Gardening

One of our subjects we're studying this year is gardening.  We started gardening last year in 5 gallon buckets but not to much success.  We are trying again this year.  Over the past month we've mixed soil, picked vegetable and fruits we like to eat, and planted blueberry and blackberry bushes.  This past weekend we picked out tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro.  The children are very excited.  We've been growing basil and parsley in plastic cups since January.  Those are doing quite well, much to the childrens' joy.  They have enjoyed seeing the seeds sprout and marking how many days it takes to get the seeds to sprout. 

Setting out the veggies and deciding which plant goes in which bucket.  The children helped me decide which bucket was best based on the needs of the plant.

We planted blueberry bushes earlier in the month.  The children are having fun watching the leaves sprout and blueberry flower grow.  We won't be able to eat the berries until next year so we will be learning how to be patient with our blueberry bushes.

Boy Wonder #2 watering the blueberry bushes, his favorite job.

Taking School Outside

It's spring here on the coast so that means some days are just simply "going outside" days.  Today is one of those days.  To put it mildly, the day is simply divine.  There is a light breeze enough to blow away the sand gnats, no clouds in the sky, and a mild, 83 degrees.  Today we played a new game I made up.  It's called "Jump".  We play it with the alphabet, a Hundred Chart, chalk, and a blank section of the driveway.  (I think all parents know the trick of making up games to keep their children occupied and the parental sanity intact.)

First the alphabet jump.  I wrote out the alphabet in lower and uppercase letters at the edge of the driveway.  For Boy Wonder #2, the preschooler, I called out sounds.  He jumped to letter that matches the sound.  I also called out letters and he jumped to the letter.  For Boy Wonder #1, I called out words and made him spell out the letters by jumping on them.  They had a great time until Girl Wonder #1 decided write her own letters over mine.  She did have fun jumping with the boys.

Next came the number jump.  Using a hundred chart I drew on the driveway, Boy Wonder #1 worked on reciting counting by 2's, 5', and 10's.  Then we attempted simple addition facts, until Boy Wonder #2 and Girl Wonder #1 joined in the action.  Then we just practiced counting by jumping on the numbers.

Then we did everyone's favorite driveway game-hopscotch.  Boy Wonder #1 drew the game yesterday afternoon during another beautiful coastal afternoon.  He was so happy to be able to draw his own hopscotch board.  Boy Wonder #2 and Girl Wonder #1 joined in the fun, throwing rocks and jumping wherever they felt like it.

 

Getting You Caught Up

Since last we left our schoolroom, many changes have occurred.  Baby #4 has arrived, hence the delay in posting.  So, now to get you caught up, slowly, on what's happening in the schoolroom.

I am learning how to homeschool with 1 kindergarten student, 2 preschoolers, and a newborn.  Needless to say, the learning curve is quite wiggly.  Thankfully, it's kindergarten.  We make sure to do the 3R's (reading, 'riting, 'rightmetic) at least 3 times per week.  Then we read, play, read, help mommy, play, read, help daddy, and read.  I'm sure once we get past the next few weeks and the baby starts sleeping through the night, I might have more insight.  Hey, a teacher can hope.

We also started our herbs for our garden.  The children had a great time putting soil into the growing cups and planting the seeds.  Their favorite part was watering the planting cups.

Our grow cups, soil, and seeds.

Setting out the grow cups after filling them with soil.

More grow cups that must be in a line for easier counting.

Watering the grow cups after filling them with parsley, basil, oregano, cilantro, and rosemary.  After all that hard work, it was snack time.