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Hello Blog World!!!

Obviously it has been quite a while.  I realized that I had no time to blog.....at all. However, I do really love and miss the community and the 'accountability' that it provided for me.  I've decided that I would love to be able to take a snapshot or two every couple of days and post them on a Facebook page because it is far easier and quicker for me than typing things up.

If you would like feel free to find me over there.  The page is called Homeschooling Haks.

I have no idea if this will be popular or not, but I love the thought of the accountability it will bring me to strive for excellence in our upcoming homeschool year.

Happy blogging....errrr.....Facebooking!

jess_hak

First Grade Fun

For several months Annabelle and I just stuck to the basics (reading, Math, Spelling, Bible).  The beginning of January we dove back into Sonlight and our geography fun.  The last 2 weeks we added Astronomy back into the mix.  Finally this last week we came back to our 'full' load and added our first week of Music and Art Appreciation from Harmony Fine Arts Academy.  We've been having such a good time!

While finishing up our S. American studies we made Animalitos.  These are usually woven on looms...we made ours with paper. :)

We moved into Europe.  We discussed some history.  Annabelle finds the clothing particularly interesting.  We made 'ruffs' which people used to wear around their necks (sometimes they were so big they needed extra long spoons to reach their mouths!)

In astronomy we picked up where we left of with the sun and learned about eclipses.  This was a fun little activity we did to learn what an eclipse is.

We also watched this YouTube video that she really enjoyed and wanted to watch several times that week (which I found surprising. lol)

We also did the chapter on Mercury.  This activity was used to demonstrate how craters on the surface of a planet are formed.  She used different sized 'asteroids'....the clementine was the biggest one....and made a mess. :)

This is an extra book that we read.  I picked up this series of planet books at a preschool's going out of business sale for ten cents a book.  They are really colorful and simple.

 Our first week of Music Appreciation our composer is Antonio Vivaldi.  We used this site to listen to the Spring section of his Four Seasons piece.  I really like the site because it tells you what to think about during each movement, helpful when trying to explain it to a first grader.  We will listen to one movement for the next few weeks. 

In Art Appreciation we started learning about Renoir.  Annabelle did a picture study of the Girl With a Watering Can.

We also used the Oxford First Book of Art and looked at the section of Mother and Child art pieces.  In particular we looked at The Child's Bath by Mary Cassatt.  Afterward we did the suggested activity.  Annabelle painted a splashy watery picture.....

 .....then we put a picture in of her as a baby splashing in the bath.

Such a fun filled week with tons of learning.  So glad that we are finally in the groove and getting to do all the basics and the icing stuff too!  Happy blogging!

jess_hak

Linking up to Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

4 months!!

So I really liked this little outfit. At 4 months Eliza was starting to get too big for it.  This little stinker wouldn't smile for anything in the world.  Sweet little face though.

Not impressed by all my attempts for a smile.

She was much more interested in her hands and feet.....

.....and sucking her lower lip.....

.....And looking at me like I'm crazy town for taking all these pictures and talking goofy.....

FINALLY a profile smile......not at me, at her big sister Annabelle.

LOVE this little sugar plum. :)

Happy blogging!
jess_hak

D: Ducks and Dogs

Here it is.....the long over due letter D!  This was actually completed in November before the holidays (and before I had to stop schooling with the boys to keep my sanity whilst adjusting to the 4th one).  :)  We read two books for the letter D.  The first was about dogs.

You will have to forgive me because I have had these printouts for so long that I have forgotten where they came from.  The top one was for Silas......

.....and this one was for Asa.

Working hard on their worksheets.

File folder game that I had previously made for Annabelle's preschool. (LOVE it when I get to re-use things I already made)

Pattern block letters.  You can get this print out (and one for every other letter) at Confessions of a Homeschooler.

Asa making dog food for his letter D craft page.  This is part of the All About Reading Pre-Level 1 that we LOVE so much.

 

The above and the next two pictures were a fun sensory activity.  I made all our 'D' items 'dirty' by placing them in chocolate pudding.  The boys had so much fun cleaning them up with water and toothbrushes.  This kept their interest for well over an hour!

We also read Ping and did some duck activities.

These next two pages are from 1+1+1=1

They also painted duck feet (spatulas) on paper and had a good time with it.

Anyway, that is it!  Simple, efficient, and fun.....that is my goal for school and this blog. Sorry for my absence. :)  Like I said I plan to be here a little more often (hopefully once a week or so).  Happy blogging!

jess_hak

Getting Back To It

.....not to school, we've been doing that.....well, lets be honest....Annabelle has been doing it.  The poor boys have gotten pushed by the wayside. 

I came here to upload some pictures one day only to find that I had used up my storage limit and needed to make a monthly payment to keep blogging.  Still haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do with that.  Anyway, between that and having a newborn I sort of became demotivated to continue.....

Can I say something?  I need my readers and blog rolls!  Not to show everyone that I am 'super mom' (cause I know that I'm not), but for the accountability and motivation to actually push myself to do more than the status quo.  My kids deserve that type of schooling and attention.

So I'm back.  I plan on at least 2 posts a week at the moment (one for Annabelle and one for the boys).  Looking forward to participating again!

Happy blogging!
jess_hak

1st Grade Fun

We are moving right along....finally feeling like we got into a groove!  Well....at least with Annabelle. :)

We finished another couple of books in Sonlight Core A.  We read Johnny Appleseed.  That was fun/nostalgic because we used YouTube to find the Disney's American Legends videos.  We watched Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyun.  We will go back and watch the other ones.

The next book we finished was The Hundred Dresses.  Such a good book on how to treat others and what making fun of and essentially bullying can do.  Also a good lesson on thankfulness.  We even had a good conversation about being content, sharing the things we've been blessed with and why do we feel the need to have so much 'stuff'.

I googled dress design templates and came up with these from the images.  I printed a few out and Annabelle had a really, really good time decorating them!  She didn't do 100, but probably would have if I had them printed out for her.

We learned a little about Central America.  We made a snack that could be eaten there.....tortilla chips

....and yummy fruit smooties.  The smoothies were yummy!  Great way to maybe sneak in some fruits and veggies to my picky eaters diet.

Moving along in Math-U-See.  Love how they explain place value.  Annabelle is pretty fluently reading 3 digit numbers now and I think is mostly understanding the place value concept......  next up addition and I really feel that she is ready for it now (and I'm ready to teach it as well!).

All About Reading game of the week.....

All About Spelling.....so excited that she is writing longer words finally and learning to sound more things out.  AAS has really taught her how to spell in a way that really makes her confident.  So proud of her!

Happy blogging.
jess_hak

Eliza: Month 2 and 3!!

Crazy how fast time is going!  I wish that we could freeze time or at least moments in time and go back and visit whenever we wanted....I guess sweet pictures will have to do. 

Jude loves Eliza....he is such a sweetie to her.

Took me the longest time to capture a smile....this girl is a hard nut to crack when it comes to smiling.....so I had to settle for the sweet sleeping smiles for quite a while.

Realized I didn't have many pictures of me and her.  She wasn't very cooperative. lol

These sisters LOVE each other.  This is a morning ritual at our house.  I wish these pictures had sound because it is super cute to hear Annabelle talk to her and then Eliza coo back to her. 

FINALLY got a half smile with her eyes open.  Little stinker. :)

We are loving every minute (well almost every minute) with our little girl.  I do not know if a little one could be more loved than she is.  Loving the smiling and the talking that she is doing.  Wish we could slow it down and keep her little for longer.  LOVE HER!!!!

Happy blogging!
jess_hak