Sunday, June 22, 2008
Father's Day!!
For Father's Day the boys made E cards and framed pictures for his office. They had a great time making them for him and giving them to him also. I got him tickets for the whole family to go to the Slipnot Mayhem Fest in July. It should be intersting!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Homemade
Ok, I have decided after reading a few different blogs about being green to start doing more than we do and to try to do what we do on a more regular basis. So, I think the best way to start is to list what we do and what we want to do. Since there are a lot of changes to be made in this house I want to start slow. I think the best and quickest things we can change right now is food!
Why food? We deal with it everyday and yet we waste so much money on it (and food itself). We (people in general) don't think about the food we buy or the food we eat. All we tend to do is complain about it. I would like to stop being one of these people and do something about it. I have been starting to stockpile things and it is helping a lot but there are other things I would like to do. Some of the things I would like to do is make more homemade things; both food and other things.
Why food? We deal with it everyday and yet we waste so much money on it (and food itself). We (people in general) don't think about the food we buy or the food we eat. All we tend to do is complain about it. I would like to stop being one of these people and do something about it. I have been starting to stockpile things and it is helping a lot but there are other things I would like to do. Some of the things I would like to do is make more homemade things; both food and other things.
*******see The Finer Things for updates on this*************
Locking down life...
Ok, we have never been a family that restricts things, for we have always felt that restricting things made the tempation worse. This is why we never thought to limit: TV, computers, internet, etc. This was all fine and good until recently....
Our house is two levels...upstairs (main level) is the bedrooms, bathroom, living room and kitchen. The adults spend most of their time up here. The downstairs has a music room, family room, playroom, and school room/laundry room. This is where the children spend most of their time; don't get me wrong we all spend time as a family a lot but where as most kids go to their room to play ours go downstairs.
The family room downstairs has a TV, DVD, XBox, Wii and 2 computers (one for each kid...dh works in computers). This has never been an issue for the children are well aware that they must ask before using anything in the family room or risk losing it forever. This rule has always worked in our house even with visitors until recently.
We have a 7yr old boy that is advanced for his age and a 3yr old that is also advanced for his age. Given that the 3yr old is the second child he wasn't as "watched" as the first one was and has been allowed to "go play" on his own since he could make it down the stairs alone (it is child proofed). Over the past 2 months our 7 yr old has found I Carly and Hanna Montana, along with a few other shows of this level. Where we don't care so much if the 7yr old watches these shows it isn't ok for the 3yr old.
D just doesn't get the humor or understand what is happening so he ends up saying things he saw on the shows and it is never good. Most of the time D only remember half of what was said and when he tries to repeat it, it comes out totally wrong making it sound like he was watching something very inapproprate for children in general.
To stop this from happening I decided to activate the V-Chip in the downstairs TV. This was not a happy day in our house. For niether child was happy and niether was I. I didn't want to do this but I can't have the 3yr old watching those shows with out us there with him. We explained this to J and he suggested just not watching those shows around his brother. We thought that would work but it didn't for J doesn't pay enough attention to who is and isn't in the room when the TV is on.
Now, we have the V-Chip on and set so only things rated TV-Y and G are allowed. This kills most shows they like but oh well. I have told them if they want to watch things that are blocked you will need to do it in my bedroom or in the living room with mom or dad. They don't like this so much but are getting use to it.
What is the downfall????
Just like we thought before...limit people and they will try harder to get it. We locked down the TV just to find J going to the places on his computer instead. Again...don't care if J goes to these places but NOT with D around and J never pays attention if the computer is on. SO, now I"m trying to find an ok program to limit the web. All I really want to do is block a few sites but the things I keep finding limit so much more than that.
I don't know maybe I should just stop all of this and go to a rule of NO ELECTRONICS unless mom or dad are in the same room with you. Not sure that will help things since then we would always hear...."will you come watch me on the computer?" or "can we watch .... together?"
Not fun at all...maybe there is another answer that just hasn't come up yet!
Our house is two levels...upstairs (main level) is the bedrooms, bathroom, living room and kitchen. The adults spend most of their time up here. The downstairs has a music room, family room, playroom, and school room/laundry room. This is where the children spend most of their time; don't get me wrong we all spend time as a family a lot but where as most kids go to their room to play ours go downstairs.
The family room downstairs has a TV, DVD, XBox, Wii and 2 computers (one for each kid...dh works in computers). This has never been an issue for the children are well aware that they must ask before using anything in the family room or risk losing it forever. This rule has always worked in our house even with visitors until recently.
We have a 7yr old boy that is advanced for his age and a 3yr old that is also advanced for his age. Given that the 3yr old is the second child he wasn't as "watched" as the first one was and has been allowed to "go play" on his own since he could make it down the stairs alone (it is child proofed). Over the past 2 months our 7 yr old has found I Carly and Hanna Montana, along with a few other shows of this level. Where we don't care so much if the 7yr old watches these shows it isn't ok for the 3yr old.
D just doesn't get the humor or understand what is happening so he ends up saying things he saw on the shows and it is never good. Most of the time D only remember half of what was said and when he tries to repeat it, it comes out totally wrong making it sound like he was watching something very inapproprate for children in general.
To stop this from happening I decided to activate the V-Chip in the downstairs TV. This was not a happy day in our house. For niether child was happy and niether was I. I didn't want to do this but I can't have the 3yr old watching those shows with out us there with him. We explained this to J and he suggested just not watching those shows around his brother. We thought that would work but it didn't for J doesn't pay enough attention to who is and isn't in the room when the TV is on.
Now, we have the V-Chip on and set so only things rated TV-Y and G are allowed. This kills most shows they like but oh well. I have told them if they want to watch things that are blocked you will need to do it in my bedroom or in the living room with mom or dad. They don't like this so much but are getting use to it.
What is the downfall????
Just like we thought before...limit people and they will try harder to get it. We locked down the TV just to find J going to the places on his computer instead. Again...don't care if J goes to these places but NOT with D around and J never pays attention if the computer is on. SO, now I"m trying to find an ok program to limit the web. All I really want to do is block a few sites but the things I keep finding limit so much more than that.
I don't know maybe I should just stop all of this and go to a rule of NO ELECTRONICS unless mom or dad are in the same room with you. Not sure that will help things since then we would always hear...."will you come watch me on the computer?" or "can we watch .... together?"
Not fun at all...maybe there is another answer that just hasn't come up yet!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Downloading the Camera
Ok...I have been posting for a bit now but I don't post pics often so today I'm adding pics to the posts that are already here (I had pics I just hadn't downloaded them yet...can we say lazy)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Rearranging again
This weekend we started packing up things we don't use and moving things in the house around a bit. In the process we have found a lot of things to get rid of (who would have guessed :)). While we were doing all of this we created things for the kids to do in each room so they could spend more time closer to us (normally all their play stuff has been downstairs).
Now they have AquaDoodle and paint to do at the kitchen table while I cook or clean (picture shows Aqua Doodle in D's room instead of the kitchen). This works out much better since better they didn't get to paint that much since I had other things to do besides sit downstairs and watch them paint (got to make sure the 3yr old keeps the paint on paper). Now, we throw the plastic table cloth on the table and set out the paints and they paint while we do whatever close by. This is also how they play with the AquaDoodle. They both love the thing. I'm amazed how much they use it. We now have two of them so that they cover the whole table.
In J's room we put books on CD, coloring books, activities books, and general reading books for them to do together. In D's room we put music stuff, blocks and general reading books for them to do together. This way they have a few different things they can do upstairs.
We also changed the downstairs again. I didn't like where the school stuff was or how the computers where setup. We moved all the music stuff back into the "music room" which we had been using as the school area (computer area). It looks and works much better with all the music stuff setup in there. In the family room area where the music stuff was we put all the computers. Amazingly this looks really nice this way.
We are painting the laundry room which will become the school area also. This will work out better since all the school stuff is back in this area anyways since this is where all the storage is. This will also be helpful since we have a nice fold out table that all three of us can sit at to do our work and whatnot.
I'm amazed at how much I love it when we rearrange things!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Fun things to do together (mostly without electronics)
I was looking for things to do with the kids and/or as a family that all of us could do. Here are a few things I found that I thought were cool.
These ideas based on a post from Independent Homeschooling; most of them have been changed from the way they originally appeared to reflect what would work for our family.
Science
1. Choose a subject a week; it could be anything, cars, trains, transportation, air, people, etc. Put up a big strip of paper (butch paper or poster board) and have each family member add something they know about the subject or learned about the subject to the wall each day. At the end of the week review what everyone shared.
2. Get poster board and start a tree wall. Take pictures of all the trees in your yard, make a poster board for each one. Have the children label the trees (if old enough) and where the tree is in the yard (front yard or backyard). Have each family member write a story about the tree to put on the poster board. Together collect leaves, seeds, and possibly a bit of bark from the trees to add to the board. When completed display some where and start next tree.
Math
3. What does your child like, dinosaurs, trains, cars, building, etc? Go outside with a piece of chalk and find out how long a or high they really are/were. Put a starting mark on the sidewalk, then use a measuring tape to mark the average length or height of the the object (cars, trains, buildings, dinosaurs, etc).
Reading and Writing
4. Write a story or poem as a family. Each of you can take a turn adding a sentence. When you’re done, make a copy and send to the grandparents.
Social Studies
5. Go to museums to see what people lived like ‘in the old days’. Ask grandparents to tell the children what life was like for them when they were kids. Try to do things like they did in the old days (make butter, no TV, no lights, etc).
6. Get a map of your town. Show your child where, on the map, your house is. Put a big star there. Then drive to the store. Put a star at the location of the store. Use a yellow highlighter to show what streets you drove on. Have your child other location on the map, and using the highlighter have them decide and mark out the path you’re going to take. Then drive there, using your child's instructions. Have your children tell you about all the things they saw along the way and have them draw their own map including the things they saw. If you don’t have a car, you can adapt this activity to walking.
Foreign Language
7. How many languages can you say please in? Take time to learn some new words with your child. Say please in Norwegian, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese. Make a list of all the ‘please' words you learn together. When you’re done saying ‘please' in as many languages as possible, start learning ‘thank you' instead. Continue this process until you know all the basics in these languages.
Music
8. Help your child make a music video. It isn't hard. Pick a theme for the video/song to be about. Anything could be a topic. “Why do you like this topic?” Okay, you have the idea. Now have them sing what they would like about the topic and write it down. Using a digital camera record your child doing there song. Have each person in the family do one all based on the same theme. When your all done watch them all as a family then make sure to put them somewhere the children can watch them when every then want (which will be more often than you think).
9. Do you have a instruments at home? Then play them; if not buy a few or make some at home.
Art
10. Create a nature window. Collect dry leaves, pine needles, tiny twigs, grasses, and other items. Then get some waxed paper and have your child arrange the collected items in any way pleasing to him or her. When done, you will use an iron at low heat to iron another sheet of waxed paper on top. Put the finished creation in your child’s window and let the sun shine through.
11. Using Lego blocks have your child recreate other objects such as cars, building, cartoon characters, etc.
12. Do mosaics with Lego blocks
These ideas based on a post from Independent Homeschooling; most of them have been changed from the way they originally appeared to reflect what would work for our family.
Science
1. Choose a subject a week; it could be anything, cars, trains, transportation, air, people, etc. Put up a big strip of paper (butch paper or poster board) and have each family member add something they know about the subject or learned about the subject to the wall each day. At the end of the week review what everyone shared.
2. Get poster board and start a tree wall. Take pictures of all the trees in your yard, make a poster board for each one. Have the children label the trees (if old enough) and where the tree is in the yard (front yard or backyard). Have each family member write a story about the tree to put on the poster board. Together collect leaves, seeds, and possibly a bit of bark from the trees to add to the board. When completed display some where and start next tree.
Math
3. What does your child like, dinosaurs, trains, cars, building, etc? Go outside with a piece of chalk and find out how long a or high they really are/were. Put a starting mark on the sidewalk, then use a measuring tape to mark the average length or height of the the object (cars, trains, buildings, dinosaurs, etc).
Reading and Writing
4. Write a story or poem as a family. Each of you can take a turn adding a sentence. When you’re done, make a copy and send to the grandparents.
Social Studies
5. Go to museums to see what people lived like ‘in the old days’. Ask grandparents to tell the children what life was like for them when they were kids. Try to do things like they did in the old days (make butter, no TV, no lights, etc).
6. Get a map of your town. Show your child where, on the map, your house is. Put a big star there. Then drive to the store. Put a star at the location of the store. Use a yellow highlighter to show what streets you drove on. Have your child other location on the map, and using the highlighter have them decide and mark out the path you’re going to take. Then drive there, using your child's instructions. Have your children tell you about all the things they saw along the way and have them draw their own map including the things they saw. If you don’t have a car, you can adapt this activity to walking.
Foreign Language
7. How many languages can you say please in? Take time to learn some new words with your child. Say please in Norwegian, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese. Make a list of all the ‘please' words you learn together. When you’re done saying ‘please' in as many languages as possible, start learning ‘thank you' instead. Continue this process until you know all the basics in these languages.
Music
8. Help your child make a music video. It isn't hard. Pick a theme for the video/song to be about. Anything could be a topic. “Why do you like this topic?” Okay, you have the idea. Now have them sing what they would like about the topic and write it down. Using a digital camera record your child doing there song. Have each person in the family do one all based on the same theme. When your all done watch them all as a family then make sure to put them somewhere the children can watch them when every then want (which will be more often than you think).
9. Do you have a instruments at home? Then play them; if not buy a few or make some at home.
Art
10. Create a nature window. Collect dry leaves, pine needles, tiny twigs, grasses, and other items. Then get some waxed paper and have your child arrange the collected items in any way pleasing to him or her. When done, you will use an iron at low heat to iron another sheet of waxed paper on top. Put the finished creation in your child’s window and let the sun shine through.
11. Using Lego blocks have your child recreate other objects such as cars, building, cartoon characters, etc.
12. Do mosaics with Lego blocks
Monday, May 19, 2008
Fun Math and Science things
I'm not totally sure why I'm posting this here instead of on the homeschool blog other than the homeschool blog is about our homeschooling not schooling in general. This is a list of fun math and science things J and D have enjoyed doing over the past 2 yrs. I dug this list out for a friend that is resently entering the homeschool world.
The Hershey's milk chocolate bar fractions book
by Jerry Pallotta ; illustrated by Robert Bolster.
Pieces of a Hershey's chocolate bar help explain the concept of fractions.
ISBN 0439135192 (pbk.) $5.95
More M&M's brand chocolate candies math
Barbara Barbieri McGrath ; illustrated by Roger Glass.
Rhyming text and illustrations use candy to teach mathematical skills and concepts such as estimation, graph interpretation, division, multiplication, factoring, and problem solving.
ISBN 0881069930 (lib. bdg.) & 0881069949 (softcover)
The M&M'S brand subtraction book
Barbara Barbieri McGrath.
How do you make subtraction fun? Use M&M'S Chocolate Candies as learning tools! Young mathematicians will be eager to learn the basics of single-digit and double-digit subtraction in this latest entry in the best-selling math series.
ISBN 1570913587 (hardcover) & 1570913595 (pbk.)
The M & M's brand chocolate candies counting book
by Barbara Barbieri McGrath.
This yummy counting book teaches the numbers 1 through 12, the six colors of the "M&M's" "RM" Chocolate Candies, and three primary shapes: the square, circle, and triangle. Young readers are introduced to simple math and even learn the sets of twelve.
ISBN 0881068543 : $14.95 & 0881068535 (pbk.) & 0881068551 (library bdg.)
Fabulous fractions : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
ISBN 0471369810 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Dazzling division : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
ISBN 0471369837 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Dealing with addition
Lynette Long.
Describes how playing cards can be used to teach addition.
ISBN 0881062693 (lib. bdg.) & 0881062707 (pbk.)
Delightful decimals and perfect percents : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
Everything kids need to know to become masters mathematics Teachers, parents and kids everywhere will love these great practical guides to the basic math subjects. Filled withfun and educational games and activities, Delightful Decimals and Perfect Percents and Groovy Geometry provide everything kids need to know about these sometimes challenging subjects. In each of these books, Lynette Long uses her unique style to help kids truly understand mathematical concepts as they play with everyday objects such as playing cards, candies, coins, and paper and pencil. With Delightful Decimals and Perfect Percents, kids will learn to decipher the mysteries of decimals and percents. They'll learn how to read and write decimals, how to add and subtract, multiply and divide both decimals and percents, how to change decimals into fractions and percents, and much more!
ISBN 0471210587 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Great graphs and sensational statistics : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
Teachers are always looking for ways to make basic math interesting. In this new book from everyone's favorite science teacher, children will learn about graphs and statistics with dozens of fun activities and illustrations.
ISBN 0471210609
Groovy geometry : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
In Groovy Geometry, after a tour of the fundamental geometric concepts and definitions, kids will move on to master all of the geometry essentials, including drawing, measuring, and identifying the different kinds of angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals; using the Pythagorean theorem to find a hypotenuse; measuring the diameter, circumference, and area of a circle; and computing the volume of a cylinder. Along the way theyll learn to figure out the height of any object from its shadow, judge distances as the crow flies, estimate the area of any space, and much more. "Designed to be fun for kids who are wary of math as well as those who excel at it."
ISBN 1404625453 (bwi) & 0471210595 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Measurement mania : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
ISBN 0471369802 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Marvelous multiplication : games and activities that make math easy and fun
by Lynette Long.
Presents a series of activities, arranged in order of difficulty, that teach the operation of multiplication.
ISBN 0471369829 (pbk.)
Bill Nye the Science Guy ROCKS
You can get most of his books and DVDs at the library…he is so much fun and you learn so much
Bottle Biology is one we have wanted to try but never have the bottles for
http://www.bottlebiology.org/
The Kids Know It website is really cool
http://www.kidsknowit.com/index.php
Sandwich bag science says it is for older kids but if you don’t worry about them filling out the lab sheet any age can do the activities and learn a lot
http://www.amazon.com/Sandwich-Bag-Science-Hands-Sciences/dp/0439754666
Soda Bottle science is the same way
http://www.amazon.com/Soda-Bottle-Science-Hands-Sciences/dp/0439754658/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
The Hershey's milk chocolate bar fractions book
by Jerry Pallotta ; illustrated by Robert Bolster.
Pieces of a Hershey's chocolate bar help explain the concept of fractions.
ISBN 0439135192 (pbk.) $5.95
More M&M's brand chocolate candies math
Barbara Barbieri McGrath ; illustrated by Roger Glass.
Rhyming text and illustrations use candy to teach mathematical skills and concepts such as estimation, graph interpretation, division, multiplication, factoring, and problem solving.
ISBN 0881069930 (lib. bdg.) & 0881069949 (softcover)
The M&M'S brand subtraction book
Barbara Barbieri McGrath.
How do you make subtraction fun? Use M&M'S Chocolate Candies as learning tools! Young mathematicians will be eager to learn the basics of single-digit and double-digit subtraction in this latest entry in the best-selling math series.
ISBN 1570913587 (hardcover) & 1570913595 (pbk.)
The M & M's brand chocolate candies counting book
by Barbara Barbieri McGrath.
This yummy counting book teaches the numbers 1 through 12, the six colors of the "M&M's" "RM" Chocolate Candies, and three primary shapes: the square, circle, and triangle. Young readers are introduced to simple math and even learn the sets of twelve.
ISBN 0881068543 : $14.95 & 0881068535 (pbk.) & 0881068551 (library bdg.)
Fabulous fractions : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
ISBN 0471369810 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Dazzling division : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
ISBN 0471369837 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Dealing with addition
Lynette Long.
Describes how playing cards can be used to teach addition.
ISBN 0881062693 (lib. bdg.) & 0881062707 (pbk.)
Delightful decimals and perfect percents : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
Everything kids need to know to become masters mathematics Teachers, parents and kids everywhere will love these great practical guides to the basic math subjects. Filled withfun and educational games and activities, Delightful Decimals and Perfect Percents and Groovy Geometry provide everything kids need to know about these sometimes challenging subjects. In each of these books, Lynette Long uses her unique style to help kids truly understand mathematical concepts as they play with everyday objects such as playing cards, candies, coins, and paper and pencil. With Delightful Decimals and Perfect Percents, kids will learn to decipher the mysteries of decimals and percents. They'll learn how to read and write decimals, how to add and subtract, multiply and divide both decimals and percents, how to change decimals into fractions and percents, and much more!
ISBN 0471210587 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Great graphs and sensational statistics : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
Teachers are always looking for ways to make basic math interesting. In this new book from everyone's favorite science teacher, children will learn about graphs and statistics with dozens of fun activities and illustrations.
ISBN 0471210609
Groovy geometry : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
In Groovy Geometry, after a tour of the fundamental geometric concepts and definitions, kids will move on to master all of the geometry essentials, including drawing, measuring, and identifying the different kinds of angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals; using the Pythagorean theorem to find a hypotenuse; measuring the diameter, circumference, and area of a circle; and computing the volume of a cylinder. Along the way theyll learn to figure out the height of any object from its shadow, judge distances as the crow flies, estimate the area of any space, and much more. "Designed to be fun for kids who are wary of math as well as those who excel at it."
ISBN 1404625453 (bwi) & 0471210595 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
Measurement mania : games and activities that make math easy and fun
Lynette Long.
ISBN 0471369802 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Marvelous multiplication : games and activities that make math easy and fun
by Lynette Long.
Presents a series of activities, arranged in order of difficulty, that teach the operation of multiplication.
ISBN 0471369829 (pbk.)
Bill Nye the Science Guy ROCKS
You can get most of his books and DVDs at the library…he is so much fun and you learn so much
Bottle Biology is one we have wanted to try but never have the bottles for
http://www.bottlebiology.org/
The Kids Know It website is really cool
http://www.kidsknowit.com/index.php
Sandwich bag science says it is for older kids but if you don’t worry about them filling out the lab sheet any age can do the activities and learn a lot
http://www.amazon.com/Sandwich-Bag-Science-Hands-Sciences/dp/0439754666
Soda Bottle science is the same way
http://www.amazon.com/Soda-Bottle-Science-Hands-Sciences/dp/0439754658/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
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