Double Donation (no more BUN)

Definitely time for a TRIM or a CHOP!!

We've been putting off getting our hair cut until we could visit Aunt Jaclyn's salon. The girls would have NO ONE else touch their hair. I was holding off to have enough to donate to Locks of Love and have some thing left to work with:)

Lydia went first.

Lydia chose her own hair style... she asked specifically for bangs.

And then a BIG CHOP for Anna!

Anna had 10 inches cut off in those first minutes!!!

 I thought it was funny that she immediately started feeling for her hair again!

Anna's ending style! She looked so grown... seriously, a teenager already? LOL!!

And then it was my turn!! I'd really had been looking forward to going, just ask Brian! He was GLAD to finally get me to my sister:) LOL!

We took about 12 inches off my head!! It was wonderful!!! I love my hair and have already adjusted to the new morning hair routine which is MUCH easier and faster.... NO more school-marm-ish bun!!!

This is a little strange to post...

but our hair measured:)

This is Anna's 2nd time donating her hair to Locks of Love! I know she was a little hesitant to go through with a big CHOP, again! I left the decision up to her and at the end she was pleased. See her first donation/hair cut story here.

And I was thrilled to be able to donate, too!! I have done it in the past but I've had the "I need to cut my hair TODAY" itch for about 6 months.... it's been a long "hair" 6 months;) LOL!!

A super big thanks to my talented sister.... being patient with the girls and I and even working on her day off while pregnant! I know... she was super sweet! And Brian!! He watched the kids and meet up with us here and there to make it all work out for everyone! Thanks for being soo flexible, sacrificial and  willing!! And my parents who continue to take care of us and love on us... definitely demonstrating that we never really grown out of being parents!!

More Wordless Wednesday at  NapTime MomTog, 5 Minutes for Mom,  Mama to 4 Blessings, Go Graham Go.

Weekly Wrap-Up

With a snotty and clinging toddler and chilly, wet weather we made it through another week :)

Bible
This week we discussed being generous. I was personally challenged with the idea of "your heart is where your treasure is" and how it applies to how we spend our time as well. It was funny that I was challenged with the verse one day and the next day I had a sick, whinny, clingy 2 yr old :) What a way to put in practice how I need to love and comfort like Christ and not be distracted by my "own agenda"... yes, even when my agenda includes laundry, making meals and schooling some older siblings:/

Language Arts
The last few weeks I've made more of an effort to work with Chris and Lydia in their reading book. It's amazing how different they are in their journey to be readers.. one is reading like crazy (read from a 3.7 level Abeka reader with ease) and the other stumbles over sight words:/ Goes to show you that the journey to reading isn't always about having great resources or a willing parent... definitely a lot to do with personality (and ability... although I know the ability is there for my little one).

Thankfully there is progress!! And that is my motivation as we drag out the reading boom each morning whether anyone wants to or not :)

And my issues with Anna's Grammar isn't solved but it's working. I'm doing most of it orally with her. She's learning and likes the one-on-one time (so do I)... too bad the rest of the house is bounding off the walls while we work!

Math
Chugging away... lesson by lesson:) Math facts and skip counting during drives in the car... the homeschooling life!

Chris working hard... after the picture I realized he was working hard on making a battle scene around his problems:/

Lydia's lesson on Symmetry

History
We had a HUGE event this week.... besides the elections;) LOL!!

We finished Story of the World vol 3!! It's a very big accomplishment for us:) I will admit that we didn't do all the activities and narrations for every chapter, some we just read through:/ But as we reviewed I realized how much the kids had gleaned from our studies. Yay!!!

We did spend time talking about the Presidential Elections. We read a few books from our local library and reviewed the 3 main branches of the federal government. The kids went in with us to vote.. they saw us in action!! And then on Election Night we watched some of the results come in... they lasted about an hour or so and then went to bed:)

Science
We read and did two experiments about water pressure. Again... simple yet just enough of what they can handle.

We also did a little natural science by going on a nature senses hunt with friends;) It was fun and sweet to see the kids pair up and hunt for the items listed;) They had a ball!

This cracked me up... the kids needed to find a beetle and Nate just happened to have one in his pocket:) Boys:/

Tot in the School Room
We recently joined a community learning resource center! We checked out our first goodies this week!! Definitely a hit with Nate!

Simple Dinner Over the Fire Pit

So I've mentioned that between being oven-less (hopefully for just 3 more days since we'll install the broken part ourselves, but no microwave until Nov 28th... yes after Thanksgiving) and studying the Gold Rush wanting the kids to "experience" making a meal outdoors!! I really did have some fun "hobo pack" recipes to do...

but in an effort to enjoy or time together and not have another rushed evening, we roast hot dogs or "hot hogs" (what Nate would say)!

{pretty}

The sweet snuggles. The dancing flames.

All the different colors in the flames.

{happy}

Sweet little smiles so excited to cook their own hot dogs over the fire:)

{funny}

Still giggling that we did hot dogs after all the preparations:/ But the kids had a blast "cooking" their own meal.

{real}

Cooking beans inside... time saver, not cheater;)

 Submitting the 1st picture to Shoot.Edit.Submit., Photo Friday, Give Me Your Best Shot, and Fabulous Friday!  Submitting to {phfr}.

.

Weekly Wrap -Up : Gold Rush & Fall Fun

Bible
We enjoyed talking about being content and learning how to not covet by changing our focus. A lot of our conversations were a lot like our week of thankfulness from the week before. I love seeing the thankful stars we have in the windows... our little list of things we are thankful for.

And while handing out candy at our local rehab center isn't learning more about the Bible; it's living it. We didn't go in with tracts but with a heart to show love to the people we met:) It was a great experience!!

Language Arts
We are just continue to work through everything:) Chris and Lydia have just one more page of their month poem book;) I look forward to seeing those put together!!

Anna has been working through making singular nouns plural in both Grammar and spelling.. just timed it right :) And she's has really embraced the writing more this week... yay!! Her assigned pieces were some background passages about CS Lewis so that got her attention! But I think she is also enjoying reading to me.. I like it too;)

Math
I've got two working through multiplication facts and one motivated little one buzzing through subtraction facts;) I actually took them back to the stairs to play a fact flash card game just for fun and an excuse for them to have a piece of their Halloween candy... LOL!!

Chris also got to learn about 3-D shapes!

History
Last week we finally got started reading about the California Gold Rush. One of our favorite non-fiction books about the Gold Rush was Children of the Trail West by Holly Littlefield. We really enjoyed two of Sid Fleishman's books with characters based during the times of the Gold Rush. The first was Bandit's Moon about a girl joining a band of Mexican thieves looking for her gold-seeking brother. The second was The Great Horn Spoon about a young boy trying to find gold to save his Aunt's estate. A fun read book was called Nine for California.

I tried to think of some ways to make the life of a person traveling to California or a gold-seeker come to life for the kids. Some things were easy to do.

Setting up their tents in the schoolroom and letting them sleep in them the whole week.. actually I hadn't planned on them camping out in the schoolroom, but they asked and I thought "why not?" The girls were my campers I think they slept in the tents 4 nights!!!

The next activity was to prepare a meal over the fire one night. It was a busy day and we chickened out when we realized it would take an hour to cook:/ So we gave them metal skewers and they "cooked" their own hot dogs over the fire.... seriously, they had a blast and asked when they could cook on the fire pit again:) LOL!!  Might have to do it again this week while we are oven-less.

Finally at a friend's Fall Festival they had a horse-drawn hayride. During the trip it hit me that the trailer was a lot like the covered wagon minus the cover. They definitely felt how bumpy and how slow the travelers had to go. Fun that it totally fit into our week:)

This was cute... a little "educational"...maybe:/ Animaniacs "Gold Rush" episode.

Science
So I did get better with Science this week!! We  discussed "dissolving"... first we made salt water:) It was very simple but we saw that dissolving changed the water but not the amount; it stayed at 1/2 cup mark. And that it was completely mixed up:)

We also talked about things that were soluble and insoluble by letting the kids pick things from our pantry to see which would dissolve in water. They had a blast with this simple and silly activity and got to see what soluble and insoluble meant by doing:)

We filled out an experiment page for the first experiment. They did a definition page for the terms. But for the last "investigation" we just did it no extra paperwork;) Just good 'ole guesses about whether things would dissolve or not and then testing our guesses!

Extra Activities
With Halloween falling in the middle of the week we had plenty of activities at local places and our own "traditions":)

Making Pumpkin shaped cookies with friends... usually done at our house, but done at a neighbors since our lack of oven right now:)

Pumpkin carving while Skype-ing Grandma and Grandaddy:)

Chris designed his and I carved it for him:)

Lydia carved her own... she's got the cut on the finger to prove it :/ Lydia and Anna were supposed to work together... but we learned that Lydia's pretty protective of her pumpkin... Anna will have to get her own next year!

Funny Pictures of the Week
After we went to the rehab center with the home school group we visited the library to "trick or treat":) Our library had books for the kids to pick out as a treat and then the kids kind of hung out for a little bit:)

Skunk- zilla:)

The reading monkey:)

Using Halloween to Serve Others

While most of our "Halloween" festivities included churches Fall Festivals, we did join our local home school group in a Reverse Trick-or-Treat at a local Rehabilitation Center/Home.


When the families planned for the year, one mother suggested that the kids serve our local rehab center by dressing up the kiddos and letting them hand out candy to the residents. I have to admit I was a little skeptical of MY kids being comfortable enough around the much older residents and my 2 yr old giving other candy from his basket...

especially since he definitely does not share his stash with his siblings:/

I gave the kids some "pep talks" about showing love to the residents and how excited they might be to having a younger child speak to them and show them kindness. About how some residents might be "sick" and not respond or act sleepy and that they just needed to be sweet and patient. And I sang them a bit of the Audio Adrenaline song "Hands and Feet" to remind them that they are showing love by a simple act of service.

And then we were off:)

At first they were a little hesitant about approaching residents.... but then they were all over the place handing out their treats:)

As a bystander watching my kids be generous and kind was precious. Memories of Chris running from room to room trying to find another resident to give candy to or Nate digging through his bag of lollipops to pick out a certain color for each resident... just too sweet.

The SKUNK was a hit, by the way; everyone had to "meet" the skunk;)

And when some EMS/transport guys came walking through the hall, you know the kids had to bless them with candy as well;)

>

It was a great experience for everyone.... and yes, some kids did "sneak" some candy (Nate was definitely the 1st!!!) but after how "generous" they all were, I think they deserved a little treat:)

And I look forward to more ways to get my kids serving others through our home schooling group and individually!!

Since I've not shared our official we are dressed up for Halloween... I'll share it now:/  I'm not a big Halloween celebrator but we certaintly had fun this year at various church festivities, this service event, pumpkin carving at home and making pumpkin cookies with friends:)

 My two little cowgirls, a pirate and a skunk;)