Back To Home School!

This year is going to be a little bit different here at The Boo Boo Princess Charm School for Girls. We have added a third little learner onto our attendance sheet! I have decide to make some changes to the way we learn to hopefully make it a little easier for all of us.

My first change was to start a little earlier. We started on August 11th. I don't usually start until September. I started earlier this year.  Last year was a little rough because I was pregnant. This pregnancy made me very tired! I didn't feel we got as much done as we should have, so I wanted to get a jump start on this school year.

I started the year with only two subjects. We started with Math and Bible. We are the most behind in Math and that is the subject kids tend to forget over the Summer. We also do our Bible devotional because I feel it is important to start our day on the right foot. If we get Bible done I feel happy no matter what else we get done for the day!

We have joined two Co-Ops this year. One is The first and third Thursday of the month and the other one is every Friday. I joined two this year because I wanted Pants and Pie Pie to have more outside classes. I needed a little more help with some subjects and I thought this would be a good fit. It is nice to know that someone else is going to be taking care of some of the preparations and teaching for your kids.

The fact that we have joined these two Co-Ops made me decide to start with only three days of school for right now. I want to see how much we can get done in these three days. We will have a fourth day some weeks, so I can have Pie Pie do whatever is missed then.

I am really hoping that these changes will help make this year go a bit more smoothly. I know that homeschooling is always a challenge no matter what or how much you plan. I am pretty flexible and so are my girls. I kinda think the Baby is going to be the biggest challenge of all. I almost forgot about making new friends at our new Co-Op! Hopefully someone will like me!

I will definitely remember to update about how these changes have made a difference in our homeschooling lifestyle!

P.S. I also wanted to share two new books I recently purchased. I have read Simply Homeschool and am currently reading Flourish. I love to read and I can never get enough of books about homeschooling!

and then there was three!

 

 

My blog has been pretty quiet lately. It hasn't been quiet at our house though! About four months ago we welcomed a sweet, new little princess into our home!

 

 

 

She has been a wonderful addition to our family. Three girls are a lot of work though! You think it won't be much of a difference going from two to three, but it is! There is never enough of you or enough patience! My poor husband is still waiting for his share of my attention! There is so much I want to share about how my life has changed. That, however, will have to wait for another day! I have some work to do on my classes I am teaching at our Co-Op this year and I am sure the newest Princess (she will have a blog name soon) will need me soon!

 

 

P.S. She still isn't sleeping through the night!

Smiles

January

First day of the new year!

Off to the Range!
 

Snow Day at Beacon!
 



Mini Frog Army!

 



Snuggly Pants!

 

Crazy Hat Night!

 

 

What's that smell?!

 

 

Smiles,

Nikki!



A Boo Boo Princess Christmas Story

A tradition we started last year at our home is The Great Stocking Hunt! It all started because their stockings got to heavy to hang from the banister, so we had to figure out something else to do with them. We decided to hide them and have clues to help the girls find them.

 

It starts where the stockings should be and then the girls travel all over the house following the clues. This year I used leftover wrapping paper for the clues.

 



 

Are they in the fridge?

 

 

Let's check out our clue to see where to go next!

 

So many clues!

 

We found them.

 

Now, it's time to see what is inside!

 

We hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year!

I'm a Smiley Star!

I have recently noticed that many people hesitate to take a compliment. I would like to change that in my own way. I would like to start something new on my blog called Smiley Star!. I want all of my friends and family to think about something you have done that makes you a Smiley Star!. It can be pretty much anything that someone would compliment you for doing.

I am going to kick this idea off by sharing my Smiley Star!. About a week ago, in an effort to be named Best Mom Ever by my daughter Pie Pie, we had her best friend stay over for a week! I am definitely tooting my own horn here and asking for a round of applause! We love Pie Pie's friend, she is a pleasure to have around! When you are used to your own two girls and add another girl to the mix it can get interesting. We had a lot of fun!

 

The girls played games,

 

 

went swimming,

 

 

made creatures with Sculpy clay,

 

 

got a visit from the yarn monster,

 

 

learned a little about music,

 

 

went to Pants' dress rehearsal,

 

 

and even got a visit from Santa!

 

 

Well there you have it, my week with three girls!

I would love if you would share you your Smiley Star! stories with me.

You can email me at boobooprincesses@yahoo.com or find me on Facebook.

 

We are counting down to our 200th post!

This is post 197!

Giveaways coming soon!



Craft Support for the Less Than Crafty

I am one of the less than crafty Moms.

 I admit it.

 I need a craft that is easy to do and doesn't take a lot of supplies to get the craft done. I like the craft to mostly be done by the child. I don't mind a mess as long as you get to have fun in the process!

Pie Pie recently went to an event where she made a craft that is for Moms just like me! It is very simple and my kids liked it.

 

A Zebra made by Pie Pie.

 

You only need a few supplies to get the craft put together.

1. card stock

2. clothespins (the ones with the springs in them)

3. scissors

4. markers

 

You start by drawing an animal shape onto the card stock. You want to leave off any part where you want to use a clothespin. Then you cut out the shape and draw on animal details. Don't forget the clothespins! They need faces and colors too.

 

Animals made by Pants.

 

Your child can use their imagination to make whatever animal they would like. We used a clothespin to make the neck of a giraffe, clothespins for ears of a rabbit and/or a clothespin for a trunk of an elephant! These can be used for almost any study where animals are involved. I am planning on making these the next time I teach children's church!

 

 

I do not know who came up with this nifty craft, but it was not me. I just wanted to pass along the fun to all the other Moms out there who needed a little craftiness!

 



The Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie

This past Christmas I asked my super-great friend Pammy what kind of cookies I could bake special for her. Cookies=Love! She picked the peanut butter blossom cookie. She actually said anything chocolate, but this was the first name of a cookie out of her mouth. (Later into her mouth!)

 

This cookie brought back many memories for me. I haven't made them in quite a while. They were my ultimate favorite growing up! My Mom made them and I ate them. First, I would bite off the point of the Kiss. Second, I would nibble the cookie part that extended around the Kiss. Last I would pop the rest into my mouth in one BIG bite. Yummy! I still eat them that way too.

 



 

This year Pie Pie got to help with the cookies. She got to unwrap the Kisses, (and eat some) roll the dough into balls and into the sugar. When the come out of the oven it's time to put in the Kiss. I love putting the Kisses into the warm cookie and making them melt a little, but not too much. 

 

Pants, Pie Pie, Daddy and me loved eating theses special treats.

Thanks to Pam for the suggestion to make them! 

Wacky, Fun Stuff!

Now, we all know that everyone has a few quirks. It's what makes us all unique. I thought it would be fun to share some of the interesting stuff that makes me different. It's not gross or scary, so please keep reading!

 

1. You may know that I love Skittles, but do you know that I eat them in a certain order. It varies as well. I usually start with the purple ones which are my least favorite. Then I move onto the yellow, orange, green and last of all red. I love red ones! If you see me with a handful of red ones you had better not steal them. Only my immediate family can get away with that!

2. I love Nickelodeon teen shows. I have loved them since I was an actual teen. It all started with Hey Dude! and Clarissa Explains It All. Does anyone else remember those shows?! My latest favorites are iCarly and Victorious. My girls and I have a great time watching these funny shows together. I think that the shows are so goofy and silly. I just wouldn't want to clean up after the messes they usually make!

This is only the first part of fun stuff about me, so come back soon for more!



A Month Into the School Year

I was counting how many days we have done for school recently and was happy to notice that we have 25 days finished already! Pie Pie and I like to know how much we have accomplished! I am also pleased with the progress we have made and would like to share some here.

Reading 

Pie Pie and Pants have done a lot of reading. I love reading and will do anything to encourage them to read. They each read enough books for about 36 tickets (5 books per ticket) in the Library Reading Program this Summer. I'm not sure the actual total because I lost track, but that is a lot of books. We have particularly enjoyed reading Carolyn Haywood books.



We are currently reading

These are some of my favorites from when I was little and I am so glad Pie Pie can enjoy them now. Pants and I are reading through the selections in Before Five in a Row. We have, so far, liked all of their choices.

Math

We are currently in our third chapter in Math which should be finished up tomorrow. We are just getting started with some new lessons, but Pie Pie is sailing right through. Pants is still working on counting and writing her numbers. They both like to build with our Math blocks.

History

For History we are currently in the 1800s of American History. We just finished up the Constitution and learned about the Bill of Rights. We are looking forward to the War of 1812  and then we are going to read about the American Girl from that time period, Josephina.

Science

We started off with a couple of different topics. We learned a little about the Ocean and Butterflies. Now we are currently on The Human Body. We are learning a little more about what our body parts do and how to take care of ourselves. Our next topic will be all of the animals that are in Animal Jam. This is their favorite Internet game. Pants is learning about different animals and the Five Senses.

Geography

We just finished up our second Which Way U.S.A. book. This is Pie Pie's favorite subject right now. Whenever I ask her what subject she wants to do, she always says Geography!

Language Arts

We just started our Grammar book this week. We have also been working on Handwriting. I am also hoping to start a Spelling Program very soon! We are going to be starting a Literature unit all about the Roman and Greek gods and goddess.

Bible

We are doing daily devotions and just started AWANA, which  is a Bible Club for kids. Both of the girls participate and it is at our church. They learn about the Bible, play games and get prizes. This is where they recite their Bible Memory Verse for the week.

Pants

Pants has been very fiesty lately so we have been going really easy with Pre-K. We are reading and I have been trying to get her to focus for longer periods of time on a task. She is going to be starting Ballet next week and I think that will be a good physical outlet for her. She loves to draw, color and play.

There's lots of other things going on for us too. We have been busy! I just wanted to give a little update to anyone who likes to read about us!

More to Come!

P.S. I am linkink up with iHomeschool Network's Mother's Journal.

 

What's Your Favorite Subject?!

This is the second week in the Back To (Home) School Carnival.

Update August 6th , 2012. I am also linking up to:

We are beginning our fourth year of homeschooling for Pie Pie. She is pretty set in what she likes for school, but there are some new things we are trying this year. I'm going to share her eclectic curriculum first, then we will move on to Pant's stuff! (I am still figuring some things out, but this is what we have planned so far.)

For Math we love Math-U-See! It is the best for both of us. Math is not a strong subject for me, so we watch the DVD together and then I can explain more if needed. The blocks are very helpful. I finally feel like I am understanding Math too! This is one subject we are a little behind in, but I am confident that she has a full understanding of the Math she has learned. That is what is most important to me.



For Language Arts we will be using Bob Jones University English 3. We were given a copy of the Teacher's Manual for grade 2  last year so we gave it a try and liked the book. When Pie Pie likes something we stick with it. I still have this on my list to buy for the coming school year.



We are going with something new for Bible this year. I have yet to find something we both like that I can afford. We were actually given this curriculum, so I figured why not try it out. We have a Devotional book we do daily and Pie Pie will be in AWANA this fall.  At AWANA she learns Bible Verses and has a Bible message. She gets to play games and have fun too!



For Handwriting this year we are trying out Handwriting Without Tears. I have allowed her handwriting to be pretty horrible so far. She hates to write so I was just happy she was getting anything down on the page. I have heard great things about this writing program and I'm hoping Pie Pie likes it too. After she finishes this book I plan to move onto to the cursive one. I am also considering a typing program if any one can direct me to a good one.



In History we are studying the U.S. We are going to start at the end of the Revolutionary War, where we stopped last year and work until the end of the school year. We do all kinds of fun projects and I get books from the library. One type of  learning book we use is History Pockets by Evan Moore. We did a couple last year and I can usually borrow them from the library. I also try to find some books about women through history. I like Pie Pie to get an idea of what it would have been like if she had been alive in each time period.



In Geography we have been learning about the different states in our country. We use the Which Way U.S.A . books and maps. It's more like a game and fun than work. We also read books and do a few worksheets from the Internet.



For pretty much everything else I rely on the Core Knowledge Series. This book helps me get an idea of what they should be learning in each grade. I pick my Science topics from there. We do a lot of hands on in Science and get books from the library. I also look at what they suggest for Music and Art.  I am still looking for a fun spelling program if any one can help me out in that subject. 



For Pants this year I am planning on using Rod and Staff. I have been told this is a good program for a child her age and it is a good price. I have it on my list to buy as well. Pants will  be participating in subjects with Pie Pie and she loves to be read to. I would like her to learn how to read, but we will see. We will  be going over money and time in simple ways. I also recently found out about Sensory Tubs (I know I'm late to everything!) and would like to try some of them out. I know both of my girls would like them.  

I am praying about starting a homeschool group at my church. I have some ideas that would be more fun with a group of kids. I am definitely going to be keeping it simple! 

Thanks for reading and make sure you come back for the third post in this series next Monday!
I am linking up with A Classic Housewife and  i Homeschool Network.
P.S. Pie Pie says her favorite subject is Geography!

A Peek at The Boo Boo Princess Charm School for Girls

I decided to participate in a Back to (Home)School Carnival.



They have different themes each Monday this month. I am going to try to participate in all of them, but I'm not promising anyone! It looks like a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse inside our homeschool.

I finally feel like a "real" homeschool Mom this year. This is the first school year I had to file with our school district. I also have to keep a portfolio and have Pie Pie tested at the end of the school year. I know not all homeschoolers have to do this, but those are the laws in our state. I was actually very nervous that I wasn't going to do things right or the school district was going to be mean to me. It was actually easier than I thought it would be, once I got over myself. I read all of my state laws, made sure I had all of my paper together, signed and notarized and went to the school district with confidence! Just a few easy questions and we were out of there! As of July 6th, we are officially able to log days! One down, one hundred seventy nine more to go! We actually only do fun school in the Summer, but we have some field trips we are looking forward to that I would like to count toward school. I feel it can't hurt to have extra time so we can take breaks as needed through the school year.

Here is a photo of me happy after I filed with my school district!

I have two daughters who I homeschool. My oldest daughter, Pie Pie, is eight and will be going into third grade. We are a little behind in some areas and a little ahead in others. That is one of the benefits of homeschooling, you work at your own pace. We are both visual learners, so we have been a good match this past three years. We do have our struggles because we both love and dislike the same subjects. Our least favorite subjects are Math and Language Arts. We tend to do these first, so we can move onto the fun stuff! We love Reading, History, Geography and Science! Pie Pie is also fabulous at Art! She loves to draw! She also loves horses and swimming!

My goals for Pie Pie are to finish her current Math book and to get about halfway through the next one. I'd like her to be able to write in cursive. We definitely need to work on Spelling. For some reason I though if you can read you can spell. Apparently that is not true. She can tell the word is not spelled correctly she just doesn't know how to get it to the correct spelling. We will just be continuing on with the rest of our subjects. There will be more specifics about our curriculum in another post.

My youngest daughter, Pants, is four. She will not be five until November so technically she is still Pre-K. Because of the fact that I have been homeschooling Pie Pie for the last three years I feel Pants is ready for Kindergarten work. She has been exposed to a lot simply through listening to her sister's lessons. We have started pre-reading and she is doing really well. She knows many of the letter sounds. I'm hoping she will be reading by next Summer. I'm planning on keeping it light and fun! She will also be participating in Bible, Science and History with her sister, but on her level. We will continue our work with numbers.  For some reason she feels fifteen does not belong in the number line. She just skips right over it! Pants is very busy and loves pretty much anything! She likes to draw and listen to stories. She also likes to "read" to me!

So, that's a little about us and our school! Thanks for visiting, there will(hopefully) be more to come so make sure you visit us again!

P.S. Here's the link for the  Back to (Home) School Carnival