First Day of 4th Grade

Home's Cool!

Tied Up in Knots

Here's what I am teaching in American Girls Club.



We are covering the Rebecca series, set in 1914. Rebecca crocheted. She crocheted better than her older sisters. Better than I do. But today, I taught the girls (age 7-15) chain stitching - a little. We plan to make little doll-size scarves.


Any helpful hints on teaching children to crochet?

Direction for my week

"Prayer should be our steering wheel,
not our spare tire."

- Quote from my pastor yesterday. Yesterday's message was deep, and full of good stuff - a real call to examine oneself, to pray, to dialog with God. But I just loved this little quote he threw into the middle. I hope as I grasp my steering wheel I'll remember Who leads and who follows.

Here's a giveaway

Randi is giving away some of her stash! Aren't these pretty? I can imagine bunches of uses for them.

Catch a Falling Star!

The night of August 11 an 12 we are in for some nighttime showers - meteor showers, that is. It's time for the Perseid Meteor Shower. I hope to get Earthgirl up early for a chance to see the bright streaks, which show up best early in the morning.

A few resources:

Classical Astronomy (I have their book, Classical Astronomy, and one of these years it will be our main science course. Right now, it's just a wonderful reference. I also receive their free e-newsletter - I recommend it!)

Sky and Telescope

Astronomy magazine

Lunar eclipse, 2007. Sometimes we get up early for a good show.

Art/Craft Resources

Have you seen the bumper stickers or T-shirts that read, "Homeschoolers Don't Stay At Home"? So true! I've heard that there are some Homeschooling parents who keep their children at home for the purpose of isolating their families from EVERYBODY, but I don't know anyone like that. The HS famlies I know are vibrantly involved with each other and the community. We meet, learn, and have fun with each other in classes, Co-ops, and clubs; we interact in the community in helping projects; we often see our non-HS friends in after-school events, classes and clubs..."Socialization?" -- we almost have too much socialization!

This school year, Earthgirl and I plan to meet regularly with a few HS friends for some schooldays together. I am loving gathering up project ideas to use during the art/craft/cooking segments. I pledge these children will NEVER receive from me any cut-outs of craft foam to glue together!

Here are just a few of the websites from whence I take inspiration. Each site has links to other sites equally idea-laden. They whet my appetite and make my fingers itch to get busy:

Not just kiddie crafts:

Art Projects for Kids

Deep Space Sparkle

Wonder How To

Dollar Store Crafts

Sewing School

Oodles of Art

Skip to My Lou

A Spoonful of Sugar

Do you know of some cool website not listed here that would inspire more real art and good crafts for our students (7-12 years)?

Busy Before 4

It's that time of year when I scan the emails and the newspaper ads to find out what cool deals Staples and Office Depot are offering this week. (Monday I picked up 5 packs of looseleaf notebook paper for a nickel.)

It's that time of year when Earthgirl scans the ads and shows me the cool back-to-school clothes she wants. --not that she doesn't have about 32 T-shirts that are just fine, along with associated shorts, skirts, skorts, and capris, and it won't be cool enough to need long pants until Thanksgiving.

It's that time of year when, after a day of childcare, exercise class, soccer tryouts, and a longish Homeschool group meeting (not that I am complaining), I sit on the church gym floor with my friends, admiring a beautiful dozing foster baby ( I got to hold him earlier- so sweet! - Lord please bless and keep Him with your love) drinking caffeinated beverages at 10 p.m., talking about plans for the school year. (Oh, and we have some great plans!)

So it's that time of year when I fall asleep at 11:30, but pop awake at 3:30 with ideas swirling in my head. Grab the two Mark Kistler books in the dark, come into the light to discover I've grabbed The Indispensible Calvin and Hobbes instead.

I love these books! They help a non-drawer learn to draw.

It's that time of year when all 3 of my spiral notebooks are in the car. No problem - just got new ones at Staples, open one up and start jotting.



Because I'll be in charge of Art.