Homeschool/Preschool Week #4 (Letters, Leaves, Pumpkins, and Potions)

Preschool Activities and Adventures....

We are finishing up week #4 and man, have we been busy! Little E has been working...and playing so hard and has really gotten into learning this week. I think she is finally "getting it"!!! I have caught her even asking, "Today, I have school time?" or "I have my school before I play ponies?" The first few weeks it was a rough start to getting both of us on any kind of schedule and I seemed to be having to really coax her to get interested enough to sit and practice any type of worksheets...before the "fun stuff".

I was lucky the first few days just to get her to sit long enough for me to read and explain the paper to her before she was...done and ready to play.

As the weeks have moved on and we are learning together when is our best time to do school and she is learning more of a structure, it has gotten easier.

This week...

We started more of our Autumn/Fall theme. I printed of more Fall Trees! She really loves those!

I also found a few other free printables of pumpkins and leaves. We painted our pumpkin and gave him some "googly eyes" for fun.

We used the leaves paper to practice our "Fall colors" and learn how each leaf is different(like snowflakes and clouds). We painted them and when some of the colors ran, she loved that! She kept telling me, "I made rainbow leaves!"

That got this Momma thinkin'...

Fall... Halloween... witches, ....POTIONS!

Now, this got a bit messy, so I am still looking for "neater" ways to do this little experiment, but it did teach her about colors, blending, and it was a fun, outdoor activity we could do together.

I gathered a few random(luckily they weren't our "good" dishes) cups, bowls, and a spoon.

We added water to a couple and then we squeezed in a few drops  a TON of food coloring. blue, green, yellow, and somehow we had a purple neon one.

I had her name each color and see how less dye made it lighter, more dye it got darker.

Then we would "make a potion" by pouring one color(blue) into the cup of yellow water and see what color it made. I did have her try to guess what color it would be. She guessed, "Pink!" every time! She had so much fun and did her best "Whaa ha ha!" witch voice throughout the whole day.

We've also been working on...

The letters A and C this week. We are struggling a bit with A. I'm not sure why, but she just hasn't gotten it yet. C, we are doing much better on. It helps that we have Caralyne, Caden, Carter, Catalina, and a Chloe in our family, so we have been going over and over all the C names this week.She has identified it, practiced writing or tracing and making her best /K/, /K/, /K/ sound all week!

We even found a Youtube video of  the official... Letter C Song. Let me warn all my dear Mommas, it gets very...annoying, very quickly, but it really does teach them a ton all about the letter. There is a song for each letter of the alphabet. A song and video that averages about 3 minutes, about all 26 letters!

Our books for the week...

We have read a ton, as usual. Our two picks for our Fall theme are:

Peter Rabbit and the Pumpkin Patch

Time to Harvest

I hope you all have had a great and educational week and enjoyed our adventure recap!

We'd love to hear about everyone's week!

What have you learned this week?

Have you started a Fall/Autumn theme?

What are your favorite ways to teach?

What's That Quote? #2

What's That Quote?

Good Afternoon and Happy Monday! I hope everyone is having a lovely and productive start to the week.

Today's "What's That Quote" showed up randomly on my feed over on Pinterest , probably due to all the searches I've done lately for some really awesome things to save for future posts.

Here is my newest quote to share:

"Be a good person, but don't waste time to prove it."

Manas Disoriya

I have to be honest and say, I had never heard this exact quote. I have heard similar sayings, as in..."God knows your heart, you don't have to prove yourself to anyone else."(Awesome, BTW!) and I thought I honestly believed and lived by that.

I think I was wrong. I realize after reading this quote and trying to decide what it means to me and how I wanted to work it into a post, that it kind of...hit me. This one stung a bit.

In my mind I am screaming, "I am a good person!" and "I do prove it!"

Then, I thought...Why? Why am I always "proving it"?

To be a good person...

A good person to me is someone who gives without expectation of reward.

Someone who is honest and respectful.

Someone who likes to fulfill others needs.

Someone who wants to give joy or happiness to others.

Someone who wants to be a good person. Without the want or desire, how good can you be?

I love to serve and help others. It's just a part of who I am. I love seeing joy and happiness on the faces of those I have served or helped. I like feeling that I have taken even a small burden from someone's day. And, I will continue to do that as long as possible.

So, why do I catch myself going on and on about how much I accomplished in a typical day? Or all the great meals I have cooked? It may seem that I am boasting on myself.

That is NOT the message I want to send. That is not what I am trying to teach my daughters!

The message I am trying to say is that I am a good person. I do these things lovingly and with a giving heart. All that I do or try to accomplish are for a greater good. Not just to fill myself with pride.

Even when it is something I don't want to do, I try to think of the positive outcome. It may not be what I want or would have done, but it may be for someone else. It may help them or bring them happiness.

I know there have been several times throughout my own life where I have felt like nothing I did was good enough. I believe that has given me the idea that I have to repeat and maybe even boast on what I have done. To prove myself. Validation?? Yes, probably. I am human. 

I see that I have wasted time, my time, trying to prove myself. Honestly, with little or no gain from it.

I owe no one any proof of how "good" I am. I will continue to strive to be good, better and give glory to God for my accomplishments and deeds done. I will continue to work on me and be good without proving it.

I'm so far from perfect, but I am trying to be good!

What does it mean to be a  "good person" to you?

Do you find yourself wasting time trying to prove it?

This Momma's Wish List...

What is a wish?

Well, according to Mr. Webster, 

WISH:

verb

feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that cannot or probably will not happen

(Well, that is pretty discouraging!!!!)

noun

a desire or hope for something to happen

I really try not to use that word too much. I like to think of myself as more of a realist.

I like things broke down into either a need or want. Those two categories are usually easier for me to manage and "realistically" place things into one of the two, nice and neatly.

Do I need it or do I want it?

Easy right?

So, where do you place the things you WISH for?

(mainly material things)

If I truly wish for it, I have more than likely wanted it for sooo long that I can't knock it. I just get it on my mind and need a moment to really embrace my desire. Let it sit there in my mind and be admired until the moment passes. Y'all get that, right?

But, what if that wish is a need?

If you truly feel that it would make you or your life better, easier, more fulfilled.

What if it really could help you? Whether it be physically, mentally, or spiritually. Then is it a need?

Oh, the questions of life...

How do we justify a wish?

WE DON'T!

Wishes don't have to be right or reasonable.

Today, I want to share my wish list with all of you.

These are the things I have pined over for some time. I've found, loved, researched, "wish shopped", begged the hubby for, and even PINNED and PINNED them on several boards(That's serious stuff).

This Momma's Wish List...

1. Goats and Chickens!

I want these little adorable,crazy, lovely, milk, meat and egg producing creatures even more than I wanted my beagle 16+ years ago! And not just any old goats and chickens. I've done my research and read and read and looked and looked. I need Nigerian Dwarf Goats and Rhode Island Reds.

These goats are the best milk makers, for all my cheese and soap I'm going to make. Plus, they are friggin' adorable and hilarious!

The chickens are both meat and egg chickens. Bonus! With us being in Ohio, they are considered "hardy birds" and can take the colder temperatures and they are more docile..since I have children.

2. Farmhouse in the country

Ok, I know this should be #1 since I need a place to keep the goats and chickens.

So...maybe the farmhouse is a need?!?!?

I have always dreamed and wished for a big old farmhouse up on a hill out in the middle of nowhere.

A house that has a history, memories, a story...and room for more.

The kind where you have to drive to the mailbox and can sit on your porch smelling sweet, sweet hay and say to the hubs, here comes (X) down the road...when they are still a good 1/2 mile from your drive.

I had this once(that's a touchy story, maybe another day/post). A good part of my childhood, I had this. I truly feel my soul NEEDS this again. Someday...I wish.

3. Classic Books

It is no secret that I love books. I love to read just about anything. I can buy used, have them given to me, check them out from the library but lately I've really been looking into old books.

Not the new remakes but the original edition books.

Some of my favorite authors are Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, The Bronte Sisters...

I would like to start a small collection of some of the classics. Not too many. Remember, I'm frugal and I can't justify cashing out our IRA to collecting old books, but maybe just a few.

4. Antique Coffee Grinders

I suppose all these "old things" go hand in hand with my old soul. I'm so drawn to anything antique, classic, old.

I love the old coffee grinders. I would love to have at least one that is still functional but I hope to decorate with them in my farmhouse kitchen. There are so many different styles and makes. I love them all. Aren't they beautiful???

5. Coffee Mugs

Yes, I know. I may have a problem. Hey, don't judge. Coffee lives matter!

I just love all these wacky mugs. I can add them into my decorating and choose a new mug to drink out of everyday. The hubs can design and build me a fabulous display shelf...or 2 or 3 to show them off!

Tell me those aren't awesome!

6.  Quirky T-Shirts

I honestly don't know where this wish came from. I openly have OCD and I went through a phase in high school where I only wore solid colored shirts, jeans, and ALL white Keds. I couldn't handle anything that even remotely didn't "match". 

I guess as I got older, and had girls in sports, every thing we own has a logo, sponsor, school name and # on it. We got trapped into buying those "support your kid" T shirts and there it went. All my trying to match and coordinate. Ain't no Momma got time for that!

That is the truth. Anyway, I've come to love these expressive T shirts.  Maybe it is my way of saying what I want to say on those frigid, game day mornings where my coffee hasn't kicked in enough to talk human. Who knows? But I love these.

Purchase T-Shirts here

7. Rustic Signs

I think my brain must be stuck on old, antique, farmhouse decorating and design these days.

I may need to pray and reflect after writing this post. I'm starting to feel like my wish list may be more of an obsession with what I want and not what I need.

Rustic signs are another way for me to "say" something. I love the worn look. Something that has been used and enjoyed.

(Too Cute)

I hope you've enjoyed my wacky wish list.

What do you wish for?

How do you define a wish?

I'd love to see what other Momma's have on their lists.

 Do you write them down? Do you search for it?