Thursday, January 21, 2010

Spelling Blocks

So Spelling has kind of always been a subject in which we've struggled with here at Ruby Slippers. Poor Biggest Sis has had to endure many trials and error when it comes to Spelling and unfortuantely this year, although better, is still much of the same. Well one day I was pondering how to make it easier for Biggest to spell word with more than one syllable. I figured that since she needs to take most things in small pieces in order to better learn I felt that maybe I could do the same with spelling. Well, I belive that the Lord put this little gem in to my head. I was thinking about how to break down the word into syllables and then some how "build" them back again into a word. Well, all of a sudden it hit me...LEGOS!! Of course! I could have her build longer words by attatching them to Legos and having her build them by connecting the Legos.
Brilliant huh?! I though so!! So I began writing each syllable for all 10 of her Spelling words onto small pieces of index cards. (Make sure that the are only as wide as your Legos or you'll have to do some overlapping upon connecting them). I attatched a piece of tape to each block and then an index card to each. Once accomplished I spread them all out on the table in random order (she later went and organized them by color...) and called her over to the table.

Upon explination of the activity Biggest got excited, she LOVES "active" learning and preferrs it to writing. Anyway, as Biggest sat at the table I sat on the couch and called out a word to her. She was then to find each part of the word, connect the words as she believed they would go together and then spell the word out. She LOVED this and did WONDERFULLY!!!

I think by breaking the words down like that and putting them in smaller more managable pieces she was able to do a few things:

1. learn to spell words by syllables instead of letter by letter
2. remember each word easier because it made more sense to her by recalling the syllable groups come time for the test
3. and most importantly she was able to face Spelling without feeling overwhelmed and frightened!!! YAY!!

Don't you just love those "Ah-ah" moments that you have as a homeschooling Mom?!






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So here is the video that I mentioned in an earlier post. I know that I'm blogging a lot today and probably fillin up your Inboxes from snippets of my life but I only have so much free time now and have to cram as much into those few spare moments as possible! So, now you see what the fruit of getting homeschool done at 10:30 in the morning leaves me to do!!

We thought that Littlest was just too cute riding this thing! It amazed us also how she figured out how to make the three wheeler go on her own...must get her smarts from her Mama?! ;) She's so cute, hope you enjoy watching her...and if you don't just humor me please!





Thanks for stopping by!!
Mama Mac.
So here is the video that I mentioned in an earlier post. I know that I'm blogging a lot today and probably fillin up your Inboxes from snippets of my life but I only have so much free time now and have to cram as much into those few spare moments as possible! So, now you see what the fruit of getting homeschool done at 10:30 in the morning leaves me to do!!

We thought that Littlest was just too cute riding this thing! It amazed us also how she figured out how to make the three wheeler go on her own...must get her smarts from her Mama?! ;) She's so cute, hope you enjoy watching her...and if you don't just humor me please!





Thanks for stopping by!!
Mama Mac.

Simple Woman's Daybook


Outside my window...soggy wet grass, mushy mud and gray, rainy and dreary skies...oh where is the beautiful sunshine of yesterday?
I am thinking...are the kiddos doing their chores?
I am thankful for...a wonderful church service last night where we heard about TWO awesome answers to prayer! God IS real!!!
I am wearing...a brown shirt, jean skirt (with my PJ bottoms underneath...it's cold) pink fuzzy, warm and comfy socks...and my robe...it's cold remember?!
I am remembering...that I have eggs boiling...
I am going...NO WHERE!! Remember the gray soggy mess outside?! YUCK!!
I am currently reading...How to Have a Mary Heart in a Martha World.
I am hoping...that I can memorize 5 verses from Proverbs 31 in Spanish this month.
On my mind...wondering when Mr. Mac will be home.
Noticing that...there sounds like too much playing going on to be chores.
Pondering these words..."Mommy, you sound like you're not coming yet..." ;)
From the kitchen...my eggs, crumbs and a very messy baby in her high chair.
Around the house...got to straighten up our Master bath...fold laundry and maybe get some Modge Podging done?!
And one of my favorite things...crazy songs coming from my singing-lovin' children.
From my picture journal...
Happy 8th birthday to Biggest Sis!!!!!

Check out more Simple Woman Daybooks from this lovely lady's blog!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy

Simple Woman's Daybook


Outside my window...soggy wet grass, mushy mud and gray, rainy and dreary skies...oh where is the beautiful sunshine of yesterday?
I am thinking...are the kiddos doing their chores?
I am thankful for...a wonderful church service last night where we heard about TWO awesome answers to prayer! God IS real!!!
I am wearing...a brown shirt, jean skirt (with my PJ bottoms underneath...it's cold) pink fuzzy, warm and comfy socks...and my robe...it's cold remember?!
I am remembering...that I have eggs boiling...
I am going...NO WHERE!! Remember the gray soggy mess outside?! YUCK!!
I am currently reading...How to Have a Mary Heart in a Martha World.
I am hoping...that I can memorize 5 verses from Proverbs 31 in Spanish this month.
On my mind...wondering when Mr. Mac will be home.
Noticing that...there sounds like too much playing going on to be chores.
Pondering these words..."Mommy, you sound like you're not coming yet..." ;)
From the kitchen...my eggs, crumbs and a very messy baby in her high chair.
Around the house...got to straighten up our Master bath...fold laundry and maybe get some Modge Podging done?!
And one of my favorite things...crazy songs coming from my singing-lovin' children.
From my picture journal...
Happy 8th birthday to Biggest Sis!!!!!

Check out more Simple Woman Daybooks from this lovely lady's blog!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy

Three wheeler...

 

 

 

 



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Krissy
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Three wheeler...

 

 

 

 



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Krissy
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Three wheelin' pictures...

And still we have more, this time with Big Sis helping out...
 

 

 

 



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Krissy
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Three wheelin' pictures...

And still we have more, this time with Big Sis helping out...
 

 

 

 



Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy
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Here are some more pictures of Littlest and her three wheeler...






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Krissy
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Here are some more pictures of Littlest and her three wheeler...






Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy
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Going for a ride

The kids were given a couple of small three wheelers from some friends of ours a couple of weeks back. We've had such cold weather that they hadn't been able to enjoy them but, the sun came out this week and warmed us up enough to allow them to go out and enjoy the outdoors for a little while. Here are some pictures of Biggest and Littlest enjoying that three wheeler. I have a video that I'm gonna upload soon too that it just so adorable!! Enjoy!





Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy
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Going for a ride

The kids were given a couple of small three wheelers from some friends of ours a couple of weeks back. We've had such cold weather that they hadn't been able to enjoy them but, the sun came out this week and warmed us up enough to allow them to go out and enjoy the outdoors for a little while. Here are some pictures of Biggest and Littlest enjoying that three wheeler. I have a video that I'm gonna upload soon too that it just so adorable!! Enjoy!





Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy
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Monday, January 4, 2010

A blessing from above...

For quite some years now I have always wanted an armoire for our living room. For many reasons however it has always seemed to be out of reach. But this weekend the Lord greatly blessed my little heart! The family had gone down to a little Thrift Shop here in town to drop off some items that we no longer needed. When we walked in I saw not one but TWO armoires sitting there. One was very tall and a beautiful cherry color and the other considerable shorter with a darker walnut colored finish. I immediately went to Jerry and asked him if we could get one. Once inspecting them both he said that he wasn’t really thrilled with either of them….but after a little more “coaxing” from me he said that if the smaller one were a little cheaper that he’d be more apt to get it. Now I am certainly not a negotiator by nature…as a matter of fact I really shy away from trying to bargain a price because I feel uncomfortable doing it but I wanted that thing so bad that I went ahead and asked if they would take any less. They said that they would take a little bit of the price off and we ended up walking out with a very nice armoire for under $40 (and I don’t mean $39.99 like the store ads do when they say that!)
This little event really just thrilled my heart! You see, it may seem kind of vain and maybe even amiss to have asked and longed for an armoire for so many years but I feel that it was just the Lord’s way of saying that even something as silly as an armoire will be supplied by Him to those that He loves if they delight in Him. Now I am by no means perfect…in fact I’m for sure the worst sinner I know…but I love my Lord, try to serve Him wholeheartedly and obey even when it’s hard. Now I know that He won’t always bless materialistically like this but I praise Him for His goodness to me this weekend!! I can’t help but sigh and smile contentedly when I look at our “new living room!”
Here she is.................................
Now for the inside.....I know, our TV is small and not in color but hey, doesn't it look great in there?!
Even though you can't really tell from this picture the kids are just as excited about this thing as I am!!!!






Thanks for stopping by!!
Krissy