Aviation Study!

I am so excited to start our school year off with a study on Aviation. From the first planes to how they are made today and so much more. I wanted a "soft start" back into school and found that it was going to be national aviation day on the day I was thinking of starting so that is sort of why I picked this but in the planning for it I got more and more excited about it and I know my kids will love it! As I post this we are in the middle of our week long study on it. We recently visited an Aerospace Museum and saw an Air Show that has had them asking many questions.

Ok so what are we doing? A LOT!!! haha But really, below you will find what we are using for this study along with some fun activities.

"The Wright Brothers" lapbook by confessions of a homeschooler is the starting point. This is the bulk of our writing, reading, history, science and even some art. You can find the Unit Study here: The Wright Brothers Unit Study

Top:

Preparing for the week!

Bottom:

Kids starting their lapbook!

"The Wright Brothers" by Mike Venezia is the book we read to go along with the lapbook.

We watched a "Magic School Bus" Episode called "Taking Flight" that talks about what is needed for the plane to fly.

We will be watching a few episodes of "How its made" that go over parts of the plane as well as maybe watching a "Myth Busters" episode (after I preview it to make sure its ok for the their age).

Along with all the above we will of course have to make some paper airplanes and fly them outside! Something I came across that I hope to have the kids do in the next few years is take a free flight with the "Young Eagles" program. If you have kids ages 8-17 look to see if its offered in your area! I'm going to wait to do it until both of mine are old enough but it looks like a lot of fun!


Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Independence Day~Teaching our Kids

Yummy food, fun games, great time spent with family and friends, trips to the beach, patriotic music, and of course the fireworks! Those are all things that instantly come to mind for Independence Day. But is that all it's about? Is that all our kids think of when we go to a 4th of July celebration? It's great to have fun but we need to remember and teach this next generation about why we get to have this fun. For the younger kids you don't need to go into detail and make them all sad but they need know the basics. And as they get older, we need to build on that so they really get the meaning of it all. So below you will find a bunch of links to fun activities that will hopefully help teach the basics of this holiday while having fun. Then below all that is a question, it's one I would love to have responses too. I plan to share your responses with my kids and maybe even on the Facebook page to help others be able to share more with their children. 

Lap books/unit studies/activity sheets: 

4th of July Lapbook by Homeschooling in Heels
Independence Day Unit Study by Amanda Bennett

Stories: 

List of 20 top 4th of July Children's Books

Recipe: 

 4th of July Fruit Pizza! (Easy to make with kids)

Activities/Projects: 

Pinterest is full of great ideas, here a a few pages I found that I love!
Crafts 
Parties, books, and more for 4th of July 

Songs: 

 Star Spangled Banner 
 This Land is Your Land

 Your're A Grand Old Flag
 America The Beautiful 

***The above links are not my work but the work of others who offer these items for free/small fee at the time I made this post. I have not used all of them so my posting of them is not me signing off that they are all ok. As parents we have the responsibility to check over what we put in front of our kids eyes before they get to it. Please note that while I think these look like great activities your opinion may be different so please check them out before  having your children use them.*** 

In your own words, why do we celebrate Independence day and what does this day mean to you/how does it affect you? Please share your answer with us! 

Five Minute Friday: Lost

Thanks to Lisa-Jo Baker for the Five Minute Friday writing prompt. This weeks is : Lost.
 After reading here head on over to her blog to find many other writers and their take on this word.

GO:

Lost in the chaos, lost in the mess, lost in the boxes that have taken over my home.

Lost is my peace, my understanding of what is to happen, lost is my control.

Through this move, all this is true, but there is joy in knowing that this is the start of a new chapter, maybe even a new book.

This is were we start over, find new friends, build new relationships, have a new life.

This is where God has allowed us to go and once things are settled, when the boxes are gone, that is when the peace and understanding that I'm missing will return.

This is a blessing, one we have yet to unpack. One I know will keep giving even after all the sadness of starting over is gone.

Learning to lean even more on Christ and lose myself in Him, this is what comes from the chaos, the boxes, the mess.

STOP

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Last days in our home.... Saying goodby.

                 Blue sky

            We have been going nonstop so I let them sleep whenever I can. 

          Yay! Another mess to clean up! 

             View from our yard. 

                     Amazing sunset! 

 Last photo of my amazing tree! Going to miss it. 

                     Goodby house! 

Just some thoughts...

 

These last five years have been so different from what I expected. Some of it has been great but most of it has been a challenge. And although I'm so glad we get to move on, I'm a little sad to leave. It's here that our kids had many firsts. First steps, first words, first snow experience, first friends, first days of public school, first days of homeschool.... 

It's here I got a better sense of who I am and who I for sure am not. It's here I learned how to pick good friends, be a better friend, to say "see ya later" to dear friends, to forgive those thought to be your friends and to move on. 

It's here I found out how much I love the State Fair! In fact it is one of the few things I will miss. I loved not only attending it but also working it. 

It's here I learned that I will take a hot day over a cold day anytime! And that it's better to not have air conditioning then to not have a heater. 

I could go on and on but I think you get the point. I'm so glad to be moving on but will miss the great friends I made and will miss the memories that we made here.... But that's why you take lots of photos! So down the road you can still go back to them. 

Update #1

It's been a crazy few months and I haven't been able to post what I wanted too. So I thought I would provide an update to let you all know I'm still here!

 Homeschooling has been...going.... 

As all homeschool families we have ups and downs and I know it will get easier (I hope...). We have a lot of distractions right now that I know are the problem. We keep at it and will be taking a break soon. 

 We have great news! After being at this base for over 5 years, the Air Force will finally let us move!!!  Over the next few months that is going to be our biggest challenge and blessing. We can't wait for this new adventure and all the opportunities that will come with it.

Preparing for this move and homeschooling have kept me busy and unable to post lately but I have lots of posts coming soon! I plan to do a few more updates but for now this will have to do. Thank you all for sticking around and reading my blog! There will be at least two giveaways coming up in the summer so don't go anywhere! ;) 

(I will miss the sky here, the clouds are always amazing)

March Meal Plan

It's hard to believe that February is already gone! It feels like we just started the year, anyone else feel this way? 

Below is the menu plan for month, if you click on the photo it will become large enough for you to read it all. I hope that these menu plans give you some ideas for you own meals and encourage your families to eat in (and healthier) more often.

As my hubby prepares for a PT test he has asked me to have healthier snacks around the home for those moments of weakness when he just needs something. Our snacks are not something we have really worked on yet so I'm glad he is asking for it and its not me pushing on everyone. I have some great recipes I hope to try this coming week and I'm looking for more. If you have any healthy snack recipes please feel free to share them with me! If any of the ones I try this week turn out any good I will be sure to post them for you all! 

Looking for ideas on how to make a meal plan of your own? Click here! 

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”