Goody!

I attended out annual used curriculum sale today. I found a few prizes!

First was a pack of Learning Wrap-Ups. The set I bought contained addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions. I plan to get them out a few times a week through the summer and require 30 minutes of playing with them. Perhaps they will keep the Lambies skills up during our weeks off.


I also found Senior High: A Home-Designed Form-U-La by Barbara Edtl Shelton. I have heard good things about it, and had it in my Amazon cart. The mom who sold it to me also threw in Cathy Duffy's manual. I have some light reading to do this summer.


Another get-to-take-it-out-of-the-Amazon-cart find was "Do Hard Things" by Brett and Alex Harris. Well worth the $3 I spent.


I found a copy of Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition. I may or may not end up using it, but it complements my Mott Media McGuffey's series nicely.


Rounding out my purchases was Answers in Genesis's God's Design for Chemistry: Properties of Matter and Properties of Atoms and Molecules. These are another "I might use it, I might not" purchase, but at $5, you have to get it, right?

I really enjoy our annual sale. What's your best find so far this spring?

Story Books for June

I enjoyed logging the books I read with my youngest Lambies (ages 5,8,8) in May. I think I'll continue the documentation for June. Watch this post for updates throughout the month.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Three Gold Pieces by Aliki
Angus and the Cat
Angus and the Ducks
Angus Lost-all by Marjorie Flack
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward illustrated by Marjorie Flack
Wait For William by Marjorie Flack
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter
Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie De Paola
Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla
oops...forgot to write them for a while...I'll try to remember later...
Pompeii...Buried Alive by Edith Kunhardt
Emma by Wendy Kesselman
Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown

Watch Out For Chicken Feet In Your Soup!

I bought this cute little book at the last library book sale. It's a sweet little autobiographical story by Tomie de Paola about one of his grandmothers. I read it to my five year old son and eight year old daughter yesterday. They wanted to hear it again today. That's the hallmark of a great book, right?

The book has a recipe in the back for the Bread Doll that was made in the story. My young ones were excited to make a Bread Doll for themselves. Warning: lots of pictures of Cuties follow!

They scalded, poured and measured.




They mixed, cracked and kneaded.









They waited and waited for the dough to rise...which it didn't. I don't know why, but it rose only a little. Oh well, it tasted good regardless.

They rolled, they chose their egg color (our eggs are brown, blue, cream and pinkish), and helped braid the dough. It smelled wonderful, even before baking.



At last ds did the egg wash and helped pop The Dolls into the oven.

Forty-five minutes later......ahhhhhh.







It was a good day at the Crew's Preschool.

Guitar Lessons

Two of the Crew have expressed a desire to learn to play the electric guitar. We had two or three acoustic guitars on hand already, so they began practicing. I had a few beginner guitar books also, so they began studying. Our friend from church, C., who is excellent at the guitar, showed them some chords and is helping them now and again.



The children saved and saved and finally were able afford a beginner electric guitar. They were so excited! My Honey and I found another at a local store clearanced from $199 to $49! We now have two electrics for them to practice on. Praise God for his provision!



C. is pleased with their progress. They practice diligently in their free time and have a few friends that play, too, so they are learning new things all the time!

My responsibility as a homeschool mom is provide materials when the time comes and the Lambies various interests are the best teacher of all! They are continually teaching themselves better than any scheduled lessons could ever.

Mother Goose Madness

I really should stop it. My youngest is already five...and he's a boy. He's not fond of nursery rhymes unless they end in, "and they went to battle and fought furiously" or some such manly thought.

But I bought another Mother Goose book last weekend. It will live on the YO shelf along with other dear favorites of mine. AO recommends "A nice Mother Goose collection, such as The Real Mother Goose illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright, Mama Goose, a collection by Edelen Wille, or versions such as those by Rojankovsky, Marguerite De Angeli or Tasha Tudor, or Lavender's Blue, a collection of nursery rhymes compiled by Kathleen Lines, illustrated by Harold Jones".

I have the Tudor and de Angeli ones, as well as one by Eloise Wilkin, one by Eulalie, one by The Provensens, and The Christian Mother Goose by Decker.
The Glorious Mother Goose (selected by Cooper Edens) richly deserves a place on the shelf of any beauty loving family. The original poems are illustrated by gorgeous paintings from the past. Masters such as Kate Greenaway, Milo Winter, Peter Newell and many others are showcased in this surprisingly easy to find ~and~ afford book. I suggest you find one for your Littles...before they are too big for Mother Goose, that is.

Jr. High Science

I've been on the search for a jr. high science program that will work for my going-into-8th grade daughter. It's an ongoing research project.

Things I have considered:

Apologia Physical Science: too hard, but she will probably be ready in 9th grade

The Rainbow: still a possibility, but expensive, therefore, low on the list

Beefed-up Elementary Apologia: daughter doesn't want to do something easier than General Science, but this is my favorite option *ETA: My daughter didn't know there was an Astronomy book. She is excited now to do this possibility. YEAH! THE SEARCH FOR SCIENCE IS OVER!

Christian Light Publishing LightUnits: still a good possibility, but not very CM-ish I've heard, affordable

Light of Faith: still reviewing

A.C.E. Paces: still reviewing, affordable, again, not CM

Spectrum Science: cheap possibility, will preview some this weekend

Living Books Curriculum: just beginning to look....

Reading biographies, experiment books and other living science books we have on hand, keeping a notebook (as with Apologia), writing essays and performing experiments as desired.

Anyone have more suggestions to look in to? Thoughts or opinions on any of the choices I have listed? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Story Books for May

I think I'll keep track of the storybooks I read aloud to the younger children this month. No promises I'll write down every one, but it might be an interesting list, nonetheless.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier illustrated by Paul Galdone
As Right As Right Can Be by Anna Rose, illustrated by Arnold Lobel
Fin M'Coul-The Giant of Knockmany Hill by Tomie de Paola
Pezzettino by Leo Lionni
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge by Hildegarde H. Swift and Lynd Ward
The House on East 88th Street by Bernard Waber
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Bernard Waber
Rabbit Garden by Miska Miles
The Circus Baby by Maud and Miska Petersham
The ABC Bunny by Wanda Ga'g
The Gray Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang
The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen
Lyle Finds His Mother by Bernard Waber
Funny, Funny Lyle by Bernard Waber
The Toolbox by Anne and Harlow Rockwell
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story One:The Poppy Seed Cakes)
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story Two: The White Goat)
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story Three: The Picnic Basket)
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story Four: Erminka and the Red Topped Boots)
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story Five: Erminka and the Crate of Chickens)
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story Six: Erminka and the Duck Pond)
The Poppy Seed Cakes by Margery Clark (Story Seven: Through the Fence)
Dinosaur Dinners by Lee Davis
Fried Feathers for Thanksgiving by James Stevenson
The Barn by John Schoenherr
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss
Bear Party by William Pene du Bois