FIAR: A Pair of Red Clogs

A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno

Conner really enjoyed this story.  The first thing I did was to soak a piece of wood in water and let it dry by our wood burner.  We discussed that if done enough, the wood will start to rot. 

Next we did a Koi craft.  You can find it here:

http://www.thecraftyclassroom.com/CraftJapanCarpKite.html

The next thing I did was to make Conner a pair of clogs.  They didn't take that long, but he has really enjoyed them!!

Materials:   a one inch piece of plywood cut into the size of the child's feet

                 4 pieces of the 1 inch plywood cut into1 inch strips and in the width of the shoe base

                 8 1-inch screws

                 nylon rope

                 scissors/knife

                 drill

                 lighter 

First, you need to drill holes in the small pieces of wood so that your screws will be counter-sunk into the wood and won't scratch you floors!!

Next, attach the wood pieces to the bottom of the shoe platform.  You should probably mark where to drill the other holes for the rope first, so the holes are not were the ropes are going to be.  

I didn't, but I lucked out!

You are going to want to cut a piece of rope about 8 inches long.  Tie one end in a knot and feed it through the top hole.  Make sure the knot is under the clog.

Cut a piece of rope about 15 inches long.  Tie a knot on one side and feed through one of the bottom holes. Again, make sure that the knot is underneath.

Make a loop with that rope and loop it around and push through the other hole.  Adjust the length of this rope by using your child's foot and then knot off underneath.

You will then attach the first rope to the second rope and knot it.  Check with the child's foot before knotting the rope.

Use a lighter to melt the nylon at all of the knots so that they will last longer.

He didn't want to paint them red, so I found some John Deere stickers and he went about decorating them that way!

Putting his clogs by the fire!  These have gotten some good use!  He would wear them everywhere if I would let him!  So far I only allow him to wear them out to church and home.

Blessings!!

1st day of 1st grade and planning sheets!! FREE PRINTABLES!!

Today we started 1st grade! It was a little different than most days, we homeschooled at work. I normally just work 1 day a week, but the lady that took my place is on vacation this week. He did surprising well considering all of the interruptions.

excited!!

This year I am doing things a little differect.  I have a 10 drawer unit upstairs in our classroom.  This year, I found a 3-drawer unit at staples and decided to get it.  The link below is to the 13 drawer schedule.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B452FBfzAgv3bEhvbHRFR2NIREk/edit

Then, I made a 2013-2014 year around calendar that we will be using!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B452FBfzAgv3TzJua19VYlVsNzQ/edit

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B452FBfzAgv3TzJua19VYlVsNzQ/edit

Blessings!!

Poppins Book Nook: The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village

This month's theme for Poppin's Book Nook was transportation.  In this house, tractors is a form of transportation for Conner.  We did this book last year, but I thought we would do it again and just expand on some of the themes of the book this time.

The book we read was The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village by Francis Chan.

This was the craft we did last year.  It is hanging up in his room.  If you want to check out his tractor bedroom you can see it at this link:

http://by-gods-grace-cat.blogspot.com/2012/08/john-deere-boys-room.html

We talked about how hard it would be to do our garden and have to push our tiller instead of letting it do the work.  He was said he was thankful that our tiller works!  

We also discussed how we volunteer out time at Your Father's Kitchen once a month and also provide a part of the meal.  This is one part he gets.  He has been volunteering with me since he was 3 years old.  For 3 years he has gotten to know how to do everything there and really enjoys it.  I encourage all of you to get your kids started early on serving others.  At 3, Conner was serving drinks and plating food.  I can see now, how that has transformed into him helping others in so many other ways without me even asking him to.  Start them early, don't wait because you think they will be in the way, make a mess, or you think they can't do it.  Your kids can do anything you can do and anything you take the time to show them!

Blessings!!

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - Royal Baloo - 3 Dinosaurs - Monsters Ed - Chestnut Grove Academy - Growing in God's Grace - Royal Little Lambs - Life with Moore Babies - Teach Beside Me - The Usual Mayhem - Mum Central - Fantastic Fun and Learning - Kathys Cluttered Mind - Play Create Explore - Toddler Approved - Growing Book by Book - Adventures in Mommydom - B-Inspired Mama - The Fairy and The Frog - Edventures with Kids - Learning & Growing the Piwi way - A Gluten Free Journey - Mom to Crazy Monkeys - No Doubt Learning - Preschool Powol Packets - To The Moon and Back - Our Craft ~N~ Things - Farm Fresh Adventures - Proverbial Homemaker

Poppins Book Nook: What really happened to the dinosaurs?

This month's reading selection was dinosaurs, so I chose the book What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?  written by John Morris and Ken Ham.  I loved that this book is based on the 6 day creation, so there was no  correcting the millions of years and all of the other flaws in most of the dinosaur books.  

After reading the book, we spent some time talking about creation.  Then we discussed how Noah got the dinosaurs on the ark by taking babies.

I had these Melissa and Doug puzzles, so he put them together.

I had him make dinosaur feet.  I used craft foam and cut the pieces out for him.  The orange pieces were foam with adhesive on the other side.

Then he made a dinosaur tooth.

The object lesson I did 

Conner got a pair of binoculars this week, so I used them for our object lesson.  With the regular lenses, we can look at the world through God's eyes and see the world the way the Bible tells us.  We see the truth as God proclaims it.  That God created dinosaurs on day 6, that there is no way that dinosaurs bones are millions of years old.  But, if we look at the world through the world's eyes, the truth that we see becomes distorted and viewed from what other people think is the truth verses what the Bible tells us is the truth.

Next came the fun part!  I buried some dinosaur bones in his sandbox.  I gave him a magnifying glass and an old paintbrush and told him he was going on a dinosaur dig.

First, we section off the corner where the bones were found.

Then he started excavating!!

His awesome find!

Upon going through some craft items I bought at an auction last year, I found this and decided it would work for this book.

Finished masterpiece! 

Blessings!!

Poppins Book Nook: The Magic Hat by Mem Fox

We read the book The Magic Hat by Mem Fox.  It was a cute little book that was about a magic hat the flew around and whoever it landed on, it turned them into an animal.  When the magician came to town to get his hat, he turned all the animals back into people with his magic wand.

Conner wanted to make an airplane to fly in the wind since it was too windy for a kite. 

Then we set off to make a magicians hat.  He painted some stars and some moons.

I used a big sheet of blue construction paper and taped it together.  Then I cut it to make it flat on the bottom.

Then I cut 1/4 inch slits in the bottom of it.

Out of another big piece of construction paper, I marked the inside of the hat and cut it out.  Then I used tape to attach the two.

Then he glued his stars and moons on his hat.

We used a stick for his wand and he went around trying to turn his animals into people.

Poor Lexie just wanted to sleep!

Bailey was only interested in eating it!

Poor Miss Snickers wanted to use it as a scratching post.

All in all, I think he enjoyed being a magician for the day!

Blessings!!

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - Royal Baloo - 3 Dinosaurs - Monsters Ed - Chestnut Grove Academy - Growing in God's Grace - Royal Little Lambs - Life with Moore Babies - Teach Beside Me - The Usual Mayhem - Mum Central - Fantastic Fun and Learning - Kathys Cluttered Mind - Play Create Explore - Toddler Approved - Growing Book by Book - Adventures in Mommydom - B-Inspired Mama - The Fairy and The Frog - Edventures with Kids - Learning & Growing the Piwi way - A Gluten Free Journey - Rainy Day Mum - Mom to Crazy Monkeys - No Doubt Learning