So I’m trying to make sure each day between now and Christmas is part of our celebration. Some days we’ll do more exciting things than others, but each day will have some special Christmas activity.  Some days we will probably do more than one thing, some days it may be as simple as coloring a Christmas tree or reading a book. These are all things we’re hoping to do this month.

• Local Tree Lighting Ceremony
• Decorate tree in the front yard
• Set up Nativity Set and read the Christmas story from a childrens’ Bible.
• Get our Christmas tree at a local tree farm
• Decorate the tree
• Decorate the house
• String popcorn
• Zoo Christmas Display
• “Santa” Train
• Read  Christmas books including:  Who is Coming To Our House?, The Animals’ Christmas Eve, On That Christmas Night, The Night Before Christmas, The Christmas Story, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, The Pirates’ Night Before Christmas and some various other Christmas books that are floating around our home.
• Baking Christmas Cookies
• Bake a Cake for Jesus’ birthday
• Look at local Christmas lights
• Make Ornaments
• Various Christmas crafts (including snowmen)
• Christmas Party
• Make a “snowstorm”
• Make “Sock baby Jesus”
• Make a Gingerbread House
• Visit Santa
• Go to local art museum’s “Gingerbread Village”
• Make wrapping paper
• help make gifts for Grandma and Grandpa

What’s everyone else doing to get ready for Christmas? These Advent activities have been a blast for Keagan so far. I can’t wait until Eden’s old enough to participate.

Teaching Entrepreneurial Skills at Home

We’re doing a Christmas activity each day until Christmas. We started the 30th of November by making these activity cards:

I found the numbers on some blog and I feel pretty crummy because I just can’t remember where! If anyone sees them and recognizes them, please tell me where they came from!

So we colored, stickered (we were given a large amount of Christmas stickers)  and glued those on the 30th. I’ve been adding the activities to the back here and there. I want to be sure we have one each day, but I also want to be flexible. With a 2 1/2 year old and an 8 month old I have to be!

On the first, we decorated one of our “faerie trees” out front that Keagan insists his friends, the faeries live in.

Keagan was really excited.

Keagan had a blast decorating and now gasps with joy every time we go outside. I love it! He said he made his faeries happy and their tree is pretty. Sounds good to me.

Yesterday, we made snowmen (I cut, he glued) and read “A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas” by Phillip Yates. The book was great! We read it several times and it’s a lot of fun. When you read this book aloud, you can not help but to talk like a pirate. And what kid doesn’t want to combine all the fun of pirates with all the wonder of Christmas? It was the first book he wanted to read when he woke up today as well. It’s a hit. It’s not one that will leave you all warm and fuzzy when it’s done, but it’s great.

Today, we made salt dough ornaments. We baked today and we’ll paint tomorrow. I’ll share photos when we’re done, but Keagan’s loving the process thus far.

I hope everyone’s enjoying the advent season. It’s a lot of fun to lead up to the big celebration with lots of fun activities. Christmas should be more than just a day, I think. Is anyone else celebrating the whole season? Anyone have any fun activities they’d like to share?

Julie at Mental Tesserae, the ever-eloquent art historian/blogger, wrote a very insightful (and art-related) post about the difference between organic, home education and its synthetic public counterpart in the life of her gifted son. Very thought-provoking and neutral (doesn’t bash on public schools), I consider this article a must-read for parents who are looking for alternative learning strategies for gifted and/or special needs children:

http://mentaltesserae.blogspot.com/2008/02/predicate-mom-native.html

Natural learning has its benefits–and lack of boredom is one of the best!

It is a direct result of allowing children to explore their own creativity, unhampered by the clanging of a school bell (that would force them to stop working) or the pressure of peers (who might mock some of their more out-of-the-box ideas).

Here’s an example, with photographic proof, of what I mean:

While stranded in a “loaner house” to await the availability of our new home last month, my children had nothing to do! It rained all day, our home school books were still on the moving truck, and I imagine that most parents would resort to television, video games, or psychotropic meds to keep sane while stranded like this all day with five children.

Not me! While we lived in this limbo for an entire week, my daughters started finding things to do.

My oldest–we’ll call her “Prima”–found some scrap paper and an old pair of scissors, and almost immediately went to work, creating artistic designs and life-like shapes with them:

My second oldest–aka “Dizzy,” started writing letters to friends (something we usually do in our home school for writing homework, to make it fun)

And the little ones went outside to gather leaves, which we pressed inside wax paper shapes to make bookmarks (an activity so fun that I forgot to stop and take a picture, alas!). In the meantime, my older daughters gathered different specimens and created an impromptu “nature guide” of our new surroundings:

For the organic educator, being stuck indoors with a large group of children isn’t a headache, it is an adventure! And home-taught children adjust to different environments and situations easily–mine rarely act out or complain that they are “bored.” Instead, they thrive, thanks to the flexibility they’ve developed in an ever-changing learning atmosphere (as opposed to the public school reliance on constant, repetitive activity, requiring children to stay busy at all times, lest they “get into trouble”).

Our three lovely mares have been up to no good since our last update.

Dusty continues to put on fat over those pesky ribs, and Delilah keeps on growing! Mary hasn’t changed at all, because she’s just perfect the way she is.
Here’s an update of some problems we’ve had while training the girls.

• Problem: Bit slipping around in Dusty’s mouth, causing her to open her mouth, take pressure off the bit, and goof off.
• Solution: Rubber bit guards.
  
  They simply slip on either side of the bit, and keep it in place!
• Problem: Delilah cut her rear near leg, and has been very shy when ever any one attempts to get near it.
• Solution: Get near it. Use a lunge whip to touch it if nessacery, then move to using a lead rope. Loop it around her hock, and lead her with it, along ith a lead clipped to her halter. Eventually, she will realize you do not mean to hurt her. Take caution, though; a horse has very powerful back legs. I speak from experience.
• Problem: Guess what Delilah figured out? She’s bigger than us, so she can charge the stall and the barn.
• Solution: Stop and go. Use a lunge whip held in front of her nose, and when ever she charges forward, snap the whip (withOUT hitting the horse.) Make her stop, back, stand and walk forward in a random sequence.
• Problem: About two weeks ago, Dusty put her head down and bucked. Three or four times.
• Solution: You need to have a solid seat for this one. Ride it out in a small space (arena as oppossed to an open field). Remember that it’s always better to go forwards than back. Eventully the horse will tire – this one is a battle of wits. You can also try lunging before riding, which causes the horse to settle into the work a little.
• Problem: Delilah still thinks she’s a baby – so she nibbles. This will turn into full fledged biting if we aren’t careful.
• Solution: You’ve got to be tricky for this one! Holding the lunge whip near her nose, like I mentioned before, snap her everytime she opens her mouth to bite. It’s important that you remain passive while doing this, because you are tricking the horse into thinking the tap on the nose is of her own accord, and you still won’t hurt her.
• Problem: Mary is still a little shy, because of her blind eye.
•  Solution: Ground work and desensitize! Plastic bags, sheets, bells…she is learning to trust, and that’s what’s important.

Other than tose few problems, everything is going great! Delilah has been ridden at least four times, Mary is saddled up quite often, and Dusty continues to settle down.

December at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates is highlighted with Edison & Ford Holiday Nights, the return of Creative Cottage, and Artists and Authors Night as well as a variety of other special programs throughout the month of December.  The December schedule of programs and events include:

Home Schoolers: “Experiments for the Holidays,” December 4, 1 PM – 3 PM

Home schooled students and their parents will study the science of the holidays, learning how a jolly chubby man can fit down a chimney, how reindeer fly and how a spinning dreidel keeps from falling.  The half day curriculum follows the Florida Sunshine objectives for learning.  The programs follow the Lee County mandated program and addresses environmental science, history and reading SOLS.  Pre-visit curriculum materials will be mailed to registered families.  Registration required. Estates Members $5; non members $15 (one adult, one child) additional $5 per child. 

Wild Wizard Lab Show, “Experiments for the Holidays,” December 6, 2 PM

The Estates Wild Wizards present a series of lab experiments exploring some of Mr. Edison’s and Mr. Ford’s illuminating inventions.  Join the Wizards and explore how a jolly chubby man can fit down a chimney, how reindeer fly and how a spinning dreidel keeps from falling.  Fun for all ages.  Estates Members are FREE, non members: $10 adults, $5 children and includes Estates Lab and Museum admission.

New Volunteer Orientation, December 8, 10 AM

Join Estates staff to learn about volunteer opportunities, Estates policies and general Museum information.  This is a mandatory training for all new Estates volunteers but potential volunteers are welcome.

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights, Holiday Party, December 10, 6 PM                                               

Kick off the holiday season with the first annual holiday party at the gloriously decorated homes and gardens of the Estates.  Guests will enjoy a special preview of the Estates annual event, food and beverages by the river, live music and much more.  Estates members, $50; non members $60.  To RSVP call 239-334-7419.

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights, December 11 – January 2, 5:30 PM – 9 PM

The Estates holiday tradition continues with “Edison & Ford Holiday Nights,” southwest Florida’s 34 year annual event.  The winter homes of the Edison and Ford families will be seasonally decorated with the “favorite things” of the Edison and Ford families.  The Edison Botanic Lab and Estates Museum will be open every evening with special exhibits as well as nightly holiday performances by area students and groups.  Special discount nights available to Lee County Residents opening weekend (December 11 &12).  Group rates are available to groups of 20 or more people with advance reservations.  For more information call 239-334-7419. 

Estates Artists & Authors Night, December 20, 4 PM – 7 PM

Looking for the perfect gift for the person on your list who has everything?  Estates Creative Cottage Artists and Authors will personalize artwork and books for a one of a kind gift. Estates Members are FREE; shoppers passes will be issued at the Estates ticket counter for non-members.

Holiday Schedule

The Estates will close at 2 PM on December 24th and be closed December 25th.   Holiday Nights is open nightly from 5:30 PM- 9 PM thru January 2 (closed December 24 & 25).  The Estates will be open December 31st and January 1 from 9AM – 9PM.

The Estates is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.  The Estates is the winner of the 2009 National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation  and is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures” at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site.  For additional information call 239-334-7419 or visit the web site at www.efwefla.org.

December 4 – Last Alternate Day Schedule of Classes

December 10 – 4H Business Meeting & Christmas Party

December 15 -  Community Service Event (Serving Lunch to Prime Timers as First Assembly of God)

Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.  Classes resume on January 29.  Also, don’t forget the January Hands on Science Fair on January 23.

Many years ago, long before my adventure into woodworking, I was fascinated by the idea of information.  I wanted to learn ways to organize it, categorize it and keep it in a manner so that I could access it anytime I wanted.  More importantly I wanted a way to keep a sensible record of the learning projects that I undertook.  I wanted a way to actually organize a notebook into a course of study as I went along learning about a subject.  I soon found out that every subject or discipline or skill lent itself to a particular way of organizing.

Notebooks and organization

Woodworking seemed to become a collection of photocopied articles and notes.  For this I used two things.  The first was a Moleskin gridded notebook.  I love these notebooks because they are almost impossible to tear up regardless of the abuse I give them.  I am in the habit of carrying one or two of them around with me at all times.   I start off by numbering the pages from 1 to the last page.  Then I reserve the first 5 to 8 pages for a Table of Contents.  As I read a book I make notes from the book in the gridded notebook.  I will either block quote or summarize what I have just read.  When I had finished a relevant section or something that I felt stood by itself I made a note of it in the table of contents.  So as I made notes on my reading or lectures I heard I had a complete record and easy way to find them using the Table of Contents.  In addition to notes I would write down thoughts, draw ideas for projects, or draw things I saw.  I also placed photographs into the book.  Each one, of course, was entered into the Table of contents.  In the beginning I tried to glue photocopied articles into the Moleskin notebooks.  But that proved unworkable as I accumulated a large set of photocopied and scanned materials.  So I decided to get a good three-ring binder for the articles. 

Three Ring Binders for photocopies and scans

When I purchased a three-ring binder I did the same thing first.  I placed several sheets of notebook paper in the front to work as a Table of Contents.  Then when I included a photographed article I numbered the pages of the article as I hole punched them to be placed in the binder.  As I placed the articles in I would add them into the Table of Contents with their title and page number.  I didn’t try to organize the articles by any type of theme or subject division in the beginning.  I found that i generally knew which notebook or which three-ring binder contained what.  I always made a title page with general lists of information to be found in the notebook or binder.  In that way I kept all of the information I was using organized. 

Should you use a computer to do this?

I have to confess that I am almost a complete computer geek.  If there is something I can do on a computer then I will do it.  But, when it came to the notebooks and the binders of articles.  I decided to keep the physical materials.  First, the electronics of a notebook computer and the dust in a woodshop make horrible playmates.  Secondly, while I often have a computer with me I often find it inconvenient to actually use.  There is the reality of battery life.  Then I always feel paranoid if I have to walk away from the computer in a library or some other public place.  A notebook can be easily carried as can a three-ring binder.  I’ve found that for every learning project I wind up with a notebook of hand notes – always a large gridded Moleskin.  By the way, I am in no way affiliated with Moleskin products.  They are just wonderful products that seem to meet my needs. 

The Calendar

I always carried an academic year calendar with me to note everything I do from getting up to going to bed.  I also use it to plan days but it becomes almost a journal.  I enter what I do when I do it.  I also make notes of conversations, locations, travel times and everything else in the calendar.  Within a short time you will find it to be indispensible.  My only criteria for my calendars is that they must show the day in hours.  When my mother became ill during the last weeks of her life, I kept notes of everything in the calendar.  When I spoke to the doctor or nurse about my moms condition I made a note of the conversation.  That saved the day on several occasions when someone said to me I didn’t say that.  I would just open the calendar and show them what they had said.  It also becomes a complete listing of everything you do during any given day.  If you are working this can become evidence of what you are doing on the job.  For a child, getting in the habit of keeping a record of your actions is invaluable training.  I now have many years of these notebooks.  They are fascinating to go back and look at what I was doing at a particular date and time.

The Tie between the articles and the notebook…

Most often I would also have notes about the article in each of the notebooks.  So if that were the case I would make a note of where to find the article in the three rings.  I was also careful to make notes about the books so I would have complete bibliography information.

No need for formal training for most things.

By using this system you will soon have your own texts written.  You will have accumulated a personal store of knowledge that will be beyond compare.  You will also be much more knowledgeable and organized than 99 out of 100 people in the US.  In  the next few blogs I am going to talk about how to organize a course of study so that you can design your own personal coursework and keep records so that you have a possibility of getting credit. 

I will also show you how to put this all on computer so that it can be digitalized and backed up.

The “I Dare You” award is made available each year by the American Youth Foundation in cooperation with 4-H leaders and County Advisers across the country. The award was first offered in 1941 by William H. Danforth, founder of the Ralston Purina Co in St. Louis, who dared young people to achieve their highest potential, and to influence others through lives of service. The Award takes its name from the book I Dare You, written by Mr. Danforth, in which he commends the balanced life of mental, physical, social, and spiritual development as the backbone of leadership.

So says the 4-H Awards winner’s booklet in our County. This award, which consists on a National Winner Certificate, a Copy of the book “I Dare You”, and a chance to apply for a scholarship, if given yearly to four 4-Hers in Kankakee County who display leadership skills. The winner must be nominated, and the nominator must turn why they think the 4-Her deserves this award.

I am honored to say that I recived this award this year.

Reading the book has been quite an experience. I dare you to read it, too!
I dare you to walk tall, because you are someone. You are above the rest.
I dare you to stay in shape, or get in shape! I dare you to live healthy. I dare you to be kind, and interesting.

I dare you to succed. Will you take that dare?

We all learn what we must by creating our own content.  By this I mean that sitting through a lecture is passive.  We learn by doing.  So much of what we do in our work is learned through our work.  I know it is entirely possible to teach yourself virtually anything.  I’ve done it many times.  Most of what I know I was introduced to in school at best.  The real learning took place when I began to “practice” the skills as a teacher.  The best learning skill I stumbled across was trying to break down things I was to teach so they could be understood by my students.   My students learned a little.  I mastered my subject. 

A few years ago I decided that I wanted to buy new end tables to go with a new sofa I had purchased.  I had just moved into a new house.  Furnishing it on a limited budget was proving to be a challenge.  Everything I looked at that I liked was out of my price range.  Everything I looked at that was in my price range was, frankly, junk.  I was completely frustrated.  But, a peculiar thing had just happened.  I had seen the movie called “The Edge”.  In the movie the main characters are trapped in the wilderness after a plane crash.  They are then pursued by a killer bear.  The point of telling you about the movie is that a line in the movie helped resolve my end table problem as well as giving me a way to add to my income substantially.  At one desperate point in the movie the main character says to another character trying to goad him into going on the line “what one man can do, another man can do”.  He repeats it again and again.  He makes the secondary character yell the phrase until he is pumped up enough to go on. 

So, standing in a furniture store I recalled that line from the movie.  I started looking at the end table I liked.  I turned it over, examined it from every angle and decided that this was something I should be able to build.  To that point I had never cut a piece of wood in my life.  So I set myself a problem.  I would become a woodworker.  I went to a bookstore looking for books on woodworking.  I bought several.  Then I spent the next two or three weeks reading everything I could about woodwork.  I went to woodworking stores with a picture of the end table I wanted.  The guy in the store said “first you build a box”.  Of course, I then asked him how to build a box as well as what tools I would need to build one.  He took me to a cabinet in the store.  First, he took the drawers out which he explained were open boxes.  Then he showed me the frame of the cabinet which turned out to be, guess what, a box that had a simple support structure for the drawers.  Then he showed me a copy of a magazine that had a plan for end tables, a dresser and a bed.  I asked him what I needed at the bare minimum to complete the job.  I bought a basic table saw and a couple of hand tools.  I had a number of tools at home in my garage that I inherited from my father. 

I studied the plans until I had them memorized.  Then I bought some oak plywood along with a couple of oak boards as the plan specified.  Within a week I had my two end tables made that were stronger than anything I had found in the store.  Today much of the furniture in my house is my work.  I also sell custom furniture.  Soon I learned to do other types of woodwork which I now sell at shows and through galleries.  My work is in homes all over the country.  Later I took a few classes which taught me new techniques.  But for the most part I simply ran into a problem then found a solution. 

I had embarked on what has become a life-long learning project that has furnished my home as well as giving me a substantial second income.  In that way I learned woodworking to the point where I am able to build virtually anything I want to have in my house.  I’ve also learned how to make it look as good as that which can be found in fine furniture stores.  In the process after the initial addition of some tools I have saved thousands of dollars on furnishings.   So, this is how you learn… 

First, set yourself a problem.

Then identify what you need to know to solve the problem.  I will outline how to do this in future entries in this series of posts.

Follow through with a plan while you learn by doing. 

Change course when needed. 

Add layers of complexity to your skill set as you go. 

Continue to do so until you are a master at the particular skill you are trying to learn. 

Remember that a learning project can be small or large.  A learning project can be easy or seriously complicated.  But you can teach yourself virtually anything while getting help from instructors when needed as you go along.  Most of what you do will be researched from the web or other print sources. 

In this way you can learn anything.  We will examine these processes in detail as we go along.  I invite you to stay with me on this journey in the discovery of how we really learn. 

And, you will do most of it at home.   

What we do with young people is almost completely passive.  They sit attempting to receive information in a way that is completely alien to the way people actually learn.  One cannot learn to ride a bicycle listening to detailed instructions being given about how to sit on the bike, how to move the pedals or how to steer.  One has to get on the bicycle to learn to ride.   Similarly, you can’t learn to swim without getting wet.  Kids can’t learn to swim by standing on the side of the pool practicing strokes.  They have to get into the water to actually apply the principles they must use to swim.

There are several things mature learners can do to ensure that they master what they want to know.  Parents working with home school kids can guide their children in duplicating what a mature, efficient learner will do.

As President, on October 3, 1789, George Washington made the following proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Welcome to Rose Home School :: Growing Smarter Roses. This blog will be maintained by mammarose and daddyrose. We are proud parents who plan to home school, and we are getting ready now.

Rose Homeschool :: Growing Smarter Roses will be a blog all about everything we can find and do and create and share about home schooling, and all around making sure your child is open to learning anything and everything. Our home school blog will begin with preschool education and development and grow over time to eventually offer curriculum up to 12th grade and college prep. However, at the time of the creation of this blog, we are the parents to an 8 month old, so we are not exactly focused on higher levels of education just yet, though it isn’t far off, promise.

Our category structure (at this time, subject to change and grow as this blog grows and develops) is:
ABCs & 123s | Art & Craft Projects | Coloring Pages
Game, Song & Exercise | Math | Misc. | Spelling & Reading

These will grow and populate quickly, so enjoy the flow of shared knowledge, and may you have a wonderful journey in educating your child. We hope we are able to help you along the way!

We have just started our homeschooling journey, and guess what?

A few days ago I glanced at the calendar and realised that we have just passed the one month mark. WOW!! It has really been a rough month and the challenges are immense; yet, it’s so gratifying.

My children are at 3 very different levels although they are so close in age. My daughter is 5 and is learning to read using “Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons”. She loves being read to, and has an extra large mouth which I’m hoping to downsize soon (positively).

Then, there’s the 3 year old who seems more interested in learning through other avenues (still figuring out what that is). One day he does all that he needs to for the day, the next day he is totally zoned out and that makes life as a homeschooling mom a real challenge.

Then there’s my playful 2-year-old, always wanting more of me than I have to give! Some days (like today), he was part of the group; that made school a breeze. Other days I need to get him distracted so that I can work with the other two.

The most important part of homeschooling for us is to plan. There are tons of info on the internet to assist with planning, but bear in mind that you need to look at what works for you and your children.

Sometimes everything only gets done a day or two later, but then I know that I might need to focus on time management more seriously.

Another factor that throws me off my bearings is that as a homeschooler, you always need to explain why you choose not to send the kids to school.

I am slowly learning how to tackle my challenges, because that’s exactly what it is: A CHALLENGE. Thus far, it been difficult because it is the start of a new lifestyle altogether, and it should be expected.

The truth is I love having to share this time with my children, and I know if I had to be back home in South Africa life would be too busy to share this lovely experience.

I pray everyday that God gives me the strength to carry on. I am sure that it is a positive move to homeschool and if for any reason I need to send the kids back to school, I know that I had a heart-to-heart learning experience with them!

I am blogging over at Habits for a Happy Home  so please go on over and check it out!!

We’ve been making a lot of Thanksgiving crafts the past two weeks and while a lot of them were things I made up on my own, we have done a few we found online. I thought I’d link to some of the fun activities we’ve found.
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/crafts-other.htm
http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/thanksgiving
http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-craft-decorations
We also found a few fun ideas over at Chasing Cheerios.

We also started using the lesson plans from Little Acorn Learning. We don’t use all of it, and we change things around a bit to work for our family, but it adds a nice rhythm to our day. Keagan seems to enjoy it and it’s all simple stuff that’s easy to do with Eden around. I like the reverence for nature, the acknowledgment of a creator and the fact that it’s not expecting too much academically out of a two year old. That said, we do our own letter/ early reading learning on the side and lots of craft projects as well. But it helps to fill out our day and give me motivation.

With Thanksgiving just two days away I am sure many of you are busy getting ready. I’m spoiled. All I am doing is making a pumpkin pie, which I’ll probably do tomorrow night. My mom hosts each year, makes wonderful food and doesn’t like to lose control of much, so pie it is. I will bring a few things along that are allergen friendly. Nick is trying this http://www.enzymedica.com/products/GlutenEase to see if he can get through dinner without feeling sick and still enjoy all the yummies. I hope it works for him. It’s nice to have one less allergen to think about!

Happy cooking and happy feasting to all!