School Time...

Last week ended with another trip to the county fair... the girls really enjoy going!

This finished out our summer, as we started our first year of homeschooling on Monday. Liz was very excited and is eager to do her PACE's. Amber joined in on some coloring sheets and sometimes tries very hard to 'help' Liz with her work.

We've gotten through four days and she's still excited :)

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; 

and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalm 51:12

We covered the 51st Psalm in Sunday school this week. It is the Psalm of David when he was confessing his sin with Bathsheba. In verse 12, it talks about restoring the joy of salvation. This is a request we should request after we have confessed sin and been out of fellowship with God... However, it still moved me that we may need to even ask this request at other times. Better still, it would be good to keep this on our hearts always... continually wanting to remember the joy that salvation brings from remembering what Christ did for us on the cross. This could be especially helpful even in those times when we just get bogged down and tired out! 

Christ died a horrible death and rose again to offer us the greatest gift... eternal life with Him in Heaven. All we have to do is receive it. May the joy of that continue always in our lives!

Fair Progress...

Today's post cover's current work's getting some progress done on them and a small snippet of our outing to the local fair!

I'm 'slowly' getting the HST's squared up and ready to make into blocks for a special quilt. I really need to get more time in on this one...its a generous throw size and the recipient's birthday is in the first part of September! I also have a small birthday present to make for my sister-in-law, she already had her birthday, but we aren't celebrating till Labor Day...so I really need to get working on that one too!

I also have a couple of other new projects going... one non-craft related... I'm starting our first year of home schooling on Monday. Liz is starting in Level 1 of ACE... I choose Level 1 because I believe she is ready to start learning to read...but if we have to take it a little slower at the beginning, it will be fine, since she is only 4 :)  So, I've been starting to review the lessons and setting up a school schedule.

She is also very into wanting to do crafts, aka 'sewing' :) ... so, I thought that a knitting loom would be a good start, even though I had never used one before. We purchased one for her when they were on sale a few weeks ago, but I never got it out. Then today, she received a gift from a co-worker of Chad's... a WHOLE set of looms found at a garage sale! So, we tried them out today...

(The red one was the one we purchased...the other 4 were the gift! It was such a blessing and surprise!)

So, helping her takes some time, but it's cute seeing her working on the crafts!
Both girls are definitely interested in the craft stuff...I can always get little helpers on my table :)

Liz also entered a couple of things in our local fair. Some tomatoes (no ribbon) and a embroidered 'picture' [3rd place... out of three :) but at least she got a ribbon]. She was entered against the adults for her tomatoes because she's only 4...the youth age limit was 5-12...but she did get to enter the Youth under 8 category for her embroidery.

We went up to the fair with my in-laws and had a good time seeing the ribbons we won, the animals... especially the horses, and the girls getting to ride some rides!

I'm looking ahead to fall...my favorite :) So, I decided to join the Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop...



So, I need to start working on a block, hope to update the blog for the upcoming season, and need to decorate the house soon! Hope you are having a productive week!

Joining WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced...the button is on the left!

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; 

I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 

I will be glad and rejoice in thee: 

I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

Starting to read through the Psalms for my daily Bible reading... Love the Psalms, especially the ones about singing! Sing a praise to God today!

School Days...

Yesterday was the first day of school here...and it was a pretty good one!

Liz had her first day of K4 (preschool). She gets to do her work on the two days I go to school to help and teach science. I love school/office supplies...but I think I love fabric MORE! But we did get Liz a few things and I was able to make her a backpack.

 She really liked it...played with it most of the day Tuesday...and this is what we had to fill her bag with...
Folder, colored pencils, ruler, pencils, a pen, eraser, pencil sharpener, glue sticks, a refurbished "puff's" container from Amber into a pencil case, and a crayon roll...

I saw the crayon roll on Hopeful Threads a few months back, an thought it was a cute idea...then on Stitched in Color, Rachel showed her adorable ones with color matching holders...then I knew I need to make on for Liz. I thought it would be a good way of teaching her a couple of things

 1) putting things back where they belong...

2) matching (which she's already pretty good at)...

3) and neatness, because unlike a crayon box

that preschoolers would have a tendency to dump out...

this lays neatly with all the crayons showing...

 I may make a few more of these for some other kids, but those will probably be the 'generic' ones with one fabric for the holders, rather that the individual colors...well maybe, because I really like Liz's color coded one!

Here is the main school room the day before classes...just waiting for the kids to arrive!

Then on the first day...filled and 'buzzing' with school sounds and activities.  They work on their ACE PACE's in this main classroom, but for the taught classes they divide up and go somewhere else in the church...The first graders (and Liz) went to their own classroom for the morning. When it was time for science, we went to the auditorium so we can utilize the A/V equipment for PowerPoint presentations, that is also where the history classes meet on opposite days from science.

Last year on the bulletin board the kids had an opportunity to put up a item (that corresponded to the theme of the board) when they received a 100% on a test...

However, this year we are doing interactive bulletin boards. Now they will have questions to answer to be able to move things around...

Here is the first one for this year...

They are filling up the teacher's desk.

Each day, one child gets an opportunity to 'play'. Once all of them have gone twice...I'll put up a new one. One of the other teachers gave me a book on these types of board...it helped get ideas going! (This one is my own design...the book just showed me about interactive bulletin boards...I don't remember ever having any in school.) The one for October will have something to do with leaves...I LOVE FALL!

I am so glad we have a Christian school at our church where I know I can send my girls and not worry about what kind of things they are learning. At one time, I thought I would like to homeschool...but now I KNOW that homeschooling would not be for me (unless for some reason there is no good christian school available). Especial with the beginning years of learning...I'm not good with the younger levels, but our school has a range of volunteer teachers that are good at all the different ages. I'm glad to be a part of this school!

As usual, I'll be joining some linky parties...so, check out the right side bar if you want to join them too.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,

do it with thy might:

Ecclesiastes 9:10a

We started our class out with this verse...to remind the kids to take their school work seriously. But sometimes I need to remind myself of this on some thing that I have to do...but might not really care to do. Because in reality, everything we do is to be done to bring glory to God...so shouldn't we do it all to the best of our ability?

Thanks for stopping by today!
Amanda