Turning Your Child into a Picker

Turning my child into a—what?!?!? A picker? A picker of what you may ask. Let’s define the word picker. A picker is a person or thing that picks, especially that gathers fruit, crops, etc… Ah, but there is a new type of picker in town—the junk picker.

Have I lost you yet? I went from making you think of nose picking to dumpster diving didn’t I? What if I told all you homeschoolers out there this kind of picking opens the doors of many fun history conversations and lessons? Does that clench your attention? Read on, my friends! Read on!

The History Channel has a great show out called, American Pickers. It features two pickers, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, and their hunt to find America’s lost treasures. This show I would recommend for Middle-High Schoolers but the idea can be implemented into an Elementary aged child. (Just to cover all bases, I recommend the parents watch the show beforehand to establish that all content is suitable for their young viewers.) Mike and Frank set out to find treasures they can clean up and then turn around and make a few bucks on but they are also finding things for their own personal collections because they love history.

America has an amazing history. It is a short one compared to other nations, but the story plays out as if it were on the silver screen. We’ve been through innovation after innovation and the history of these “things” get forgotten until they are discovered in some barn under piles of boxes, at a garage sale, or in an estate sale. You’ll find yourself saying, “I remember these!” or “My grandmother used this when I was little”. Do you see how not just American history comes into play but YOUR own history does as well? What an amazing thing to pass onto your children.

I’ve never met a child who doesn’t like to hear their parents or grandparents stories of when they were younger. I know the older they get, they will pretend not to care, but their interest is still there. They are still listening. Children have a natural desire to know history. It is just all the monotonous book learning that has taken the joy out of it. They need to see it, touch it, and experience it to gain appreciation for it.

I’m setting up a challenge for you (and for my kids as well). Yard, garage, tag, and estate sales are all gearing up for their busy summer months. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You don’t need a lot of money, just a keen eye for a good deal. Go out to these sales and look for pieces of American history. These can be found if you are diligent and widespread in your effort. Learn their history from the seller or if they have no clue—start scouring the internet.

Lastly, you are going to want to know what on earth to do with all your treasures. You can keep them and display them, start your own collection, clean up and consign them to antique dealers, or even sell them on Ebay. You may even have family and friends that are willing to buy your found treasures.  Your finds can also be turned into gifts if you know that person's interests and history!  However, please know your limits!! I do not want you to end up on an episode of Hoarders.

~Kelly
Fortunately For You Books

Links:
http://www.kidpickers.com/pages/parents-and-teachers
http://antiquearchaeology.com/

Middle Name Pride Day

If you were to do a search on your name, you would a lot of people with a name just like yours. Or so we would think. But there is one way you can be sure that you have found yourself- and that is to check the middle name. That middle name makes you unique. 

Some people say that you were given your middle name just so you know when you are in really big trouble. It seems that way. 

But most of the time, a middle name is chosen to honor a special relative or a special friend. Ask your parent about your middle name and list three qualities about this person that made them special enough to give you their name. 

Every time you use some ones name today, add their middle name- just let them know they are not in trouble! 

Here is a link for a little more research about how middle names came to be. 

How it came to be- click HERE  (dates are off but information is correct).

Fun activities for today:

1. Make your 1, 2, 3 list of qualities from your namesake.

2. Every time someone does NOT use your middle name, shout "Middle Name Day!"

3. Ask everyone you talk to day what their middle name is. 

4. Write your full name out on all your paper work today.

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER MONTH

Such a delicious creation as peanut butter should indeed be celebrated all month long. We should be quite up in arms that there is not a festival that lasts a full year. This jar of wonder is a staple in our home and deserves some love, people. Some honor. Can we get some respect for ground up peanuts?! 

Question: What could you do if you had one acre of land?

Answer:   Grow enough peanuts to make peanut butter  for  30,000 peanut butter sandwiches!

 Who do you think made the best use of a peanut?:

A. Adrian Finch of Australia threw a peanut 111 ft. and 10 in. for the World Record in 1999.

B. George Washington Carver studied agriculture and made an unknown crop such as a peanut 

     famous.

 Which one sounds the most fun? Which one was the most helpful?

Southerners put peanuts into soda bottles to enhance the flavor. MMMM, salty AND sweet.

**************************

There is a down side to peanut butter.

                  Allergies.                        

Here are a few links to aid in your research if you think you or a loved one has an allergy to peanuts.

Peanut Allergy

Mayo Clinic Peanut Allergy

Allergic Child Website

(This man's name was mentioned above. Can you name him?)

Want to see how a homeschooler made Peanut Butter Play Dough? Did you hear what I just typed? Peanut Butter Play Dough. I am drooling. There is also a little review about this book shown here.

(vegan pad thai)

And because peanut butter is for more than just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, here are some recipes that just look so yummy I needed to share.

Peanut Butter Recipes- international flair

Peanut Butter Lovers Blog- recipes galore

The site is called I Love Peanut Butter- recipes are more savory

18 Ways to Use Peanut Butter in your Cooking- yum!

Celebrating National Peanut Butter Month is just one activity in our

 Remember Me Pockets for March

click HERE to see this file at Currclick

which is on sale NOW!



You will also find these interesting activities in this file:

Authors with Birthdays in March:

Dr. Suess

Patricia MacLachlan

Sid Fleischman

Kenneth Grahame

Marguerite de Angeli

Anna Sewell

Thomas Rockwell

Lois Lowry

Robert Frost

Biographies/Interviews:

Alexander Graham Bell

Yuri Gagarin

Albert Einstein

Wyatt Earp

Johann Bach

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Harry Houdini

Sam Walton

Special Days:

Deaf History Month

National Peanut Month

American Red Cross Month

Celebrate Your Name Week

Iditarod Race

American Chocolate Week

National Anthem Day

Congress Approves Mt Rushmore

Genealogy Day

Daylight Savings

Eli Whitney Patents Cotton Gin

Eiffel Tower Opens

World Day of Prayer

Michelangelo

Vinvent van Gogh

Learn About Butterflies Day

Andrew Jackson

James Madison

Grover Cleveland

Poultry Day

David Livingston

Maple Syrup Day

Because it's not just a peanut, it's a party.

The Attributes of God in Our Homeschool- Compassion

“And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Jude 22

If you have ever needed compassion and did not get it?

 Then you have a good understanding of how precious it is to be on the receiving end of compassion.

Compassion- noun  a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by as strong desire to alleviate the suffering.


Not just a feeling bad for someone and the plight they find themselves in, but wanting to help end the suffering. And I imagine wanting to help enough that something is actually done. That is the kind of faith with works James talks about. Real. Effective.

Think of the ways this can be applied throughout a school day. 

The definition will give you clues as to what to watch for: sorrow, stricken, misfortune.

Spelling, math, science, reading, writing, grammar…..pick your poison.
What is easy for you might be a source of suffering for your child. Compassion.

While compassion may not seem like one of the more popular attributes of God that we tell our children about, it certainly is one of the most frequent we moms rely on for ourselves. We need it and we seem to claim it without a moments hesitation. Or much thought. And certainly without much appreciation.

Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Psalm 111:4b The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
Psalm 112: 4 / Psalm 145:8


Today a certain frustration came between me and my son during school. He was struggling a bit and when he struggles, everything feels “off”. Tense. Anxious. It was within my power to diffuse the moment. I chose a moment of compassion- a gently hug, a light head/hair rub, a jocular moment, food (which always works with a teen son!). The issues were still there and needed to be addressed. But a moment of compassion did what an hour of teaching could have accomplished.

I am equally divided on which end of the compassion specter I like being on more: the giving or the receiving. I love being able to give that gift to my loved ones. Especially in school time.

As we are the primary representative of Christ in our children’s eyes for a limited amount of time, we need to be diligent to represent all of the Attributes of God to our children.

Hang the word COMPASSION up in key places around your home where you will be visibly reminded to represent this attribute to your kids. It is one of those things that can seem so small yet make such a wonderful difference in that swing moment between total frustration and suffering.

Applications:

• if a child is struggling in a particular subject, consider the curriculum. Should it be more tactile? Less colorful and distracting? Is the font size too small or hard to read? A look at the possibility of a curriculum change in that subject might set you back a few dollars, but alleviating the struggling shows compassion.
• schedules and lesson plans are guides, not the law. If your child is exhausted or worn out from either a busy weekend or a growth spurt, show compassion in adjusting the schedule. They are more important that the lesson plans. 
• if the struggle is spiritual, take the time to do devotions with the child. This requires more time and more accountability for you, but compassion here is shown by giving your time and effort instead of sending them to their room with a Bible and a list of verses.  

Related verses for further weekly study:
Matt. 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Hebrews 10:34, I Pet. 3:8

~Shannon

Latin, Anyone?

Visual Latin, huh? I thought I'd give it try. We did a few Latin courses that were workbook based.
Once again, with this very peculiar child, I wasted my very hard earned money. He does the work, he just doesn't absorb the information and let it become a part of him. So what I am saying is- he doesn't learn. He just filled blanks and boxes. And he did it well. But there was no connection.

Visual Latin. I have the first 10 lessons. Let me share with you why this program is working for us:

1. The instructor is engaging. I think he is a bit corny/funny, but Jesse loves him. He speaks slowly and clearly. The visual part is good. Nice big chalkboard. Visually, there are no distractions for my easily distracted son.

2. Jesse is reading Latin. This was the biggest reason I wanted this program. Reading. Latin. This is huge in helping Jesse with his dyslexia. When Jesse gets to a big word his eyes don't recognize or for some reason scares him, he makes up something and passes over it like that was indeed the word. Sometimes it is quite hilarious and other times it is quite frustrating. But he has to be trained to slow down and break the word apart. It is SO much easier for him to do when he sees a bit of Latin in the word. His temptation to speed over it is gone. His ability to slow and take apart the word jumps in and no one is embarrassed. This is exactly what I was looking for. This is why I wanted him to learn Latin.

3. Affordable. $30 for the first 10 downloadable lessons. We do 1-2 lessons per week. That is one day of all three videos, three worksheets, and then two days of quick review of every lesson. Building. Reading. Speaking Latin. This is worth the money. Quality and effective. Not too many products like that.

4. Independent. I only sit next to him and watch because I want to. Not because I need to. All Jesse's subjects are about independent learning this year. This is not to free me. Heavens, NO. I am still feeling lost without my 4 sons around the table and teaching 25 subjects a day. This is for him, because he is the baby. And because he doesn't know how or like to do things alone. Except hunting. I did offer to go with him and he said he wanted to be alone. But I digress. This is a good program for independent learning. The other Latin products I had- not so much. They never even heard their voice.

In our homeschool we have studied Farci and Spanish. I regret that I didn't invest more into Latin with the others. Farci. Yeah, wise decision here in West Virginia.

This one is going to carry over into adulthood. And THAT is how I pretty much have learned to gauge everything we do now for school. Thank you, Visual Latin.

Check out Visual Latin here.

Blessings,
Shannon