First Grade Week 32 in Review

Well, we are done with another week.  Again, it feels so good to be on track and doing school 4 days a week.  I LOVE this homeschooling gig (well, on most days…lol).

Here’s how this week panned out:

Heritage Studies:  We discussed religions in the New World, the Puritans, and a Separatist Sunday.

Science:  We started a new lapbook this week.  We’re working on Jena the Jaguar and Her Rainforest Friends.  This week we worked on the rainforest vocabulary, and Caleb was able to color two parrots for decoration.  He’s decided that we’ll hang them from the ceiling in the schoolroom. 

Math:  We discussed symmetry and patterns.  Caleb had to draw lines of symmetry and complete patterns.

Bible:  We reviewed the Bible verses we’ve been studying the past 3 weeks.  Our Bible story this week was on “The Shepherds Saw Christ the Lord.”  Have you noticed that our Bible stories have focused on Jesus’ birth here lately?  Ummm…yeah…I should have ordered the winter set before  Christmas, but I didn’t.  Oh well, you can always discuss the birth of Jesus…not just at Christmas.

Vocabulary:  We added “headlight, pattern, caution, alone, and gleaming” to our list of vocabulary terms.

Phonics & English:  We added “brought” to our list of service words.  The “-edge, –udge, –atch, and –itch” families were added to our word family list.  In English skills we discussed alphabetical order.

Extra Stuff:  You know, Caleb has his good and “not-so-good” weeks with spelling.  So, I turned to my fellow homeschool moms over at homeschool reviews, and I asked for some online sites that he could use to improve his spelling skills.  Well, let me just tell ya…I cannot say enough good things about Spelling City.  Caleb has had so much fun playing the games and actually “learning” how to spell his words for this week.  So, if you have a struggling speller, then I would highly recommend you head on over and check it out.  You can input your own words or use their pre-made list.  And no – I’m not getting paid or compensated for this review…LOL!  I am just really thrilled to have found the site!  Now, if only I could find some MATH review sites with online games…hint, hint!!!!

Thanks for following our journey.  We’ll be back next week to share more fun stuff!

First Grade Week 31 in Review

Wow! It is so amazing and wonderful that we are still on track with our schooling. It’s such a relief to know that we only have to school 4 days per week. I don’t know why I ever allow extra-curricular activities and vacations myself to get us behind schedule. Anyway, with that said, here’s how the past week went:

Heritage Studies: We discussed “Other Gods in the New World.” Caleb learned about how people worshipped idols instead of the One, True God.

Science: We took a break from our science book because mommy didn’t have our lapbook stuff ready yet so we could read some science books from the library. Caleb picked out several books on coyotes, snakes, tadpoles, and dinosaurs. I am so thrilled to get those proud mommy moments as I hear him reading his library books. It really makes me feel proud of all that we have accomplished in our 1.5 years of homeschooling.

Math: We continued to discuss solid figures. We talked about faces, corners, and curves. Caleb also talked about plane figures and objects of the same size, shape, and color.

Bible: Our Bible verse this week was Matthew 1:21. Our Bible story was on “Joseph Listened and Obeyed.”

Vocabulary: We added “scratch, entrance, brakes, vehicle, and remove” to our list of vocabulary terms.

Phonics & English: We added “eight and move” to our list of service words. The “-ost, –ong, –oss, and –oft” word families were added to our list. In English skills we discussed the days of the week, contractions, syllables, and capitalization of names of special places, and compound words.

Extra Stuff: One of our local libraries started up a homeschool library time last week, and we’ve really enjoyed it. Last week they listened to books about winter and decorated a snowman picture. Today they listened to books about shadows and then drew their silhouettes. Caleb enjoys being able to see his homeschool friends each week, and this gives us another opportunity to do just that!

As always, thanks for following our first grade adventures at Childress Academy. Check back in a few more days for Week 32. Can you believe we only have 13 more weeks LEFT when we finish up week 32?!!? That is such exciting news!

First Grade Week 30 in Review

Well, we are done with yet another week here at Childress Academy.  Here’s how this week went:

Heritage Studies:  We continued to discuss La Salle and the land he claimed for France (Louisiana…not the state).  We also discussed how places get their names.  Caleb did a fun activity where he had to listen to a description of a land and then choose his name for it based on said description.  It was fun to see what he came up with.

Science:  We finished up our chapter on sound by discussing how sound travels through all forms of matter and how it is used.

Math:  We finished up the previous chapter with a test and started a new chapter.  Caleb started learning more about solid figures (cone, rectangular prism, sphere, cube, and cylinder).

Bible:  Our Bible story this week was on “Mary Believed God’s Message.”  The Bible verse was 1 John 4:9.

Vocabulary:  We added “filthy, motion, spray, hang, and tank” to our list of vocabulary terms.

Phonics & English:  We added “sure and Christian” to our list of service words.  We added “-aw, awn, aul, and all” to our list of word families.  During English skills we discussed syllables, capitalization, and contractions.  Caleb was also introduced to letter writing.  As part of his assignment, he had to write a letter to someone.  He chose to send a letter to his friends, Hunter and Tina.  He’s excited to see if he’ll get a letter back in the mail. 

As always, thanks for following our first grade adventures.  We’ll be back to share more next week!

New Look

So, do you notice anything different?  Well, if you’re in Google Reader, then no.  But – if you’re here the regular way, then yes you must!  I decided it was time for a new blog look.  So, I contacted Leslie at Designed by Leslie (she did my last one), and I asked her to help me out again!  I’m super pleased with the results!  She does AMAZING work, and her prices are GREAT as well!  So, if you’re ready for a change, then go ahead and contact her.  She’s super easy to work with, and you won’t be disappointed!

I hope you enjoy the new look as much as I do!  Thanks Leslie!

First Grade Week 29 in Review

We actually finished up week 29 a few days ago.  However, I’m just now getting around to posting the review.  Anyway, without further ado, here’s how the week went.

Heritage Studies:  We discussed the Sun King (King Louis the XIV), and we learned how to make a canoe.

Science:  We discussed how sound is made, and we talked about how sound travels in all directions.

Math:  We discussed how to count dimes and nickels with pennies.  Caleb also learned how to add dimes, nickels, and pennies.  Then, we moved on to learning about quarters and how to make 25 cents using different coins.

Bible:  Our Bible story was on “God Promised to Send the Savior.”  The Bible verse this week was 1 John 4:19.

Vocabulary:  We added “fair, splendid, stake, remain, and rapid” to our list of vocabulary terms.

Phonics & English:  We added “easy, should, together, and woman” to our list of service words.  The “-age, –oil, and –oy” word families were added to our list.  Caleb was also introduced to prepositions.

Extra Stuff:  We have spent a lot of time on playdates recently.  The weather here in Georgia has been so nice, so we’ve enjoyed getting together with friends.  We visited two play places and we enjoyed one of the newer parks in town.  Caleb always loves getting together with his friends, and I enjoy the time with the moms.  Adult conversation is always welcome around here! 

As always, thanks for following our first grade adventures.  We’ll have more next week!

Yeah For Girl’s Weekend!!!!

So, I’m about to head away for the weekend with a bunch of moms that I play Bunco with each month.  We also get together for movies, dinner, and playdates for the kiddos.  But – it’s the mommy time that’s the best.

We’re going to be staying in a cabin at Reynolds Plantation at Lake Oconee.  The in-laws of one of the moms owns the cabin, so that makes it even nicer!

I’ll return home on Sunday, and I’m sure I’ll miss all my boys.  But – every mom needs a little R & R from time-to-time.  So, I’ll take mine NOW!

The Budding Architect and Other Stuff…

I put a picture here of Caleb’s workbench that my brother built him for Christmas.  Well, he got a woodworking kit from some of Santa’s Elves.  This past weekend, he and Brian got started on some of the projects.  It turns out that Caleb did everything himself.  Brian just had to sit back and supervise.  Caleb enjoyed himself, and he’s already thinking of other things he can build.

Creation #1 – Bird Feeder Creation #2 – this was supposed to be a pencil box, but it got turned into a bird feeder as well. Our Budding Architect (and don’t mind the hole and the drawing on the wall there…you see, Mr. Architect is also Mr. Destructo…LOL!).

Last year, Caleb was involved with the Littles’ Club with our local homeschool group.  They follow the handbook from Keepers of the Faith and work on badges each month.  Well, this year, I am leading the club.  We had our January meeting this past Friday, and we worked on a Money Sense badge.  The boys (and girls) had to learn about money, and we made banks to help them allot their money.  They made 4 banks to include:  Tithe, Others, Save, and Spend.  So, I told them that when they get the money, they need to TOSS it.  It was a simple way for them to remember the 4 allotments, and it’ll be fun to see how Caleb does with this.  He’s already sorted all his money, and we took him to Toys ‘R Us on Saturday so he could spend some.  We’ll continue to watch his progress with this.

We used Crystal Light Containers and covered them with construction paper.  They then used foam stickers and crayons to decorate them.

And how could I post this without including a picture (or two) of Mr. Micah?!!?  He is so grown these days.  We were eating spaghetti leftovers the other night, and he wanted to sit in the bar stool like a big boy and eat his noodles.  He usually sits in a booster seat in the bar stool, but nope…he wanted to be BIG like his brother. 

Micah sitting like a big boy eating spaghetti. It’s almost all gone Mommy!

In other news, our HVAC unit decided to give us some issues this weekend.  Great timing, huh?!!?  We noticed it was louder than usual on Friday evening, and our vents were hissing.  So, yesterday morning, Brian called the A/C people, and they came out to investigate.  Once they figured out what was wrong, they took the part that needed to be replaced back to their shop in hopes to find a replacement.  Brian gets a call around 3:30pm yesterday afternoon informing him that they didn’t have the part.  So, we are currently without heat.  Brian had to go pick up some space heaters, and we are surviving with those.  The part is supposedly going to be in between 11-1 today.  I sure hope so, because it’s cold down here in Georgia!  Granted, I’m thankful we have power to use the space heaters, but I want my heat back! 

Winter Vacation Completion

***Disclaimer:  Again, if this gets too long, then skip to the pictures.  You’ll get the same story either way.***

Well, Friday morning, we woke up to some snow.  We were a bit concerned because Jenny had to head home, and we weren’t sure how safe it would be.  After a little waiting, we finally agreed she’d probably be okay to head on home.  So, home she went.  After she left, we sat around and played some games.  Then, some of us took naps.  While some were napping, others decided to play in the snow.  They had a blast and didn’t care at all that it was below freezing outside.  Once naptime was over, we thought it would be fun to take the kiddos sledding on the fresh snow.  So, we headed back to the sledding hill.  But – you remember that hill we got stuck on the first day?!!?  Well, go figure…we got stuck AGAIN!  However, this time we ended up spinning around 180 degrees and turning back towards the cabin.  We took that as a sign that it was not a good idea to attempt to get into town.  So, back to the cabin we went.  The kiddos still wanted to play in the snow, so we let them.  Besides, we were all decked out in our snow gear anyway.  However, we also made a call to the city to get the sand truck out to the road.  It continued to snow off and on Friday, and we debated going ahead and leaving.  But – we didn’t.  We’d learn later that we made a mistake and should have left while the weather was better.  Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20.  That evening we just packed up everything and played some more games.

The snow-covered cars on Friday morning. Snow-covered trees and rock on Friday. Brian showing Caleb how to make a snowball. Caleb throwing the snowball. Caleb trying to make a snowball…he didn’t have much luck.  Heck, I couldn’t do it either. Oh, he’s just so mad and cold! Now, he’s just throwing the snow…who cares if it’s a ball?!!? There were a ton of domino games played.This was a gray cloud that rolled in on Friday afternoon…thought it was neat.  We couldn’t see the slopes or anything hardly.Micah checking out the deck along with Mr. Pig. Micah and Mommy getting ready to play in the snow. Look at that smile!  He did not want to come in from the snow.  He was having fun just walking up and down the road. One of Caleb’s snow angels.Caleb making another snow angel. Caleb climbing up on a hill.Oh well, sliding down is one way to get down. Micah and Caleb inside a little cave looking area on the side of the road.  Caleb kept picking off the icicles.Micah trying to climb the hill to the nearby driveway. The kids playing Scooby-Doo Friday evening.

Well, we got up on Saturday and were all ready to leave.  But – there was way too much snow.  It snowed all night, and it was still snowing.  So, we didn’t know what to do.  Brian made a few phone calls to the head of DOT in the city, and he basically said that unless you have a 4WD (four wheel drive) or snow chains, then you’re not going anywhere.  And – guess what?!!?   We don’t have either.  The neighborhood roads are awful and the snow is way too thick.  The city can’t keep the main roads clear for any length of time either, and what’s left is turning into a sludge of ice and snow.  So, it doesn’t look good.  Brian makes a few more calls weighing the option of towing versus snow chains.  Well, neither option is cheap, but we have to do something.  So, around noon we decided we’d just fork over the money to get snow chains.  Now, keep in mind, if we had been smart, we would have bought some before ever heading out on this vacation, and we could have gotten them for around $60.  Nope…we had to pay nearly 5x that amount.  Oh well, stupid lesson learned darnit!  The guys finally came out and got the snow chains installed, and then Brian had to follow them to an ATM.  Yep…that’s right…they don’t take checks or credit cards…CASH only!  How convenient for them, right!?!?  Brian makes his way to the ATM, and then comes back to pick us all up.  We then make our way into the city.  After being there all week, we wanted to stop at Fred’s General Store.  So, Brian ran in and grabbed a t-shirt for the boys and a few magnets for us (we like to collect magnets and spoons from our vacations).  Then, we continued our way home.  The trip home was uneventful but LONG!  We finally made it home around 10:45pm Saturday, the 2nd. 

The snow-covered cars on Saturday morning. Snow-covered trees and rock on Saturday.These are the chairs on the back deck…left is Saturday and right is Friday.  That’s how much snow fell, and it was still snowing!

 

Micah wearing Mommy’s boots.Snow-covered trees on our way into town.Another snow-covered tree.This is a tree outside Fred’s General Store. 

With everything said, it was a GREAT vacation.  We had some great family time, and we thoroughly enjoyed the time with our friends as well.  Now, will we ever venture into a vacation with the possibility of snow again?  Why not?!!?  We have the snow chains now!  LOL!  Seriously, I’m perfectly content not seeing snow for a while.  The kids were able to play in it, and they had a blast.  But me…send me to the beach!

First Grade Week 28 in Review

Wow!  Can you believe it?  We’re all caught up in our schooling, and we finished this week on time as well!  It is such an AWESOME feeling to know that we are back on track.  Now, here’s hoping we can stay that way until the end of the year! 

With that said, here’s how this week went:

Heritage Studies:  We started a new chapter and we discussed goods from the New World and young Robert La Salle.

Science:  Again, we started a new chapter on Wild Animals.  This is GREAT for Caleb since he’s such the animal lover.  We talked about wild animals, wild animals in the woods, and wild animals in the zoo.

Math:  We finished up another chapter by discussing subtracting money and having a test.

Bible:  We just read some stories in Caleb’s new Bible this week.  I didn’t get around to ordering our curriculum for the winter until this week.  We’ll be back with this next week.

Vocabulary:  We added “level, funnel, lean, object, and reflect” to our list of vocabulary terms.

Phonics & English:  We discussed the hard and soft sounds for “c and g”.  We added “-ow, –own, –our, –ouse, –out, and –ound” to our list of word families.  We added “special, ear, answer, and four” to our list of service words.  In English, we discussed synonyms, antonyms, prepositions, and compound words.

So, we’re back in our normal homeschooling groove, and let’s all hope it stays that way.  Join us next week to see what all we’ve tackled.  I hope all my favorite homeschoolers are back in the swing of things as well!  Let me know how your week back started!

Winter Vacation Part Two

***Disclaimer:  Again, this post may get long.  So, just bare with me or skip to the pictures.  I’ll never know!***

On Tuesday, we were waiting for Brian’s friend and his family to join us.  So, Brian headed into town to get Jenny’s tire checked out (her tire pressure light had come on) and to meet his friend.  Once they got to the cabin, we got them all unloaded and headed out to grab a bite to eat.  It turns out that while we were there, we hardly ever had lunch before 2pm.  So, our plans of cooking supper went south quick.  We basically turned into a bunch of snackers all week.  LOL!  Anyway, after we had lunch, we decided to take the kids sledding.  The local Chamber of Commerce keeps a hill next to them ready with snow during the winter months, and kids 12 and under can sled for free.  Well, we saw everyone sledding on another hill that even had a NO SLEDDING sign.  So, being the people we are, we joined in the fun.  I only went down once with Caleb.  It was Micah’s naptime, and quite frankly way too darn cold for me Micah.  Besides, the one time I did go down with Caleb we ended up doing several 360s and finally stopped when we crashed into another person (a child…I felt so awful, but she totally understood).  So, Micah and I headed to the car for his nap, and I was able to snap some pictures from the warmth of the vehicle. 

Most of our crew waiting to sled. Micah and Brian…I made sure to have him all bundled up. Caleb and I on our sledding adventure…we were going backwards at this point. The very visual “NO SLEDDING” sign…no one saw it I don’t think…LOL! Jenny coming up from a run. Brian with the “No Sledding” sign. Brian and Caleb getting ready to head down the hill. There they go… Looks like the run is almost over.Brian headed down with the kiddos. Caleb and his friend going down…looks like they are about to hit the tree.  They threw caution to the wind and almost had numerous accidents. Caleb hitching a ride up the hill. Do you think he’s cold or having fun?  I’d say a little bit of both. Jenny with the sign. The view while sledding.

That evening we hung out at the cabin and played some games.  The men played pool and taught the kiddos how to play.  There was some Wii playing and Darts as well.  The ladies enjoyed a few games of Mexican Train Dominoes.  If you’ve never played it, you really should.  It is so much fun, and it’s only better with a little help from this little machine:

Wednesday, we got up and headed to Ski Beech for some ice skating.  We knew it was an outdoor rink; however, we didn’t know we wouldn’t have access to the handrails.  You see, that ice storm that came through on Christmas Eve…well, they didn’t clear any of it away near the handrails.  This did not make for good skating in my mind.  Nonetheless, I donned my skates along with everyone else (minus the two men and Micah), and we were off.  Well, it was NOT fun.  I made it around once nearly falling and then finally landing on the ice bank, and I was DONE!  So, I went inside, and Brian asked them to let him finish out my rental time.  They obliged, and he got to enjoy the fun.  LOL!  Now, I don’t have any pictures of me skating, but I DID DO IT!  Jenny has a picture on her camera if I have to prove it!  After we were done skating, Jenny headed off to ski (no one else felt like chancing it with all the recent ice).  The rest of us scooted into town for lunch and to blow some time until picking Jenny back up.  While we were out in town, we got word that another ice storm was headed our way.  GREAT!  Just what we need.  That evening we just chilled indulged in adult beverages and played games.

Brian and Caleb skating.Do you see the handrail there amongst all that ice?  Now you know why I couldn’t reach it and feel secure!Oops…looks like Caleb fell.Caleb had his own little style.  But – it worked for him. Again, look at all that ice…that’s a TON of ice! 

Thursday we woke up and saw that the predicted ice storm wasn’t that bad.  So, we opted to go find some shopping.  We headed towards Boone and Blowing Rock and landed at the Tanger Outlet.  After grabbing some lunch, we did a little window shopping.  Other than fudge and chocolates, Jenny was the only person to make any purchases.  That evening was filled with more games and a few adult beverages.  Being as it was New Year’s Eve, we thought we’d really use that machine pictured above, but nope!  We were all zonked and hardly made it till midnight.  We were so droopy eyed by the time the ball dropped in NYC!  So, we just called it a night and headed to bed!

I will share Friday and Saturday with you another time.  So, stay tuned!

Winter Vacation Dec. ‘09 – Jan. ‘10

***Disclaimer:  This may turn into a super long post.  If you’re not up for reading, then just skip to the pictures.  I’m sure they’ll get the point across!***

So, we headed off for our winter vacation on Saturday, December 26th.  This year we opted to go somewhere that had a better chance of getting snow.  Keep in mind, we don’t see much of the fluffy white stuff down here in Middle Georgia.  If we do, it’s a rare treat!  But – I can now say that I’ve seen enough to last all year!

We were warned by the guy we rented from that we needed to arrive in the daytime because of all the winding mountain roads.  So, we got up at the crack of dawn, and we were off by 6:15am.  The ride up there was pretty uneventful.  We made our way up the mountain, and we were amazed at all of the ice.  We saw so much ice along the interstates, the mountain roads…EVERYWHERE!  Well, as we were driving to the cabin, Brian noticed that our vehicle (Toyota Highlander with all weather tires) was sliding down the hill even with the brakes on.  So, he made the executive decision that it was time to turn back around and head into town to possibly get some snow chains or something.  Now, let me just say…Brian read up on our tires the night before we left, and we knew at that point that they SUCKED!  Why Toyota put such crappy tires on the Highlander is beyond me! 

Well, imagine our surprise when we couldn’t even make it up the darn hill.  We were stuck.  Have I mentioned that there is ICE everywhere and it is FREEZING?!!?  Ummm..yeah!  So, Brian had to think fast.  He walked up to a house and got a shovel and some salt from the owner.  Then he proceeded to chip away the ice to make a path for our tires.  In the meantime, the homeowner had called for a sand truck.  Yep, you see…Beech Mountain and some other areas of NC were hit by a major ice storm on Christmas Eve.  It knocked out power, cable, and was just downright ugly from what we hear.  So, Brian is out there chipping away at the ice, and I’m throwing down salt.  All the while, we’re both praying, and I’m in tears.  It was probably one of the scariest things I’ve experienced in a while.  We were alone and had no idea what we were doing.  After about an hour, the sand truck finally arrived.  Once they got the sand down, we were able to trek up the hill and make our way into town.  We had enough time to grab some lunch, grab some groceries, and make a trip to Lowe’s.  Brian wanted to pick up a shovel.  He settled for some roofing shovel, and we kept it in the car in case we needed it.  Well, we finally arrived at the cabin, and this is what we saw…

This is the walkway leading up to the cabin COVERED IN ICE! This is where we’re supposed to park our car!

So, much to Brian’s dismay, he had to get out and start shoveling away more ice.  Poor thing…by the time he was done, he had huge blisters on his hands and a huge blood blister under his wedding band.  But – he was a trooper, and he did what he had to do to get us into the cabin.

My poor hubby having to do such hard work WHILE on vacation!  Talk about unfair… This is how deep the ice was. Finally, there’s a place to park the vehicle.

Brian probably spent a total of 3-4 hours chipping away ice on Saturday.  I think he’ll be okay if he never sees ice again!However, once Brian got all the ice out of the way, we carried everything into the cabin and attempted to get settled.  We were amazed at the view from the back deck…

 

On Sunday, we ventured back into town for lunch and more groceries.  We had some friends joining us on Monday and Tuesday, so we needed to make sure we had everything necessary for meals.  After seeing the roads, we opted to eat lunches out and cook dinner at the cabin.  Once we got back to the cabin, Brian had to clear out the parking area so there would be enough room for the two extra vehicles.  Poor thing…he was not wanting to do this type of strenuous activity on vacation.  Lucky for him not really Caleb wanted to help, so he joined in on the fun.

Caleb attempting to help with the ice…note the tongue.  I swear that must be his concentration assistance. Gosh he’s growing up too darn fast.  I wish I could stop time some days there are days when I wish it would speed up, too…LOL! He looks beat…not quite done though. He got tired of just shoveling it away.  So, he started making big cracks in it…Then he’d lift it and toss it over the hill.Caleb is still trying to do his part. I think it’s about done now…time for a much needed break and some adult beverage! 

Once Brian was all finished with clearing away the ice, we had some supper and tried to just relax.  The boys had lots of fun down in the basement.  There was a dartboard and a pool table.  Caleb and I enjoyed some games of darts, and Micah just wanted to toss the pool balls onto the table.  He got the biggest kick out of that.  He also attempted to climb the stairs a few times, but they were just way too narrow for too much of that scary crap  fun.

Micah trying to get one of the pool balls. Now, it’s time to put the ball onto the table and see what happens…note the tiptoe action. Big brother is there to help put the balls back into the holes. Time to get another ball…I think I’ll go with green. Caleb getting down from turning off the light above the pool table. Micah attempting to go up the stairs…but he was stopped in his tracks. Micah getting into the GameCube stuff…this entertained him as well.  I tell ya…the boy has expensive taste when it comes to entertainment.  Those simple toddler toys just won’t do.  LOL!

On Monday, we got up and did a bunch of nothing.  We were waiting on my best friend from college, Jennifer, to arrive.  She’s been joining us on our family vacations since last winter.  We don’t get many opportunities to see each other, so I always try to give her a reason to join us.   Once we knew she was getting close, we headed into town for some lunch.  We opted to eat at a local deli, and it was rather tasty.  Brian was even able to enjoy some German items.  But – it was darn cold in that little deli.  Heck, it was cold outside, too.  It was also snowing just a bit…YEAH…just what we need, right?!!?  Once we finished lunch, we met Jennifer (aka Jenny or Jen).  After a quick trip to another shop, we headed back to the cabin.  That evening we just enjoyed hanging out and playing games.  Jenny and I played a few games of UNO and darts with Caleb.  We also enjoyed a few games of Scrabble SLAM! 

Okay, since I have your interest, I’ll go ahead and stop here for now.  Stay tuned for a few more Beech Mountain related posts.  Besides, we’ve still got Tuesday-Saturday to account for! 

Christmas Part Two

After breakfast, we let the boys get into their wrapped gifts.  Caleb enjoyed every second of it.  Micah just wanted to be done with it all.  Fortunately for him, he only had two gifts to unwrap.  I felt bad though because his gift count was a lot smaller than Caleb’s, but he’ll never remember (well, until he reads this…LOL). 

Caleb with all of his wrapped gifts…it’s easy to tell which ones Brian wrapped.  He uses lots of ribbons and bows. Micah tearing into one of his gifts. Oh, a new camera…it’s not real mom!Caleb with one of his animal habitat coloring books.Micah getting into another gift. YEAH!  Another Yo Gabba Gabba DVD!  And – if you haven’t guessed, someone will probably be having a Yo Gabba Gabba birthday party in March!  :) Caleb with a pair of bug goggles. Caleb with his woodworking kit.Micah got a Yo Gabba Gabba CD with his DVD…SCORE! Caleb trying to get into one of daddy’s wrapping creations.Ugghhh…still trying to get this thing unwrapped.

After we were done with opening the gifts, we all got ready to go over to my parent’s house for lunch.  Before lunch, everyone got to open their gifts.  The boys had fun, and they got some great gifts.  However, Micah was only concerned with ONE gift.  I’m sure you’ll figure out which one by the look of the pictures!

Caleb getting into one of his gifts.  Oh…what is THIS?!!!? YEAH!  A Yo Gabba Gabba Boombox!  Honestly, we’re all quite sick of the show, but oh well…the things we will do to appease those little ones! This is Caleb’s new workbench.  Uncle David (my brother) built it for him, and he did a wonderful job.  Caleb can use this for many years to come.There’s Micah…and what is in his hands??? 

After lunch, we headed back home to rest.  Once we were all rested, it was time to pack everything we needed for our winter vacation to Beech Mountain, NC.  I’ll save that post for another day!

So, there you have it…Christmas 2009 at the Childress Household!  I hope you all had a blessed holiday season, and I hope you rung in the New Year with style!  Here’s wishing you all lots of love, joy, peace, wealth, and health in 2010!

Christmas 2009…Better Late Than Never!

Well, I apologize I’m so late in getting this up.  It’s already 2010, and I’ve yet to even post our Christmas stuff.  Oh well, no big deal, right!?!? 

Caleb decorated his first gingerbread house the week of Christmas.  We also made cookies (sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms), but I honestly don’t remember what happened to those pictures.  Heck, the cookies didn’t keep their shapes anyway.  But – I did get some decent pictures of the gingerbread house.  I let him decorate it by himself, and he did a pretty good job for his first time.  Here’s his gingerbread house creation…

Getting ready to decorate…his tongue is already out for concentration reasons I guess. Decorating one side of the roof. Decorating the other side of the roof. Finished product… 

Brian and I wanted to start our own Christmas traditions when we got married.  We always open our stockings on Christmas Eve, and the kids always get new pajamas as well.  So, when Christmas Eve rolled around, it was time to open the stockings.

The stockings were hung by the chimney on the china cabinet… Our two boys on Christmas Eve (Micah wasn’t too cooperative with the picture taking). Caleb with his stocking.Micah checking out his stocking (along with Little Man’s help).Caleb got a Dino Glow puzzle.Micah was happy with the candy.

Christmas morning, Caleb came and woke us up telling us that Santa had visited.  So, we got up and let the boys get into their gifts from Santa.

Micah’s Santa gifts… Caleb’s Santa gifts… Caleb with his new animal caller.Micah playing with his new farm.Micah going grocery shopping with his new cart.Caleb practicing his animal calls.Micah is still shopping. Micah with his new farm truck.Micah crawling through the barn door.Caleb, of course, had to follow suit.

I will pick up with our “after breakfast” Christmas activities with another post.  I didn’t want this one to get too long.  So, stay tuned! 

First Grade Weeks 26 and 27 in Review

Okay, well we are DONE!  We are all caught up, and I am sooooo happy!  It is such a relief to be caught up.  Now, I just pray we can stay on track once we start back after the New Year!  With that said, here’s how weeks 26 and 27 went for us.

Week 26:
Heritage Studies:  We discussed early trading, animal furs, and captured not conquered.  Caleb was introduced to Pierre Esprit Radisson.

Math:  We did some supplemental lessons on renaming 10 ones and renaming 10 pennies (carrying the ones).  Caleb did surprisingly well with this concept! 

Bible:  Our Bible story was on “God Still Takes Care of His People.”  We reviewed all the verses we’ve studied the past 12 weeks.

Phonics & English:  We added “only, shoe, and push” to our list of service words.  We added “-oom, –ool, and –oot” to our word families.  We discussed capitalization, antonyms, and the abbreviation “Dr.” 

Week 27:
Heritage Studies:  We continued to discuss trading, and we learned about the wampum.

Math:  Caleb started a new chapter on subtraction.  We discussed subtracting the ones first, two digit subtraction, and subtracting the pennies first.  Again, Caleb is doing really well with two digit addition AND subtraction. 

Phonics & English:  We added “-ook and –ood” to our list of word families.  We added “won” to our list of service words.  We discussed capitalization, punctuation, and the seasons & months.

So, we are now done until the new year!  It’s a GREAT feeling.  I hope that you all enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.  We’ll spend Christmas with my folks, and then we leave early on the 26th to head to Beech Mountain, NC.  We are sooo excited to see some snow and enjoy the cold!  We’ll return on the 2nd of January. 

So, if I don’t blog for a while…well, it’s because I’m enjoying my family and friends.  I hope you take the time to do that as well!

Christmas Newsletter 2009

Since the few faithful most everyone who checks our blog should have received the newsletter by now, I thought I’d post what I ended up sending out.  We opted to go with the funnier version as opposed to the normal serious one.  Granted, they didn’t vary by much, but I added a little bit of humor into the one we sent.  So, here it is:

December 2009

Dear Friends & Family,

Wow…where has the year gone? I can’t believe it’s time for another update on the Childress family.

Micah is growing up so very fast. In the past year, he has gone from crawling to running and climbing. He’s gone from babbling to saying lots of words and phrases. His favorite thing to do is scream at the top of his lungs for no reason or to get his point across. It’s amazing we’re not all deaf.  He’s such a momma’s boy, and it’s hard to leave him with anyone other than family. His favorite TV show is Yo Gabba Gabba…we’re all quite tired of it, but not him…he laughs, sings, and dances away!

Caleb is now in First Grade at Childress Academy. If he had his way, he’d never school again. He’d much rather just watch TV, play the Wii, or draw. However, after a little prodding and disciplining, he eventually does his work.  His favorite subject is Science, but he despises Phonics. He enjoys aggravating his little brother, but he also loves cuddling with him. Baseball was the highlight of his summer, and he’s already looking forward to playing again next summer.

Brian continues to thrive with his own company, Childress Merchant Solutions. He is constantly on the phone, on the computer, or on the road trying to solve all of his clients’ issues. He’s yet to shed any of his “baby” weight mostly because of his new found hobby of beer tasting. Luckily, his job allows him to do this without any dents in the family budget.

I am still staying at home with the boys and homeschooling Caleb. There are days when schooling is set aside for blogging, facebooking, or dealing with Micah’s fussiness. I, too, have yet to shed any of my “baby” weight, and enjoying Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha hasn’t helped. Each month I run away from all of my problems and enjoy some “mommy” time with a great group of moms. There’s always lots of food, fun, and laughter involved.

Little Man still sheds like crazy, and he drops little pieces of rice all over the carpet. However, he and Micah have a wonderful relationship. Little Man spreads his dog germs right onto Micah’s hands, and Micah then inserts said hands (thumb) into his mouth. It’s really such a cute sight. Albeit, nasty, but cute.

In all seriousness, we have truly had a wonderful year and have been blessed. We would like to wish you all the HAPPIEST of holidays. It is our prayer that God will bring you lots of joy, peace, love, and health as you set out on another exciting year in 2010.

With lots of love,

Brian, Sherrie, Caleb, Micah, & Little Man Childress

WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH:

Address:

Brian’s email/phone #:

Sherrie’s email/phone #:

Family blog: http://www.childresshousehold.blogspot.com

Here are the pictures I put on the card.

So, did you send yours out yet?  Did you send a serious one or a funny one?  Or – did you do something totally different?  I love to see what others do.  I always find it very interesting to see everyone’s take on the family newsletter.