I got this idea from my BFF Dani. She has her kids do a daily drill sheet each day as a sort of warm-up to homeschool. Each day is a different theme (math, puzzle, reading, etc). Well I wanted to hook the kids with something fun each day - and I found a free site to do it (of course!) So I printed several books of the following, and each morning my kids grab their binder and do a sheet (or two or three). They're fun and help us transition from normal day to school day.
http://www.crazydad.com/ is a fab site filled with great vid clips and such
For his 50 books of mazes - Mazes
For his Kiduko puzzles - Kiduko
For his FAB Slitherlink (one of my fav games) - Slitherlink
For his great Karuko puzzles - Karuko
More daily fun:
Printable Mazes for Kids (themed)
Word Searches
Connect The Dots
Color By Numbers
Family Fun Printables (word searches, memory games, mazes, puzzles, etc)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New Year Mania
So our plan for this month is a slight deviation from our origional curriculum - one of the beauties of making my own curriculum is making any changes I want..so there! haha. This month I'm squeezing in a few different concepts as it's going to be a busy month..Since we're jumping all around this month we have a 'weekly theme' each week that we really focus on. They are as follows:
Week 1 (1/1-1/9)
Aside from our usual math & grammar we're focusing on Martin Luther King Jr (a little early, as we don't celebrate the day until the 18th, but hey)
Printable book (payed site)
Coloring Page 1
Interactive Civil Rites Game
Great Research links for older kids
Ideas for celebrating Dr. King's B=day
"I have a dream" lesson Plan
Black History coloring pages
'Story of the man' article for older students
Week 2 (1/10-1/16)
This week we're focused on winter, weather & animals. We have some great lapbooks & units downloaded from Currclick.com so it should be FUN!
Deer Lapbook
Clouds Minibook
"Polar Bears Past Bedtime" MTH Lapbook (this is one of mine so remember username: kickbutttidbits and password: kickbuttmama)
"The Cat in the Hat Comes Back" (I should have it posted by this weekend, almost finished)
Winter words Minibook (pay site)
Lesson Plan
Popsicle Science
Snow Melt Experiment
'What do salt trucks do?' lesson plan that goes nicely with the above experiment
Winter Day coloring Page
Week 3 (1/18-1/23)
This week we transition from history to geography. We're settling and getting ready for the winter olympics - which is near and dear to my family, as my DH's grandfather won gold in the winter olympics in the 1930's.
Canada Lapbook (from Currclick.com)
Canada Worksheets
Canada Crafts
Canada Coloring Pages
Canada For Kids
Canada History
Proud Canadian Kids
Virtual Tour of Prince Edward Island
Kidzone Geography / DLTK Kids Canada Printables
Enchanted Learning printable 4 Canada
Canada Maze Worksheets from Teachnology
Week 4 (1/26-1/30)
Olympics Unit (from Currclick.com)
Great Kids Olympic crafts
Olympics crafts
Sports coloring pages
Olympics inthe classroom (resources)
Teachnology Olympics themes
Going for the gold worksheet
Print activities
ABC Teach olympic theme
Week 1 (1/1-1/9)
Aside from our usual math & grammar we're focusing on Martin Luther King Jr (a little early, as we don't celebrate the day until the 18th, but hey)
Printable book (payed site)
Coloring Page 1
Interactive Civil Rites Game
Great Research links for older kids
Ideas for celebrating Dr. King's B=day
"I have a dream" lesson Plan
Black History coloring pages
'Story of the man' article for older students
Week 2 (1/10-1/16)
This week we're focused on winter, weather & animals. We have some great lapbooks & units downloaded from Currclick.com so it should be FUN!
Deer Lapbook
Clouds Minibook
"Polar Bears Past Bedtime" MTH Lapbook (this is one of mine so remember username: kickbutttidbits and password: kickbuttmama)
"The Cat in the Hat Comes Back" (I should have it posted by this weekend, almost finished)
Winter words Minibook (pay site)
Lesson Plan
Popsicle Science
Snow Melt Experiment
'What do salt trucks do?' lesson plan that goes nicely with the above experiment
Winter Day coloring Page
Week 3 (1/18-1/23)
This week we transition from history to geography. We're settling and getting ready for the winter olympics - which is near and dear to my family, as my DH's grandfather won gold in the winter olympics in the 1930's.
Canada Lapbook (from Currclick.com)
Canada Worksheets
Canada Crafts
Canada Coloring Pages
Canada For Kids
Canada History
Proud Canadian Kids
Virtual Tour of Prince Edward Island
Kidzone Geography / DLTK Kids Canada Printables
Enchanted Learning printable 4 Canada
Canada Maze Worksheets from Teachnology
Week 4 (1/26-1/30)
Olympics Unit (from Currclick.com)
Great Kids Olympic crafts
Olympics crafts
Sports coloring pages
Olympics inthe classroom (resources)
Teachnology Olympics themes
Going for the gold worksheet
Print activities
ABC Teach olympic theme
Monday, January 4, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Happy New Year to all my readers!
I'm not one for usually making New Years Resolutions (as I'm all about setting regular goals and meeting them) but I'm going to this year. I think the most important part of a goal or resolution is making sure it's realistic to your set parameters - like I would set DJ getting his PHD this year as my goal. (although miracles can happen..lol). I'm hoping to include Yoga into my daily schedule, even with the children. I only do it about once a week now, but it makes my leg (with the vascular issue) feel so much better, and I know I'm a calmer person from doing it. I also want to get the boys into a formal music class. I can only take them so far, but we have to consider the financials. I also need a new job. I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to maintain waiting for LA Fitness to get their crap together (it's been like 3 months).
So what are your goals this year?
I'm not one for usually making New Years Resolutions (as I'm all about setting regular goals and meeting them) but I'm going to this year. I think the most important part of a goal or resolution is making sure it's realistic to your set parameters - like I would set DJ getting his PHD this year as my goal. (although miracles can happen..lol). I'm hoping to include Yoga into my daily schedule, even with the children. I only do it about once a week now, but it makes my leg (with the vascular issue) feel so much better, and I know I'm a calmer person from doing it. I also want to get the boys into a formal music class. I can only take them so far, but we have to consider the financials. I also need a new job. I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to maintain waiting for LA Fitness to get their crap together (it's been like 3 months).
So what are your goals this year?
Cool New Science Site
I found this cool new science link - the kids have been watching their videos all day...lol...and wanting to try them themselves. Check it out!
http://www.sciencesplat.com
http://www.sciencesplat.com
Monday, December 14, 2009
Today
We had some errands to run (really rare for a Monday morning). Now that I passed my Personal Training Exam (YAY!!) I can again focus on HS...well if it wasn't like 10 days to Christmas! But since neither my DH nor I get paid until Friday there isn't much I can do on that front. During HS today I knitted the youngest cousin a Cuddle Bunny, so I did whittle the list down a little bit..lol...
While driving home from Walmart X-man felt compelled to sing carols. Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells and Roudolf. He had 80% of the words wrong, so I worked on them with him. It was really cute.
For school today we learned about the job of an illustrator. I read the stories The Frog Prince and The Peach Boy (a Japanese Folk Tale). Then the kids drew an illustration that represented the story. The Peach Boy was supposed to by for DJ while the Frog Prince was for Xman but they didn't agree and each drew a pic of the other story...lol... We also learned about the Ice Age and the history of people who lived during that time - how were they different from us.
I have to say, even I doubt myself sometimes. I've always been very relaxed in HS. I've never been a teacher who read something and expected my boys to remember it. I tried it a couple of times - using a chalk board or dry erase board - and it drove us all crazy when the kids couldn't remember what I had said. So I let it go. I also never pushed them to do work they didn't feel ready for (even though I often worried about laziness coming into play). But I will No Longer worry! After I read these two stories out loud, DJ repeated them almost word for word for my DH when he came home. Apparently he's ready to move onto some more traditional learning!! Xman is still into the 'out of the box' learning, but that's ok he's only 5!
While driving home from Walmart X-man felt compelled to sing carols. Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells and Roudolf. He had 80% of the words wrong, so I worked on them with him. It was really cute.
For school today we learned about the job of an illustrator. I read the stories The Frog Prince and The Peach Boy (a Japanese Folk Tale). Then the kids drew an illustration that represented the story. The Peach Boy was supposed to by for DJ while the Frog Prince was for Xman but they didn't agree and each drew a pic of the other story...lol... We also learned about the Ice Age and the history of people who lived during that time - how were they different from us.
I have to say, even I doubt myself sometimes. I've always been very relaxed in HS. I've never been a teacher who read something and expected my boys to remember it. I tried it a couple of times - using a chalk board or dry erase board - and it drove us all crazy when the kids couldn't remember what I had said. So I let it go. I also never pushed them to do work they didn't feel ready for (even though I often worried about laziness coming into play). But I will No Longer worry! After I read these two stories out loud, DJ repeated them almost word for word for my DH when he came home. Apparently he's ready to move onto some more traditional learning!! Xman is still into the 'out of the box' learning, but that's ok he's only 5!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Giving the Gift of Life!
Ok like everyone I stress and fume about what to give everyone during the holidays. Well, maybe I'm a little different in that I have a hard time parting with a dollar for any reason. I hate the fact that most gifts are garbage or junk no one uses and they are things that someone won't appreciate, nor will they remember who gave them what 6 months from now.
Generally I get away from the headache by making all our gifts. We do 1 main family gift then get the kids something less than $10. All our extended family (cousins, aunts & uncles, etc) get ornaments the kids made. Typical stuff.
But this year I'm too busy to make anything. I'm studying for 2 new personal training certifications (so I can get a new job as I've been without one for a month now...yikes!). I take one of the tests this coming Saturday, but that would leave me with only a couple of weeks to plan and make EVERYTHING! And my sewing machine died before Samhain (Halloween) so I can't even pop something out fast. So I started stressing (as if I needed more stress with my cramming for my exams...ugh).
As you're aware I've been really focusing on charity with our homeschooling this year. I've really been trying to help my children understand that while we don't have a lot we're WAY better off then some, and we should be thankful that Dad has a job, and we're all pretty healthy. So the idea of spending a few hundred dollars on the holidays was even more frustrating. When my kids started telling everyone, "I'm getting this, and this and this and this for Yule." - with utter confidence I was even more horrified. How could I make them understand this time of year was about GIVING not GETTING?
BUT - I've finally figured everything out!! Yee-Haw!! While giving my poor brain a rest over this past weekend, I tooled around on the internet. I wanted to research ways of getting companies to donate bolts of fleece so the kids and I can make blankets for Project Linus before our Feb 18th deadline. Then I decided to search out something to get my mother in law for Yule. I sat back thinking about each person in our family, what would MEAN something to them, what would touch their hearts....and then it hit me. Our family has been touched by a lot of cancer - my grandmother lost her 22 year battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2003; my husband lost both of his grandparents in the last 10 years to cancer. My grandfather is currently battling as is one of my uncles. So how wonderful would it be if we could donate money to the American Cancer Society in their honor? I went to their website and found even more - an entire catalogue of gifts where the money above cost goes to the society. So here's what we're doing this year -
Generally I get away from the headache by making all our gifts. We do 1 main family gift then get the kids something less than $10. All our extended family (cousins, aunts & uncles, etc) get ornaments the kids made. Typical stuff.
But this year I'm too busy to make anything. I'm studying for 2 new personal training certifications (so I can get a new job as I've been without one for a month now...yikes!). I take one of the tests this coming Saturday, but that would leave me with only a couple of weeks to plan and make EVERYTHING! And my sewing machine died before Samhain (Halloween) so I can't even pop something out fast. So I started stressing (as if I needed more stress with my cramming for my exams...ugh).
As you're aware I've been really focusing on charity with our homeschooling this year. I've really been trying to help my children understand that while we don't have a lot we're WAY better off then some, and we should be thankful that Dad has a job, and we're all pretty healthy. So the idea of spending a few hundred dollars on the holidays was even more frustrating. When my kids started telling everyone, "I'm getting this, and this and this and this for Yule." - with utter confidence I was even more horrified. How could I make them understand this time of year was about GIVING not GETTING?
BUT - I've finally figured everything out!! Yee-Haw!! While giving my poor brain a rest over this past weekend, I tooled around on the internet. I wanted to research ways of getting companies to donate bolts of fleece so the kids and I can make blankets for Project Linus before our Feb 18th deadline. Then I decided to search out something to get my mother in law for Yule. I sat back thinking about each person in our family, what would MEAN something to them, what would touch their hearts....and then it hit me. Our family has been touched by a lot of cancer - my grandmother lost her 22 year battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2003; my husband lost both of his grandparents in the last 10 years to cancer. My grandfather is currently battling as is one of my uncles. So how wonderful would it be if we could donate money to the American Cancer Society in their honor? I went to their website and found even more - an entire catalogue of gifts where the money above cost goes to the society. So here's what we're doing this year -
- I decided to start my own team for then next Relay For Life that happens in my area - this will raise more money then I could ever donate on my own.
- Luminaries of our family members - both those that are still fighting, and those that lost the battle - will line the track during the race.
- All of the children in both of our families will be receiving t-shirts from ACS, to help cheer me on during the race.
- All of the extended family - aunts & uncles, etc; will be receiving ornaments from St. Jude children's hospital.
I've also begged for gift cards to Walmart & JoAnn Fabrics for me for this holiday, so I can buy the supplies for Project Linus. Now I feel wonderful about the money spent, and I'm really looking forward to giving these gifts - seeing how touched everyone will be.
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Organization
Well, one of the questions I've heard the most is about organization. How do I find the time? As most of you know I am a mom of 2, I homeschool both, I'm a personal trainer, I teach kickboxing, I write articles, I teach Sign Language, make blankets for the Linus Project, and I run several online support groups (over 7500 members world-wide now!! Whoot!)...on top of normal cooking and cleaning... so I'm often asked how I fit it all in. I'm a total type A personality so I'm naturally a bit anal about organization. But I believe I developed some good tips & tricks while I was an engineer. So, to help out my non-type A friends, I'm developing a website dedicated to becoming a true Domestic Goddess - with tricks on organization, cleaning, cooking, shopping, scheduling, living within a budget, and not forgetting to dedicate some time each day on MOM! You'll be able to check it out at
http://www.madgetoday.weebly.com
M.A.D.G.E. stands for - Me? A Domestic Goddess? Eeck! (lol)
Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see me add. I'm calling in favors from all my super organized friends so it won't just be my advice!
http://www.madgetoday.weebly.com
M.A.D.G.E. stands for - Me? A Domestic Goddess? Eeck! (lol)
Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see me add. I'm calling in favors from all my super organized friends so it won't just be my advice!
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