Wordless Wednesday 49

Blueberry Goodness Recipe

My kids love fruit desserts. This was a new one that I adjusted from a Cherry Yum Yum recipe that my mother in law gave me several months ago.

I was hopeful that it would turn out good but I had no clue since I was using different things and kind of making it my own, which I am known to do.

Needless to say it was GOOD!



Here is the recipe - Enjoy! We sure did.

3 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter melted
1 cup sugar
2 cans of  blueberry pie filling
1 container of cool whip
1 cup cold milk
1 pack of cream cheese

Mix 2 1/2 cups of graham crackers and butter together and mash into the bottom of your bowl or pie dish. 

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, dessert topping and milk together.

Then add in the cool whip just enough to mix.

Pour into your dish and top with the remaining graham crackers.

Refrigerate for a few hours and you will have a yummy treat for your family like I did mine!  

Menu Monday 7/29

 

Sunday

Breakfast - Yumm

Monday

Zesty Italian Chicken with roasted carrots and roasted potatoes

Tuesday

Soup & Grilled Cheese

 

Wednesday

Boyscout Dinner

(hamburger meat, cabbage, apples, potatoes topped with cream of mushroom)

 

Thursday

 Black bean, corn & cheese quesadillas (new recipe)

 

Friday

Homemade Pizza

(hopefully movie night - I've been missing it)

Saturday

Eating Out

Circle Time { Review }

The Schoolhouse Review Crew had the pleasure to review an item from Preschoolers and Peace. 

Kendra Fletcher is a mother of 8 and the author of the blog Preschoolers and Peace and the wonderful eBook: Circle Time: Plan the Best Part of Your Homeschool Day!

This e-Book is a 33 page book that is broken down and explained really well. Within the book you will find the following topics covered:

Introduction

Planning A Circle Time That Works For You

Strategies for A Peaceful Time Together

How To Get Your Kids On Board

Words of Wisdom From Other Moms

Resources, Activities & Ideas

Printables

A Final Word

At first, I was honestly afraid that this was going to be just for the smaller age group but once I started reading I realized that the very first thing that I accomplish with my children every morning is actually "circle time". I was a public school child my entire education and hardly remember circle time - I remember play time but not circle time. Kyle (my oldest son) attended public school for 3 weeks in Kindergarten but like the other 2 children they do not have a concept of circle time. Anytime we work together is actually Circle Time, and to be honest we work together on a lot of things. Having multiple children (ages 12, 10 & 8) makes me try to incorporate studies together to save time and my sanity.

Once I finished reading Planning A Circle Time That Works For Me, I was given a boost that some of my mornings need. It helped me with some ideas that would help our morning flow better to finish our current school year and to improve our new one coming in September. 

Strategies for a Peaceful Time Together slapped me in the face. You see since we moved (yes, I'm still on that) I just haven't been the same. I don't plan the way I used to and our homeschool is suffering because of it. Here Kendra talks about "Fail to plan and you plan to fail." Planning is an important part in our homeschool day and I need to take better care of this issue. Within the book she provides several printables to help with planning which I am thankful for. This section also helps you plan what you want to accomplish within your circle time. This part really helped me understand where I may be slack right now.

Since we are almost finished up with our year I am not going to change a whole lot of our routine but here is how it will go until September. Normally our work together or circle time lasts anywhere from an hour to two. Depends on Zachary to be honest, if he is having a day that he can pay attention we get finished with everything.

We always have a talk about the day, year and month. At the beginning of a new month we talk about any Holiday, Birthday or event that is planned.

Bible Study

Memory Verses

State & Capital Flashcards ( I am truly blessed that my children love flash cards)

Road Trip USA

Multiplication Review Facts

This Day in History

Science Lab

Word of the Day

In September when we start our new year I will have a different list of topics we will study then.

I love the fact that I was actually having Circle Time with my kids but needed a little direction. The next idea that she wrote that really spoke to me was how to get the kids on board with Circle Time. First, I explained this concept to my kids. I told them that Circle Time was a phrase used for doing school together first thing in the morning. All kids understood that we already do that. Next, I went through some of the things that they would like to incorporate so that I could make a list of that and keep it for the new year that starts in September.

One of the ideas was having the older children teach or help out with a topic or subject. This was perfect for Kyle, my oldest. He loves to help out because that singles him out a little from the smallest. He does really well with teaching concepts when I ask him too. So the plan that we spoke about was having him be in charge of art or drawing for the first month of school. As we go along with that we will evaluate the idea at that time.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it is a short read but it is filled and packed full of wonderful ideas, helpful tips and words of encouragement. It's nice to know that there is no right or wrong way to have circle time with your kids. You make it your own depending on how your needs are for your children.

This book helped me by realizing I can make this fun, I need to make a plan so that we all have fun, I can treat my oldest son differently because he can have more responsibility than the smallers, He can be helpful for me, I can be effective and last but not least I am not alone in this walk. 

I do not have preschoolers anymore and haven't in years but I remember needing help when I started homeschooling and adding in smaller children. I wish I would have had this book then! I remember my days seemed as if I didn't get anything done and after a little while I finally hit a routine with the smaller children. Homeschooling is hard and having smaller children that need you makes it harder. This eBook is a great tool for any one that needs a little help! 

Buy Kendra's eBook here for only $4.99

Want to see how others used this wonderful book? Click over to the Schoolhouse Review Blog!

 

Weekly Wrap Up 47 & 48

Yes that's right I haven't completed a Weekly Wrap Up in 2 weeks. First I haven't been very successful with schooling the last 2 weeks either. Second I finally today have all the children home and NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO GO ANY WHERE ELSE OR ANY ONE COME OVER!!! It finally just comes to the point you have to just say no!! Just because public school is on break doesn't mean we homeschoolers are. I must be stronger in just saying NO.

With that said our weeks have been simply - N.U.T.S.

Here is a little of what we have been doing the last 2 weeks.

Our annual testing came and gone. We really had a wonderful testing time, everyone tried their best and I feel very good about how they did. Alexis did have some issues with the math section and had a melt down over having to guess at 4 division problems but other than that everything was wonderful!

Reading Kingdom! It's a review that I have coming up and all 3 kids are really enjoying this! Lexi asks to do it daily!

Daddy helping Zachary read his words. He is improving a lot but we still have to practice daily drills. 

 Kyle finished his David Livingstone biography and then wrote me a summary!

 FINALLY!! 

The gutter bookcase has made its way back into our rooms. I posted on these a long time ago in our other home but since moving we hadn't placed them back in the kids room. Let's just say I was happy and so where the kids! I think it looks wonderful in our new home.

 Coloring sight words that rhyme!

 Learning some basic fractions - At her request.

 Draw Write Now books are some of her favorite and so Wednesday she wanted me to help her with a seal. I love her drawing!

 We decided we needed a little more fun during one of the days we actually was able to do school. As you see there was still actually one missing but we went on anyway. We played Time Bingo! Lexi was the first to win! 

 Zachary was helping Daddy outside at the chicken house and look what he found. It was so little and cute!

Dentist trip Thursday and he picked a mustache for his prize. I am happy to report no cavities in any child! That makes my day because I worry so much about that!

 Garden has started giving us some wonderful goodies. We have gotten corn, bush beans, peas, radishes, strawberries, lettuce, squash and onions so far. I hope it keeps it up. All the rain has hurt some of the crops  but I am thankful to have some more than none!

 And yesterday guess what came??? 

Zachary's testing results. I can't wait to get the others. Personally I believe Zachary done a wonderful job. I am very proud of his testing results.

I hope your weeks have been blessed like mine, but I also hope that you have had some resting time too!

Quality Movies for Kids

We have been watching some wonderful movies the past month and I wanted to share them with you!

Quality movies are hard to find!

We have Netflix and enjoy it tons, however there are times that we get movies that we only watch a few mintues of and put up and send back.

I'm happy to report that these movies are heartfelt, quality movies for families. My children are 12, 10 and 8 and we always watch movies together!

My daughter loves these so much I think she is asking for them for her birthday! Shiloh is a classic tale about a mistreated dog that needs rescued from the town bad man. All 3 movies build a relationship with the dog Shiloh, Marty and Jedd. We just finished the 3rd movie and all of us was thrilled with the ending!

A very sweet movie about a boy finding reasoning in his father's career. He is lead on an adventure of his own that helps him build a relationship with the panda and his father.

 

 This was such a sweet movie. I have to be honest I had never watched the movie but had read the book years and years ago. I didn't really remember anything about the book. Watching this movie was wonderful! You get to see a young boy work hard to earn his dream! His family is a great family however poor. I loved the way this boy worked hard, had manners and loved his family. The heartbreak of the dogs was just too much for us, I think all of us cried. 

Funny story after wards. We hadn't finished this movie but about a week ago and look what appeared in our back yard where we have 2 of the best Guinea Pigs any one could of had buried. The kids have talked and talked about this calling it "The Red Fern."

The Water Horse was a fun movie. My kids loved this movie! I loved the the mother wasn't going to allow her child to be pushed around!

Wordless Wednesday 48 ~ Outside Tour

 

 I was being stalked by my babies.