Thursday, March 25, 2010

Reminds me of




Big sister, years ago

Monday, March 22, 2010

Health care bill unit study?

In light of the passing of the health care bill, my daughter (18) has been doing her own research. I tagged along. Here are a few topics:

Powers specified to government
the commerce clause
Sixteenth amendment
Social Security
Barack Obama voting record, as well as some other well known politicians
Fourteenth amendment
looked up of our state representative
Tenth amendment
"separation of church and state"-is this fact or fiction?
Thomas Jefferson and his worldview

We decided that it would take years to study the Constitution, as well as these other topics. We also concluded that there is always more desire to study something when it is more relevant to your own life. There is a lot to learn, this is just a start :)

from Sunday

~And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Horehound Candy - A sweet lesson



"Mary licked hers. But Laura bit her stick, and the outside of it came off, crumbly. The inside was hard and clear and dark brown. And it had a rich, brown, tangy taste. Pa said it was horehound candy." ~ On the Banks of Plum Creek

We had just read the chapter talking about this candy. A couple of days later, we found this at Fred's! We liked it! We also looked up information about the herb, horehound. I don't know if this candy is exactly like what Laura and Mary had, but that's okay:)

Words that inspire me

"But Susan Wright only laughed. In the summer she'd pack a picnic lunch and she, the two boys, and little Kate would go and spend a day in the woods. Mrs. Wright knew the name of every bird and she could tell a bird by his song. Wilbur and Orville learned to tell birds too."

"That was another thing about Susan Wright. Most other mothers would have thought that this was foolish talk. Most other mothers would have said, "Oh don't be silly, who ever heard of such nonsense!" But not Susan Wright. She knew that even an eleven-year-old boy can have ideas of his own..."

"Their father encouraged them; he felt that there was something special about these two sons of his. So did Mrs. Wright. When other mothers asked her, "What are the boys doing? We never see them around with our sons," she'd smile a sort of secret smile and say, "Oh, they're puttering around in the barn."

~The Wright Brothers

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Boxcar Activities




We worked on organizing and adding to our first aid kit. We also started our Boxcar Children scene.

Friday, March 5, 2010

The Boxcar Children - Food Pyramid





We have focused on the food pyramid in our Boxcar Children study. We got this particular food pyramid from an Arthur episode.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Boxcar Children - another blast from the past


Like Roxaboxen, this book takes me back to a time when my older kids were young. We would sit on the couch and read The Boxcar Children, then they would rush out to play their own version. I loved their excitement in using their own found "treasures." The funny thing is, we didn't "row" this book either.
I was always worried about what curriculum to use, if they would ever learn their multiplication tables, if their handwriting would improve, but took time to read and enjoy books--even though this particular one might be considered "twaddle."
Looking back, I am so glad I did because the things I worried about did work out-and I will always have our memories. So, now I can sort of relive that time with my younger kids, and I am so thankful for that. Now we are on to The Boxcar Children!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Roxaboxen




Map



This did not take any coaxing, and it is 46 degrees today! For me, I don't see this as a mess, but potential :)

Monday, March 1, 2010

Roxaboxen




This is a great book to inspire, which seems to be what I am needing to do these days. This is a book that every one of my kids has enjoyed, we have read many books, this one is one of the best-back then I didn't know this would be a book to "row". It takes me back to when my older kids were young, huddled on the couch--great memories!

Wrapped up Luther Burbank

We finished the biography, but hopefully this is just the beginning of a love of growing things. Everyone was enthusiastic, asking questions such as-Can we have a garden again? What do farmers do? Can we have a blackberry bush? Can we pick our own plants?

I love when a book can inspire! Hopefully we will learn together and this will be a lifelong project.