Baseball Player

John Platt

by John Platt

I am a baseball player

I wonder what will happen in the game

I hear the coaches yelling

I see the pitcher on the mound

I want to steal a base

I am a baseball player

I pretend to be Jackie Robinson and steal home plate

I feel that pressure is on me

I touch homebase

I am worried what the call will be, I hope I will be safe

I am a baseball player

I understand I might be out

I say I must be safe for the umpire stretches out his arms "SAFE!"

I dream what will happen for we will celebrate

I am a baseball player

Our Fall Harvest

This is our "farm" (as the neighbors like to call it).  We decided to do all corn this year.  There was a lot going on at our house when it was time to plant, so we decided to try our hand at corn again.  They said it couldn't be done.  But, look at this corn!

We had some with our meal the other night.  It was delicious!This corn is especially special.  It reminds us of my wonderful father-in-law who was the most amazing guy when it came to growing a crop.  This crop is in honor of him.  We happened to plant the corn the morning he past away (before we found out).  So, it was very memorable when we ate it.  We thought of him the whole time.  I think that must be why we did so well!  He taught us well!  Thanks Wes! 

Picture this!

The other day I found this great book at the library. So, on this fine summer morning I decided to do a small lesson on Impressionism. We discussed Camille Pissarro's painting entitled The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning. As seen here:

After discussing his techniques there was an opportunity and activity to try out one of the techniques he used in some of his paintings. So here are some of our pictures using oil pastels/crayons and watercolors. We had fun. I made the rule that the kids only had one sheet of paper to work with so they had to really focus on what they wanted to do. Here are our "Pissarro" paintings.

Some things learned this year, through homeschooling...

Over the past few weeks I have been contemplating the changes that have come this year through homeschooling. Not changes in the kids, although there are many, changs in me. Homeschooling is not for everyone, I acknowledge that. It was not for me. This has been a LONG journey for me. For years I wasn't even going to do it. Jason really wanted me to, but I desired and LONGED just to do ministry with him. That is what I LONG to do. The last thing I WANTED to do was teach. I find it funny now. I kept telling Jason NO WAY! I am not cut out for that. He thought I could do it. I didn't give it an option. But, God asks us to seek Him. He doesn't always give us the desires of our hearts...right away. He asks us to seek Him. I prayed. I prayed. And I prayed some more. Seeking what He wanted, not me. After two years of praying, and through MANY, MANY confirmations I knew that is what He wanted me to do. So, in faith I stepped.

It has been almost a full two years of teaching them. I am learning. (I hope) They are learning. But, I think my learning has been more than I could ever imagine. I have learned a lot from the text books. School was never easy for me, so I am learning a TON in regard to history and phonics. I never was taught phonics, so this English language makes more since than just memorizing words to me. But more importantly, I have learned more about myself and that has made me a better person and mom and teacher. I am not the best teacher. It doesn't come naturally for me. I have found that is ok. I try. And through trying I show my kids that even if you aren't the best at something God can use anything...I mean ANYTHING. I have found how much I truly love them. I mean really, truly love them. They do get under my skin some days, but my love for them has a new meaning. I have learned from them. They have taught me so much from their growing minds that I would never have learned it I wasn't with them every day.

{I stop as I write this. This is not where I was headed at all. My aim was to point out some logistically things that I have learned this year through homeschooling. I guess that will have to be for another post.}

I have learned how to have patience and flexiblity. I have also learned that God does work in everything for our best if we trust and rely on Him. If we had not been homeschooling we would not have had the opportunities we have to travel and spend time with Jason very sick dad. I have learned to have a perspective of trying to figure out how to learn something from each experience we encounter. I would have never done that before homeschooling.

As I sit contemplating what I have learned I am glad that I opened my eyes to see what He wanted me to do with my life. There is still time to get that degree in sign language interpretation and also to spend as much time serving my husband along in ministry, the way I want to do it. But, for right now, in this moment and this time, He has me here. I am keep getting excited about what He is going to teach me through all of this. And I guess if you really look at it. I am serving along side my husband in ministry. It might not be what I thought it looked like, but it is the ministry of my children. So I guess I am where I wanted to be after all...it is just not how I pictured it to be. I wonder how many other parts of my life are REALLY where I want them to be AND where He wants them to be, I just haven't opened my eyes to seeing how they go together...it gets me to thinking...

What about you, are your eyes closed to what is really in front of you?

Workbox- My Style (Updated and more detail)

To begin with, I previously wrote about my WORKBOX SYSTEM here. I was not able to go into more detail so I kept promising that I would, and now I have. See below.

First, this is part of my lesson plan (thanks to my friend Rachel, she came up with this, I can not get the credit). On the far left are the days numbered for school (i.e. day 71, day 72, etc.). I could only fit a few subjects into the picture. I have it by date and then you read across left to right. The previous blog was not able to explain this part.

Here is my workbox! It is just a bankers box and file folders...but it has made my life so much better! Read on to see how it works. I know it doesn't look like the normal workboxes you are use to seeing, but trust me it is sooooo helpful.

Here are the file folder, just simply labeled per day. What I do is take the lesson plan and then find all the supplies I need for that day (the day listed to the far left) and then put them in that file folder. I get all the items cut out, ready to go. So when that day comes, all I have to do is pull out that folder and it is all there. Then...

(Here is what one of the folders has in it.)...if there is a page or supplies that needs to be used a different day I take a sticky note and write what day(s) it needs to be moved to when we are done using it. Here is an example of that:
Should there be any supplies that might not fit into the box, or that I have to get the week of I put a sticky note sticking out of the top so I can see it flagged.

Here is what it looks like when I am looking at my Workbox:

I grab the sticky notes and add it to my shopping list. I am planning on trying to do a library list next year. I am working on that. More to come on that later.

So this is my workbox system. The thing I like about it compared to the other workbox systems out there is that everything is already to go, it doesn't take up much space, I don't have to prepare something each night (it is already done) and once day one is done I can start planning on next year when I have time. Just keep rotating. I also like it because if we get behind in one subject I can always see what day the supplies are in. See below. We are a little behind in Spelling on this lesson sheet, so even though we are ahead of that day the items are still in that day. So, when I come to Spelling list 13 worksheet and need it I can go to day 64 and pull it out even though we are on day 70.

I hope that this has been more informative than the previous post. I know that a lot of people have wanted more, and it has taken me some time to get to it. So, here it is. I hope it can help someone out. I have taken things I have read elsewhere and squeaked it to what works for me. With four kids it is hard to keep track of all the different things I need...this works for me. It might not work for you, but maybe you can take something from it and make your own system. I hope you have a great school year, I know we are!

Reason #246 of why I love homeschooling

Yesterday during lunch our conversation somehow got on each one of our responsibility in the decisions we make. Just because we have the same parents does not mean that we will all make the same choices, etc.. It was great discussing the fact that each child is responsible for the choices he/she makes. We as parents try and direct and teach and guide them the best we can, but ultimately we are responsible for OURSELVES. I would say that was a great lunch.

Building Character

"The world of the [very] young...[is] a place where good and evil are clearly stamped. It's a place where the better part of human nature triumphs over tragedies, and where innocence rides high." --Rosemary Wells

Building Character, it seems so hard these days. I recently was skimming for more information in A Well Trained Mind (I book I have come to love, I don't use everything in it, but it has helped me a lot!) when I got to the chapter about building character. There were a few books that caught my eye. I researched them and found this one. So I have taken it along with me to the library. It lists different books that, through the stories themselves, build character. The author discusses how some of the books are a great starting point for discussions, where as others are ones that the stories speak for themselves.

"The growth of the imagination demands windows--windows through which we can look out at the world and windows through which we can look into ourselves. The old stories were windows in just this way." --Katherine Paterson

The book is broken into different categories. I have started with the Picture Books. It is funny how there are some really great books out there you didn't even know exist. I strongly suggest if you don't have this book, get it. Here are a few that we have come across that have a really liked:

Brave Irene by William Steig

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Homeschool Year 3, Day 17 - Favorite Hat Day

This year to make it more exciting, more variety I have thrown in "spirit days". A couple of weeks ago we had orange day. Today was Favorite Hat Day! Here is a picture of the kids with their favorite hats on. In the afternoon we had our activity for History to do and I thought tha tit was appropriate that we had to make Roman Headpieces (which I got from this curriculum). They had fun putting those together, I wish I could say that I had cordinated that, but I didn't. They added beads to make it more decorative. The funny thing is last week we were learning Ancient American and learned about the native americans. So, I had to remind them that it was Ancient Rome that we were making the headpieces for. They kept running around the house yelling for everyone to come to their Indianland. Oh, well, at least they remembered what we learned LAST WEEK! I think we might have to do a review of Rome next week. 8-)

It's finally here!

It's HERE!!!

Yes, crazy as it seems I am quite excited about it. What you are wondering??? My schedule. Yes, it may seem said that I am this excited about a schedule, but I have been working on it for the past month and I think I found what will work. I researched a lot of homeschool books and websites looking for what might work for our family. Here is what I have put together for us. Any thoughts about this, ESPECIALLY if you find things that you think I can improve on, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Thanks.

Mondays and Thursdays:

• Worship and Bible Time (in living room, for 20 minutes) - Awana verses and CBS lesson
• Reading and Piano Time (in living room, for 1 hour -15 minute increments

15min - John reading, Emily-piano, Kiley-spelling city, Karli-writing

15 min - Emily - reading, Kiley-piano, John-writing, Karli -learning website

15 min - Kiley - reading, Karli - piano, John -spelling city, Emily - writing

15 min - Karli - reading, John-piano, Kiley-writing, Emily - spelling city

• Math (upstairs, 1 hr): Girls - 30-40 min , John - chores and free time*

John - 30-40 min, Girls - chores and free time*

• 10 minute break and snack (10 min, kitchen or outside)
• Language Arts (20 minutes, upstairs)
• Science (20-30 minutes)
• Lunch - help with lunch prep-(mon: J-sandwiches,E-drinks,Ki-plates/napkins,Ka-sides;

(thurs: Ki-sandwiches, E-sides, J-plates/napkins, Ka- drinks)

• History (30 min, upstairs)
• Read Aloud Time/homework (40 minutes)

Wednesdays are the same, except I thought I would change it up a bit so that I switch Math and reading segments (there is also a different rotation for lunch prep jobs).

Tuesdays we have our Bible Study. The kids have their own classes with other kids who are homeschooled and in their grade. We usually, during nice weather, get together for recess and lunch after at a local park. Then we continue on to piano. During piano I have a schedule for the kids to get their spelling worked on and a portion of reading done. So, while the others are doing piano some other school work is going on.

Fridays they have an all day school called One Day Enrichment. They cover science, art, history, P.E. and an elective and, of course, lunch. I am co-teaching the elective class this year. The first session will be on camping skills. We are aiming to teach them skills to be able to help when they are older, as well as, how to take care of their families while enjoying camping. Other topics coming.

I am also in the process of coming up with a better schedule for the rest of our day. Look for that to come. I am still working on that. I am hoping to have that nailed by the end of the weekend. My goal is to focus on aiming for these schedules, and realize that learning flexiblity is good to, but to jump back into the routine of things as soon as possible. I am excited. I am still trying to figure out when to throw in Spanish and Art. We did three lessons this summer for Spanish and only one for Art. I guess that is better than nothing.???!! Look back in the next few days for more on this schedule and the schedule of our lives. Also, look for my version on the workbox idea. Not, that I am a genius, but I found something that will work better for me and maybe there is something you can take or add to this idea to make it better. But, that is to come this coming week.

Enjoy this last weekend of "summer", yes I know the season is not over (that is for my husband's sake *smile*) but the session is. On to the last weekend. Enjoy! Have fun! And make sure you let me know your thoughts on these ideas. I am always looking to make it better!

Shhhh, don't tell them!

So yes, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday observed, but I am a terrible mom, we still had school. The kids had no idea until one of the neighbor kids came over and announced that the didn't have school Monday AND Friday. This morning I kept getting the question, "Why do we have to have school? No one else is." Well, I stuck to my (apparently terrible) guns and had school. It was pretty good and there will be a day soon when all the other kids will be in school and they will have a day off and then it won't be so bad. 8-) But, we learned something new today and we had fun doing it. Action verbs, I never knew, could be so fun to learn. They got out their jitters by jumping, running, screaming (their favorite), growling, roaring, punching and they could not forget to tackle mom (John's favorite). What could have been a better day to learn about action verbs when you just want to get out there and enjoy and play like the rest...they had fun and I got to check off a lesson...it was good, but next time I think I will have to warn the neighbor kids...Shh, don't tell them!