Excited about new beginnings

You ever have those back to school jitters...the good kind?  Or can't fall asleep the night before your big week at summer camp?  I feel like that tonight.  It's a mix between finally feeling 100% well after being sick all year, starting our school year for 2010, getting back into MFW units, a GREAT day worshiping with church family today...with new friendships budding, and my new love for frugal crafting....all rolled into one big jittery sleepless ball.

Tomorrow (*technically it's today) will be our first day back in school after the break, and I am excited.  I have just finished pulling all the necessary materials, books , etc. for our workboxes.  The MFW theme for the week is Water; Jesus gives my spirit living water to drink.  How awesome is that going to be to teach my son that amazing truth!?!  See below for just a tiny taste of the theme.

Here's a look into our workboxes for tomorrow:

1. Circle Time/Binder (Math)
   
2. PE-Pop in an exercise video and do with kids...leading into the next box...
   
3. MFW theme- Create a situation in which the child is thirsty. (see above!)  Ask him, "Are you thirsty? I have some water for you.  If you want water, you have to come to me and ask me for some water."  (Give him water then discuss...)  "You were very thirsty so you came to me and asked me, and I gave you water.  It was good wasn't it?"  Everything that is living needs water.  Without water, it will die.  Remember on "Leaf" week- I will live and grow in Jesus, that silly leaf that wanted to live apart from the plant?  The leaf didn't get any water so it died....(Btw, James got sooo upset when I took a leaf off of our plant.  He started crying and was really mad at me that I had hurt the leaf.  He kept on asking why I would do that to it...so to bring this up tomorrow will be interesting to say the least!!!)  The inside part of you, the "real" part of you, is called your spirit.  Spirits get thirsty, too.   If somebody doesn't know Jesus, their spirit is very thirsty.  But it isn't thirsty for real water, it is thirsty for Jesus. Our spirits need Jesus.  Jesus is like water for our spirit. (it goes on from here...but isn't MFW great?) 
   
4. Science- Introduce water as a liquid.  Pouring coin and then water into different shaped containers. Compare and Contrast in science journal.  Start our liquid/solid/gas chart for the week.  List and draw pictures of different examples of liquids.
5. Bible- Isaiah 55:1,3   John 4:14   John 7:37-39   Show flashcard and repeat/memorize theme words. Sing a fun song that goes with theme/memory verse.
   
6. Art- Illustrate these verses or week's theme with water colors.
7. LUNCH =)
8. Unit Books from book basket (cuddle time in bed or couch!  Afterwards, Bella takes a nap)  **A Drop of Water by Gordon Morrison **Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss **Down comes the Rain by Franklyn M. Branley  **Water Dance by Thomas Locker 
9. Just for Fun- Make Oobleck!   Start by putting 1 1/2 cup water into a bowl and add 1 1/2 cup cornstarch...we will be adding a few drops of green too, just because the oobleck in our book is green!  Stir mixture with your hands....scoop up handfuls and SQUEEZE!  What happens?  (this can be used over and over again...if it becomes too dry, just add more water!)
10. MFW Reading Plan-Phonics Program and theme worksheets included in curriculum
    
11. Lapbook Components  (we always do a supplemental lapbook that ties in with each MFW unit.  I found some great resources from homeschoolshare.com about weather...so we will extend this "water" unit to also focus on weather.)
12. Spanish-Salsa Video/flashcard review

After he finishes the workboxes, he is free to play quietly until Bella finishes her nap.  Then they can both free play while I would start dinner, clean up a bit, computer time...

But tomorrow night, we have been invited over to dinner by a family from our new church.  I really like them (from what I know of them anyway!!!) and I am just so excited to get to know them better and my prayer is that this blossoms into a wonderful new friendship for both Mark and me...kids too!   They have two children just a bit younger than ours.  Tonight at dinner, James told me he didn't want to go (we were talking about how he could go too and play with their kids.  I asked why not (thinking he was going to say because they were younger).  He replied 'because he was shy"...so this will be a great opportunity to break out of that and get to know a new friend.  For anyone that knows him, it is hard to believe that he would be shy, but he is!  However, it only takes about 30 min. tops for him to warm up and become the crazy, bouncing off the wall, kiddo that everyone loves ;)

Look at my new FRUGAL fun craft I started yesterday...FELT FOOD...This is my new obsession!  I had "sew" much fun making these, all I used were felt, stuffing, a needle, and some thread!  All I had to purchase was some felt...I used an OLD pillow for some stuffing and had the rest already!  I know that I will be making the kids a full set of snacks and goodies.  So far I have made two donuts, eggs, and orange slices...sorry I only have pics of the donuts so far.  These are a great way to keep them QUIETLY playing during church.  Well, that's the idea anyway!  Most every other toy makes noise!  But not these...and aren't they too cute?  Now I need to get out my sewing maching so I can make a bigger variety of things, and faster too!

 

Plus, I got a new journal Friday night...actually, its just a plain old "composition" notebook...you know, the kind that's black and white?  Well, I modge-podged beautiful scrapbook paper on the front, and now its gorgeous and special and one of a kind...if I do say so myself! =)  Now I have my first memory scripture for the year written in there, and after I finishI this post..I'll go add a brand new journal entry and prayer.

So, all of that rambling above is why I am excited and can't sleep.  I am loving life and praising God for it!