A sewing post from miss h, age 10
20 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in crafts, Education, family, kids, sewing
Here is a sewing project that I (Miss H) wanted to put on our family blog. With some of my birthday money last year I bought some new fabrics for projects I’ve been asking to sew. I think that shopping bags are a fun project and my mom said she could use a bunch of them for groceries. I also taught myself how to sew a zipper on a bag. I’ll post a picture of the coin purse I made my mom and I liked it so much that I made myself one too….
I do not how to use patterns yet for projects, but I plan on learning about that this summer. Right now I just take pictures of stuff I like at a local sewing shop. The store owner is so helpful! She kindly suggested I make a prototype first. So I made a mini bag when I got home using my sewing machine. It took me about two hours to make my first one but the second bag went faster! For my next project, I’ll use fabric from some extra large ladies skirts I found at a garage sale for 25 cents- those will make some fun bags! And someone just told me there is a cool word for this– repurposing!! Do you have anything in your closet that you could repurpose? My mom’s friend gave me a set of cranberry flannel sheets to practice my sewing… Not sure what to do with them yet… any ideas out there?
Happy sewing!!
Miss H
Happy 7th day of Christmas and Happy New Year!
31 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in home schooling, kids
HAPPY 7TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
With 2012 just hours away, I could not resist posting. Oh my, it has been months since I published a post. As a wife and homeschooling mom to three kids, life can seem too busy to fit it in. So for a few months, blogging was placed on the back burner. My daughter saw me this morning, with my coffee in hand and big smile on my face, and inquired about my blog. Well, I was actually reading a friend’s blog which was a huge blessing and great way to start my day! Then my girl questioned, “Why can’t you blog too? I really miss reading your blog… ” This completely took me by surprise! Her words put an even bigger smile on my face and here I am, several hours later posting…
When I reflect back on our year, I am humbled by our many blessings. Like most, we had our share of struggles,… and it was through those very struggles that we grew closer as a family. It is encouraging to look back and see how God blessed our year. One of the biggest blessings to me this year came through my commitment to pray each day. And in 2012, I will continue to pray, even if it is only for a precious few minutes. Through prayer, I have seen my days and my attitude toward my family and my place in the home being renewed and transformed.
The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1.
Sewing Girl
27 Aug 2011 3 Comments
in art, crafts, Education, home schooling, kids, sewing
sewing class
Miss H has discovered a new passion for sewing! This summer, thanks to some funds from generous relatives, we were able to purchase her a sewing machine that included several free lessons as well. After she finishes her learning time and chores, Miss H spends her free time sewing. She is learning so much! I will show pictures of her sewing projects below. While we are proud of her achievements, we are most delighted to see her wanting to use her God-given talent to bless others. Last week she made a pillow case for her brother, Mr. J. Yesterday afternoon she had her girlfriend over and taught her how to use the sewing machine and guided her making a “taggie” for her new baby brother. Miss H also has plans to make some “special bags” for the homeless (more on that later). She has also asked our permission to start selling some of her items at the next local craft fair and online. The ideas are just pouring out, and her excitement is contagious. While happy to see her learning new things, we are excited to see her growing in her character as this is more important to our family than any other achievement. We are so happy to see her developing her talents while gaining an understanding of what a blessing people and good relationships are!
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Brothers and sisters will be friends
26 Aug 2011 2 Comments
in book recommendations, family, friends, home schooling, kids, parenting- the joys and challenges, reading
Thought I would quickly share a new favorite book that we have been reading aloud: Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends. This book has been an answer to prayer because it was written by siblings who are still young enough to remember the challenges of “getting along,” but also have some great advice to share about “how to fight the good fight at home.” Like other parents we know, we are concerned about how much our kids argue and squabble. This book provides tools needed to help the kids improve their relationships with each other. I appreciate that this book does not gloss over that this is hard work either, and it weaves honest and inspiring stories to teach important life lessons. We are only about a third of the way through, but I have already seen some little changes taking place in the kids attitudes toward each other which is encouraging! This book is a treasure!
Homeschool humor
26 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Education, family, funny things said, home schooling, kids
Q: How does a homeschooling family change a light bulb?
A: First, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his life.
Then, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles.
Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they’ll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill.
On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill.
Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed.
And there is light.
Author Unknown
Some thoughts as we begin our 5th year of homeschooling
25 Aug 2011 2 Comments
in Education, family, home schooling, kids, parenting- the joys and challenges
*Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. – William Butler Yeats
* I still say the only education worth anything is self-education. – Robert Frost
* Education is helping the child realise his potentialities. -Eric Fromm
* He is educated who knows how to find out what he doesn’t know. – George Simmel, German Philosopher
* I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain
* I learned most, not from those who taught me but from those who talked with me. – St. Augustine
* I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn. – Albert Einstein
We are beginning our 5th year of homeschooling this month!! I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with our kids, and I like to start each new year by remembering why it is we do what we do… Or to be more formal, I could call it our mission statement. Then I remember Yeats and other smart people listed above and am filled with gratitude for these wonderful quotes! I am posting these wise words on my blog as encouragement, especially on rough days when in need of a boost! Currently, it is a brand new year of homeschooling, and I am excited that my kids are fired up about learning about so many different things! What a privilege it is to help them reach their full potential. While we have our year of learning laid out before us on a tidy planner, it can seem a bit overwhelming– I have been tempted to give into a sense of urgency about it all panicking, “Yikes, we have so much to cover in so little time!!” When that happens, I will pray and also remind myself that when it comes to parenting issues that arise, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Time for me to print out our family’s mission statement, which will help me stay focused on what really matters.
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” ~Proverbs 24:3-4
A summer garden
24 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in book recommendations, Education, family, home schooling, kids, the great outdoors
We have been spending so much time in the garden this summer. While I will be the first to admit that gardening is a passion of mine, I also will share something personal: just like a lot of stuff in my life, I have to work at it!! There is much to like about gardening, but I am anything but Mrs. Green-Thumbs. Learning how to garden has been a process of trial and error. The kids know this and it’s become a joke over the years and I hear, “Oh, what did mom kill off this time?” Yes, I am a newbie gardener who longs to grow, but I have learned it takes work– much tending and patience! Friends comment that I have a lot growing, but it is in large part because of the amazing talent of the people who lived here before us…. I simply maintain what they started. Now with that said, I will ( finally) get to the heart of this post. For the first year ever, our veggie garden is showing promise– plants are budding and we have even been able to share our harvest with others and cook up a meal or two using ingredients from our garden!
Things that went well this year include our hay-bale veggie garden, growing petite watermelons from seed, and our seedlings of zucchini, squash, beans and lemon cucumbers took off this year. Lest I boast, I will mention that watering and weeding were issues and some plants did not fair well from our neglect–many valuable lessons were learned this summer from our mistakes that apply to more than just plants!
For some extended learning about gardening, we were inspired by a book that grandma D gave to us entitled “Grow It, Cook It.” What the kids like best about this book are the pictures which often encourage them to get cooking in the kitchen! I keep it on the kitchen counter along with other cookbooks which comes in handy when they are asking, “what can I eat?”
Online Freebie
21 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Education, family, free stuff, home schooling, kids, reading
The Old Schoolhouse is offering a free digital copy of their magazine:
http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/.
Enjoy!
Sarah
Homeschool Movie Club
21 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in family, free stuff, home schooling, kids, movies
A couple days ago we signed up for the Homeschool Movie Club. All the content is FREE– which is a must for just about anything our family chooses to sign up for these days! Then they offered the chance to go to a free advanced screening of Dolphin Tale. What a great perk! Currently, this free screening is full, however, here is the link to this family friendly website worth checking out: http://www.homeschoolmovieclub.com/ My kids enjoyed watching the trailer to Dolphin Tale, and they thought that it was “awesome” that the main characters are homeschoolers and that this movie is based on a true story.
Happy Birthday USA!
04 Jul 2011 4 Comments
in Education, family, home schooling, kids, loving the world, reading
We celebrated July 4th at home today. While we were missing being with all of our family this year, we would like you to know we were thinking of you… You are missed.. We are also thinking of our family and friends currently serving in the military as well as those who have served, and we thank you and appreciate the sacrifices you have made for the freedoms we can all enjoy.
With that said, I am excited to talk about the start of our newest unit of study: patriotism. So we started our morning by reading the children’s book entitled, “America, A patriotic primer” and then we reread several favorite entries from the “Brown Paper School USKids History: Book of the New American Nation.” Our discussion of this holiday included why we should care, what makes an American, what freedoms we enjoy, what is the “American Spirit,” and so much more. I did not plan on having our regular scheduled learning time, but then we are homeschoolers so I (mom) really love it when an opportunity arises to foster the kids love of learning (and keep their minds off the fact that for various reasons we were “stuck” at home). I also love when the kids are excited about learning because it is then that everything else just seems to fall into place. And helping the kids understand America as a nation and then extend that learning into understanding why they should be patriotic is big…. And then helping them to find ways to weave that patriotism into our daily lives is HUGE.
Together we decided to explore several topics of interest and made the following list of future goals/objectives/learning activities for ourselves to complete this summer:
1) To create a piece of art about what our country means to us.
2) To identify 4 or more landmarks of the United States and learn more about them (we discussed Yellow Stone National Park as it made headlines today).
3) To learn about the 7 branches of the military.
4) To learn the history of our nation’s motto, “In God We Trust” (and it’s meaning to us).
5) To memorize the patriotic song, “America the Beautiful.”
6) To participate in a service project that supports our military or veterans.
7) To read a biography of one of America’s founding fathers.
For those interested here are a few of the websites/resources that I used:
Colonialhall.com (biographical sketches of American patriots)
www.usa-patriotism.com
www.familyfun.com (free craft ideas)
www.americanheritage.org
www.clickschooling.com
Netflix: “Liberty Kids” series– our kids new favorite thing to watch for family movie treat!
