Friday 31 May 2013

HSMJ - the one about Bird Books, Monet Garden and Handel.

In my life this week…
Nominations for the Circle of Mom's Top 25 opened and Every Bed of Roses has been nominated.

I have so enjoyed remembering each of my children and learning to look at them afresh in the Releasing the Butterfly's series this month.

I'm so excited Mary from over at Homegrown Learners has finished her book!  I have been blessed with a copy of SQUILT {Music Appreciation Made Simple} to preview.  It arrived yesterday and I am looking forward to using Chapter 9 next week.

I have enjoyed looking at photographs of famous creative people: 40 Inspiring Work spaces of the Famously Creative.

In our home school this week…

    Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…




    Notebooking Pages 
    is having a 7th Birthday 
    Save $25 for just 1 more day!










    I am inspired by…
    Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
    • Lots of Dr and Physiotherapy appointments!
    • Tennis and Kelly Sports
    • Science experiments at the T Family
    • Play group with the L family
    • Catch up with the M family.
    My favourite thing this week was…
    Full Scale Lego X-Wing

    What’s working/not working for us…
    • Quitting my gym membership and sleeping in in the morning.  I'm more of a night owl.

    Questions/thoughts I have…

    Things I’m working on…
    On My Bedside Table ...
    • Nothing has changed
    In Bloggy world I’m reading…
    I’m cooking…
    • Nothing inspiring this week.  We're in survival mode and I'm grateful my sister has been here to pull up the slack from me.
    On Pinterest I found...
    I’m grateful for…
    A photo, video, link, or quote to share…


    Blessings


    Homegrown Learners Hammock Tracks It's a Wrap

    Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

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    Wednesday 29 May 2013

    Preparing the Butterfly


    Meet Sir N the star of this blog. His name means
    One who is asked of the Lord and Brings much joy

    Our journey to receiving the news of his pregnancy was a very long nine years on the roller coaster of hope and disappointment. In fact two weeks before our positive pregnancy test I had given up on the idea of having any more children and decided that this was it the Lord had decided our family was complete with two children.

    This little man has been an amazing blessing in our lives and has brought each and every one of us smiles. His name is just how we felt when we were blessed with the news of his impending arrival in our family.  He makes my heart melt and shows me what unconditional love looks like every day.

    More hope . . . 
    During my pregnancy I experienced so many highs the main one being:  we are going to have the large family we always wanted. After he was born I relaxed and spent so much time waiting each month for a sign of another I didn't fully immerse myself in enjoying the one in my arms. One year, two years, three years . . . went by.
    Finally one beautiful Sunday morning in Spring - two little blue lines appeared. Joy! Excitement! Anticipation of another little person to love hold and cherish. Morning sickness, yes all is well.
    In a twinkling it all changed with the words "I'm sorry Mrs R ....." tears, grief and a little boy who told me to tell Jesus to put the baby back!
    Sir N faithfully prayed every night for three years. One night two beautiful brown eyes looked at me and said there is no point in praying Jesus does not hear.  My heart broke. What do I say ?
    So far it's been five very long years of secondary infertility and failed IVF cycles. Feeling like everyone was pregnant BUT me. . .

    Looking back
    Having two teens means that I have learned not to think too far into the future as sometimes the dreams are met with closed doors and you need to find new hope for your butterfly or just when you anticipate having another five or six years you find that you need to let go and watch your butterfly find itself.

    Source: Pinterest

    In the Future
    I am learning ever so slowly to appreciate the today's because they are ever so fleeting. My heart still longs and the conflict rages within. Conflict between being fully satisfied and wanting just one more chance. I'm learning to look at the little butterfly growing in front of me and appreciate him. I am so grateful to Susan for encouraging me to look at my child and see him for the person he is.  I'm learning to look to the One Who created him and ask "Lord just how should I prepare this butterfly ?"

    I would like to encourage you to enjoy your butterflies.  Enjoy each one in their individuality. Enjoy them for their differences.  

    Blessings
    Chareen



    During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.


    --ooOoo--

    Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
    May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

    Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

    Here is Susan's Schedule
    Links will be added here as the posts go live.
    Release the Butterflies Posts:
    1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
      2. Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
      Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
      Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
    2. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
      Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
      Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
    3. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
      Susan Hold Onto Your Butterflies, but not too tightly
    4. Wednesday, May 29, 2013
      Susan The Butterfly’s Dazzling Colors Dance in the Sunlight
      Nicole Releasing the Butterflies Wrap Up
    Giveaways this week
    1. Ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo (open Worldwide) ends (6/2) ($89 value) (ends 6/2)
    Freebies
    1. Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
    2. FREE Math Mystery E-book for Primary Grades  
    3. Free Two-Sided, Full-Color Addition and Subtraction Cards!
    4. FREE Printable Butterfly Notecards
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    Tuesday 28 May 2013

    Science in the Junior Years

    Teaching Science - How do you do it?  Good question.  When any of us think of science our minds tend to think of high school / University labs and immediately we are filled with fear and trepidation. We start to panic and wonder how on earth we are going to accomplish teaching science ?? This fear in turn robs us of the pleasure of discovering just how much fun science can be.


    Define: Science
    • The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge especially knowledge based on reproducible data.
    • Science is the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation. 
    From this definition we can see that science is not solely about science labs and microscopes, formulas and chemicals it's all about the world around us.

    For us
    Sir N will be eight years old in a weeks time and for us Science is all about discovery and fun.  Personally I am not a hands on learner but he is which has proven to be a little bit of a challenge.  In order to meet his need of hands on learning I have been actively seeking opportunities to join others on science adventures, even when that means traveling a 140 km round trip.  This year we have gone across town and played in a science lab and learned about static electricity and cold ice.

    I have been teaching science using Sonlight - Exploring the wonders of God's World using living books.
    Over the years I took a detour and did The Well Trained Mind path as well using some great Usborne Science Books.  I've also really liked the look of Noeo Science but the postage makes purchasing this curriculum a little out of reach from Australia.

    Nature Study
    Each family needs to find their own personal flavor in studying science in the younger years. For us I have been blessed because Paul's passion is all things nature and he generously shares his knowledge with our children. He has the most amazing instagram


    Instagram @Servalpaul
    In the Future
    The more I learn about Delight Directed education the more I realize that science is about enjoying and appreciating the world around us. In order to do this more formally I would really like to do a lot more Nature Journaling at home.

    Resources to help you start Nature Journaling

    Resources to teach science at home

    Science in Highschool



    "Can I teach 
    high school science?
     NO
    As your student gets older, 
    your role changes from 
    teacher to fellow learner."

    You can read my thoughs on science in the high school years in my Homeschool High School Post.

    Be encouraged Science is not as big as we make it in our thinking and we do not need to feel that only professionally trained teachers can teach science. As home schoolers we can learn and discover alongside our children.  Have fun read some living books and try some science in your kitchen!

    Blessings
    Chareen


    This week

     ---ooOoo---

    Linking with
    Teach Me Tuesdays Hip Homeschool Hop Button The Homeschool Village
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