Valentine's Day 2020

We pretty much celebrated Valentine's Day all week, but we couldn't close out the holiday without making the most of the actual day. My Valentine's Day started super early so that I could get everything done I wanted to do. As I've mentioned in my last two posts, making the most out of each day is of utmost important to me, especially holidays. Thankfully, I had already planned the day and it was only a matter of executing the plan.

My husband and I did a combined effort in buying 'snackie' treats to put in the children's goodie bags. My parents sent the cute little red bags on the children's plates filled with candy, and then my oldest daughter also did small goodie bags for her siblings.

For breakfast we made pink sprinkle pancakes (even though you can't tell they're pink) and pink fruit smoothies.

For lunch we made heart pizzas that all the children helped to make.

It wasn't as easy as it looks to roll out the hearts but we managed and they actually turned out pretty tasty. I only made one for each of my children and then I made another regular round pizza to help make sure everyone would get full, lol.

For dinner I made lasagna and homemade cheesy bread ~ a family favorite, one that I only make a few times a year; Valentine's Day being one of those special occasions.

I took these super cute pictures of my youngest two girls.

After dinner and family bible study we opened our goodie bags. It was so sweet to watch my babies open their Valentine's Day gifts. 

My husband and I haven't always celebrated Valentine's Day, but the past few years we've changed that just a tad, now it's almost a competition who can out do the other, lol. Of course we don't really go overboard, but usually an item each of us have really been wanting and a few other trinkets (usually our favorite snack foods). This year I feel like my husband went above and beyond to make me feel appreciated and loved, and for that I'm grateful.

There was a time in my life where I really disliked Valentine's Day, but the Lord has gradually changed my heart and showed me it's just another 'Hallmark' holiday where I can choose to show my family love ~ the precious gift of love that the good Lord has given me and enabled me to use at my will. Yes, I should show my family love every day of the year; but why not use a designated day to go a little above and beyond? I didn't spend a whole lot of money, and it didn't take a whole lot of effort to make three special meals as well as a little goodie bag for each one of my family members. It truly is and was a blessing to me, to do what I did for my family; after all it really IS better to give than to receive and when you do it in the name of love, it's just extra special for everyone involved.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Valentine's Day Funschool Week

 

It's taken me many years to figure out how to balance the mingling of fun schooling with the 'hard core' schooling. I will always consider us unschoolers for the simple fact that I do not in any shape or form believe the current mainstream academic system is what educating children should look like. I am a firm believer that education should be child-led with the gentle navigation of an older advisor of sorts (i.e. a parent). Learning does not have to be boring or only achieved through books ~ it CAN be fun and pursued through hands-on creative exploration. Hence my intentional efforts to incorporate fun schooling into our school year.

Since we have a broad range of children; when we have a holiday or other reason for a fun schooling week, I plan for totschool activities and activities for the older kids, but all the children can participate in either group of activities. Usually the big kids participate in any snacitivty we do while the little kids join in on most of the big kids projects.

Our first Valentines Day fun schooling week activity was to do a 'Bee Mine' directed drawing.

I found this directed drawing for free on Pinterest. The children were allowed to use any medium they wanted to color their drawings. Most chose colored pencils, crayons, chalk pastels, or oil pastels. 

Next we did a science experiment with conversation heart candy.

They dropped the candies into jars of water, baking soda water, and vinegar. Unfortunately, nothing happened. {{sigh}}

As a last ditch effort for some kind of reaction, I had the children run next door to their grandparent's house to get a can of Mountain Dew to put the candies into. One of the three candies we put into the soda floated, but nothing else. A friend on Instagram told me that they tried Sprite and that the candies "danced" when dropped into that kind of soda. Maybe next year we'll try to make the little heart candies dance in Sprite.

Then we did a STEM activity where the children used toothpicks and heart gummies to make structures. 

All of my children thoroughly enjoyed this project, and told me as much many times! 

And as is our custom for pretty much every holiday, we made cut-out sugar cookies using Valentines Day cookie cutters.

We waited until later that night, when daddy was home, to decorate them. We turned on some Christian jams and had an awesome time decorating cookies. (Picture of iced cooked located at the top of this post.)

Of course no holiday is complete without a fun minute-to-win-it game.

The children took the conversation heart candies and sucked them up off of a napkin and put them into a cup. We played the game three times. The first time the children used ten hearts, but that was too many, so we cut it down to five hearts for the last two games.

We did another science experiment with chenille stems twisted into hearts soaked in Borax and water. They were suppose to crystallize around the stems, but that did not happen for us ~ insert groan!! Which meant we had two Pinterest science projects that did NOT turn out this week. I guess sometimes you win and other times you don't. We still had fun doing the projects, and then of course laughing hysterically when they didn't turn out like they were supposed too. Oh well ~ I tried.

Our final project was to complete a Valentines Day interactive notebook that I found on Teachers Pay Teachers. We studies about the history of Valentine's Day. We also watched some YouTube videos on the topics of St. Valentine, The Taj Mahal (referenced in our interactive notebook lessons), and the history of Valentine's Day. 

Even though I was really sick with Strep throat this week of Valentine's Day fun, we still managed to pull off a very enjoyable week celebrating the gift of love. There was a time that I kept most holidays super low-key, life has a funny way of evolving and changing. As I mentioned in my last post, having older children and one who is grown and moved out, really changes your perspective in life. I'm 110% determined to make every day count that I have with these children, because there will come a time when all they will have is their memories of me. I'd hate to think I wasted the precious time I was given with them. Creating treasured memories does not mean spending a lot of money or doing elaborate things, it just takes a little bit of time and creativity.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer 

Valentine's Day Totschool Week

This year's tot school Valentines Day week was so much fun! Even if mama was S.I.C.K.!! I went down with Strep on Sunday and it was a struggle throughout the rest of the week. I had to make adjustments in regards to my to-do list, but I refused to let go of our Valentines Day week celebrations for the sake of sickness! Thankfully my kiddos all pulled together and it was a truly blessed week. 

Our sensory box included dyed rice, foam hearts, heart erasers, red and clear glass gems, tiny plastic valentine ducks, heart stickers and a small red basket. 

 Here's our Valentine's Day story books. We really don't have that many, which means I really need to get busy collecting some new ones. 

 Our first craft was to make torn paper hearts. I found a free printable which had an outline of a heart on it along with the words "I love you to pieces". When we have glueing projects, I always put the glue on their papers and then have them add the pieces.

Next we made heart stamped papers. I hot glued foam heart stickers to the bottom of a wooden clothes pin. Then the children stamped the hearts into red paint and stamped them onto white construction paper. 

The littles ones pretty much just smeared the paint onto the paper, but my older ones actually did great and you could actually tell the papers were heart stamped, lol. 

The little ones also made puppy hearts. I cut out a large heart with red construction paper and then a pink one of the same size. I cut the pink heart in half for the ears. I used various different sizes of heart punches for the eyes and nose. 

 Our last project was to make marble painted hearts. I cut out hearts then put the hearts in a shallow pan with three marbles. I dropped a few dollops of red paint on the hearts and let the kiddos tilt the pan in different directions to get the marbles to roll through the paint.

Last the children did a snactivity where they made punch and Valentines Day muddy buddies. 

The punch included a 2-liter bottle of Sprite, a large can of pineapple juice, and a large jug of Hawaiian Punch.

I used this recipe for holiday muddy buddies, but used Valentines Day M&M's.

To close out our Valentines' Day tot school week the children watched The Princess and the Frog while drinking their punch and eating Valentines Day muddy buddies. 

As is my custom for tot school ~ none of these activities were costly or took much time to do. It just took a little planning and coordinating of supplies. While I do NOT believe it is necessary to 'go all out' like this for holidays, it sure is a blast making such precious memories with my children. The little bit of work and energy it takes to implement these actives with my children is absolutely worth it to me. I am all the more aware of how short my time is with my children since my oldest has moved out. It is my deepest desire to make every moment count, especially the holidays. 

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Homeschool Table Time

 We kick off each homeschool day with our table time lessons. Our homeschool table time is my absolute favorite part of homeschooling. Table time in the homeschool world has many different names: morning time, morning basket, tea time, morning menus, etc. whatever you choose to call your 'group' homeschool time is personal to each family ~ but we choose to call it 'table time' since that's where we have it. 

 I prefer to do our table time lessons first thing in the morning because that is when our family is at it's 'best'. We are all in best form, present in mind, not distracted, basically 'fresh' for a new day. Since table time is the core of our homeschooling, it only makes sense to do it when we are all at our best. Also, since I practice intermittent fasting, and don't break my fast until 10am, it is perfect for me to begin our read aloud while everyone else is eating their breakfast.

The above picture is a glimpse at part of my homeschool planner. I have scheduled each week of our table time (the top section of the page). These pages tell me what hymn, bible verse, interactive notebook, storybooks, projects, and quiet time boxes to do for each week. Our bible, nature, and nonfiction books are just read as we see fit for each day. This is the first year I have used these personalized weekly planning sheets, and they have been AMAZING!! As this year has progressed it has been easy for me to add, subtract, and make adjustments. We have accomplished more than we ever have and I owe it all to this detailed homeschool planner I created just for our family.

Our table time routine looks like this: I first read aloud from a bible story book (I own several that we have read through over the years). We read from a nature book; sometimes it's a fiction book while other times it's nonfiction. Then we read from a nonfiction book. I really enjoy picking a series so we can follow characters throughout multiple books and storylines. We practice reciting our weekly bible memory verse, then we sing our weekly hymn or praise song. I read our scheduled story books for the day. (I plan these books out before the school year begins). We also do our interactive history and science notebooks and the coordinating read alouds. Table time is also when we do our projects, whether it be crafts or experiments. To wrap up our table time we pray.

To keep the littles occupied and as quiet as possible during table time, I have designated educational activities for them to do. I have been intentional to budget for these educational toys throughout the years, and we have acquired quite a few. 

I've tried to box up the toys into coordinating totes, which are only brought out during supervised play time ~ mostly just table time. Some of these toys were not cheap, and losing pieces typically renders the toys useless, hence the fact that they are put up and only brought out during table time.

 Most of the toys were purchased through Amazon or Learning Resources. My favorite time to purchase educational toys is on Black Friday/Cyper Monday and Prime Day. I can usually find great deals allowing my budget to stretch even further.

The educational toys I purchase have to be quiet toys which means they don't make noises (obviously if they required batteries and made noises that would defeat the purpose of quiet time toys, lol). And yes, even my little bitty ones are required to sit at the table for table time. It's a good lesson for church or other times when they will be expected to sit still and be quiet. The homeschool lessons are not always book lessons, but lessons in behavior and character; from mama all the way down to the baby. 

Does our table time always go off without a hitch? Hardly!! No day is ever void of an opportunity for mama to child train. I've learned that planning and scheduling helps keep those hiccups down to a minimum. My children tend to do best when they know what is expected of them and there's a consistent routine. Every family has to find their own homeschooling groove. It's highly unlikely any homeschool family will look like the next, but we do have a common thread and that is to give our children the best platform for learning; and for us this is what is at the core of our homeschool day and works best for our family.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Homeschool Routine

If there is one thing I've learned in the nearly 16 years I've been homeschooling, it's having a set homeschool routine is critical. Without a 'set in place' routine for my children and myself, we wouldn't get done half of what we get done. Our homeschool routine changes every year, and even more so when we add and graduate children. 

I keep our homeschool routine posted on the fridge for all the children to see which helps to keep the squabbling to a minimum. No one can argue whose turn it is to do what. If my older children are not scheduled to be doing something then they have free time (within reason) but they must remain in the house in the event I need them for something. 

The above routine is my personal homeschool routine. We first start the day with table time (which I will be going into more detail about in my next post). Table time includes all members of the family who are under the age of 18 and still officially in 'school'. Next I do tot school group lessons. These lessons are currently done with my five children under the age of seven. Then I have one-on-one time with each of my children to go over their individual lessons.

I do one-on-one time with each child in a separate room, with the intentions that we will be undisturbed, but with a house full of children this does not always happen. Some of my children require more of my undivided attention than others when it comes to lessons. I evaluate this yearly and make adjustments to the schedule accordingly. 

I have gone to great lengths to teach my children to 'own' their education. For the most part, my older children do their lessons independently, and their one-on-one time is mostly for accountability and for me to review their work. While I consider us to be relaxed homeschoolers, and maybe even unschoolers compared to some; I do require my children to partake in some form of academic lessons daily.

This second chart is mostly for how I strive to keep my younger children occupied during my one-on-one time. I would love to say my younger group of children were well behaved during our lessons; but honestly, if they're not scheduled to be doing something constructive WITH a supervisor they will most likely get into trouble. {{sigh}} Which is why I have devised the above routine. 

My big kids do not need this chart/routine. They are very well behaved and have learned how to use their time wisely, my younger crew not so much. This chart helps all of us stay focused and make sure everyone is doing their part to make the day run as smoothly as possible. After table time and tot school, my oldest son sits in the living room while the littles as they watch a scheduled educational movie. Next, they go to the girl's room to play puzzles, educational games, and play in the weekly sensory box with my oldest daughter. Then they rotate to play in another room where our blocks and play kitchen are located. Last they play outside on our back porch where we have riding toys and for the warmer months we have a water play station set up.

I have times posted for this routine, but they are really just for a guide. We begin the day when we are able  and then proceed in order of what the schedule indicates. Each of the big children are required to watch/play with the younger kids for 45 minutes ~ and YES I set a timer, because if I don't, there will be arguing about who did what for how long. {{insert eye roll}} Real life here y'all ~ I refuse to sugar coat the way things are, that doesn't do any good for anyone.

Our homeschool routine is a suggested guide. We do not live our days in bondage to it. We make adjustments as we need to each day. But, it's great to have a plan, a goal to pursue each day. I've been doing some variation of this routine for many years. When I had just littles we would do 'blanket time' where the children not doing lessons had to sit on the blanket and play quietly with a designated toy. But as my children have gotten older I'm able to adapt the routine to fit our ever changing needs. 

I'd also like to add that I've always 'scheduled' play times for my children. It's real easy in large families for certain children to group together, alienating other siblings. Some children like to play with just the babies, while others don't like having anything to do with the babies; or children born close together had rather play with just themselves. I think it's important to be intentional to cultivate sibling relationships across the board. By scheduling my children to have playtime with all their siblings, it insures they're building relationships with each of their siblings and not just one or two. 

This is our current 2019/2020 homeschool routine. In August I will reevaluate and make adjustments as needed. For the most part it will probably stay the same in for the next school year since we will not have any children graduating and I don't officially add children to lessons until they are two. While it can take some time figuring out a viable homeschool routine, it has been well worth it for our family for many reasons. But, I especially love our homeschool schedule because it allows me to spend adequate time with all my children, making sure they are getting the academic help they need. 

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies

Today I've got a special recipe for y'all. This is one of my all-time favorite recipes and a go-to for healthy travel food. These cookies are filled with all kinds of yummy nutritious ingredients. 

I call these breakfast cookies, but I can eat them at all hours of the day, lol. 

These cookies call for cranberries, and since most dried fruits have added sugar, I actually special order 'juice' sweetened cranberries just for when I make this cookies. 

These cookies are also a great recipe to have children help make. Mine especially enjoy scooping the batter onto the cookie sheet.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup sweet potato puree

1/4 cup milk ( can be almond milk)

1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups old fashion oats

3/4 cups chopped pecans (opt.)

1 cup dried cranberries (opt.)

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Scoop onto cookie sheet, smash slightly. Bake 15 minutes @ 350*.

I typically make these using a 1/4 cup cookie scooper, but you can make them any size you prefer. I also double or triple the recipe, because they freeze so well. Whenever we've got a day trip planned I can easily lay these out the night before, warm them up in the oven or microwave, and bring them along to eat in the van (i.e. creating minimal mess). Since they are filled with all sorts of delicious healthy ingredients they are extremely fulfilling and addicting, lol.

This will always be one of my most treasured recipes. They were a favorite of one of our church elders at our last church we attended. He has since gone on to be with Lord ~ but I'll never forget how he used to request  I make and bring them to our weekly potluck fellowship meetings. Since they were so easy to make and healthy I was always happy to oblige. Nothing like a good recipe to unite friends and family.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Winter/Snow Totschool Week

I planned our winter/snow tot school week to fall at the end of January, just when we were beginning to all wear thin of being cooped up from the rainy, cold weather down here in the Deep South. Yes, we still have a couple more months of winter, but thankfully we will start to see some warmer days sprinkled into the weeks as we get loser to spring. My people do not do well being trapped inside for days on end ~ we need the fresh air to stay sane, lol.

I planned for five winter/snow activities for the week including one snactivity. The above picture was our 'melted snowman' snactivity. The children placed large marshmallows on graham crackers, then I melted them in the oven on broil and smashed the marshmallows down with a spatula. Then they made faces with candy corn and chocolate chips. It was a HUGE mess, but the children seemed to like it so I'm calling it a win, even if some had to go straight to the tub for a bath to get unstickified.

Our next project was to make snow paintings with clothes pins hooked to cotton balls and white paint. Super easy and super fun for my kiddos who love to paint.

Always major drama trying to get the tot school pics {{sigh}}.

Then we made paper plate penguins. I cut a heart out of white construction paper that they glued on to the paper plate. Then I used one of my circle punches for the eye pieces and my heart punch for the feet. Next I cut an orange nose and last I gave the children a pile of torn black construction paper for them to glue on the plates for the body.

Another winter/snow project was q-tip painted snow flakes. A super easy craft ~ I cut narrow rectangle strips of blue construction paper and then glued them like a snowflake, then the kiddos just painted white dots with a q-tip on the snow flakes.

Painting and glueing, if you haven't noticed are my go-to crafts for my kiddos.

We also made paper melted snowman. I used my circle punches to cut out eyes and a mouth. Then I cut out an orange nose and used my square punch for the 'body'. And last I cut long narrow rectangles for the arm pieces.

With instructions the children then glued all the pieces down onto their paper. I give the pieces out in sections so they didn't get glued in the wrong place.

Our last winter/snow activity was to make 'snow'. We used 1/2 cup regular white shampoo and 3 cups baking soda to make our 'snow'. The littles had a blast playing with their little animals in the homemade 'snow'.

As always I am so thankful to have planned our school year down to every last detail. Because I'm not going to lie, with a new baby and a house full of children and a bazillion other responsibilities, I highly doubt this fun themed tot school week would have happened. None of these winter/snow themed activities were complicated, but they do take a little bit of time to plan and coordinate. There's always a time and palace for spontaneity, but planning ahead has its benefits too!

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer