Adventures in My Father's World wrap-up

It is hard to believe we have finished out our year in MFW. This has been a wonderful adventure. Our understanding of the character of Jesus through the study of his names has really. I say our because while this was Olivia's curriculum, I certainly learned a lot along the way. I dare say that Gabe learned some too and Jeremy also learned some as Olivia shared with him what she had learned. A name is so important. And Jesus has many names that help us to understand who he is better, more fully. And when we have a relationship with this Son of God, those names are living and active in our lives. Call on Him and He will answer. Jesus is the Word. Olivia can and does read all the assigned reading from her NIV Reader's Bible now with no problem and she wants to. To see this desire grow in her brings me such great joy! He is the Alpha and Omega. He has you from the Beginning to the End. What a perfect way to wrap up.

We finished our tour through the 50 states. We raced with the builders of the Transcontinental Railroad and read about some immigrants from Sweden and Norway to our country. We learned about the sod house and how those people lived as they worked hard to make a home in the West. I would say the most interesting fact we learned towards the end there was that the Seagull is the state bird of Utah. Yes, that's right. A seagull is the state bird of a landlocked state. :) It seems that they honored the California Gull in 1848. Swarms of crickets were devouring the crops of the early Utah settlers when suddenly huge flocks of gulls appeared in the sky and devoured those crickets. Who knew the seagull could be a hero! We learned the story from this book, which was a fun addition to our curriculum this year. When we studied Washington, we went to the grocery store and counted the varieties of apples. There were 16. We taste-tested most of them and then dried them for snacks later. And for Idaho, we made mashed potatoes that night for dinner. Olivia got to learn how to peel potatoes. :) That is just a bit of what we learned. Just about every state had some interesting information or things to study. Well, maybe except Oklahoma. j/k! :) Olivia had a great time counting and learning facts about the states and can identify many of them on the map.

As a combination of history and science, we read about many inventors of the 1800 and 1900s. This included Alexander Graham Bell and his telephone. That corresponded with her sound science lessons that Jeremy blogged about last week. It seems that Alexander also taught in a deaf/hard of hearing school (the feelings on his work are both good and bad). He was a friend to Ann Sullivan and Helen Keller. She read a book and we watched the movie the Miracle Worker. Did you know that you can find it on You Tube? The version we watched is in 17 parts but nonetheless, it's there. :) There are also many animated video by Nest Entertainment. Olivia has been slowly learning her sign language alphabet. Another inventor we read about were the Wright Brothers and their Flying Machine. We flew paper airplanes and briefly talked about the science of aerodynamics. This was also a good way to review our bird studies from the fall. Scientist and Inventors observe and learn from God's natural creation to do their work.

This week was review week. We reread our history of the American Flag, sang our songs and went back through the history notebook and time line that we have made this year. The last thing she did was to write a letter to President Obama. She asked if he was going to write her back? :)

In addition to the history notebook, she has a notebook with her other subjects. It includes her bible verses from the year, her copywork of those verses, a summary of the art we covered this year, drawings of her science experiments, and drawings of each of the fieldtrips that we have taken. This notebook was a suggestion that came from MFW. These folders will be a great keepsake for Olivia and us to look back on. As for her actual artwork and crafts, we take pictures of each piece. Many of which have been on the blog. It is much easier to keep the memory that way but not have a pile of things to keep. For particular pieces we might send them to someone and Olivia has a board in her room that can display a few.

Learning Update

As a homeschool mom, I am in school right along with my children. While that is true of motherhood in general, it seems to be even more true in my life because I homeschool. I look to make every experience a learning experience for my children. And God is always looking to teach me throughout my day, with my children and in many other little ways.

I have really enjoyed how the subjects have been integrated this year. The science recently has been physical science, like energy and forces. The discussions included sources of energy. The interesting connection was that some of the states covered about this same time were West Virginia (we had talked about and looked at pictures of coal mines) and Nevada (we had looked at and talked about the water from the Hoover Dam). Along with traveling west by wagon train as more states join the Union, we learned about Abe Lincoln and touched on the civil war and more about the American Flag. Olivia really enjoyed reading about Abe Lincoln. He is a great example of honesty and hard work.

Our name for Jesus right now is The Good Shepherd. Our read aloud is Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates and it is about Peter, his family, and their sheep and the story begins at the time of lambing. When we discuss the biblical concepts of Jesus as Shepherd and us as sheep, it adds to our discussion so much when we read a book about the same things in the natural world. Olivia is like a sponge. She has such a gift for memorizing scripture. I hope that those life giving scriptures are hid well in her heart as they will serve her well every day of the rest of her life. She asks the most wonderful questions. Sometimes, I get tired of the "20 questions" but then her desire and love for learning really is a blessing. She is being taught by her creator God and she is asking questions to know him better. I am doing the same.

As a side note, I decided to add Carolina's Courage (also by Elizabeth Yates) to our read aloud list. It is about a family that packs everything they had into a covered wagon to head west as pioneers. It was an excellent addition to our curriculum. In the story, the little girl Carolina has to chose ONE toy to take along. This sparked a very interesting family discussion about our possessions. Olivia said she would take her stacking dolls along because it was really 5 dolls in one. She is a smart one. :)

The other day, as we were riding in the car, Olivia said, "Mom, there are two kinds of flowers. There is the blossom flower and flour you use in a cake. But they sound just alike." What a perfect introduction to a spelling and grammar lesson. :)

I have been reading, discussing and thinking about how to make learning a lifestyle and how to teach to the whole child. I really want it to be my goal that there is not much if any specific "school time" that is not integrated into the rest of our daily lives. God is always teaching us as long as we have our eyes and ears open. I want to teach my children to be aware. I want to give them the desire to learn and to always have their eyes and ears open to what God is teaching. Because, of course, he is the ultimate teacher. Also, I could drill all kinds of "book knowledge" into my kids but it would be of little benefit if they lack character. The bible calls us to "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it, Proverbs 22:6".  I think God is always teaching us, both in big lessons and small observations.

Enjoying Patriotic Music

With our curriculum this year, we are listening to and learning a handful of patriotic music. It has been lots of fun! Our most recent favorites have been You're a Grand Old Flag and The Stars and Stripes Forever. Olivia (with a little help from me) made herself and Gabe drums decorated in a patriotic theme. We had a great time marching around with them. Even Ezra joined in the fun!

After these pictures were taken, Olivia (and daddy) added a sling to the drums so they could be worn around their necks and played more easily. She tried to use construction paper to make them at first but that didn't hold up. So daddy helped her put string on hers.

State by State

We are continuing to trek through the states by the date of their statehood. Some states have given us opportunities to learn about famous people. For instance, with Ohio we read some about Johnny Appleseed and with Mississippi, we talked about Robert Fulton and his inventions including steamboats. We have also enjoyed some good food. For instance, with Louisiana, we listened to jazz music, made red beans and rice, talked about Thomas Jefferson's Louisana Purchase and Louis & Clark. We learned about George Washington Carver when it was the day for Alabama. We learned what an amazing student and scientist he was and in his honor we had peanut butter sandwiches and sweet potato fries for lunch that day. We started to talk some about pioneers trekking westward. The pioneers used their old torn fabrics to make quilts. Olivia made her own paper quilt for her dolls.

A recent favorite has been Maine. Our local grocery store has a tank of live lobsters that Olivia got to go observe and draw. He noticed that they move their antenna slowly. Then, since Maine has more lighthouses than any other state due to its rocky coast, we read about lighthouses, looked at pictures that mom and dad took of the NC lighthouses years ago, and then made a lighthouse craft.

We are reading our second Little House book, On the Banks of Plum Creek. This one is about the growing up years of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Olivia is just loving this book! I'm sure it is because of how adventurous Laura is. :) Prior to this book, we read Betsy's River Adventure, about a girl and her family that build and ride a flat boat down the Ohio river to the pioneer town of Cincinnati in 1808. 

We have learned about Jesus as the Vine and Jesus as Head of the Body. We discussed plants and did our celery experiment. We talked about the fruit of the Spirit and did some science experiments with fruit/fruit juice. We have also reviewed and learned some new information about how the body works. We have done some fun science experiments with lung capacity and taste/smell. Then we have read about how the church functions like a body with Christ as its head. We have talked about the different gifts that God has given each of us and how we can serve others with those gifts.

We are also going through the "Put On" Chart lesson book by Doorposts. This is a wonderful character study. It is very visual. The little kid puts on his shoes of kindness, watch of patience, etc. I would highly recommend this to anyone! I have really been focusing much of my time and energy on character recently. Because, what is knowledge if you don't have love, right? The greatest commands are to love God and love others.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3, If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

And of course, we are continuing on with reading and math but there just isn't too much to say about those. :) Olivia can read just about any library book in the kids department that she picks up. So I have been letting her pick out more books on her own recently. I do review them before she actually reads them though. :) I want her to continue to develop a love for reading. We have been working on writing and spelling more. She enjoys math and was very excited to learn to tell time. She received a watch for Christmas which she wears almost every day.

Early America Lapbook

This was a very simple lapbook that Olivia and I put together to review the first 13 colonies, a few of our founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell, the first 3 presidents, and the first flag. The picture on the front is of George Washington and a dog, from this book. 

Our Latest Homeschool Adventures

 We have continued our trip through American History. We are now also doing some geography by going through each of the states. Olivia has a notebook that she add pages to each time we talk about an event, person, or state. We also have a timeline hanging on our wall that she adds to. We have covered the first 17 states. We try to enjoy something specific to a state when we study it, like we made peach cobbler when we talked about Georgia, and enjoyed maple syrup on ice cream when we talked about Vermont. For each state she writes the abbreviation, the capital, and colors in the bird and flower. We also find that state on the larger US map in our notebook. She places a flag sticker on the page as well. We learned about the Statue of Liberty when we covered NY. As we trek west through KY, TN, and OH, we have learned about Daniel Boone, Eli Whitney, and Johnny Appleseed. We have also talked some about how the pioneers made their clothing (not going to the local store but making it by hand) and also what their schools would have looked like and how they would have learned to read and such.

We just finished reading Farmer Boy as our read aloud. Olivia was a huge fan of the book. She was sad when it was over. We are going to start Betsy's River Adventure which is set in 1808 and talks about a girls journey westward on the Ohio River.

Our current names for Jesus have been the Way, Immanuel (God with Us), and the Lamb of God. It is so neat how God reveals himself through all these names in the Bible. He is a God that knows us and is able to meet our needs.

We have done some further reading about birds as we talk about each state's bird. We have been watching our bird feeders closely and trying to identify the birds that come into our backyard. We have also been joining some friends to put together a bird lapbook as we learn about them more. We are also learning about birdwatching. Olivia has chosen hummingbirds as her favorite bird so we got some books and have learned more about them specifically. We tried to put out a hummingbird feeder but were only somewhat successful in attracting them. Of course, now it is getting too cold but hopefully in the spring we will have more success. Pictures and more information on the bird study to follow at a later time as we are still working on our lapbooks. :) Also for science we talked about weather and made a weather vane to determine which direction the wind is blowing. We also are learning about how to tell direction and approximate time of day by the position of the sun. We did some experiments to check out how warm air expands and rises and cold air shrinks.

Some recent artwork:

She learned how to draw stars. (Those are feet sticking out of the tent!)

Contour Drawing - Not an easy task!

Color mixing - Learning to observe that there is more than one color to things, i.e. the sky, leaves on trees...

Olivia continues to practice her reading. We are specifically working on punctuation and reading out loud so that it makes sense. We are also working on basic reading comprehension. She is learning to write sentences of her own now. She is enjoying writing letters to family and friends.

Homeschool Update--Let Freedom Ring and The Living Water

So we have been leaning about the happenings that led up to the Colonies becoming States. We have learned about George Washington, The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, and The Liberty Bell. Olivia has learned the song Yankee Doodle and enjoys dancing around to it. We learned that "Macaroni" referred to being stylish as it was a fancy hat style worn in England. She has made hasty pudding (eaten with maple syrup) and johnny cakes with apple butter. She was so pleased to have had such a big part in making these things. We have also learned some about the US flag and how it looked different in the days of the original 13 states.

We made quill pens and ink from squishing berries for juice. Olivia signed her John Hancock. :)

Olivia is sporting her tricorn hat that she traced and cut out. She is also ringing the Liberty Bell. It is hard to see but we did put the crack in the bell and the bible verse on it. Leviticus 25:10, "Announce freedom all over the land to everyone who lives there." (the version is her NIV readers bible)

Our name for Jesus has been the Giver of Living Water. Only He can quench our ever-returning thirst. Olivia's memory verse is John 7:37-38, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." A cool connection was made in reference to the Israelites in the desert. When they whined for water, God had Moses strike the rock (which we have already learned is another name for Jesus) and the water flowed from the rock. And then our memory verse this time tells us that the streams of living water (which is the Holy Spirit) will flow from within us. I love how the whole Trinity of God (father, son, and Holy Spirit) is present throughout the bible.

We have done some science experiments involving condensation and evaporation of water and how water is soaked up. There are so many science experiments you can do right in your own kitchen. She really loves doing science. Daddy often gets involved in these with her and that is something she really enjoys. I am proud to say too that Olivia is doing great with her reading and spelling skills. She was able to sound out evaporation and condensation and spell them for me. :) God has really gifted her in this way!

Homeschool Activities

We started back into our My Father's World curriculum at the end of August. Once again, we are really enjoying it!

Our bible for two weeks was on Jesus, the bread of life. And he is! He is the only thing that will truely satisfy us. All other people, things, and food will only satisfy us for a while but then the hungry will return. But that longing in each of us can be satisfied with a relationship with God! Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

As usual the science lessons corresponded nicely. We did some science experiments with yeast. We also made our own modeling dough and yeast bread. To add to the fun we got to watch one of the owners of our local bakery make bread from grinding the wheat, all the way through the process to the oven. Then of course we tasted some! Olivia's favorite parts were the huge mixer and how she cut designs into the tops of the bread.

We have been reading more about colonial times. The history stories have been written from the perspective of children during that time. It has been fun and educational. One of our stories was about a boy who helped to take care of the cows that were brought over to the New World. To go with this, we watched a history channel presentation on milk from the cow to the store. We also went with some friends to the Hunter's Farm Factory for a tour. They get milk from Jersey cows off of family farms and produce milk and ice cream. Olivia loved sampling the ice cream at the end of that tour. :) Also, that week we made butter from cream. Olivia thought that shaking the jar for so long was difficult but it sure tasted good on our bread at dinner that night!

We have also been looking at the works of some great American artist from the colonial period. I blogged about one of those projects not too long ago. And of course we continue with reading, writing and math instructions. We are headed to Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown next week. She will get to see some colonial life hands on. We'll post pictures of that for sure!

Recent Homeschool Adventures

I have to say that Olivia is doing fabulous with her reading skills. She is enjoying reading books to Ezra whenever she gets a chance and we often find her in her bedroom, sitting in her little rocking chair reading books. I love hearing her read. Often if the book is a bit above her level, we will read it together. She reads all the words she can and I just pitch in with the words she doesn't know.


She has a early readers NIV Bible that she is able to read from each day too. If I didn't plan for her to read from the Bible on a given day, she will now ask. :) Isn't it amazing when God uses your kids to help keep you accountable. We are continuing to memorize scripture. I am amazed at how easily she can memorize as well as how good it is for me to teach her cause I am finally able to put more scripture to memory. When its set in our minds and hearts through memory, we can bring it up easily and apply it to situations throughout our day.


In addition to reading and math, I am using My Father's World for our curriculum. I love it! We are using the Adventures level. It is an exploration/overview of American history and patriotic symbols from a Christian perspective. It includes bible and science. The curriculum is very bible centered. We talked about Jesus being the Light of the World and our science involved space and stars. We have also done some really fun experiments involving air. Just like air, we can't see God but there is evidence that he is all around us. There are a handful of scripture passages for her to read herself out of her Bible and for us to discuss. Of course there are tons of fun crafts. I am having Olivia draw the experiments we do and label some of the words she knows how to write. We keep those in a notebook along with the bible verses she copies.


Our history study so far has us looking at the founding of America. We have studied the Vikings, Christopher Columbus, Jamestown, Indians, and the Pilgrims so far. We are creating a timeline and notebook. We study these through several texts. One is the style of a straight textbook, we include lots of library books, and many are stories told through the eyes of children. I read her Squanto and now we are reading Sarah's New World. It is a great book for character discussions in addition to learning about history. We have also learned some about the American flag and listen to some patriotic music. Here are some pictures of our fun adventures.

Sailing the Niña, the Pinta, Santa Maria

Indian wigwam and teepees

Indian Costume

Pilgrim Costume and poppet (a doll played with by British children in the 1600s made from scraps; ours is made from an old sock with stuffing and wrapped in a piece of felt)

making a compass