How We Learn

Read a Book...Improve Brain Function

Another good reason to instill a love of reading in our children! According to this article, after reading a good book, your brain function improves!

Crossword puzzles are also great "brain therapy".

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2529855/How-book-really-change-life-Brain-function-improves-DAYS-reading-novel.html

Pizza Kits for Christmas

On top of all the Christmas baking and candy-making we did (sharing half of what we made with others), the girls and I put together 13 "Pizza Kits" to give away to our Amish neighbors, our preacher's family, and their Sunday School and missions teachers.

We were trying to come up with something different. Something that everyone in the family could enjoy. Who doesn't like pizza???

We hit the Dollar Tree (everything in the store is $1) and found everything we needed to complete each kit that would make two 12" pizzas. Each "kit" included two 12" round pizza pans, two packages of pizza crust mix (only 33-cents each), one jar of pizza sauce, one package of pepperoni, one container of Parmesan cheese, and one pizza cutter. We covered and kept each kit together with shower caps we also bought at the Dollar Tree (package of 8 for $1). Total cost per 8-piece kit: $6.78 (and a half-cent plus tax). Not bad for a gift that will feed a family!

We printed labels on our computer and taped them onto the shower cap. A bow would have been a nice touch, but honestly we didn't even think about it at the time. We had thought about buying pizza boxes to arrange the stuff in, but the pizza sauce jar was too wide to have shut the box. The shower caps worked great, allowing the people to see what the gift included. While they did fit snug, you can't, however turn the gift up on it's side or the heavy ingredients will fall out.

Christmas 2013

I think this has been my most disorganized Christmas yet! Don't think that just because we homeschool that we "have it all together". Sometimes, the best laid plans fall apart right before your eyes; other times they silently go awry and you don't realize it until it's too late. For for us ultimate list makers! Take our 2013 Christmas, for example.

I have always gotten most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping done by October. This year, I was one of those people crazy enough to be out shopping the week of Christmas. Oddly enough, the 23rd was by far the roughest, rudest shopping day this year. I took off, list in hand, knowing what I was going to get and where I was going to get it from. Three stores. Five hours. Traffic wasn't bad going (and I got a late start and didn't make it to the first store until 11:30 a.m.). Parking was horrible, especially for someone like me driving a monster Dodge Ram Crew Cab 4x4 with a full 8 foot bed. Once in the stores, people were elbow-to-elbow, blocking aisles as if they were the only in the store shopping at the time, and very rude. At one point when I motioned a lady to go ahead of me, she acted as though she were baffled and couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. Like courtesy was a new thing. When the shock wore off, she smiled at me and said, "Why, thank you. You have a merry Christmas!" Second store, a man behind me who was only holding one small item was extremely grateful that I, with my cart-full, allowed him to go in front of him. I just smiled and told him the truth:  "You can be out of here before I even get my cart unloaded." Then traffic coming home was busy as I timed it as folks were getting off work.

Christmas cards always leave our house during the first week of December. This year, on the 23rd, I made trips to four small towns around me to mail my cards that were headed into those same towns so that they would be delivered on Christmas Eve. Nothing like waiting till the very last moment. Uggg!

Our Christmas baking - which we give half away to friends and neighbors - even had it's fiascoes. Buckeyes tasted great but the chocolate was dry as it melted (still trying to figure that one out). I totally scorched (beyond edible) a batch of peanut brittle. Had trouble with our hard candy wanting to spread too thin with the first couple of batches. Same with our chocolate chip cookies. Then came the biggest disaster of all...our birthday cake for Jesus...Baked up wonderfully, had the icing ready to put on it while it was still warm, then the girls were going to decorate it. But as I went to invert it onto my cake carrier bottom, I somehow managed to "lose" the cake...it literally went flying and landed still upside-down, still in the pan, on top of the remote, on the bar. Alayna tried to help me get it back up on the tray, but I ended up with a mess. A pile of big crumbs. But Maddy, who seems to always see the best in every situation, reached out to grab a bite. I warned her it was still hot, but she took a big bite anyway then says, "Still tastes good, Mom. I'll tell Papa it still tasted good." So, this year, the honorary birthday cake looked like one of God's volcanic creations after we piled it up and dumped the coconut & pecan icing over it, instead of a pretty birthday cake for Jesus. Lesson learned: Just as Jesus (Perfect and without sin) came as a humble, helpless baby born in a dirty, stinky stable, to bring the Plan of Salvation to a very imperfect mankind, we humbly offered our imperfect cake to honor the King of Kings on His birthday. You were right, Maddy, it still tasted good! ----- God doesn't expect us to become perfect before we come to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He wants us to come as we are, broken and needing to be transformed "into a new creature through Christ." God doesn't expect perfection...He wants us to come and lay all the broken pieces before Him, as clay before the Potter...He will forgive our mistakes and sin and use us to bring honor and glory to His name as He reshapes us into a new creation.

We were late getting the Christmas tree up. Our outside decorations never did put up...12" of snow that lasted a week then days of pouring rain...decided it wasn't worth it for 3 days. We've been out looking at everyone else's beautifully decorated yards. We found some very impressive ones!

Sunday before Christmas? We forgot all the gifts for the kids in my nursery, for the preacher's family, and for the girls' Sunday School and missions teachers. Also forgot to take their gifts to their Tae Kwon Do instructions the day before that.

Christmas Eve, we had not wrapped the first gift - to anyone in our family. I spent the morning going back into town yet again for finish up some last minute shopping. The afternoon cooking. Had to wrap my husband's family's presents before we could go to his mom's for supper. Got back home at 9 p.m. with still tons to do. And did I mention the girls wanted to make our own wrapping paper with craft paper and glitter gel? The girls were up until 11 p.m. Alan and I went to bed at 3:17 a.m. Christmas morning.

I was so proud of Mattie when, while opening presents at Alan's mom's house, "Granny" told made a comment about not getting them "very much stuff". Maddy looked up from her playing with the doll house bedroom set she'd received and said, "Christmas isn't about getting 'stuff'. It's about the Baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem in the stable and the angels telling everyone." Caught Granny off guard and she didn't know how to respond to that.

The good news is that Maddy and Kenna slept until 9 a.m. Christmas morning. I was headed down the hall to wake them up when Maddy met me halfway. We had to wake Kenna. The look on their faces when they walked in and saw Santa's gifts under the tree was priceless. They were very happy and content with their gifts, not just from Santa, but from Alan and I, and from each other.

Although the route to Christmas was a rough one at times, and I was not on top of things as I should have been, the fact is that our family was blessed beyond measure on the day of Jesus's birth. I hope you and your family were too!

Power of Words

The following website has a powerful message about using words. Directed at kids, something everyone should read. Go to this link to learn about the power of words.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/12/dear-kids-never-forget-the-power-of-words-what-you-need-to-know-about-duck-dynasty-justine-sacco-and-christmas-2/

Santa...and a Black Belt Extraganza

 Another busy day for Sisney H.O.U.S.E,:

Stop One:  Our bank to visit with Santa. I was pretty impressed when Santa asked them what they wanted for Christmas and both only told him one thing - and a small item at that.

Stop Two:  Dropped off a tarp at Daughter #3's house. It rained all night last night and all day today. Afton's basement was flooding. They used the tarp to (hopefully) divert the water away from the basement.

Stop Three:  Wal-Mart for two items. I picked up (and am so thankful they still had some left) another pretty peacock Christmas ornament because Maddy broke hers last night and a 50-piece box of fried chicken to take to Maddy's Tae Kwon Do graduation and dinner.

Stop Four:  Black Belt Extravaganza Graduation and Dinner. A huge celebration where, when there are candidates for their black belts graduating, all the academy classes graduate together. What an impressive group of children and adults! The graduation ceremony took just over 2 hours. Maddy received her green belt and 3 awards. She was presented awards for "Great Grades", "Perfect Attendance", and "Indomitable Spirit." So proud of her!

  

 

Two Parties and Community Service

Yesterday was a busy day for us...

After our school day, first stop was our reading club Christmas Party:

 

We left that party to meet students from our martial arts school to go to an assisted living facility. The academy had collected 642 pairs of socks to donate to two facilities in town. Half of the kids went to one while the other half went to this one. Maddy and Kenna enjoyed going around talking with the residents. The group sang a couple of Christmas songs for the residents, left 321 pairs of socks to be passed out to the residents, and then headed back to the martial arts school for a Nerf War party.

 This lady (seated, in wheelchair) just celebrated her 99th birthday!

 All the residents enjoyed the kids' songs, but this sweet lady was also clapping along.

 This dear man is a friend that I've known for years...

I used to teach a Bible Study class at the facility once a week.

 The martial arts kids singing to the residents.

The Nerf War began! There were around 30 (or more) kids and I have never seen so much foam ammo flying around. They divided into teams and had a line they could not cross. Safety glasses required. Maddy and Kenna had a blast!

Thinking that a birthday party in the backyard, with a supply of Nerf guns and ammo, and the kids would entertain themselves for hours!

History of Homeschooling

http://www.home-school.com/news/history-of-homeschooling.php

All of the below info was found at the above site. I must say that I disagree with some of the "Comparison" section.

We do not have fewer resources that public school...if a parent takes the time to look, there is an abundance of resources out there, and many that as a small school of 2 students are welcomed into for a field trip when a large classroom would not be allowed into. And obviously, you are going to get out of homeschooling what you put into it. In our 11+ years of homeschooling, we have found that we use at least as much if not more resources than our public schools do. So many "school" programs - like Scholastic and Pizza Hut Book-It - are now open to and welcome homeschoolers.

Nor do I agree with a poorer curriculum. We actually use many of the same curriculum the public schools are using. And more. We incorporate 4-H material, Bible study, and many "extra" subjects the public schools don't offer. If our children are interested in a subject, we take the time to study about it.

Life Lessons to Teach Our Kids

Important life lessons to teach our children.

Snow Cream Time!

A tradition in my family since my grandparents were young, and probably before...collecting fresh, clean snow and making ice cream out of it! Fill a large bowl with snow, add sugar to taste, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk that, once stirred, makes it the consistency of creamy ice cream. The drier the snow, the better the snow cream!

For this first heavy snowfall of the winter, we had a snow cream buffet: Alayna ate hers with caramel, Maddy and Alan opted for chocolate syrup, and Kenna wanted strawberry. Me? After some just plain ole vanilla - which was really good - I made it even better with some chocolate syrup and caramel.

The leftovers are in the freezer. Will be eaten later, when the snow is too dirty (after the kids play all over the yard) or melts down. We only "harvest" our snow from deep drifts that have not been walked on by any creatures, digging down and taking our supply from about halfway down into the drift.

If you have never made snow cream, you are truly missing out on one of nature's winter snacks! You can also just add snow cone syrup (or Kool-Aid) to plain snow, too, to make a slushy.

No Snow Days For Us!

While the district public school let out early last Thursday, and has had no school Friday or today, we had our homeschooling experience as usual. Our days are never without some fun, though. The girls got their letters written to Santa. During our mid-day recess, we bundled up and went out to play in the snow, taking with us all the necessary accessories for snowman building...the snow was too dry for that. Instead of building snowmen, we "rescued" the riding caterpillar from the "avalanche" that covered him over by digging him out (we got 12" last Thursday through Friday), they went slip-sliding down the slide, and made snow angels. We did pile up two mounds of snow hoping that with some warmth, enough will melt to "bind" it together so that we can eventually get a couple of snowmen completed.

We also tried to blow some bubbles and watching them freeze, but it was too warm. Which sounds very odd to say considering after only about 30 minutes, Kenna's mittens were wet, and her hands and face was red and cold. When little hands get wet and cold, it's definitely time to go in.

As we went in the front door, we noticed that there was actually some dripping going on down the side of the trailer. Maybe tomorrow our snow piles will be wet enough to shape into a giant snowball for the bottom of our snowmen!

          

Math in Everyday Objects

Have I mentioned that Maddy loves math? This morning while eating her warmed-up S'mores Pop Tart and hot cocoa, she says, "Look Mom, my Pop Tart has an AB pattern! Insisted on taking a picture of it. See it? Chocolate (A), marshmallow (B), chocolate (A), marshmallow (B).

You can teach math lessons anytime, anywhere. No matter what you are doing with your children, there's most likely a math lesson to be found. Whether you are shopping (count the number of cans of veggies you buy, watch for patterns, compare sizes prices, measure (when cooking, look at package sizes, etc.), use timers when the kids brush their teeth and for cooking, etc.

Never miss the opportunity to build math skills!

Have a Day Full Of Play Time!

Practical Homeschooling said it best...

"Learning versus playing....Learning, according to that almost automatic view, is what children do in school and, maybe, in other adult-directed activities. Playing is, at best, a refreshing break from learning.,,But here’s an alternative view: playing is learning. At play, children learn the most important of life’s lessons, the ones that cannot be taught in school. To learn these lessons well, children need lots of play — lots and lots of it, without interference from adults."

Here at Sisney H.O.U.S.E., we firmly believe that "kids ought to be kids" and given time to "be a kid", including lots of free play time. Children "turned loose" to play on their own, also will "turn loose" their creativity, their imagination, and be whisked off to some far-away land right in your own back yard.

 http://aeon.co/magazine/being-human/children-today-are-suffering-a-severe-deficit-of-play/

Arm Knitting - No Needles Required

Here's a neat visual art project...

In this video, the lady shows you how to arm knit an infinity scarf in about an hour. The only supply you need is a big ball of yard!

Go to http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304011304579220660554732336.

Starting A Fire With Water?

I knew that you could start a fire with a magnifying glass, or even a piece of broken glass...but to use a bottle of water? It can be done! You can start a fire with a bottle of water, and the guy in this video does a wonderful job of explaining the process.

Here's a really great website that not only teaches your children a good survival skill but also makes a great science experiment. This would be for older children, and definitely needs adult supervision.

http://www.realfarmacy.com/how-to-start-a-fire-with-water/

It's the Simple Things We Do Together as a Family That Matter The Most!

Periodic Table Videos

When we get to the point where we are studying the Periodic Table, we are definitely going to go to this website: http://www.periodicvideos.com/. At this site, you can click on any element in the Periodic Table and see a video all about that particular element. Definitely want to bookmark this one!

Our Homeschool Grade Cards

We finally remembered to get a copy of the girls' grade card to their Tae Kwon Do instructor. Maddy received her first blue star (for good grades, straight A's, during our first quarter). Not sure if the Little Dragons get to earn them or not. Forgot to ask. Now to get it sewed on...

Not bad for a "homemade" report card, huh? We've never actually messed with grade cards in the past homeschooling experiences because we didn't have anyone that we really needed to show them to. I have always kept very detailed records (grade books, transcripts, etc.) and kept portfolios of the kids' work. But to earn those cool blue stars for good grades, they needed a copy of the student's grade cards, which become a part of their permanent Tae Kwon Do academy records. So, this is what we came up with.

Not that those blue stars matter that much to me. I know my children are making good grades and doing well in school. But seeing Maddy's eyes light up when they handed her that little blue star to wear on her uniform, it was worth all the trouble of creating a Sisney H.O.U.S.E. Report Card. The first one took the longest to put together. Future grade levels will be easier, just a matter of editing, copying, and pasting. Saved not only the grade card itself, but the Excel tables, too.

Good-bye A - F Grades, Hello 1 - 4?

In an effort to make sure that we are keeping "up to date" on our homeschooling experience, I often go online and research other schools' websites. Of course, I also find a lot of "traditional" public school policies and methods that I'd rather NOT have present in our homeschool.

But tonight, while browsing, I found the below article about a school that has changed their grading system drastically. No longer will students be earning A, B, C, D, or F (some schools use "E" instead of "F" for failing; some also grant "I" for "incomplete" and give students a week to complete missing assignments for a grade), these students will be getting papers back with 1, 2, 3, & 4. Sorry, I don't agree with that.

The comment in the article, "...a "D" can be kind of general," is not true. Not if that parent is truly interested in their child's education. Anytime a child is struggling in any area of school, the parents should never have to guess about what the problem is. Involved parents actually take their children's papers out of the backpacks every evening and go over them with their kids. Involved parents make sure their children are doing their homework, and help them as needed. Involved, interested parents would be making an appointment to talk with the teacher at the first sign of bad grades and work with the teacher to find a solution to the problem. There's nothing "general" about a "D", and they don't just suddenly show up on a child's report card with no advance warning.

I think all these "common core" changes and "conforming to the standardized tests" are not doing the children any favors. In fact, I truly believe that it is going to hurt way more than it helps the kids. The government and the schools (which unfortunately, are stuck doing what the states tell them to do) are in fact "stooping down" to a dangerous level because rather than provide a solution to helping struggling children get their grades (and more importantly, their comprehension of the subjects) up, these new changes are dropping the grade scale to make it appear that the kids are scoring higher. Not a good practice no matter how you look at it.

But hey, that's just my opinion. Read the article about the 4 Point Grading System, do your own research, and then make up your mind.


http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/08/hamilton_elementary_schools_adopt_new_four-point_scale_grading_system.html

This article explains the 1-4 system even better, with the "down side" being exposed:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/18/3374306/wake-county-to-stick-with-4-point.html

Sidewalk Art in December

Ever wonder what happens at our house on a beautiful December 1st day? The sidewalk chalk is taken outside and the sidewalk attacked by family members of all ages! Here is a sample of their work:

Flowers DO bloom in December after a few days of 20-some-odd-degree weather!

 

Layna's chicken eating a carrot. She's  22 and married, by the way.

Loves drawing on the sidewalk with her little sisters.

 

Maddy's (age 7) picture of Elvis, our bull, standing beside the pasture gate.

 

They draw pictures AND games. Hopscotch is their favorite,

but the connect-the-dots-to-make-a-square game also makes for sidewalk fun.