UHEA Conference part 1

I attended the Utah Home Education Association’s conference on Saturday. I came away from this conference, more than ever before, feeling that I heard exactly what I needed to hear and that, “I can homeschool!”
The first two classes I attend were Penny Gardner’s on Charlotte Mason. She talked about using living books, rather than textbooks. Read biographies, historical fictions and well-written core books. Penny said Living books capture imagination, changes your life, gives new ideas and broadens your mind.
A Charlotte Mason quote: “Persons matter more than things. Don’t say anything that will leave a sting.”
I’m going to give you my notes for the rest as I took them, if you have questions, let me know.
Language Arts:
Narration is the retelling – “act of Knowing”
Steps to becoming a good writer:
-Oral Narration
-tell a story – oral composition
-read linear stories together, then have child narrate
-Make it fun!
-Make a book and give as a gift
-bean bag toss- “your turn- what happens next in the story?”
-cube toss: six sides: plot, theme, setting, character, compare/contrast, favorite part
-encourage kids to tell Dad about the book
-show a picture, write a list- tell what they saw
-maybe make into a poem
-act the story out
-draw a comic strip
-make a poster
-Copywork or Transcription
-Worry about penmanship around age 7 or 8
-have kids trace
-use Italic Handwriting
-handwriting is an art
-“People will judge you on your handwriting”
-have a jar or basket with favorite quotes for copywork
-short, focused lesson
-copy great literature
-there they will pick up spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, vocabulary, capitalization
-let kids make their own Book of Mottos – special quotes
Dictation
-do not repeat
-learning listening, attention, concentration, memory
-start with short things
-start with something they already know
-should use neatest penmanship, spelling, punctuation
Spelling
-take words from reading
-notice how the words are spelled
-picture the word in your mind
-spell orally
-repeat
-pronounce words correctly
-write with eyes closed
-write word in sentence
Grammar
-speak correctly
-restate properly
-learn Latin
Transitions from Oral to Written Narrations
-start as written, move to oral
-alternate between student and parent writing

Sunday Song

Sunday Song: Rejoice the Lord is King

Summer Plans

Here is our summer plan. Mondays will be the day I choose to stay home and catch up on laundry. The kids can play with friends. Tuesdays we’ll go to the park (if the weather is good enough) by the library, then go to chess club. Wednesdays we’ll go to the dollar movie. Thursdays we’ll go bowling, with our free bowling passes. Friday, we’ll take it easy or maybe find something fun to do.
We don’t have any big vacations scheduled, but hope to do some fun day trips.
I just scored some awesome tickets for the Heber Valley Railroad for a train ride. (Click on the link on the left for your tickets!) We haven’t done the train ride in a long time. The kids should enjoy it.
The kids do have to keep up with their piano practice, reading and math through the summer. They also have chores they are helping with. I’m mean like that.

Everyone Pick up the Living Room, NOW!

My sister-in-law called today asking, “Can I bring my grandkids over to see your chickens?” “Sure, why not,” I thought, “just please, don’t come in the house.”
There was a time, long, long ago, when I always had a clean house. In fact, if I knew you were coming over, I’d purposely not straighten up a particular area. After all, I wouldn’t want you to feel bad that I was a perfect housekeeper. With more kids, it became a little harder to keep it perfect. I could still clean up the house spotless with a five minute warning that you were coming over. The lead time necessary gradually stretched to ten minutes. Now, I could make do with a two day warning, if I had to, but if you were my friend, you’d give me a week’s notice. Trust me, you don’t want to come over and see the kitchen (or heaven forbid, the bathroom!) without giving me time to clean up!
When I ask the kids to pick up the living room,they ask,"Who is coming over?" ARGH! Does someone have to be coming over for us to clean the living room? Okay, I admit, my friend is coming over in five minutes. Would you please get your underwear off the couch and put it away?!
At the temple, we use microfiber clothes to clean. They work great. I'm going to order some for home!

Woman of Substance

I am a Woman of Substance. Or at least, that is how I looked last night to a particular guy hanging out at the gas station. After work, I stopped to get an orange juice and some almonds for the drive home. I didn’t have my friend to car pool with and I needed something to get me home without falling asleep. As I stepped into my car, a guy on a bike asked me, “I see you are a Woman-of-Substance and I asking you for eighty cents so I fill my water bottle with soda.” I laughed, sighed and handed him one of the two dollars I had in my wallet. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Really, he likely didn’t need the soda, especially if he couldn’t afford it… and I laughed about the Woman-of-Substance. I am a woman who was on her way home from her part-time job she has to be able to pay for some of the things she otherwise wouldn’t be able to have or do. I am a woman who cuts and uses coupons to lower her grocery bill. I am a woman who hangs her family’s clothes out on the line to lower the electric bill. Am I a Woman-of-Substance? Well, I was driving a car, instead of riding a bike. I have a home, with running electricity and filled with food. I am lucky to have a job. I have a family. I am a Woman-of-Substance, even if I only have one $1 bill in my wallet. Indeed, I am a blessed Woman-of-Substance.

New Swimming Suit

My new bathing suit is here! Whoo! I bought it at the Casual Blogger Conference, but they didn’t have the style I wanted in the color I chose, in the size I need. So they mailed it to me. The lady was so sweet. I mentioned it was my birthday on Wednesday and she really wanted it to get to me before then, but with the long holiday weekend that didn’t happen. She wrote on the package, “Hope you had a fantastic birthday!”
I’m so excited to wear this modest swimming suit! My girls each got one, too, and they love wearing their swim suit ‘dress’.
Disclaimer: They don’t have sizes higher than 10-12, yet, but promised me they would have them for next season.

Sunday Song: Daughter of a King

Our Sunday Song this week is from Jenny Phillips: Daughter of a King.
My sweet Jo, just eight years old, makes the cutest cards for me. "To Mom You are a princess. I love you more. Love XOXO" She covers the cards with flowers and hearts.
May all women know they are daughters of the Most High King.