Letter D and a Mini-Vacation

Tot School was cut a little short this week as we were able to spend the last part of the week in the Smoky Mountains. Looks like we'll be picking up a lot of this week on our review week! Here's some of what we did accomplish:

Bible Story: Moses

We read the story of Moses from our Bible storybook and did the coloring sheet and Moses craft. "Sour Patch" joined us on our second day of Moses and did the craft with us.

 

Letter D-used a Q-tip to paint dots on letter "D"
Fingerpainted the letter "d"

Nursery Rhyme-Hey Diddle Diddle

We also played in our fall sensory bin some more:  Sorting leaves by kind and color and having a little fun with disguises!

And some highlights from our vacation:

We spent one day shopping but had to take a couple breaks: 



To Ride Carousel



To Make "Sunshine" Laugh


 

Then we spent one day with the whole family in Cade's Cove. We took a little hike through the woods looking (and finding) a couple bear! 

So we didn't get a lot of Tot School done last week but we did have a great week and still learned a lot!

Resources and Additional Activities:

ABC Jesus Loves Me
Confessions of a Homeschooler Letter D
Tot School Letter D

Complete in Christ

“I have a great need for Christ, I have a great Christ for my need.” 

                                ~Charles Spurgeon
 

Wondering why you aren’t ever happy?  Feel like something is missing?  Are you constantly searching for something to bring you joy?

Maybe it’s because your need for Christ hasn't been met.  God created you for a purpose and placed within you a desire to need Him in your life.  We read earlier in our Colossians study “…all things were created by him, and for him.”  (Col 1:16)  You’re either living your life for Him as He created you or you’re looking for other things to fill that void.

I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of Sally Clarkson lately.  She gives an example of when she was living in a foreign country and trying to assemble something using instructions in a foreign language.  She didn’t understand the instructions so it was a hopeless case!  But then she found an interpreter and it was easily assembled. 

Our problem today is not with the instructions but with the interpretation.  We’ve put our trust in the wrong interpreter.  We depend on society to tell us what will bring us joy instead of our creator.  Do you even know what the Bible says about your purpose?  About truly having joy? About satisfying your needs?

“And ye are complete in him…” Colossians 2:10

It says you are COMPLETE in Christ.  That’s such a comfort to me!  HE’S ALL I NEED!!!  I don’t have to have a lot of money, power or good looks.  I just have to believe and fully trust in Him.  That’s the secret to life!

Are you feeling incomplete and in NEED this morning?  Get in His word and allow Him to complete you.  Here’s just a few examples to get you started:

Need a Friend – John 15:15

Need Strength-Psalm 46

Need Comfort – John 14:18

Need Joy- John 16:22

Need Peace – John 16:33

Need Encouragement – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Need Wisdom - James 1:5

Need Spiritually Fed – John 6:35

Need Forgiveness – Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1:9

Need Love-John 15:13, Romans 8:35

Need Grace – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Need a Savior – Luke 19:10, John 3:16-17

Need a New Life- 1 John 5:12

I pray that you will allow your needs to be met by the one who created you and knows you best.  The one and only one who can truly complete you.

Also linked to:

 

 

Tot School: C is for Colorful Coat

 

Here are some highlights from what we did and learned last week in Tot School using our ABCJLM curriculum:

Bible Story:  Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors

Day 1 -Read story from our Bible Story Book and Coloring Sheet

Day 2 - Reread the story and talked about

Day 3- Using the pictures and story book “Miss Priss” told me the story.  Then she created a coat of many colors using the coat printable and tissue paper.

 

 

Memory Verse- Romans 12:21

Song/Poem- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Letter C:

-Put cotton on letter “C”

 

-Made “C”s with play-doh

-Did a crayon rubbing of the letter “C”

-Made a letter “C” with masking tape and used it as a road for our cars

-Used our dot markers for letter “C”

 

Science Color Experiment:  We talked about how you could use certain colors to make other colors.   I got out our red, yellow, and blue food coloring.  I told her I needed orange food coloring but didn’t have any orange.  Then asked her if she thought we could make orange.  We put some cool whip (you could also use shaving cream or white icing) in a bag and I tried to get her to predict which two colors we could add to make orange. At first she didn’t get it but by the time we did the last one. She even guessed that blue and yellow would make green.  After making our prediction (one at a time) we added our food coloring and then I let her smash the bag and mix up the colors.   We then recorded our results.  She LOVED this!  She was so excited when it first made orange!  We also made purple (red + blue) and green (blue + yellow).  She was so into this the first couple times I decided to do a video.  Excuse the poor quality!

 

 

 

 

Number 3:

-Counted out groups of 3

She really started recognizing groups of 3 without even actually counting them out.  For example, when we were cooking I had three measuring cups out and she looked at them and said, “You need 3 of those?” 

Fine Motor:

Made “Snakes” with play-doh

Snacks: cupcakes and carrots

 

She tried helping with the icing then said "Mommy I think I'm better at the sprinkles!"

 

Planned on doing candy corn cookies but didn’t get it in!  Maybe during our review week J



Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar on our Camo sleeping bag

Books: 

Books we read this week

 

 

Rejoicing in My Inconveniences

This is our third week of our GMG Colossians study.  Here's a little of what I've learned this week:

Paul didn’t just witness and help the Gentiles.

He suffered in order to witness and help the Gentiles.

He didn’t just suffer but he rejoiced in those sufferings because he knew they were for a greater cause.  He knew he was making the way a little easier for them.

In the first chapter of Colossians he says:

“…whereof I Paul am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,…” Col 1:23-24

 

 

While Paul said:

I consider it an honor to be in prison if it means that you might have heard the gospel.

I’m gladly surrendering ALL my life and freedom so that you can experience freedom through Christ.

I don’t care what others think or even do to me.  My duty is to fulfill and spread God’s Word.

I say:

I could talk to this stranger about Jesus… but they may think I’m crazy.

I might go visit a shut-in…but then I’d have to take two little kids with me and that would be such a hassle.

I should cook a meal for a family that’s had a rough week…but that would take more time than I have.

It’s not always easy spreading the gospel or showing someone the love of Christ.  It may take my time or I may even receive a little ridicule from someone.  However, I’m not anywhere close to suffering. 

Paul rejoiced in his sufferings while I complain about my inconveniences.

In his letter to Philippi Paul said:

“…let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” (Philipians 2:3-4)

Paul didn’t just talk it he walked it.  He was truly able to set aside his own wants for the needs of others.  He had compassion, love, and a strong desire for them to have what he had found- a savior and a friend.  He rejoiced in his sufferings for them.  I’ve really learned something from Paul this week.  Stop viewing opportunities as inconveniences.   Stop complaining and making excuses and start rejoicing and sharing the love of Christ. 

Linked to:

 

 

 

B is for Big Boat (aka Ark)

This week we went full force with Tot School.  We actually did it four days this week and “Miss Priss” cried because we weren’t doing in on Friday so we ended up having a little “mini” Tot School then!  I still don’t have our area exactly like I want it but I did finish and put up her learning board.  I love having this to go over each morning when we first get started.  I found this idea from here.

 

 

 

Here are some highlights from what we did and learned last week in Tot School:

Bible Story:  Noah’s Ark

Day 1 -Read story from our Bible Story Book and Colored theArk

Day 2 - Reread the story and talked about the rain. Did a little Science Experiment I found on Pinterest on clouds and rain.  
 

Put together our Noah’s Ark puzzle.

 

Day 3- Using the pictures and story book “Miss Priss” told me the story.  Then We counted out two of each animal cracker and placed them on the ark.

 

 

Day 4 – Retold Noah’s Ark focusing on the rainbow and then she painted a rainbow

Memory Verse- John 14:15

Song – Arky, Arky

Letter B:

-Put buttons on letter “B”

 

 

-Used our dot markers for letter “B”

-Played in our “B Bin” which included beans, a bottle, banana, ball, brush, block, buttons, and bells.  She sorted buttons, counted beans, and put them in the bottle.

 

 

-Sorted buttons by color talked about which color we had the least and most.

-Created a butterfly with our feet prints.  I painted “Miss Priss’” feet.  Then she painted “Sunshine’s”.

 

 

 

-Played with blocks

Number 3:

-Read Three Little Bears

-Counted out groups of 3 buttons

 

 

Fine Motor:

Introduced scissors and practiced cutting paper

Laced a bear

 

Gross Motor:  Rolled and threw a ball.

Field Trip: We went to Nocolulla Falls this week and visited the barn where they keep the bunnies.

Books We Read This Week: 

 

 

 

Resources:

ABC Jesus Loves Me

This week is Letter C and Joseph's Colorful Coat! 

A is for Apple

I think apples are quite possibly the world’s most perfect food!  I LOVE them straight off the tree, baked, fried, in a pie, in a cake, cut up, smashed up, with peanut butter or caramel, etc., etc.,etc.  I can easily see how Eve was tempted by the apple J  Nothing says the beginning of fall like apples and here are some highlights from what we did and learned last week in Tot School:

Our Bible Story for the week was Adam and Eve.  We read from our Bible Storybook each morning. "Miss Priss" also did the coloring sheets from ABC Jesus Loves Me and by our third morning was telling me the story.  Our Bible verse for the week was Psalm19:14.

Song – O Be Careful Little Eyes

Here were some of our letter "A"activities:



Using our dot markers on the letter "A"

 



Adding apple stickers to letter "A"

 

 

 

 

 

We also took a trip to our favorite apple orchard, Mercier Orchards. 

 

Picking Apples with PaPa

Enjoying an Apple

Listening about the apples on the hayride

 

Snacks:

We had LOTS of apples from our orchard visit so we ate them and we also made Jewish Apple Cake and a couple batches of Apple Butter.  "Miss Priss" helped make our apple cake.  Her favorite parts were chopping the apples and sifting the flour!

 

Our Crock-pot Apple Butter

For more apples ideas check out last years' blogs:  Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed and Tot School: Week 4.

 

Resources and Additional Links:

ABC Jesus Loves Me

1+1+1=1

Uppercase Do a Dot Letters

 

Tot School Returns-This time with a Curriculum

So I realize this is my first blog on it (Sorry!) but we're actually on our 5th week of Tot School!! 

For those of you who may not know, Tot School to us is basically just a way to hold myself accountable for spending some time with "Miss Priss" each day and teaching her some of the "basics."

This year we are using a curriculum.  I use the word curriculum just as I use Tot School - very loosely!  Nothing is forced or set in stone but funcitons more as a guide for us.  I love doing Tot School with "Miss Priss" and she loves it even more! (Did I mention it's usually the first thing she asks to do when she gets up in the morning?)  What I don't always enjoy is all the planning that goes into the lessons.  Especially with me doing everything from "scratch" last year it was taking alot of my time. This year I knew I was going to have even less time since we also have a 5 month old now! (And boy was I right; thus our fifth week of Tot School and I'm just now blogging that we have this curriculum!)  

So while I do think Tot School and spending time with "Miss Priss" is VERY important I wanted something I could at least use as a guide then add what I wanted to it according to our needs and time!

After searching and reading about many curriculums online, I finally decided on ABC Jesus Loves Me.  I started looking for a curriculum to use at the end of last school year and looked off and on all summer going back and forth between two or three.  Then one day I stumbled across her schedule on ABC Jesus Loves Me and realized it already fit my own schedule almost exactly!  Then I found a link to her blog, Our Out -of-Sync Life and while I was doing my God First Challenge she was doing her on series on scheduling your time to align with your priorities! A lady after my own heart!  The more I read the more I loved so I purchased the curriculum that day.

Here are a few reasons why I chose this one:

1.  It includes Bible lessons and scripture memorization.

2. It is flexible and incorporated throughout our day.  This works well with my schedule and "Miss Priss'" attention span! 

3.  There are several options for you to pick and choose.  You can do as little or as much as your time allows.

4.  There's a built in review week every fourth week to cover anything you may have missed, didn't have time for or just need to work on more.

5.  While letters are introduced and covered, writing in the 3 year old curriculum is not a primary concern. There are several tactile letter activities which is exactly what I wanted for her at this point.

6.  While you can (and I did) order everything already printed out (saved me more time!) it's also all FREE!

7. Includes great selections, ideas and incorporations with the books of the week.

8.  They have a wonderful support group which includes a facebook page, forum, and other bloggers for you to find even more ideas and help if you need it.

That's just a few reasons why we are loving this curriculum.  "Miss Priss" is also loving it too.  Hopefully, in the next few days I will show you some things we've been doing in these first few weeks!

Do you have a curriculum you use with your preschooler? Please share!



In case you are considering a "curriculum" for your little one  here are a few more I thought were great and considered:

Brightly Beaming Resources (Free)
Letter of the Week by Confessions of a Homeschooler (Free)
Hubbard's Cupboard (Free)

Hands on Homeschooling
Little Hands to Heaven (Heart of Dakota)