A Summer's Pace -HSMothersJournal

In Our Life This Week  . . . 

We have summer storms most every day here in Southwest Florida - My husband is busy working, fishing. It's our tarpon season. People come from all around the world to fish in the "Tarpon Capital of the World" - Boca Grande. 

I'm working on a new site for the fishing business & Captain Daddy is fishing daily, dodging the afternoon storms. I wrote about it here in "Once upon a summer" 

In Our Homeschool This Week . . .  

We school year-round, but have slowed to a snails pace the past few weeks. We do some Bible, math, and reading - and any other projects that suite us. We catch a lot of bugs, tad poles, and lizards while we're at it. Well, the boys do. 

We are really excited about our new Awanas homeschool program! 

We are slowly working our way through the Swimming Creatures book from Apologia. 

I made these fun ocean themed book marks and copy work for scripture verses. You are welcome to download them for use in your home. 

We are cooking . . . 

Come and link up your own favorite recipes with us each Tuesday (open throughout 

 the week) on Kids in the Kitchen - we use kitchen time as part of our homeschool. 

Favorite . . . 

So, Spencer lost a tooth this week. He took it over to the neighbors house to show them, came home, excited with a $1 bill and said, "This thang's a REAL money maker!" 

He made 2 more dollars by putting it under his pillow. 

Read, Explore, Learn . . . 

The Tower of Babel  - Is our new book from Master Books. We will be building a Lego tower as we read and study the story and scriptures. We will explore the book further as we learn about how it relates to the world today. 

I'm excited . . . 

I just booked a vacation getaway for July, with our sweet cousins (my sister has 3 boys also) We will enjoy a couple of days at the Nick Suites hotel together, playing in their water park and getting slimmed, most of all, making fun cousin memories. 

We have a week full of organizing, learning, swimming and exploring the beach coming up this week. We will meet up with friends and I'm hoping to fit in some crafts as well. 

linking with: 

Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun

Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons HS MothersJournal Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn I choose joy

Our homeschool week - Zz is for . . .

In our homeschool this week . . . 

Reading, Learning, and Exploring 

We looked up New Zealand on the map and we read about it in the Children's Atlas by Reader's Digest 
We learned about the population - did you know there are about 4,115, 771 people in New Zealand and that there are 20 x that many sheep? Yup. Lots of sheep. They do a lot of farming, and fishing.

Zz is for sheep ZONE 

We read about their volcanoes and whale sharks and so much more -like ooZy volcanoes.

Zz is for Zacchaeus 

In our Master Books - A is for Adam book - we read about: 

Zz is for Zip - how quickly Jesus will return to take back His own- those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life. (which reminds us of all those lambs in New Zealand) It gives us a chance to pray for those around the world when we realize Jesus died for them too. 

Zz is for Zacchaeus - we sang the song about Zacchaeus . . . was a wee little man, a wee little man was he - he climbed up in a sychamore tree to see what he could see - Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today." Luke 19:5 

Free printable bible verse sheet to practice cursive and print AND Free bible lesson here
Read the passage in Luke, with your kids, from the NIV here and from King James here

In our life this week . . . 

Zz is for Zany AdventureZ - 

We went to the Disney Wilderness campground

Then we Zigged on over to Legoland FL for Homeschool day 

And then Zagged on over to the MOSI Science Center in Tampa 

Zz is for Zoom - virtually to the International Space Station 

The kids did simulated real jobs - just like the astronauts do - even driving a rover on the moon 

Our AdventureZ weren't over yet - we headed for the FL Aquarium 

Zz is for Zealous - the boys worked on their photography and were really excited about it! The shots above were some of theirs. 

We learned that even the fish need to catch some Zz's 

And I'm now in recovery mode . . . . . Zzzzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzz 

These are just a few of our Fave's from this week - Read about how we enjoy frugal AdventureZ here. 

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun
Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn I choose joy

Inspired to Learn - Our homeschool week

*affiliate links may be present in this post -see disclosure page
Our Letter of the week . . . . 
We link up with our friend Marcy @Ben and Me  each week - This week: Ww is for -

Whole lotta fun! What a good time! Wonderful inspired learning! 

In my life this week . . . . 

Last Friday we were still on the road. Ww is for Wanderlust and Wigwams 
We explored the Collier County History Museum and learned about the Seminole Indians 
and the Calusa Indians who called our area home many moons ago. 

In our homeschool this week . . . . 

The boys were excited to work on the Project Genius Light. They watched with Wonderment

as they followed the educational videos and built a light that really worked!

I'm giving one away here - W is for Win - I also have a big fat discount code available for my readers to purchase the STEM project at 1/2 off - cause y'all are special! 

   

W is for "Whatsoever you do" - our bible verse this week from Colossians 3:23 
The boys each have spiraled notebooks where they copy, write, record their verses each week.

W is for Workshop - creative writing story board workshop from +LEGO  Education. 
The boys used Lego's to set up several scenes and tell a story. Big brother read the instructions and each boy made up their own little story to perform for me. 

W is for World Geography, Ww words worksheet, Whales,
and Writing: an interview with Aliens

W is for Who is God? we continue our @Apologia study about building a strong foundation
Spence made a W from clay and Walker made a Whale from blocks while we read aloud from 
our Apologia Swimming Creatures book - this weeks study - Whales, of course.

  

Reading, Learning, Exploring . . . . . 

   

more reading - Whale Sharks, White Sharks 

Interesting book full of fun information - The Truth About Great White Sharks 

Did you know that Great White's can grow to be 19 - 21 feet long? Pull out a measuring tape

and have the kids stretch it out - mark it off as you go. It's amazing when you see it up close.

What we do . . . 

We reinforce the learning with my youngest son, who is dyslexic, by having him stamp 
out certain words from the books we read. It's helping him remember the letters, the sounds 
they make, and words he is reading. It's working. He IS reading! 

FREE info for struggling readers:  If you, or someone you know needs help and encouragement for a struggling reader, check out Dr Linda's blog here.
You'll want to be sure to download the free Phonics checklist here. There you will find access to a free dyslexia tool kit and much more. 
There are tons of resources available at Strong Learning.com - for all students as well as those who are struggling. Dr Linda's blog.  Strong Learning is all about inspired learning. Anyone who has been reading here for long knows - it's what we love to do. 
. 
Reading, Exploring, Learning . . . . 

  

We are reading about Wildlife and learning and exploring what we read!
Uncover a Crocodile Our trip to the Everglades (with Marcy and Ben and Mr.Tom ) provided an exciting opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the world's scariest creatures. Field trips are a great way to inspire learning. The boys are much more eager to read and write about creatures they have seen first hand. We have alligators in the back yard in Southwest FL, but these were amazing. The boys are still excited and talking about it. They want to know more about the creatures they come in contact with (not full contact - of course). 

We're cooking . . . . . 

Daddy's birthday this week was celebrated with homemade lasagna and cake. It's easy to inspire learning in the kitchen with a little kitchen math. Measuring, calculating and reading recipes are a fun way for the family to sneak in a little extra math and reading. 

  

I hope you've enjoyed a peak at our Favorite things this week and I pray it inspires you to dig in to have some fun with inspired learning techniques. I'd love to hear some of your ideas on inspired learning. 

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun

Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn I choose joy

Qq - Letter of the week - wrap up

In our life this week. . . 

I'm speaking next week for the Ultimate Homeschool Creation Expo with Media Angels! 

January 15 - 17 - I am preparing wonderful things to share with you all - to encourage, support,

and to inspire you as you Explore God's Creation with your homeschool family. I am giving 

away 5 tickets! Check out the post on Saturday, Jan 13 and enter to win yours! 

In our homeschool . . . 

         Letter of the week: Qq is for Quench, Quail, Quack . . . and more- free printables
               (Letter of the week -  with Marcy @Ben and Me 

We always begin with the Word, and I plan our week around the letter of the week 

This week, we learned 1 Thess. 5:19 - the boys write the verse in their journals and did

some worksheets I made up (sharing with you below under Freebies)  

The boys did other math as well (I'm doing individual mid year reviews) They also spent time

learning and discussing Quarters - counting money, dividing pizza, and cutting oranges

We have also read about John Quincy Adams from our GeoMatters books

We did some fun science with National Geographics on the Humbold SQuid 

(I realize that is cheating on the Q words - but, a Momma's gotta do what she's gotta do) 

Daddy brought home a REALLY cool crab we haven't seen before & stone crab for dinner!  

We're cooking . . .

Stone Crab - my favorite!                                          Easy Chicken Enchilada's 

  

Read, Explore, Learn . . . 

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 easy lessons 

A is for Adam from Master Books - is our current devotional - this week Qq 

We study a bit at a time and discuss the devotions in detail 

Freebies . . . 

From Adventurez:                                From Smart Tutor: 

Qq is for quench                                    Printable FLAG flash cards 

Qq is for quack vocabulary                  Free Math Games




Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun ,
Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn Kids in the Word

Our Homeschool This Week - Nn is for . . . .

In my life this week. . . 


Nn is for New Jewelry - I've been on a roll - getting my creative juices flowing 
the one on the right is my creation "BEECH glass" - excited about BEECH Retreat  Jan 31 

Nn is also for 'No room in the Inn' - I'm not the only one around here being creative 
we used sticks from our nature walk to create small Nativities (yeah, Nn is also for Nativity) 

In our homeschool this week…

We use our wonderful The World of Animals book from Master Books to study new and 

exciting animals each week. 

Nn is for Nuthatch and Narwhal  also Nn is for Nautilus 

A few fun facts for ya- the Narwhal (pictured above in bottom left corner) is a whale included in the dolphin and porpoise family. It is a toothed whale that grows up to 16 feet long. The male has a tusk and may use it to fence with other males. 

The beautiful Nautilus shell shows the mathematical  Fibonacci sequence - read more facts about this incredible creature here.  (ahem. . . Nn is for Numbers) 

Nn is for Nathan Hale - whom we read about in Profiles from History 

Nn is for North American Indians - Timucua Indians and Calusa of Florida are on our list - we found the Timucua Indians in our Indian Tribes of North America coloring book (great way to keep kids busy while I read more info) 

Nn is for New Hampshire - from the United States coloring book - we are reading about New Hampshire in our GeoMatters Pathway to Settlement  curriculum - which uses living books and not just a text book for teaching. 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Nn is for Numbers -  If you have a child who struggles with dyslexia or dysgraphia 

make your own simple flash cards for them to put in order. Numbers need to be reviewed 

as well as letters. Spence is working on addition and subtraction, but needed to review recognizing his numbers 11 - 20 this week. This was a great way for him to do it. 

We are reading learning and exploring …

Nn is for Nigeria -  Our Heroes For Young Readers  books are a wonderful addition to our family homeschool. Each lesson provides a short reader with pictures to introduce the Hero and the tale of how they left their mark on the world - this week we were in Nigeria on the continent of Africa - Mary Slessor was an incredible woman and a peacemaker among the tribes of Africa. The activity guide provides everything from songs to bible verses to spelling words and art projects to go with the books. Pictured in bottom left corner is a simple hut like the one Mary lived in while in  Nigeria. 
We have studied Corrie Ten Boom  of the Netherlands - here is a link to the first 4 book set  
and the Activity Guide here.  Other books here and the activity guides here. 

We're cooking…

We're cooking Pinto beans - teaching the boys how to cook healthy dry beans 

See our Kids in the Kitchen post here. 

Favorite moments this week …

Nn is for Nostalgic- 

It's always fun getting out the Christmas stuff. I love that our tree is a fun mixture of sand dollars and shells we've found at the beach, antique ornaments that have seen many Christmas's and bring back countless memories, and handmade ornaments from my boys. This year we added small nests and birds and even a couple of little bird houses that I think are really fun. It's kind of our "Old Florida - Nature Tree" 

Starfish, and tiny gifts from the sea - each one found by me or the family at our beach - make my heart beat happy when I see them sparkling on the tree. The long spiral "ice sickle" shells came from our honeymoon in Costa Rica. The Santa Claus starfish I painted with Parker when he was only 3 years old. Such special memories make me smile inside and out.  I'm so thankful for each of them and what they represent. 

Freebies … 

             

Luke 2:11 - Notebooking 

      Print and Cursive 

 Basic info on Calusa Indians of SWFL :               Part 1                          Part 2 

    
  Pocahontas Unit Study 

  Alphabet Flashcards with animals: 

     Aa - Ff                                 Ss - Xx

   Gg - Ll                                  Yy- Zz       

     Mm-Rr                                        

          

*Disclosure- There are affiliate links in this post - I will make a profit if you purchase using them - thanking you in advance!

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun , Sun Scholars  , Camera Phone Friday, Favorite Resources this Week, Homeschool Freebie Fridays, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers  ABC blogging, Collage Friday, Educating Laytons ihomeschoolnetwork Mommy Teaches   homeschool fridays  friday faves Read.Explore.Learn Quick Tips Hammock Tracks Christian Mommy Bloggers