Our New *Morning Board*

Our New Morning Board

This past week I finally completed a project that I've been wanting to do for a while: a *morning board* for our learning room. I had put it off with the reason that we didn't have any wall space~and we don't. However, I decided to utilize the door of the room. We really never close it (and if we needed to it wouldn't be a problem), so with the help of sticky tack it has become a bulletin board of sorts. I really like the way it turned out!

At the top of the door our *composer-of-the-month* and our *artist-of-the-month* are showcased in matte finish page protectors (no glare!). I will be changing these out each month as we continue our composer and artist studies. These charts are free downloads from Nadene at Practical Pages. If you haven't visited her, hop on over! She has a great blog with lots of helpful downloads.

Next on the door is our *days in school* chart and our *seasons* chart. I have all of the numbers and words for the *days in school* chart tucked away in envelopes for easy use. I used sticky velcro dots (found at Hobby Lobby) to attach the cut-outs to the chart. The *season* chart simply required a brad for the dial. I also used some colored card stock that I already had to make different backgrounds for the charts so they would be more colorful.

Next we have our *what time is it?* chart and the *temperature* chart. I have placed these inside (shiny) page protectors that work with a dry erase marker for easy daily use. I was very happy to find that page protectors could work this way since I already have plenty (thank you, Paula!!) and didn't want to pay to have them laminated. Great savings there!

Finally, at the bottom of the door there is the *today, tomorrow, yesterday* chart, *what's the weather?* chart and *make the date* chart. I have also used velcro dots for these charts.

Except for the composer and artist pages, I downloaded these charts from Confessions of a Homeschooler, Homeschool Creations and 1+1+1=1....all great homeschooling blogs!

So if you are wishing you could hang more things, but don't have the wall space, be creative and use unusual, typically unused spots instead! I'm so glad I did!

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

my blessed life

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