Last week in history we talked about the “earliest people*,” the “nomads.” We discussed foods they ate (plants, roots, berries, meat, fish, wild honey, etc.). After reading about it Ryan and I had this “great” idea to make a dinner of foods the nomads ate. He got REALLY into it and couldn’t wait to show/tell Jared all about the things he’d learned.
First we decorated the dining room with some “cave art.”

Then we talked about what we could make, made lists and a menu, and went shopping.

Then we set the table.

On our menu:

Meat (hamburger patties)
Fish (tilapia filets)
Grain (long grain and …

Today we played a variation of a cute spelling game I found in this* book.
I put several stickers (could also use tape, bingo chips, etc.) on the floor a foot or two apart. At the end of the sticker path was a coveted package of fruit snacks–one for each kid.
They started out on the first sticker and I gave them a word from this week’s spelling list. Ryan (K/1st) spelled the word and if he got it correct he could jump to the next dot. Emmy (Pre-K) listened to me say the first sound of the word and then told …

When I taught elementary school one of my favorite most-used, must-have learning tools were mini whiteboards for all my students. Since buying a whole set (out of my own pocket) was going to be pretty pricey one of my teacher friends and I went to Lowes bought a huge piece of shiny white panel board (also called shower board) for less than $15, and asked the hardware department worker to cut the board into manageable pieces. I think we each got about 30 mini-boards out of one 4′ x 8′ piece of panel board. I used …

This is a bit messy, but super fun and thanks to couponing I’ve been able to keep a good supply of shaving cream around!

Squirt shaving cream on the table or counter and then just let them play . For younger ones it’s a good way to practice writing letters, or drawing shapes or faces, etc. When I taught first grade we often did this favorite Friday activity to practice spelling words just before taking the test. (Plus, the desks got nice and clean!)
I have a piece of clear vinyl on our dining room table …

I recently heard the question,  “what do homeschoolers eat for lunch?” While the answer to this question can probably apply to anyone with kids, I thought I’d share some of the things we do for lunch. (But it’s usually last night’s leftovers or a salad for my husband and me.)

Macaroni and cheese (often sneak in some carrot, squash, or sweet potato puree for added nutrition!)
Hot dogs
Pigs in a Blanket
Bean burritos
Quesadillas
Homemade “lunchables” (crackers, cheese, lunchmeat, juice box)
Almond butter and jelly (sandwich or tortilla wrap)
Pasta salad (cold cooked pasta, variety of chopped veggies, chopped meat, cheese chunks, Italian or ranch dressing)
Mini …

This is my cute friend Aja.

(Stole this from her facebook page. Hahaha)
This is my cute friend Aja and me in April in at a homeschooling convention in Cincinnati.

(Pumped, rejuvinated and feeling like supermoms! And somehow we were so busy that’s the only picture we managed to take!)
And this is my cute friend Aja and me in August at her dining room table planning for the school year.

(Overwhelmed, and coping with Diet Dr. Pepper.)
Just in case any one wonders (’cause I get this comment/question all the time), nooooo, I’m not an incredibly patient saint–I’m just a …

We spent the afternoon with some good friends making Koolaid playdough. I love this recipe because the soft dough smells so good and doesn’t stain your hands.
Kool-Aid Playdough

1 cup flour 
1/2 cup salt
1 packet unsweetened Koolaid (more if you want a more vibrant color)
3 TBSP oil
1 cup boiling water

Combine flour, salt, oil and Kool-Aid powder. Add boiling water. Stir together. Knead mixture until it forms a soft dough.Mix well and play! Store in a sealed container.

I use Saxon for math because I think it’s fun as well as practical. In the early grades the lessons use a lot of manipulatives. In fact my kids think it’s so fun that every day my son asks to do ”play math.” Not sure he realizes he’s actually learning something!
 Today our kindergarten math lesson introduced pennies and how to write the cents symbol. After the introduction the book suggested an activity where the kids could play store and “pay” for items with pennies. So I took a handful of pennies out of my coin jar and helped the kids …

Last week my good friend Aja and I left our kids with our husbands and spent three days and two nights in Cincinnati. It was an AMAZING couple of days and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t take any pictures. Not one. How’s that for failing on my scrapbooking duties?!!
Our main reason for going was to attend the Midwest Homeschool Convention. We spent the majority of our time attending workshops, shopping for curriculum, and talking with other homeschooling parents. At the end of the convention we were exhausted, inspired, and re-committed. And while I’ve …

*This is not an affiliate review, I’m just a satisfied mom sharing I product I love!*
One of the reasons I decided to start homeschooling is because my four-year old son is advanced in some areas and I was worried he would be bored when he started school. He was ready for a challenge so after weeks of thinking, talking, researching, and praying about it, we decided to commit. At least for now. We’ll evaluate as time goes on.
I started him in kindergarten math and first grade reading, but I’ve had to adapt our schoolwork …