Week 6: truth!

We are about 1/4 of the way through the "school" year and he is learning things so quickly and loving every minute of out! The only time he complains about doing school work is when his father is around.

We still are having issues with the sight word "the" but the rest are pretty much down pat!!!


Starting our day at 5am sucks horribly and is never ever my first choice. I don't sleep well at night and would much rather stay in bed until 8 especially now that the cold is here. I am lucky enough that he will go help his dad get ready for work and then come back and snuggle with me for a while before hes had enough and I have to get up. The bonus is most days we have our book work done before 9am which means we have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. It is also nice that playgroup opens at 9am, sucks I can't bring my tea in there but he loves it.

There is so much to see and do at the earlyOn centres its amazing and I am so grateful that they are there for our children.

Mondays are normally well Mondays but today there is a little more excitement as I rescued a dog in rough shape last night so he was more interested in the dog than most other thing lol.
We did our school work done and that is about all school related things we did as we had to take care of Gus wounds.

Home Depot day arrived and it was a blast except I decided to school work after the home depot and well this was a bad idea because Blaine likes things in a certain order so it caused school not to go perfect but we got through it just fine! Because we did things out of order we ended up doing a sight word work sheet as well I didn't hide any sight words....oops...oh well there is always tomorrow.

I went to Functions of Behaviour, I learned a lot I also learned that centres that help children really need to get on bored with each other and figure out which research they are going to use also updates to that research help a lot. I did learn many things I didn't know before and I loved the instructor. It has given me a different way to collect data for the OT in Blaines life and this will better help him in the long run.  Going to the seminar was just showed me I am doing the right thing by homeschooling Blaine. None of the schools, staff or support staff are equipped to help those who need it the most. Many can't even tell you what a sensory issue is.


Wednesday are supposed to be my work day but as bad days go this one SUCKED!!! We got our school work done and even took Gus for his first walk. ABC mouse wasn't working so we tried it for a little bit then gave up.

Well we didn't get any seated school work done but we did the music and dance Halloween party and then Homeschool chat and play in the afternoon. Because I didn't work yesterday that means I have to work today and because we get back late and didn't have time this morning no seat work for Blaine but thats okay, there is always tomorrow.

Friday we made lungs from bags and straws. He had a blast! We also went to the mcdonalds playplace so he could play and I could fill out paper work for the rescue fundraiser.

2018 a year in rescue!

I figured I might as well do this now as Gus will likely be the last foster of this year that crosses my doorway. I whole heartly believe every dog enters my life for a reason.

Christy!!!

Christy was an owner surrender and my first foster in a long time. She was sweet, smart, full of life and energy! Her and Blaine were quite the pair getting into EVERYTHING all the time lol. She came into my life to remind me that I still needed to this, I still need to open my heart and door those animals that were not longer wanted by their families. Christy reopened my heart, my home and showed me Blaine need this too!


Heart break comes like tea in the morning to those in rescue.

Donny and Cherry came to me so broken that Donny was only with us for a day. Cherry was with us until it was her time. These two tiny spirits showed me that I am strong enough to do this again. That I am strong enough to love them until they don't need me anymore. Strong enough to get through anything, including losing two sweet souls who only knew peace and love a short time but will never be alone alone again.






In December I lost my world, my heart dog, the boy who had been with me through everything! I swore I would never love a dog in the same again and its true I wont!

Lexi the Cat Dog who has so many face wrinkles she looks liek the stuffed toy "wrinkles" I had as a kid. EVERYONE suited up in their capes for this one. She came in a hurry and with her she stole my heart. She is tiny compared to what I am used to that is for sure but only in stature not in muscle, heart of brains. Lexi LOVES Blaine. She has stolen a place in my heart I didn't think I had left after losing ACE, she has shown me a I can love in a similar way again. No dog will ever replace Ace, but she sure is trying on his shoes. Lexi is still here and I haven't fully decided what I am going to do about her. She is a perfect dog minus having to have her lady bits washed 3-4 times a day, special stuff on her food and leaking when she sleeps. All because her lady bits are hanging out far further than what they should be. Poor sweet pie, but even with those issues she is still loved.


As most people will tell you, when it comes to animals I don't think I just react. Which is how I ended up with 8 fosters, pregnant and Richard working in Alberta lol.

Yes that is a dog in a field. You might not be able to see him but he was there. Gus was a post in a group that I was tagged in so of course I loaded up and went to get him. I will have a post about just him so I wont go into too much detail about his story here. Gus came into my to teach me patience and to show me that I still will never give up on an animal no matter how unhappy they are in that moment with me. To show me that waiting is just the beginning of the rainbow!!!


Every rescue teaches us something new, shows us something we didn't know was within us. From your heart breaking for those you saved past and what they have been though to your heart breaking once again to see them off to their forever home everyone in rescue knows by best that our hearts are our strongest muscle and will always heal despite the scars.


Those in rescue remember you are needed, you are loved and no matter how hard the day, week, month YOU have made a difference! YOU are making a difference!!

Week 7: The grand Desgin

Coming up with new and creative ways to title my home school posts is actually kind of fun!!

Week 7 is going to be a relaxed week because I need to get things organized for a recuse fundraising event and there are a few things that a fellow homeschooler and I were discussing that we would like to see offered in our area so I am going to see about planning some of that.

We only have 1 page left in our Usborne Get ready for school first numbers sticker book so we will be moving onto a new workbook My first book of A,B,C, Letter. I got this book from Dollar tree.
We are still using the Morning Starters book, which I also got from Dollar Tree. This week is an exciting week we are going to start doing science experiments using the The Usborne BIG book of Experiments! I got this book from Value Village. I am normally not a huge fan of that store but their books are a great price!!!


Week 7
Day 1:

In the fall work sheet which I found here, sight word we, workbook and ABC Mouse.

Sight word "we" is done with home made flash cards and using the sight words we have already learnt in between.

Outing: Gymnastics at Bluewater Cheer  He is going to be excited to be back. our instructor was away for 2 weeks so it will be our first day back!


Day 2:
Fall guess whats in the bag, sight word we, work book, ABC Mouse.

Fall guess whats in the bag has us putting our hands in bags of items like apples, leaves, pine cones, sticks, etc and guessing what is in each bag!

Sight work "we" worksheet came from here.

Outing: Skating

Day3:

Sticky Paper tree, sight word we, workbook, ABC mouse

Sticky paper is just contact paper that you can get at the dollar store. I am going to draw an out line of a tree on it and we are going on a nature hut to find things outside to "make" our tree with.

Sight word we worksheet I can't remember where I got it so I will just include it below.

We are going to do our experiment this day. It is Testing the water: Needle on the water






Day 4

Fall scented play doh, wight word we, workbook, ABC Mouse

We are going to make fall scented play doh together. I found a recipe here that we are going to try.


Sight word hunt is so much fun and he is engaged the whole tiem.



Day 5

Pumpkin counting, sight word we, workbook, ABC Mouse

We are going to do a pumpkin counting worksheet which I found here.

Sight word we is just more hand made flash cars.

We have another fun Halloween party to attend for our outing! and we have the homeschool chat and play in the afternoon.

Home Depot Homeschool day!

20 kids + 2 pieces of plywood on top of buckets + 20 hammers + 20 buckets being used as seat for this plywood table = dear god who thought hammers were a good idea.

All in all it was great! It was a great group of kids and a great group of parents!

The instructor was Katie and we was so sweet, kind and even helped a few of the moms who had more than one child with them. We built book ends the whole thing took about 20 mins. The kids had a blast, the parents had headaches and everyone had bookends.

Blaine loved it, he of course looked at the directions and got to work before she said go, so here I am saying no no you need to wait and here she is saying no hes doing it just the way its supposed to go, its okay.

As always we do things fast and this includes sitting and building something, but hey Sarah was there so I didn't feel alone because her children need to do things fast too.

The other parents were happy about it as well and enjoyed doing it with their children.

We have another one set up for next month because this one filled up so freaking fast. I mean within 10 mins of posting it the event was full.

Do you like to build things with your children? Do you allow your children to use tools?

Pinterest! Coconut Banana bread

I made a few changes when I made this which I will mention as we go along. This is a good recipe although not my favourite.

Blaine helped me out with making it, he loves to be in the kitchen cooking, baking and just being helpful, still can't get him to touch anything with his hands but thats okay. Everything in its own time.

Full recipe and directions found here!!


Ingredients:

1/2 vanilla yogurt
1 egg
3 over ripe banana's
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. (I used canola oil and I only had 2.5 tablespoons left in the bottle lol)
1 1/3 cup of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon if salt (I forgot to add this oops)
1/2 chopped pecans (I used 1/4 cup)
1/2 coconut (I only had unsweetened and I used 1/4 cup)
(I added 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips)

Preheat your oven to 350 (I do mine at 325 because my oven runs hot)
Grease a 9*5 loaf pan (I sprayed mine with pam)

In a bowl mash the banana's
Mix in the vanilla yogurt, egg, oil

In a separate bowl mix all your dry stuff.

Combine both bowls together until moist but don't over mix.

(I put all the wet stuff in my kitchen aid mixer, then I slowly added the dry stuff until it was all mixed)

Topping:
3 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of coconut
3 tablespoons of chopped pecans

make into a crumble in a bowl

(This didn't work for me, it turned into a paste so I said screw it and added quick oats until it turned into a crumble)

Bake in the oven for 55-65 mins (Mine took 75 mins because I was doing it at lower temp so it wouldn't burn)

Week 6 Strategy

Exploring our bodies is this weeks unit!

This weeks workbooks are the same as last weeks which are Usborne first numbers and morning starters.

Week6
Day1
Matching Body parts, Sight word see, workbook, ABC mouse.

Matching Body parts I found the cards here . I have them all printed and cut we will be taping them to my body in the right positions.

Handmade flash cards once again for the sight work "See"

Outing: Play group

Week6
Day 2
Body part find, sight word hunt "see", workbook, ABC mouse

Body part find is about me saying the body part and him locating the where on his body it is.
I am using the same cards from the day before.

Sight word hunt is me placing sticky notes all over the house with the sight words we have learnt so far and then he has to go around and find only the word "see".

Outing: Homeschool home depot day, book club

Week6
Day 3

Tracing out bodies, sight word "see", workbook, ABC mouse

We are going to trace each other on giant paper and then label the body parts.

I can't remember where I got the sight word work sheet but I will include it below.
 
Outing:  preschool reading at the library

Week 6
Day 4

Dem bones with actions, sight word "see", Workbook, ABC Mouse.

Dem bones lyrics I found and printed from here.

Sight word is another work sheet that I can't remember where I found so I will just post it below.

Outing: Skating at our local arena and Homeschool chat and play.

Week 6
Day 5:

Paper bag lungs, sight word "see", workbook, ABC Mouse

I found the idea on pinterest to make lungs out of a paper bag in order to show how they work.

Homemade flash cards for sight word "see"

Outing: Forest school

Week 5 reality!

Monday was thanksgiving this meant everyone was home and the girls were here. So we did our school work early before the girls got here and that was a fight at first because dad is home and well apparently when dad is home that means he suddenly hates doing school work but we got through it. We did our outing with the girls. It was just a walk around the block collecting leaves to put in our paper bags, the poor girls didn't even make it half way around the block before they were complaining they were tired lol. We got back and started to sort the leafs, the girls had no interest and that is okay so Blaine and I did his bag, what we noticed was we have a million trees around but mostly they are a variety of maple tree lol. It was fun none the less. We had to move our thankful tree to above the table bosscos tail kept taking it off the door and ruining it, but its growing. I love seeing what he comes up with each day.

Tuesday we had our Nature Walk with St.Clair child and youth it was just a walk around the neighborhood near their college street location. We looked for things on our list and found all of them. He had a blast, I was hot.
We got all of our school work finished without a fight and even for a bunch of our learning path finished in ABC Mouse. He retains so much from learning it is crazy. We did leaf rubbing on our work sheet today and he said "just like at forest school mom" he even remember ALL of the parts of the leaf without help.



Leaf painting with a child who hates to get messy is something else lol. He did great though but only did a few and that was that. We seem to have the word "can" down pat already which is very exciting and he did his school work with no issues at all.

Because we have the homeschool trip to korny korners on Friday the homeschool chat and play had to be moved to Thursday which makes the day a tight squeeze as we normally do all of our shopping on Thursdays as well. He loves the chat and play with the homeschool kids and they mainly get along great. I have noticed a big difference between children who attend school and those who are homeschooled in their personalities and interactions with each other.

We had a blast at Korny Korners with all the homeschool kids. Even got a pumpkin. He tried putt putt