I WON...plus another Guidecraft giveaway

I entered a giveaway for Guidecraft Block Mates Farm animals over at Granola Mom 4 God...and WE WON!!!  I am super excited.  We got them in yesterday and the kids tested them out.  So this morning, just after breakfast they wanted to play with them again...here they are in action...

See how excited we are!!!

 

They began showing us all of their tricks...

 

Soon, our newest residents would meet their new friends...



True to their names...they found mates.



...and then began rapidly multiplying

After only a few days...they have brought tremendous enjoyment.  I am sure there will be much more creativity and enjoyment to come.

We are so thankful that God set these aside for our enjoyment (and mama is thankful that she doesn't have to feed this new herd).  Thank you Guidecraft and Granola Mom 4 God for this giveaway.

Speaking of giveaways...I told you there was a new one.  Cindy at Along the Way and  Guidcraft have teamed up to give away Interlox.  They look super fun and I remember having a similar set when I taught at a daycare.  The children always enjoyed seeing them out on the table.  I would love to have some...and may be buying them if I don't win!!!

Go check it out and enter yourself...

Until next time...

Alicia

WHEW!

Between all the sickness in this house, doctor and dentist appointments, and a husband abruptly call out of town on work, we have been doing mostly school-on-the-go...

What school-on-the-go???  Well, really it's anything that encourages learning when we are on the road... and life skills. 

For us that means:

In the van:  I-Spy (colors, ABCs, numbers, etc.) or an occasional educational or theme related video if we won't be getting in and out a lot.  I have seen some cool I-Spy bottles and bags on other blogs and plan to make and post about them soon.

In the waiting room: (or anywhere I am capable of helping and we will be waiting a while)--School folder containing review worksheets or the occasional handwriting practice.  We don't do many worksheets at home, so these are great for assessment of what they have retained...and also for charting progress in their binders. (I keep one binder per child with well completed worksheets, and assessment sheets...sounds like a post for another day!)

We also play file folder games, or anything fun that can be played with on their lap or standing and using their chair for a table.  I make my own...we have a local resource center that is open for teachers and parents to make die cuts, games, copy fun ideas from books, make posters, and laminate.  We also love  File Folder Fun. You can search by grade or subject...and Valerie has sister sites for Bible printables and much more!!

In the grocery store:  (I try to go as little as possible, so we fill at least two buggies on every grocery trip.)  Beautiful Agate (7) has her own "grocery list", and pushes a buggy with either Emerald (11 months) or Diamond (2) and lighter items, so it's not too heavy.  Ruby (4) and Topaz (3) are the "strong" helpers...I LOVE having boys!!!  They help get really heavy items like milk or canned goods, etc.  They also have to pick one letter on the package (usually the first letter) and tell me the name and sound.  Diamond finds colors she knows, and helps by dropping some items in the buggy (boxed items, marshmallows, etc.)  Emerald just gets to enjoy the beautiful energy of it all!!

If we will be having a long errand day, I try to plan a library trip "break", or we'll go to a local park for a picnic.  These parts are planned on days when errands don't include cold groceries already in the van or sick/cranky kiddos...and they are kept secret so there is no disappointment with the older

ones if it just doesn't work out.

Oh...It hasn't been all misery around here...but the few days that all are well, we have been on field trips. Living American History and Civil War reenactment...local park fun...water park play...and strawberry picking.  Now that's school-on-the-go!!  Hope to post pics of all of it soon!!!

Until next time,

Alicia

Update

Okay...so how do mom's keep up with this thing???  I seem to take lots of pics and forget to post...or get ready to post with no pics.  Just a quick update for those who have checked out this blog...YES, I am still here.

Holidays are always fun for us...and Valentine's was no exception.  We believe that love should be shared in abundance and everyday, but since my kiddos love to craft...

...and Daddy loves gifts, we decided on a gift that will keep on giving!!  Each of the older ones got to do a side, and the inside is for all of the special things they come up with to make for him.  I don't know about anyone else's home, but my kitchen counter tends to eat kid-made works of art...so this was both practical and made-with-LOVE!

We also had a birthday in the house...mine.  Beautiful Agate and Daddy conspired to make me a cake and surprise me a day early!  With the help of my mother in law, they actually succeeded.  Guess who enjoys chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream even more than his mama...



OK...so since this is a homeschool blog...next time I'll be sure to have some creative stuff up here!

Alicia

Just gettin started...

OK...so here we go.  Just figured out how to start this blog thingy (thanks lil sis)...but I use the word "figured" very loosely.  I am hoping this will improve with time, so please bear with me. 

I guess I'll start with a little background and some of the vision for this blog. 

I am a homeschooling mama of 5 children.  That in itself is alot of background, and current ground.  My oldest just made 7 and the youngest is 9 months at the time of this post. (I hope to get pics up soon...sounds like another job for the sister mentioned above.)

I am a daughter of the King, a princess of sorts.  Nah, not the Disney kind that somehow pops into our heads immediately...but the in-training, fumbling through it, just barely getting a glimpse of what it means to be entrusted with the precious treasures that a daughter receives from her Father kind of princess.  (In case you didn't catch it...I am referring to motherhood, and yes the meaning of the blog name refers to my children...HIS children.)  He has referred to them so many times as just that, and I KNOW that they are my inheritance!! 

I strive daily to be consistent in motherhood, and thus in teaching.  Which in turn leads us to this blog.  I hope to be diligent enough to inspire those moms out there hearing the voice of the Lord saying, "you can do it..." (yes, homeschooling). And I have to start by saying that, in my experience, even if you look at the river and see the sharp bends and rough waters...letting go into the arms of HIS will is far less exhausting than fighting to hold on to yours.  He has equipped you with everything that you need to polish those precious treasures until they are shiny enough to reflect Him.  And when the needs change...so will your abilities.  Remember the good work He promised to complete in you??? (Philippians 1:6) 

Once I learn to post links, I hope to have information about homeschooling laws, inspirational blogs that I have visited, and just a touch of personalization from my family's experiences...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

So, until next time...Maybe tomorrow?!?!

Alicia