I know I will have to double this...but it sounds good and looks easy!

This simple five ingredient casserole is delicious and so easy you can keep the ingredients on hand for emergency meals. When I made it, I used cheddar cheese pasta sauce instead of the Alfredo sauce for a change of pace. And I used frozen brown rice in place of the rice medley.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. pkg. frozen rice medley
• 10 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli in butter sauce
• 1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice and broccoli as directed on packages. Spread rice in bottom of 1-1/2 quart glass casserole dish. Top with broccoli in sauce and chicken. Spoon alfredo sauce over casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until casserole bubbles around the edge and food is thoroughly heated. 4 servings

Lapbooks

Just a quick one...as we are in the middle of our morning. So I have found this curriculum for the book "The Book of Virtues" I think this will be a great supplement to our studies!! I am so excited. In elementary school they followed the character traits with the children. And I think this just takes it a step further and will fit in to our home education very well with Jacob. The first unit is on Self-Discipline. It include a reading which I think I will read to him for awhile to see if that is more engaging for him. There is a vocabulary list, projects, activities...and so much more. This curriculum uses a lot of projects such as lapbooks. I have been doing research lately on this type of "art". It is really neat how you can put a unit together using lapbooks. I think it would be a great idea for the younger students. I had to look up how to make matchbook lapbooks on YouTube. While looking around I found a layered book video. I think we may used this technique for the vocabulary words in each unit. Something a bit more fun. Who knows? We may have a really huge project to show at the end of this curriculum. My prayer and hope is that we finish this and he is able to bookmark a lot of it and use it in real life.

Well, we didn't make it to the creek today. But he did get alot of work done. It looked like it was going to storm and we didn't want to chance it. We are going to go on Monday when the other kids are home so that they can learn and enjoy the creek too! Kind of more excited for the others to learn about ecosystems too!
So since our plans were changed I went to the Y with friends and enjoyed a zumba class. I still don't have all the steps down but it was really fun!

Waiting on Jacob to stop wandering around and get his preliminary research finished so that we can leave for the creek. He did a spelling lesson this morning, contributed to his journal and now is looking up links to ecosystem lectures, videos and a few helpful definitions. We are going to stop and grab some noodles and then be on our way! Oh, I did say we would ride our bikes to get noodles...hmmm. Not sure if we will have time! These pictures were taken at Defeated Creek in May 2010.

So tonight at dinner we figured out that it is about 2880 hours until Christmas. All math was done on a napkin! This is quality dinner conversation with 6 children all watching intensely as I explain how you come up with a big number like that!

On to other things. I had the big AHA! moment today when I figured out a planned day of homeschooling that may be the most productive one yet! It all started out as I want to go to the creek. But I didn't know what to do there. I asked friends on fb what they thought we could do at the creek and someone mentioned an ecosystem project. So I was looking through the scope & sequence that I printed from the county school website and "ecosystem" is one of the topics covered in 6th grade science!! Bingo! We are on to something! So we will spend some time finding out about an ecosystem at home on the computer and then head to the creek to do some more exploring and learning. Then when we get home, we are going to do an ecosystem experiment!! And I found a great one online!

Science Experiment #1: How to clean up an oil spill

We all know that oil spills can damage our environment. Understanding how much damage an oil spill can do is best illustrated by replicating an oil spill in a controlled setting. The purpose of this experiment is to recreate an oil spill, and experiment with different methods to determine the most efficient method of cleaning up after a spill.

Materials needed to make the oil spill:a large cookie tray water automotive oil (dirty is best)small rocks and sand bits of wood, tufts of grass, and feathers a fan

Step 1: Line the edge of the tray with rocks and sand to create a shoreline. Tuck in bits of wood and the grass in the shoreline to represent some of the plant life that live on the coast.

Step 2: Gently add water to the tray until 2/3 full. Drop a small handful of feathers into the water.

Step 3: Gently pour a small amount of automotive oil carefully into the tray.

Step 4: Place the fan along one end of the tray, and switch to the "on" position. Leave the fan on, until the oil spill drifts to one of the shorelines, then shut off.

Step 5: Experiment with different ways of trying to clean up the oil on both the water, the shoreline, and on the organisms themselves. Things to experiment with should include sand, kitty litter, string, Dawn dish washing detergent, laundry degreasers, newspapers, basters, and rags.

Step 6: Record your findings and observations.

Now I need to get a science journal for him. Still looking for a math curriculum. I did an online placement test for Saxon math and he placed in the Pre-Algebra class. But I think I want to do the 8/7 and the Algebra 1/2 with him. I did get to see what type of math he needs to brush up on so we may not need to get the 8/7. Thinking we should do review type things until December and then start the pre-algebra in January.

See I can do this!! And it was great figuring out a variety of things to do on the same subject too!

Tomorrow we will be off to the creek!!!

Photo Shoot

I never have pictures of my niece! She is usually at daycare when I take the other kids out for a photo shoot. So this morning her mom fixed her hair up and we went outside for about 5 minutes and did some rapid firing. She did a really good job! Here are 4 of my favorite ones!

Great Morning...

So today has started off pretty good. I woke up tired today though, not really understanding why since I went to bed earlier than usual. We got the younger kids off to school, then Jacob and I started our morning.
Jacob did a spelling lesson and then we sat down and watched a documentary about Border Patrol and got half way through a boring doc on the aerial history of California. The cinematography was making me sleepy and sick at the same time the way they fly over the land.
Right now he is sitting down and reading his Narnia - Prince Caspian book, so happy b/c he picked it up on his own without me reminding him to read today! He used to have a love for reading but has backed off a lot. I hope to rekindle this for him this year!

Just did a small photo shoot with Jesse & Elizabeth Anne. They have been chosen to be the Middle Tennessee ADA Tour de Cure 2011 Ambassadors! What a huge honor! So I had to find a picture with the two of them and hopefully this one will work. As soon as the website is live I can link people. This will be our 3rd year riding in the Tour de Cure. Jesse rode 30 miles this past May and Elizabeth Anne did 10 miles. We look forward to adding to Team Pedal Pumpers!!

Thirty-One Gifts!!

Today I was able to check off everything that was on my list!! I think I was on the phone most of the day but...I still was able to have a productive day :)

Thirty-One is a company I have worked with for the past few years. I haven't done too much, but I would like to get more involved. The company has great incentives for their consultants!!
How cute are these!! Today is the last day to get an item and have it custom embroidered for only $1. Next month's special is pretty cool too and I will be sure to put in my OWN order. The new demi purse looks spectacular!
And check out all the fabric choices!! Here is my website if anyone would like to take a peek!! My Thirty One If you are interested in being a consultant. You will get $250 worth of products for only $99!!!

Day 3...finished!

We have finished Day 3 of homeschooling.

Today we worked on Exponents and Order of Operations for our Math block. He read 2 chapters of Narnia-Prince Caspian and then wrote in his journal. I like the fact that I found so many journal prompts that I was able to add to our plan book. Journal Ideas 258 ideas, should keep someone busy! I also found some chapter quizzes for the book he is reading! I would have liked to of started on Lesson 2 of the spelling course we are working on but we went to lunch and then to the Y for swimming. So we did about 5 1/2 hours of school today. Oh and I set up an email address for Jacob today so that I can send him links to the quizzes instead of printing them out.

Our printer is still out of commission....boo :( It won the battle and I was left with ink all over my fingers!

Picture is of Judge (dh) and Jacob working on a bit of physics at the Adventure Science Center.

The rest of the kids made it home safely from school. Jesse is still working on his homework
I had a 504 meeting this morning for Elizabeth and Jesse. They both have Type I diabetes. One of my favorite pictures of the two of them together...

Brand New Week...

Last week was a bit of a whirlwind for our family. We are a family of 6, most of the time. Usually more are here.Here is our Easter picture. I think this is the last family photo we have had...hmmm, time for a new one!
New year and the kids have passed to the next grade. Jacob to 6th, Emily to 5th, Jesse to 3rd and Elizabeth Anne to 1st. We were so excited for Jacob to move on to Middle School. He is such a bright young man who soaks everything up like a sponge but at a faster rate. Middle school was our hope for a challenging year for Jacob. All throughout elementary school Jacob did well on his tests but something was missing in the classroom. His class work grades were awful and so were his homework grades if he decided to turn it in at all. Something is just not right for a child to have a high averages on his state testing but still in the same classes as his peers. My emotions had me crying for two days as I feel that the system has failed him. I feel that we have done all that we can to help the system and guide them to how Jacob needs to be taught. But they didn't listen.
Last Wednesday, Jacob hopped on the school bus like normal. But the day was far from normal. I arrived at the middle school around 9:30am to withdraw him from the public school. Where was he going? I don't know! What were we going to do for education? We didn't know. But we knew that he didn't belong there. He wasn't adjusting to the middle school day. He was so used to elementary school for 6 years, same friends, familiar teacher's faces....the transition didn't go well. I do believe the middle school is a very good academic school though. I have heard many good things about this particular school, especially about the band program. Emily will be going to this school next year.
We are waiting on the paperwork for enrollment into Gateway Christian School. An umbrella church-related school for homeschooling. As soon as it gets here I can fax it in for immediate enrollment. We are pulling from different areas to fulfill his curriculum. The only thing I am lacking is a good math book. I am going to try and call the school's central office about math books to rent/purchase. We will be striving to catch him up to his real ability and do 2 years in 1 this year. I can now see that he probably should have moved up a grade in his early school years. Just my opinion though. He catches on to things really quick.
Surprisingly, the other children have not asked to stay home for school. We did, however, let them know that it wasn't an option for them at this time. But you know how kids are...
I was blessed to find out that our church has a homeschooling group for support.

So, I will be "One Homeschool Mom" for now and will be busy from here on out. (As if I wasn't before now) I wonder how others first began and how your situations occurred? I know that some start their children's education at home and some not.

Tomorrow is a full day so I should probably get some rest...