Back To School Party!!!

     Well, Monday is our first day of the new school year so we of course had to have a party! Nothing says party like tons of junk food. 

They also for sure needed that typical brown bagged lunch and pouch juice drink.

We didn't have any guests this year so my kiddos were not as goofy as usual but I still got some pictures to humiliate them in years to come. That is the moms job is it not?

The boys are about fed up with a camera stuck in their face every waking moment. I am not a photographer by any means but I love taking pictures of my kids!!

It is hard to believe that is my baby! Even harder to believe I got pictures with no cat ears on, for that is rare!

My baby boy, Fox. Some days he never stops smiling some days he fights me over smiling. 

My BIG boy! He actually attempted a smile for me so I cannot be too upset. His smiles are hard won. They happen whenever he feels the urge.

Then there were three..... I miss having more in this all together picture. My oldest girl is a big time college girl now and wouldn't come for pictures. That is all right though, because I still have a beautiful picture of her!!

She is in her second year of college!!!! I am just a tad bit proud!!!

Now for some party pictures....

These two scarfed down their lunch to get to their sweets, Damian rushed off to be on the Xbox so no pictures of him. 

Fox really is my junk food junkie so he goes all out when he is cut loose!

That sundae even scares me!

At least Skyler was willing to take a goofy picture for me!

My centerpiece. 

My totally awesome chalkboard find!!! Every year for our party I paint place mats with chalk paint they usually last the party then go in the trash because the paint peels. I was totally over the moon to find these chalk boards to use from now on!!! 

I wish they were a bit bigger but I am still happy! I also love my little trays I found this year as well. I am always on the hunt for stuff I can use as party decorations for my back to school!

Well that is about it for our party. I hope everyone has a great start to their school year!!!!

Planning, planning and more planning!!! For Damian

      Well it is that time to plan for the kiddos back to school! Decided to start with Damian. 

Damian is not a mathy kiddo so I are going to use the Guest Hollow Chemistry in the Kitchen with him. Cooking is an important skill to have and not only will he be cooking he will be using math skills, life skills and even problem solving! 

I know you are thinking well if you bought the plan why not use it as is? The schedule is full of amazing books, projects, videos etc. and for one there is NO way we will get to do them all. Second if I handed him a schedule that full he would most likely get overloaded and do nothing, so it is way easier to write it out. 

Instead of endless worksheets and such he will be making use of the 12 subject portfolio by The Thinking Tree. I am also making him a planner to help with independence this year. I think this is a massive skill he needs some help with. I have always been way involved with their schooling so this year I am finally taking a step back. 

He is using the high school planner by The School House Teachers site. The coolest thing about this planner is that you can type into it and hit print! I got an awesome deal  last year and have kept the membership for this site. 

I also got him some science type kits to add along the way! I will forever be addicted to science kits I believe. 

I have to really spell it out for Damian on what he has to do. I LOVE The Thinking Tree products but sometimes I think he gets a little lost from having so many different choices. He is the kinda kid who does well with a routine and a schedule. I will be allowing him to pick whatever books he wants to read for history. He will still be picking out movies as well. I am not yet sure if he is going to use any of the journals to go along with everything else. 

It is very possible I may add one in. The portfolio is a BIG book and it seems to overwhelm him so I am dividing it into sections that he will use. But the journals offer so much practice on handwriting and many other things as well. 

For planning I basically look at how many lessons there are and divide them up. I also plan only nine weeks at a time. This allows me to see what is working and what is not working. Home school allows the kids a freedom to work with what best helps them. 

For math Damian is using Kahn Academy videos and practices as well as living books. In addition he will also be using Are You A Math Genius and The Money Journal by The Thinking Tree. He won't have an actual curriculum to work through. At this point I really am concentrating on math skills for life. I want him to have the necessary things he needs in the real world. 

For language arts Damian will be using English Grammar 101 online site. I like this site it is pretty straight forward and to the point. He also has several books he can read into as well such as Painless Grammar. For vocabulary and spelling he will be using Glencoes grade 12 books. I got them free and there is no reason not to use what I have if it works!

For writing he may use the IEW Level 10. My amazing bestie scored this and while she will use it she won't be using it this year so she is sending it to my boys to borrow. The post office loves the fact that I moved from Indiana since we are constantly sending stuff back and forth. 

He will be participating in a co-op as well for history, science and P.E. If I actually sit down and am left alone I can plan nine weeks within a day or two. I have really drug it out this year though with so many distractions! Well, that about wraps up Damians plan! Now to tackle the other two monkeys! 

Planning For Fox

Well planning for Fox is happening this time around! He will be doing a mix up of stuff as well. He will be starting out the year using his Thinking Tree ADHD journal this year. Like the other kiddos his is only a nine week plan. So things will change up again. He will also use the planner from The Schoolhouse Teachers site.  

Like Skyler he is starting with Creative Writing Made Easy only he is using the Spies of the Revolutionary War set. This is just a nine or ten week thing so he will move onto something else after this. Most likely he will move into IEW Level 10. His journal covers many many things but I still added some stuff as well. Fox tends to get lazy if he is not prompted. It is not a matter of boredom but a matter of playing the X box is way more fun than reading a book. If he can do something fun he will rush through his work and that is never a good thing!

For his language arts he will be using the English 101 site just like his brother. I also have the Glenco spelling and vocabulary and since I have it again why not use it? Math will be a continuing on of Math U See as well as the Thinking Tree, "Are You a Math Genius"?

I picked physics for him to start off with. I didn't buy an actual curriculum just kind of picked a Real Science 4 Kids text and added a bunch of other books and of course science kits! I also got the entire set of Popular Mechanics for kids movies and while they seem to be amazing I may add in some Myth Busters!

As far as history goes he will pick that I am hoping he starts out with some time around The Revolutionary War since his writing will be based on that time period. I also may add some classes from The School House Teachers site as well.

Along with the other two monkeys he will be doing a co-op that is for history, science and P.E. And with this kiddo my planning this quarter is over!!!!!!!

Kitty Planning For Skyler

     This year Skyler is starting off with everything CATS!!!! She has cat science, cat math, cat history, cat art, cat language arts and of course her Kitty Doodle Journal by The Thinking Tree.

Skyler adores animals. Cats are one of her favorites. As soon as she saw the Kitty Doodle Journal she begged for it so I had to get it. I searched since last Spring to find anything she could use with a cat theme and I found quite a bit!! There were books for math about Penrose The Mathematical Cat, I found some Professor Astro Cat science type books, Uncover A Cat is a pretty science type book as well, and of course anything about cats in Egypt is awesome for history!! She will also be using several computer classes from School House Teachers. The first being a game design class.

She will also be using The Thinking Trees drawing and research guides for Wild Cats. She will be doing this once a week. So as far as feline fun goes she should have a blast!! For her main math she will be continuing with Math U See as well as Multiplication Games by The Thinking Tree. For her writing she is starting off with Creative Writing Made Easy. This will only last about nine weeks after this she will move on to a creative writing by The Thinking Tree.

She is using Easy Grammar as well. For her spelling she is using Spelling Time ages 10 and up by The Thinking Tree. This is way more than spelling. It also includes geography, science and even music!! In handwriting she is going with Cursive Around The World. It should take less than a year doing a letter a week.

She also takes pottery and will participate in a co-op this year for history, science and P.E. Hopefully she will have an amazing year. Since this is just her first nine weeks I will post again when she changes....HINT HINT!!!! It will be something with The Thinking Tree LOL

Skyler And Her New Project!

     Skyler decided she wanted to take her little furniture making skills a bit further. She wanted some stuff for her videos that was all her own so she took her birthday cash and gift cards and went shopping!! She bought a photo box, some scrap paper and some other odds and ends and got to making something pretty cool!

So she papered the inside of the box then put down doll-house carpeting. Yep you guessed it, she is making a room for one of her Littlest Pet Shops. This LPS happens to be from France and her name is Bridgette. Yes they all have names and back stories. What can I say my monkey is truly creative!

Here she is making some kind of pattern on a foam board. 

She made a four poster bed! Add some fabric scraps and viola!!

Bridgette has a bed!!

Every room must have a big window!

Here she is to add the decorations. Scrapbook stickers are great for this stuff. Excuse the messy we are busy creating <3

And it took her all day long but here she is all finished with her first box room and so very proud!!!

Not too shabby for her first creation!!!

Yep she wears ears these or the bunny hat but ears are a must for her. Yep she wears them in public too. Nope I don't care. 

Skylers New Hobby!

Skyler has taught herself a new little hobby!! She is making Littlest Pet Shop videos! Everything she has done has been completely on her own I wouldn't even know where to start. She took a broken phone started making videos, learned to post them on you tube, even how to edit pics and such all on her own! I am just a bit proud. She makes these elaborate little scenes for them. She has given them whole life stories for their backgrounds and everything!

She calls her channel LPS TOO MUCH CANDY! It is so adorable. She has even made banners for it and everything. She will also sub anyone who subs her so if your kiddos are looking for subscribers feel free!!

That is just one of her little videos, some are pretty long!

She has even taught herself editing and such all on her own.

I think it is awesome she took it upon herself to learn how to do things without anyone helping. I am not the techy mom so it is always good to have kiddos who are!!!

We Got To Learn All About Allergy Testing Today!!

Skyler has had allergies her whole life. They set off her asthma and are all around very UN fun. We decided to do testing since they have been worse this year. It was pretty neat to see. They put little scratches like on her back all by different numbers. Then whatever bubbles up is her allergies. She was such a trooper!! They also had to use her arm. 

She laughed like a lunatic while the nice lady wrote on her!!

It itched like crazy! She only got a bit upset when they did the arm. That hurt she said she even bled a bit. Shockingly we learned she is allergic to horses. That was a shocker. She is also has allergies to cat/dog dander, pollen, grasses and other outside stuff! So we have decided to start allergy shots in August. This seems a better plan than medicine her whole life long. 

As usual she has some kind of ears on!!