Workbox Ideas

Friday, July 31, 2009

Last week I made a long list of ideas to use in our workboxes. A lot of these activities are based on my boys likes and interests. These would be activities outside of our normal curriculum. This is what I came up with....

*Small bag of Legos with instructions to build something (build a food, a vehicle, a building, etc.)

*TOS Crew materials (that we will need to review this year)

*We will use the above book that we picked up while in Canada. Some of the activities will be...

-Build provincial flags out of legos

-Color the provincial flags

-Read the history of the province. Narrate it to mom.

-Write down how each province got its name.

-Label provincial maps.

*Draw historical scenes.

*Color scenes from the Story of the World activity book.

*Kid cryptograms

*Calculator games

*Learn the Babylonian number system



*Study Times Tales

*Put envelopes of skip count numbers in order (Right Start game box)

*Study "Yo, Millard Fillmore!" book to learn the presidents

*Read a Greek myth and then tell it back to mom

*Whittle something

*Magic number squares

*Cook a recipe

*Create a chess board out of legos

*Study chess strategies

*Make 3D snowflakes

*Label a picture with Spanish words

*Pick a Bible story and draw its events

*Animal Classification (here and here)

*Listen to Skip Count Kid CD

*Make a list of extinct animals

*Do Word Roots computer game

*Find a country for every letter of the alphabet

*Look at a map of the US. Categorize the state according to what letter they start with.

*Alphabetize the states.

*Put the books of the Bible in order from a list of the books which are out of order.

*A-Z exotic animals



Tis the season for...

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Blueberries! Every year around this time we go out picking...they are ripe a little early this year because of the hot weather. I can't wait to make some jam...my favorite use for blueberries!

Update on Titan

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

When we got back from our trip we were amazed at how much Titan has grown (we didn't take him with us instead the family that owns his mom took him in for two weeks). He is doing well with "potty training" and has stopped biting so much (he was really teething something fierce before we left). He still loves to get into stuff as you can see here...he knows that his treats are in this box, and he is hoping to help himself to them!



Our Trip to the Yukon

Sunday, July 26, 2009



We recently got back from a 2,000 road trip in the Yukon. We basically visited all the places that were important to the Klondike gold rush which happened in the late 1890's. Miners would land in Dyea (near Skagway, AK) and then hike the Chilkoot trail with all their supplies for a year. They would then wait for breakup (basically spring and the breaking up of the ice on the rivers) to float down the Yukon river to Dawson City. We made our trip in reverse order going to Dawson first and then eventually to Dyea. It was an awesome trip filled with lots of history! Here are a few pictures of the journey....


On the ferry to Dawson City. Dawson is on the Yukon River and there is no bridge to it. You must ride a ferry to get there.
One of the remaining buildings in Dawson from the gold rush days.Zach with an inukshuk that he built in Keno, Yukon Territory. Do you know what an inukshuk is?The last remains of the town of Dyea, the starting point for the Chilkoot trail. The start of the Chilkoot Trail...read about the history of the trail here.


Spanish Lapbook

Saturday, July 25, 2009


The Spanish lapbook is available at Homeschool Share now! Check it out!


Alaska Unit Study


Alaska is 50 years old this year! Fifty years of statehood! This would be a great time to learn a bit more about the 49th state. Here are some resources to do a unit study on Alaska....





Baby in a Basket (Literature unit study)

The Year of Miss Agnes (Literature unit study)

Salmon unit study/lapbook






Workbox Ideas

Friday, July 24, 2009


Kendra over at the Pumpkin Patch does a weekly meme (on Fridays, I believe) on workboxes. Check out her site! Also, if you are looking for more ideas on workboxes check out these two things....





South America Unit Study

Thursday, July 23, 2009


South America (along with Africa) tends to be studied less than say Europe or Asia in the elementary years. Here are some great resources if you want your kids to learn more about South America. Most of the ones at the top of the list are free.

Gauchada (Literature unit on Argentina)
On the Pampas (Unit on Argentina)
The Great Kapok Tree (Unit study and lapbook on Brazil)
Tonight is Carnaval (Unit set in Peru)
Continent Pages (There is a South America page)
Argentina Unit Study (Done by Homeschool in the Woods)
Brazil Unit
Sloth Lapbook
Flags of South America
Animals of South America
Geography of South America
South America Lapbook (In the Hands of a Child)
Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas lapbook (The Incas were the Indians of South America)


The Periodic Table

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

If you will be studying the Periodic Table anytime soon here are some great resources....
Cool printable tables with pictures
Review of a great book on the Periodic Table
Brief explanation of the set-up of the table
Timeline of element discovery
Free Periodic Table lapboook

More Burrowing Owl Photos

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Earlier I had shared pictures of burrowing owls that my Dad had taken. Here are a few more...
Frog for lunch!

Mamma with the babies

Gifted Kids

Monday, July 20, 2009

If you think or know that you may be homeschooling a gifted kid here are some helpful resources...
A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children-a great book that defines giftedness and how to deal with the many characteristics of a gifted kid. I have only read a bit of this book, but have gleaned so much from it!



Characteristics of Gifted Kids
Website all about Giftedness
Products for the Gifted
Homeschool Curricula for Gifted Kids

Message Board for Homeschooling Gifted Kids

The Gospel of John

Sunday, July 19, 2009

We recently finished watching The Gospel of John which is a 3 hour movie depicting the life of Jesus. What I loved about this film was the fact that you could take out a Bible, find the gospel of John and read along as the movie was playing! The only words in the movie are the words from the gospel in the Good New Bible version. We did break it up and watch it in parts. Zach was even able to watch all of it and get a lot out of it. I know that I understood more by watching it happen in front of my eyes. The acting was well done...I loved the way Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well was portrayed...it almost came across like they were joking with each other. Definitely not what I had envisioned, but I could see it happening that way!

Dancing!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Grandma is doing a jig and Noah is "break dancing"!

Online Freebies for Homeschooling

Friday, July 17, 2009

There are some many great resources on the internet to use for schooling the kids! Here are a few....
Seterra for learning geography-my boys love competing against each other

Free Spelling Software

Multiplication Games

Homeschool Share for great unit studies and free lapbooks

Tons of homeschool-related printables

Free Charlotte Mason based curriculum

50 States of Mind for learning US geography

Math Worksheets

English Grammar

Art Activities/lessons


Zach Mowing the Lawn

Thursday, July 16, 2009

This is the first time Zach has mowed our lawn. Lots of hard work!

Ugh! It won't start!

Soccer Photos

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Noah loves soccer! This is his 4th year playing. His team's name is the Blue Serpents.


Grandma and Titan

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Dancing together







July Cooking Recipes-Part II

Monday, July 13, 2009

Here are the rest of the recipes we cooked in July for our bulk cooking...

Gobble-icious Chicken Strips (This recipe originally called for turkey)

Marinade
1 egg
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips

Coating
2/3 cup coconut, shredded
2 T. sesame seeds
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4. t each salt, garlic powder and onion powder

Sauce
1/2 cup plum sauce
1/3 cup unsweetened frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 t. each prepared mustard and cornstarch

In a large bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients and put in chicken. Let marinade 30 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile in a small dry skillet, cook sesame seeds and cocout until golden brown. Take off heat and mix all coating ingredients together. Roll strips in the coating and lay on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 until chicken is done. Mix up the sauce ingredient and heat to thicken it a bit. Bag up the chicken and put the sauce (which is like a dipping sauce) in a separate bag to freeze.

Penne and Sausage Casserole
1 1/2 lbs. uncooked penne pasta
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
3 T. oil
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 T. dried oregano
1 1/2 cups red wine or beef broth, divided
2 cans stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
4 cups shredded mozzarella
4 cups shredded fontina
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and set aside. In the same Dutch oven saute the mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and oregano. Cook 1 minute longer. Stir in 1 cup of wine. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, sausage and remaining wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 min. Drain pasta. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in each of two greased 9 by 13 pans. Divide half of the pasta between the dishes. Top each with 2 1/2 cups of the sauce and 1 cup each of the cheese. Repeat the layers. Freeze. When ready to eat, thaw and bake at 350 for 25-35min.


July Cooking Recipes-Part I

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Here are two of the recipes we made for July...

Spaghetti Pie
6 oz. uncooked spaghetti noodles
2 T. margarine
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. veggie oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 - 16oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 - 6oz. can tomato paste
1 t. sugar
1 t. oregano
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Cook noodles according to directions. Drain and stir in margarine until melted. Add Parmesan and eggs. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with oil. Form pasta mixture into a crust shape. Store covered in fridge until ready to use. In a skillet heat up oil. Cook onion til soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic. Heat through. Spread cottage cheese over the bottom of the crust. Top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover pie with foil. Label and freeze. Thaw and bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Super Stuffed Burritos
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cups corn
1 med. zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 T. cumin
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup broth
6 T. salsa
flour or corn tortillas
shredded cheddar
fresh cilantro
green onion
Saute garlic, onion, and bell pepper in oil. Add the corn, zucchini and cumin. Cook til veggies are tender. Add beans, broth and salsa. Cook until there is no excess moisture. Bag and label and freeze. To use, thaw and heat up. Serve in tortillas with cheese, sliced green onion, and cilantro.

July Bulk Cooking

Thursday, July 9, 2009

We are gearing up for July bulk cooking! If you aren't familiar with my cooking routine here is what I do. A friend and I bulk cook and freeze the meals once a month. We make 5 recipes and quadruple them and then split them. We come away with 10 meals + leftovers. We missed June because the friend I cook with and I had crazy schedules. We are so in need of meals in the freezer! This is what we are making for the month of July....


Tomato Basil Tart (I will get to use the basil I am growing.)
Super Stuffed Burritos
Spaghetti Pie
Penne and Sausage Casserole
Gobble-icious Chicken Strips

Look for others posts with the recipes for the above dishes!