I can hardly believe that it has already been a month since my last post. As promised in my last post--yet, arriving in a less timely fashion than I intended--here are some pictures of Brinley that I took during her first couple of weeks of school. I know that the idea of homeschooling is foreign that many of you so hopefully these pictures will give you a better idea of what our days and her schooling consists of. I initially thought that we would school all five days during the week. However, in order to ease both Brinley and myself into the schooling atmosphere I've decided to school 3 mornings per week--Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That leaves a couple of mornings for us to concentrate on 'life skills' as I like to call them--grocery shopping, errand runs, baking, visits to the park, etc. Also, you'll probably notice from the pictures below that I try to move her around throughout the morning. I *try* not to keep her in the same spot for two activities in a row, but sometimes it just can't be helped. We do go over our morning board (explained more below) in the floor, but then I might move her to the table to to a writing or coloring activity, then back to the floor for a more hands-on activity and then to her white board to end things for the day.
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Brinley's First Day of School Tuesday, September 6, 2011
(Please excuse the bruise in the middle of her forehead...she and her push-buggy and a run-in with each other the day before.)
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am using curricula from Homeschool Creations, 1+1+1=1 and ____. To start off each morning we go to our morning board and go over things like the weather, the day of the week as well as the date, what season we are in, our memory verse that is based on whatever letter of the alphabet we are studying that week as well as the Pledge of Allegiance.
'A' is for apple tree. Brinley coloring an apple tree and tracing letter 'A'.
It was her idea that the tree had both red AND green apples.
Brinley working a letter 'A' lacing card. These are made by printing out a large letter on cardstock, laminating it and using a hole-punch to create the holes.
All done!
Next activity was to put together a 6-piece puzzle. This was a puzzle that I printed out on cardstock, laminated and then cut into separate pieces. The recommended was to start with six, but Brinley breezed through that just by reading the sentence that was on it and putting it in order by that. So, I guess from here on out I'll be cutting them into 9 pieces or maybe even 12 to be more of a challenge for her.
The last activity for her first day was to match colored magnets to each of the the white circles on the picture.
To start off on Wednesday, Brinley worked on a cutting practice worksheet.
Next she used Do-A-Dot markers to stamp an uppercase and a lowercase letter 'A'.
All done!
Matching the number card to the number of apple seeds on the apples.
As some of you probably know, the past couple of months have been a little on the crazy side for our little family. I guess you could say it all started back in March, when a close friend/colleague of Bruce--we'll call 'J'-- started a new job that moved he and his family from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the Houston area. After a few weeks of being at his new job, 'J' caught wind of the company needing to add an engineer to their staff. Knowing that Bruce and I have been praying for a job opportunity in Texas to come our way since our engagement, 'J' mentioned Bruce's name to his bosses and told Bruce about the position. After a phone interview, Bruce was flown out to Houston for a face-to-face interview with the company's president and vice-president. By mid-June, Bruce had a job offer, accepted and we had our house on the market. We decided for the sake of our sanity, to not plan on relocating for a good three weeks. That gave Bruce a couple of weeks to tie-up any loose ends at his previous job, us some time to do a few touch-up projects on the house (with help from his parents), as well as time to get our moving arrangements in order. We made the big move on the 22nd of July and Bruce started his new job on the 25th.
Of course, there has been a lot of adjustment going on. Not being familiar with the area, we decided to temporarily rent an apartment instead of buying a home. So, although the apartment itself is fine, we have no yard which is an enormous change for us. Of course we miss our dear friend back in the Mobile area, and Brinley is slowly becoming more acclimated with her new room. Before the move--really since she was an infant--she has been a great sleeper. Now that we've moved, she has a really hard time falling asleep most nights, and some nights she wakes up three or four times upset. As you can imagine, this makes for a tired little one, as well as a tired momma. Things are slowly getting better, though. There were a couple of nights last week that she slept through the night so hopefully it will continue to get better. I've joked to Bruce that she'll probably adjust and start sleeping well around the time the we're ready to move again...geez, I hope that is not the case!
Over the past month, we've gotten most things unpacked, and I'm slowly starting to get things hung on the walls. My main priority after getting things unpacked was to get Brinley's school work together for this fall. Luckily since we're homeschooling, we can start our school year whenever it is best for our family. Now that we're settling in, Brinley and I will start her lessons this week! After a lot of deliberation (mainly on my part), we've decided to keep things a bit simple this first year and use a letter of the week curriculum. For the first week we'll study A, the second week we'll study B and so on. In all of my research and networking, I've come across a few blogs--Confessions of a Homeschooler, 1+1+1=1 and Homeschool Creations--that I've acquired some of our worksheets, crafts ideas and activities from. I'm hoping that during our week, I'll remember to snap a few photos and post them so that you all can get an idea of what we're doing and how much fun we're having! I have to mention, as I've been getting Brinley's lessons together over the past week or two--and it has been strewn all over the living room--she has been super excited about her 'school work'. I keep having to tell her that we'll have to wait 'X' many days until we can do it. She loves doing workbooks that I've picked up here and there, so I think that she's really going to have a blast with our lessons.
I hope each and every one of you were blessed with a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Until next time...
Jess, over at the blog Making Home posted this meme and invited fellow bloggers to give it a try as well. The instructions with this are to bold the ones you've done, leave the others in normal type. Here goes...
1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii (I would love to go if it wasn't for the LONG plane ride.) 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland/world 8. Climbed a mountain. 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child (Maybe...) 16. Had food poisoning (Thankfully, no!) 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Also needs to be on my 'bucket list'.) 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train (I've always thought this would be neat...don't ask me why.) 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort (We don't get THAT much snow in Texas.) 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29 Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise (After 5 years of marriage, Bruce is still trying to convince me to do this.) 33 Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Hmm...not sure I want to go to the Czech Republic.) 35. Seen an Amish community (Would LOVE to! I've always been fascinated by their lifestyle.) 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41 Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant (I REALLY need to do this...soon!) 44. Visited Africa 45 Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance (No....thank the Lord!) 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater (Another thing I would like to do.) 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60 Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching (Not unless you count SeaWorld.) 63. Gotten flowers for no reason 64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67 Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt (Hopefully, one day...) 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book (Maybe one day...) 81. Visited the Vatican (Would LOVE to.) 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a lawsuit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee
Okay...for the third time or so in a matter of months, I am going to attempt to write AND post an update on our blog. As most of you have noticed--and some even expressed to me--my lack of writing over the past several months, my number one goal this weekend was to get at least a little something written and posted. I started early in the week (Tuesday, maybe) by planning to dress Brinley up in something a little special and take a picture of her by mid-morning before it reaches 100* outside. So...we ate breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen from our meal and I put the sweet outfit that you see pictured below on Brinley. We head out into the backyard, I move around a few 'props' and set Brinley down on a bench that I had moved underneath a cluster of shade trees. Obviously it had been a while since I had tried taking pictures of Brinley like this because in my mind, I played out the scene that I would set her on the bench, snap a few shots and be done in a minute or two...thus being able to get the picture I needed of her without even breaking a sweat. Boy, was I in for a wake-up. Below you would be able to follow our little adventure--
"Hmmm...what's this here on the bench?"
Then she decides to look at something else--besides the camera.
"Gee Mom...all those embarrassing antics you're pulling just to get me to look at the camera and smile."
"Cheese!!!" ('A REALLY big cheese' as she says.)
Don't even ask me what goof-ball was doing in this one because your guess is as good as mine.
"What was that Mom? Did you say something about a COOKIE?!?"
I don't bribe too often, but when I do, I pull out the 'big guns'.
Finally...
By the way, I must mention that the lovely outfit was made by my Grandma. Brinley says, "thank you G-Maw!". And in case you are wondering, yes, her toenails ARE painted bright red. :-)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
In case you were beginning to wonder if our little family had disappeared off the face of the earth, over the past month and a half, we've attended 4 birthday parties (all on separate weekends), one baptism, as well as traveled to Texas for Easter weekend to visit with family, some of which we haven't seen since Brinley's first birthday. Needless to say, we've been a little bit too on-the-go for me to be able to sit down and write. Below are a few pictures from the past several weeks starting with Brinley's birthday--
Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl!
By the way, the above picture was taken by a dear friend and talented photographer, Amanda before she and her sweet family made the move from Mississippi back home to Texas. If any of you readers in the Houston area are looking to get some pictures done, I highly recommend her! :-)
Next, at the end of March, we attended a neighbor boy's 4th birthday party at a local kiddie party venue (think: Chuckie Cheese-type-of-place). Brinley had a blast monkeying-around on all the indoor playground equipment, riding the kiddie train and, of course, munching on pizza and cake.
"Hold on Snoopy...we're going for a ride!"
Eating pizza...
~Happy Birthday!~
Then it was W's first birthday party-- W being the little one that I care for in our home during the week.
Well, as you know, Valentine's Day 2011 has come and gone. I don't know how each of you celebrate Valentine's Day in your homes, but in our home it is about the love that we all feel for each other...not just Bruce and myself. I know a lot of people think of Valentine's Day as a day that couples shower each other with romantic gestures--boxed chocolates, a bouquet of flowers, jewelry, etc. Sure, Bruce and I exchange small gifts, but they're typically gifts that other people wouldn't necessarily consider romantic. Instead, our gifts tend to say "I bought you this because I know it is something you are interested in or having been wanting. You work so hard for our family and I just want to show you how much I appreciate you." And not only do Bruce and I exchange gifts, but we also get Brinley a few little somethings as well to show her today is a special day that we are all celebrating as a family in our domestic church.
Gotta love care packages from Texas...thank you Nana and Papa for all the goodies!
The past few years, we really haven't done anything else for Valentine's Day besides exchange gifts. Either I was very pregnant with Brinley or Brinley was keeping us busy as an infant. This year however, I wanted a little craft that Brinley and I could do together that involved blessing others with Valentines, and when Elizabeth posted about Valentine Dots I knew it was something Brinley and I would have to give a try. Tried we did, and I think we have found a new tradition for our family. Not only can you make Valentine Dots for Valentines Day, but by simply using whatever seasonal colors of M&M's are out at the time, you can easily create Easter Dots, Thanksgiving Dots, Christmas Dots, etc. using the respective colors. Absolutely genius! Most of y'all know that our family tries to eat a natural diet by avoiding high fructose corn syrup, food-dyes, refined sugar, and the like, but I figure making these a few times a year probably won't be the end of the world AND it is an excellent craft for little ones to help with.
Helping Mommy unwrap the Hugs and Kisses.
"Cheese!"
After unwrapping the Hug, it had to be sorted in the right bowl.
After all the Hugs and Kisses were unwrapped, it was time to place them on the pretzels that were lined up on a cookie sheet.
The end result...yum! Now its time to package them and share with others.
We hope you all had a blessed Valentine's Day and that you were able to spend it with someone that you care for--whether that be your child, friend, neighbor, significant other or even pet. ;-) Most importantly, I pray that each of you have felt the most significant love of all...that which comes from our one, true Savior. ~Blessings~
Outside My Window: ...its a dreary day. The sun hasn't peeked out yet and it probably won't today. It's shortly before noon, and the temperature is in the low-40's and will be going down from here. We're expected to have from mid-aftertoon all through the night. What a yucky winter day! I know I won't be setting foot out of the house today.
I Am Listening To: ...the woosh of the dishwasher.
I Am Wearing: ...a pair of Bruce's flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt. This just might be my outfit for the day.
I Am Thankful For: ... modern conveniences. Everytime I start dreading household chores, I remind myself to be thankful that I don't have to wash and dry each dish by hand or wash each article of clothing with a washboard and bucket in my backyard. I can also take a picture in the morning and within a few hours all eight of my readers have seen it....even if they do live in three different states.
I Am Pondering: "If I saw the gates of Hell open and I stood on the brink of the abyss, I should not despair, I should not lose hope of mercy, because I should trust in You, my God." ~St. Gemma Galgani
I Am Reading: ...Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss--as well as working through the Small Steps for Catholic Moms Companion Journal--and Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home, also by Elizabeth Foss. (If you are interested in purchasing any of the above books, you can visit Elizabeth's E-Store, here.)
To Be Fit And Happy: I'll be honest...when the weather is consistantly under 55*, I tend to go into a mild form of hibernation. I've really been trying to find the motivation--and time--to do a little indoor excersicising to get the heart pumping at least a few times a week.
From The Kitchen: Yesterday I made a large stockpot of Taco Soup and some homemade Mexican Cornbread. It will definately be a treat tonight for supper when its cold and rainy, Also, Brinley helped her Daddy make pancakes and bacon this morning for Sunday brunch. Yum!
I Am Thinking: ...about and praying for those affected by the shooting yesterday in Arizona. I especially pray that our Lord will grant comfort and peace to the families of those that have been injured or killed in this incident.
I Am Creating: ... memories. The interesting thing about memories is that you can choose to remember and cherish the good ones or the not-so-good ones. For me, I like to remember and cherish the good ones. There are too many terrible things in this world...I like to savor the good.
On My iPod: I haven't downloaded any new music lately, but I did download the Pandora App and it is my new love. If you aren't familiar with Pandora, it is internet radio. You simply search for an artist or song and Pandora will create a 'personal radio station' of similar artists and songs and play them back to you....for FREE! You can't pick what song you hear at a particular time, but if a song comes up that you don't care for or you'd rather not listen to at the moment, you just push the 'next' button. Muy Bueno!
Towards A Real Education: I've got approximately seven months to make a lesson plan for next fall. Holy Trinity, Have Mercy On Us! Mary and Joseph, Pray for Us! Saint Thomas Aquinas, Pray for Us! Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Pray for Us!
Towards Rhythm and Beauty: Since the Twelve Days of Christmas have come and gone and we have celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord, I guess it is time to take down and pack away the Christmas decorations. (Sigh...) I'll be honest...I'm one of those people that dread taking down Christmas decorations. Its not the labor aspect of it at all. I just know I'll miss looking at the twinkling of lights, the glow of candlelight and the shimmering of ornaments. I keep trying to tell myself that in only ten short months it will socially acceptable to bring it all out again. ;-)
To Live The Liturgy: Focusing on making our little domestic church as peaceful as possible during this time of year.
I Am Hoping And Praying: ...that the sun will continue to shine.
In The Garden: So far most of the vegetation in our flower beds has held up well this winter. This next week the weather will test them again as our highs will be in the mid-40's and lows in the low-20's. Brrr...
Around The House: We've just been piddling around this weekend. Brinley helped her daddy take down the outside Christmas lights yesterday while the weather was tolerable. Bruce also replaced some weatherstripping on the back doorframe that a particular four-legged fur-child has shredded. Also, after living in our home for 18 months, we've finally purchased a large mirror to hand above the mantel of the fireplace. No more large blank wall...yea!
On Keeping Home: It seems as though Mount Laundry has finally been tamed again after all of our holiday travels. I also spent a little time yesterday going through a couple of small boxes of odds and ends that have collected...and seem to breed on their own.
One Of My Favorite Things: ...is spending an evening out with two of my favorite people in the world. Yesterday evening, Bruce, Brinley and I stopped by Cracker Barrel for dinner (Thanks Mom and Dad for the giftcard!) then we ventured over to Lowe's for the mirror that I mentioned earlier in this post (Thanks, again, Mom and Dad for the giftcard!) and then to Marble Slab to savor some of their yummy goodness. (We didn't have any giftcards to use here, BUT if someone would like to send us one, I would happily accept...wink, wink.)
Brinley Anne This Week: ... is changing from a sweet little baby to a rambunctious little girl. When she turned one, I was easily able to convince myself that she was still a baby. When she turned two, I was still able to convince myself that she was still a baby. Now that she's almost three...there's just no denying that she's turning into a 'big girl', especially now that its not uncommon for her to call me 'Mom' instead of 'Mommy' or 'Momma'. (Sigh...)
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Hmmm....stay warm. :-D Seriously though, I don't think we'll be doing a whole lot this week aside from buddling up, sitting by a warm fire, drinking cocoa, etc.
A Picture I'm Sharing: No still pictures today...at least not yet, but I do have short videos from our Christmas morning. I hope y'all enjoy! (Not sure why they are a bit off-kilter...I'll try to get that corrected.)
Our family began when Bruce and I were married in October of 2006. In March of 2008, our daughter Brinley was born. We recently bought our first home on the Alabama Gulf Coast where Bruce works as a stuctural engineer and Brandi loves being a stay-at-home-momma to Brinley.
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by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss--as well as working through the Small Steps for Catholic Moms Companion Journal
--and Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home
, also by Elizabeth Foss. (If you are interested in purchasing any of the above books, you can visit Elizabeth's E-Store, 