Scripture Memory

The presentation topic this past week for CC was "Recite a Bible verse or passage from scripture and tell us why you chose that one."

I asked Hannah to recite 1 John 1-7, which we learned 2 years ago during cycle 3 CC.  She did a great job remembering it.

The plan was for Nicole to also recite 1 John 1-7 (at the time, they were in different classrooms but we had to do some shifting around, and now they are both in the same class...with me as their tutor).  Anyway, Nicole was last and decided she would do something different.  I cautioned her and reminded her that we didn't practice anything else.  She said, "I know mom, but I have other verses memorized too".

Then, she stood up and recited the first 3 verses from Genesis 1.  This has never been a verse or section we have intentionally memorized.  However, Genesis 1 and 3 are her favorite parts of the Bible, and she reads them all the time.  From her constant reading, she has committed parts of it to memory.  I was so moved to find out that she had been memorizing scripture without my prompting (or prompting from anyone else).

I found out later that she actually had more than that memorized, she was just worried about going over her time limit.

Lord, I ask that you would always give her a desire to hid Your word in Her heart!  Praise Him!

Snakes and Caterpillers

We spent a wonderful afternoon with some new friends today.  This sweet family is involved in our CC group this year.  I just love their mom, and the children are precious!  I'm so happy that my kids are becoming friends with them!

We knew the kids would have fun together because my friend has many plants around for the purpose of attracting butterflies.  They have all sorts of plants, caterpillars, butterflies, etc.  It is so fun!

This is a caterpillar of a swallowtail butterfly.  Isn't it amazing how God created it's camouflage?  It purposefully looks like bird poop!

This is the chrysalis of the swallowtail butterfly.  Again, isn't it's camouflage amazing?  It looks just like the bark of this tree branch!  Can you see the little silk threads?  It's hanging by that, and also attached at the base.  Amazing!

Most impressive today though was a first for all of my kids (and still a NEVER for me!)  They held a snake today!  Katrina and Stephen caught a little ring neck snake this morning and kept it for my kids to see (I would say that was really sweet....but, well...I guess it was ;)

This is a little ring neck snake.  Apparently it's harmless...I was freaked out!

Nicole was super excited, and her excitement got Hannah and Nate excited as well.

Of course, Hannah got a turn holding the snake

And Nathan too!  

The kids had a blast checking out the flowers and caterpillars, swimming (for hours!) and then building a nice safe home for the ring neck snake.

This was the "home" the kids made for the snake.  

New friends...Katrina, Hannah, Nate, Nicole, and Stephen.  

What a great day...My heart is full of thanksgiving!

Sweet heart

I slept in this morning. The kids do a good job of entertaining themselves for a little while on Saturdays while we sleep in a bit.

When Hannah came in this morning, she asked if they could watch TV. I thought that's what they had been doing all along, but she told me no... That they had been coloring.

I got up a few minutes later and found out what this little sweet heart has been doing. She was coloring pictures to take to a nursing home near our neighborhood. This is a picture of a man in a wheel chair, and her, giving him something. She is such a sweet and thoughtful girl. I love her!

Family Presentations

We have a new Classical Conversations community this year, that I happen to be the director of.  Lots of responsibility....quite a bit of stress....high expectations that need to be met.  You know the drill.

Well, our family started the year by running our opening assembly since most of our families are new to CC.  Each week, a new family will help with the pledge, prayer, timeline cards, Bible verse and then give a brief presentation about their family.  Trying to model to our new community, we kept it simple (and even practiced the day before.)  Here is how it went...

Me:  Hi, my name is Michele.  I am not going to tell you how old I am, and my favorite thing to do is go out on dates with my husband.

N: Hi, my name is Nicole.  I am 7 and I like to catch lizards, frogs, butterflies and millipeeds

H: Hi, my name is Hannah.  I am 5 and I like to play games.

N: (with a stutter).  Hi, my name is Nathan.  I three.  I like to play games, play cars, and, and, and...poop and pee goes in the potty

Yep...keeping expectations high for the new year :)  (It was a great ice breaker though...everyone was laughing!)

First weeks of School

We mostly school year round...taking time off when we need it or feel like it.  I officially have a 2nd grader and a kindergartner!  ACK!  Where has the time gone?

This is our fourth year of CC, back in the cycle we started on.  I have started a new CC Community up here, which has been an interesting and mostly really great experience.  Maybe I'll blog about it sometime.

This year, we are working through Cycle 2 of Classical Conversations.  We are studying the middle ages right now.  We use Saxon Math 3 and Spell to Write and Read, as well as Answers in Genesis Science books when applicable.  We use the library a lot.

Nicole organized her spelling words into categories.

Hannah is giving a "presentation".

 Although Nicole is not old enough to be in Essentials, I have been trained as a tutor and am currently a director of Foundations & Essentials.  So, I have recently been exposed to Institutes for Excellence in Writing curriculum.  I love it, and can't wait to dig deeper in a couple of years.  However I decided to try a key word outline with Nicole.  I wrote a "Bob" book up on the board.  She told me what 2 key words were for each sentence.  I underlined them.

Since this was her first time, I wrote the keywords down in outline format.  

 Then, I erased the original story and had her dictate back to me the story using just her keywords.  Amazingly, with no prompting from me....her story came out better than original.  She naturally added adjectives and adverbs.   I was so excited!

 I have caught Nicole reading on her own a lot more...which is a big deal.  I'm wondering if I should get her eyes checked...or if she just thought it was fun to read with a magnifying glass.

Reading about Crocodiles.

 These are two of the books in the PreScripts series that CC just put out.  Hannah's is the top one.  she practices a cursive letter, and then either draws or colors each day.

 Nicole's is the next level.  She practices a letter, copies a Bible verse, and then does a little drawing.  They really love using these books!

Our first week was about Charlemagne.  I'm pretty sure I never learned about him, or this time period. Fascinating!!!

Caught her reading again!  This time about Gila Monsters!

Hannah is learning to read a well...slowly...but she'll get there!

 The first week, we also learned about the 7 biomes.  This was a project the kids did.  They each drew a map of the world (Hannah "blobbed" hers) and then filled it in with representatives of the biomes.

Hannah's blobbed map of the world

Nicole spent more time and tried to add more detail to her hand drawn map of the world.

Hmm...it turned.  See Antarctica on the left, that should be on the bottom, so turn that in your head...it didn't work when I tried.  You can see that Nicole has the basic idea of the shapes of the contentions (I double dog dare YOU to try to draw the world;)

Then, they filled it in.

 

grasslands= grass

deserts= sand

scrub lands= sticks

tundra = saran wrap with baby powder and glitter

deciduous forests= maple leaves

coniferous forest= pine needles

tropical rain forests= big green leaves and bright flowers.

 Hannah and Nathan's finished map.

Nicole's finished map

8 parts of speech flower:)

 We also went to the Florida Aquarium with some friends.  My creature adventurer enjoyed learning about some sea animals and taking their pictures.

touch tank

ahhhhh!!!!!

Whoa!  Check that out!

We had a great start to our new school year....more to come :)

Random photos from August

So....in lieu of trying to write a separate post for all of these, I just need to catch up.  Here is a random sampling of August!

This is Nathan's favorite exhibit at the children's museum.  You put the little stethoscope on different body parts and hear what it sounds like (lungs, hearts, etc).  He found the X near the tush....yep...it makes a "toot" sound.  He just stands there hitting that spot, over and over and laughs hysterically.  100% boy!

Our friends came up to visit for a night:)  We loved having the boys and spending the evening with Josh and Teri!

Hunter and Nicole :)

Levi, Hunter, Nicole, Nathaniel, Hannah, Nathan

Nathan has just started catching his own lizards.  This was his first, and he was quite excited.

Proud sister

We spent a Saturday with Granny, Uncle Don, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Gary.

Uncle Don and Hannah enjoyed swinging together.

Nicole is helping Aunt Lisa with something...but I don't know what.

We met my mom, dad, grandpa, and Uncle Wayne and Aunt Cheryl at this yummy Amish restaurant the other day.  We all ordered the buffet.  It was Hannah's first (and not last) buffet.  She kept asking "I can go up as many times as I want and eat anything I want!" haahaha.  I lost track around her 6th trip.  Every time, she walked back to the table with her plate full (usually of Jell-o) Giggling....like, uncontrollable giggle.  I wish I could have bottled it up!

 She is still talking about the place with the frozen plates and jello:)

The girls got their teeth cleaned earlier this month.  Nicole has some big orthodontic issues to get worked out.  We are now accepting donations for orthodontic treatments for the next 10 years ;)

Their after cleaning treat...no cavities (yet, haha).  I LOVE Nicole's face here...so funny!


I love my children.  I love to be with them.  I love to teach them.  I love to watch them.  I just love them!
Nicole, reading to her brother before his nap.

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Nate was being a great helper.  That one spot on my mirror was perfectly clean!

Nicole is a little explorer...always enjoying God's creation.

Being Silly with Nate.  

Now he is frowning, hahaha

Yaya and Papa stopped for a night on their way home from Ohio.  The kids always enjoy seeing them.