Thursday, September 24, 2009
On the fourth day God created.....
The Sun, the moon and the stars, here is Jesse with his 4th day of creation mobile that he made. Jesse was studying the Sun and the Moon and how the moon having no light of it's own, reflects light from the sun.
Summer Park Days
As our summer draws to a close we have been trying to spend as much time outside as possible. On this particular day we found a little inchworm friend to share our day with.
What we have been up to.
Labor Day at Beavertail with our Calvary Family. It was a perfect day for a picnic at parking lot 2. This is my favorite picture of Jim!
Watch out Jadyn, Gabriel's sneaking up on you!
Jesse taking a break from playing and relaxing with his shrimp
Jim just can't resist a cute blonde with big blue eyes!
Ma and Pa even came!!
Jesse grabbing my camera so I can't take any more pictures LOL
We played on the rocks and the older girls found some crabs and starfish.
I LOVE this picture of Jesse
Ma and Pa Leaving they look so cute on their bike don't they?
Jesse playing the drums on a cooler with Pastor Rich and Valencia
We had a great time flying kites the weather was perfect for it.
..and the sunset was beautiful as always
I have no idea where he found this tree branch
Settling down, helping clean up and getting ready to go home after a great night, with great friends.
I'm so thankful for my church family as well as my own family!
Watch out Jadyn, Gabriel's sneaking up on you!
Jesse taking a break from playing and relaxing with his shrimp
Jim just can't resist a cute blonde with big blue eyes!
Ma and Pa even came!!
Jesse grabbing my camera so I can't take any more pictures LOL
We played on the rocks and the older girls found some crabs and starfish.
I LOVE this picture of Jesse
Ma and Pa Leaving they look so cute on their bike don't they?
Jesse playing the drums on a cooler with Pastor Rich and Valencia
We had a great time flying kites the weather was perfect for it.
..and the sunset was beautiful as always
I have no idea where he found this tree branch
Settling down, helping clean up and getting ready to go home after a great night, with great friends.
I'm so thankful for my church family as well as my own family!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
ENRICH annual homeschool picnic
ENRICHE'S first annual homeschool picnic. Facepainting, bubbles, games, food and fun. The kids had a blast and I am very excited to be a community leader for ENRICH. We spent time with old friends and made many new ones. Please enjoy the smiling faces below and for anyone who couldn't make it out yesterday we hope to see you at the next one!
Friday, September 4, 2009
1st week of school
Well, it's been a very busy first week at school! Here is a picture of my bulletin board.
Jesse is learning about the Sun and the sounds that S makes. He is also exploring patterns and learning that Jesus is the light of the world. Future lessons will include charting grapes as they turn into raisins and making a sundial so stay tuned for those pictures coming soon. Here he is showing off the sun he made in art class today..Notice his pretty patterns of yellow, orange, yellow, orange...good job Jesse!
Jadyn is learning about Bible scrolls this week and how they were stored in pottery jars, she is also learning about things that live close to the ground and working very hard on learning how to read. She loves math and is so good at it I'm so proud of her. Here she is painting the pottery jar that she made, this will hold her Bible scrolls that she is working on.
So colorful..this child would color the world with crayons if she could...
Then we took a nature walk in the woods behind my house to find things that live close to the ground, we found some interesting things. Mushrooms, slugs, spiders and beetles to name a few.
Jadyn had to bring this to show me..she says "look mommy it is THE golden ant" I didn't know there was just 1 in the whole world and to think it lives right in my very own backyard LOL.
Jesse was fascinated by the anthill that he found, he said he was looking for the nursery because he wanted to see the babies.
And what was I doing while this was going on? Hanging with my peeps of course!! Here is Bindi strolling through the yard
And here is Sydney, he was very intently watching a squirrel and then started clicking at it.
He tried to run after it, but I stopped him. I think he really wanted to play with it...so cute. Don't forget to check back and see what we are up to next week!!
Jesse is learning about the Sun and the sounds that S makes. He is also exploring patterns and learning that Jesus is the light of the world. Future lessons will include charting grapes as they turn into raisins and making a sundial so stay tuned for those pictures coming soon. Here he is showing off the sun he made in art class today..Notice his pretty patterns of yellow, orange, yellow, orange...good job Jesse!
Jadyn is learning about Bible scrolls this week and how they were stored in pottery jars, she is also learning about things that live close to the ground and working very hard on learning how to read. She loves math and is so good at it I'm so proud of her. Here she is painting the pottery jar that she made, this will hold her Bible scrolls that she is working on.
So colorful..this child would color the world with crayons if she could...
Then we took a nature walk in the woods behind my house to find things that live close to the ground, we found some interesting things. Mushrooms, slugs, spiders and beetles to name a few.
Jadyn had to bring this to show me..she says "look mommy it is THE golden ant" I didn't know there was just 1 in the whole world and to think it lives right in my very own backyard LOL.
Jesse was fascinated by the anthill that he found, he said he was looking for the nursery because he wanted to see the babies.
And what was I doing while this was going on? Hanging with my peeps of course!! Here is Bindi strolling through the yard
And here is Sydney, he was very intently watching a squirrel and then started clicking at it.
He tried to run after it, but I stopped him. I think he really wanted to play with it...so cute. Don't forget to check back and see what we are up to next week!!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
RHODE ISLAND HOMESCHOOLER!
Fabulous story about a RI homeschooler
Burrillville boy sees the light, becomes national finalist
07:25 PM EDT on Wednesday, September 2, 2009
BY PETER B. LORDJournal Environment Writer
Hugh Finch, 11, of Burrillville, is a finalist in a $50,000 science contest sponsored by Discovery Communications and 3M.
The Providence Journal / John Freidah
BURRILLVILLE — Sitting on top of the kitchen counter at home, 11-year-old Hugh Finch made a two-minute video about using the principles of light to brighten his mother’s cabinets. That video helped him become a finalist in a national science competition that awards a $50,000 savings bond to the winner.
The project was to solve a problem for his mother — she frequently has to use a flashlight to find items in her kitchen cabinet. His solution was to redirect sunlight from a window to illuminate the dark corner.
In his video, Hugh discusses how light travels in straight lines, plus principles of reflection and diffusion. In his solution, he lined the cabinet with white paper, and covered the inside of the door with aluminum foil. When he moved the door to the appropriate angle, it reflected sunlight into the cabinet and brightened all of its contents.
After adjusting the door, Hugh looks at the camera and says, “There’s light — problem solved.”
Hugh is one of 10 finalists nationally who will compete in New York in October in the 2009 Discovery/3M Young Scientist Challenge for the savings bond and the title of “America’s Young Scientist.”
This is the third year for the program. It encourages young people to explore scientific concepts and creatively communicate their findings. The prize is a collaboration between Discovery Communications, which operates the Discovery Channel and other educational initiatives, and 3M, a corporation that invests heavily in research and development to create new products.
In January, students across the country were asked to create one- or two-minute videos about one of four science concepts that relate to innovative solutions for everyday life.
Hugh, who is home-schooled by his mother, Theresa, learned of the contest last year while watching the Discovery Channel. He was too late to enter then, but he was ready to go this January, says his mother.
His mother says she helped with the video, but brought no particular expertise to the job. Hugh did the research on the principles of light at his local library, she says.
She home-schools Hugh, she says, because he is very bright and she can go as fast as he wants with his strengths of math and science. He is not so successful at essay writing, she says, so they slow down so he can improve.
In his biography on the contest Web site, Hugh says he and his brother “sometimes make Lego animation movies for fun.” He also is a gymnast, swimmer, karate student and member of the Rhode Island Children’s Choir, he reports.
Hugh is gifted with words, his mother says. She recalls that when he was in kindergarten, he had no trouble speaking his part in a classroom play.
“He knows what he wants to say, and he just rattles it off,” says his mother. She has a master’s degree in finance, and her husband, Derick, works for the CSX freight rail line. She home schools another child, Peter, who is 7.
When the news came one evening that Hugh was a finalist, she says, she was so excited that she got him out of bed so he could hear for himself.
Hugh acknowledged that the award made him very happy, but he said doing the video was harder than it looks.
It took a week to do all the research and filming.
In the end, he said, “It’s just a piece of tin foil on the door.”
To see the work by Hugh and other competitors, go to: www.youngscientistchallenge.com.
plord@projo.com
Burrillville boy sees the light, becomes national finalist
07:25 PM EDT on Wednesday, September 2, 2009
BY PETER B. LORDJournal Environment Writer
Hugh Finch, 11, of Burrillville, is a finalist in a $50,000 science contest sponsored by Discovery Communications and 3M.
The Providence Journal / John Freidah
BURRILLVILLE — Sitting on top of the kitchen counter at home, 11-year-old Hugh Finch made a two-minute video about using the principles of light to brighten his mother’s cabinets. That video helped him become a finalist in a national science competition that awards a $50,000 savings bond to the winner.
The project was to solve a problem for his mother — she frequently has to use a flashlight to find items in her kitchen cabinet. His solution was to redirect sunlight from a window to illuminate the dark corner.
In his video, Hugh discusses how light travels in straight lines, plus principles of reflection and diffusion. In his solution, he lined the cabinet with white paper, and covered the inside of the door with aluminum foil. When he moved the door to the appropriate angle, it reflected sunlight into the cabinet and brightened all of its contents.
After adjusting the door, Hugh looks at the camera and says, “There’s light — problem solved.”
Hugh is one of 10 finalists nationally who will compete in New York in October in the 2009 Discovery/3M Young Scientist Challenge for the savings bond and the title of “America’s Young Scientist.”
This is the third year for the program. It encourages young people to explore scientific concepts and creatively communicate their findings. The prize is a collaboration between Discovery Communications, which operates the Discovery Channel and other educational initiatives, and 3M, a corporation that invests heavily in research and development to create new products.
In January, students across the country were asked to create one- or two-minute videos about one of four science concepts that relate to innovative solutions for everyday life.
Hugh, who is home-schooled by his mother, Theresa, learned of the contest last year while watching the Discovery Channel. He was too late to enter then, but he was ready to go this January, says his mother.
His mother says she helped with the video, but brought no particular expertise to the job. Hugh did the research on the principles of light at his local library, she says.
She home-schools Hugh, she says, because he is very bright and she can go as fast as he wants with his strengths of math and science. He is not so successful at essay writing, she says, so they slow down so he can improve.
In his biography on the contest Web site, Hugh says he and his brother “sometimes make Lego animation movies for fun.” He also is a gymnast, swimmer, karate student and member of the Rhode Island Children’s Choir, he reports.
Hugh is gifted with words, his mother says. She recalls that when he was in kindergarten, he had no trouble speaking his part in a classroom play.
“He knows what he wants to say, and he just rattles it off,” says his mother. She has a master’s degree in finance, and her husband, Derick, works for the CSX freight rail line. She home schools another child, Peter, who is 7.
When the news came one evening that Hugh was a finalist, she says, she was so excited that she got him out of bed so he could hear for himself.
Hugh acknowledged that the award made him very happy, but he said doing the video was harder than it looks.
It took a week to do all the research and filming.
In the end, he said, “It’s just a piece of tin foil on the door.”
To see the work by Hugh and other competitors, go to: www.youngscientistchallenge.com.
plord@projo.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
To Be A Mother
...This was posted on one of my mothering lists and I just had to repost it here. It's so so true and made me cry....
We are sitting at lunch when my daughter casually mentions that she and her
husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life." I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations... "
But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if that had been my child?"
That every plane crash,every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle - or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.
She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going in to an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years - not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish hers.
I want her to know that a caesarian scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop
war, prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time.
I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it." I finally say.
Then I reach across the table, squeeze my daughter's hand and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.
This blessed gift from God...that of being a mother.
~ Author Unknown (... was probably a mom who was so busy she forgot to sign her name)
We are sitting at lunch when my daughter casually mentions that she and her
husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life." I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations... "
But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if that had been my child?"
That every plane crash,every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle - or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.
She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going in to an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years - not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish hers.
I want her to know that a caesarian scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop
war, prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time.
I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it." I finally say.
Then I reach across the table, squeeze my daughter's hand and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.
This blessed gift from God...that of being a mother.
~ Author Unknown (... was probably a mom who was so busy she forgot to sign her name)
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