Annual Field trip

We do not get out on too many field trips, so they are pretty special when we do. Our Home Front Co op organized a trip to a local corn maze. I figured we would be outside and running through corn. Doesn't get much more family friendly than that. Also, my sweetest friend, Amber, her helpful hubby, Tom, and their children were going and offered to help with my little ones...THANKS SO MUCH, GUYS!

We did have a super time. Aside from the chilly weather, it was really cool. There were 4 acres of corn maze, a hayride, games, and lunch. I am sure we couldn't have picked a better field trip to attend this season.

Love,

Amy

New England Pumpkin Cake

At the conclusion of each country we study, we will "celebrate" by making a food from that country.

Dante chose a New England Pumpkin Cake to end our study of the United States.

When I asked if he wanted to do it together....? "I can do it myself," said the independent, self-sufficient 10 year old boy and, HE DID! What an AMAZING job. The cake was delicious and very pretty, too.

Early American Quilts

Did you know???

Quilting bees, or quilting parties, were one of the favorite social times for women of the early American colonies. They would meet and work together, working on one quilt at a time until each person had a completed quilt. Quilting also made good use of fabric scraps; quilters developed simple and intricate unique American designs. Many quilt designs have been passed down for generations and are still being used today.

A sample of our American Quilt made by Dante.

Science notebooking on Wood

Just to spice things up a bit, we decided to do our Science Journal entry on a piece of wood with our new woodburner. We are studying the desert and Dante and I are both surprised by how many animals actually do live in the Desert. You would think with as dry as they are...God is so creative in that He has provided such variety, even in a dry and dusty desert. There is no way to ever get bored studying all of His Creation.

Dante burned a Red-Tailed Hawk, which is often mistaken for an eagle. This bird has a rufous-red coloring on the upper tail , broad wings, and a rounded tail.

I think he did a super job. Now, if we could only find some cheap wood to burn, we'd be in business.

Love,

Amy

North American Art

Once a week, we will be including art projects that coincide with the countries we are studying. The projects will mostly come from a book entitled Global Art.

Did you know?
Over 100 years ago, the Sioux Indians did not write their stories down like we do today. Instead, the painted pictures on rawhide that would tell about important events in their lives and in the tribe. These rawhide drawings would then be tied to sticks called "coup sticks." The sticks were useful for retelling stories of events gone by.

Our events gone by??
Dante
1. shooting bb guns with Elijah
2. chasing Franklin
3. hunting
Justus
1. scribble, scribble, and scribble
Elijah
1. shooting at birds with a bb gun. (hhhmmmm?)
2. riding a horse at the Brentwood County Fair (it was really a pony..sssshhh)
3. a previous aluminum foil art project

My Father's World

We started a new unit study curriculum this year. It starts out with a year long study that focuses on Geography, called Exploring Countries and Cultures. The first 2 weeks was an introduction to the idea that there is a great big world outside of where you are and it was ALL created by OUR CREATOR, God. We ended the 2 week study by going on a treasure hunt, in which the boys had to follow a map in order to find the treasure and by baking a cake that we decorated to represent the World.

Our first stop is North America, where we will explore The US, Mexico, and Canada.

Love,
Amy

Wednesday Nature Time

The curriculum that we are following this year, My Father's World, incorporates a time to spend outside in Nature each Wednesday. We are just heading to local parks with notebooks and pencils in hand to journal the children's "finds." Yesterday we headed to Riverside Park where the kids played for a few minutes and then we walked around a paved path in the gorgeous sunshine. Because most of my children are too small to understand the concept of "nature finds," we are just focusing on getting out into God's creation, even if it is just to soak in some Vitamin D.

The best part of yesterday's Nature Time was Dante literally getting stuck in the tire swing. I have not laughed that hard in awhile. It actually took me and one other lady to "unstick" him. How funny. The littles were chucking acorns at him while he was vulnerable. Nothing like a great opportunity for a lesson in compassion.

Love,
Amy