First Week of Homeschool!!

We finished our first week of homeschool last Friday!!  What a wonderful week it was!!  Words can not explain how it felt to teach my son, watch him learn, hear his questions, see his educational weaknesses and strengths and the main thing... knowing his is being taught Math, Science, Language Arts, Geography, History and Reading EVERYDAY!!  As I wrote in my previous post, we pulled him out of public school because he was not getting the education that we wanted for him.

Our letter of the week was F and our themes were Seasons, Day/Night, First People and Tadpole & Frogs.  Along with our curriculum, we did many fun crafts and science experiments.  On Monday, Halloween, we did a "fun" day.  It was Halloween themed, but I incorporated our letter of the week!

Our Halloween Craft- Balloon Ghost

We also started "The Life Cycle of a Frog" in science!!  Landon really liked this topic and I added a neat frog craft to the literature.

Frog Craft

We are doing a four day schedule (which means our days are a little longer) so we can use Fridays for field trips.  We went to the Apple Orchard on Friday and both boys really enjoyed it!

I work a good portion of the weekend putting together next weeks curriculum and I am super excited to start week 2!!

Our Decision to Homeschool

When we had finally came to the decision to homeschool, I was beyond excited!!!  I couldn't wait to tell everyone about the new journey our family was going to make together.  Then I remembered what some of my friends and other parents who homeschool had told me... people will judge you and not accept your choice to homeschool.  My excitement started to die.  Now I have to deal with unwanted opinions... but who cares?  Not me!!  I am so happy that I am given the opportunity to teach my child one on one and he will be able to get the education that he deserves.

Landon started kindergarten in September.  We do not "dislike" his school and we love his teacher, we just didn't think he was getting what he should.  He was doing half-days (2.5 hours a day) and he was coming home worse off then when I put him on the bus... he was regressing and started having a bad attitude.  Landon loves school and learning, so when he would get off the bus and say he had a "boring" day and that they didn't really do anything, a red flag went up.

I talked to his teacher about the time he is there and how hard it must be for her to teach.  She opened up to me and told me how difficult it is for the half-day kindergartner teachers to "teach" when they have to get the same amount of curriculum in as the full-day K classes.  She said she pretty much just teaches them what they need to pass the standardize testing at the end of the year... there is not too much time for extra subjects.

Well, this just isn't acceptable for our child... we have higher expectations for him and his education.  So, we decided we are going to take it into our own hands and give him our all.  I bought the multi-subject curriculum from Sonlight and I am so impressed!!  He is now going to be studying Geography, Science, Language Arts, Math, History, Reading and Bible Study... everyday!!

I am starting him this Thursday and I have been busy setting up his "classroom."  He is so excited and asks me a million times a day when we can start school at home :-)

Oh and as far as socialization, he will get PLENTY of it!!  I have him in Sunday school, basketball, Library time and we plan to join some homeschool co-ops in our area.  Plus, if anyone knows Landon and I, you know that we will have no problem socializing ;-) LOL

Landon opening his box of curriculum from Sonlight.com

Easy Chili- My Hubby's Favorite!!

Tonight I made my chili... it is so easy to make and it is my husbands favorite meal!!  It is pretty much a dump and cook type of dinner :-)

I use Bush's Reduced Sodium Black & Pinto Beans- you can add
another can of either for a heavier bean chili 

Use 28oz Petite Diced Tomato, 28oz Crushed Tomato &
Two 16oz Tomato Sauce

McCormick 30% Less Sodium Chili Mix

Ground/Cook-Up Jennie-O Lean Turkey- Whole Package 

Dump everything in your Crock-Pot
Cook on Low for 6-8 Hours or
High 3-4 Hours

4 Hours Later!!!  Finish with Reduced Fat Cheese
and Light Sour Cream... Enjoy!! :-)

8 Year Anniversary!!

My hubby and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary yesterday!!  We watched our wedding video with the boys and it was so fun and emotional!!  We look so young (both 22) and it was neat to see all the people who were at our wedding.

Then, last night, my in-laws watched the boys so we could go out to dinner.  We had a fabulous time at the Edinburgh Golf Club... we love their Chicken Cobb Salad and we had Apple Crisp for dessert!!  So nice to have quiet time and be able to talk without children interrupting us every two seconds!! lol

Brady bought me some very beautiful flowers and I bought him a couple shirts from Banana Republic!  Good times :-)

Our Wedding Day- 9/27/2003

Our Wedding Party

Still got the Lovin ;-) - Last weekend at a wedding 

Beautiful flowers Brady got me!!

Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup- Crock-Pot Style!!

Now that it is getting cold outside, I have been using the crock-pot almost every night for dinner!!  I have been trying a bunch of different recipes and even making my own up :-)

Tonight, I made Pork Chops with carrots, red potatoes and cream of mushroom soup... turned out FABULOUS and even my 2 year old ate it!!

Lightly spray crock-pot with cooking spray-
Cut red potatoes in half or in fours and add bag of baby carrots to pot

Add pork chops on top off veggies
I used thin sliced center cut chops

Add two cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
I used 98% Fat Free

Spread Cream of Mushroom soup over chops

Set on low for 6-8 hours

After 6 Hours- YUM!

Dinner is SERVED!!  :-)

Time to Purge Mr. Facebook

I have been thinking about purging my Facebook friends account for awhile now.  Not that I do not like seeing a wide variety of people from my past on there and what they are doing, just that about 3/4 of my FB friends have never had any contact with me on the site... then I just figure what is the point of them being on there?

I read a friends blog last night about them saying they were going to do the same and it has motivated me to do it.

It is not my goal to have a million friends that know everything about me and my family... I am also going to be better about who I accept as a friend.

I always thought it was attention seeking to post about defriending, but now that I am about to do it, I felt letting people know why (not that I expect them to care) makes me feel better :-)

Pita Chips, Cheese and Grilled Chicken for Dinner

I LOVE pita chips!!  I eat them plain, with hummus or avocado.  Tonight I wanted to try something different with the pita chips, so I spread them out on a baking sheet, sprinkled them with mexican flavored cheese and added grilled chicken on top.  Then, I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 min.

It came out AWESOME!!  We dipped it in avocado and salsa.

My husband and I thought adding the salsa on the top before we baked it might add a little bit more flavoring and make it not so dry. . . next time we will try that.  Otherwise, it makes a great light dinner or appetizer :-)

Weekend with my in-laws!!

We took my husband's 5 youngest siblings up to my parent's lake home this weekend, along with my sister-in-law and her hubby!!  We are having sooooo much fun with a cabin full of laughing :-)  Today we spent most of the day down by the lake swimming and fishing. The kids LOVED jumping off the dock and playing... so fun to watch!

I have to make this short since we are just about to play Apples to Apples!  Here are some pic from today:

New Neighbor Etiquette

So, we moved into our new home about 6 weeks ago and in that time we have not had ONE neighbor come over and say "hi" or introduce themselves to us!!  At first, I told Brady give it some time for them to scope us out and see that we seem to be nice people.  Now, I realize that no one is ever going to come over!!

At our last home, I always went over to meet our new neighbors within a couple days of them moving in... I felt that I wanted to know who they were and wanted them to feel welcome.

Here is the thing... I FEEL that it is the existing neighbors job to come over and make the first contact with us.  They are all outside mowing their yards and hanging out IGNORING that fact that we are here!!  I think it is super rude that no one has even said hi to us...

So, what is the proper "New Neighbor Etiquette?"  Should it be the existing neighbor/or new neighbors job to make the first contact??

WHAT?? Summer is almost over??

Has anyone else just noticed that summer is almost over??  I did and now I am completely overwhelmed with trying to squeeze in all the things I was planning on doing with the boys this summer into the next three weeks!!

So, today I took the boys to the Springbrook Nature Center!!  My Mom tagged along since she loves doing activities with the kids and I.  It was a perfect day for it... upper 70's and sunny!!  We walked the trails and saw so many neat things... fish, frogs, birds, butterflies, bees, along with good old beautiful nature!!  We Minnesotans LOVE our natural habitat :-)

We also went into the nature center and looked at a bunch of living (and non-living) animals, amphibians and fish.  The boys had so much fun and the best part was, it was FREE!!

I love getting the boys outside to play and just let them explore!!  I found this great pamphlet on getting your kids outside for free play, since most kids only get about 30min a week of unstructured outdoor playtime.

Click Below:
A Parent's Guide to Nature Play

Wordless Wednesday: Brock found the Markers!!

My In-Laws

I thought I would share a little about my husbands family, since I do talk and post pictures of them often on here and it might be a little confusing.  They are a super awesome family to be apart of and along with my own family, I feel extra blessed to have such loving & close people in our life.

My husband comes from a family of 14 kids... same mom & dad and no multipuls!!  Brady is the second oldest (almost 30), the oldest is 31 and the youngest just turned 9 years old.  So, my husbands youngest 4 siblings are more like cousins to our boys than uncles and aunts.  Since no one else has had kids yet, I am happy that they have them to grow up with :-)  Landon and Brock LOVE going over and hanging out with their uncles & aunts... Landon asks me almost everyday when he gets to go to their house to play!!

Brady and I have been together for almost 15 years now and I was around when the last 4 kids were born.  I have watched all the kids grow up and become such awesome people :-)  It is really fun when the older kids get together and go out, we all just click and have a blast!!  Holidays are SUPER crazy, chaotic and FUN!!  I love when everyone sits around the table telling stories, such a good time.  I understand that it is not easy growing up in such a large family, but once everyone gets older it is a lot of fun!

Family picture last summer during camping trip

At one of the "Older Witt Kids" night out

Crazy Fun Time :-)

We are super excited about this weekend, as we are taking 5 of the youngest siblings up to my parents lake home while his parents are at a weekend reunion.  I am little nervous about taking care of 7 kids, but I think we will manage just fine being that most of them are over the age of 10.  Landon is just soooo excited that is literally can not contain himself... he asks me 100 times a day, how many more days until we go??  This will be such a special weekend for our boys to spend time with his uncles and aunts up at "their" lake home!! hehe

So there is a quick rundown of my in-laws :-)