what we're up to this december...

It's December!!  We've been having fun adding some Christmas activities in our school day...

i found a great Advent downloadable book and have been using it with the kids each day.  It's called, Truth in the Tinsel and you can check it out here:   http://www.facebook.com/#!/TruthInTheTinsel

i found this calendar idea on a homeschool blog!  Very easy to make :)  Each day has a clue, Bible verse to read, ornament craft to make, and a 'talk about it'... we are enjoying it.  i always say that i'm going to make my own 'next year', but so far haven't done it... so very thankful for the ambitious people that do the work! :)

Aden is learning (well reviewing since he has the basic idea) about the 5 senses... so easy to incorporate that into Christmas time :)

Here is his 5 senses gingerbread man:

Yesterday we talked about 'touch' specifically.  i put 6 items in a stocking, he reached inside and 'touched/felt' the items with his hands and tried to figure out what they were.  Then he drew them on a paper stocking. 

Today we talked about 'sight'.  We made a list of all kinds of things we 'see' at Christmas time (ex. nativities, lights, etc.)  Then he used his Toy Story binoculars (that have a button to make things look red) to go on a 'hunt' for a special 'window' box that i made.  When he found it (with his sight) he brought it to the table, looked through the window, and drew what he saw. :)  He is loving this unit and made Kendyl and i use our senses to find his stuffed animals and other items he hid.

He is very excited about the 'taste' day! :)

For sight word practice, i found this cool idea on pinterest from a teaching blog.... i had made these cute little gingerbread guys at Haveman Hardware when Kendyl & i were working on a project together (i just knew those extra guys would come in handy!)  i wrote some of his sight words on them.  I gave Aden the gingerbread guys and a little bread pan and a timer... he had to read each word and put the gingerbread guys in the pan before time ran out.  he loved this!

He also got to add some more sight words to his 'sight word caterpillar!  This is always so exciting to him! :) Look how big it's getting!

Then another activity i found on pinterest... pattern candy canes!  He loved this too!  And of course, tiger had to watch :)

This week we've also been working on his name snowmen poster.... (yes, i found this on pinterest too!!)  i think it turned out pretty cute!

Poor Kendyl doesn't get to do quite as many 'fun' actitivies... but she plugs away at her work like a trooper and is doing VERY well in 2nd grade! :)  Here she is working on adding with regrouping 3 digit numbers and money!  She is doing SO well with it!  WAY better at math than i ever was!!  (although, she will tell you she doesn't like math--and i don't blame her!) :)

She enjoys History, Social Studies, and Science... here she is working on learning the States: 



She is a GREAT reader and simply loves reading!  She doesn't like the act of writing, but can tell 'stories' well... so we continue working on getting better at the writing part... because she dreads it, i try to make it as fun as possible... so, here is one writing assignment:  she had to pretend an alien landed on earth and kept hearing all about this guy named Santa... he didn't know anything about Santa, so Kendyl had to describe him so he would know what Santa looks like, where he lives, etc.

Kendyl is excited for this coming Sunday.  She will be playing 'Silent Night' at our Church Christmas Celebration.  Her and Aden both have lines during the program too... both are so good at memorizing... so proud of them.  Then the following Sunday she will be playing 'Jingle Bells' and 'Away in a Manger' at her very first piano recital!  Next Thursday she is so excited that her CBS class gets to 'act out' the Christmas story as the older class reads it... she loves the stage! (i wonder where she gets that from?? hmmm) ;)  Exciting weeks i tell ya!

In between our schoolwork, piano lessons, and program practices, we've been trying to get some homemade gifts finished and also some baking done... I just love Christmas time... even when it is crazy busy!!! 

here's something fun i'm working on while they're in bed this week: kendyl's rag quilt!! 
notice that handsome guy in the background?  well, he even helped me iron these squares the other night!!!

last night i finished 2 rows completely... only 9 more to go! :)  i hope they love these quilts as much as i love making them!  they are nice and warm and cozy! :)

okay... off to get some more lessons prepared and Christmas cards addressed!! 

Merry Christmas Everyone!!