MFW 1st Grade - Week #1

Our first week consisted of only two days, Thursday and Friday, at the recommendation of MFW.  They feel it is best to start off with a two day week using the new schedule and heavier workload, then have a weekend with a fresh start on Monday again.

Caleb worked on his bible scroll worksheet, which is also a refresher of A-B-C.  We also did E-F-G, but I didn't take a picture of that.

School Supplies and More....

School supplies.  They hit around August or so every year.  I've been buying school supplies for - well....over twenty years.  The usual school supply list consists of pencils, coloring pencils, crayons, notebook paper, binders, glue, ruler, kleenex, dry erase markers, paper towels, 


It was actually sorta fun buying school supplies this year.  When you're home schooling, your list doesn't exactly match those of the public school system.  While we also needed a binder or two and some fresh colors, we also needed the following: rope, coffee filters, a large glass jar (for our worm hotel, masking tape, twine, dowels, pipe cleaners, to name a few.

Speakers and Workshops and Vendors - Oh My!

This past weekend was my second time to attend a home school convention.  My first time left me feeling very overwhelmed, yet convinced home school was the option for us.  That was two years ago and Caleb was still a pre-K student.  But, I gleaned valuable information that led us further into the direction of home schooling.  

I wasn't sure that I could fit in two days to attend the convention this year, but I burned some midnight oil and managed to get other responsibilities done, which then allowed me the opportunity to attend.  I was so tired, but very grateful to have made it work.  I came home with valuable information to use going forward.

This time my group of HS mom's (4 of us went together) went to the Woodlands to a convention sponsored by the Texas Home School Coalition / THSC.  If you are a homeschooler that hasn't heard of it - - I encourage you to check it out.  

They are a group founded by home school parents who now provide TONS of information and LEGAL support for those that become members.  For a reasonable fee each year, the home school parent is comforted by the legal defense they will provide if necessary.  They also keep us abreast of all the political "stuff" going on regarding home school.  It's a very valuable resource.

All Good Things Come To An End

Albeit a short-term end.  Finally, we were able to join the ranks of many others and put our Kindergarden year behind us.  That we didn't finish by June 1st with many of the public schools, or those home schoolers who've got it all together, doesn't really matter.  That happens to be one of the blessings of home school.  You go with the pace your child needs, you are able to work around the variety of interruptions to your day we call life.


The important thing is we finished.  We completed all we needed to.  He knows his A-B-C's, the names and sounds, he can read simple books using the sight words he learned, he's doing beginning math problems, and SO much more.  More importantly he learned more about God this past year.

More on B - B - Butterfly!

I just had to share the name of this sweet book we borrowed from the library.  It was so cute and I'd had it sitting in our book basket a while, not really knowing what the story was about.  I grabbed it as a FUN read, but it ended fitting in with the butterfly theme really well.

Where's My Mom? by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, is a cute book.

Right on schedule we had butterflies breaking out of their chrysalids.  First one, then another, then another, and one more....Out of five we have four butterflies flitting around our butterfly habitat.  One chrysalid is left.  He was a late starter compared to the others, but we expect his arrival on Wednesday.  We'll enjoy them for a bit longer then let them go as per our instructions.

Here are a couple pictures of our beautiful creatures with wings:

Two butterflies are pictured here with two empty cases just to the left of 

the bottom flower.  The empty cases are setting on a bit of dried food.  

When these two became chrysalids they stayed on the bottom of the 

container and were attached to their food.  I had to move the entire little 

cluster to the habitat.

Up close and personal with one of our Painted Lady butterflies.

There are four Painted Lady's in this photo.  

One to the left and three on the top pink carnation.

This project has been so much fun.  It's incredible to me how the fuzzy caterpillars turn into such beautiful butterflies.  One of God's wonderful miracles for sure!!

"He has made everything beautiful in its time...." Ecclesiastes 3:11

God bless,

Pam

All About Butterflies

We've been having a fun time with the larvae we received from Insect Lore.  It is part of our project for "B B Butterfly."  It's pretty incredible to watch the process so far.  I hate to admit that at my age I've never seen this up close.  I'm enjoying it as much as Caleb is.  ;o)

It's hard to believe that this fuzzy little critter begins the process.  It's a Painted Lady larvae.  For record keeping sake, this is what all five larvae looked like on Day 1.

Then it becomes a chrysalis:

And this.  Not sure why these two ended up on the bottom of the container, but they did.  Insect Lore assured me that they will still do their thing and become butterflies.  We shall see.

Here they are all together before we moved the chrysalids to their new home....the butterfly habitat.  The one is still in larvae form.  That one doesn't move around much, but does appear to still be alive.  So, we used a paper towel in the lid and need to wait and see if this 5th one will become a chrysalis also.

And here they are in the butterfly habitat.  Again, for record keeping sake - this is Day 7.

These are the guys that were on the bottom of the container.  I was told to move them using a spoon and being very gentle.  They were somewhat attached to bits of the food so we didn't have any choice but to move it all in one clump.

And my little guy who doesn't care much for drawing?  Drew this.

We're both hoping to see them actually break out of the chrysalis.   Just a few more days - - so we'd better be watching!

Until later,

Pam

J-J-Jewels

Our most recent studies were that of the letter J for jewels.  Learning that Jesus is MORE valuable than ANYTHING else!!  Even jewels!!  A fun part of our lesson was making some jewelry.  We had several activities to choose from but mom just so happened to buy a new package of straws in a variety of colors so we decided to make a necklace.

Caleb had such fun creating a "pattern."  Only his idea of a pattern is do do a small one, then start a new one.  So, as you look back over the necklace, you really and truly cannot determine where one pattern begins and one ends...hee hee...

We cannot forget that this was our first day of school at our new desk!!!  Didn't dad do an awesome job??   Of course, he isn't quite finished, but we needed to get our things organized so we sorta pushed ourselves in there before he was ready.  

Also, Caleb has found a new favorite book.  This is an adorable book about a mouse and a mole who are best friends.  He absolutely loved it and begged and begged to read another chapter.  It's a beginner chapter book and so cute!  Didn't really have anything to do with our lessons, but we read for fun, too!

Until next time,

Pam