Old Florida Museum Homeschool Day

This was a great feild trip!!!
We went to the Old Florida Museum for their annual "Homeschool Day".
There were lots of groupr there from all over Florida.
It was set up into 3 eras, with a whole homestead set up for each era showing how they lived, worked, played and went to school.
This area was the Indian area, all about the Native Americans that were here in the area before it was "discovered".


Malachi thought this was sooo cool!
Let me tell you something folks...The fact that my child has a coyote skin hanging over his face and I am not totally freaking out is proof that we have come a long way!!!

Malachi learned how to use an old-time drill.
He was sooo excited to do big-kid stuff!!!


In the Spanish Colonial area the kids had the chance to dip candles, and learn how to grind corn.


Every area had games that were native to that time.
This was a ring toss...right up his alley.


Shashamane is a little cook, so she was thrilled to see this cooking area.
It makes you Thank God that we have a stove.


In the Pioneer Era, the kids saw how people used to wash clothes...
this was not such a shock for my children-They saw ME do this for our clothes in CR!
I wish I had one of these!!!!


I LOVE this picture....This was agreat lesson also in how hard even the children had to work.
I am thinking of getting one of these for our yard!!!LOL


This was the schoolhouse in the Pioneer era.
How great to see how others lived here in the past.


The kids thought it was so cool to write with a feather.
They were supposed to bow and curtsey(???) to the teacher when they entered the classroom.
Of course, Shasha would have NONE of that!!!


What a fraet experience this was for all of us!
At the end of the whole thing, I asked the kids if they thought that they would like to live in the days of the past, with no TV, no videos, having to do LOTS of work and wiping butts with corncobs?
Can you guess what the answer was?????

God ...Even Thru Sports!!!

We had another GREAT Soccer Saturday!!!!
Zeek and Shashamane Both are on really good teams.
They both have won all their games so far..(I think- hard to tell when they are so little).
This morning we had pictures before the games.
The kids were really excited to take their 1st team pics!!!
So cute!!!
Anyway....I have been trying to teach the kids the importance of Godly Character, EVEN in Sports.
Godly Character includes thanking your coaches for their service, appreciating your teammates, cheering on your opponent,and extending your hand when you knock someone over.
So before the games I try to go over these things with the kids.
Today I was SOOOOO PROUD of Zeek!!!
During his game, he and a player from the other team SMACKED into each other and both fell.
The other Boy was hurt, and didnt immediately get up.
Thats when Zeek walked over to him, and extended his hand to help his fellow soccer player up.
When the boy didnt want to get up, Zeek kneeled down and and asked him if he was okay and waited there with him till he got up!!
I was BEAMING!!! The fruits of my labor were evident!!
After the game, a mother from the other team came over to me and said "I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was with your son. The fact that he knows that compassion at this age is amazing!"
Can you imagine?
My heart just about came out of my chest...
Needless to say, the whole way home we talked with the kids about this and how thru their actions others will to learn from them.
Give Thanks that God has given me this opportunity to train these little souls.
WHAT A BLESSING!!!!

Duri

We Love Paper Mache' !!!!!!!

We had a Great week this week in school.
We studied the parts of a plant and planted a garden of seeds to watch them grow....
We played ABC Bingo....
We studied "The Fruit of the Spirit" in Bible Study....
We put together MANY, MANY, MANY puzzles....
We went over our sight words every night...
And the best of all...
We started our Paper Mache globe to study the continents and oceans!!!!


Zeek had a great time and was really consumed with this project.
We are going to use this to also study latitude and longitude,
maybe a few countries here and there.


Shasha LOVES any art project we do...
She will learn about N,S,E,and W, and continents and oceans also.


And Malachi was actually interested in something NOT superheroes..
And if you know Malachi, THAT is HUGE!!!!
We will be working on this project for a couple of weeks ...so well keep the updates comming!!!

Gotta Love the Vans!!!

Thank You soooo much Amy, Jeff, Sebastian, Anastasia, and Alahna...
Jay needed new work shoes...His are HOLEY!!!!
And its going to rain tommorow.....

The Craziest Person I Know...

My husband is the craziest, coolest person I know!!!
As I looked at him yesterday, on top of a three story roof, It made me love him even more.
He is so cool up there... brave as can be nailing this or that...as if he WASN'T on top of a three story building with a rope tied to his waist.
All the while Josh waits with the other end of the rope, just over the pitch of the roof.
AMAZING!!
Anyway..as I love him and learn from him everyday.
Give Thanks that God showed me the light and my life is so glorious.

Muchas Gracias!!!!

Sheba got a card in the mail from Papaw and Mimi Suzy with money for a "riding toy" a few days ago.
So today..I braved the rain, and went to Wal-Mart while Sheba was taking an evening nap!


We were going to get a Dora Car, but they had none and I knew that she would LOVE this one and also she would be able to use for longer.



As you can see she was VERY PLEASED!!!!
She was so excited, we have had this NOISY toy in the house all night!
Thank You soooo much Papaw and Mimi Suzy!!!!
Well post more pics when it is sunny!!!

Soccer Saturday!!!!

Well....it was Soccer Saturday again!!!

Shasha and Stasia did great...considering it was 1000 degrees outside!!!

Mimi, Grandaddy, and Aunt Cindy were all there to cheer everyone on!!!

Shasha was so funny...She made about 4 or 5 goals, and everytime she made a goal, she would look at us and say in her BEST drama queen voice.."It is HOT!!!"


Thank you Mimi and Grandaddy for donating the tent to "TEAM VALLONE"!!!
I think SOME of us might have melted today if we didnt have it!!!




The Tunnel at the end is the best part...all the parents get together and make a tunnel for all the kids to run thru!!!
Gotta LOVE Soccer Saturday!!!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa....

Sheba woke up on Friday with a present from Grandma and Grandpa waiting for her.
She was VERY excited!!!
She is VERY into Dora right now...She got winter clothes(which she totally needed-we were in CR last year) and a dora doll and a Dora lunchbox...
So CUTE!!!!
We love you Grandma and Grandpa!!!!
Thank You.....

R-E-A-D....

I dont know if there is a BETTER feeling than teaching your child to read...
If I am honest...as a homeschool Mom, I struggle with self-doubt.
I wonder if I can REALLY be smart enough to teach them?
I KNOW I CAN...but sometimes the buzz of the rest of the world can seep in and sort of make you doubt what you are doing.
In these time it is as if God just sends you a sign...
Just to let me know that I AM DOING THE RIGHT THING!!!!
Sometimes it is like he just switches on a switch in a childs head..and they get it!!!
That is what is happening to Zeek this week.
Everyday he has spelling words to write, and the same words as sight words to memorize, and in the evenings...we cuddle together on my bed, ALONE, and read some 1st readers.
I think this 1-on-1 time really helps him.
He is really getting it!!!!
I am sooo proud of Zeek and (if I am Honest)a little proud of myself!!
Praise God..I can teach my children to read!!!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!

Thank You soooooo much for everything on Shebas Birthday!!!!

High School Musical!!!!

Shasha Was so excited to find the High School Musical trading cards on the back of the rice crispies box that I thought It waranted a Diorama...

She loves to do anything crafty.

If it has ribbon or small colored sparkly balls she is soooo into it.

So we made a diorama....Gotta Love it!

Go Team Vallone!!!!

The kids did GREAT at soccer today...Both teams won!!! And all the kids scored goals....Go Team Vallone!!!

We have No pics from Zeeks Game because it was POURING down rain!!!!

Next Saturday....

What a Wonderful Day!!!!

What a busy day we had....

2 soccer games, a party, and lots of RAIN!!!

We had a great day today, Sheba had soooo much fun!

Even the rain couldnt stop her today, she was delighted that she had her friends and was the center of attention!!!

Thank you to everyone for the gifts....We are sooooo BLESSED!!!

Now That You Got It - Gwen Stefani Ft. Marley Remix (VIDEO)

1st Day of School!!!!!

Well, yesterday was our 1st day of school!!

The kids did great...VERY LITTLE complaining.

We started out with our daily prayer book and bible study- we write down what we are thankful for, the blessings we have recieved,and who needs our prayers.

The calander was next...I printed them each a september calander and we go over the month, day of the week, and the date.

Next, we move on to Reading and writing....All the children do work appropriate for them at their level.

Zeek is reviewing his alphabet and writing, he also has sight words that he has to memorize.

Shasha works on her ABC's, and loves to write EVERYTHING down!

Malachi is busy working on writing his M's(up-down-up-down!...as I hear him say, and also his A's(up-down-across).

SNACK TIME!!!!! (at last!!!)

30 minutes later .....we are back to work!!!

Math is next...After a couple of number worksheets, we play a math game.

I hold up a flashcard and the kids raise their hands when they know the answer.

When they know the answer..they get to pick that number of goldfish out of the bowl!!!

They love it!!!!

Then we stop for lunch...and I put sheba down for a nap.

Yes....She has been AWAKE this whole time!!!CRAZY!!!!!

After Lunch we worked on parts of a plant and made stamps out of apples!!!

All in all ...we had a great day.

The kids did great and had 2 scoops of sherbert for all their hard work!!!

This all ended at about 2:30 pm...right on schedule.

And as I send them off to play...I look around and think, "I guess I better clean this mess up before we have soccer practice tonight!"

What a wonderful, beautiful, crazy , exausting life...I cant imagine it any other way.