December Memories

This month has gone by so fast to me! I have noticed with so many doctors appointments now the days and weeks seem to go by quicker than before. I don't like it and will be glad when my health is fully restored and the appointments are no longer!

Still, we have had great memories and activities. I only have pics. uploaded on my computer from the first week so I will have to add the rest after Christmas.

We made a Scripture Countdown chain. So everyday we take turns on breaking one off and reading out loud the verse.
We put up our tree. It's a 4ft tree this year. The boys love it the same.

We made our first popcorn garland. It was fun, easy, and took some time. I can't imagine how long it would take for a 7ft tree and look good. ... I'm thinking about having the boys do it next year. It takes preciseness, concentration, and patience.


I read A Treasury of Christmas Miracles by Karen Kingsbury. I found it very inspiring!

I also read a few stories out of A Prairie Christmas Collection. They were great heart warming, happy ending stories.

I hope everyone has a Beautiful, Wonderful, Merry Christmas!!

Lesson 12, 13, & 14 ~ Goat, Cow, & Horse

*We kicked off our farm series by making a farm sensory box. I got this awesome idea from this awesome teacher! Because her ideas are fabulous the boys loved this! I took a wholesale pasta box, construction paper, and farm templates and let them decorate the outside. They each got 2 sides to their self. I spared you all four sides and posted one. :)

Here's the inside: The boys spent two hours straight playing with this when it was finished! Seriously!! They played with it at least 30 minutes every day! I was astonished at how much they took to this project and plan on incorporating more when I can.
* I used DTLK's Farm Crafts and Kidzone's Farm Unit. I found the Kidzone the most resourceful. From their farm unit we made mini farm books, played farm sudoku, created a collage of crop fields, and played with farm sentence sequencing cards! Spread out over the three weeks of course. :)

* I recommend these books with the farm lessons for MFW:

The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen

Animals That Live on the Farm Goats by JoAnn Early Macken

Animals That Live on the Farm Cows by JoAnn Early Macken

Animals That Live on the Farm Horses by JoAnn Early Macken

They offer great basic information (no overload so they'll remember what they do learn better) and great REAL pictures (excluding Maple Hill Farm - it's drawn).

* A friend of mine who also uses MFW is working on a Farm Field Trip for the kids! I'll post pics. if it works out.

Well that wraps up our extras for MFW Farm Lessons. It also wraps up MFW Lessons for the rest of 2010! We're breaking from MFW for December. It was a great stopping point so it just worked out that way. We will use December for plenty of other learning opportunities!