Homeschool Curriculum for the 2012-13 School Year

I have been homeschooling Sophia and Olivia since Kindergarten. Currently they are in 6th and 4th grades respectively. There are some parts of the curriculum that both the girls do, and other parts that are at each one's grade level.

Below is the plan for the 2012-13 school year. The next step is to do a daily/weekly schedule. I did this last year and when the items was completed, I used a highlighter pen to mark it off. This was very helpful to see what had been accomplished and what still needed to be done for the week.

Both

A to Z - Self-Directed Learning
- The girls picked a topic (or two) that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Each one picked different topics based on their interests. They will read, do an activity, and/or do a project related to the subject they picked. They will do 1 subject per week until they have gone through all of the 26 letters. This is a new activity in 2012-13 and one that both the girls are looking forward to doing.

Art
- Continue using How to Teach Art to Children by Evan-Moor. Do one lesson per week from each of the themes (line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and space).
- Continue using Artistic Pursuits - An Introduction to the Visual Arts by Brenda Ellis. There are 26 lessons left, so do one per week.
- Take the pottery/ceramics class through the homeschool co-op (1 hour class 1x per week).

Artist Study (a.k.a. Picture Study)
- Simply Charlotte Mason recommends studying an artist and six of her/his works of art for six weeks (1 piece of art per week). These are the artists we'll focus on this year: Georgia O'Keeffe, Robert Kahn, John James Audubon, Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Carl Larsson.

Dictation/Spelling
- Spelling Wisdom by Sonya Shafer (Simply Charlotte Mason). Uses speeches, letters, and quotations of famous people; excerpts from historical documents; descriptions of historical people and events; poetry; Scripture; excerpts from great literature; and selections from old readers and books for young people. Covers 6,000 most frequently-used words. Sophia will do 2 lessons per weeks and Olivia will do 1 lesson per week.

Geography (United States) - Multi-Disciplinary Unit Study
- Cantering the Country. In addition to geography, CTC also includes activities in: science, literature, language arts, history/biographies, character, and home economics. Wrap up any loose ends from the 18 states we studied in 2011-2012. Study 17 states in 2012-2013 (1 state per 2-week time period).
- Eat Your Way Through the U.S.A. This is a companion cookbook to Cantering the Country that we used in the 2011-2012 homeschool year. We enjoyed trying 2-3 new recipes for each state we studied.
- State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book. For each state they study, the girls color in a page that features the state bird and flower. They'll color 17 pictures during the upcoming year.

The rest of the books are used as supplemental resources. They are used only when relevant to the subject being studied:
- Geography from A to Z - A Picture Glossary by Jack Knowlton. This is part of the CTC package.
- Children's Illustrated Atlas. This also is part of the CTC package.
- Use some of the activities and games in Birds, Birds, Birds by the National Wildlife Federation when studying about the state birds.
- Two other resources that I used last year and plan to continue using this year include: Hands-on Earth Science by Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company and Earth Science for Every Kid by Janice VanCleave.
- United States Coloring Book. When the girls visit a state, they can color in the two-page spread. At this point, I don't have any trips scheduled to states they haven't yet visited so it may not be used at this point. Last year, they were able to color in six states after we took a trip to New England.

Holidays/Festivals
- Celebrate special holidays and festivals. Use Festivals Together - A Guide to Multi-cultural Celebration by Sue Fitzjohn and Happy Birthday, Grandma Moses - Activities for Special Days Throughout the Year by Clare Bonfanti Braham.

Literature/Reading
- Read 9 more books that have received The Newbery Award. (These are chapter books that have ranged between 175-250 pages.)
- Finish reading all the books that have received The Caldecott Medal. (These are short children's books that have received the award for the artwork in the book.)
- Design a Reading Quilt - Plus More Than 100 Other Activities to Enhance Your Literature Experiences by Chris Roe. Use in conjunction with The Newbery Award books.
- Do one book report per month. Use in conjunction with one of the books read as part of the Cantering the County curriculum.

Math
- Challenging Graph Art by Teacher Created Resources. Use 1x every 2 weeks (18 total). Both the girls enjoy doing these math activities...maybe because they don't feel like math it's more of a fun activity for them.
- Season's Griddings - Graphing Activities for Listening and Following Directions by Will C. Howell. Use 1x every 2 weeks (18 total). They like the grid activities too. They see them as "fun" and not "math."
- Ten Days to Multiplication Mastery. Use ten days in September to see if that helps them remember multiplication facts.

Music
- Continue with the children's choir that meets 1x per week from mid-September through early-May. Perform 1-2 times per month.

Nature Appreciation/Journaling
- Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Use the book as well as the Outdoor Hour Challenges.
- Do one entry in the nature journal per week based on a hike, bird watching, or other outdoor activity.

Physical Education
- Equine vaulting - 1x per week (1 1/2 hour session).
- Playing outside on the swings (almost daily during good weather).
- Taking care of the horses (walking to and from the barn; walking outside; cleaning out the barn and area behind the barn).
- Riding bikes and going on walks with the dogs at least 3x per week.
- Go to a public playground 1x per week during nice weather.
- Goal is to get in 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day. Mark off on a chart when this is done.
- Use Homeschool Family Fitness by Bruce Whitney, Ph.D. for ideas to augment the physical activity we already do on a daily basis.
- Miss Mary Mack and Other Children's Street Rhymes by Joanna Cole has some fun ball-bouncing rhymes. Some could be used for jumping rope as well.

Poet and Poetry Study
- Simply Charlotte Mason recommends studying a poet and her/his poems for six weeks. This year, we'll focus on the following poets: Robert Browning, Rudyard Kipling, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Carl Sandburg,  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and William Wordsworth.

Science
- Sonlight's Level E Program - The girls will be learning about electricity, magnetism, light, color, microscopes, astronomy and space, inventions, chemistry, modern technology, and mechanical technology in early American life. There are nine books that are used with the science program.
    Also, there's a Discover & Do 4 DVD that features 90 experiments that center on the characteristics and uses of electricity and magnetism. We'll pick and choose which experiments we want to do.
- Whenever the girls have a question or are interested in learning more about the human body, use The Ultimate Human Body DVD.

Service Projects
- Complete 12 in 12 (during 2012). Here's more information about what we are doing each month.
- Establish the library in Lesotho, Africa, through the African Library Project. Collect the rest of the books (only a couple hundred left!) and raise $500+ to ship the books.
- Begin and do five months of a year-long volunteer/donation project during 2013 to be determined as we get closer to the end of the calendar year and decide how we want to focus our efforts during the upcoming year.

Spiritual Growth
- Use the "Spiritual Fitness Scorecard" to mark the activities that were done during the week (e.g., worship, prayer, study, service, fellowship).

Theater
- Participate in the holiday theater performance.

Typing
- Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. It's a computer program that both the girls will use. It reinforces good finger position, increases speed incrementally, and doesn’t use twaddle for typing practice (2x per week).

Values
- Character First series. Continue doing one character trait per U.S. state studied. Cantering the Country has identified a value/character trait for each state in the United States.
- The Values Book by Pam Schiller. There are 16 basic values with activities, questions, and books that bring to life each value. Focus on one value for two weeks (will cover 34 weeks of homeschooling - almost a full school year).
- The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop. Read the book and do the activities (1x per week).

Writing
- Use Story Starters - Series #1.  These are 15 prompts with 5 different themes that encourage a child to use her imagination to finish the story. These could be audio-taped and then typed so the stories can be remembered.

Overview
- Read parts of each book from grades 1-6 in the What Your __ Grader Needs to Know series by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. Only do the parts that the girls haven't heard or studied yet. (Only go up to grade 4 for Olivia.)

Sophia

4-H
- Do projects and activities in a variety of subjects. During 2011-2012, Sophia did 27 projects for the 4-H County Fair. She still needs to determine which project areas she wants to explore this year.

Grammar
- Easy Grammar: Grade 5. There are 317 pages in the student workbook. At the beginning of the year, start with 2 pages per day 5x a week. If Sophia misses a day or only does one page per day, she still would complete the book by the end of the homeschool year.

Greek Mythology
- Greek Mythology for Teens by Zachary Hamby. This book relates classical mythology to modern culture, history, art, and literature of today. (1 chapter per month - includes a play to read aloud and activities)
- Book of Greek Myths by D'Aulaires. We've read some of the myths already, but we'll re-read them for a complete study. (5 pages per week)
- Greek Myths by Olivia Coolidge. Read the myths as they correspond to the ones in D'Aulaires and/or Greek Mythology for Teens.

History/Geography/World Religions/Social Studies 
- Sonlight's Core F. This curriculum focuses on the Eastern Hemisphere including Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the South Pacific. About 70 countries will be covered. This is a multi-disciplinary study about a part of the world that is of particular interest to us since Sophia and Olivia were adopted from China. The highlight for us will be reading the 48 books that are included with this curriculum. Some are books that I read aloud, and others are ones that Sophia reads on her own.
- Eat Your Way Around the World by Jamie Aramini. Has recipes from many of the countries we will be studying this year. We'll use this book as well as other recipes that I have clipped over the years that are from the countries in the Core F curriculum.
- Geography through Art - International Art Projects for Kids by Sharon Jeffus and Jamie Aramini. Has ideas for art projects for several of the countries we'll be learning about as part of Sonlight's Core F.
- Continue using The Usborne Art Treasury by Rosie Dickins. Do the 5 projects that are from countries that are in the Eastern Hemisphere. 
- The Silk Road - Explore the World's Most Famous Trade Routes by Kathy Ceceri. This is an interactive book with many hands-on activities for Sophia to do (and Olivia if she is interested). Supplement with field trips that tie into the topics presented.

Home Economics
- Take the Joy of Cooking class at the homeschool co-op (1x per week for 1 1/2 hours).

Journaling
- Use the journal pages from Grace is Overrated. These look like a fun way for Sophia to record her last year of elementary school...before she goes into junior high. (Where does the time go?) (2 pages per week starting in the 4th week for 25 weeks)

Map Skills
- Map Skills - Grade 5 by Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company. Forgot to do this book last year, so will do this during the first semester of this year. (2 pages per week for 22 weeks)

Math
- Rod and Staff - Mathematics Level 6. 5x per week.
- Artistic Geometry as Taught in Grade 6 in Waldorf Schools by John C. Miles/Promethean Press. This book features geometric designs made by a compass and colored pencils. There are 23 lessons. Start in the fall and go until the lessons end.


Music
- Piano lessons 1x per week plus two performances during the year.
- Harp lessons 1x per week plus at least three performances during the year.

Penmanship
- A Reason for Handwriting - Level E. Sophia has 4 lessons from this book that she used last year. I opted not to get Level F since she has another handwriting book she'll use (see below) and wants to learn Spencerian Penmanship.
- Handwriting - Writing in Cursive. Sophia enjoys handwriting, so this is another book she can do on her own. The passages she writes relate to American history, animals, and nature - so all are topics in which she has an interest. There are 68 pages left in this book (she started the book late in the year last year and completed 12 pages).
- Spencerian Penmanship. This is the beautiful handwriting that was used for more than a century. Sophia has been wanting to learn this for a couple years now.

Reading
- Part of the Sonlight - Core F curriculum includes books that Sophia reads to herself.
- Complete Word Study - Level D. She's on lesson 48 and there are 88 lessons - so 40 left. This works out to be about 1x per week.

Science
- Continue reading and coloring Gray's Anatomy - A Fact-Filled Coloring Book. This is not the anatomy book that is used in college. This is a shorter, more child-friendly book with 60 illustrations to color and key parts named. Sophia has already done 21 illustrations, so there are 39 left - about one per week.

Sensory Processing Disorder/Sensory Integration Dysfunction Therapy
- Use Brain Integration Therapy Manual by Dianne Craft. Writing (30 minutes per day 4x a week).
- Use the sensory gym and warm-water pool at Courage Center as needed.

Spelling
- A Reason for Spelling - Level C. This is a new curriculum that has multiple ways to learn how to spell. This is a 5x a week program with different activities each day including: literature connection with discussion; shape boxes; fun ways to spell for various ways of learning (e.g., visual, auditory, tactile); hide and seek; other word forms; language arts activity; dictation; proofreading; thought of the week; and preview and post tests. Children keep a progress chart, journal, and personal dictionary.
* Before beginning the year, make sure that all words from Level B were learned over the summer. If not, they need to be learned during the first two months of the 2012-13 school year.

Vocabulary
- Wordly Wise 3000 - Book 5. There are 20 lessons and 5 reviews (25 weeks).
- English from the Roots Up (Volume 1) - focus on learning 100 Greek and Latin root words. 
- Rummy Roots - English Vocabulary Building Games.

Writing
- Continue using Jump In: A Workbook for Reluctant and Eager Writers. Do 2x per week.
- Continue using Giant Write Every Day - Daily Writing Prompts. This isn't as challenging as Jump In for Sophia. However, it is something she used in 4th grade and was okay with (she enjoys reading more than writing). Last year, she used Jump In. It wasn't her favorite subject, yet she was making progress with her writing. She asked if she could use Giant Write Every Day again this year. Do 2x per week.
- Use the standards-based writing prompts that have different themes (e.g., sea life, earth science, inventions, U.S. presidents). There are 8 prompts per theme - or 32 total prompts. Do 1x per week for 32 weeks.

Olivia

Art
- Take the Fundamental of Art class at the homeschool co-op.

Five in a Row
- Five in a Row - Volume 2. Use in conjunction with the Five in a Row Cookbook. Have 12 stories left to go. Activities fall under social studies, language arts, art, applied math, science, and home economics (cooking). The cookbook has 2-3 recipes per book to make. These recipes become the family dinner for the night.
- Five in a Row - Volume 3. There are 15 stories in this series. The type of activities are the same as for Volume 2.
- Beyond Five in a Row. Start this series if the 27 stories and activities are done from Volumes 2 and 3.

4-H
- Do projects and activities in a variety of subjects. During 2011-2012, Olivia did 17 projects for the 4-H County Fair. She still needs to determine which project areas she wants to explore this year.

Grammar
- English for the Thoughtful Child - Volume 1. This is a book I found through Simply Charlotte Mason. It is a nice introduction to grammar, and very child-friendly. It was originally written in 1900 by Mary Hyde and revised and edited by Cynthia Shearer. There are 62 lessons, so this will be used 2x per week for 31 weeks.


History/Geography/World Religions/Social Studies 
- Sonlight's Core F. Olivia listens to the read-aloud books that are part of this curriculum. She also may be interested in doing the art projects. The food that Sophia makes as part of the curriculum will be eaten by the entire family. So, Olivia will get a culinary introduction to the Eastern Hemisphere as well.



Literature
- Finish Literature Pockets - Aesop's Fables by Evan-Moor. Olivia only has 1 or two fables left and she's done with this study.

Map Skills
- Map Skills - Grade 3 by Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company. Forgot to do this book last year, so will do this during the first semester of this year.

Math
- Rod and Staff - Mathematics Level 4. 5x per week.
- Time, Money & Fractions by School Zone.
- Touch Math by Dianne Craft. Helps children who are struggling with basic math facts. Touch Math is a touching/counting pattern that has been carefully researched and is designed to provide immediate success for learners.
- Right Brain Multiplication Cards by Dianne Craft. These cards come with pictures underneath the numbers in the equation. It helps right-brain learners memorize the multiplication table in a way that works for them.
- Receive 80 minutes of math instruction/help through Special Education.

Music
- Piano lessons 1x per week plus two performances during the year.

Penmanship
- A Reason for Handwriting - Transition. This book transition from printing to cursive.

Reading
- Explore the Code. Complete books 4, 5, and 6. With 12 lessons per book, that's 1x per week.
- Receive 80 minutes of reading instruction/help through Special Education.
- Use sound/phonics cards that have pictures behind the letters (e.g., apple/a; cow/ou + ow).
- Implement some of the ideas from Reading Ideas Ready to Use! by Barbara Gruber.

Sensory Processing Disorder/Sensory Integration Dysfunction Therapy
- Use Brain Integration Therapy Manual by Dianne Craft. Reading (45 minutes per day 4x a week), Writing (30 minutes per day 4x a week), and Math (not a formal "program" - just use strategies to teach).
- Use the sensory gym and warm-water pool at Courage Center as needed.

Speech Therapy
- Receive 60 minutes of guidance through Speech Therapy at the local elementary school.

Spelling
- A Reason for Spelling - Level B. (See the description under Sophia's section for what this curriculum includes.)
* Before beginning the year, make sure that all words from Level A were learned over the summer. If not, they need to be learned during the first two months of the 2012-13 school year.

Vocabulary
- Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day by Marc Tyler Nobleman. The introduction to this book says that back in 1945, children in elementary school had a vocabulary of 10,000 words. Today, that number has dwindled to 2,500 words. This is a child-friendly way to introduce 180 words that were gathered from newspapers and magazines.

Writing
- Just Write - Creativity in Craft and Writing by Alexandra S. Bigelow. Do 1x per week.

Mitch Albom - My Favorite Author

As I've been organizing my bookshelf this weekend, there are some books that I am ready to donate. Others, I want to hold onto because I enjoy the author's writing style and the book.

One of my favorite authors is Mitch Albom. My first introduction to this author was through a made-for-television movie The Five People You Meet in Heaven based on the book by the same title. It was a very emotional and thought-provoking movie.

It made me want to read the book so I could see how the movie version differed from the book version. Once I read the book, I knew I wanted to read other books by Mitch Albom.

It is from this book that I took an excerpt in the eulogy I wrote for my brother-in-law's who died unexpectedly at age 38 years old from a dissecting aortic aneurysm. In the book, the following quote was said by Eddie's wife who died:

“Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those sense weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it. Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't.”

I thought it was an appropriate quote for my sister to hear.

There are more quotes from The Five People You Meet in Heaven on Good Reads.

The next book I read was Tuesdays with Morrie after watching the movie version of the book first.  I liked the movie version better, but the book provided the quotes I needed to read - and re-read - at a difficult time in my life.

When I read the book and wrote a review about it, it was about two weeks after I brought my father to a nursing home because his Alzheimer's Disease had progressed to a point where he no longer could be cared for at home. He ended up spending the rest of his life at the nursing home (less than three months later he died).

As I wrote in the review about Tuesdays with Morrie:

Although Morrie had ALS, both Alzheimer's Disease and ALS slowly eat away at one's body or mind. Both diseases can transform a person who was independent, brilliant, and giving into a person who is dependent and trapped in a body that no longer represents who they were at one time.


Despite being limited in body or mind, both my father and Morrie continue/continued to teach and impact lives...each in their own way.

One of the quotes I liked from Tuesdays with Morrie is:

So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. 


The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

My dad exemplified exactly what Morrie was talking about in the second part of his quote about devoting oneself to caring for others. My goal is to live a life like this as well.

Sophia and Olivia with their grandparents,

(my mom and dad) at the county fair 4 years ago.

It was a lot of fun for us all to spend time together.

(Photo taken on July 31, 2008, 

when the girls were 5 and 7 years old.)

After my dad's death, I was going through his book, and came across one that I gave him at Christmas one year. It was from Mitch Albom, and it is called For One More Day. The book explores one central question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

I'm writing this post on the day before it will go "live"...on August 5th. Today marks the seventh month since my dad died. I took the book from the shelf so I could write a description about what it was about since I haven't yet read it.

In the book, my dad kept the gift tag that was on the present. He had it on page 5. At the bottom of this page the main character was talking about his mother's death. He described how he acted and felt after her funeral and the months following her death. This was this quote on page 5 which I found quite relevant to how I feel:

...she wasn't around, and that's the thing when your parents die, you feel like instead of going into every fight with backup, you are going into every fight alone.


I think the timing in finding this book is a sign that it is time to read it. It seems like the other books I've read by Mitch Albom have been at times when they were the most meaningful for me.

Mitch Albom has a new book out next month called The Time Keeper. I'll be stopping by the bookstore that day to get a copy; and look forward to the message of that book. If it's anything like the ones I have read so far, I'll be both comforted and inspired.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Algerian Eye Stitch - Week 31

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, the featured stitch is the Algerian Eye Stitch. This stitch is one that I enjoyed doing and could have continued experimenting with all day.

The stitch reminds me of a snowflake with eight points. Each of the points comes to a common center, and can vary in length. 

The lavender blocks have a nice texture to them. The left side I was doing stitch by stitch and moving in an orderly fashion - left to right, top to bottom.

The right side I was going up, down, and all around in no order while listening to Sophia write out a grocery list, asking me how to spell some words, and me spelling those words aloud. Needless to say, I apparently can't do all those things at the same time. The evidence: the right hand side has an error in it in the second row. By the time I figured it out, it was too late to go back. I kept it in there as a reminder to do each stitch one at a time.

As with past weeks, the journal entry has the stitched samplers, a personal reflection, list of items for which I'm grateful, the name of the stitch, and images that remind me of the week.

The bluebird is there because there have been bluebirds flying in the backyard and by the driveway. There also have been a lot of birds visiting the feeders - especially the goldfinches, black-capped chickadees, and wrens (this is unusual - wrens normally don't visit the feeders here).

The sunflower represents going to the county and looking at the exhibits there. There was one section that had the tallest sunflowers. They must have been 8'-9' tall.

Dream Jobs

When I think of a dream job, I think of it in three ways: dream jobs of the past, present, and future.

Past

In the past, out of all the jobs I held, my dream job was founding and operating a non-profit arts organization that I named Harvest Moon Community Farm.

For eight years, I designed the youth and intergenerational programs (Create & Cultivate Art and Farm Camps, ArtVenture, Grandparent/Grandchild Farm Camp) including lesson plan research and writing; developing promotional materials; registering participants; contracting artists; managing staff; and overseeing the day-to-day operation of each program.

Four Create & Cultivate Art Campers 

standing by a labyrinth that the campers built

under the guidance of artist D'Arcy Teasley.

I also created an Educator Mentorship Program for teenagers wanting to pursue careers in elementary education, the arts, or environmental studies/education.

Another interesting aspect that I enjoyed was a Restorative Justice Program for teenagers and adults who were ordered to perform court-ordered community service hours. I worked with a local youth service bureau as well as county parole officers.

Other things I did that I enjoyed was:
- co-create and regularly update Harvest Moon’s website (e.g., adding new pages, uploading pictures, and writing/editing copy).
- design a nature trail and program that was recognized by the National Wildlife Federation for its educational benefits to youth.
- write and design Harvest Moon’s monthly newsletter, Make a Difference.

Prayer flags hanging from one structure to another

in the Peace Village (four different "homes" 

built from natural materials).

This was constructed during an art camp session

in the back part of the farm.

It also was done under the guidance of D'Arcy Teasley.

Present


My dream job at the moment is being a mother to Sophia and Olivia.

My mom with Sophia, Olivia, and me.

(Taken on my mom's 80th birthday - April 24, 2010.)

Being able to homeschool them makes that dream job even better. My life has been incredibly blessed by both of the girls. To be able to teach and guide them as they learn about a variety of subjects has been such a gift to me.

Sophia and Olivia making "stone angels" -

think "snow angels" except with stones instead of snow.

They were 5 and 7 years old.

(Taken in Grand Marais on September 3, 2008)

Future


What does a future dream look like? Right now I don't know.

Perhaps it is something combining my long-term interests - the arts, nature, and agriculture.

Maybe it's something that helps seniors who have Alzheimer's Disease.

Or, it could be something that helps the caregivers of people who have Alzheimer's Disease - to help them move through the stages along with their loved one. To guide them through the process through the arts, creative expression, nature, and animals.

I like this latter idea the best. This is something that I have personal experience with - from the time my dad was diagnosed with middle-stage Alzheimer's Disease...to his death...and now through the grieving process.

Who knows what my dream job of the future will look like...only time will tell. What I do know is that if my future job is anything like my past and current jobs...it is sure to be rewarding.

P52 Photo Challenge - Dog Days of Summer - Week 31

This week's theme for the P52 Photo Challenge is Dog Days of Summer.

According to Wikipedia, "Dog Days are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August, which typically observe the warmest summer temperatures .... The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather."

In the greater Twin Cities area, there have been 26 days so far this year with temperatures in the 90s. Combined with high humidity, this has been one of the most difficult summers for people and animals alike - especially those animals who live outside, both livestock and wildlife.

This week marked the opening of the county fair. On Tuesday, Sophia, Olivia, and I dropped off projects for competing in the Open Class division.

On Wednesday, Sophia played the harp along with another harpist as part of the preteen talent show. It was one that they auditioned for, and won a spot to participate in the show.

On Friday, we spent half the day enjoying the fair...despite the heat. We wanted to check on the projects we entered to see how we did.  The girls compete in the 8-16 year old category, so there is a wide range of ages and skill levels within that category; and I enter in the general adult category.

The girls and I were very happy with the ribbons we earned. Each project we entered placed which is great! (There are only six projects that receive ribbons per category, so if ten projects are entered in a category by various people, only six will receive awards).

The girls each received reserve grand champion ribbons: Sophia received three - for a hand-embroidered dish towel, dried apples, and a collection of haikus she wrote; and Olivia received hers on a snow leopard stamp collection.

The favorite part of the fair for the girls was seeing the animals. Both enjoy seeing the variety of rabbits. The ones I liked the best were a doe and her babies. The doe was playing with cat toys that were in her cage, and the little ones were resting along the sides of the cage.

Favorite Item of Clothing

"What is your favorite article of clothing?" is the question today for the Summer Blog Challenge. Being that I spend the majority of time at home, I like clothes that are comfortable. I don't have any one item of clothing that stands out as a favorite...rather, I like one type of clothing the best: pajama pants.

Why?

When I'm homeschooling and we're doing activities where I know I'm going to get my clothes dirty (e.g., cooking, baking, painting), I don't want to do that in clothes that I potentially could ruin.

Carving pumpkins on the day before Halloween.

(Taken on October 30, 2009.)

I would much rather wear inexpensive clothes that could get stained or ripped, and it doesn't matter.

I made Rosemary Focaccia for dinner one night.

The recipe is included in the post about the focaccia (see the link above).

(Taken on May 30, 2010.)

The majority of my pajama pants I can pick up at a local thrift shop for $1.50-$2.00. I don't have to worry about damaging something that is more expensive than that.

Sophia doing a volcano experiment. 

Both she and Olivia had a lot of fun doing this activity.

(Taken on October 6, 2010.)

Sophia and Olivia see me more relaxed when we're doing "messy" projects, conducting science experiments, and making food in the kitchen. 

I outlined Olivia's hand in oil pastels and then she colored in. 

She is painting with watercolors on the canvas.

(Taken on June 1, 2008.)

That's how I want them to remember me...relaxed and not upset if my clothes get dirty or torn.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction & Its Effect on Children

When I saw today's prompt: What helps you get through meltdowns? I knew I wanted to share an article I wrote about Olivia for HOPE Adoption's newsletter in 2008. It was a difficult one for me to write since its focus was on something Olivia struggled with: sensory integration dysfunction (SID).

I've heard SID referred to as sensory processing disorder. However, for this post I'm going to refer to it as SID since what I wrote below refers to it as such.

Even at 9 1/2 year old - four years after I wrote the article for the newsletter - SID can cause Olivia to have meltdowns. One of the most effective ways for calming is laying down under multiple layers of blankets in a dark or semi-dark room. Even at night, Olivia will sleep under about a dozen blankets and quilts. Literally. It's not that the house is cold...she just finds the weight of the blankets and quilts calming.

One of the things that I have wanted to get to help her when she has meltdowns is a weighted blanket. However, they are quite cost-prohibitive. As I was looking for an example of a weighted blanket, I came across a tutorial for a weighted blanket.  Eight years ago, when SID was the most challenging, I couldn't find anything like this - now I can go ahead and make one for her.

Below is an article I wrote that provides some background about SID and Olivia's struggle with it. Although it focuses on Olivia, Sophia also has SID. Her issues within SID are somewhat different than Olivia's and not as severe, but there are some "triggers" that are similar for both of them.

Both the girls underwent an intensive therapy program at Special Children Center which was pivotal to seeing a vast improvement in so many different ways.

In sharing this, I'm hoping that it is helpful to parents who might see some of the same behavior and reactions with their children, and need some ideas about what to do to help calm a child.

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“Olivia is propped up on three sides with pillows to help her sit up, and to cushion her when she falls. For some reason, at ten months, Olivia isn’t able to hold her head up on her own, falls over a lot while sitting, and has a vacant – almost sad – look in her eyes.”

(Noted November 21, 2003…four days after adopting Olivia from Dianjiang Social Welfare Institute in China.)

It took four days after adopting Olivia on November 17, 2003, to acknowledge to my family and friends that Olivia was different than who I imagined she would be.

Olivia's referral picture.

(Taken in 2003.)

I pictured a healthy, bubbly, laughing daughter – one who was eager to meet her forever family; and would have a few days (maximum) dealing with grieving issues. Sophia’s (Olivia’s sister) adoption went so smoothly two years earlier, so I anticipated a similar “easy” experience. Olivia’s referral pictures and medical form indicated this could be expected.

In reality, my expectations were vastly different from the actual experience in China as well as to the present day.

“Olivia has significant development delays, and needs further testing…” (International Adoption Clinic Report, December 2003)

I reread that sentence a few times when I received the report. The entire report from the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Minnesota was quite sobering. There were many challenges and issues I simply wasn’t prepared for or could comprehend what the lifelong impact was for Olivia.

Although it was sad to read the report, at least I knew that Olivia needed special care and therapy to help address her developmental delays.

The Next Step

I contacted Washington County’s Early Intervention Network for a free evaluation of Olivia. At the appointment in February 2004, Olivia met with a special education therapist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist, it was very clear that she was significantly behind children her age.

In most skills – physical; fine and gross motor; communication and language; and cognitive – she easily qualified for services. Olivia was 14 months old and operating at a 6-8 month level.

In March 2004, weekly therapy sessions with an occupational therapist, special education therapist, and physical therapist began. During some weeks, Olivia had one session…other weeks she had up to three therapy sessions.

Continued Challenges

Despite great progress with OT, PT, and Special Education, there was still something that didn’t “sit right” with me.

There were some troubling behaviors during the next year. For example, Olivia:

- Did not want to walk on grass and uneven surfaces. The majority of time she would take 2-3 steps, and simply collapse into a pile and sob and scream.

Success! Five years later,

Olivia enjoys going on walks with the dogs.

(Taken on May 17, 2009.)

- Unleashed what can only be described as blood-curdling screams when placed in a bathtub for a bath and to have her hair washed.

- Stuffed her mouth full of certain types of food and often choked on them.

- Screamed and kicked while I washed her face, cleaned under her nose, cut her fingernails, or changed her diaper.

- Pointed constantly to ceiling fans and lights…and was almost pulled into a lull by them.

- Was drawn into a world of her own, and didn’t hear and/or respond when her name was called.

- Had an extremely limited diet because she couldn’t tolerate certain textures or food temperatures.

Macaroni and cheese was one of the few types of food Olivia would eat.

It couldn't be homemade like this kind I made.

It had to be the kind out of a box.

- Hit and clawed me while screaming as I tried to hold her kicking legs down while brushing her teeth.

- Wanted to ride on the lawn tractor (despite the noise and the bumps) yet wasn’t able to tolerate voices that were in a normal conversational tone.

- Tripped frequently over legs, dog tails, and toys that were in plain view. She had very poor balance and seemed almost clumsy.

Montague and Gretel resting.

Olivia would trip frequently over them

prior to going through therapy for SI issues.

(Taken on April 11, 2008.)

- Yelled “Ow! Ow” and sobbed with each stroke as I brushed her hair gently…and, on a good day, managed to get it into pigtails or a ponytail so her hair would stay out of her eyes.

One of rare times I was able to get Olivia's hair pulled up.

This was taken at the Fourth of July parade.

She was 6 years old.

(Taken on July 4, 2009)

When I was at home and no one was witnessing her difficult behavior, I was okay. I could deal with it, but it certainly was frustrating, confusing, and overwhelming. It often made no sense; and, without Olivia’s ability to communicate, often times I didn’t know the triggers that were setting off her tantrums.

It was when I was in public and couldn’t calm Olivia that I was very embarrassed, and began to question my ability as a parent.

Change in Therapist…A New Perspective

The EIN OT who had been working with Olivia went on maternity leave. She was replaced by a new therapist who believes that all children – to some degree – have challenges with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID), and until those challenges are addressed, a child cannot master the skills with which they are struggling.

Sensory Integration (SID) is, simply put, the ability to take in information through one’s senses (e.g., touch, movement, smell, taste, vision, hearing); put it together with prior information, memories, and knowledge stored in the brain; and make a meaningful response.

When a child has a dysfunction with SI, the central nervous system and mid-brain are not interacting properly. Thus, a number of areas are affected: coordination, attention, arousal levels, autonomic functioning, emotions, memory, and higher-level cognitive functions.

An analogy for SI could be: imagine that you are on a plane. You’re hot, the lights hurt your eyes, people are talking loudly around you, the person in front of you has bad body odor, and the food you are attempting to eat is runny and cold…and it’s not supposed to be like that. You’re obviously trapped and this is one of the most miserable situations you’ve been in. Now multiple that experience by 100 and you get a sense of what a child with SI deals with on a daily basis.

Given the complexity of the various areas that are dependent upon and interact with each other, the OT met with Olivia for a few sessions before she recommended I complete a survey that could assess if Olivia had SI deficits. After “scoring” the answers, the OT said, “Olivia has significant sensory integration issues.”

Adopted at 10 months old, Olivia still fit into the clothes 

she wore on her adoption day when she was 4 years old. 

 The pants and sleeves were a bit short,

but she was pretty excited that she could still fit in them.

(Taken on August 9, 2007.)

Some people may not want their child to be “labeled.” For me, however, a “label” was (and is) extraordinarily helpful. I have a name for what Olivia struggles with each day. I can look for books, therapy, and information on the internet to help understand and address Olivia’s SI.

I could change the home to make it more calming for Olivia, and make adaptive items to help her learn new skills and ways to manage SI on a daily basis.

Changes in Olivia as Progress is Made

Once SI was identified as being the root cause for other developmental delays, Olivia’s progressed at an even greater rate. She was becoming closer to her peers in terms of the skills she was learning and acquiring.

One of the ideas for children who have SI issues 

is to using long straws. 

The girls thought they were fun to use 

(they came in different color segments and 

they could create their straws).

In reality, they also had therapeutic benefits.

(Taken on December 25, 2007)

After a one-year review, PT was reduced to once a quarter, OT to bi-weekly, and Special Education to bi-weekly. Still, Olivia was significantly delayed in speech and communication. This was becoming a concern even though she was communicating both in American Sign Language (ASL) and a few single words. The former was the more dominant way of communication, with her signs substantially outnumbering her words.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding

Olivia began therapeutic horseback riding sessions in Summer 2005 through the Courage Riders (a program through the Courage Center in Stillwater). During the weekly one-hour session, Olivia - who was 2 1/2 years old at the time - received a wide range of therapeutic benefits.

Olivia during one of the therapeutic horseback riding sessions.

(Taken in October 2008 when Olivia was 5 years old.)

From “simple” activities for just one hour – such as grooming “her” horse and then riding on her around the ring or going on a trail ride – Olivia gained more physical strength in her lower body and began using more verbal skills.

Olivia feeding a treat to the horse

during the Courage Riders program.

The other people are volunteers and the horse's owner.

(Taken on August 28, 2008 when she was 5 years old.)

She began putting two words together during the Courage Riders program. “Okay, Mama,” were the first two words she put together. I cried. It was such a milestone for her. And I was so proud of her!

In Hindsight

Here are some ideas for others who may suspect their child may have SI:

- Note in a journal any behavior that seems unusual or doesn’t “feel right.” Include the date, time, and what precipitated it. At the one-month review with your social worker, share your observations.

- If there’s any indication of SI, begin therapy immediately. Both child and parent benefit by working on your child’s SI needs. Find therapists right away who can develop a sensory diet for your child to help her manage her SI.

- Realize that SI isn’t a reflection of one’s parenting skills. SI is something within a child that needs to be addressed, and you’ve been gifted with the skills to research and find out ways to help your child overcome the challenges she experiences each day with SI.

- Be ready for a change in direction in your life. Therapy for SI is intense and requires daily effort. Would it be easier to ignore it? Sure, in some ways. But ultimately you would be doing your daughter a disservice, and perhaps limiting her for the rest of her life. Your relationship with your daughter will deepen if you both work daily as a team to address SI issues.

Sophia and Olivia both enjoyed playing in 

the soybean pit. It provided great sensory input.

(Taken on September 18, 2010.)

- Make the time to create some of the items in The Out Of Sync Child Has Fun. Having a wide repertoire of supplies and materials to draw from to help a child with SI is very helpful.

The girls would go into the body sack that I made for them.

The fabric would stretch and 

provide the feedback their bodies needed.

(Taken in May 2008 when the girls were 5 and 7 years old.)

- Take care of yourself. Seek support from family and friends as well as community resources. Arrange respite care at least once a week, if possible.

Closing Thoughts

Now, almost two years after Olivia’s adoption, she is a very different child from who she was then. Her therapy sessions in OT, Special Education, and PT give her one-on-one time with talented and caring specialists who have helped her reach levels she couldn’t have reached on her own.

Her personality has blossomed into one filled with laughs, smiles, a sense of humor, full of expression, goofiness, and a sense of determination. Her tantrums – which were multiple daily…sometimes 5-6 per day - are almost non-existent.

Is Olivia “cured?” No. Her journey has only begun. Next month, she will be evaluated at the Special Children Center in Hudson, Wisconsin, to determine what level her SI needs are at, and to design a sensory diet that will address her needs. She will continue learning American Sign Language along with trying to build her verbal skills to reach peer level. Olivia will continue weekly therapy sessions as well as therapeutic horseback riding.

Parenting a child with SI is very different than I imagined doing. It’s meant some major life changes I’ve chosen to make to better address Olivia’s needs on a daily basis. Today I’m a stay-at-home mom who is home-schooling Olivia and Sophia. Although my life is radically different than I pictured it even a few years, I couldn’t be happier and feel more blessed.

Helpful Resources

Books:
Sensory Integration and the Child, A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D.
The Out of Sync Child, Carol Stock Kranow.
The Out of Sync Child Has Fun, Carol Stock Kranow.
Books from the Early Sign Language series (see www.garlicpress.com or local bookstores).

Community Organizations
- Courage Center and its Courage Riders Program (Stillwater)

Olivia doing exercises while riding on a horse

during the Courage Riders program.

(Taken on August 24, 2010.) 

- Early Intervention Network (through any school district)
- Family Means and its Respite Care Program (Stillwater)
- Special Children Center in Hudson (WI)

3 in 30 - August Update #1

My goals for August for the 3 in 30 challenge and the progress I've made so far is:

1. Clean the closet in Olivia's room. By cleaning the closet, Olivia will have significantly more space to put away items that are currently in her room. This will give her more floor space in her room as well as give her more space in her closet which will help her better organize her toys and clothes.

I did not work on this project this week.

2. Clean the other closet in my office. This closet has books for homeschooling, office supplies, and has become a place to store a variety of items.

Didn't work on this one either.

3. Clean the built-in cupboards in the family room. The upper shelves have canned goods and homeschooling supplies; and the lower shelves have space for homeschooling work that the girls have completed. The open cubbies in the middle have games and activities.

On the left is what the cupboards

looked like before cleaning.

On the right, is the same space 

that's organized and has more room.

This is the project I focused on this week. Sophia, Olivia, and I worked together on this one since the majority of the cupboards had things that they played with and/or past work they did for homeschooling.

The most difficult part for me was going through the canned goods and tossing the ones that I knew we weren't going to use. There were years I made too much jam and the reality is we don't use that much.

Before I think about canning a type of food, I need to look in the cupboards to determine the quantity of items I have already canned and if more needs to be canned (e.g., tomatoes, peaches). This will help prevent over-canning food that may go to waste (e.g., jam).

The last thing I learned is that I should just stick with the basic foods that I know everyone will enjoy and I'll use in cooking (e.g., strawberry jam, peach jam, blueberry jam, peaches, pears, tomatoes, applesauce). I think homemade salsa and ketchup taste better than store-bought versions. However, if no one else is going to eat them, then it doesn't make sense to spend the money or time canning these items.

For the game shelves, Sophia, Olivia, and I went item by item and determined in what pile it went: keep, donate, or trash. They were so excited to find toys and games they once played with and enjoyed. They would stop at times and play, so the process took a bit longer...but they were having fun during the process which is important.

With the doors closed, 

this is what the cupboards look like.

It's much easier now to find games, 

musical instruments, and puzzles.

The lowest shelves (behind the doors) had some of the girls' past homeschooling work. I had them go through what they wanted to keep. What they felt wasn't important they set aside in a pile. 

After they were done, I went through this to determine if it truly could be let go or if they might enjoy seeing it in the future. I agreed with 99% of their decisions. The 1% I had them hold onto were photographs, and longer-term unit studies that represented a significant amount of time. 

For example, we spent multiple years going through the American Girl series, and did multi-disciplinary activities. The binders they have are more like scrapbooks than schoolwork since there are a lot of photos in them.

By the end of the day, we had 1 1/2 bags of trash; and two bags of items to donate (by bags I mean the trash-can size bags - not little plastic shopping bags). I also have a box of canned goods that were removed.

It's a relief to have this project done before the school year begins next month.

Endless Pool + Infrared Sauna = Healthier Life

"What's one feature you would have to have in your dream home?" is the question for the Summer Blog Challenge today.

One of the things that I would enjoy using and would be beneficial is an endless pool. It's designed for exercise in the water; and is significantly smaller than a standard-size pool that is in a backyard or inside a home. Generally, they are about 7-10 feet wide and between 12-16 feet long; with a maximum depth of 6 feet.

A couple of the features of this type of pool that I like is:
- the current can be adjusted for exercising or swimming in place.
- the temperature can be set to one's preference.

An endless pool is like a swimming pool and treadmill; and can help a person needing physical therapy or to work muscles that are sore.

What would be even better would be the endless pool and infrared sauna. This type of sauna has many benefits. Some of them are that it:
- Increases Metabolism
- Relieves Muscle Pain
- Removes Toxins
- Eases Joint Pain and Stiffness
- Reduces Stress and Fatigue
- Improves Skin

Perhaps some day the endless pool and infrared sauna will be part of my home. It certainly would make it a dream home with these features.

Handmade Gifts for the Holidays

On the Summer Blog Challenge, the focus today is sharing ideas for handmade gifts. Although the winter holidays are four months away, it is easier to start making some gifts now rather than rushing and not enjoying the process in December.

A couple of gifts that I have made for others in the past that are well-received are:


- Homemade canned food. Summer is a great time to get fresh, organic produce from the farmers market, and can it.

Some of the food I canned in 2010.

- Mixes in a jar. One year I put all the dry ingredients for triple chocolate cookies in a jar and attached the directions for making them. This was one of the gifts all the people who received it enjoyed. In fact, several people asked for the recipe for the mix itself so they could make their own versions at home.

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The ideas below are ones that I have seen or heard others make that I thought sounded interesting and would make nice gifts.

- Magnets that are made with thrift store jewelry. They’re quick and easy – and inexpensive to make. All you need is an assortment of jewelry, pliers, magnets, and glue gun. There are many images on the internet for inspiration as well as a DIY tutorial.


- Sugar scrub. This is for people who like to take care of their skin and make it smooth. There are plenty of instructions and images on the internet for scrubs. This is one DIY tutorial that is worth trying.

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Many years ago, I  was an active participant on Swap-Bot. Swap-bot is a online service that organizes group swaps. It organizing all of the participant information and does all of the partner assignments. On Swap-bot, you can host swaps, join swaps, and chat with other swappers from all over the world.

There were many interesting ideas for swaps that I thought would make meaningful holiday gifts. They are more labor-intensive than the gift ideas above since they are meant to be used over a longer time period.

- Monthly Letters. The gift is 12 letters to the recipient that are meant to be opened once every month in the upcoming year. Each envelope is sealed and marked with the month. Also include one envelope with an introduction letter explaining a little bit about the gift.


Each envelope should have a minimum of one page of writing as well as a small flat item. Some ideas include: found art, a drawing, stickers, bookmark, a photograph, or something else that the gift recipient would like. Make sure that each item is different each month. 


In addition to these 12 letters, include a birthday card on the gift recipient's birthday month and one other card (e.g., Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day).


In each letter, you could write about yourself and what you like to do that particular month; and the other half could be about inspiring or guiding the gift recipient through the month.


These are some themes that were suggested for each month. They can be used if needed, or come up with some new ones.

- January: Begin or Become
- February: Love
- March: Create or Hope
- April: Connect or Feel
- May: Inspire
- June: Progress or Live
- July: Give
- August: Miss
- September: Heal
- October: Hope or Take
- November: Remember
- December: Achieve or End

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- Homemakers Journal/Culinary Scrapbook. Decorate the front and back of a composition notebook (the one with black and white speckles on it). 

The notebooks have 100 pages, and for this journal plan to use 75 pages, leaving 25 pages for the gift recipient to put her kitchen recipes or tips in. Use one page for each item, and do not write on back of any page.

If the recipe or tip is short, decorate around the page in any way preferred. Remember to keep the pages relatively thin so the journal will close easily.

Below is what to put in the journal:

- 20 favorite hand-written recipes (6 main courses, 8 side dishes, and 6 desserts)
- 20 magazine recipes cut out neatly (6 main courses, 8 side dishes, and 6 desserts)
- 10 crockpot recipes (can be either hand-written, photocopied, or cut out from a magazine)
- 5 cookie recipes
- 15 tips to help in the kitchen
- 5 of your favorite appliances or gadgets and why you like them

As for the remaining 25 pages that the gift recipient fills in, share some ideas about what to include:

- Anything that the gift recipient hand writes or does in calligraphy. Write down things that come to mind during cooking and/or cleaning, when guests leave a party, and so on. Add culinary and kitchen quotes, advice from parents and grandparents, and more.

- Hand written notes, letters, recipes, and so on from others. These are particularly special additions.

- Favorite family recipes and recipes handed down the generations. Ask parents and grandparents for their favorite recipes.

- Menus the gift recipient has enjoyed, grocery lists s/he has , and/or lists of product prices (this could be done every few years to see how the price of groceries change. It might be quite surprising!). These could be full-sized or scaled down to fit a few per page.

- A directory of stores the gift recipient frequently shop at for groceries and cooking supplies along with numbers and latest "finds."

- Photos of food s/he prepares and/or pictures of kitchens where s/he makes food.

- Labels on canned and boxed goods; fresh fruits and vegetables; and unusual ones on rarely-bought items.

- Paper clips can be added to hold little fragments and slips of paper, receipts, and other little pieces along the edge of the papers or in hand made pockets.

- A list of each person's favorite foods, least-liked foods, and staples you keep for each person.

- Notes on herbal care, varieties planted and used, ways used, herbal remedies, and more.

- Essential oils and how to use them in washing dishes, mopping the floor, disinfecting, and so forth.

*~*~*~*~*~*

- Gifts in Nested Boxes. This is more of a way to package gifts than it is a handmade gift. Gather a variety of gifts and boxes in different sizes. Each of the boxes must fit inside each other. 


For instance: you could use a 32-count matchbox inside a 250-count matchbox inside a box a little larger than that. 


Boxes can also be any shape and it's nice if each one is wrapped or decorated. 


This also can be done with envelopes of varying sizes. You can either use pre-made envelopes or make your own envelopes out of decorative or scrapbooking paper, or wallpaper.

Example of nested envelopes I made

from wallpaper samples.

*~*~*~*~*~*

- Handwritten Recipe Book. This is a variation on the idea above, just focusing on recipes that are favorite ones. Each one should be handwritten rather than cut from a magazine or photocopied.

If there are hand-written recipes from grandparents or great grandparents, those could be included also. Even ask relatives (e.g., siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins) and request those special recipes. Ask if they would hand write the recipes to include in the recipe book. In this way, the recipe book turns more into a legacy gift that would be a good gift for a child, teenager, or young adult who is just starting out on his/her own.

Put the recipes on only the right side pages. So, when they each are making the recipe, they can take a few pictures, print them, and include them into their recipe book as the left page.

This will be a treasure book of memories and treats the gift recipient will make now, that they can share when they have a family of their own. They will be able to pull out their childhood recipe book and go through them with their children. 


I like this idea because it is similar to one of the things that Sophia, Olivia, and I have done this past year for homeschooling: creating recipe scrapbooks. 

Sophia did one in in which she made one recipe for each letter of the alphabet. (The recipes were from the children's cookbook called Alpha-Bakery that is produced by Gold Medal Flour.) I took a picture of each recipe she made, and then she placed the photograph on a typed copy of the recipe. Her cookbook is in a 8 1/2" x 11" binder, and each page is in a clear page-protector.


Olivia's photographs are included in her Five in a Row Cookbook. The cookbook is designed so there is space by the recipes to place photographs of what she made. This book will be used over three homeschool years, so it will be a wonderful memory of time spent in the kitchen learning and making food.

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- Book of Adjectives. Make a book honoring someone special. For example, say someone is 40 years old. Staple together 40 sheets of paper and decorate each one with an adjective describing something that you love about that person. 


This kind of gift does not need to be fancy. Simply folding a few 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of paper in half and stapling them at the center is all you need to start--the real power is in what you say. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Although handmade gifts take more time and effort than store-purchased gifts, they are unique, thoughtful, and show the recipients that you care about them.