Creative Homeschooling...

I do not remember very often to share about homeschooling, but today I was able to again combine the worlds of sewing creativity and learning for my younger two, and thought it would be fun to pass the ideas on. Bell is in first grade and Noah is in preschool, but both of them have some basic learning that they can do together. Sounds of the alphabet is still a bit of a struggle for Bell, so having Noah right along side her is a type of cheerleading she needs. Today I felt I really needed to figure out some kind of creative way to help with their memory, something tactile. So, I came up with two fun ways to learn the alphabet.

First we decided to create a new letter each day- "the letter of the day." Today was the letter "A" of course. The kiddos helped me pick out the fabric, I cut the shape(nothing fancy) and sewed them up, and the wee ones then stuffed each of the letters while we talked about the letter and it's sounds. I don't know if you realize this, but stuffing is one of the most fascinating things to a little kiddo-mine could come up with 1001 ways to play with stuffing(polyfil). Here are some of the pics...

Next I worked on some capes over lunch time for each of them. Very simple, but they each had two squares of velcro attached in the middle for "the letter of the day" . They became super letter heros! Each day we will attach a different letter of the alphabet to the cape for there lessons....

Since they have been wearing the capes long after school is over, it also helps to remind me to keep bringing the letter into our conversations throughout the day. I need a little help sometimes too:) School should never really end.

And those capes---yes! they were made from reclaimed bed linens:)

Works in Progress...

Earlier today I shared a post of random simple events around the house. I have taken a few more photos to share the works in progress...This resting place for this bookshelf has yet to be determined, not because it is unnessesary, but because there are so many places waiting to be oganized out of crates! The girls helped me paint this. I still have a coat or two left and then need to seal it.
This is the school table for my youngest two. We are giving it up for a few days to give it a fresh coat of paint and maybe even some fun designs having to do with school. I still have not decided on that. I tend to move furniture around as often as i wash bedding-so making something with a permanent theme is not usually a good idea;)
This little side table is actually an old stool. I couldn't pass it up-it had such a cute bean shape to it. We have used it for everything! But I finally have gotten around to painting it and re-glued the legs.

And last but not least for now at least, is a little school chair I recently found. It is shorter than most chairs and would not fit at a normal table, but our school table is at an awquard height which has made it difficult to find seating for. This chair works fabulously! This chair I took the easy way out and spray painted. Certain furntiure re-dos I will not invest alot of time in because I know the beating they are about to take;)

Home Life...

Just a few fun snips of life around our house.I was sitting next to Noah while working with the kiddos this morning. Noah is 4 and a real character! I asked him to color inside the lines for his lesson on the letter "A" this morning. What I heard from him still cracks me up. Very quietly, in a whisper and with determination, he says to himself "come on...concentrate" He was working very hard to stay within this skinny little line on the ambulance.
Bell and Noah are a fun pair to school. I work in short segments of time in order to keep their attention. I am currently painting their school table, so we were at the dining room table this morning.
We gathered up some more out of the garden yesterday. I am attempting to ignore how icky the garden looks right now in order to resist the urge to rip everything out. The end of the season always looks so tired and overgrown, but it is still producing and I need to insert some patience . But this was a fun bunch of food to gather up! Pumpkin seeds!!! That is the first on my list!
Yesterday afternoon, I dragged all the odds and ends of furniture that has accumulated in the garage awaiting my attention and hauled them outside to get sanding underway. It did not take long before the older kids had finished their studies and were out next to me begging to do some sanding. There is just something about that little sander that is so therapeutic, everyone wants a go at it. I didn't mind sharing, giving my arms a break! Everything is getting a fresh coat of crisp white making the mismatched bunch, look somewhat coordinated.;)

Two Things I Want to Remember...

This is one of those posts that acts as a journal entry for me-something I do not want to forget. A quick reminder of my blessings, but hopefully it will also be a sweet little smile to your day as well. Remember to capture those moments worth savoring. Keep your eyes wide open and your ears in tune and grab onto God's whispers to you even in the midst of ordinary life!!

One of the reasons I love homeschooling!!! All the places we can learn!! Joslyn is studying for a spelling test out under the clothesline, it has the best shade at this time of day. I can do laundry and quiz her on her words-simple joys!!!

So, after I took the photo of Joslyn, I came to drop some pictures off at my computer, and found this next picture. I had been taken by my older daughter Madi while I was running some errands this morning. What a fun surprise to find!! Definitely a keeper!

Monday's Fun Finds....

I so enjoy reading blogs of friends and customers that have a day to share their newest treasure found while hunting in their favorite thrift and antique stores. I am always able to feel their excitement for the simple pleasures in life. I cannot tell you how many times I come home wanting to share something found that fills a need, makes me laugh, or makes our home a bit more cozy. I love the chance to dust off something forgotten or neglected and give it new life. I will second what so many of my friends who share this passion will tell you. It reminds them of how Christ has picked us up out of a grand mess, seeing His plan for our lives that has been covered by years of neglect, wounds, and struggle, and will make us lovely sometimes for the first time with his love and gentleness. Now, what I do with little treasures from a thrift store obviously could not even compare to what He does for me in my life, but it does give me a small glimpse of the excitement He must feel and the joy He must find in seeing us bloom. So, with all of that said, I am going to start sharing my Monday finds. I have mentioned before that Monday is Matt's day off, so every Monday morning is my time to get out of the house alone and have some time to think, and be alone-oh yeah, I said that already. Hum, yes, that in itself is a treasure:)-I love being with my kiddos every day, I cannot imagine it any other way! But, I have finally gotten to a place where I can say without any hint of guilt somewhere in there, that I need some time away from them and THE HOUSE and that it actually does help me to be a better Mom, wife, and person. My mind is able to think on things that never pop into my head at home and I get to interact with strangers which can either challenge or encourage me. Monday mornings are sacred to me, they are slow and refreshing with the added bonus of finding treasures to create with! The wonderful benefit of being my own buyer for the shop is that i come across things for my own family without filling up my schedule with shopping trips. Here are some of my latest finds.
This clock I found a few weeks ago and almost cried when I came across it. I was standing in a very long line that is pretty normal in the first store I hit on Monday morning. But while I was waiting I spotted this behind their counter. At first I thought, "I really do not want to pull myself out of line to get this" and attempted to put it out of my mind. But, this was one of those times I would be haunted if I did not grab it. The reason that I was so taken with it is because, Joslyn, my second grader has really struggled to understand how minutes work on the clock, and I have struggled to find how to relate with her learning style in this subject. But this clock was exactly what we needed for her to visually understand and connect what I was teaching her. The numbers rotate to show four different forms to help them understand time in whichever way it is given to them. This one was a big "thank you Jesus" moment for me. Teaching our kids sometimes bears a heavy wieght on my mind and when that lifts for something like this, it is AWESOME! I had already determined in my mind that i would pay anything for this, but to my surprise, it was only $5.00 and in mint condition! My only wish is that i had had it for our older two when I was teaching them how to tell time!

Here is last weeks find...
It is delicate looking but is actually very heavy! Must be a glorified paper weight:)~ But it ended up on my desk which needed some attention anyways and it gave me a good reason to clean and reorganize it.

Here is today's find...
Now, the picture is absolutely precious! Child like faith and purity bowed in prayer with the wonderful creator! Another one that almost makes me cry. I will love looking at this everyday! But the frame was not so charming. That was the fun part~ I knew I had a beautiful frame that I had refinished in a weathered look waiting in the garage for the perfect picture! Here is the finished product-it makes me completely giddy!
And here is where I have it now. Put in a place i will pass a hundred times in a day.
The picture was $1.95 and the frame had been $1.45 when I bought it a long time ago. I love it!

I have a Birthday edition favorite finds in the works and am very anxious to show that to you, but one of the finds I bought with some of my birthday money is at the cleaners:) and the other one is a work in progress and should be finished in a few days! I actually used my gift money on me instead of the shop-haha. My grandma always gets mad at me if I spend it on something other than myself, so for this year Grandma, I will make you smile with what I did! You will be proud.