminology cards, I did not need to print them all. You could also choose to read the "book" on the computer instead of printing it. The directions on assembling the lapbook and it's pieces could also be an optional print.

The lapbook packet includes a booklet of information, you could actually do this entire lapbook without the use of any extra material. Homeschool in the Woods includes a wonderful amount of informational reading to complete all the lapbook components.

With the use of the Reading Text, Joey could have easily worked his way through this packet independently. But I wanted to make sure he was paying attention to the information he was reading.

The 20th Century in America lapbook includes information about the important conflicts in the 20th Century, fads in food, the Stock Market Crash, The Great Depression, 20th Century slang and terminology, Fashion, important figures and sports heroes....and much more. This lapbook could easily be turned into a quick study of the 20th Century or an extended study by spending a couple weeks on each topic. It is very versatile.

It is written with Grades 3 - 8 in mind, but you could easily include younger children in this project pack. In fact, to lighten the study a bit about the World Wars, I printed off coloring sheets for Joey to use while we watched a documentary about the causes of World War I. I have chosen to proceed with this study at a slower pace, because Joey was having a harder time understanding at the quicker pace.

So how has this worked for us......Wonderfully!!! I like to create and include my own extras into our history studies. The 20th Century in America lapbook allows me to have tons of information at my fingertips, and yet still add my own extras to what we are learning. We can move at our own pace and go as in depth into topics as we choose. They do provide a list of extra book recommendations to help you find age appropriate materials on some very deep topics. A list of music suggestions is also included. But again, you choose how much of this you would like to use.

Pros......
1. Versatile.
2. Easy to use with all ages.
3. All information provided for each lapbook topic. No extra research is necessary.
4. Easy download and printing.
5. Could be used easily for independent study.
6. Cost effective...$21.95 for a possible half-year history study!! Only $22.95 if you want to purchase the cd, instead of the instant download.
7. Lots of extra material recommendations.
8. Lots of opportunities for creative writing and research projects for older children or those just learning how to do research.
9. Extra clipart included to jazz up your lapbook.

Cons......
1. If not careful, could print a lot of unnecessary pages.

Yeah....I only have one item under the cons. I have enjoyed this unit study so far, and look forward to continuing its use with Joey. In fact, we will use this project with Lydia also. I will probably incorporate her more on a couple of topics to check her interest in more modern history. I would definitely recommend the 20th Century in America lapbook from Homeschool in the Woods.

The Schoolhouse Review Crew had the opportunity to try out other products from Homeschool in the Woods, be sure to stop by the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog and see how well the Homeschool in the Woods products worked out in their homes.

Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 48

2013-05-03T07:27:00.001-04:00

In my life this week.....

We have had a rough...rough week. We were struggling Sunday, and then Sunday night Joey had a massive medicine reaction (which I didn't recognize until early Monday morning because I thought he had a stomach bug). I took to the ER at 8 am, and he got worse as we got in the van. He got even worse when we got to the hospital and I had to yell to get him a wheelchair because he was starting to fall since he couldn't stand long enough to check in. She didn't believe me, until he started screaming and crying louder. I was like, "Seriously, you have his name and insurance on file...get him a wheelchair or you are responsible if he falls down!!" Needless to say an RN came running with a wheelchair. It was like he was having a seizure right then. They gave him benadryl shots and sent him home, against my recommendation and wanting him to come home that early.

About 4 hours later and two doses of Benadryl at home, we called the EMS this time (yeah...no waiting at the check-in window). He got worse and worse after we got there. And then after almost demanding more Benadryl shots for him, he finally showed improvement. No one would listen to me. This is not the first time this has happened....I was trying to tell the doctor. But he was patronizing me and not really listening to Joey's issues. He was an older doctor who thought he knew my son better. I also found out from Joey's regular doctor that he kept telling him what to give Joey, and he didn't. I was soooo mad. I am trying to get a list of the drugs they gave him in the hospital to see what they were giving him.

Joey's had a rough week. He still has a little bit of issues from Monday, so just keeping a close eye on his speech, and tremors. May have to have some further tests to make sure he didn't have any damage from this.

Poor guy...his tongue and lips were even swelling during this reaction. He had sinus and throat issues too. I didn't recognize those symptoms because he has some allergies and the pollen count was high. He actually has been having a reaction for two weeks now, and I was controlling it with OTC Benadryl. Didn't even know it.

In our homeschool this week....

Lots of review and watching of science shows. Joey was in no way able to do schoolwork. But has been watching science shows this week while resting on the couch. Lydia has been doing reading and we have been working on money again. She is making improvement in that area also. Her two worst areas were reading and money, and she is improving in both areas!!!

We went to the zoo on Wednesday with the Nature Sketching class in our homeschool group and walked around the zoo a bit. The kids had fun and were exhausted when we left.

We went on a great field trip to the BGSU Marine Life lab yesterday, watch for the post next week. They showed us Lizards, snakes and WOW!!! It was wonderful!!! Even Brayden stopped playing his DS long enough to watch and hopefully learn something.

Lydia and I finished her zoo project for the Homeschool Zoo Project Fair next week. The kids that took classes are supposed to pick an animal and do a habitat board about it. She picked the Black and White Tegu.

What I am working on....

Trying to keep up with our house. It is awful!!!! Everywhere I turn there is a pile of something. So trying to work on organizing each room. Also trying to get ready for our Homeschool Trunk Sale next Friday. I have a pile I need to get ready.

I just need one of those organizing reality shows to come in and help me. Then one of those home improvement shows come in next.

What I am cooking this week...

Not much....no oven. It's finally fixed, but did make chicken on the grill Tuesday. The girls and I also made fried dandelion greens, we went forging when we were picking up trash for our 4H Club. Found tons...and tons.

What I am reading this week....

I just finished a book called Papa's Pearls, watch for the upcoming review.

I am working on a new Nicholas Sparks book I found at a book store Sunday, A Bend in the Road.

The kids were rewarded....

Well Caty didn't really deserve a reward, but Brayden and Lydia ...even Joey did great Wednesday. We had the zoo in the am and then a long doctor appointment for med checks, so they got ice cream at Sonics.

Something I have my eye on......

A clean house...not perfect. But Clean. With this week though, Joey has been struggling with his memory and completely forgets what he is doing. Joe is doing both his work, college classes and working on his online CISCO training to renew his certification. So can't help any extra. Caty could trip over a pile of something and not realize it's even there. Lydia tries, but this is just overwhelming this week.

A photo to share....

Our neighbors trees are in full bloom!!! Aren't they beautiful?!?! I am so happy to see them, and yet it is through allergy eyes...lol.

Linking up with other homeschool moms at iHomeschool Network.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2013-05-01T20:55:00.003-04:00

Outside my window...

We had to break down and close the window. I was listening to the distant sounds of lawnmowers. But with all the allergies in the house. A/C is now on.

I am thinking...

That it got too warm to quick...scared for snow or more cold weather.

I am thankful...

That our son is ok. He had a massive allergic reaction to medicine and I am suspecting possible seizures, but not for sure about that. We were in the ER twice, with one visit in the ambulance. He had about 300 mg of Benadryl in one day! He is still slow and a little docile (not normal for him) after 48 hours. So one day at a time.

In the kitchen...

Our oven is now fixed....but not until we got home from the zoo. So I made some quick burgers on the grill, sauteed some zuchinni and hashbrowns for dinner tonight.

I am wearing...

My tinkerbell pjs and t-shirt

I am creating...

Nothing right now...well kind of. Trying to create a way to overcome the mess that keeps appearing in our house. It gets so bad!

I am going...

To the BGSU Aquarium tomorrow. The girls are super excited and so am I!!!

I am wondering...

Not really much, but I did wonder about this question for a while...lol.

I am reading...

I just finished reading a great book called Papa's Pearls. Started a Nicholas Sparks book, but can't remember the name right now.

I am hoping...

That Joey recovers smoothly and quickly from Monday. The last time he had a reaction like this, he was better within a day, so it carrying over into day 2 just keeps me on my toes to watch him.

I am looking forward to...

Baking some cookies tomorrow. I am craving some sweets....and my candied ginger is just not taking care of it.

I am learning.....

New things everyday about our youngest....some are good and some are not.

Around the house...
You can't really walk around our house...tooooooo messy!

I am pondering...

How to get it all done....hhhmmmmmm......

A favorite quote for today...

"Having kids is kind of like living in a Frat house. Everything is sticky and you're not quite sure why." - Unknown

One of my favorite things...

Getting Brayden walking at the zoo today, and only mildly worried about bugs flying near him. He even rode his bike briefly tonight. That is a HUGE feat!

A few plans for the rest of the week....

Aquarium tomorrow and family garage sale Friday and Saturday!!!

A peek into my day...

We met friends at the zoo to do nature sketching....Gorgeous weather!!

Linking up with Simple Woman's Daybook....

Carnegie Natural History Museum Field trip - Part 2

2013-04-29T02:00:00.000-04:00

So the real reason we stopped at the Carnegie Natural History Museum is to see the dino bones!! Caty loves to look at dino bones. Out of all our kids...the youngest girl is the dino fan.

They had a lab set up, and there were scientists working in it!

You could actually touch this dinosaur Femur!!! The girls were a little skeptical.

I found this very interesting....this find was what got Carnegie interested in collecting dinosaur bones.

There was A LOT of walking. Caty got tired....but then if you look above her..

This was above her!!

The coolest part of this exhibit!!!! This is the first T-rex skeleton ever found!!!

Then it was dig time!!!

Wooly Mammoth vs. Mastedon

And for my fellow Game of Thrones fans.....

They had an AMAZING insect collection that Caty was amazed by!

This tarantula was very cool!

And to finish off our trip....a Penny for our souvenir book!!

We only spent a couple hours at this museum, and we did not even get a chance to see half of it. This museum is AMAZING!!! We did not even get a chance to see the Art Museum that it houses. If you get a chance on your next visit to Pittsburgh, visit the Carnegie Natural History Museum.

Carnegie Natural History Museum Field trip - Part 1

2013-04-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

I am always scouting for new experiences or something exciting while we are traveling with Joe. I really seek out activities that we cannot do in our own area on a regular basis. So I was pretty excited to find the Carnegie Natural History Museum in Pittsburgh....even better they were a reciprocal museum on our Art Museum Family membership!!!

I love this fountain...want one in our backyard!

Looking at layers of rock

Minerals and gemstones....This was a great sections. So many amazing rocks, minerals and gemstones (which we could not take pictures of).

Now that is a piece of coal!!

Sulfur

3 types of rocks broken down....

Fluorescent rocks...This was very cool, and the effect just isn't the same because of my flash.

Checking rocks for Radioactivity

How the rocks and minerals are found and mined out.

So beautiful!!!

A very neat display of origami art!!!

Watch tomorrow for Part 2 of our visit to Carnegie Natural History Museum! We haven't even gotten to the dinosaurs yet!

American Girl Saige Book 2 - Reading Comprehension and Activity Guide

2013-04-27T06:15:00.000-04:00

Here is the link to the Reading Comprehension and Activity Guide that I created for Lydia to use with Saige - Paints the Sky (Book 2) by Jessie Haas.

Saige - Paints the Sky - Book 2 - Reading Comprehension and Activity Guide

Here is the link to Book 1:

Saige - American Girl - Book 1

Please note my terms of use:

This is for personal use only. I am providing them free of charge. You may use this at home or in a classroom. You may print as many copies as you would like. You may share the link to our blog to others interested in our packets.

You may not:

Sell or distribute this file. Host this file on your website without permission from myself. Upload this file to a shared website (Ex. 4shared.com)

A Cry from Egypt Giveaway!!!

2013-04-26T12:33:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered what life was like in ancient Egypt? As an Israelite? And a slave? Want your children to understand the Bible is history?

We are so excited to have been contacted by Hope Auer to giveaway an autographed copy of her book A Cry from Egypt.

We had the opportunity to review Hope's book this past fall, and we really enjoyed it. You can read our review here.

Hope is a recent Homeschool graduate that loves children and being an author.

If you haven't had a chance....please check out A Cry from Egypt. This well written biblical tale is wonderful for both bible study and history.

You can enter to win an autographed copy below....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visiting Franklin Institute - Part 2

2013-04-26T02:00:00.000-04:00

Franklin Institute was so much fun!!! Way too much for one blog post!

They had K'nex that the kids could create a moon buggy to try and drive on the rocky terrain.

Large telescope with a way to see what you would have seen if looking through the viewfinder.

A piece of meteorite found in Arizona....they could touch it.

A really fun hands-on exhibit.

Sitting on the chair makes different sounds...the boys thought this was great.

This was fun....shoot the various Air Cannons to move the sparkly material.

The boys rode in the Max Air simulator...they thought this was great.

I don't think I will be flying with them anytime soon.

The girls were too short for Max Air, so they got to ride in the Adventure Flight.

Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 47

2013-04-25T22:49:00.001-04:00

In my life this week.....

We are back from Philadelphia. Saw a lot of historical sites and fun ones also. Philadelphia is a great place if you don't want to relax and see lots of stuff. I always feel like I can't sit still when we are there because there are so many things to choose from and see. I will be posting pics of all of our adventures over the next week or so.

Have you ever felt like someone threw a stick into your bicycle tire? And off you go flying...not sure what is happening next or if it will hurt when you land. Well that's how I am feeling right now. Philly was up and down for us. We will need to go to St. Louis soon, but then we just found out we need to go to Tennessee in two weeks. So not prepared for that. We were just getting back on the bicycle (or at least I felt like it)....and wham!! Someone stuck something in my tire to trip me up. Oh well....Looks like I am going to get my wish to go and relax a little in Nashville. Maybe this trip I can visit that clothing store in downtown where the actors from the show Nashville keep getting spotted shopping. That'd be so cool to run into someone from the show!

In our homeschool this week....

We took it easy, just doing some reading on Monday & Tuesday. Wednesday they had the day off. Today we did some basic stuff. History reading, Science and math for Joey. Lydia did math (money), phonics/spelling, grammar, and reading. She also worked on an American Girl project for Saige. She's starting her "art" board. Caty did basic alphabet and math. Brayden....well Brayden didn't do anything!! I threatened (and to him it is a threat) to send him back to regular school. We'll see how he does tomorrow.

We had American Girl Club today, and there were some great projects that moms planned. Lydia had so much fun. She won't take off her cowrie shell necklace (we had our last meeting for Addy today).

Places we're going.....

Well we just got back from Philadelphia. While there we visited the Franklin Institute, Independence Visitor Center, Carpenters Hall, George Washington's house, Independence Seaport Museum, Atlantic City Steel Pier and lighthouse, the 9/11 Memorial National Park and Eastern State Penitentiary. When we got back, we had American Girl Club today and the Special Olympics Craft show this weekend. Joey and Lydia are also helping Grandpa pick up trash for Earth Day (it was rescheduled because of the weather).

Things I'm reading....

Same stuff as last week. Although I did manage to finish both the American Girl Saige books and the study guides will both be up by the weekend on this blog. I am still working on Papa's Pearls...watch for the review. Need to finish the Karen Robards book I started and haven't finished. And I also need to get going on my photography class.

Things I'm cooking....

I made Mexican Meatloaf with homemade potatoes. Then repurposed the leftovers into potato patties for lunch and tacos for dinner. Still have enough for leftover sandwiches tomorrow. Tomorrow going to be baking cookies for the 4H Bake Sale over the weekend, and Lydia and I will be re-creating a girl scout cookie for our troop. I also have reviewing a Molly cookbook, and will be trying a new recipe from it tomorrow.

Things I'm working on.....

Well I was going to be getting ready for the Book Sale for our homeschool group, but that will now be changing since we are going to be in Tennessee that week. I guess I will be re-packing all our suitcases, and looking at a school schedule for the next two weeks. I also will be working on a couple field trips for the summer.

I rewarded my kids this week....

They got to pick their choice of junk food at the store yesterday....and yuck they picked poptarts. They ate way too much junk food this past week anyway. So we need to make some gradual adjustments back to a more normal eating routines. This weekend we will have a campout in the living room and watch movies all night (or as long as they can stay awake).

A favorite thing this week......

Caty is obsessed with dandelions. She stops and must pick them no matter where we are. There were some at the lighthouse in Atlantic City that she had to stop and pick. I keep reaching in my purse and my fingers turn yellow because there are so many dandelions in the bottom of my purse most days...lol. The simple things in life.

Photo from the week....

Our family at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. A nice lady who was also touring at the same time took the photo for us. This was a great tour!!!

Linking up with other moms at iHomeschool Network at Homeschool Mothers Journal.

Dr. Craft's Active Play Review

2013-04-25T22:22:00.000-04:00

*****Disclaimer......I received Dr. Craft's Active Play! free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Kids are a massive bundle of energy. And if they don't have a good outlet, watch out....they are going to terrorize anyone around them. At least that is the way it is in our house. Caty has a tendancy to be like her brothers and not really want to do a lot of physical activity. How do I make it more exciting? Some days I just feel so frustrated when I think I have a good idea, and she hates it. Then I received a wonderful package in the mail and Dr. Craft's Active Play came to my rescue. In my package, I received Dr. Craft's Active Play! Fun Physical Activities for Young Children book and DVD set ($39.99).

Dr. Craft's Active Play! includes over 50 creative activity ideas for children as young as toddler through early elementary. Even Lydia enjoyed playing these games. The boys even got into a few of the games, since their sisters were laughing so hard.

You might ask though, what's wrong with just sending the kids outside to play. Well let me just say, that's great if your kids can keep moving and entertained for more than 2 minutes without screaming they are bored. Or better yet, if it's been cold and windy or even rainy and the kiddos can't play outside. Caty will go outside and just sit in the sandbox for hours if I let her. So most times, it's great to have a list of outside/inside activities to get the kids moving. And something that is a lot more fun than just walking with mom.

So you might be asking, how do I get started? Dr. Craft's Active Play! provides detailed instructions, and even includes a 20 week daily lesson plan schedule. The beginning of the book also has been put together providing teachers/parents with answers to many of their questions. These include suggestions as to how to include the activities throughout their already busy days or even how to work with special needs children. Suggestions are also given to developmental milestones and how to keep kids safe while playing these games.

How did we use this in our school?

I tried to follow the lesson plans as close to possible, but then the girls started asking if they could pick activities. So we watched the DVD of a few activities and then I let them choose those in an order they wanted to do them. I would then select a few more activities and let them put them in order. This allowed the girls to feel a little more in control of their "gym" time as they called it.

Did it help get Caty moving more?

Yeah, I would say it did. After I let her start choosing what activity (from a list that I presented her), she seemed to not mind playing more.

You can take a look into Dr. Craft's Active Play! by viewing these sample pages.

Will we continue using this?

Yes!!! In fact, as the weather warms up (we have very...very close quarters) I cannot wait to get to do more of these activities outside in the fresh air. Like I mentioned earlier, the laughter was contagious causing the boys to want to get involved in some of the activities too. So if you have a wide age range with your children, do not be afraid to allow the older ones to "teach" the younger kids these games. They will have just as much fun as the younger ones.

It was really nice to have a guide to follow. It didn't require me to spend a lot of extra time researching games and rules for the kids. Everything is neatly presented in the book with minimal prep time involved. How easy is that!!! And the games included will quickly become favorites, so the kids will not tire out as your rotate through this list repeatedly. The girls and I have set a goal of repeating this book at least 3 times from the official start of summer to the official start of fall. They are going on our summer bucket list.

These games and activities are also nice to have on hand for kids parties, family reunions and other times where you might need to entertain children at the last minute for any reason. Again, most supplies people have already laying around the house or they can be inexpensively purchased at dollar stores.

I do have to apologize that I cannot provide any pics of the kids. Turns out that Lydia deleted my memory card in the camera that I was using to snap pictures during a few of our sessions. I went to download them, and they are all gone.

Several other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew has the privilege of using Dr. Craft's Active Play!. Be sure to stop by the blog and check out how it worked out in their homes with their families.

Visiting the Franklin Institute - Part 1

2013-04-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

What did we do our First Day in Philadelphia? Visited the Franklin Institute. This is such an enormous science center. I felt it is a fitting tribute to Benjamin Franklin as he was really such an inventor and there was so much there for the kids to experiment with.

I love the entrance to this museum...

What is inside our blood...we made "blood" this past summer, but of course no one seemed to remember it. Go figure, ours was similar to the mixture in the tube. Do you know what color blood really is?

These are super cool benches!

Learning about the importance of exercise.

The Giant heart

Learning about issues in our lives that we can change to help stay healthier. he had to check his risk factor for heart disease by putting a black block on side if he could say no, and a white block for yes on the other side. And then it showed what his risk factor was....

This was pretty neat...Great activity to show how plaque builds up in your lungs.

This was very cool. There was a video of a surgery playing. I found it very interesting.

They could see the differences in a CT Scan, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound as they moved the screen over the body.

There was a whole section on Electricity. I didn't get to see it all because the exhibit was loud at times, and freaked Brayden out. So we waited outside for everyone else.

Some of Ben Franklin's experiments.

This static electricity was cool. And I got shocked pretty good.

Kicking back and letting someone else do all the work.

Seeing how the cooling system in a space suit works.

A cooling suit layer.

The difference in cameras and why NASA wants higher pixel cameras.

This was fun to see where things are actually "sitting" in our atmosphere.

Joey and some other kids controlling a flight.

I will have another post....this science museum is chocked full!!!

Painting on Cloth

2013-04-24T02:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't done an art class post in a while. Last art class we learned about tapestry art. We talked briefly about how elaborate the weaving is. We didn't actually "weave" though. If you are interested in learning more...Here is some information.

Designs told a story or a tale.

I found a link about how they made the "rugs" as Caty called them:

A word of French origin naming a fabric in which the two processes of weaving and embroidering are combined. The woof is not made in the usual way by throwing the threads with a shuttle, but is added to the warp by the aid of a needle carrying a short thread of the colour called for by the design. The fabric produced by this method of work, in which richness of colour and exquisite gradation of tints are easily obtainable, is a mosaic made up of dyed threads. It is used for wall-hangings, floor and furniture coverings.

Our group used cotton cloth that I found at Hobby Lobby, and cut in into small 5X7 squares. The kiddos do better when we have smaller pages to fill, and I make sure they have multiple chances to create. They used oil pastels to draw on the fabric. Much simpler than trying to teach 15 kids of various ages how to weave. I will tackle that next year :)

Their assignment was to create a life scene..

Caty just loved drawing lines because the oil pastels were very easy to use on the fabric. I called it "My Life of Craziness".

Lydia re-created her favorite artist Mark Rothko...

And of course, Caty's favorite subject of art....Rainbows

Lydia also re-created Starry Night.

This was another popular art project with all the kids. We are going to miss the class on Stain Glass, so I hope the kids like that as much.