What color crayon are you?

You Are a Green Crayon

Your world is colored in harmonious, peaceful, natural colors. While some may associate green with money, you are one of the least materialistic people around. Comfort is important to you. You like to feel as relaxed as possible - and you try to make others feel at ease. You're very happy with who you are, and it certainly shows! Your color wheel opposite is red. Every time you feel grounded, a red person does their best to shake you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

HT:Maryann

Another great site

Theresa of Lapaz Farm, recommended a great site for free online games. Orsinal is free and safe. The games are clever and the graphics are beautiful. I can't believe this is a free site!

Diorama-Rama

Last week went pretty well considering the size of our school has doubled this year!

We are off to a great start I would say. The highlight of the week was the completion of a diorama that depicts the crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus.



We began with a cereal box. (Yes, very healthy I know) We opened it up completely and then Jake and Ryan painted the sides blue and drew and colored some fish to paste on the 'water'. For the bottom of the sea (actually one of the narrow,long sides of the box), we spread some glue and then some sand. I made a little Moses out of pipe cleaners and he went in the front. The the stick people crowd of Israelites are behind him. Laine used watercolors to paint a sea-like background. I cut off the top of the cereal box and taped Laine's watercolor to it. That became the background of the diorama. Then I cut a sky light into the top (which was the other narrow long side of the box. In the front I cut a small hole to view the scene.




This project was based on one we found in the Story of the World vol.1 activity book. Fun was had by all. I love taking pictures of this stuff. There is no way I'll be able to save this diorama from being destroyed so the pictures are a great way to save the memories. Now I don't have to feel guilty for tossing out the crumpled and smashed box two weeks from now. This week's project is based on colored glass. I'll be sure and take more pictures.

First Day!

Today we officially begin a new school year. We have been doing some schooly stuff this summer, but today is the 'real' first day of the new school year. Luke and Laine are so excited to begin. Jake and Ryan are kind of bummed because we decided that there will not be any video/computer games during the weekdays. They are not sure they can survive, which is exactly why we instituted this rule. :)

One of Those Days

Yesterday was one of those days. It was just so good. Nothing extraordinary happend, it was just a good, happy day. I want to record the minutia here so that I can look back and remember this good, ordinary day.

I woke up feeling refreshed. I had a great cup of coffee made by my personal barrista (barristo?) Lee. I took Sparky on a walk before it became too hot. I came home and did some craft work with the kids. Jake and Ryan are working on a latch hook rug and Luke is learning needlework on a small canvas soccer ball. Then, Laine, Ryan and I sat on the couch and rolled some yarn balls. We had some egg salad for lunch and then went to the pool.

We had the pool all to ourselves. There was one group time out after an episode of rowdiness, but everyone played nicely for the most part. Luke and Laine are swimming with more confidence and Mary Clare (wearing her floaty suit) followed them all over the pool.

We left and put Mary Clare down for nap and then I went to the library and the grocery store. I came home and put away things and made a special dessert and then we got everyone dressed for mass. It was a feast day, The Assumption of Mary. Mass was at 6 and we saw many friends. After dinner we had a dessert (Pink Clouds-some stawberry jell-o and ice cream concoction)and then went out on the deck.



While I was doling out the dessert, Lee helped the kids write a short prayer to Mary. I rolled them into scrolls and tied them to blue and white balloons.
Out on the deck, the kids released the balloons. We watched the rise and thought of Our Lady and her Assumption into Heaven.



It was just one of those days!

Great website

I used this website a bit last year with Ryan, but I had forgotten about it until a friend of mine reminded me. Her son is in speech therapy and the therapist recommended it to her.

I am so glad she reminded me of this website. Starfall is free and has exellent and safe content to help pre-readers and new readers. Luke and Laine have been using the alphabet recognition pages and just love playing 'computer games' like their brothers.

Luke

This is Luke doing his famous spitless spit. No one else inthe family can do this particular sound. He sucks in his cheeks very quickly or something. It sounds quite disgusting and he is very proud of his unique talent.

I love these big brown eyes!

Homecoming

Lee is coming home tonight after being gone for nearly two weeks straight. He has been in Houston for some sales thing. I didn't want to post about his travel because, well, this is the internet. He actually travels pretty regularly. He is gone, on average, about 2 nights a week.

There are times I do not mind the travel. This has been our life ever since we were married, so I am used to it. I like having some evenings of alone time after the kids are in bed. I also think that the away time keeps us on our toes and we have learned to appreciate each other so much because of these seperations.

Two weeks at a time? Not so great though. He will be home tonight and I am so excited! The kids will probably be in bed, but I have a bottle of wine and two glasses waiting for us to settle on the couch and catch up.

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Please keep our home sale in your prayers. We are still waiting..............

Planning mode

I think I finally have my basic plan for curriculum this year done. I feel so much better prepared to begin this year. I love looking at different curriculum and books, but I am going to try so hard to just stick with what we're doing (as long as it's working) and not get distracted and interested in the Next Best Thing. My name is Tracy and I am a curriculum junkie.

I have loved books as long as I can remember. I love their smell! I was a regular at every school library and now I am making the regualr round at the local libraries. I like to go to amazon.com and read reviews for fun. So I guess it is no surprise that I love browsing for homeschooling stuff.

I did not go with one set curriculum this year. We will have a classical and Charlotte Mason mix mainly. I think this will be the right fit for us and I resolve to give it a good 12 weeks no matter what. There, I wrote it here so i have to do it!

Island Nature Adventure

We had a wonderful time on the Isle of Palms. The home we rented was a block from the beach and around the corner from the pool. It had great porches with a nice view of a lagoon area around which all of the homes were situated.

After unloading, we went on the back porch and immediately turtles swam up to the edge of the water right beneath the porch. By twos and threes they arrived and popped their tiny heads up. These were no ordinary scummy pond turtles; these were domesticated begging turtles! Of course being the kind nature lovers we are, we ran inside and grabbed some bread to feed these poor starving creatures. Soon, there were over twenty little heads popping up and treading water right in front of us. In the midst of all of this charming nature, I glanced up and took a closer squint at the large log sitting under the tree on the other side of the lagoon. Surely that log didn't just move! Surely it is not sliding into the water and floating right over to our turtle feeding ground!

It seems that this lagoon is teeming with wildlife. The 6ft. alligator swam right up by the turtles. The turtles were not impressed and kept their begging routine going. We,however, were very impressed and felt a creepy thrill as he eyed us up on the deck. A lady came out onto the porch next door and told us there is a 500 dollar fine for feeding "Al" so the turtles left to go run their con at someone else's back porch. Eventually, "Al" got tired of watching us, especially after we made MC go inside. Later we saw an egret, who was hunting for some dinner,narrowly escape getting eaten by "Al". It was like "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" out there! We even saw some carp or something making giant leaps and spins. We kept hearing wierd plops and we finally caught sight of the aquatic acrobats.

Interestingly, in all of the material the owner left for us, intructions on recycling, air-conditioner settings, restaurant suggestions etc... there was not one mention of the 6ft. alligator out back!


There were plenty of nature thrills and chills at the beach as well. We caught (and released) twenty something hermit crabs. This was very exciting to the boys who read a wonderful book about hermit crabs this year. We were very tempted to keep some of the beautiful shell hermit crab homes, but came to a group decision to let them go, shells and all.

We also had several shark sightings. Past hurricanes have given this part of the beach an unusual sandbar formation and several of the days small sand sharks were sighted where they had been caught in low tide. I saw a pair of fins myself. Most thrilling was the hammerhead sighting. Thankfully, everyone was alerted quickly by others along the shoreline and no one was hurt. It swam up into very shallow water though and we got a close look at it. I'd guess it was about 4ft.

We were all quite pleased with the beach nature adventures on this trip. The encounters were unexpected, but we enjoyed the first hand thrill of observing new creatures in their natural habitats. We did leave a message for the owner, suggesting that she add something about "Al" in her communications with future renters.

Pictures

I love this picture of MC and her little ponytail flying like a flag on the top of her head!

Jake on a bucket filling mission. This picture is very similar to another shot I have of him at our last beach trip.

Laine on the front porch.

Releasing our hermit crab pals.

Kissing a chubbalicious cheek!

Another shot for the "Tantrums Abroad" series we are working on for MC.

Long arm self portrait

The boys are working on the ramparts of 'Castle Seagull'. MC is construction manager.

Just our friendly neighborhood 6 ft. alligator "Al" swimming over to eye our delicious array of plump limbs and tasty toddlers. (!!!!)

Uncle Lee

Thanks for looking dahlings!