Continuing a Beautiful Theme of Thanks

We have continued our Thanksgiving theme.  I know...another theme, but I have mentioned previously that I LOVE a good theme and that I embrace the challenge of weaving and integrating curriculum through a theme.  It is the teacher in me.  I cannot help it!  So, last week, we were onto the story The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola.

It is a beautiful story that takes place in Sorrento, Italy, during the Renaissance. The main character, Giovanni, has an extremely difficult life, and, yet, he still realizes that he has MUCH to be grateful for and is still willing to share his God-given talents to make others happy.  Tomie dePaola is such a wonderful writer, and I was excited that I have his Thanksgiving book, My First Thanksgiving, so that I could share it with the girls, too.  It is neat for children to see the similarities in an individual author's work and discuss the common threads throughout each of his/her published pieces.  It is just one way to truly illustrate the writing trait of "Voice" to children.

To connect with My First Thanksgiving, I did some choral reading and partner reading with Brynn of the "ABC's of the First Thanksgiving" while Clare listened.  Here is the link for the "ABC's of the First Thanksgiving" that could also be used as a Readers' Theater production:

http://www.thebestclass.org/ThanksgivingABC.pdf

Then, we continued learning about the Mayflower by reading You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower: A Trip that Took Entirely Too Long by Peter Cook.

The girls learned that the Mayflower was not quite as extravagant as the Titanic or modern-day cruise ships.  There were so many fascinating facts in this book, but I guarantee that, if asked about the book, the girls would most likely tell you about the "Poop Deck." It was absolutely HILARIOUS to them that a part of the ship is actually called the Poop Deck, and laughter ensued for several seconds each time we read that particular page and when we were constructing our own Mayflower ships.  One cannot construct a Mayflower ship without a Poop Deck, right?!?  I think that they were still laughing even when this picture was taken!

For read aloud, we read the story Sometimes It's Turkey, Sometimes It's Feathers by Lorna and Lecia Balian.

It is an excellent piece of literature to teach the skill of making predictions.  Even I was surprised at the ending of the story!!  

Then, we transitioned to the book Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley.

I wanted to integrate this piece of literature because it, too, takes place in Italy just like The Clown of God did.  When Brynn was just one year old, we spent Thanksgiving in Venice, Italy, right where the story Papa Piccolo is set.  I thought that it would be fun for her to see pictures of her unique Thanksgiving celebration four years ago and talk together about the places that she saw as a baby girl.

Papa Piccolo is a beautiful story about fatherhood, and I can say, without a doubt, that our children are BLESSED with an awesome and loving daddy.  Here is Scott toting Brynn around Venice the day of Thanksgiving 2009.

Gondolas just like in the story Papa Piccolo!

Here is sweet, sweet Brynn chasing pigeons in Piazza San Marco.  There weren't any turkeys on this particular Thanksgiving day, but there sure were pigeons galore!

More of Piazza San Marco.

 Outside the doors of the Basilica in Piazza San Marco.

In VENICE with Scott, Brynn, and Clare (in the womb).

An absolute dream come true!

After reminiscing, we spent more time learning about Thanksgiving by reading Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson.

The resounding message throughout the story, "The pen is mightier than the sword" (Edward Bulwer-Lytton), and the author's challenge at the end of the book..."Pick up your pen.  Change the world" (Laurie Halse Anderson).  Such an inspiration for budding little writers in our home!!

So, through literature, we traveled to Italy and traveled back in time, and it was all centered around the beautiful theme of thanks!

Intrinsically Modified

With each new duty station, we strive to explore.  Maybe I should clarify.  I married an adventurous Army pilot who apparently finds it exhilarating not only to fly in the cockpit of a gunship helicopter but, also, to fly by the seat of his pants in day-to-day life, too.  So at each new duty station, my husband is encouraging me to break out of my comfort zone, and, dare I say it, try something new and unfamiliar?!?  This is bold and crazy for an innate planner who likes things to be...well...predictable.  I must say though that my husband's keen sense of adventure is something that I fell in love with and that I have admired from the get-go.  It is SO not intrinsically me, but I am finding that it makes for GREAT memories, PHENOMENAL stories, and a pretty AMAZING life, and so I embrace the adventurous spirit and have come to the realization that innate qualities can be modified.

When the duty station is Iowa though, one might ponder exactly how adventure factors in.  Oh, believe me....there is much to explore EVERYWHERE....even in Iowa, and when we explore now, we explore as a family...Schmidt Family Six does not ever sit still for too long.  We are cognizant of the fact that some of the best learning happens out of the "classroom" setting, and, so, therefore, the little ones are in tow, bobbling along, making memories with us.

Here are some of the very recent adventures that Family Schmidt has embarked upon in the local area:

1. The ULTIMATE playground for the boy who grew up on a farm...the John Deere Pavilion in Moline, Illinois.

http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/fans_visitors/tours_attractions/pavilion.page

After having the opportunity to help with harvest this year on the family farm in Nebraska, it seemed only logical to visit the John Deere Pavilion.  The girls thought that climbing up into even more LARGE farm equipment was pretty amazing.  Here are the girls on the family farm "helping" with harvest!

Proof that princess shoes really do go with cowboy boots!

While at the John Deer Pavilion, the girls got to get behind the wheel of some VERY expensive farm machinery and explore where food comes from in the "Discovery Zone."  

2. Diwali celebration at the University of Iowa

Our family got to eat a traditional Indian dinner, listen to children sing traditional Indian songs, and watch Indian dancers.  Then, utilizing the book Celebrations! Festivals, Carnivals, and Feast Days from Around the World by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley, we spent more time at home learning about Diwali--the magnificent festival of lights that takes place each fall before the new moon. 

3.  University of Iowa Hawkeye Basketball Game

Husker fans attending a Hawkeye game?  I know...it is a wee bit frightening and ridiculous all wrapped up into one experience, but we had an awesome time!  Here is what Cal thought of having to wear Hawkeye gear though:

The kiddos had never been to a basketball game before, so my husband and I got to answer all sorts of fun questions.  I may have spent more time hauling little people to the bathroom than actually watching the game, but I was there to explain why people were wearing black and white striped shirts and blowing whistles.  I was there to explain the scoreboard, and I even got to explain that teeth can get knocked out and fly across the gym floor after a rough play. And, numbers and math are definitely prevalent in the game of basketball.  The shot clock counts backwards, the scoreboard flashes different numbers all the time.  You get to count by ones, twos, and threes depending on what type of shot is scored from the field.  From a former basketball player's vantage point, it is experiencing Math at its finest!

4.  Iowa Children's Museum

  

http://www.theicm.org/

It was "Tutu and Tie Tuesday" at the local children's museum, and how could three girls and a cute baby boy possibly pass up that opportunity? Needless to say, I wasn't wearing a tutu, but the girls sure did rock theirs!  Do you see a little mischief happening at the far right of this photo?  Oooooo...the excitement of CHRISTMAS is popping up all over!  I could be upset by our little Elle touching the beautiful red ball, but I just couldn't get too frustrated when she wouldn't turn around for the photo because, if I was almost two, I would want to touch all of the magic of Christmas, too!

Learning through play is truly the best way to learn, and a children's museum is definitely an environment that is conducive for both play and learning.  

Here the girls are playing grocery story!  I love how Elle can barely reach the cash register, but, yet, she knows exactly how to operate it (or at least she pretends she knows how to operate it with much skill).

What do you mean you're not supposed to carry a newborn baby around by its head!?! (OK...the NICU might not hire her -yet-, but she is honing her "taking care of baby" skills.)

Is it diaper change time?!?  I am ALL over that.  I need a diaper before we have a 'mergency...STAT!  I help my mommy out with this job at home...all...the...time!  Everything is under control!

Happiest ambulance driver and navigator ever!

This flying thing is in my genes!  Don't tell me I can't get this aircraft airborne!

Exactly how DO these balls float above this air stream?

Off to see the world in a hot air balloon!  Hmmmm....they appear to get their sense of adventure from their father, and I couldn't be more proud!

Sometimes, the task-master teacher in me has to remind myself just how important play really is in the development of children.  Here are some fabulous quotes (from some pretty well-known and successful people I might add) about play that I found:

TEN QUOTES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

from http://www.oneperfectdayblog.net

“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers

“The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.” – Erik H. Erikson

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” 
– O. Fred Donaldson

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” 
– Carl Jung

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” 
– George Bernard Shaw

“Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.” – Plato

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” -  Fred Rogers

I stumbled upon this next quote awhile back, too, and it resonates in my mind often, "If a child is to keep alive [her] inborn sense of wonder, [she] needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with [her] the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in" (Rachel Carson). I might not be intrinsically adventurous, but I am incredibly grateful that I am journeying through life with a husband who has empowered me to be "intrinsically modified" so that I can share a sense of wonder with each of my children and rediscover the JOY, EXCITEMENT, and MYSTERY of the world we live in!  After all, the world IS a giant playground, right?!?

A Thanks Hunt

"Every morning when I see a new day, I can be thankful at work and at play!"  (From the One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2).  Our children recently received a one year devotional, and the daily lessons are so well written for little people.  Well, I'll be honest, I have found the little lessons to be fabulous for me, as an adult, too!  A recent lesson stated that "even when something hard happens, God can help us find something to be grateful for....and you can always be thankful for God's comfort while you're sad."  The lesson goes on to challenge one to go on a "thanks" hunt each day.  "No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  A "thanks" hunt...what a fabulous idea, and not just at this time of year when Thanksgiving draws near, but a fabulous idea for....every....single....day.

So, at Household Schmidt, we are continuing to give thanks and praise!

Do you see that white in the background?!?  Yes...it snowed already here this year, and as it began to resemble a snow globe outside, the girls were singing praises and BEAMING about all things snow-related.  There were going to be snowmen, and snow angels, and snow forts, and sledding, and cocoa, and marshmallows, and boots, and mittens, and snow pants, and snowflakes on their tongues and eyelashes, and the magic of it all was contagious!

The sheer excitement on Brynn's face as she witnessed snow falling so quietly from the sky was priceless!  Keep in mind, our children have been in Arizona the past three winters, so this snow thing is truly miraculous to them.  Through the eyes of a child, the world is filled with so many wondrous creations, and one of the many beautiful things about parenting and teaching is that one gets to experience that wonder all over again.

Therefore, the theme for this time of year, for this phase in our lives, for this point in our journey is truly to give thanks and praise for ALL things.  My husband and I yearn to instill that message in our children...that life will NOT always be easy, that challenges WILL arise, but that in ALL things, we can find MANY reasons to rejoice and praise a GREAT God!

We began our theme by stringing the garland "GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE!"  Here is Brynn selecting the letters and weaving them all together.  What a phenomenal spelling and phonics lesson that integrated fine-motor skills, too!  Her little sister, Clare, was helping out, too, and Mommy was corralling Elle from snagging the letters exuberantly and running away with them as quickly as possible.

Our story for the week was Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin.

It is a charming story with a fabulous message about the danger of casting judgment on others.  

Here is a brief synopsis by the authors on their website http://www.harryandwendedevlin.com/index.html:

Every year Grandmother invited a guest for Thanksgiving dinner and allowed Maggie to do the same.

"Ask someone poor or lonely," she always said.

Thanksgiving was Grandmother's favorite day of the year. 

The cooking was done and her famous cranberry bread was cooling on a wooden board. But she wasn't happy to find out Maggie had invited the unavory Mr. Whiskers to dinner. 

Would her secret cranberry bread recipe be safe with him in the house?

The discussions that ensued as a result of our reading this story were wonderful.  And, since the secret cranberry recipe is revealed at the end of the story, we, of course, had to try it out!  Bakers Brynn and Clare are back in the kitchen learning, learning, learning.

Little hands are grating the oranges.

Both girls wanted to taste a cranberry SO badly.  The expressions on their faces tell all.

They didn't want to say that they didn't like it because they were still SO hopeful for LOVING the bread, but I knew that cranberries wouldn't be listed on their "favorite fruit" list anytime soon!

They are still SO hopeful for a positive outcome for this recipe because, after all, it WAS the grandma's secret recipe in the story.

Here is the finished product, and GUESS WHAT?!?!  The girls REALLY liked it and even want to make it again for Thanksgiving day!  This, in and of itself, was a neat lesson.  Sometimes even though all of the ingredients do not taste good individually, when mixed together, the outcome is FABULOUS!

Elle is hopeful to eat that bread, too!  I am just sure that right here she is pondering how she can get on top of the counter to devour the whole loaf while nobody is watching.  She is planning her course of action and problem solving with great skill.

Here is a link to the recipe for Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread:

http://www.purplehousepress.com/bread.htm 

While reading this particular story, we also discussed figurative language with the book Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood.

The girls got to practice writing with figurative language for Veterans' Day to honor their daddy and his service to our country.  Brynn wrote, "My daddy is as brave as a lion!"

In addition, we did a science experiment with baking soda and vinegar that connected with our baking project (and completely cleaned out all of my bathroom sinks), and we explored symmetry for Math, too!

And for Social Studies, we began learning about the very first Thanksgiving through a fabulous Scholastic on-line series called "Plimouth Plantation Virtual Field Trips." The girls were intrigued with the programs and eager to watch a new one each day!  Here is the link:

http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm

All in all, the week was truly a blessed one!  We all learned, too, that when an effort is made to go on a daily "thanks hunt," hunting isn't really necessary at all because the blessings around us abound.  

We've Become an Afternoon Kindergarten

With all changes in life, there come modifications to the previous norm.  With that being said, we have become an afternoon kindergarten at Household Schmidt for the time being....gone are the days where we were rolling with school at 9:00 a.m. and finished not too long after lunch.  Let's just say that a little one who is approaching her second birthday is keeping life adventurous on the home-front.  When she is awake, there is seldom a dull moment.  Someone visiting our home might find her shenanigans comical.  I, however, am amazed that I am not completely gray by now.  She is adjusting to not being the baby of the house anymore, and I find myself thinking that perhaps it would just be easier if I put MYSELF in time-out rather than put her in time-out.

She is mesmerized by the workings of all things.  Call her an engineer.  Call her innovative.  Call her a problem solver, and call her BUSY!  She is a little bee buzzing around and leaving a trail of destruction behind her.  One minute, she will be UNDER the dresser moving the drawers in and out examining how they truly function.  The next minute, she will be exploring each and every outfit combination IN her drawers.  Then, while picking up the wardrobe disaster zone, she will have escaped and rigged up an amazing contraption for her doll to go ZOOMING down the stairs in the baby's bathtub after attaching the "It's a BOY" balloon to the tub perhaps in an effort to make the tub float like a hot air balloon.  Knowing full well that after her doll's trip down the stairs, she will likely think that she can ride the bathtub down the stairs next, I try to busy her with a more safe alternative to play.  Then, while I change a newborn's diaper, she has a party in the kitchen by getting the stool from the bathroom, utilizing it to climb into the cupboards, and proceeding to dump the entire LARGE bag of animal crackers all over the kitchen floor.  Who needs a snack cup when you can eat animal crackers galore from the floor?  I oftentimes find her smiling from ear to ear, and I ponder if she oftentimes finds me with smoke coming out of my ears!

With all of this busyness that she exudes, one can imagine how EXHAUSTED she is by lunchtime and how EXASPERATED I am. Therefore, she is quick to lay down for a nap, and I am quick to pull myself together and transition from role of "safety officer" to role of "homeschool teacher."  There is an eye in the hurricane in the afternoons now, and that is when homeschooling is at its optimum.  Less distractions lead to more learning, so we will roll with our afternoon kindergarten time slot now until there is a calm after the initial storm.  Learning can happen in the afternoon.  The sweet little people need time to find a new "normal," too.  And, perhaps with this modified schedule, this mommy can keep herself from having to go to time-out before noon each day.

Strategically Weaving Curriculum Through a Holiday Theme

It was the week of Halloween, and little people were all abuzz at Household Schmidt.  The trick-or-treat anticipation was building, the costumes were ready to go, and talk amongst our little ones was mostly about pumpkins, candy, and SCHOOL?!?!  Could it be?  SCHOOL?!?!  I know...it is shocking even to me, but Homeschool Schmidt is officially off of our extended Fall break and officially back working our way to the much-anticipated 100th day of school. (No pressure for this teacher, but I had better come up with some FANTASTIC 100th day celebration ideas because the girls are all looking forward to this day, and they just KNOW it will be GREAT)!

Why were we on an "extended" Fall break you ask?  Well, we welcomed an oh-so-sweet baby BOY on October 15th into our family!!  He arrived early, and from day one has been teaching his momma (just like his daddy does) that if you plan early, you'll plan twice.  Apparently the men in the house are really trying to teach that lesson to me, and I think I am -finally- getting it!  "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21).

Callum Scott weighed in at 7 pounds 11 ounces of pure cuteness, and we are BLESSED to be Schmidt Family SIX now!  Here he is:

And, here is our new family portrait done by a very proud big sister and absolutely sweet five-year-old:

Children's artwork is the BEST!  I love how we are all holding hands, how we are in order from oldest to youngest and tallest to smallest.  I love how there are six people and six flowers!  I love the fingers and the toes, and I love the sweet girl that surprised me with this masterpiece when I arrived home from the hospital!  This beautiful picture, a macaroni necklace, and a handmade bouquet of construction paper flowers...how precious is that?!?!

After my arrival home from the hospital, I frantically got the house all set for the upcoming holiday because it is the seemingly little things that make a HUGE difference in children's worlds and their enthusiasm for life.  

Yes, even the girls' bathroom mirror was decorated.  Since this teacher doesn't have a "formal" classroom to decorate anymore, I just make the whole house our classroom!

Halloween week approached rapidly after sweet Callum's arrival, and I knew that it would be a perfect week to begin the homeschooling journey again after a brief hiatus because I really enjoy strategically weaving curriculum through a theme, and what better theme than a holiday theme?!?!  Callum found the schooling a wee-bit exhausting and wasn't nearly as excited about resuming school as I was:

But the girls were eager to learn all things pumpkin-themed!  Here the girls are preparing to carve their pumpkins!

What does pumpkin carving have to do with school?  Well, Jack-o-Lanterns DO have eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and those features DO have shapes, so we revisited our shapes while designing and carving.  Brynn wanted her Jack-o-Lantern to match her toothless grin.  How can one not help smiling when you see both of these toothless wonders?

The next day, Brynn and Clare wrote a journal entry about their pumpkin carving experiences.  

Clare had a guided-writing experience where she told Momma what to write and then she got to illustrate the writing.  While I was working with Clare, here is what Brynn wrote:

Wasting precious toilet paper in a houseful of SO many girls?!?!  Well, if it involves teaching, I guess that it is OK.  In our "Mystery of History" lessons, we just happened to be learning about Ancient Egypt and, through our discussion of the pyramids, the topic of mummies also surfaced in the curriculum.  Here is Mummy Brynn!

Skeletons! Skeletons! All About Bones by Katy Hall was a big hit at story time.  The girls were intrigued to learn that their baby brother has MORE bones than they do even though he is SMALLER than them.  After reading the story, we discussed the different bones in our body and made Q-tip skeletons.  I do not know that I will ever use a Q-tip again without thinking about our fun bone lesson. 

Can you tell we have some "girly-girls" in the house?!?  Only they would claim that their skeletons were not complete without bows on the top of their skeletons' heads for "decoration." Those bows were creatively designed with leftover Valentine heart stickers.  And, now, the skeletons even match Clare's shirt!

Here comes MATH!  Pumpkin seeds were gathered with great care the night before during the carving adventure, and although they were still a little bit slimy to the touch, it was time to COUNT!  Each girl was tasked with counting out ten seeds.

Clare just had to count them one-by-one to develop her skills in one-to-one correspondence.

Brynn took the project a step further.  During this particular week, she was learning about the numbers after ten.  We discussed how her group of ten seeds that she had counted out could be considered a unit of ten pumpkin seeds.  If she added additional seeds to that unit of ten, she could represent the tens place AND the ones place, too.  The goal was to enhance her understanding of how the "teen" numbers are 10 plus a digit.

Brynn grasped the concept quickly, and I LOVE the expression of JOY on her face!

Here's Clare showing us that she can DEFINITELY count to ten with no problem at all.  She is demonstrating that her fingers make TEN, too!

To integrate literature into this Math lesson, we read How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara and G. Brian Karas.

Who knew that for each line on the outside of a pumpkin, there is a row of seeds on the inside of the pumpkin?  With that amazing knowledge that we acquired from reading this book, we will be able to estimate which of our pumpkins has the most seeds more accurately next year!

After all that deep thinking with Math, it was time for some creative art!  The girls got to break out their new paint set and paint a glorious pumpkin.  As usual, their two finished products were COMPLETELY different, and, as usual, I marveled at how unique each of our children is!  "I praise you because [our children] are fearfully and wonderfully made!" (Psalm 139:14)

It was time for read aloud, and guess who is doing the reading?!?!  BRYNN!  She LOVES to read to all of her siblings (even the twenty-two-month-old one who is a read aloud escapee).  Happy Halloween Curious George was the girls' choice for this Halloween afternoon.

It was time for some baking!  There is SO much learning that can be done in the kitchen, and the great part about it is that the kiddos have a lot of fun gathering the ingredients, measuring the ingredients, following the recipe, and, of course, taste-testing the final product.  As a side note, the girls are WAY more patient making cut-out cookies than I am.  Seeing a pumpkin-shaped cookie come out of the oven is well worth the time and energy it takes to make one when you are little and you are waiting for what seems like FOREVER to put on your costume and go trick-or-treating.

Finally, after many Halloween-related activities, the much-anticipated costume time had arrived!  Here was our little puppy!

Our clown!

And, our Princess Merida from the movie "Brave!" (Notice the crimped hair!  I will use any excuse to get out my 80s crimper because that beauty tool is too much fun!)

Elle is not sure what this craziness is all about.  First, we bring a baby brother home, and, now everyone dresses up in costumes and carries pumpkins around?  What is happening in this world?

She is still mystified.  You want me to hold what?!?  This little pumpkin?!?  And, why am I being forced to wear this ridiculous outfit?  She's like her momma...her facial expressions tell all.

 After detoxing from sugar the next morning, we did a few more pumpkin-related activities, and one of them was reciting the poem "Five Little Pumpkins:"

Five little pumpkins sitting on the gate.

The first one said, "Oh, my!  It's getting late!"

The second one said, "There are witches in the air."

The third one said, "But we don't care."

The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run."

The fifth one said, "Isn't Halloween fun?"

Then, "Ooooooo" went the wind.

And OUT went the lights.

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

And, finally, we reviewed the pumpkin cycle pages in Brynn's learning log from last year.

All-in-all, it was a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween!  Curriculum was integrated, the children had fun, and the little people are already planning their costumes for next year's festivities.  If only I were that far ahead in my lesson plans...