HOD BLHFHG ~ Unit 26

Who doesn't love a little tent school? "Mom, we are ready for school!"  How can I argue with this cuteness?!?!   And so our week begins...

This week actually started a little rocky as the little one was not feeling well.  Despite her being under the weather, she still wanted to complete her copywork as part of our normal routine.  It's hard to believe that copywork is becoming one of their favorite things to do after it was such a battle in the fall when we started school!  

How cute is this precious fruit of the spirit sign?!?!  

Found this awesome Etsy home decor that would go great in our homeschool room!  Here is the link in case you want to check it out too! http://pinterest.com/pin/98938523038379838/

That Etsy post wasn't totally random as our memory verse this week was about the fruits of the spirit.  Our memory verse was Galations 5:22-23.  We talked about each:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.  Both children loved the song this week on Hide Em' in Your Heart and both sang along all week.

Sometimes I feel like the verse of the week was meant just for me! Love how HOD ministers to me while I am teaching my children. 

In history this week, we read about a boy named Nathan that lost his dad in the army. It was important for Nathan to journey to New York on his horse to see General Washington become the first president of the United States because his father had spoken so highly of him.  A house was built for the president there in New York but, was later built in the center of the 13 colonies in Washington DC and painted white after the British tried to burn it down.

New York was crowded on that special day in our nations history, as everyone wanted to see Washington place his hand on the Bible and become our first president of the United States of America.  After he became president, we learned that he went to pray at a nearby church as he knew he had been given a big responsibility and needed Gods help as he took on this new task.  We learned more about President Washington as a leader and his goal was to follow the Bible the best he could.

We talked about the horse that Nathan rode on to New York. We learned that horses are measured in hands and an average horse is 15 hands tall to the top of their legs. We measured 15 hands up on our door to see just how tall an average horse would be. 

For our art project this week, we followed these simple art instructions to draw a running horse just like Nathan's. 

Although, the kids had difficulty with sketching this time, I think they both did very well for their first try.  We may need to add more of this sketching art into our weekly routine to keep them from freaking out about it! 

In Science, we did a little experiment that the kids both LoVED to watch!  The oooohs and ahhhhhs were contagious!  

On Nathan's way home, he saw fireworks high in the sky that were celebrating President Washington. Our science experiment was to put milk in a shallow bowl and add 4 drops of red, 4 blue and 4 yellow food coloring. 

 Next we added a drop of dish soap to the center and watched the "firework" colors swirl and mix together.  The kids really got a kick out of this experiment. 

We read Colossians 3:12-17.  We learned that God expects us to love others and work together with them. As America became a new nation, it was important to unite and honor God for his goodness. The kids listened to the scripture for the traits that God wants them to have in their hearts. We learned that other people should be able to see Christ inside of us when we have these traits. 

The kids made these flip-up shirts and listed the Godly character traits on the inside close to their hearts. We used a printable t-shirt that you can get HERE for simplicity for our art and then stapled a colored design on the front as seen in the pic above. 

We talked about the importance of using commas in our sentences and learned how to list series. We practiced writing sentences with cards and used macaroni elbow noodles as the commas. Some of their sentences were:  "I like to eat pizza, broccoli, and ice cream."  "I don't like to play dress-up, dolls, and coloring."  "I like to play baseball, soccer, and cars."  "I don't like to eat onions, spinach, and broccoli."

                  IN THE KITCHEN              

A couple little chefs in the kitchen made homemade pizzas using their very own flour tortillas as the crust. They both enjoyed being in the kitchen. Fun to see them take such pride in the making of their own lunches! 

Our slanted spelling word wall is growing and we will soon need to set up a ladder to add on more words! Thankfully the school year is getting closer to an end. 

Baseball season has started and this boy of ours has been stretched from practices, ceremonies, pictures, and games.  I'm glad he loves baseball and hoping for a great season for him and his teammates.  Sports have been a great opportunity for our son to meet and interact with others his age and encourage sportsmanship and teamwork.  Truth is... Mommy enjoys it too!

Praying also that this March 26th snow we had was our last bit of snowy weather for the season!  Started school a bit late one day this week so the kids could enjoy the  final trace of the white stuff! How could I resist when they were dressed in their warmest blizzard gear even when it was melting quickly from the rooftops?  Not quite enough to build a snowman but, didn't stop my kids from trying to sled down the hills of the flower beds!  Lol!  They are still loving it and I love winter too but, I'm certain it's time for spring!   Good thing it will be in the seventies this weekend!  

We were ready to take advantage of the warm weather with or without the clouds we couldn't wait to hit up Busch Gardens!  💐

Enjoy your week! 

Be blessed! 

HOD Beyond Unit 25

Our verse this week was John 15:13. We talked about how Jesus was willing to lay down his life for us.  He had a choice and he chose to give his life.                       This week in history, we read about a boy named Richard who enlisted in the continental army despite his friends telling him he was to young.  He played his fife. He knew he might be killed, but was willing to lay down his life for his country.   He was eventually captured by the British and the king laughed at his young age and ordered him to have a fist fight with a young English boy. Although, Richard was weak and tired, he fought with bravery and the english boy gave up the fight. The British officer let Richard and his colonel go. 

We read about another young boy, Levi, who fought in 2 battles.  He was later chosen to watch over General Washingtons bodyguards. Even though it wasn't as exciting as fighting, he did his job well. Levi helped give a dinner party in the mess tent for important guests. He was honored with a hand woven night cap by Lady Washington. We learned the boy had a choice and chose to be a soldier in the Continental Army doing whatever was asked of him.  Christ wants us to soldiers for Him standing up for the truths in which we believe. 

In geography, we examined America at the time of the revolution. The key areas that the battles were fought in were on the east coast.  

We also read about George Washington and how he was a great leader and he honored and trusted Gods word.   Even though he was in charge, he set a great example of serving others.  He was never to good to help those in need.   Washington's men loved and respected him.

In Science, we talked about how our noses and tongue work together.  We determined that our sense of smell affects how things taste. We couldn't taste well when our noses were plugged! When we ate plain apple slices, they were good before we even tasted them! When we put cinnamon on them and could smell the yummy cinnamon it made them taste SO much better! The kids plugged their noses and tried them even with the cinnamon and couldn't taste it. 

In poetry, the children copied 'A Child's Prayer' by Margaret Betham-Edwards. I loved this sweet poem as it is my prayer for each of our children. 

The cursive is going very well and we will be introducing it to the little one soon because she desires to "write fancy" too!

Our bible reading this week was Ephesians 6:10-20. We learned that Paul encourages Christians to be brave in the fight against evil with the armor of God.  The Continental Army needed to be brave and General Washington trusted in God.  

We created pieces of the armor of God (righteousness, peace, truth, faith, spirit and salvation) and dressed our favorite stuffed animals to be ready.  The kids loved this art project and compared it to dressing a 'Build-a-Bear' that they could design by themselves.  We talked about how God wants us to be ready in the armor of God for any of Satan's schemes.  My daughter then said... "His name should be HATiN' instead of Satan!"  LOL...  She is a hoot but oh, what young truth she speaks!

This week went by very fast! The kids have definite appreciation for good ole George Washington and understand how his Godly leadership, values, and morals impacted our country in a positive way. 

It was 'Picture Week' at Gymnastics and I thought I would share a few pics for the family on the blog too.  Gymnastics has been a sure hit with the older one and the younger one thinks she will stick to dancing! 

Enjoy your week!

Be blessed! 

HOD BLHFHG - Unit 24

What a fabulous week getting back into our routine only to stir things up with an impromptu field trip to Yorktown Victory Center Homeschool Days.  I love living in Virginia so close to a variety of wonderful landmarks in our Early American History.  The coordination goes along perfectly with Heart of Dakota's -Beyond. 

The homeschool days for Jamestown, Yorktown and Colonial Williamsburg are offered once in the spring and then again in the fall. The classes were taught by great community leaders who were able to keep the children's attention and engage them in costumes and props.  

The Early Colonial class worked in the garden, carried buckets of water, watered the garden, washed clothes, learned about drying herbs, fruit & tobacco and learned about preserving meat. They baked strawberry hot cakes just as they did in colonial times. 

The Life of a Private class allowed the students to take part in military drills with wooden muskets in an army encampment. They examined the reasons colonists joined the Patriot cause and learned about the conditions that they experienced. It was very informative and my son really enjoyed this one. 

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In History, we read that George Washington asked Betsy Ross "The Star Lady" to design & sew a combined flag for the 13 colonies.  We learned that there are 7 red stripes, 6 white stripes, and 13 stars that form a united circle.  We talked about the colors of the flag and their significance. Red for bravery, Blue for justice and White for purity. 

We opted out of the frosting flag activity and substituted with a healthier fruit flag tray! The kids put this together and were very proud of their fruit flag. Yummy! 

We made a 5 pointed star with only one cut just like Betsy Ross made with the white fabric.

  HERE is a link on my Pinterest page for the folding directions for the star.

The kids writing assignment was to write how they would feel if General George Washington asked them to design a flag and if they would make any changes to the flag Betsy Ross made.  This was the first time my older son has written in cursive without copying. I was very proud of his work.   You can get this  FREE BETSY ROSS PAPER PRINTABLE HERE .

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We added the Revoltionary War to our timeline and talked about the Declaration of Independence. 

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In History, we also read about a brave girl and her friend who stood up and confronted the red coats with a small flag she had sewn and a drum. Her bravery saved the army from raiding their home for silver and belongings. The British General spoke kindly to the children and gave orders for his troops to march away. 

My hubby was able to go over the history activity about military orders with the kids including saluting, right and left flank, about turn, wheel, attention and at ease. The kids had so much giggly fun with this! 

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In Science, we talked about water and fats in foods. We experimented with different foods to see if they were water based or fat based. We learned that fruits are mostly made with water as the fruit juices evaporated and the fats in other foods did not. 

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Our poetry this week was 'The Star-Spangled Banner' by Francis Scott Key.  The children's writing is coming along beautifully. 

The children also read this book about Francis Scott Key and why he wrote the poem.  

It was a cute book about his life, had colorful pictures, and was written in easy text for young readers. 

We also listened to the full version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' on YouTube. You can listen to it too.   CLICK HERE

All in all, this was another fun week with Heart of Dakota! 

See you next week! 

Be blessed! 

HOD BLHFHG - Unit 23

Spending time with the grandparents and great grandparents for spring break was fun for both of my little ones.  Their time  spent with them is precious in my eyes as they learn many life skills and hear the many tales of our families successes and triumphs throughout our family history. 

Taking walks, fishing with bamboo poles, enjoying the outdoors, helping in the kitchen and getting to make cookies and "mash the bananas" for the homemade banana bread are all things that kept them busy this week. 

The kids even found entertainment stringing some old buttons... the same jar of buttons I used to string as a child. 

Our memory verse this week was Proverbs 15:1.  Oh, how we all need this verse. 

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We read in history about a surveyor named George that fled to a nearby cabin. The cabin was soon surrounded by Indians that had lit an angry fire as they wanted to burn the cabin because they were upset that their land was being measured.  The boys kindly showed the Indians a keepsake moccasin that they had from when they had taken care of an Indian girl, were careful not to argue, and the Indians were pleased.  After the boy spoke the Indians welcomed the surveyor. The surveyor was later to be known as General George Washington in the American Revolution. 

The children measured the land like George, the surveyor. 

The kids drew the area onto a paper with their measurements. 

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These HOD history worksheets above are very helpful for our week review. 

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We also read about a young 8 yo girl who was left sewing at home while her parents were away. She wanted to play outside, but she didn't become angry when her mother told her to keep working on her stitching sampler.  Her mother gave her an iron key to the barn to keep safe as the barn was filled with guns and powder.   The red coat soldiers barged into her house demanding the key to the barn so that the soldiers could rest inside. The young girl was frightened as they plundered and scavenged through her home but, as she sat with the key in her lap under her sewing sampler she remained calm as she spoke to the soldier. Kind words came from her lips as she explained she wouldn't give up the key and the soldier left with his men. 

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The children in our history stories turned away wrath by speaking softly.  In the Bible passage we read in Genesis 13:1-18, Abram gave Lot first choice of the land to stop quarreling. Lot took the best Land.  We learned that The Lord blessed Abram by giving him the length and the breadth of the land. 

For geography, the kids measured and graphed our homeschool room to scale. 

In math, we colored brown, oval cookies/anthills and multiplied and divided our raisins/ants to see how many would be needed in each cookie/anthill.  Although this came easily for my older child, this helped my younger dd grasp the concept.  This really got the math down on their level and they loved snacking along the way! 

We discovered many combinations of multiplying and dividing different numbers. 

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Grammy started reading new literature  to the kiddos. A Little Princess; So far so good! 

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She was so proud of her painted cupcake pottery piece. 

And brother built a racecar with Papa! 

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They loved their time cooking, fishing, bowling and swimming this week. The time shared with their grandparents and great grandparents was precious and fond memories were made not to be forgotten any time soon. 

Our last stop was at the Charlotte, NC NASCAR Hall of Fame.  There is only one race car crazed kid we would do this for! My son loves racing and he absolutely loved this! 

Taking a break away from home is always enjoyable but, being able to take school on the road is priceless! 

Enjoy your week! 

Be blessed!