tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40660290107247395422024-03-13T17:16:30.523-07:00The Lakeside SchoolhouseMama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-33626502186899494682014-04-08T20:39:00.002-07:002014-04-09T09:48:38.348-07:00This is how we Unschool... <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We do not “do school” – we are students of life and we learn
what we want to. We are growing into ourselves as we learn and we love it
entirely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We employ a combination of methods in our homeschool based firmly
on the Bible and based loosely on the teachings and findings of Charlotte Mason,
Ruth<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beechick, and John Holt - but
at the end of the day – our homeschool is uniquely our own and no one else’s
opinions or directions hold as much weight as our very own in conjunction with
God’s will for our lives. We seek to know what He would have us do in this life
and we seek any and all wisdom that would align with His goals for us. </div>
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He gave us our passions and we fully explore them! </div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/1450984_10202649495017174_1767529390_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/1450984_10202649495017174_1767529390_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>We primarily use notebooks/journals in our homeschool to aid
us in learning and to teach us proper studying. We have math journals where we
record our mathematical observations of the world around us. We have study
journals where we fine-tune our reading and writing skills to record the
fascinating things we study. We prayerfully study whatever fancies us day to
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we collaborate and
study together and sometimes we are on journeys of our own. We also keep nature
journals where we express our fondness for creation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We study God’s Word together as we seek to live our
lives according to His will. We also keep prayer/life journals.<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1920133_10203509394274118_431396154_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1920133_10203509394274118_431396154_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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**When I say “we” above I am including myself. My children
have these notebooks/journals (math, study, nature, prayer) <i><b>and so do I</b></i>. I have a math
journal, and a study journal, and a nature journal. I
am still learning. I am still clay in my Potter’s hands and it’s important to
me that my children understand that we are NEVER done learning. There is ALWAYS
something new to learn. So I keep journals alongside them and it blesses me
daily. </div>
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Sometimes we use textbooks, most times we don’t. We love our
local libraries and we frequent discount bookstores. You can often find us at
the local park playing ball or just running around. We love to catch bugs and
name them before we release them. We revel with each other when one of us makes
a cognitive connection to the world around us in our daily doings. We see
things most do not in our daily lives because we are looking. We learn things
it takes others ages to learn because we are eager. We own our knowledge and we
enjoy sharing what we learn with others. </div>
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Everyday is filled with life and love in the Lakeside
Schoolhouse – our home sweet home – that is actually not by a lake anymore but we kept
the name anyway because… we can! </div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-26030542837808422112014-03-08T19:11:00.001-08:002014-03-08T19:11:45.410-08:00Day 3 and Day 4 (Giving Up School - A Lenten Adventure) Well... my lists are getting smaller.<br />
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Not because my boys are not learning anything! Quite the opposite... And I am too much involved now to worry about lists. :)<br />
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Check out this conversation between my 4 year old and my 8 year old while casually playing minecraft together yesterday, day 3:<br />
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4 y/o -"What is.... 2+2 anyway?"<br />
8 y/o - "4... obviously"<br />
4 y/o - "Well then, what's 4+4?"<br />
8 y/o - "8"<br />
4 y/o - "What's 8+8?"<br />
8 y/o - "It's um... 17 I think? No... no.. it's 16. Yeah, 16"<br />
4 y/o - "What's 16+16?"<br />
8 y/o - "No idea! MOM!!! (to me like I'm miles away but only on the other side of the room...) What's 16 + 16?"<br />
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I told him... without making him work for it... without making him understand it... I just told him, "32"<br />
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So then he says to me... "How did you know that?"<br />
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So I told him that I had added it up in my head. That I knew because I know what 6+6 is and what 10+10 is. :)<br />
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So he thinks for moments and then says... "So then does 32+32=64?"<br />
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:) Yes son, yes it does!<br />
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Math... oh dreaded math! One of the main reasons I have not leapt full on into radical unschooling. Because my children need to be taught math right? And math can only be <i>taught to</i> someone! One could never figure out math on their own! Memorization! What about memorization!?!<br />
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God!! Don't I need to teach them math!?<br />
<br />
Isn't it neat what he did there with my kids chit chatting math all on their own? Isn't it neat that this is one of my main stressors and hang ups in the way of what He wants me to do here with unschooling and He would show me just on my third day that it's ok. They will know what they need to know. They are capable of not only figuring out math... but liking it enough to casually talk about it.<br />
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I could slap myself in the forehead... if you knew the HOURS I have put into trying to teach math to my older son only to be met with no real world application what so ever! Worksheets and math counters to not a problem-solver make...<br />
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And if I may go this far... aren't I questioning God's ability a bit to think my kids could never learn math on their own if it was something HE wanted them to do? Sure, I may play a part in it! But any part I try to play that He hasn't first asked me to do... is going to be in vain.<br />
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Big stuff...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6vYdoCqeN0tN4Bt0umsyqEFuYP-Fvg9edKih2kUwf_N-wXKY1ZN6pikLfT9HlG3GeI0YK9LNdvrmU9J7Rvllhl0eyS760iViX7xs21sswmUqeP_zI8S-uEMra4oDVszBmWjal6zMngw/s1600/1260851_10203417955748212_125540882_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6vYdoCqeN0tN4Bt0umsyqEFuYP-Fvg9edKih2kUwf_N-wXKY1ZN6pikLfT9HlG3GeI0YK9LNdvrmU9J7Rvllhl0eyS760iViX7xs21sswmUqeP_zI8S-uEMra4oDVszBmWjal6zMngw/s1600/1260851_10203417955748212_125540882_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
Day four was just plain awesome! We went to a Rock expo today at one of the nature centers down here and because of the interests my older son has in the way of geology he really had a blast! It just so happens that we were recently talking about flint and it's uses because of how he uses it in mincraft and he got to physically watch someone making arrowheads with flint today. It was AWESOME. He also asked me some questions again this morning about salt after a conversation we had yesterday about salt water and which waters have salt in them, density, and all kinds of stuff. This morning we talked about how salt is mineral and mined and what do you know? There was a big ol' chunk of salt at this expo that he could touch and smell! :) Talk about making connections with information?? It couldn't get any better than today!! HA!<br />
<br />
Or can it?<br />
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Oh, I can't wait to find out! I am learning that God really is in charge and His plan is way better than mine for sure! Who else could have mapped out the connections that were made today for my older son! There's no lesson plan in the world that would have captured him like today did!<br />
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Anyhoo... on to day 5 tomorrow! And after that 35 more to go!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">CLICK here for day FIVE - Giving Up School - A Lenten Adventure</span></u></span>Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-18307169557208493562014-03-06T19:46:00.005-08:002014-03-08T19:12:15.537-08:00Day Two (Giving Up School - A Lenten Adventure) Well today wasn't as... obviously filled with "educational" things. Today we kinda just lived a day. It was nice!<br />
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Our morning was quiet and filled with minecraft and lounging. Then in the afternoon we went to visit our favorite buddies. The kids got to romp around and I got some time with my friend. <3 </div>
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One thing I will mention is that it didn't take very long for the enemy to try and use a situation to tempt me away from this adventure! I am in love with BOOKS and the Charlotte Mason's method - all it takes is a glance over at my "about me" section on the right column of this blog to know that! ;) So anyway... I'm chatting with my lovely friend who is also a bibliophile like me and she is showing me all the new CM stuff she has and books she has and I got that little twinge that usually sends me into a spiral of questioning <i>what we are doing </i>and <i>if I'm doing what I should with the kids </i>and <i>could we add more of this to our day</i> and <i>should I be teaching them this </i>and <b>blah blah blah blah</b>... my brain doesn't stop until I have a new plan formulated full of <b>my ideas</b> - not God's - on what my kid should be doing... </div>
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Because you see... I will make these decisions without consulting Him at all! Because <i>I LOVE</i> the CM method. But is it what's best for my kids? I don't know... Only God does! </div>
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So we continue on... to day three tomorrow! I only had about a half of a page of notes from today. But they were good ones! We used the dictionary and chatted about what an interlude is during a song. My small son brought a book with him to dinner tonight and I thought that was pretty neat! :) </div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-3-and-day-4-giving-up-school-lenten.html" target="_blank">CLICK here for days THREE & FOUR - Giving Up School - A Lenten Adventure</a></span></u></div>
Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-40563923488214845282014-03-06T07:28:00.001-08:002014-03-06T07:28:22.127-08:00Mom... My love tank is low... As an adult I find that I am often times <i>completely crippled</i> when it comes to expressing my need for physical attention and/or love in relationships. Which is a strange thing because it's something we all NEED to be healthy and feel whole!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As humans, we were made to love and be loved. But the world is cruel and if we let it... it can rob us of our most basic instinct. And when we don't understand our own needs in relationships, it's very likely that we wont be meeting anyone else's need either. </blockquote>
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My kids and I do this thing... we call it "filling the love tank!" :) It started because one day I was reading a random blog post somewhere on the internet about silly ways to connect with your children and one of the post's suggestions was to tell your kids that their "tickle tank" was looking a little low and they needed to be tickled until it was full. I tried it... it felt weird and forced so I didn't do it again.<br />
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But later one of my kids said to me... "<i>Mom, my love tank is low...</i>" and I was like "<b>Huh</b>?"<br />
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So I pulled my little kid up into my arms for some TLC and the concept of asking for love and care in my family was born.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyvzTRxdAqxvpLC8PA5_CVU1Ufj6dhA3qqrYH7hTbecZD3mI08gbDxzNhHungipchwv3HQhzs5zXipGuLOFXk2REv56xaapZ3iC1-_UUAjUtjK2bG64DbYsT0PZVvKtYebkhWkS2_tDk/s1600/photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyvzTRxdAqxvpLC8PA5_CVU1Ufj6dhA3qqrYH7hTbecZD3mI08gbDxzNhHungipchwv3HQhzs5zXipGuLOFXk2REv56xaapZ3iC1-_UUAjUtjK2bG64DbYsT0PZVvKtYebkhWkS2_tDk/s1600/photo-1.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my small son, posing as a "sad kid" :) Totally posing!! </td></tr>
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This morning my son was eating his eggs. He takes for ever to eat and is often left at the table long after everyone else is gone. So I said from across the room, "Make sure you are eating over there!" and he replied... "Mom, my love tank is draining..." <br />
It caused me to stop and look at what was going on... he was alone at the table and probably feeling a bit, well, <i>lonely!</i> So I called him over and we hugged and snuggled for a few minutes and I gave him some kisses. I didn't let him go until he was ready and he went about his way eating his breakfast!<br />
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This practice has helped me to be more vocal about my need for care and affection in all my relationships. We must remember, it is not weird for us to need and want to be loved! It is not a bad thing to have to ask for it either... When we can be honest and vocal about our needs in relationships I think we find they grow stronger.<br />
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I am hoping that this "love tank" business in my home helps my boys to be more vocal about their needs in relationships throughout their lives! For now... it helps us to touch base and connect with one another where we might not always remember. It keeps usMama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-50534906684988053332014-03-05T18:57:00.001-08:002014-03-06T20:11:15.285-08:00Day One (Giving Up School - A Lenten Adventure)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2k66tUhOPpxllEC762QQJ5J0J1YUUqYeL80Xi7mbP9J_ReJBABsiTBGp8EziBSuElBkzRNmfZtHO9DwQlYmIFaQwzMgv8c8rfhf4AlqnUII8_x2bjba-54NZrYUwL6UaABj9NWcFVL8/s640/blogger-image--1628077621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
Day one! Wow!! I have learned so much....<br>
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I kept my notebook just kind of <i>around</i> all day and I made mental notes of what the kids and I were doing... I found out a few things.<br>
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1) I payed SO MUCH more attention to them today. And I feel like they could tell as well because by the end of the day they were arguing about who's turn it was to be with me. <3 Which makes me feel both sad and glad at the same time. Sad because they must have been starving for more of my attention than I was giving them... and I suppose I felt like I was already giving them a lot. But this also made me glad though because I can feel that things are about to change for the better in our home!<br>
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2) THEY LEARN SO MUCH without my "interference" at all!! I tried really hard today to just butt out! I didn't break out the workbooks or the curriculum. I let my idea of their day go and just let them have it. And they took it with a force! Suggestion after suggestion and topic after topic naturally flowed out of them! And because I was paying attention I could help facilitate what they were needing. This all happened naturally through conversations and day to day life!<br>
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3) I am a control freak.... Like I said above, today I was trying really hard to just butt out so it was OBVIOUS to me when moments happened where I would normally try to... how can I put this? Moments when I would normally try to <i>control</i> my kids! HA! There's not better way to put it! For example: My older son wanted to hand sew a little guy today from the math book that he loves and I totally took over the making of his guy's mouth. Man... I feel bad about that! He made a mouth and I got critical of it. I watched his face sink... I watched his confidence shift... I was paying attention to the whole thing... and my heart hurt a little bit because I felt like I had taken something from him... I had taken <i>his</i> ideas... and I replaced them with <i>mine.</i><br>
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Is this really how I have been parenting/homeschooling my kids?<br>
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Ouch!<br>
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So yea... lessons learned today for sure!! And on to tomorrow we go!! I ended up getting 3 whole pages of notes today of their learning! Here's some highlights!<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHGVnkowQRJ-Hy8ArF3-nkXqjYWnlxu7NY1CjjW8WQI6PfzgaDflVTxcwfWOM2TXol0Tx4l7X6kuzMGwbl-x34gXMdYCbIBgRIwMTpcdecSbze01fWYo1ueZ5hEgL0ZnZa4phWSfb9B0/s640/blogger-image--1239031300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHGVnkowQRJ-Hy8ArF3-nkXqjYWnlxu7NY1CjjW8WQI6PfzgaDflVTxcwfWOM2TXol0Tx4l7X6kuzMGwbl-x34gXMdYCbIBgRIwMTpcdecSbze01fWYo1ueZ5hEgL0ZnZa4phWSfb9B0/s320/blogger-image--1239031300.jpg" width="320"></a>My son loves <u><b><a href="http://store.worldbook.com/products/building-blocks-of-mathmatics-books" target="_blank">these books!</a></b></u><b><br></b>I don't know why because when I read them out loud they are really confusing to me! Lol! But he loves them! We get them from the library because they are way to expensive IMO to ever buy.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2k66tUhOPpxllEC762QQJ5J0J1YUUqYeL80Xi7mbP9J_ReJBABsiTBGp8EziBSuElBkzRNmfZtHO9DwQlYmIFaQwzMgv8c8rfhf4AlqnUII8_x2bjba-54NZrYUwL6UaABj9NWcFVL8/s1600/blogger-image--1628077621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2k66tUhOPpxllEC762QQJ5J0J1YUUqYeL80Xi7mbP9J_ReJBABsiTBGp8EziBSuElBkzRNmfZtHO9DwQlYmIFaQwzMgv8c8rfhf4AlqnUII8_x2bjba-54NZrYUwL6UaABj9NWcFVL8/s200/blogger-image--1628077621.jpg" width="200"></a>My son likes to sew so today he made this guy! ;) He's Subtraction from the book set above! I helped a bit by holding tools and fixing bumps in the road but just like all of his hand sewn little guys... This was all his design! :) </blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtOQFkqlmCA3DEbkp-aF75m51EhCpThuFjaebuYsNe_1cv659ND2Tye8cW12vjIW_eYqm6OsnxWthXCw5QJi7KsqcNohibJNS77pOUK3DUT4vV5vkvMEfe6sxE3QmIBs1P_vEyeLJ4pQ/s1600/1781878_10203384533152668_1013534123_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtOQFkqlmCA3DEbkp-aF75m51EhCpThuFjaebuYsNe_1cv659ND2Tye8cW12vjIW_eYqm6OsnxWthXCw5QJi7KsqcNohibJNS77pOUK3DUT4vV5vkvMEfe6sxE3QmIBs1P_vEyeLJ4pQ/s1600/1781878_10203384533152668_1013534123_n.jpg" height="320" width="127"></a>My little son Jason has been teaching himself to read for weeks now! It's a neat thing to watch! I have never forced reading on him but he has eagerly asked me to teach him. He looks over his older brother's should when he's reading aloud. And he taught himself this to read book! He read it out loud today 3 times! :) It's eye opening for me because my older one has been through a multitude of phonics/reading programs with me and has been THE MOST reluctant reader I know... meanwhile my younger son has just taught himself to read because he wanted to... crazy! </div>
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<a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-two-giving-up-school-lenten.html" target="_blank"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">CLICK here for Day TWO - Giving Up School - A Lenten Adventure</span></u> </a></div>
Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-64350321201625250642014-03-05T12:05:00.001-08:002014-03-09T19:19:25.206-07:00Giving Up School - A Lenten AdventureI haven't blogged... or facebooked on the Lakeside Schoolhouse accounts for quite some time. Truth be told.. <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I have lost my motivation</span></b></i>.<br />
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Because, you see, I don't even know what I am doing with our homeschool!! How can I be blogging and writing about it when I'm not confident in it? I mean, look at this blog! <b>It has no center!</b> It has no order! No theme... <i>Just like our homeschool</i>.<br />
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God's not involved in our homeschool right now. I have been trying hard to control it myself. Figure it out myself. Curriculum anxiety fills my head and I am drowning. I can't DO THIS! LOL!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKkOrpF2jB-jmz394xW8-s4oOz5mmGIWjYdcbFkzrNMvT3naVxmPsSoA3VUy9-6lsXz784E-1iFO9N8WR0pqCmaumnQKfIOt1p5_MAAuFrQ2VQ1Sd4lEHr7Esm5y3VkXVs3odP6_O6fQ/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKkOrpF2jB-jmz394xW8-s4oOz5mmGIWjYdcbFkzrNMvT3naVxmPsSoA3VUy9-6lsXz784E-1iFO9N8WR0pqCmaumnQKfIOt1p5_MAAuFrQ2VQ1Sd4lEHr7Esm5y3VkXVs3odP6_O6fQ/s1600/photo.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>I understand the principles of Unschooling - But literally - I have never applied them!!<br />
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I am in a very personal revival with God in my life right now as he helps me clear up some emotional issues and mend relationships. He's helping me to learn to live a little more stress-free and so it only makes sense that He would extend me help in this area as well.<br />
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Today is <b>Ash Wednesday</b>... and I found a blank composition notebook lying around. In it I have been writing down all the things my kids were doing today. And by golly!! They are learning! They hardly even needed my help today! Except to look something up here or hold a ruler there.<br />
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I had no idea.... </span></b></i><br />
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So I was thinking about Lent and what to give up when God said to me, SCHOOL.<br />
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Give up <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">SCHOOL...? </span></b><br />
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Ok! I can do this! I can do this for Lent!<br />
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So I'm gonna use this blog as a diary of sorts because it's here and because maybe it will be interesting to see the process we go through! :) Join us if you'd like!<br />
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If you are new to unschooling and you're reading this, let me know! I'd love to connect with you!<br />
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If you are a veteran unschooler and have a blog post or link to something I could read that would help me along please post it below! I will read every single one! :)<br />
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<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">40 DAYS OF LETTING GO: </span></u></b><br />
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<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-one-giving-up-school-lenten.html" target="_blank">Day One</a></span></u></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-two-giving-up-school-lenten.html" target="_blank">Day Two </a></u></b></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u><a href="http://www.lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-3-and-day-4-giving-up-school-lenten.html" target="_blank">DAY Three & Four</a></u></span></b><br />
<br />Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-83316194502482332852013-12-14T22:24:00.001-08:002013-12-14T22:24:26.665-08:00From Scratch Adventures: Jambalaya So I'm on a quest to make things from scratch... Since we live in Louisiana now we, as a family, have fallen IN LOVE with Jambalaya! Shortly after we moved here, we were invited to a football gathering at my new friend April's house and that's where we were introduced to this wonderful Cajun food. None of us were interested in trying it... until we did. Then a few weeks later we hung out with April's awesome family again and her dad made Pastalaya... and it was over... we were hooked!!<br />
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(btw... my friend April blogs over at <a href="http://www.wildflowersandwhimsy.com/" target="_blank">Wildflowers and Whimsy</a>! You should check her out! She's so creative!)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zatarains.com/~/media/Images/Sites/Zatarains/Product%20Pages/Product%20Details/Rice%20Mixes%20and%20Side%20Dishes/Jambalaya%20Mix.ashx?w=204&as=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.zatarains.com/~/media/Images/Sites/Zatarains/Product%20Pages/Product%20Details/Rice%20Mixes%20and%20Side%20Dishes/Jambalaya%20Mix.ashx?w=204&as=1" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit zatarains.com</td></tr>
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Anyway so to get our Jambalaya fix at home... we have been buying a box of mix for a couple bucks, throwing some chicken in and chowing down. Like all the time. Like several times a week...<br />
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First we were buying this <a href="http://www.zatarains.com/Products/Rice-Mixes-and-Side-Dishes/Jambalaya-Mix-Original.aspx" target="_blank">box of Zatarain's</a>... till I realized that it has *caramel coloring* in it which is very bad for you. The most common place to find it is in sodas...<br />
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Then we started buying this <a href="http://www.neworleansshowcase.com/tc13001.html#.Uq1KNyjRJ38" target="_blank">box of Tony Chachere's</a> which doesn't contain *caramel color* but it still has a bunch of ingredients that I do not understand... lol<br />
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So it occurs to me at this point, that we eat this dish so much it needs to just be one of those things I make from scratch. To save us some money and also to save a little bit of our health. LOL<br />
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So I started googling recipes online and was pleasantly surprised to find a wide variety of different ways to make this amazing dish!<br />
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The first recipe I found, a cabbage jambalaya, had me laughing really hard though because of the description... Because I have extremely picky eaters in this house! I let you <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipes/soups-stews-and-chili/stews/jambalaya/" target="_blank">click on over to it and read it. </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/79/47/794731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/79/47/794731.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">poto credit allrecipes.com</td></tr>
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Are you back...? HAHAHA! Did you read the part about how "your kids will be eating cabbage like it's going out of style!"?<br />
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Yea that cracked me up...<br />
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Anyway...<br />
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<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-cajun-jambalaya/" target="_blank">This is the recipe</a> (from allrecipes.com) I'm going to go ahead and tackle this week! After I do... I'll just edit this post to reflect the outcome!<br />
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I am super stoked!! Stay tuned! :)Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-23258914295715845782013-12-09T12:32:00.000-08:002013-12-09T18:13:42.389-08:00Lazy DayzDoes anyone else just take a super long break around the holidays?<br />
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Seems my blog was on the list of projects to put down as well! LOL! This was not intentional... I think I had applied to be a curriculum reviewer too and at this point I have the next school year planned so if I don't get included... I'm cool.<br />
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We live in the south so we have been taking our long breaks in the winter when we can ACTUALLY be outside... in the summer it's just way way way too hot down here in TX and LA, where we have been living.<br />
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Anyhoo... sorry for the delayed postings.. hopefully my enthusiasm will resume after Christmas. :)<br />
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For now.. I leave you with an adorable picture of my son hugging a tree! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9OqdAtt4Y3Ihy4zoao_pKvkrHKIB67hPDcy-PCKb0Fdc7I5YdJFRaSVGmFU2mDQKkMKVLypYDyMfe-_hBUjfi3mQ1dLTcUixmbUMyEkjwydT4kwgrskhC1Oso4SyrAq3uAdw3mo1h38/s1600/IMG_1632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9OqdAtt4Y3Ihy4zoao_pKvkrHKIB67hPDcy-PCKb0Fdc7I5YdJFRaSVGmFU2mDQKkMKVLypYDyMfe-_hBUjfi3mQ1dLTcUixmbUMyEkjwydT4kwgrskhC1Oso4SyrAq3uAdw3mo1h38/s400/IMG_1632.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-46778858971182052732013-11-11T09:41:00.001-08:002013-11-11T10:26:01.566-08:00From Scratch Adventures!!It's time... And the time has been comin for a while. I've been hiding from the inevitable... But it's finally time to embrace this calling in my heart.<br>
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From Scratch Cooking!</div>
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New segment on the blog... Each month I will tackle 5 new from scratch items and share them with you. I'm taking this slowly so that I can stick with the things I learn to make. </div>
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I'm also getting the whole family involved! So this will be super fun! </div>
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This month's list: (processed things I desperately want out of my home...)</div>
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Jambalaya</div>
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Crescent Rolls/Pizza Dough</div>
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Ramen Noodles</div>
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Peanut butter</div>
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Spaghetti Sauce</div>
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As I make em... I will share the recipes and reviews with you!! Im so excited!! </div>
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Wish me luck!! <3 </div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-36666600792990967462013-10-25T20:56:00.000-07:002013-10-25T20:59:09.135-07:00Life of Fred<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Ok who doesn't like <a href="http://www.lifeoffredmath.com/" target="_blank"><i>Life of Fred</i></a>?? lol! We love Fred around here. In fact, <i>Life of Fred </i>(LOF) did something neat for my oldest son... when he started reading Fred... it was like a lightbulb turned on in his brain and all avenues for learning and exploring were opened. <3 It's hard to explain but when you are a homeschool parent and a light bulb goes off... it's a magical thing, isn't it? </div>
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<b>Why I like Life of Fred</b>: Because it's funny! Come on, have you read a Fred book to your kids lately? It's so entertaining!! It's soooo much better to be *forced* to read LOF to my kids than some of the other things they bring me sometimes... And the amount of knowledge my kids get from these books is astounding! It's unreal how much my sons retain after a read. They will even take a long while to digest some concepts and start exploring them on their own! Like the time my seven year old got his tape measurer out and started measuring everything in the house! Even my small 3 year old will remember and learn things!! LOF is a series I will be saving for my grand kids someday. Also... LOF is inexpensive for the value it holds in my family. <br />
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<b>Why my sons like Life of Fred:</b> Seriously they love it! Fred doesn't even look like a "curriculum" to them. To them it's just a book! We read Fred at their leisure and enjoy it very much. My older son, in particular, has been completely influenced by the style of writing inside the Life of Fred books. He has started <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><span style="color: #0000f1;"><a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/p/life-of-john.html">writing his own stories</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"> </span>because of Fred and he has started READING on his OWN because of Fred. :) I waited and waited for that spark... and when he connected with Fred, it happened! :) Like I said above, magical! I know that some families out there get real serious with LOF and will do the chapters on schedule and things like that but we do not. For my kids, Fred is like a friend they can visit with whenever they want and play with for however long or short they want to. </div>
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I highly highly highly recommend LOF and although you may see reviews on my site sometimes that I may do for incentives, this is not one of those cases. We simply love Life of Fred and I wanted to share it with you. :)</div>
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<a href="http://www.lifeoffredmath.com/"><span style="color: #0000f1;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Life of Fred</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><a href="http://www.lifeoffredmath.com/"></a><a href="http://www.lifeoffredmath.com/images/elementary-kit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://www.lifeoffredmath.com/images/elementary-kit4.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-18704819842564434082013-10-21T10:29:00.001-07:002013-10-25T20:58:12.472-07:00Christmas on Apple Ridge: A Review <br />
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I am a big fan of Amish fiction and so this review will most likely reflect that fact. <i><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307730992" target="_blank">Christmas in Apple Ridge</a></i> is a compilation of three books in which the characters lives intertwine. In the first book we meet Beth. This book is my favorite of the three stories, hands down. </div>
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Book one is entitled <i>The Sound of Sleigh Bells</i> and it's story has the most intriguing conflict for the main character. My heart connected with this one better than the others. I truly understood Beth's struggle with love and why she lives the way she does. I cheered for her when she finally let herself love the man who's art broke through the wall she had created after the tragedy she had been through. </div>
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My guess is, your heart will connect with one of these stories too.</div>
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In the second book we meet Mattie, who is so sweet. She, like Beth, has also been burned by love. We get to read as her heart heals and she finds a happy ending as well. And finally, in the third book, we meet Sadie who is the spunkiest of all the women in these stories.</div>
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I loved that as I read each book I was able to continue to peek into the lives of the women I had previously met throughout the books. It kept me interested until the very end. I also really liked how independent these women are among the Amish faith. They stand on their own feet and involve themselves in their own destinies, listening to God all the way.</div>
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If you are looking for a light read through the Christmas season that is both heartwarming and wholesome then this is your book.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/pdf/SneakPeekChristmasInAppleRidge.pdf" target="_blank">Click Here</a> to download chapter one of this sweet story! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307730992" target="_blank">Click Here</a> to buy this wonderful book through the publisher! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Apple-Ridge-Three-One/dp/0307730999" target="_blank">Click Here</a> to find it on Amazon! </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H0wRg3eWAH0" width="560"></iframe><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307730992" target="_blank">http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307730992</a><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d281b; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></span>Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-47875371471259378502013-10-16T19:45:00.000-07:002013-10-25T20:59:00.133-07:00Math Mammoth-Blue Series <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">We love Math Mammoth around here! So much that my
son wants a stuffed mammoth for Christmas this year.. So much that he likes to
color Mathy the Mammoth pictures all the time. (You can download a picture of
Mathy on the Math Mammoth website. :) </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5RXMlYP-jhc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-family: Times;"><b>Why I like Math Mammoth - Blue Series: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times;">I like it
because before I found it... I was lost. Math-wise lol. I looked up so, so many
lists of standards and math subjects kid should learn and how and when to teach
them.. my head was spinning. We tried to "school math" so much with
too many curriculums. It was a math nightmare... Math almost did me in for
homeschooling... I was ready to quit. Then I found this. Let me add really
quickly, that Math Mammoth has grade level curriculums... but we do not use
that. We use the blue series because it is by topic and skill level. Which is
more important to us than grade level. Anyway, I love this curriculum because it gives
me confidence and a backbone behind my math guidance. ALSO this curriculum is
so inexpensive!! It's truly a wonderful tool. At any time I can pull it out for a fresh perspective and I never feel bad when it's time to put it away for a while and do some math unschooling because it's cost does not keep me strapped. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;"><b>Why my sons like Math Mammoth - Blue Series: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times;">With this series of curriculum... my kids are in control of what they
learn and when they learn it. If my son wants to learn about clocks today, we
grab his clocks folder </span><span style="font-family: Times;">and go to town. We do some hands on activities with our
big play clock and check the real clocks around the house for the time. Stuff
like that. Then we do a few problems on whatever worksheet we are on until my
son has had enough for the day. He is in control of it and this is how he wants
to learn. It gives my older son the ability to compartmentalize his math. He
likes that. It's comfortable</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> for him. To him Math Mammoth is not a curriculum and
it's not even mandatory. It's a tool for him. And he loves the way the author
explains concepts to him while he's working. He has connected so well with this
curriculum. I would say that before this curriculum appeared in our homeschool... he had zero math confidence. He spent a lot of Kindergarten in public school and then most of first grade de-schooling from that. So now in second grade, he is finding his learning feet and Math Mammoth has really helped him a lot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><a href="http://www.mathmammoth.com/blue-series.php"><span style="color: #0000f1; font-size: 24pt;">Math Mammoth - Blue Series</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mathmammoth.com/images/logo/Nx100xmathmammothlogo-s.png.pagespeed.ic.Xsy18-QuC-.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="http://www.mathmammoth.com/images/logo/Nx100xmathmammothlogo-s.png.pagespeed.ic.Xsy18-QuC-.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Have you used Math Mammoth in your homeschool? If so, I would love to hear about it! Math Mammoth is not the only math curriculum we use. We also love<a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2013/10/normal.html" target="_blank"> Life of Fred </a>around these parts. :)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">**Although I do sometimes receive incentives for my reviews... this was not one of those circumstances. :) We simply love Math Mammoth and I wanted to share. <3 </span></div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-22608704479639701382013-10-13T06:53:00.005-07:002013-10-16T19:44:46.620-07:00Easy Spooky Spiders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDszUIMWiwYGu3yAAPITCGqgrQpsYLrdcxIef_9ovS_8lUkhNU5Xs8wPSmX0pxWu8kHm0vryHCc6J5ekPOUKxUgoQvVhsLY5Wf7ICUsZgXnCXqHNbZbJzrLsJEzzSW9HPZEqTFY-QPho/s640/blogger-image--458335789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDszUIMWiwYGu3yAAPITCGqgrQpsYLrdcxIef_9ovS_8lUkhNU5Xs8wPSmX0pxWu8kHm0vryHCc6J5ekPOUKxUgoQvVhsLY5Wf7ICUsZgXnCXqHNbZbJzrLsJEzzSW9HPZEqTFY-QPho/s320/blogger-image--458335789.jpg" width="240" /></a>So I've been<a href="http://www.lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/Halloween" target="_blank"> blogging some of the things</a> I'm crafting to decorate my sons Halloween/Birthday party. <His idea entirely!! He has been planning this for like a year...><br />
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Here is another super duper easy Halloween decoration you can do to give some special extra spooky details to your spider webs! </div>
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Everyone has probably used those neon green or white spider webs as decor but I decided to add a kick and make some little pipe cleaner spiders to stick in the webs! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What you need:</b></span><br />
-Pipe Cleaners<br />
-Scissors<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJBBzrmkUD_uEHWBkrTODRjP0CkQKhcG9KoKDsADUUy37UrBEft9v_jTe1j5w-GdRhzPJaK3BJGCQNATyG0s-bo3Y3k4WMaZXqr18StTrXVmKlsrrD-jqxt_ijkb-CM1UhvU7Bx2Ot0/s1600/blogger-image--380341860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><i><span style="font-size: large;">That's IT! :) </span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJBBzrmkUD_uEHWBkrTODRjP0CkQKhcG9KoKDsADUUy37UrBEft9v_jTe1j5w-GdRhzPJaK3BJGCQNATyG0s-bo3Y3k4WMaZXqr18StTrXVmKlsrrD-jqxt_ijkb-CM1UhvU7Bx2Ot0/s1600/blogger-image--380341860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJBBzrmkUD_uEHWBkrTODRjP0CkQKhcG9KoKDsADUUy37UrBEft9v_jTe1j5w-GdRhzPJaK3BJGCQNATyG0s-bo3Y3k4WMaZXqr18StTrXVmKlsrrD-jqxt_ijkb-CM1UhvU7Bx2Ot0/s320/blogger-image--380341860.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br />1) Start by deciding what color(s) you would like your spiders to be and then set those pipe cleaners aside.<br /><br />2) Cut ALL THREE pipe cleaners in half. Take two of the halves and cut them in half again... so you should have 4 short little pipe cleaners and on big half left.<br /><br />3) Arrange the four short little pipe cleaners in a star-like pattern so that you have eight points sticking out.<br /><br />4) Take the pipe cleaner half you have left and wrap it around the middle to make the spider's body and ALSO to secure the legs to each other.<br /><br />5) Bend the little legs slightly to create creepy legs! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKr8-GbIWy45PuwIsLlTquSw6aNS-RDhVV2yjAioj7aiHJyJgTik9g_F4DH4wz5MN9_YK2Ah_rpQAnE90GrrZn_9qHufeRgzMomSegqFudIKqiDlTWZnkpR7djxc9nc52QeGJdh44KLw/s1600/blogger-image-982594697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKr8-GbIWy45PuwIsLlTquSw6aNS-RDhVV2yjAioj7aiHJyJgTik9g_F4DH4wz5MN9_YK2Ah_rpQAnE90GrrZn_9qHufeRgzMomSegqFudIKqiDlTWZnkpR7djxc9nc52QeGJdh44KLw/s320/blogger-image-982594697.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Bravo!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I then stuck mine in those cheap spider webs decorations. They made for an awesome addition to my son's birthday party decor</span>! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTOd-Cx6vcT5t-4ODO_9lBj7VhrLkGYku4-t9yEOCTlHyHm3iffKQ282NgwD9pGkBFLOn-qWGSslWzWlAsQ8mtvC8QHGf3zCHaj_i3slPBp75k6g4RsIJyFB9X0MDDVQZth0LpI78wnk/s1600/blogger-image--1469290354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTOd-Cx6vcT5t-4ODO_9lBj7VhrLkGYku4-t9yEOCTlHyHm3iffKQ282NgwD9pGkBFLOn-qWGSslWzWlAsQ8mtvC8QHGf3zCHaj_i3slPBp75k6g4RsIJyFB9X0MDDVQZth0LpI78wnk/s400/blogger-image--1469290354.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">If you make these and blog them! Post a link so we can see!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Crafting!! </span></div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-84527179134889648852013-10-09T09:53:00.000-07:002013-10-13T06:55:53.758-07:00Homeschooling is: Freedom <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMNaK0OF8q1unON-x8uowY3m2yskhii4XfaHf7VkeSmOzQqw3sWk4cGTVx96c8u0SrZ6MDkR0Wi5yDJspdVmIB9fbwt3saSUwtYSo1FMJMoXYCyywQTdnRbsuXOtoTRTS4pOmKTCytHU/s1600/Untitled+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMNaK0OF8q1unON-x8uowY3m2yskhii4XfaHf7VkeSmOzQqw3sWk4cGTVx96c8u0SrZ6MDkR0Wi5yDJspdVmIB9fbwt3saSUwtYSo1FMJMoXYCyywQTdnRbsuXOtoTRTS4pOmKTCytHU/s320/Untitled+1.jpg" width="246" /></a>Something I learn every single day with my boys about homeschooling is that freedom has many characteristics. Freedom is a beautiful word... full of exploration and discovery. Freedom means ability. Freedom means choice. And freedom means gain.</div>
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Freedom means having the ability to be with my children all day long... as much as I want and not being weird for wanting that. Having the ability to know them better than I ever could if we weren't together as much as we are. They have the ability to see me for what I am... just a person. A person just as they are who will fail and get back up again. I am not hidden from them in the business of days gone by. They know me right now. And we will always be closer because of this freedom.</div>
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Freedom means choice. WE get to choose what we do, how we do it, and when we do it. If we don't like something we can choose to change it. We can choose our daily lives for ourselves... set our own schedule. And in the bigger picture... my kiddos have been blessed with an amazing opportunity to CHOOSE their destinies for themselves in the safe environment of their loving family. They have the Freedom to follow God's plan for their lives and listen to His influence more so than outside sources. Their hearts have the Freedom to be shaped more so by the Holy Spirit than the world. </div>
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Freedom means that I gain... daily. I gain so much being with my kids everyday. Sure it's a tough job. And we all have those days where we're like, "what was I thinking?!?" :) But the amount of blessing I gain far outweigh those stressful days. Freedom also means that my children gain... they gain knowledge. The true kind. The kind they sought to learn. They kind that will stick. The kind that will take them places... oh how wonderful it is to think about how much THEY gain by being homeschooled.</div>
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With Freedom come responsibility though. It is important to me that the Freedoms my family has in homeschooling be used responsibly and the best way I know how to do that is by consulting God every step of the way. <3 I am so glad I have the Freedom to do that... aren't you?<br />
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If homeschooling is freedom... what is freedom to you</div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-17934644154610230482013-10-08T19:26:00.000-07:002013-10-09T09:53:03.077-07:00Let the Nature Journaling Begin!<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X11AQcYZL._SL500_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X11AQcYZL._SL500_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
I got a new library book today!! I am so excited to dig into this book! I have already read the first chapter which inspired me to grab a sheet of paper right away and draw the little guys on my back porch. There are like 3 or 4 Leopard Geckos that live behind the light fixture. <3 I used to keep Leopard Geckos in a cage as a kid and so I love them a lot. Now, having them as neighbors is awesome.<br />
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I don't know if I will be drawing a lot in my nature journal... I may just take pictures. I'm not very good at drawing. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade as a kid I loved to color and draw! But I distinctly remember the crushing moment when all the love I had for art was bulldozed over by this teacher of mine. We don't need to get into the details... :) I'm over it and have decided to add art to my list of self education pursuits. :) I definitely have gaps in art appreciation and application that need filled. :) <br />
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Anyhow this book is amazing. HIGHLY recommend it!! The series is called the Amateur Science Series and so far I know of three books in the series. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Amateur-Naturalist-Explorations-Investigations/dp/0531110028" target="_blank">The Amateur Naturalist</a> is the one I have now. I have read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amateur-Geologist-Explorations-Investigations-Science/dp/0531156958/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381283304&sr=1-1&keywords=the+amateur+geologist" target="_blank">The Amateur Geologist</a> (Which is also amazing!!) Next on my list to aquire is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amateur-Meteorologist-Explorations-Investigations-Science/dp/0531110451/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381283347&sr=1-1&keywords=the+amateur+meteorologist" target="_blank">The Amateur Meteorologist.</a><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gGMxoDt5L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gGMxoDt5L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="213" /></a>The Amateur Geologist book does have an old world/evolution view point. (you know millions and millions of years...) The value in this book supersedes any bending I had to do around that aspect though. I'm not sure about the view point in either the one I am currently reading or the one I haven't read yet ... but so far, these books are amazing and worth it for anyone looking to journal these different genres of nature.<br />
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The authors in this series seems to absolutely love their area of expertise and it bleeds through the pages. Their words make you excited and they make you want to literally jump up right away and get started! I did with the geologist book and am finding myself doing it again with this one.<br />
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Some of the first exercises in this book include keeping a list of your non human neighbors -even if you don't know their names, so you can find out later, investigating bird feeding preferences (which is next on my to-do list), investigating ant lion diggings, investigating wooly bear caterpillar wanderings and so much more... just in the first chapter!!<br />
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See if your library has a copy of this book immediately... :) I promise you this book will pose questions in your heart that you just have to answer. I would even go so far as to say this book might motivate a reluctant jr high or high school student to get up and love on some nature. :)<br />
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Let me know if you read it too! :)<br />
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Happy Reading!!
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<div class='shareaholic-canvas' data-app='share_buttons' data-app-id='394009'></div>Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-85730330492321619782013-10-08T18:10:00.003-07:002013-10-09T09:52:54.768-07:00Boolicious Batty Bean Bag TossHomemade Bean Bag Toss Game for Halloween Party!!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I call this contraption the "Boolicious Batty Bean Bag Toss"</span></b><br />
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My son is turning 4 next week and this weekend is his birthday party! He special requested a Halloween Themed Birthday! More specifically... he wants everything to be bats!<br />
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So I made this for him! I thought I would share it with you in case you want to make on too. It wasn't super hard and he is thrilled about it.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">For the bean bags, you will need:</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTLvImk1tmTCHvSo8Z3wYwAc336w5YXvfOm5SDTSyMvzf9QejDIM-Wip6ZzbfElXhnRCfkF34QR9k12JgxoJ_YkkDgWxT4QYV7x3PDkGQLvOb71DWzHh1Q9aTiHwsMtKVBM1boKJ4mAw/s640/blogger-image--1083293722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTLvImk1tmTCHvSo8Z3wYwAc336w5YXvfOm5SDTSyMvzf9QejDIM-Wip6ZzbfElXhnRCfkF34QR9k12JgxoJ_YkkDgWxT4QYV7x3PDkGQLvOb71DWzHh1Q9aTiHwsMtKVBM1boKJ4mAw/s200/blogger-image--1083293722.jpg" width="150" /></a>-Beans or rice<br />
-A few old socks (I used six)<br />
-A glue gun (you could sew these I suppose... but I don't sew lol)<br />
-Some scissors for cutting the socks.<br />
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And that's it!! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaihzoDupkofOkUNEH0PRpfzTlUVEkYldBDIxeSeYPjT4Vu_klQtn4YtU7fOObUu8QB3bTcAvE06ebitIa9ZCJWWiUTUY0ozrGEay48lr_uJ-abp1cYa3eK_IC1KqbRO5Z-XAoME_vCmA/s1600/blogger-image--1552868212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaihzoDupkofOkUNEH0PRpfzTlUVEkYldBDIxeSeYPjT4Vu_klQtn4YtU7fOObUu8QB3bTcAvE06ebitIa9ZCJWWiUTUY0ozrGEay48lr_uJ-abp1cYa3eK_IC1KqbRO5Z-XAoME_vCmA/s200/blogger-image--1552868212.jpg" width="150" /></a>Step 1) Throw a couple scoops of beans into your socks... fill to your preferred size. I used 3/4 cup of beans. They're just heavy enough but also light and easy to throw.<br />
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Step 2) After the beans are in the socks... cut the top of the sock off to about a 1 1/2- 2 inches above the layer of beans.<br />
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Step 3) Fold the left over sock inward and glue together. :)<br />
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Done!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>For the Bat Game Box, you will need:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFrNJwj8L93ybu9RH2ijVWGUlGwYvtNHHEUW6B0EVeUZcus00TzmLmayHZy8jwvItj2_38_8FsbDCoBxTOkxukkoHaW69HXEHuRrQYm4vFjsOvohubtCw_pU-r3J4CyE5Gz9-D5iDzcw/s1600/blogger-image-845258165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFrNJwj8L93ybu9RH2ijVWGUlGwYvtNHHEUW6B0EVeUZcus00TzmLmayHZy8jwvItj2_38_8FsbDCoBxTOkxukkoHaW69HXEHuRrQYm4vFjsOvohubtCw_pU-r3J4CyE5Gz9-D5iDzcw/s200/blogger-image-845258165.jpg" width="150" /></a>-One large box (My box came from two boxes taped together when we were moving-it was used to hold pictures) Any tall box will do. You could also tape two or three boxes on top of each other depending on how tall you want your game to be!<br />
-A sharp knife or pare of scissors to cut (I used my husband's pocket knife)<br />
-A pencil to draw your design with<br />
-Paint (I used regular old Crayola washable paint)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdJL57utbAUH3_W_-D7c-GTer1h43l3R7XT0nokdYj-fPRCa4bJQxInA9YP_jwY4xjgXMM6OJGiTTm1nCGjV9hH4JM0khsGI5_5VUlqDxz4q3pmbG5toPDSGD4QMKQeqEFLJIUs_-9lI/s1600/blogger-image-485172540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdJL57utbAUH3_W_-D7c-GTer1h43l3R7XT0nokdYj-fPRCa4bJQxInA9YP_jwY4xjgXMM6OJGiTTm1nCGjV9hH4JM0khsGI5_5VUlqDxz4q3pmbG5toPDSGD4QMKQeqEFLJIUs_-9lI/s200/blogger-image-485172540.jpg" width="150" /></a>Step 1) Assemble your boxes if you have more than one.<br />
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Step 2) use a pencil to draw your design on there. For bats it's pretty simple (That's why I picked up) just a big circle and some wings... make SURE if you are having the children throw bean bags into the mouths that you place the bean bags actually on the box while you are drawing to make sure the holes they are going to go through are big enough! :)<br />
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Step 3) Cut your holes out with scissors or a knife<br />
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Step 4) Paint and let dry!!<br />
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If you make one of these please please link back on the bottom of the blog so the rest of us can check out your creativity!! I don't care if it's better than mine........</div>
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:) </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Happy Halloween!!! </b></span></div>
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<div class='shareaholic-canvas' data-app='share_buttons' data-app-id='394009'></div>Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-82931966127151652222013-10-06T21:32:00.000-07:002013-10-15T10:31:54.876-07:00Life of John: John and Jason Walk to the Fire Station<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">This story is brought to you today by my Sweet Son who likes to sit with me and tell me stories. He decided he would like to tell you stories as well on my new blog. I am thrilled! So without further adieu... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">The pictures in this story and the inspiration behind the story came to you today after a s<a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2013/10/fire-station-demonstration.html" target="_blank">uper awesome field trip we took the the fire house this week! </a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Life of John</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://lakesideschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2013/10/life-of-john-walk-in-woods.html" target="_blank"> Last time we saw John</a> he was at the end of the woods. He had reached the end of the woods. He was going to visit the city to see his brother Jason. And he was bringing his new pets, the owl, the gopher, and the deer. John said, "We finally got to the city pets! Now it's time to go see Jason." Jason was so happy that John came to visit him so they could walk together to the fire station. Jason and John went to the fire station and the pets stayed at Jason's house. The fire station was filled with firemen. Soon the alarm went off "Reeeerrrr Reeeerrrrrrr!!!" The firemen got in their truck. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Jason and John snuck in the fire truck to go with them. They were at the fire. The fire was big! The fire was scary! Jason hid but John was fearless. John went to get a hose. Jason got out from his hiding spot and got a hose too. They both put out the fire with the firemen. The fire was soon gone! No more fire!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Then the workers came and they had to rebuild the whole house! The workers finally built the whole house. Then John and Jason went home together and they were singing about the fire station. </span><br />
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-2318536845803301052013-10-05T13:50:00.001-07:002013-10-26T13:07:38.700-07:00Seasonal Nature Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Our Nature Table</div>
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One way I am trying to involve my children in nature study is with this awesome nature table I created in the corner of our sunroom.<br />
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Although we unschool, we do have a school room. My kids and I like to have a designated place of engagement. Think of it like your husband's man cave or your craft room... This is where we keep all the things that inspire our creativity! </div>
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Anyway.. This table was on my neighbor's lawn one day in her giveaway pile so I snagged it! I folded up a cheap, white shower cutain and stapled it over the top. The kids pained fall colors on it and we picked out some store bought decorations for fun.</div>
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Throughout the fall we will be collecting things from outside and placing them on the table. Sticks, rocks, and lots of accorns adorn table as of now and the space is proving to be quite awesome and engaging for the whole family! My sons are really loving finding things all over the place to save and bring home! </div>
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Do you have a nature table? Or somewhere you or your children display your findings from the out of doors? What do you keep there? </div>
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Share with me!! I'd love to see!! </div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-4689689502771701912013-10-04T18:47:00.000-07:002013-10-09T09:50:29.095-07:00Tree and a Free Kindle Book! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbQBLfM08cuJDf8ZHWTMrTM2aooedcSF023a3ucAKOhHem7ycyhvd172vS-cAJ9YrFK5somJB-AeWj3cPxUf8B5nqhqAHekxV49LQsC9FWiqc7B1tb4wezUuilaO-c2vk33JVmnT3Dtc/s1600/IMG_0298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbQBLfM08cuJDf8ZHWTMrTM2aooedcSF023a3ucAKOhHem7ycyhvd172vS-cAJ9YrFK5somJB-AeWj3cPxUf8B5nqhqAHekxV49LQsC9FWiqc7B1tb4wezUuilaO-c2vk33JVmnT3Dtc/s640/IMG_0298.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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"<i>I think that I shall never see</i></div>
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<i>A poem as lovely as a tree. </i></div>
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<i>A tree whose hungry mouth is prest</i></div>
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<i>Against the Earth's sweet flowing breast;</i></div>
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<i>A tree that looks at God all day,</i></div>
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<i>And lifts her leafy arms to pray</i>..."</div>
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from the poem <u>Tree</u> by Joyce Kilmer</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Kilmer_1908_columbia_yearbook_picture.png/220px-Kilmer_1908_columbia_yearbook_picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Kilmer_1908_columbia_yearbook_picture.png/220px-Kilmer_1908_columbia_yearbook_picture.png" width="133" /></a></div>
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He wrote this poem in 1913 and it was probably his most popular poem. His work is often criticized as being simplistic... and "they" are entitled to their opinion but since I can't write poetry AT ALL and his Poem <u>Tree </u>inspired me to seek out a tree... and study it... well I'll give the rest of his poetry a shot. :) So far I am enjoying reading it every now and then! Sure glad it was free for Kindle!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trees-and-Other-Poems-ebook/dp/B004UJI054/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" target="_blank">His book is free on kindle here!! </a></span><br />
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As for the tree in my photo above... I took that out on the Bayou! I live in Southern Louisiana now and this place is beautiful. Swamps are beautiful. So many birds and trees... ahhhh :) I could sit out there all day and gaze.... if it weren't for the gators I KNOW are waiting for me to stick a toe in the water!! HAHA! </div>
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The tree in my picture is a Cypress tree. And it is beautiful. <3 She is going in my nature notebook. And if I ever muster up the ability to paint her... I will share with you. :) </div>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-85359990253330577812013-10-04T12:18:00.000-07:002013-10-09T09:50:06.653-07:00Fire Station Demonstration!You know how sometimes as homeschoolers... you get to see and do things that are just really really neat!<br>
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Well today was one of those times! :)<br>
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A bunch of local homeschoolers in my area met at a neighborhood fire station a got a tour and learned a lot! Field trips like this happen all the time...<br>
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But here's the kicker! After the firemen talked about fire drills at home... they demonstrated their fire drill to show the kids what THEY do when there's a fire in someone's house! It was so cool!!<br>
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Check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lakesideschoolhouse" target="_blank">my facebook page</a> for the videos!! (In the videos section)<br>
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Here are some pictures from the trip! Needless to say... we had a blast! My three year old has been saying lately that he wants to be a fireman when he grows up... this adventure may have solidified that dream for him! :) His little face was so cute the entire time. Almost as if he was picturing himself all grown up and becoming a fireman someday! :) </div>
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I highly recomend that all children, at some point, tour a fire station and meet some local heros. It puts a face to the realization that someday someone may need to save them from a fire. It puts perspective on emergency situations and the purpose of dialing 911. It allows children to build respect for people in our community who risk their lives for our overall safety. It's hard to set up a meeting between your child and heros sometimes. Police stations might not be the best environment for young kids to walk around and it's hard to meet military members at work unless they are part of your family. But firemen love to have kids come and tour their work spaces. This fire station in particular said we could come on by anytime! :) </div>
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Special thanks to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventuresinhomeschooling/" target="_blank">Adventures in Homeschooling</a> group for facilitating this avenue and to the organizer of the event, specifically... thank you so very much! We had a blast!!<br>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-11391401849129305342013-10-03T19:21:00.000-07:002013-10-15T10:32:07.875-07:00Life of John: A Walk in the Woods<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This story is brought to you today by my Sweet Son who likes to sit with me and tell me stories. He decided he would like to tell you stories as well on my new blog. I am thrilled! So without further adieu... </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Life of John</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">A Walk in the Woods</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One day John was walking in the woods and he saw an owl. The owl flew over a tall, tall tree and he landed on a branch. He was so comfortable on the branch. He went to sleep. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">John kept on walking. He saw a little gopher. The gopher was fast! He climbed on John and he licked him! The gopher was so happy to be with John. He stayed with John for the rest of his walk. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Zm84AzC_SeaTGv5SFmqM4A0bsyZVsU-2f91Hpi3h3qHapNdtsm6l0bFYvifaayHKCPd_7ZPPe0_NLuCM2CJ48leV_HAJiM1elNDLZQhPNyGrtj_T1QVxScz9iJXaS1Lv97mSsRpqygo/s1600/CCI00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Zm84AzC_SeaTGv5SFmqM4A0bsyZVsU-2f91Hpi3h3qHapNdtsm6l0bFYvifaayHKCPd_7ZPPe0_NLuCM2CJ48leV_HAJiM1elNDLZQhPNyGrtj_T1QVxScz9iJXaS1Lv97mSsRpqygo/s400/CCI00001.jpg" width="305" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Soon they went jogging. Next they saw a wolf. The wolf chased them all around the woods. The wolf would not stop! The gopher and John were so tired and the wolf kept running towards them. John didn't know that the wolf was a nice wolf so they rested for 10 seconds then they kept running. Soon the wolf got tired and he stopped. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">John and the gopher stopped right next to a tree and the owl was in THAT tree and he flew down on John's arm and John gave him a little birdie to eat. (Owls eat other birds sometimes) And John also gave the gopher a carrot to eat. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Next they saw a little white baby deer. The deer was so nice! John named him Snowy. He was so white, he was as white as the clouds. He was as white as a star. So he changed his name to Star Light Star Bright. Then after John named the little white deer, Star Light Star Bright, they finally got to the end of the woods. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The End. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">for now... :) </span>
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-43620435344147257882013-10-03T12:19:00.000-07:002013-10-09T09:49:37.573-07:00Spiders, Snakes, and Other Outcasts: A Review<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<i>To call a man a worm is to indicate about the lowest possible opinion of him. This betrays ignorance. Worms are among the most successful forms of life. They are so remarkably successful, in fact, that it is necessary to go in for careful definitions to decide whether many wormlike creatures deserve the accolade of being called worms.</i>" -Robert Froman</blockquote>
-Spiders, Snakes, and Other Outcasts 1965 -Robert Froman<br />
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This quote amuses me... my husband says in the oil field (where he works) they call new guys "worms"<br />
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hehe!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I. Love. This. Book. </span><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bpkSzX+JL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bpkSzX+JL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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I am constantly discovering these wonderful living books inside my small town library. I mentioned this book inside a facebook group I belong to but I wanted to go into it with a a little more detail to show you why this book is so cool and why it's so alive.<br />
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The author seems very upset by the fact that most people find some extraordinary animals "hateful". He is clearly one of the "few thousand human beings" that find these animals fascinating. He writes this book with chapter titles such as <i>The Not So Humble Worms</i> and <i>They That Go Upon The Belly. </i>This book has a copyright date of 1965!! I wonder how long it has been in my library...<br />
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This first chapter of this book called <i>Why the Hate</i> has some awesome information in it for the reader. It talks about Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. He also explains why being terrified by certain creatures stops us from being able to learn about them and understand them. And he has a few theories on why people might be so revolted. :)<br />
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This book is filled with tons of information on worms, spiders, octopi, bats, snakes, vultures, roaches, and toads. Some of it could be scientifically outdated but that just creates more learning opportunities as far as I am concerned.<br />
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My ONLY qualm... which I find I have for a lot of random living books I end up finding in my old library is that this author loves evolution and sees through that lens exclusively. So all information in this book is filtered through his views. There is even a section in the back where he lays out a timeline of when things first appeared or evolved... Now I do not believe in evolution one bit so I had to filter this entire book through my own lenses and such... but not hard to do depending on the age and maturity of the reader.<br />
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My favorite part about this book... the vocabulary. This book is RICH with awesome descriptive imagery. And my brain absolutely loves reading books with words I don't usually use or see daily. It keeps me interested and turns gears for me while I read so that my short attention span can stay tuned.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spiders-Snakes-And-Other-Outcasts/dp/B000GRESBE" target="_blank">Here is the Amazon link to this book </a>should you wish to check it out further. :)<br />
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Happy Reading!
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4066029010724739542.post-56369378003113931392013-10-02T19:33:00.001-07:002013-10-09T09:49:26.390-07:00My Nature Journal: The Beginning Do you have a nature journal? Do your kids keep one? I can't get my boys to even blink an eye in the direction of keeping a nature journal. Why? Because they would {winey voice} "have to wriiiiteeee!!"<br />
-or draaaaaaw<br />
-or paaaaaaiiiiint<br />
-or whatever other thing they would need to do with their hands to record their own account of God's Glory in a treasured notebook.<br />
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So I decided that I am going to start one. :) A big one! A family sized one! And they can help but... this is for me. Maybe they will catch the bug someday.<br />
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I am very inspired after reading this book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Days-Creating-Discovery-Journals/dp/1576360733" target="_blank">Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals</a> by Karen Skidmore Rackliffe that I bought from a friend in TX for $5 last year and only just recently picked up to read. It's wonderful. I'll admit.. I envy other people's children just a little bit when they create such beautiful nature notebooks. And she shows lots of examples of her children's journals in this book. But then I realize... my boys have nothing to go by when we bring paper and colored pencils outside to sketch. They don't like drawing. And they don't like sitting still... :) They are still young. But anyway... this book is a great resource on nature notebooking and one I know I will reference many times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDmb3zkxmseG1Ox4Qxyc5GzK6btz5sYeubPpAmTEPiOw1nsjf6xL1ZT5GfGZjRge-9nb2bCQI8elrI6MY2jtcNy-ObEvpUYGVPR8ZpwmI5J604whpJPNEDNBjs29-rVBLHH-V2D9kiWE/s1600/994023_10202202059391563_2134697267_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDmb3zkxmseG1Ox4Qxyc5GzK6btz5sYeubPpAmTEPiOw1nsjf6xL1ZT5GfGZjRge-9nb2bCQI8elrI6MY2jtcNy-ObEvpUYGVPR8ZpwmI5J604whpJPNEDNBjs29-rVBLHH-V2D9kiWE/s320/994023_10202202059391563_2134697267_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Another wonderful book that was given to me in curriculum trade off between me and another homeschooler friend was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-nature-study-idea-book/dp/B0006RRCRQ" target="_blank">The Nature Study Idea Book</a> by Mary E. Woodis. In here you can find all kinds of ideas for study. The cover says even a high schooler could be interested! It has readily available poems and Scripture you may be inspired to write in your journal. Tool kit instructions for different kinds of study like geology (rocks) and ornithology (birding). And the conversational way she writes is like having a really good friend sitting next to you and explaining all the exciting adventures you are about to have with your nature journal. I love it!<br />
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Check these two books out... they are fairly inexpensive for the amount of value inside.<br />
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Anyway... so this notebook of mine that I am going to start... I'm gonna do it right in front of my kids. While they play at the park. Outside in the backyard. On the porch. I am going to cary it with me and treasure it. And show them what I am doing inside. I'll let them help me if they wish and hopefully this will inspire them to create their own! :)<br />
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Mama Prudenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01702974415227108418noreply@blogger.com6