A New Post in the New Year

We had a wonderful Christmas. We celebrated Advent and the kids eagerly anticipated Jesus' birthday. After opening gifts Christmas morning and enjoying homemade cinnamon rolls, we watched a movie and relaxed. Dinner came later that afternoon with some great friends and yummy food. We played games around their table and laughed together. Really, a great day.

New Year's Eve was spent with some more great friends and their 3 kids. We made it to midnight, talking, laughing and munching on goodies.

Marissa enjoying her new blanket watching a movie on New Year's Eve

The family

I'm thankful for the blessing of family and friends. We are praying for a year of growth, challenge and following hard after what God has called us to.

Upcoming this week:: my word for 2011...

Celebrating Advent

I've been wanting to share what we are doing for the Advent Season. I really like Advent because it takes you through the Bible and shows you how God wove His Story! Amazing!
We are using Adorenaments from Family Life Today. We love this set and I'm sad that it is out of print. Each ornament highlights a name of Jesus and the CD has a song particularly about that attribute.

We are also doing Ann Voskamp's A Jesus Advent Celebration. At the end of November, I printed all the ornaments, backed them with card stock paper and threaded a ribbon through the top. Each day, at lunchtime, I read to the kids and they take turns putting the ornament on the tree. It has been very good. (And it was free when I signed up!)

The last thing we are doing is reading the book called, Looking Forward to the Nativity: a family Christmas devotional by Jon Farrar. It's a great little way to end the day and much of it overlaps nicely with Voskamp's ebook.

With the lights on the tree and our focus on Him daily, we are joyfully anticipating His birthday!

the gift that will keep giving

I just purchased my Christmas gift!! A Scotch Thermal Laminator is on its way to my house! And folks, it may not make it under the tree. Right now, only today, this laminator is only $16.99. Huge deal, and I'm so thankful that my hunny said to go ahead and get it. Yippee!!

Thanks to Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations and 1+1+1=1 for the great tip this morning! And thanks to my friend, E. for sharing her Amazon Prime so that I got the shipping free.

Christmas Links

T working on his letter recognition paper

I wanted to share some links that I've been using for PreK/K during this Christmas season. These ladies are so talented and I love it that they share so many resources freely.
1+1+1=1 Christmas Fun

Homeschool Creations:
Gingerbread Baby Lapbook
Nativity Preschool Pack

Confessions of a Homeschooler
Preschool Christmas Activities

Here's one I found, but haven't used yet:
2 Teaching Mommies--Nativity

What fun things have you been doing this December??

Pirate Resources

As I said yesterday, my son is loving studying about pirates! He has been asking to do school...gotta love that!

Here's my list of resources:
First my favorite--Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations has a very cute--I mean--hearty lapbook for free. I used her book list and found several of the books at the library. Unfortunately I didn't find "On a Pirate Ship", however the other books are serving us well.

Print Activities.com has a nice list of piratey coloring pages.

We are going to listen to some Patch the Pirate.

Homeschoolshare.com has a pirate lapbook with other resources listed.

I'm thinking of having a Pirate Party--just for fun! We'll have cheese and crackers and chicken (legs, of course!) And I'm going to make a treasure map for him to follow to find the "buried treasure". We'll end the evening by watching Veggie Tales, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything."

I'll be sure to post pictures (as long as our camera doesn't go on the fritz again.)
See you later, matey!

Note: image from thepickards.co.uk

Piratey Post

My youngest child is a boy, 5 years old. After having two girls, raising him has been different. (I realize I'm stating the obvious!) Anyway, I'm getting ready to study pirates with him...yeah, I never studied pirates with his sisters! :)

Tonight I read him a pirate book while he colored a pirate picture. Then while I was cleaning up the kitchen, he climbed into my bed to finish his coloring. I came in the room and said (mustering up my best piratey voice), "Shiver me timbers, who is in my bed?" And without missing a beat, he said, "It's the pirate from the Seven Seas!"

Soon I'll share the resources I've found and my ideas for a pirate themed supper! Now I've got to finish swabbing the deck.

A Week of Letter H

This week we have worked on the letter "H/h".

Here are some of the resources we've used:
First School Letter H printables
Kids Zone Beginning Consonant Sound worksheet H


Here are pictures from some extra activities we did. T is working on matching upper case and lower case letters along with matching the picture with what letter it starts with. He is doing very well. I made activity from the free printable from Confessions of a Homeschooler printables. It is called the A-Z Beginning Sounds Game.



Here is A. (she comes to our house for child care/preschool two days a week. She completed the preschool activity "Shades of Color" from Walking by the Way's preschool activity bag ideas.


Some activities we did for the letter H:
Trace hand prints, cut out and make turkeys for Thanksgiving
Hopping around the living room (for a long time to make them tired!)


I had them hop on left foot, then right foot, then both feet all while saying "H" and the sound /h/ makes.

I'd intended to let them paint their hand prints, but the week got away from us.

We are so thankful for a good week! Head over to Homeschool Creations for more great preschool/kindergarten ideas!