First day!

   Ok seriously...it feels like it was just a couple days ago that I wrote on here and when I looked it's a whole month ago! WOW!!!

   Summer went by so fast! Ella went to her very first day of "big girl school"...she even got on the bus without even looking back (sniffle)...and I can't wait til she gets home in 3 hours and 19 minutes...but who's counting! ;)

   And Ian and my new adventure started today as well..didn't go too bad...there were only a few tears shed and they were all from him! YAY Mama held it together! LOL

  I found this great site off of pinterest that has a ton of school papers and things you can print out...some are free and some cost a few dollars but these are free...they are second grade book reports! Not too difficult but something to keep him writing and thinking about what he just read! Here's the link... Book Reports!

Back to School AGAIN!

Howdy All,
 It has once again been a long time since my last post...but I'm gonna try better to do it more often!

 Fall is coming, which means school starts soon...Ella is 5 now and going to be starting Kindergarten and headed off to the big world of public school!!! She is very excited!

 Ian on the hand didn't have a very good year last year...lets see two years ago in kindergarten we pulled him out of public half way through the because he was having a hard year...getting in trouble a bit and not doing well...then last year we had planned on homeschooling...well actually charter school...but it was much too overwhelming for me because I was still working part time and it was so stressful...so we put him in public...though I wasn't happy about it...
 Then half way through the year again we decided that he needed something different...his teacher said she thought he should be tested for ADHD and maybe put on Meds...so we pulled him out of school to homeschool and had him tested and he was diagnosed with ADHD and put on 18mg of Ritalin at which point my husband (and part of me) thought that he was good now and put him back in school...for about 5 weeks that dose worked...so then the Dr upped his dose...he was now on 27mg and that worked for about 6 weeks and then he was back to how he had been before...so another Dr upped his meds again...so now he was given 36mg of Ritalin (SPEED)...
 Well anyway after that long hard time of having no idea what we were doing and just listening to Dr.s and reading a few things we finally decided that meds were NOT right for us!!! He has been off meds for a month now and he isn't perfect...he isn't "fixed"...but he is my little man! He is a 7 year old boy...who is hyper and doesn't listen well...and is hard to handle sometime...and is stressful...but he is MINE! And we decided instead of sending him back to public and having to deal with principals notes all year and emails from his teacher about how he isn't listening or he is not sitting still or he is picking on other kids...we are keeping him home with his mama! Also I quit my job so I can give him almost all of my time during the day while Ella is at school!

 I'm very excited for both of my babies...I have NO idea what the future holds for Ian as far as public or home and same for Ella...who knows! We will just continue to pray that God shows us the right way to go!



Have a WONDERFUL rest of summer everyone!!!

Farting Numbers

   I know it's been a while since I last posted...but we HAVE been doing school...I just haven't had anything fun or interesting to talk about...but I thought today was a good one...

   You know how we always try to think of ways to help ourselves or our kids remember things...like tricks to remember math facts or I before E except after C...well Ian taught me one today..kind of!

   While working on "greater than and lesser than" problems...Ian came up with this idea to remember which way they go...leave it to a boy!!!

I know it's not the SMARTEST thing that has ever come out of his mouth...but if it helps him remember...that's what matters!!! :D

FARM DAY!!!

   My friend Courtney's grandparent's own a farm...so we did a field trip to the FARM...here are some photos!

Seeing baby cows....

I just loved this photo!!!

BIG cows!

Checking out where Milk comes from!

The best part...SO many kitties! And they wanted lots of love!

Kitty cuddling!

Taking a break...

  It was a great time...and there are a few pregnant cows...and Courtney's Uncle is gonna call when she goes into labor...more pictures to come! :D

GAK

   GAK is BACK!!!!!!

   You can find it online or in TV or in stores...or just make your own!!!!

We made ours GREEN

Ian flattened it out...

then stretched it

Ella showing hers off!

   Here's the recipe... GAK

ENJOY!!!!

Flat Ella again...

  Ella finished up her trip to Florida...

Just hanging out in a palm tree!

Papa's truck

Watching Memo knit!

Flat Ian

   Flat Ian made it to AZ...to visit his grandma and grandpa...and here are a couple pictures from his trip...

Flat Ian out shopping with g'ma and g'pa!

More shopping!

   More to come!!!!!

Scavenger Hunt

   It's been nice out the last couple days...so the kids and I are taking school outside...we are gonna have a nature scavenger hunt...

A simple one I found online...and seeing as how the snow it's all gone yet...I thought this might be hard enough to do! :D

   Then after we get back from that...do you remember GAK? That gooey stuff Nickelodeon made? Well I found THIS and we are totally gonna make it...I'll post pictures after we get it made...also there are more FLAT pictures to come!!!

More Flat Ella

  Another text from Memo...

Riding a tractor....

Smelling the flowers with Memo

Just hanging out with Papa.

Flat Ella travels to Florida

    Flat Ella's aventure begins with Memo and Papa...on their trip to Florida...Papa is a truck driver and heads to Florida a lot...Memo went with him this trip...and so did Flat Ella...

Flat Ella at Ella B's...I cut Memo out cuz I think she wouldn't have been happy with this full picture on the net! Love you mama!

Papa and Flat Ella...having breakfast!

I guess Flat Ella likes her coffee!

   I'll let you know where she heads next!!!

Coins

   Well Ian has pretty much got clocks down...we are still working on it here and there but we have moved onto COINS! I once again go to the internet and find something awesome! This time it's "Donna Young" and there are some great work sheets for money...now I just need to find some of my own money for an ink cartridge for the printer so I can get these printed out clearly! LOL 

   She has printable money:

There is "paper" money too

   Printable tags for a "store":

   And a video game...it doesn't have ANY bells or whistles...it's kinda boring...but it would get the job done...

   I'll let you know what else I find!!! :D

Day 13...

   Wow...we are up to day 13 already...things have been going well...someone asked me yesterday if I regret anything about home schooling him...and I honestly said NO...God has REALLY changed my spirit...it's awesome! HE is amazing! I love being home with them...I hate having to go to work...there are times that Ian whines and says he hates school and he wishes he was back in Kindergarten (aka Public school) but I just tell him that this is what Daddy and I have decided for him right now and that's the way it is!   In short...thank you for all the prayer...it is working well! :D

   Now today's fun tip about school...Ian did a color by number today...he thought it was really cool...so I thought I would look on the net for some more to print out....and what I found was better...it's a website that has a TON of computer "games" that teach TONS of things...I knwo that doesn't sound like much but go check it out HERE...it's free and it has all grades...starts really easy and get harder...it perfect!!! Can't wait to show Ian!!! Good luck and happy teaching!

The flats have left the building

   Well we got the journal, the letter and the little people all ready to go...each child is sending one to their grandparent...Ian's is going to G'ma Janice who is currently many states away...and Ella's is going to Memo who lives a couple hours away! Here's what they look like...

 Here's Ella's...

The journal and Flat Ella

 

 

climbing in....

Ella...ready to mail...

   And Ian's...

The journal and Flat Ian....

Climbing in...

Ready to be mailed and on his way...

   So now we will see what happens!!! Thank you to all who help with this!!!

Pledge Allegiance

   So I told Ian that I wanted to start doing the Pledge of Allegiance every morning but that we would need to get a flag for it...and he got all excited and said "hold on mom" and ran off...came back a few seconds later with this...

  

   He had already drawn one...so that's what we say our Pledge of Allegiance to!

Flat Stanley

   So since my mom home schooled (and is still home schooling) my little brother...I remember she did this with him....and at the time our big brother was in Iraq and Hawaii...well that big brother is about to head over to Afghanistan soon...so we might be able to send one to him but I am going to start somewhere else I think...

   I found these Flat Stanley dolls online somewhere ( I looked at lots of sights) and wanted to do a girl one too...so I made up my own girl one...please feel free to use these if you can!

A boy and girl version of Flat Stanley!

  

 I'm going to hand color them...because my kids are a little young to color their own yet...Ian really isn't but Ella is!

 

   Here is a letter I made up to go with it...I still have to make the journal...but I think it will just be a few pages stapled together folded nicely and ready to mail!

     And I will keep you all informed as we hear back from HIM!

Ear Tubes

   On March 12th Ian is getting Ear Tubes...so I am making it a learning experience! So here is a video I used to show him what would happen...I paused it during the computer generated parts so I could explain better! And I found a couple cool pictures online of some different things relating to it! He is a lot more calm about it now...but I'm sure that day will be a lot different...
   I explained that the hole they have to cut is tiny...and then I showed him my c-section scar...and he laughed at how big it was...and I explained that his was the size of a pin! Just tiny!

   Here is the video I found...I'm sure there are other ones out there that are more detailed...but this one worked!

This is how big the "tube" is...it's SO small!!!!

                                 

Our crazy weekend

   Well it's been a few days...and there's good reason...after school on Wed. one of my girl friends and I were headed to some quilt shops...just a fun day away...and after we had been driving for a couple hours and got to the farthest away one the car started acting up...over heating...running it self out of anti-freeze/coolant...so we continued on our "adventure"...because the car needed to cool down in between shops and we were the farthest away that we were gonna go...so after all of that we DID finally make it home! But it was already 11pm by that time!

   So that night my hubby and I talked and decided that the kids and would "limp" it to our home town to get fixed...I ONLY trust the guys down there...they are WONDERFUL!!!   So Thur morning we got in the car and headed down...made it about half way and the car wouldn't go anymore...it over heated...so my mom then had to drive an hour to come get us...then we waited a few more hours at her house and when my little brother got off work we went with his truck and a car dolly (that my LOVELY Uncle paid for...as a Christmas present he said) to pick up the car...got it to the shop by 5pm...

   The next morning (Fri.) I ran over (with some fresh baked Chocolate Chip Cookies) to see what they thought was wrong with it...and told them I needed to leave that night because I worked at 9am the next day (Sat.)...they thought they knew what was wrong but had to do a couple more things to it first...so my mom and I ran about 45 minutes away to some stores she needed to go to...and we got back about 2pm...and I had wanted to get on the road about 3pm...so we stopped back at the shop...and they hadn't worked on it! Normally I would be PISSED...but they had a bunch of other cars scheduled and I had just brought mine in without notice!

   So thankfully my in-laws are away on vacation at the moment and one of their cars was available...so I ended up leaving Paul's car (the gimpy one) in my home town...packed up the kids in my in-law's van...and came home...then worked all day on Sat...was SUPER tired on Sunday...and now I am trying to get the kids to clean their rooms a little...before we start school.

   We are still working on Clocks...and while we were in my home town my mother gave me some of the things she had used for my little brother (who is also home schooled) and my little brother worked with Ian on Fri. while my mother and I were shopping...they played with Technic Legos...gears and stuff...Ian LOVED it...he cried when I said it was time to go!

   So sorry this was a long winded thing...but it's been a VERY busy weekend...and I am VERY happy to be back home..though we dont have our car back yet...it's good to get back to the "normal" daily stuff! :D

   Have a great week...and there is more to come!

Ian's Story

    I told Ian that he had to make a story up about our trip to the dentist and the DMV and it kind of turned into a STORY instead of something REAL about yesterday...but I love where he went with it! And his drawing is great!!! :D

The words are... We wer going to the dantist and a pink angry brd was folloing us. ...so he meant We were going to the dentist and a pink angry bird was following us.  I helped him when he got frustrated with words but for the most part he wrote it all by himself...and sounded out the words all by himself! I'm so proud!!!   To explain the picture...our car is the colorful one...and he is driving toward the dentist (far right side) the black thing on it is a tooth...he has also been learning time so he wrote that on there...and that pink angry bird is toward the left there.   (You can click on the picture to see it better)

Time to tell Time!!!

   As I was going through Ian's upcoming Math worksheets I saw that he would be tested on CLOCKS and TIME...well he said he has never learned them in school and so I found some great websites and ideas to teach him that before we TEST on it! :D

   I found this clock and thought...what a GREAT idea...

   So I went ahead and made my own out of a clock we never used...

My picture isn't amazing...and I know it's HANDMADE looking but it gets the job done! It's so confusing teaching the whole 6 really means 30 when it's the minute hand...this should help!

   I also found a website that has free printables for time learning...and many other things!!! Check them out... Clock Printable ...thanks for stopping by!

First Home School Outing/Valentine's Day Party

   Today was a BUSY day...first we had to get a little school done then is was off to the bowling alley for some bowling then Pizza Hut for lunch!!!

   We had a GREAT time...there were a couple times Ian had to sit down and calm down because he was getting a little disobedient but otherwise it was a GREAT time!

   I did get some photos but they are with my phone so the quality isn't the best...

Ella getting ready to roll it...

It's going...slowly but surely!

She is STILLLLLLLL waiting...LOL

He could sure throw a ball!

I guess it helps to stand this way!

Showing me the ball! And how to hold it!

I'm tellin' ya..you gotta tip your head!

Boy that ball takes a while to come back...notice the hands on the hips?! :D

He wanted to catch it...I'm SHOCKED he didn't stick his hand in there!

Throwing again!

   They both did great...got kind of bored by the end but over all it was good...

   My mom reminded me that I didn't post yesterday...and I can't remember why...but either way...I have already noticed a BIG difference in him...he is listening better and WOW does this kids like to learn! I can't give him enough...he is picking up little kids books and READING them...like REALLY reading...and he is about a quarter of the way through his 1st Grade Math book...I think we are gonna do a little more school tomorrow just to make up for the lack of it today and yesterday with getting ready for the party and having the party!

   I have never really been one to say "I'm so glad to be a mom" (unless I'm looking at my angels sleeping...then isn't every mom happy?) But this last week...God has really put it in my heart to teach this little boy and I love it!!! Thank you again for all the support! PLEASE pray that God helps me keep up this motivation and that Ian keeps getting better and better! THANK YOU!!!