School update

We have settled nicely back into 'school' at home. Kids have so far done a Farm theme, a Fall theme (encompassing apples and pumpkins also) and an Egyptian theme. Willow has been joining in here and there but is still doing her prairie primer work. I just love that curriculum and highly recommend it to anyone with kids who love the show. It's a lot of fun teaching these guys.

School update

So, we are finally back to school, and into week three. So far we have studied farms and been to visit a couple farms for field trips. We have also studied apples and been to an apple orchard for a family day out. Now we are moving onto a more general fall theme for the next few weeks. Here are some pics below of how the kids have been doing.

Almost back to school

Unlike most of my friends and their families, we still haven't begun school this year due to certain life situations. We begin next Monday and I am excited! I love the family fellowship that occurs during 'school'. It's one of the only times I completely forgo the housework and allow myself not to think about it. Instead I just enjoy being with my children and watching them grow and learn. It's a wonderful blessing to experience it first hand when one of my children masters something new or surprises himself with what he can do. And I look forward to a year of new wonders.

I will be back to share with you guys what we will be using as far as books, activities and field trips etc.

Here are a few shots from the fair we went to yesterday. Enjoying the last of the Summer!

Muffin

My daughter (10) made her first muffins without any help or supervision today. They were low-sugar blueberry and delicious. She was rightly so proud of herself and really loved having the chance to prove she could do it.

Getting Prepared

It's that time of year again. When the end of Summer looms over you like a threatening rain cloud. Knowing you have to embark on another journey into the land of curriculum and manipulatives and .... organization! Not my strongest point, I will add!

As yet, I haven't purchased any new school books for any of mine. I have been spending far too many a late night researching them all and trying to get it right this year!! No easy task. The school room is half way done though, which I'm pleased about. I pulled everything out that was old to make way for the new to come and it's starting to shape up. I do still have to go through the old books and organize them into bins. What do you do with all this stuff? Mine just takes up room currently. One day....

I really am going to miss the ease and fun of Summer. New Hampshire Winters are cold and long and we are often forced to stay home rather than brave it (ok that might just be me!). So, we're trying to make the most of these warm days while they last! 

Make your own chocolate kit review

Do you like chocolate? We certainly do around here, in any shape or form! Though, for some reason, with all the cooking experiments we do as a homeschooling family, I’ve never given making our own chocolate a try before. Fortunately the makers of Glee Gum make this a real simple affair. They have these fun candy making kits available on their web site and allowed me the opportunity to try one out in exchange for my review! We were lucky to get the chocolate one! All I had to do was yell, ‘who wants to make chocolate?!’’ and the kids were off the couch and infront of me in the kitchen within seconds, raring to go.

Inside the kit was everything that we needed to make us some delicious and cute little chocolates: 1 information sheet, paper candy liners, 1 bag each of cocoa powder, powdered sugar, solid cocoa butter and starter crystals. A temperature strip was included and even a couple whole cocoa beans to munch on during waiting periods. Best part? Everything was already measured out and separated.

The step by step instruction guide was nice and simple for us mom’s trying to do it with three kids!

• Melt
• Combine
• Heat
• Cool

It gives details for each step such as what temperature the chocolate needed to get to and what to add/ when. And relatively soon after the mixing and stirring, the kids got to enjoy their chocolate treats.

Willow and Ryder trying their cacao beans unsure of what to expect.

Willow helping with the stirring

 As the instructions encouraged, we added our own ingredient to the chocolates to make them extra fun and some color. The kid’s chose tiny M&M’s which were simply placed into the bottom of the paper liners before pouring over the chocolatey goodness. Peanut butter would have made a yummy option too. My six year old enjoyed placing all the M&Ms into the candy liners and pouring of the chocolate. My three year old handled the finger-dipping and bowl-licking. And my big girl and I did the melting and stiring. We were all able to enjoy the experience.

What I also quite liked about the information sheet was that it included information about chocolate such as the latin name for the cacao tree (Theobrama cacao) and on the opposite side of the sheet is a story about a girl named Lucia from Costa Rica who takes care of cacao trees and harvesting the pods. It tells the process of where chocolate originates to how it ends up in our mouths at the store. Truly educational and not just for the kids!

These did not last long for me to get more pics!

Our box also included lots of yummy samples of natural Glee gum and lollipops for the kids to enjoy. My son’s words, ‘this is the best gum I have ever tasted, mom!’ So go on and check out their site to see their different products. Including a candy combo kit!

Pick and Draw

Rich Davis, who is the clever inventor of the game Pick andDraw was kind enough to send me this wonderful little game in exchange for my thoughts. Before I do that, let me explain how it works.

Pick and Draw is a unique and fun drawing game that encourages children, using a deck of cards, to get creative making funny cartoon faces and have heaps of fun while learning!

The cards contain five different categories: face, eyes, mouth, nose, hair. As your child picks one from each category, they draw what they see on the card, as crazy or as normal as they like, allowing them to form different kinds of kooky characters each time.

I love that it’s simple enough that any age could enjoy it. Even those too young to have a good grasp on drawing will have fun in their attempt to join in (ask my toddler!) It’ll have them rolling as they draw and name their hilarious characters.

I loved playing this game with my three kids at home but I can imagine the joy would only increase in a larger group setting. Rich Davis actually visits schools sharing this game with the children in classrooms and other settings. I think I may bring to my children's homeschool co-op. I teach an arts and crafts class and I think the kids will love it. But even as a ‘quiet time’ activity for one child to sit and have fun with alone, it would be good. And us Mom’s love those activities, am I right?

This game has a very low price of just $10. Totally worth it! You can try it out here.