Happy Halloween!!

Link, the hero of time, getting ready to save Zelda and get some candy.
Haunter, a ghost type Pokemon. I have a feeling this mask will get played with a lot after Halloween. Maybe I should whip up a Pikachu one as well.
Matilda wanted to be really scary so she asked to be Frankenstein's monster. She thinks she looks super scary. I think she looks super cute.
And last, but not least, a fire-breathing dragon who didn't want me to take a picture of him! I guess he though he was so fierce that he would break the camera!
Here are the kids hanging out in the graveyard. One trick or treater asked if those were real graves. :)
And as a Halloween bonus, the cupcakes I made for a certain husband's 40th birthday. Recipe can be found here.

Boo!

Autumn...my favorite time of year! I love the cool breezes, the many pumpkin recipes, and of course Halloween!! Yesterday was September 30th, so we got busy making our first of many Halloween crafts. We started with jar-o-lanterns. (Thanks for the idea Kim!!) Here's how we did it...

First, I gathered all the unused ball jars leftover from my overambitious canning dreams. Then I gathered up some craft paint and brushes. The kids painted their jars (on the outside), then played Wii until the jars dried. After many turns at Wii Sports Resort, the faces were then painted on the jars.

The jar all the way to the left is Liam's (a boo from Mario), then Jack's ghost and Matilda's pumpkin. She directed me as I painted the face. The final three are mine. This was a super fun and easy craft for the kids. Now onto making some tombstones!!

And one more thing, it rained last week!!!! As you can tell, we had fun playing in it.

some days...

are just perfect.

girls and dolls

A friend's daughter just turned six and got her first American Girl doll! So I just had to make some matching little dresses for them! I made two tea party sundresses and two popover dresses from Oliver and S. Such fun sewing.

And now the knitting bug has bitten me hard! I currently have two projects on the needles and some more yarn on the way! And of course I have an embroidery project going and am making a quilt. Am I the only crafter who has 1,000 projects going at once? I won't even bore you with what I'm doing as far as decorating my house. I'll wait until I have the after pictures.

homeschooling part 3

Now on to my favorite subjects! History, geography, social studies...I love it all! Now my kids are still fairly young, so I'm not going in too deep with these subjects just yet. But I have found some great "jump start" books to use this year. By jump start, I mean that the book just gives overviews of each subject which allows me to whet the kids appetite. From then we can go to the library and get many more books on a particular subject that they are interested in or do a craft on that subject. With me?

The first is The Usborne Geography Encyclopedia. This little book is full in information. It has information about from our solar system to maps of the Arctic and everything in between. It also has internet links like I described in the previous homeschool post.
For history I got another Usborne book. Can you tell I like Usborne? The Usborne Book of World History is also another "jump start" book. It also has a great little timeline in the back.

And for our final subject we'll cover home economics. Yes you heard me correctly! I think it is very important for children to learn how to cook healthy foods, clean, mend clothes and even knit or sew if they want to. Luckily my kids are still at the age where they love to help mommy clean!

The great thing about homeschooling is that I can mix all of these subjects together. For instance if we are learning about Hawaii, I could teach the kids about the people of Hawaii, volcanoes, the history of Hawaii, and have them write stories about Hawaii. That covers geography, science, history, writing and language arts. I'm sure I could even throw in some Hawaiian math!

The final thing I will say about teaching your children at home. The library is awesome! Use it. There are so many books on every subject that are just waiting for the touch of a child.

five!

So far five years of snuggles, hugs, giggles, silly jokes, bedtime stories, robot love, crayon doodles,
trips to the playground, bubbles blown, smiles given, boo boos kissed, ice cream eaten, songs sung,
board games played, books read, and love. Happy birthday to my five year old Jack. Here's to many more.

homeschooling part 2

Let me start by saying that kids are learning even when you think they're not. They are blank canvases completely capable of painting themselves. But it doesn't hurt to let them borrow your paintbrush once in a while.
So my curriculum...after reading, lots and lots of googling, tweaking my budget and going over education goals with my husband (very important to do!), I've come up with our curriculum for next year. Some we've already done before and some we're new to. I'll give you a quick run down of each subject. Keep in mind that my children are pretty young, so most of this doesn't go higher than a 2nd grade level.
Reading: Headsprout. These are interactive "episodes" that last about 20 minutes each. The program adapts to each reader and really keeps kids engaged. It really works for our family. The program is very affordable, can be done from any computer, sends a great progress map and stickers, and you get a multi-kid discount! There are tons of printable books as well as some that they send you. We also do just good old fashion reading. We make weekly library trips, go to story time, and I read to them at least an hour a day. I also try to open discussion about books that we read and I let the children make up their own stories.

Math: Singapore Math. This is the only math program we've ever used. It's superb. The text book and workbook have really great illustrations and don't cram lots of problems on each page. It's also very visual and many of the problems can immediately be applied in the real world. An example would be, "If there are 10 balls and 5 children, divide the balls evenly so each child gets an equal number of balls." The books also give fun activities to do in the home that allow the children to get a better grasp of the concepts by manipulating objects and having fun!
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears. This has worked really well for us so far. I highly suggest getting the teacher's guide as well. It has a wealth of information. My children also love using the personal chalkboards to practice on.

Science: I love Usborne books for this. We have First Encyclopedia of Science that I picked up for around $13. This book has "quick links" that can enhance the learning experience by allowing children explore brains, learn more about cells and many other things all online. We also have Usborne Book of Science Activities. (I have all three volumes.) These books are full of experiments that are simple enough for children to do on their own with things found around the house. We also listen to a CD called Here Comes Science by They Might be Giants just about every day. Full of fun science songs. And just so you know, it does have a few involving the Theory of Evolution, but we're Catholic, so we're A-OK with that.
I have more information, I promise! But it will have to wait until next time. I hope I helped anyone new to homeschooling, anyone thinking about homeschooling, or anyone who wants to do something for summer enrichment. Stay tuned for the next post involving social studies and history!

homeschooling part 1

The most common question I get right after, "are all these kids yours?" is "why do you homeschool?" I get asked that when I'm out on errands by other parents who are wondering why my kids are with me and not in school. I get asked that by friends and family. But I've noticed that the people who ask me most are the people who want to give it a shot. So here is my long overdue post about the why's and the how's of homeschooling.

I never thought I would be the homeschooling type. I have a sister with 5 kids that she homeschools, and I always thought she was crazy. But I also noted how her kids were not only smart, but they really loved learning. Still, I never thought it was a possiblity for me. Until we moved to Houston. My husband flew to Houston and had one weekend to find a house. He did great and I love our home, but the first time I drove by the elementary school that we were zoned to, I started crying. The school was so crowded that there were portable buildings all over the place to be used as classrooms. I later heard that one school near us had 13 kindergarten classes coming in the next year! That's 13 classes with around 20 students each just in kindergarten!

Now I'm in no way saying public school is bad. We are blessed that all of our children get a chance to have an education. Nor am I saying that my kids are different than all others and should get special treatment. But since I'm already a stay at home mom with lots of little ones, I thought I should look up alternatives before registering them for public school. (At this point my oldest was entering kindgergarten.) I just didn't feel right sending them off most of the day for 5 days a week to be drowned in a sea of kids. I wanted them to have a small and enjoyable classroom experience.

I sat down one night last July and started googling homeschooling and homeschooling co-ops around Katy, Texas. I was lucky to find an awesome little school called the Curious Mind School. It started out as a homeschool co-op and is now a private school. Liam went to kindergarten here and took some first grade classes as well for two days a week. We did his homework and I taught him a bit the other three days. The school changed up things for a bit for next year, however. Grades K-2 can only attend one day a week as homeschooled children due to the growth of the school and the lack of space and the desire to keep tuition down (which is all fine by me!).

I learned so much by teaching Liam just those 3 days a week last year. The experience has really prepared me to be a full time homeschool mom. I will say this. If you decided to homeschool, make sure to make time for yourself! Get babysitters during the week sometimes. Get your husband to look after the kids a couple of night a week and take a break! It's tough being with your kids all the time. I love hanging out with them and teaching them, but I also love myself and my hobbies.

So that's my story of how I ended up as a homeschooling mom. In part 2, I'll talk about my curriculum and hopefully the why part will be more understood. I hope that by showing what I teach my children, people who are thinking about homeschooling will see the great benefits that come with it.

the summer of make and do

It's summer break!!!!!!!!!!!! And it is HOT! Before noon today, the temperature had reached 100 degrees. Can you say UGH?! But there's no reason to let this heat stop us from having an awesome summer! So I've been keeping a running list in my head of things I'd like to do with my family this summer. Of course there will be lots of swimming and playing in the sprinkler, but sometimes that's not feasible for me with little ones who need naps. So let's get started!

1. Ice block of toys: Put a few little toys in a bucket of water and stick it in the freezer. Then let the kids have at it and see what tools they use to free the toys. My kids have had so much fun with this one. We've done it about 5 times in the past 3 days.

2. Big Bubble Wand

3. At Home Theater: We love Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems. They're easy for my 6 and 4 year old to read and my 3 year old has them memorized. So we started using them as "scripts". The kids take turns being Gerald, Piggie and any other friend that shows up in the book. Perhaps we'll make masks to go along with each script soon. We're also reading The Hobbit for our big summer read. I'm working on making little hobbit feet and a Smaug costume so we can put on a little play when we're done.

4. Big Draw: big roll of paper + lots of markers = fun! (pictured above)

5. Shadow Puppets from Fairy Tales: I talked about this in my old blog. The kids still love doing it. They now make their own and it's a great way for them to learn Grimm Brother tales or Mother Goose rhymes or Aesop's Fables. Plus we do it inside where the air conditioner is!

6. You-Pick-It Farms: Find your local you-pick-it farm! Blueberry season is coming up here! Yay!

7. Gardening My kids love running to the garden each morning to pick the tomatoes and squash.

8. Build a Robot: My boys have been begging to build a robot. So far all we've done is build a cardboard Wall-E. There are tons of kits out there for a real robot.

9. Make Ice Cream: The fun activity you can eat. I either want to do this or this.

10. Embroidery: Just give them some fabric, floss and a needle and see what they can do. I used to do this all the time as a kid. There are even little kits you can get a craft stores with instructions and all just for wee ones. Or you can just get the kids to doodle on fabric and "trace" it with embroidery floss.

11. Folding clothes while reading: Hmmmm, sounds like a chore doesn't it? Well, we love reading in this house. And we love reading out loud. And it just so happens I have a lot of laundry to do. So we came up with the idea of someone reading aloud while the others are folding clothes. Gives them practice reading and folding!

12. Nature Journal: I got this idea from reading about Charlotte Mason home schooling. Make little journals for each kid and go for a walk. They can either write or draw about what they see.

13. Lemonade Stand: Classic summertime activity!

14. Rockets You can get rocket kits at Hobby Lobby. Most are not that expensive, but all are fun!! Just make sure to find a big open area to launch.

15. Video Games "What?! She said video games!" Yes, yes I did. Because they are fun! Some that I recommend: Wii Party, Mario Kart, New Super Mario Bros, any Legend of Zelda, Mario Party 8. Most of these are multi-player and Legend of Zelda is awesome. Our kids even love our original Nintendo Entertainment System, which you can get on Ebay.

16. Read, Read, Read! Our library started their summer reading program last week. We are so excited about it! You can see if your library has a reading program, or just let the kids peruse the shelves!

I'm sure there are things we won't get to and some things we'll do that aren't on the list. The most important thing is to have FUN, FUN, FUN! And if any of you people out there in internet world have any suggestions to add, please leave them in the comments!

****This post is dedicated to Gabbie and Aiden! Show that babysitter how to have some summer fun right at home!****

video games and tv

Monday...finished science project about crystals, rode bikes, had barefoot races down the sidewalk, played video games for 30 minutes, had soccer practice, and had pizza for dinner. When at the dinner table, I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. They responded with video games.
Tuesday...went to last full day of school, had lots of fun on the swing set, went to the playground at the mall, set up a tent and sleeping bags in the gameroom and "camped out" there that night, watched tv for an hour. When at the dinner table, I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. They responded with watching tv.
Wednesday...woke up and played with Aunt Amy, had lunch at Panera Bread with Aunt Amy, took Aunt Amy to Simply Cinco where Liam and his classmates' art is being displayed, ate a cookie cake, played on swing set, played video games for an hour, took Aunt Amy to the airport and saw several big planes taking off, landing and taxiing. When at the dinner table, I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. They responded with playing video games.
But then they added, "Well, we actually like all parts of all days." So maybe, just maybe something is sinking in!

a mother's hope

I, like other mothers I'm sure, have many hopes for my children.

I hope they do well in school. I hope they make a lot of friends. I hope they get into a good college. I hope they find love. I hope, I hope, I hope...

Most of all I just hope they're happy. It's this hope that reminds me of a poem I used to read a lot when I was younger. It's a poem about growing up and reminiscing on the time of childhood and how that time is so carefree and innocent.

And this is what I hope for the most for my children. I hope that when they grow up, they will look back on the time I had with them and think fondly of it. I hope the memories of their childhood will be like a warm cozy sweater that they can wrap themselves in when adulthood sometimes gets cold.

So for my mother's day this year, instead of being pampered or taking the day off, I decided to use my time to make a few more memories for them.

"Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas

Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs

About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,

The night above the dingle starry,

Time let me hail and climb

Golden in the heydays of his eyes,

And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns

And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves

Trail with daisies and barley

Down the rivers of the windfall light.

And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns

About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,

In the sun that is young once only,

Time let me play and be

Golden in the mercy of his means,

And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves

Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold,

And the sabbath rang slowly

In the pebbles of the holy streams.

All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay

Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air

And playing, lovely and watery

And fire green as grass.

And nightly under the simple stars

As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away,

All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars

Flying with the ricks, and the horses

Flashing into the dark.

And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white

With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all

Shining, it was Adam and maiden,

The sky gathered again

And the sun grew round that very day.

So it must have been after the birth of the simple light

In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm

Out of the whinnying green stable

On to the fields of praise.

And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house

Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long,

In the sun born over and over,

I ran my heedless ways,

My wishes raced through the house high hay

And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows

In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs

Before the children green and golden

Follow him out of grace,

Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me

Up to the swallow thronged loft by the shadow of my hand,

In the moon that is always rising,

Nor that riding to sleep

I should hear him fly with the high fields

And wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land.

Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means,

Time held me green and dying

Though I sang in my chains like the sea.

It's complicated.

My heart is heavy today. I hesitate to even say this out loud. In the midst of all the cheering and yahooing because Bin Laden is dead, I feel like a little girl standing all alone in the corner.

This isn't a new feeling for me. I felt the same way when Sadam Hussein was executed. When the rest of the country is chanting "Justice!", I can only think one life was lost and no one cares.

Yes, I know that Bin Laden killed. Yes, I understand he had to be killed. Do I have to like it? No.

I don't like it because no matter how awful a man he is, he's still one of God's children. I don't like it because, no matter how extremist he was, people are still going to hate Muslims, who are definitely undeserving of any hate, because of this. I don't like it because it will make some people more bloodthirsty. I don't like it because I don't like dehumanization of any person.

I don't usually write about any of my political opinions on any of my blogs. I've barely touched upon any of my feelings here, mostly because I usually have children crawling all over me (as I do this moment) and can't give my full concentration. I'm also just a really private person so it's really hard for me to make this a very coherent post.

I'm not saying that I'm morally above anyone. I'm quite the opposite. I'm just saying that it makes my heart heavy when people rejoice so much over the death of a human. And I'm not really sure if it's the death that saddens me the most, or the overwhelming joy emanating from the public because of the death. As I said, it's complicated.

peter and the wolf

One of the great things about homeschooling is I get be a kid all over again. One of my favorite things from childhood is puppetry! OK it's one of my favorite things in adulthood, but back to the subject at hand...

I was so excited when Liam was reading a book about puppetry. The day before he started the book, I happened to come across a fabulous Peter and the Wolf puppet kit over at Sarah Jane Studios.

The kids and I had a blast with this one. I did it with just the story first, then showed them the version with the music. I remember watching the little Disney version of Peter and the Wolf over and over again as a child. I showed it to the kids on youtube which led us to an afternoon of old Looney Tunes and Disney cartoons. I've never seen them laugh so hard at a cartoon. Oh the joys of homeschooling!

let the little children come to me

This is a statue of Jesus that is in the courtyard at our parish. As you can see, he's not alone. After every Mass this statue is covered in children and I love it!

I think one of the great things about Easter is that it's such a happy time, children can't help but smile and laugh and enjoy Mass.

After all Easter is about new life and what are children but new little lives exploring everything.

This was our crown of thorns. For each good deed during Lent, the kids pulled a thorn out of the crown. Yesterday as Liam pulled out the final thorn, he said, "Now Jesus doesn't hurt anymore!" Maybe that's because Jesus is always surrounded by the little children.

Happy Easter everyone!