BFIAR: Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?

One of my favorite childhood books is Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom.  I can still hear my daddy reading it to me. It was truly a delight to share this with Joshua and we both had fun doing all of the activities!

We did not have any companion books, mainly because we just read about bears with Blueberries for Sal but also because I just couldn't squeeze it all in.

Our first activity was a bear hunt. Joshua wanted to do this over and over again!

I also bought the boys a matching bear card game. Maverick loved this the most, but Joshua still enjoyed it. I know we'll play this for many years!

We talked a lot about healthy vs. unhealthy food this week.  Joshua LOVES food (and that's an understatement) to the point where he eats so much it makes him sick.  I don't know what happened the first two years of his life to cause these issues, but he is getting better.   This was a great opportunity to discuss being grateful for what we have and trusting that mommy/daddy give him the right amount of food.

We made a Jesse Bear lunch! "Carrots and peas, and a little more please, celery crunch and sprouts in a bunch, an apple to bite and a mustache of white, juice from a pear and rice in my hair."  We had ants on a log instead of sprouts. And I had to add some protein.

a mustache of white

We learned how to measure in inches. This was Joshua's first time using a ruler!

We also worked on rhyming words and patterns. These are difficult, but I've seen so much improvement this year!

I think the most fun activity was designing our own kitchen floor to look like Jesse Bear's! We used circles, squares, triangles, and lines.  Joshua is so neat and has such joy on his face when we do things like this.  I'm working on not being so OCD and letting them just be kids... it's incredibly hard for me!!

Another one of the things we discussed was the American flag. It's shown a few times in the book so this was a wonderful introduction.  It was also perfect because the Olympics are coming up! We were able to talk about flags, what they mean, athletes from the all around the world competing, and so on. Joshua became so excited about this we decided to have an Olympics party!! (more on that later)

Another one of the many things I enjoy with homeschooling is knowing exactly what my kids are learning about.  I can see what excites them and feed them more information in that area, igniting the fuel for them to learn all they can! And I get to see it all through their eyes. There is nothing more precious!

BFIAR: Blueberries for Sal

Because we did not finish Before Five in a Row during the school year as planned, I decided to do a few books over the summer and next year as we're feeling stressed and need a change of pace. 

In June we rowed Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.  This was a childhood favorite of mine and it was such a joy to share it with my boys.  

Our companion books were about blueberries, mountains, and bears:

• Blueberries for the Queen by John and Katherine Paterson (this was a sweet book and true story!)
• Up the Mountain by Charlotte Agell
• The Walkers Go Hiking by Morrell Gipson
• Do Bears Sleep All Winter? by Melvin Berger

To start the week off, we went to pick blueberries at Blase Family Farms in Rockwall!  It was hot, but so much fun!  Joshua loved knowing he was going to use these blueberries to make special treats.  We also listened for the "kuplink kuplank kuplunk" sounds. 

We made blueberry pancakes, smoothies, popsicles, and muffins! 

Our muffins didn't turn out at all, but it was a great opportunity to teach the boys about perseverance and trying again.  Even the second batch wasn't perfect, but that just means we can make more muffins!

We completed a little book about prepositions, putting little bear in various places.

beginning sounds worksheet

Joshua drew a mountain and we added Little Sal and her mother, Little Bear and his mother.  Then he used fingerprints to make blueberry bushes.

This row was a lot of fun... and yummy!! Mommy definitely needs to hit the gym. 

grafted

I am loving, let me say it again, LOVING this tabs system for reading the Bible. It has brought me such joy and delight and I truly look forward to it every day.  God is just so cool!

It amazes me that the Bible, written thousands of years ago, can still apply to us today.  And no matter how many times we read it, He will always be faithful to show us something new.  There's enough material that it never gets old!

We heard a sermon in church on Sunday from David Barton about how well our founding fathers knew the Bible.  It blew me away!  We know so little and it's one of the reasons our country is spiraling out of control.  God has been faithful to show me that what He says in Joshua 1 is foundational to our success in life: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."  This is our family verse for this year, and the tabs system has helped us implement God's command. For the first time in a long time, we are BOTH reading His Word daily, taking notes, and being careful to apply it to our lives... something only God gets credit for!

Today I was reading in Acts 13 about how salvation is offered to the Jew first and then the Gentiles (vs 46-47). The Lord showed me this is how I should view my relationship with Joshua. He has been chosen by God to be grafted into our family, to magnify His kindness and sovereignty.  He is NOT an afterthought, or second best.  I am to welcome him with open arms, just as the father to the prodigal son did. It was never God's design for us to raise someone else's child. But He is a redemptive God with unfailing, unconditional love for all.  I have been grafted into His family and receive all the benefits as a daughter of the Most High God.  No amount of love, blessing, or promise is withheld from me, even though I am not a Jew.  As a Wright, Joshua now shares in the root of our family... which means gaining a daddy, mommy, brothers, extended family, love and acceptance, and most importantly Jesus Christ... all things he did not have before.  Nothing is to be withheld from him.

These were powerful words for me today as I continue seeking Him and His purpose in bringing Joshua into our family.  I know it serves many purposes, including our sanctification and to show us our Father's heart.  He is so, so good!

I love the words to this song "No Longer Slaves."  How humbled and grateful I am to be a child of God. My prayers are that Joshua will know the depths of the love of his heavenly Father and that our bond will be strengthened and irreplaceable.

You unravel me with a melody, You surround me with a song 

Of deliverance from my enemies, 'til all my fears are gone

I'm no longer a slave to fear

I am a child of God

From my mother's womb, You have chosen me, love has called my name

I've been born again, into Your family, Your blood flows through my veins

I'm no longer a slave to fear

I am a child of God

You split the sea so I could walk right through it

My fears were drowned in perfect love

You rescued me, And I could stand and sing

I am a child of God

I'm no longer a slave to fear

I am a child of God

field trips

We've been on two field trips since I last posted!! Where does the time go?

In April, we went to Soul Honey to tour a bee farm! It was our largest group yet and so much fun!  The sweetest family owns and runs the farm/field trips.  She educated us about bees, showed us the hives, and the garden she's growing to attract more bees. They had a large playscape for the kids to play on and sold many products in their store.  I hope to visit them every few years to help their business and see how they grow!

* * * * * * * * * *

In May, we went to the Dallas Museum of Art for a private lesson on Art Olympics where we studied art from ancient Greece and Rome.  Our teacher, Leah, was awesome!! She really got the kids attention and it was right at their level. We had another great turnout which always makes it more fun.

The kids did a parade like the Opening Ceremony.

They learned about the ancient olympics and how they are different now. They acted out different sports (track, swimming, discus, etc).

They each decorated their own medal for something they excel at.

Joshua won the medal for riding his bike!

unfortunately, some kids are missing from this picture

Afterward, we enjoyed lunch at Klyde Warren Park. We got pizza from a food truck and it was YUMMY! The kids played at a playground/splashpad nearby. It was so nice!!

I'm so glad I took the leap and formed this field trip group! I am looking forward to next year, and making a few minor changes.  I have so many fond memories from the field trips I went on as a child and hope to give my boys the same opportunities.