From Popcorn to the Pulitzer!

Iowa Unit

*The United States is the world's leading producer of corn. 

*Corn is the single most popular crop grown in the U.S. 

*Iowa produces the largest corn crop of any state. 

*The largest Popcorn Packing Plant is in Iowa.

Therefore, we devoted our Iowa Unit to focusing on one of our favorite snacks...POPCORN!

We started our unit the same week as the Winter Olympics so we had our own winter game - Blowing Popcorn! 

Kalia & I talked about "P" words & then she did this popcorn activity. 

I gave Carysse an assignment to write a story about popcorn. Here's her rough draft. 

     

Then she asked if she could type it on the computer. 

The final story

I don't do scrapbooking anymore but any excuse to get cute paper, I'm on it! :-) 

We made Party Popcorn for our Co-op Valentine's party. This was a great alternative to candy! 

 

It's such a blessing that other moms on the Web are willing to share their creations like these Free Valentine's cards!

We also completed a Popcorn Five Senses Chart.
Books Read - Welcome to the U.S.A: Iowa, Corn, & Corn Aplenty 

Kansas Unit
March is Women's History Month! 

For our Kansas study we focused on two women in history who were born in Kansas. 

Gwendolyn Brooks (poet) - At the age of thirteen, she had her first published poem.
Her gift of writing led her to become the 1st African American to win a Pulitzer Prize.

We enjoyed listening to Ms. Brooks read her poem,
"The Tiger who wore white gloves" a.k.a. "What you are you are".
Then Carysse illustrated it. We had a good discussion about how each person is made in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27) & wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). Therefore God made no mistake in how He created us (our gender or ethnicity) so we should rejoice in the way He created us & glorify Him that way. 

Amelia Earhart (aviator) - the 1st woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
She was then awarded the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross.

Speaking of female aviators, check out this childhood photo of me at an Air Show!

Remember this, Mom? :-)  

Books Read - Welcome to the U.S.A: Kansas, National Geographic Readers: Amelia Earhart,
& A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart   

Whether by car, plane, or boat...

Don't forget your coat!    

Indiana Unit Study

Interesting Facts

1.  William Henry Harrison, the 9th President, was the 1st to set many records in his government career.  

* He was the 1st governor of the Indiana Territory. 

* He delivered the longest inaugural speech (1 hr. 45 mins.) He was not wearing a hat or coat in the bitter snowstorm during the speech which led to him getting a cold which led to pneumonia which made him...

* The 1st president to die in office

* He served the shortest time in office (31 days)

* He and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison (23rd President), were the only grandfather-grandson presidents. 

2.  Samuel Morris - This young man had a powerful testimony!  We watched the YouTube movie (this is an old school movie but we looked past that to the inspiring story :-). We also watched the Heroes of the Faith DVD. Unfortunately, Samuel didn't realize the effects that the cold, snowy weather can have on someone if they are not dressed appropriately. One day he went out to share his testimony without his hat & coat, similar to President Harrison, he got really sick and died shortly after that.  However, God used Samuel's short life to have a lasting impact at Taylor University.

3.  Indianapolis 500 - I know you have heard of this well-known car race.  But, do you know what every winner gets once they drive into the winner's circle - A cold bottle of....Milk! This tradition is dated back to the 1930's when the winner requested a cold bottle of buttermilk to quench his thirst.  

The kids decided to have their own car race.

Of course the winner (Kalia) got a nice cold cup of chocolate milk! :-) 

Carysse made a pic of a car race on the iPad. 

She said the bystanders are all people with special needs in wheelchairs.  

Her compassionate heart often looks out for opportunities to include the disabled.

We spent most of the unit focusing on The Wright Brothers.  

They invented and built the world's 1st successful airplane.

Wilbur Wright (left) was born in Indiana.

The girls made clothespin airplanes.

 We culminated our unit by watching Disney's Planes Movie.  

We don't have a TV, but we enjoy watching movies on the wall with a projector.
It's our own Family Theater!   

They made paper airplanes with daddy.

I found these coloring sheets of the Wright Brothers.  

Books Read - Welcome to the USA: Indiana, The Wright Brothers, & Wee & the Wright Brothers

If the hat fits...

Wear it; whether you're a chef or the president! 

Illinois Unit Study

On this President's Day, I thought it would be nice to post about our Illinois study of Abraham Lincoln. As a young adult, he moved to IL with his family.  He started his career in IL.  He had various jobs (such as store clerk, postman, soldier, lawyer, & legislator) before becoming the 16th President.  His greatest contribution to society was his ambitious, passionate efforts to end slavery in this country which led to the Civil War which led to the Emancipation Proclamation.  Although Lincoln was assassinated before seeing the fruit of his labor, God used his efforts to establish the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery throughout the U.S. in 1865.

During the week of our study, we walked in the post office and saw this big poster of this stamp.  What a "God-incidence"!

While Lincoln worked as a postman and lawyer, he kept the mail and important papers in his top hat.  So, I made a construction paper hat for Carysse to write facts about Lincoln. 

Lincoln was born and lived in a log cabin throughout his childhood.
The girls made log cabins out of pretzel sticks.

I had to keep the roaming baby bear occupied by giving him some to eat. :-) 

It was fun studying my home state! 

Books Read - Welcome to the USA: Illinois, Abraham Lincoln: 16th U.S. President,
Abe Lincoln's Hat, & Honest Abe Lincoln

Idaho Unit Study

Of course we decided to focus on potatoes for our study of Idaho.  But, we can't talk about potatoes without talking about potato chips! George Crum, a mixed race (African American & Native American) chef, "accidentally" created chips while trying to fix a complaint by one of his customers that the french fries were too thick.  Most findings say this incident is true but others say it's a legend.  Either way, we enjoyed reading about Crum and his life.  

Carysse wrote facts about Crum on a chef's hat.

The girls made potato print snowmen.

 We also grew potato plants!

Two weeks later, we did a 2nd observation.  The girls were excited to see buds coming out of their potatoes. 

Four weeks after we started the experiment, Carysse's potato buds started growing stems!
Kalia's potato (left) didn't change much from the 1st observation.  I think it's because she mutilated it by insisting on making a "sun" with all her toothpicks :-). 

I found this sheet for her to record the observations.  

Books Read - Welcome to the USA: Idaho, Potatoes, Potatoes, The Greatest Potatoes,
George Crum and the Saratoga Chip  

    

Eleven Fears in Eleven Years...

Backdrops for the Lord's faithfulness to be displayed! 

Through Christian's 11 years of life, I've had many fears!  All of them were turned into cries out to the Lord.  Most of those prayers were not answered in the way that I desired.  Nonetheless, God's plan for my son and our family weren't hindered (Job 42:2)!  He has definitely worked all of our joys & sorrows for our good and His glory; to conform us into Christ's image (Rom. 8:28-29).  Here are 11 fears turned into prayers that I've had over the years and what God's Word has spoken to me through them.  

1. In a hospital bed, while 25 weeks pregnant with my son, I prayed that he wouldn't be born early.   

God's Answer: No. He was born the next morning.

God's Word for Strength: Isaiah 41:10

2. I prayed that he wouldn't have a lot of complications or have to be in the hospital for a long time.  

God's Answer: No. He stayed in the hospital for 135 days & endured a breathing machine for 2 months, feeding tube for 2.5 months, various infections, 6 blood transfusions, & 1 surgery. 

God's Word for Faith: John 11:4

3. I prayed that he wouldn't have any other issues besides prematurity.

God's Answer: No. He had his 1st seizure at 9 months and then diagnosed with Sturge-Weber Syndrome.  

God's Word for Trust: Psalm 112:7

4. I prayed that he wouldn't have any mental delays.  

God's Answer: No. He is significantly mentally disabled. 

God's Word of Wisdom: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

5. I prayed that he would be able to talk. 

God's Answer: No. He has never said a word.

God's Word of Sovereignty: Exodus 4:11 & John 9:1-3

6. I prayed that he would be much further along in his mental understanding & development by now.

God's Answer: No; in order to show that God's purpose for Christian cannot be hindered by man's opinions, labels, growth charts, or IQ tests.

God's Word of Purpose:  Psalm 138:8

7. I prayed that he would be able to walk & feed himself.

God's Answer: YES!  He started walking at 2.5 yrs. & feeding himself at 9 yrs. old!

God's Word for Praise: Psalm 126:3

8. I prayed that the Lord would wipe out all of our medical debt in those early years of Christian's life.  

God's Answer: YES! It was paid within 6 months!

God's Word for Provision: Philippians 4:19

9. I prayed that we would have enough babysitters to watch Christian along with our 3 other children for our regular date-nights and for our annual Anniversary get-aways. 

God's Answer: YES!  You will have all the help you need! 

God's Word for Help: Psalm 121:1-2

10.  I prayed that my son would have a class on Sunday mornings where he could hear and learn about Jesus like his siblings.

God's Answer: YES! This past fall, a new Sunday School class started for children with special needs called, "His Strength".  

God's Word for Inclusion:  Mark 9:36-37

11. I prayed that he would do well at school and that the Lord would protect him each day.

God's Answer: YES! He's been well taken care of for 8 years now and acquiring new skills each year! 

God's Word of Blessing: Numbers 6:24-26

Even though I have all these remembrance stones of God's faithfulness, I often have to cast off fears that I have about the future.  I'm striving to remember the many ways that God has shown Himself strong and been so good to our family.  I want to constantly recall to mind that, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is His faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23).

I thank God for using Christian to teach me that "God's Word will never return empty without accomplishing what He purposed" (Isaiah 55:11)! 

Happy 11th Birthday, my dear son!

An Explosion of Fun!

Our Hawaii Unit Study was a "blast" as we focused on volcanoes!

But before we get to that, here are some other interesting facts about Hawaii -

1.  President Barack Obama was born in Honolulu.

2. My youngest daughter's name is of Hawaiian origin ~ Kalia.
Funny Quote - After we looked at a picture of a Kalia tree, Carysse said, "Why did they name a tree after Kalia? Did they name a tree after me too?" :-)

3.  Protestant missionaries arrived there in 1820. They taught many Hawaiians about Christianity...what a blessing!

4. The Dole Pineapple Plantation is there. So, we decided to make what we call, Hawaiian Tropical Smoothie. It's made with Dole pineapples, pineapple juice, coconut milk, & strawberries...yum!

Now, onto Volcanoes!
 Hawaii is made up of many islands. The islands were created by volcanoes erupting at the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

During her playtime, Carysse made this model of a volcano using unifix cubes.

We had fun doing a volcano experiment.

Then Carysse described the experiment on a recording sheet.

This is a newspaper article about a volcano eruption the same week we were studying volcanoes!

Also, the girls enjoyed watching The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top which is about volcanoes & Kalia colored this volcano sheet.
Books Read - Welcome to the USA: Hawaii, Volcanoes, Volcano Explorers, &
Gopher to the Rescue! A Volcano Recovery Story

Great Grace & Great Buys

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:8

In Christian Homeschooling, we need to depend on God's grace constantly! Many days I try to do it in my own strength, but that always leads to failure & despair. 

We can't do it on our own. 

The same truth that the Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 also applies to us believers. He said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I am SLOWLY learning that truth as it pertains to homeschooling.  With that said, please don't let the photos of smiling faces and seemingly organized lessons fool you as you visit my blog. I'm a fellow recipient of God's sweet grace. For example:

* I don't have a systematic daily plan.

* I don't have an organized schedule.

* We try to follow this general plan. However, for our USA Unit that I've been creating, I make a weekly list of activities that I would like to do.  Then as the week goes on, I plug in an activity whenever it seems to fit and cross it out as we go.  I don't have a set day or time to do any of the activities.  That system works best for our family.  For example, one day my 19 mo. old had a rough day, so after we put him to bed, we did a Science Experiment at 7:30 in the evening.  That's one of the joys of homeschooling; you can do school whenever you want.

*Make your homeschool your own!  There's no perfect rhyme or rhythm.  If you've been following my blog for a while, you know how I struggled during my first year.  This year, I'm resting in God's grace for our day and in what He wants us to do regardless of what I had planned. 

*When all else fails, we keep reading!  You can NEVER read too much!  We get books from the library each week.  Most of them go along with our Unit of study and the kids also choose a few other books of their interest.  Some mornings we just stay in our PJs and read the whole morning! 

*I do have an Elementary Education Degree so I am able to improvise a lot easier than I would otherwise.  But God's grace is sufficient for each homeschool mom with or without a degree.

Great Buys: On those days that aren't working out for anything that I had planned, here are my "go to" items that I purchased that makes homeschool life more doable.  

1) Heroes of the Faith DVDs - We have 9 of them.  They are absolutely wonderful!  We often have a great discussion afterwards about the hero and how he/she stood up for Christ in the midst of persecution. 

2) Illustrated Classics for Girls - I won a drawing at our co-op for $50 of Usborne Books!  This is one of the books I chose.  The girls really enjoy it. 

3) Brain Quest Cards - I got 5 of them at a homeschool sale for 25 cents each!  They're a great review of skills for each age level.  It's nice having another reader in our home.  Carysse quizzes Kalia while I'm busy with Caleb or preparing meals.  Carysse goes through her own cards during transition times as well.  

4) I first talked about counting bears in this post; they're still a favorite.  I turned my mini muffin pan into a sorting/pattern activity by putting colored sticker dots into each section.



5) Every homeschool of preschoolers needs magnetic letters!  I found this alphabet printable here. We like how the "J" is for Baby Jesus.

 

6) Giant Slot & Build Shapes from Lakeshore - lots of fun for all ages! Carysse made a snowflake... she's so creative. 

7) We also use pattern blocks. I used them all the time as a classroom teacher. I knew my kids would enjoy them as well. I found the printables here.

Keep calm & Homeschool on! 

Remember, God's grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness. 

(2 Corinthians 12:9a)