Family Rules

Seven Family Rules

1. Tell the truth.
Trust in the glue that holds family relationships together.

2. Treat others with respect.
- Speak politely. Use "please," "thank you," "excuse me," and "I'm sorry" often.
- Don't swear, hit, or kick.
- Don't name call, tattletale, or put down others behind their backs.
- Wait your turn to speak. If you must interrupt, first say, "Excuse me, please."
- Don't shout messages across the house.

3. No arguing with Mom and Dad.
- Ideas and input are valued and respected, but arguing means your point has already been made.
- Ask permission before going somewhere and be home when expected.

4. Respect each other's property and his/her right to privacy.
- Ask permission to use something that doesn't belong to you.
- Knock before entering a closed room.

5. Obey when you're asked to do something the first time.
- Complaining and tantrums are not allowed.
- Assigned chores should be performed when expected without being told.

6. Keep your surroundings neat, clean, and organized.
Whether its toys, games, clothes, dishes, or school supplies, put things away that you take out.

7. Be kind and helpful to each other.
Celebrate accomplishments with praise, show good sportsmanship, and look for ways to encourage each other.

I got these in an email from Alpha Omega Publications this morning. These would easily solve 99% of of our problems. Now to apply them...☺

Project Fair

We had our first annual HOPE project fair last night. It was great a opportunity for the students to share some of the things they have learned this past year. Each child made a display of events or projects that they enjoyed this past year. All the kids shared a little about themselves and received a certificate. It was so awesome to witness the emphasis on a Godly education and hear the prayers and Bible verses recited. We closed the evening with snacks and fellowship. Each family received a DVD of pictures from the past year with music. I think that everyone would agree that we all learned a lot and we made a lot of new friends.

You Gotta Have HOPE!

Our homeschool group went on an awesome field trip yesterday. A few weeks ago all the members of HOPE signed a sheet of vellum for a t-shirt project. We drove to a nearby town to a business that prints and embroiders shirts, signs, hats etc. We actually got to see our shirts being screen printed and the ink heat-set.
Above: Isaac with his new shirt. The finished project. Josh getting his shirt "hot off the press".  Some of the ink colors.

Painting Project

Yesterday we attended a painting class. The class was taught by an older lady who told the kids they could call her Grandma. It was a fun experience. Here is Josh displaying his Blue Jay painting. All the paintings came out so nice. Hopefully, we will see some budding artists emerge from this experience.

Art?

It's Monday! I'm tired.  I stayed up too late talking with the older girls. Why do we have our best conversations at night?  Last night the topic was art. Art? I have no idea how we got on this topic. Yes, both girls are college students taking art classes. Both have very different views on art. Older daughter is an auditory learner. (If you homeschool, it is common to figure out your child's learning style so they can be taught more effectively.) Her sister is a visual learner. They both interpret art so differently.  Older daughter likes reality and facts,  Her sister likes allegories and fiction.  We concluded that art can appreciated by the artist's ability (older daughter) or the artist's emotion and expression (younger daughter). Older daughter does not appreciate modern art and younger daughter likes to glean mood and expression from it.  My take on this: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

        (The Starry Night-Vincent van Gogh)

Learning Can Be Fun

This year we have been involved in a homeschool co-op. We are loving it. We are focusing on art, service projects, phys. ed., science and Ohio history. We meet twice a month and usually have a field trip scheduled each month also. An added bonus is the fellowship we have with the other families.
Josh and Isaac reading their Ohio report. Next, they had the group play Ohio Jeopardy. If you answered a question correctly you got a Dum Dum sucker because they are made in Ohio.

A fun science experiment: placing Mentos Mints into Diet Coke to create an explosion of sorts. When the Mentos hits the surface of the coke, the compressed carbon dioxide forms bubble on the surface of the Mentos and it is released into the air and pushes the Coke out with it. Luckily, it was a beautiful spring day for this outside only experiment.

Images of a Spring Morning

Crayon Rolls

Our homeschool co-op is collecting items for kids who are in the children's hospital. I got the idea for these at Skip to My Lou She has the neatest tutorials!

We made our rolls smaller. they each hold 8 crayons. I found some cute notepads to go with them too. They are very quick to make which I really appreciate.