Ah, the simple childhood joys of a busy little boy!



Enjoy the fall weather!

Saw this on a teacher's blog a while back and thought it was super cute! I try to keep practicing money stuff with Jey because he seems so uninterested I'm afraid it'll slip right out of his head (as it sometimes does!). I knew he's like this since it involved drawing..

I wrote some random numbers in the side and he had to find the coins to add up to the amount. Then he had to turn the line of coins into a critter. He thought it was hilarious and was eager to make some interesting creatures. Seriously, if I can turn every lesson into an art project, he'll be the happiest camper! So you know we are doing lots of crafts and drawing around here every day!

I found this next idea here: Lory's Page. Free Printable! I printed it out then realized I could alter it so I pulled it up in Photoshop (where I'm so comfy! haha) and erased the words. Then I printed the new blank page and put contact paper over it so I can write in my own words and change them out as often as I like. Laminating would work as well but I had contact paper and no laminator the evening I prepared this. I can write in ink or sharpie if dry erase markers wipe off too easily. Did you know that an eraser will erase sharpie from smooth surfaces like dry erase boards? Or you can go over it with a dry erase marker and it'll start to come up. :) Or you can probably put it in a gallon baggie and use that as the plastic, reusable surface. The spinners I made from a piece of paper and split pin so you can probably thread that through the plastic from the baggie and it'll hold it in place for continued use.

Language arts is not Jey's strongest but this was entertaining enough to keep his interest. Well, that and it also involved drawing. lol He spins to get his three words: noun, verb and adjective. Then he has to come up with a sentence using the three words. The reward for Jey is that there is a box at the bottom of the page for him to draw a picture of his sentence. This is how Jey expressed himself more comfortably so it is a treat (relief?) for him to get to draw what's on his mind as well as writing it out. The tricky part for me is to get him to restrain himself long enough to write the sentence out before he starts to draw. It is such a temptation for him -all that empty space! :)

Lastly, another favorite around here: Legos!


It dawned on me to use his beloved Legos for skip counting! These were taken a while back when we were doing 3's...




I love that Legos come in more shapes and size options than when I was a kid! He's memorizing them much faster this way than trying to remember a song. Today we reviewed 4's and I showed him a multiplication chart and his eyes lit up as he made the connection. I was surprised since multiplication isn't on the radar for another year or two as far as scope and sequence charts. I know I didn't learn them until at least 4th grade but I'm sure they've moved it up since then. Anyway, I was kind of thrilled but then math just clicks with this kid so why am I so surprised? Today I would take a few and toss them at him and he'd have to race to tell me how many "bumps" there were altogether. Each block had four so he could multiply and come up with the answer quickly.

So proud of my boy!

The whole thing is not as big as a blade of grass. So cute! And so tiny that I didn't really notice the fur-like things until I spied with my macro lens. :)

(It's nice to get some extra help and a hug in the building process!)

I've been Pinspired. :)



The boys helped and it makes me happy to see each morning as I enter our schoolroom. It reminds me of our goals and purpose in our homeschool. It's not about passing the state tests or getting better grades than your classmates. It's learning about life and loving the journey of it all. In the end they'll know more about the things that matter... how to treat each other with respect... how to be thankful and content... how to handle difficult situations with confidence...

And they'll still be the best automatically. :)

Let me know if your Pinterested! ;)

I have taken far too long to blog these as we took them back in AUGUST! Wow, time flies!

Avery is the sweetest! We had fun wandering downtown with her mom and best friend. Miss A, thanks for allowing me to capture this wonderful moment in your life! I know you will succeed in so many ways, you are off to a great start already!

It's a tradition around here. When Wipeout is on, we gather before the big box of moving pictures and enjoy some good laughter at the expense of others. Ok, that makes us sound horrible!

The boys love it and their favorite thing to do is re-enact the stunts during the commercials. This particular evening's episode was Family Wipeout and so Jeremiah talked Joshua into wearing the Mario Bros Costumes so they could participate appropriately.

So here you go, Mario and Luigi, the Plumber Bros, as contestants on Family Wipeout!





Someone lost their hat on the course...






Aren't they super cute in those costumes? heehee


Someone was pooped by the end of the show...

Totally not flattering food pics but WOW are these yummy!

It's a Pampered Chef recipe I found way before I had kids and it's still one of my favorite recipes ever. Seriously, it's so yummy, I'm amazed it comes out of my kitchen!



These are called Tuxedo Brownies. They are really white chocolate raspberry brownies!!!

Super easy to make!

Prepare brownies as directed from your favorite box mix. Bake. Cool.
Spread seedless raspberry jam over cooled brownies.
You can add some fresh raspberries here, just take a handful or so and toss them about atop the raspberry jam. :)

Next you need the following:
2 squares white chocolate for baking
2 tbsp milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping

Combine white chocolate and milk in large microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth; cool slightly. In large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spread this over the raspberry jam/raspberries. Refrigerate for about an hour. You can also garnish with fresh raspberries.

IT.IS.AWESOME.



I probably could have taken better pics but we really wanted to eat them instead! And we munched on the fresh raspberries and didn't have enough to garnish each slice, haha!

Bon Appétit!