Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mapping Made Easy!






















Now this is what I call learning about Geography and how to make/read a map!! We are studying about Kansas this week and the lesson came with these little single page maps to label as you go through the lesson. Well I decided it would be SO much more fun to make our own map to label with the lesson. So that's just what we did. We used 3 different transparencies of Kansas, one for the state itself with major cities and the capital, one showing rivers and lakes and another showing railways. Now we are going to work on a legend and continue labeling what the lesson calls for. We have had a blast and his retention of major parts of the state is amazing!! So much more effective than those silly sheets in his book that were difficult to understand anyway!! Not to mention, look at that face! He's having the time of his life. BTW this overhead thing also led to another (self driven) art project. Homeschooling has done amazing things for his creativity and desire to do more and learn more!! God is so good!!!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Halloween Fun!


So every year we have a tradition in our family to share some Halloween fun with our friends and family. When we first started it, 5 years ago, it was called Phantom-ing; but now people are calling it Boo-ing. Regardless of what you call it, it is a blast and we love the entire process. What you do is put together treat bags for 2 or more families with a poem and picture, leave it on their porch, ring the doorbell and RUN! The picture is considered the "phantom" and is to be placed in the window of the house so that other participants will know that family has already been hit. It's kinda like a fun chain letter. Once you have been phantom-ed you make copies of the letter and pictures and then put together bags for YOUR friends and family to leave on their doorstep.

Braydon and I spend all day in the kitchen baking cookies and other treats, bagging them all up, decorating bags and attaching the poem/pic. Then we're off to get our sneak on!! Braydon LOVES to deliver the bags, ring the bells and run like mad. I enjoy driving the getaway car that sometimes almost "gets away" before Braydon gets all his limbs back in. And Randy usually just sits back and gets a good laugh at it all... but this year Randy got a REAL taste of the action!

This year, just a few hours before we were to leave, Braydon hurt his foot riding his rip-stik. He was a trooper though and tried the deliver the bags but his foot just wouldn't let him. So, guess who got to be the "ding dong ditcher" for the night... You guessed it! RANDY! I have to say this was one of the absolute funniest years every!!! Randy is not the most stealthy person we know and he also lacks a little in the agility department. None the less, he ran, rang, tripped and jumped his way through the night. I'm so blessed to have a husband that is such a good sport. Not only did he join in the fun, but he allowed us to MAKE fun of him as well!

So to all of you out there who have never had an adventure like this one, it's not too late to start! I have attached the letter and picture we used this year for you to download and then the bag contents are just left to your imagination! Remember, it's suppose to be anonymous so just sit back and enjoy listening to your victims try to figure out where the delightful little treat came from!



ENJOY!!!



Phantom Letter


Phantom Pic