I am planting my first city garden this year (hope to be country someday) and I came across this awesome video on youtube. This lady is my inspiration! Check it out if your interested in providing now, not later. Michelle

For me, its getting really excited about what I want them to learn. I pour myself into reading and talking all about the subject. They can't help but be pulled in! LOL Michelle

I saw the other post about MWL and I thought it would be neat to know what tried and true recipes posters have tried. I really have only made the master baking mix. My family thinks I am the worlds best biscuit maker now! LOL I notice some of you use lentils or barley. I have never used or eaten either of these. I am curious how to prepare them, or even where to find them in the store. Michelle

This is a big one for me. I wasn't taught anything growing up either. So for several years now I have been self-teaching using every resource I can get my hands on. If it is plumbing, then I check out a ton of books an video's from the library and then get in there and get my hands dirty. Sometimes I can't fix it right away, but I usually get it. I taught myself tons of things doing it this way. I want to give my children the advantage of at least having exposure to life skills, even if they don't master them from me. Michelle

May I recommend a blog? http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/ I love this womans blog. She is simply amazing in what she does with her boys. You will have to click on the nature tab to see all her nature posts. Michelle

What is the most useful or special gift you got when you graduated from college? My cousin is graduating this Saturday, and I want to get her something like a really good book that she can refer to her whole life, or give her something special. I can't spend a lot, but I want it to be special. Any ideas?:bigear: Michelle

HI, I have it. I won it from Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I would be willing to give it to you for shipping. Email me. cmahmhprz@aol.com Michelle

Have you looked at Mona Brookes Drawing with Children? Your library may have this book. It sounds like what you are looking for. http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Children-Mona-Brookes/dp/0874778271 I would also recommend Discovering Great Artists for Art Appreciation and FUN FUN FUN project ideas.

We do this also. We really are enjoying it a lot! Thanks Jessica, I knew you would give an excellent answer! Michelle

Jessica, I will explore this further to give some input, but I was wondering if you could post your Yr. 2, Unit 4 project plans. This is where we currently are. Just as a side note, we have used Homeschool In the Woods Colonial Life CD's to make several paper projects to add to projects listed in TOG. One of them is the Colonial Fashions project. We used the transparency overlays and it was fantastic! I plan to get their most current one for next year. Michelle

I checked it out of our library through Interlibrary Loan. It was neat, but really light. I wouldn't use it as a curriculum. More of a suppliment to something else. The DVD's are what really make the curriculum. I would use something else for my written work. This year I will be using Rod & Staff Grammar and Analytical Grammar with my daughters. Michelle

I teach art in my home using the book Discovering Great Artists and the internet. I also make powerpoint presentations (short) to give the children an idea of the artist and their work. It is a great tool! I have used a lot of programs and liked none of them! It is such an easy subject to teach using just the library or the internet and a lot of great supplies. Michelle

I used Rome to Reformation and it was a very good year for us. We made the switch to TOG at the end of this year after selling Explorers-1850. I just didn't think it was as good as RTR. My Father's World is good at some levels and others are just OK in my opinion. Michelle

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Bible The Child’s Story Bible Chapter 1 pg. 505 Chapter 2 Pg. 507 Storybook Nook Poetry: Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young “Singing-Time†pg. 3 “The Raggedy Dog†pg. 4 “The Snail and the Mouse†pg. 4 “A Frog and a Flea†pg. 4 Nature Study Today Finger Plays: The Eentsy, Weentsy Spider “Ten Little Firefighters†pgs. 6-7 “Balloons “Six Little Ducks†pgs. 10-11 Literature: James Herriot’s Treasury for Children Moses the Kitten Only One Woof Literature: The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter The Tale of Peter Rabbit Pg. 9 The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin Pg. 21 The Reading Lesson Explode the Code Pg. 10,16 Pg. 24,29 Pg. 30-31 Pg. 33-34 Afternoon Storybook Nook Read-Aloud Five Little Peppers A Home View Pg. 1 Making Happiness for Mamsie Pg. 11 Mamsie’s Birthday Pg. 24 Trouble for the Little Brown House Pg. 33 More Trouble Pg. 47 Working With My Hands Workbooks & more Cut out large words from magazines and glue them to a poster board. Kumon Learn the Alphabet Arts & Crafts Letter “D†Activity Page Kumon Go to the Park! Activity Cupboard Choose an activity Practical Work Polish the furniture today Play basketball with mom Help mom do the laundry today Help mom cook in the kitchen today Habit Training Cleanliness – Read Laying Down the Rails pg.21 The Artist in You! Art Paint at the Easel Read “Come Look With Me†Study Art Art Class: Printing

I would suggest doing something like the following and then adding in phonics (100 easy lesson or phonics pathways or Reading Made Easy) and Math (RightStart A is my current favorite, but Rod & Staff could be nice too) for kindergarten using a similar type schedule. Just get the books listed below (you can see pictures of them on my blog www.homeschoolblogger.com/michellemybell) or choose your own favorites. It is not too difficult to schedule. You can also add in games from the books Family Math or Games for Math by Peggy Kaye if you wanted more math for preschool. I wouldn't spend a lot of money of Pre-K other than the stuff I mentioned below. I used MFW Kindergarten and it was O.K., but I found it kinda confusing to follow. Michelle (See next post for schedule)

I did until recently I complete emptied our basement (Homeschool Room/Play Room/ Laundry Room) painted it and then brought back in only the really big toys (play kitchen, fisher price dollhouse) and 1 box of accessories. When the kids get tired of playing with the accessories, they pack them up and take them out to the garage where they exchange them for something else. Our basement has never been more than 5 minutes dirty since and therefore the kids LOVE to play down there instead of upstairs now. It has helped A LOT! Michelle

I would second that you take a look at Living Books Curriculum. They look fantastic. I also talked to them recently at my homeschool convention. Michelle

It was the only program that FINALLY got my daughter reading after several programs and a couple of years. Does that say anything? But I would say, here is how I used it... I would do the lesson with her, then I made up copywork worksheets for her to copy a sentence out of the story she was reading. I would also make a copy of the picture in the book for her to color after she did her copywork. We would always finish by reading. We read the Little House books & James Herriots Treasury for children. She still fondly remembers our time doing these lessons. Michelle

I will share a quick one. I was raised by my Aunt in a little brick house. One day in April, when I was 14 years old, I got a call after I had just gotten home from school that my Aunt had collapsed at work. She died that same day. It was a very tramatic time for me because I loved her like my own mother. What made it even worse is I had to move out of my "safe haven" little brick house. Recently (20 years later) we had a new friend over who was helping my husband fix our plumbing under our kitchen sink. As we were getting to know him a little bit better, I mentioned the neigborhood I grew up in. He said, "Oh I used to live in that neighborhood a few years back." Then I told him the street name and he said, "Yeah! That was my road!" At this point I started to think he was lying (He is a guy with a dry sense of humor). He asked me the address and I said "4238" and he said, "Yep, that was my house." I was like "No way, your pulling my leg!" I mean I live in a city of 300,000 not including the burbs! So he calls his wife and says "Honey, could you please tell Michelle the address of our house on _______ Rd?" So she gets on the phone and says " We lived at 4238 ___________" I couldn't believe that he lived in MY HOUSE! He lived there just a couple of years after my Aunt had passed away. He told me all the improvments they had made to the house. It was wild! Michelle

5ft 8 :001_smile:

Angela, We just finished a study of The Giver by, Lois Lowry. We used a Progeny Press guide. Allison LOVED it! It gave us a lot of excellent discussions. Michelle

We are having family over for dinner Sunday and my dh wants to go to the store now. I don't want to serve the usuals (hamburgers, sloppy joes, pizza). I am thinking of something easy like pasta or something. I want it to be healthy (atleast somewhat!) and not too spendy. So help me PLEASE!!! Meat - Pasta Side- Other Side? - Fruit - Dessert - Michelle

A1 Steak Sauce Baby!!! I was very poor growing up and we had little food in the house, but we always had A1 Steak sauce, so I would sniff that whenever I was really hungry. No JOKE! Also, I love the smell of a summer rain storm, fresh cut grass and laundry drying. Michelle

I use it as a supplement to TOG and it's awesome! I have the Colonial one along side TOG year 2 unit 4. I plan to get their most current one to go with year 3. Michelle

I know I am coming in late, but I wanted to add some things I did for our playroom. Add ART! I find framed prints at garage sales (Renoir, Degas etc...) and hang them in the room. I love the atmosphere it leaves. Add CENTERS! My art museum has a family center, with little play areas scattered around the room. A kitchen area, a puppet area, a drawing area, a painting area, dolls etc... I made similar areas in my playroom. ROTATE TOYS! Don't have all your toys accessable. In fact, allow very few to be seen at all. Keep the rest hidden and rotate them about 1x a week. This encourages creativity because they have to play with what is available. It also saves a lot of cleanup and reorganization. It also makes the new toys seem, well NEW! Keep it light and airy! Make sure to have an area that is easy to see and a fresh space to be in. I have a basement, we painted it white and we have windows that I open as much as possible. We also have good lighting. BOOKS! Keep a box of books (that you rotate) and a comfy bean bag or foam chair available for quiet reading times. KEEP It NEAR the Homeschool Room - We have ours near our homeschool room so the younger kids can play while I teach and I can still hear and see them. Just some ideas for you! Michelle