Almost...

While its a "rite of passage" to learn the ABC Song... I've never really pushed it with my kids since I found early in teaching my kids about reading that the phonics of the letters and the ability to identify them as bigger priorities than just memorizing a song!

But Nate loves the ABC Song!

So he practices it often... over and over every day! Usually we have a book, poster, or his ABC Train puzzle in front of him as we sing so he gets the chance to correlate the name of the letter with the letter itself.

After a couple of days of asking if I could record him singing his ABCs, he finally agreed;)

He  almost has it;) And this Momma thinks its too cute!!


And I know I'll treasure this is in a couple of years as he gets distracted in the middle with his "taggie" blanket. And needs a little help:) And his little voice!!

Resources we are using for ABCs:
*LeapFrog Letter Factory DVD
*LeapFrog Fridge Phonics
*ABC Puzzles - we have a Melissa & Doug ABC Train (it comes out a lot)
*ABC Poster - found at the $ store
*ABC trace book  & Crayola erasable crayons
*ABC Books -  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, ABC board books
and just singing together:)

*** And this is all Nate led:) I love that he wants to learn, so I'm letting him go at his pace. Some days he wants to "do me school work" all morning and other days he's content playing with Duplos, Play-Doh or trying to tickle his older siblings' feet while they work:/

Zucchini Bread... ok, ok, it's more like a Cake;)

So we celebrated my 30-something-th birthday last week! And with any birthday I put in my request for the food:) Since I'm also the head chief I choose something easy for the meal (crockpot BBQ sandwiches) and

 Zucchini bread... ok,ok, it's more like a cake!!

We started making this recipe after a few attempts at some not so great zucchini bread.

The next week we were at my in-laws and was offered a slice of a friend's zucchini bread. I knew it had to be good because it called for icing;) LOL!!

ANyway, we arrived home with my zucchini plants still producing,,,, yippee!! Our turn to make some:)

At first "the fam" was a little hesitant.... all the strange "green" things in it!! But as soon as they had their first bite they were hooked;) After the first attempt I began peeling the zucchini before grating it... of course that probably took out any of the nutritional value, too... hey, it's a cake.... not the meal and not often made (although I totally would make it weekly)!

ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs (or 3/4 cup of applesauce)
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 pkg of vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts (if desired, I didn't add any)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder

Stir together the eggs/applesauce, oil, sugar and zucchini. Whisk (or sift) together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Add to zucchini mixture. Stir in vanilla, pudding mix and nuts (opt).

Pour into 9x13 pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Use a cake tester to be sure it's done in the middle.

Ice that thing when it's cooled a bit. We use a cream cheese flavored icing (or make your own).

And then enjoy!!!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Did you miss us;)



Anyone enjoying peach season? I'm a summer fruit gal... strawberries, peaches, blueberries... count me in;)

So while we were running errands, Lydia, Nate and I made a quick stop into a grocery store that carries "as local as possible" produce to get PEACHES:)

But then I heard from behind me, "Us not get peaches. Peaches are disgusting!" Then giggles (Lydia's).

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I have started to clean up our school room.... we cleaned a lot after we finished school and then we had 3 weeks stuck inside, RAIN and more RAIN, vacation ....

and the school room was trashed again:/

I was surprised to find that all our scissors are missing:/

I questioned the little bracelet makers:) "Do you know where the scissors might have gone this summer? I didn't find any in the school room?"

Lydia responded, "I think Mr Nobody took them!!"

LOL!! Those of you who have used First Language Lessons or are familiar with that poem know that name well:)

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Nate was excitedly asking me the other day "Me doe to the freek?"

I wish I can understand what he is asking the first time every time, but I don't speak "Nate" well sometimes:/

So I asked him, "What is the freek, Nate?"

"Mom, the freek! Where me and Tis tatch the tadpoles, fish and toads and frogs!"

Ahhh... the creek!! He had seen Chris run down to the edge of the creek with some fishing supplies:) BOYS:)
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Back in the school room we are laying down the "rules" again. Chris saw Anna's Kindle on the table and called her out on her infraction," Get your toy off the table!"

Anna quickly replied back,"It's not a toy. It's a very expensive piece of electronics!"

LOL!! I had to turn my back and snicker at that one, before I reminded them to speak kindly to each other;) And to keeps "toys" off the table during schooling!!

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Lydia has already worked ahead in math and did her 1st assessment of the year:) But one question confused her.

Lydia: "I don't know how to answer this question. It says, "How many children have birthdays in August?" But my chart only says "mom" and "the cats"."

A normal predicament for a home schooler;) And BTW we also discussed that we were missing an aunt's birthday, too;)

Our Students

Every year when we start school, we spend a little time decorating their grade signs:) Things got a little tricky this year and I really thought "lets not do the signs this year" and there were protests:) So we got out the cardstock and paints and they got busy:)

ONe reason it's tricky this year is because of their "grades"... we home school not so our kids will skip grades or be rock scientist (although both of those things would be pretty cool!!). But home schooling allows them to work at their pace.

For each kid we've started a little earlier in a schooling routine than traditional schools because they have asked!! With Anna I was trying to keep up with a local preschool but with Chris and Lydia they wanted to start. So each child as started earlier than their same-aged peers. But their home school "grades" and their peer age grades are not quite in line this year.

So we decided to have them stick with their age group as far as their "grade" and then let them work at their own pace in their schooling. This year is a little tricky because it's our transition year...so that explains the "double grade" signs this year! But better to have a strong 2nd grader than a struggling 3rd grader.... right;) 

And what's the rush.... none, here;) Like I said in our curriculum post, this decision has fit perfectly into our choices to finish vol 4 of SOTW and do the Apologia Chemistry and Physics:) Perfect timing!

The class!

Anna

Chris

Lydia

Nate

And occasionally it gets a little crazy here;) Just occasionally, though :P

We have an awesome year ahead of us;) 

We are joining in on the Not Back to School Blog Hop:)

Enjoying the Summer Produce

We had a blast with our garden this summer;)

You won't know by looking at it right now, it's pathetic with weeds taking over and the tomatoes and bean plants dying back.

 In fact, Lydia and I almost cried when we saw our huge, luscious zucchini plants dying back a few weeks ago:(

All good things must come to an end... or at least the summer part of our summer garden.

We did get to "put away" some of the goods. I have 5 canned quarts of squash and a few baggies in the freezer. We canned tomatoes with friends and were given a lot of those quarts;) We have some corn "put up"... not much though:/

And somethings are just better fresh... like squash and zucchini:)

Chris and I were ready to try a very simplified version of Ratatouille. I sauteed the squash and zucchini in EVOO with some salt and pepper. Then layered the squash, zucchini and pepperoni slices. Finally we drizzled spaghetti sauce over the layers (sometimes the sauce was a meat sauce). Chris and I ate lots of Ratatouille this summer;)


The kids got to cut into a few little watermelon. They kept picking them too early.. or that's at least what we thought:)

love his expressions:) And it was edible:)

Even though I know very little about black eyed peas... we had plenty come up. I had two little "shell-ers".

We even got some corn in... awesome to eat the corn that we planted:)

And I have two fantastic corn shuckers;)

We are still getting some peppers and tomatoes... so fresh salsa right now;)

Anyway, it's been quite the experience and we've all learned a lot. Next year I am definitely investing in tomato cages and maybe planting a few less tomato plants... 48 was a bit much for us this year:) Although many people got to enjoy fresh Roma and Cherry tomatoes from the garden:)

Can you find Lydia in the picture to the right?? Those tomato plants were crazy!! I referred to them for most of the growing season as my "unruly teens"... they were just every where;)

I also hope to figure out a way to can at my house. I found out in the middle of the season that my nice flat glass top stove wasn't going to be suitable to can on... who knew:/ Anyway, we have a few possibilities so that we can get more canned next season and make our growing season last through the winter.

Can I also say that I stink at growing and harvesting beans... definitely going to work on that next year so we don't have to purchase them all year long at the grocery store;)

I'll be sharing our favorite zucchini recipe from this summer, soon:) Too good NOT to share;)