Wonder Dads Check It Out!!

I wanted to share a great site with everyone.  It's called Wonder Dads.  Here is their mission statement.

Like so many other Dads, I love being with my kids, but struggle to find the right work/home balance. We are a part of a generation where Dads play much more of an active role with their kids, yet the professional and financial strains are greater than ever. We hope that the ideas in our books and other products make it a little easier to be inspired to do something that makes you a hero in the eyes of your children.

This part of our children's lives goes by too fast, but the memories from a WonderDads inspired trip, event, meal, or activity last a long time (and will probably be laughed about when they grow up). So plan a Daddy day once a week, make breakfast together every Saturday morning, watch your football team every Sunday, or whatever works for you, and be amazed how long they will remember the memories and how good you will feel about yourself in the process.

Monday Preschool Link Up Come Join~!

There are so many fun things about teaching preschoolers . . . and right here is the perfect place for us to encourage one another in this fabulous calling! Below you can share the link to a post or article on your blog about preschool or your preschoolers, whether it be about teaching, crafts, lesson plans, kids meals, a funny story about your preschooler, etc.

To share a link to your post about preschool, you can use the Linky below . . . just share your link information below (it’s that easy)!

High School Rings

WOW!  It's hard to believe that I'm looking at high school rings with my girls.  I still remember the excitement when it was time to order mine.  I remember looking through the book wondering HOW could I decide.  All of my friends were getting the traditional style ring, but I wanted something different.  I still can hear my friends telling me how silly I was going against tradition, but I didn't waver from what I wanted.

I knew so many young women who had stopped where their ring for they didn't like the look of it anymore.  So I wanted something that I KNEW I would wear all the time (rings were not cheap and I didn't want to waste my parents money) and that is just what I choose.  I didn't stop wearing my ring till I had children.  The only ring I wore was my wedding band.  Rings can be hard on the hands of a mother.  All the bottle washing, house cleaning, child bathing, etc.

I shared my ring story with my girls.  I wanted them to pick out something they would wear for a long time and would pass down to their children or grandchildren.
Happy Homeschooling~!

Building An Alphabet Book & Preschool Link Up Monday

I just LOVED making these with my older girls and NOW I get to do it again with Christia.  It's very easy and you don't need much to get started.

I like to do a letter a week.  This gives us plenty of time to learn the letter (perhaps the sound) and find great  items to put on the letter page.  I like to build the whole week around the featured letter.  Here is how I do it.


Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• String or Yarn
• Markers, crayons OR both
• Hole Punch
• Old Magazines or computer print-outs

Instructions: Punch holes along one edge of the pieces of construction paper.  Line the holes up and thread the yarn through the holes and tie in a bow.  This makes the book.  

Now let me share with you a tip.  I found it better to let the child create each page first then at the end of the alphabet you help them create the book.  This way if there is a mistake or say... oh I don't know, PB&J gets on it... you don't have to take the book apart.  

Make sure you put in an extra page for the cover or title page.  Help your child give it a title or you can stick with the old tried and true... MY ALPHABET BOOK.

Now each page will feature a letter.  You can help the child by writing the letter on there OR you can go to Mr. Computer and print out a BIG letter that they can color and paste (does this show my age, we always had paste in school??) or glue on there.  THEN... find things in old magazines that you can cut out or go to Mr. Computer again and print out things that start with that letter OR you or your child can draw items that start with the letter.

I would sometimes let them glue {paste} yarn or beans around the letter to give it a little artistic flair.  Get creative with your book.  I also tried to find a snack that went with that letter.  Apple for A, banana for B.  I could not find one for X so I made cookies in the shape of X.  The main thing is have fun and let them show off their work to family and friends!!

There are so many fun things about teaching preschoolers . . . and right here is the perfect place for us to encourage one another in this fabulous calling! Below you can share the link to a post or article on your blog about preschool or your preschoolers, whether it be about teaching, crafts, lesson plans, kids meals, a funny story about your preschooler, etc.

To share a link to your post about preschool, you can use the Linky below . . . just share your link information below (it’s that easy)!

Fun Preschool Games

Summer is a busy time for most families and with preschoolers about it can be an unorganized mess IF you are not a little organized. Summer is also a great time to start teaching certain skills to your preschooler. Here is a GREAT summer or anytime game to teach your preschooler counting skills.

Picking up the cherries will also help with their motor skills. Other ways to help them in this area is putting together puzzles, playing with blocks, turning pages in the books that are read to them and putting things in and out of jars {my daughter LOVES that}.

Candyland is another FUN game that can start your preschooler on the way to learning colors.  Don't forget to talk about colors through out your day.  Like...would you like a red apple for a snack, you have a pretty blue shirt on today, or let's go play in the green grass.  Well, you get the idea. 

Bingo is ALWAYS fun and it comes in so many different ways now for preschoolers.  Look for ones that offer shapes, letters, numbers or picture words.  There are also TONS of memory games available now which as always been my childrens favorite.

One of may favorites is the sandbox.  Not only can they have a SUPER time digging and playing but you can use the sandbox to draw shapes, letters and numbers!  If you don't have the space for a sandbox (I know I didn't, when my older ones where small for we were in an apartment) then I used some LARGE baking dishes and filled them with sand or salt and we sat at the dinner table with our fingers or a straw and played there.

Also another fun item that my daughter Christia LOVES is sidewalk chalk.  I will sit with the baby out back while she makes a lovely picture on the patio for me.  It's hours of fun for her to draw, write, etc.

I hope this will give you a few ideas to get your summer and school year off and running.

Happy Homeschooling~!

Preschool Homeschool Link Up

There are so many fun things about teaching preschoolers . . . and right here is the perfect place for us to encourage one another in this fabulous calling! Below you can share the link to a post or article on your blog about preschool or your preschoolers, whether it be about teaching, crafts, lesson plans, kids meals, a funny story about your preschooler, etc.

To share a link to your post about preschool, you can use the Linky below . . . just share your link information below (it’s that easy)!

Our Books Are Here!

Tom and I went to the A Beka material display here in town a week ago to place our order for the new and FINAL year of our 2 oldest daughters.  It was a sad yet happy day for even though it was our final year for Katie and Maryanna, Chrisita will begin her preschool and "T" will not be far behind her.

It's always "Christmas" time when our new school books arrive.  ALL of us can't wait to open the box and see inside the new books.  Each child starts making their "own" stack of books.  The physics book looks a little scary to me...LOL~!  It's as BIG as a dictionary!!

I'm so glad that I ordered Christia a book for preschool (which I almost didn't) for she was SO excited to be part of the excitment.

Here is what our high school year will look like:
1. Bible - Genesis & Revelation
2. Math- Precalculus (honors)
3. Science- Physics (honors)
4. English 12
5. History- American Government & Economics
6. Speech & Family Consumer Science

I will be teaching Christia preschool using some of the A Beka materials.  You can look at my older post here to see what her day will look like. 

Now that our new books are in we can enjoy the summer, but NOT for long.  I want to make sure the girls (Katie and Maryanna) get a nice start this year, for we HAVE to have their reports done by a certain date if they want to attend the graduation in Pensacola, which they DO (I will be posting pictures)!

NEW Preschool Homeschool Monday Link Up

I'm so excited to let everyone know that I will be hosting a Preschool link up every Monday!!  So if you blog about preschool OR homeschool preschoolers, PLEASE COME JOIN the FUN and post your link on Mondays (Don't forget to add our button to your sidebar or post).  If you know of a great preschool blog, share it with us.

I'm hoping to find great preschool resources for everyone.  I will be adding resources that I have used and ones that I find that may help in your journey.  If you offer a preschool product let me know and send me a link to learn about your item.

Until Monday...Happy Homeschooling~!

It's Summer

Sorry I have been so quite on the bloggy.  Our new student (our 4th child) for homeschooling has arrived.  I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle with preschool again and finishing our final year of high school.

I am hoping to be a little more organized with my homeschool posts so those that are looking for some preschool help can find it better.  Please don't let the fact that I'm using A Beka stopping from dropping by, for I will be blogging about the things I did with my older 2 girls and I will still be using those same items with the new students.  I will be offering some FREE preschool downloads, sharing some preschool snack recipes, and MORE!!  So make sure you follow.

We have ordered our new school books and I can't wait to share them with you when they come in.  I hope that everyone will have a great summer vacation~!

New Site Come Join Me!!

 Hi Everyone!  I wanted to share my new site with you.  Modern Vintage Homemaking  I moved to my own .com address.  I'm hoping to keep thing well organized for everyone.  I will be blogging about home management, family, cooking, spiritual growth, etc.  I'm going to keep my homeschool blogging here though.  I hope you will stop by and maybe even follow me for fellowship and turning our homes into havens for our family. 

I will be offering several FREE items as well to help you on your homemaking journey.

The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

Not where you want to be? Wondering how to get there? The Principle of the Path is a simple principle that IF you apply it to your daily life you will avoid life wasting detours.

I was excited to receive this book for this is the first Andy Stanley book I have read. This book was hard to review for how do you review a conversation with a friend? This is just how this book reads. I felt like I was at a coffee shop with a dear friend enjoying a wonderful conversation.

The Principle of the Path is NOT a self help book or a step-by-step guide. I found this to be a quick and easy read. If you have trip coming up, this would be a great book to read on the plane or car. Andy tells you the principle of the path but it's up to you and you alone to apply it to your life. You will come away from this book feeling like you know Andy as a friend by reading the stories he shares of himself and family. Andy brings his points to light by the scriptures he quotes. This book contains a study guide at the end as well.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255