Resurrection Lapbook

This is not done, but I wanted to post it so that anyone else who wants to make use of some of the games can do so. I googled "Resurrection Lapbook", "Easter Lapbook", "Passover Lapbook". I wanted something fun for Stacia to work on while we work on our Passover Lapbook. I wanted this book to be durable and so I laminated many of the "moving parts" of the book.

THANK you to Arielle and Nolan who spent time this afternoon cutting out game pieces, eggs, laminating etc. It's all ready for us to enjoy and for Stacia to color.

Front Cover....Plain and simple...the BIG thing is that I finally figured out how to keep these things closed - Velcro. I've been looking for magnets.


First Extension - Easter Bingo

I made 3 extras so that the kids can play.

Flip side of Bingo Extension - Empty Tomb

This is a favorite.

Main section - Resurrection Eggs

I was excited to find these. They go along with our Resurrection Eggs. You can print them as black/white or colored. I didn't want TOO much coloring for Stacia to do.

2nd Extension - Salvation booklet, Life of Jesus Booklet & a coloring sheet


Flip Side - Bingo Pieces & and an Easter Memory Game


This was another totally "free" lapbook.

I originally found the idea of using eggs at Just Call me Jamin's blog....not my son...This is a wonderful blog with a lot of samples of lapbooks. I plan to visit often!!!!

I got the templates for the Eggs and the cover at LapbookLessons.com. The link may not work, as you do need to sign up, but the templates are cute and free.

The He is Risen craft, the memory games and more coloring sheets can be found at Christian Preschool Printables. I printed more than we could use. The Salvation Minibook also came from here.

I haven't a clue what DLTK stands for...but their selection of crafts, coloring pages and Minibooks are awesome. The Life of Jesus Minibook came from DLTK.

I'm so uncreative. I LOVE that there are so many free, resources available on the Internet. I'm pretty good at copying a template. ::snort::

You can see more of our lapbooks at Our Lapbooks Page.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

Language Programs...

AGAIN!

We've used Rosetta Stone for years. It was THE homeschool program when Bre and Krista were young and we needed to X the box for foreign language. We've done Chinese, German and Spanish.

I bet you think this post is about Japanese again? Don't you? NO.....

I'm perplexed. All of our 4 older children have used Rosetta Stone. ALL have taken two years to do level 1 and were awarded 2 credits. (We have version 1 and version 2). Jared is currently working on German. He asked me today if he should just take 1/4 credit for level 1 of German. I was SURE it was usually worth 2 credits and wondered why the strange question. He's about 1/2 way done with level 1. He's spent less than 20 hours on it. Twenty hours does NOT add up to 1 high school credit. He's done the workbooks. His scores are high 90's and 100's. I knew that RS had a new homeschool version out and I began to suspect that our German was the "new one" and must be worth 1 credit instead of 2 credits for level 1. I just got off the phone with RS. We have version 2. They INSIST that level 1 is worth either 1 COLLEGE credit or 2 HIGH SCHOOL credits. This has proven true by counting hours with the older kids...but good grief. Jared's done a credit worth of German in less than 20 hours. I suspect this man child has an aptitude for language. I'm going to call NARHS. I am certain Louise will tell me to award him the credit regardless of the hours....I am still perplexed. HOW has he done what the others pulled their hair out over in less than 20 hours?

Just to tie this in with Japan ::snort:: Jared has been talking about learning German and Japanese and I've been telling him, "NO, that's impossible"....I'm starting to think it may be possible for him.

Japanese - Lisa (homeschool Mom) and a "knowledgeable gentleman" (Linquist by trade) have both told me that Rosetta Stone is not a great program for Japanese. I purchased for $10 the first 10 lessons of Pimsleur and we're learning to understand and speak Japanese. Mr. "knowledgeable gentleman" recommends Pimsleur to learn how to speak and understand languages (any of them). I then discovered this program is FREE at the base library - I don't feel bad about purchasing the intro program. I can load it to an MP3 player, I can leave it with the older kids to learn before they visit etc. I think THIS is what we'll do until we get to Japan. It's true that Pimsleur doesn't teach writing or reading....but we plan to take lessons with Japanese teachers in Japan. This will get us going. Plan made...sort of. I'm still wrestling with buying either Tell Me More or Pimsleur NOW so that it can be shipped to me before we move. ::snort::

Really....I'm writing all this to avoid facing the fact that I HAVE TO SEE THE DENTIST TODAY....and I don't want a crown, a root canal or any such thing....thank you very much.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

New Map

We loved the map we had a year ago. It was a blast to watch various countries "sign in"....alas, after a year the map reset. That was a bummer. ::snort::

I saw a new map on, my friend, Dorothy's blog. Please consider scrolling down in the sidebar until you see the little bravenet map icon and adding a pin for your location. (It's below the "Sites of Interest" and before the Feedjit box). The cool thing about this map is you can leave a little note too. I don't think it will reset in a year.... now off to the gym.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

Tuesday Recap

We did school.

Arielle, Nolan and Stacia had drama club. 12 May is the last day.

I had Nolan's ARD appointment. We are on schedule to have him dismissed from speech program. I met yet another lady whose dh had been stationed in Misawa years ago - "twice".

Picked up kids from drama.

Talked with Krista for a nice long time.

Did a bit of housework - and I mean a tiny bit.

Bible Study.

Stayed after to talk with several ladies. I'm going to miss "my ladies".

Starting lesson number 2 in Japanese. I'm STILL waiting to learn "excuse me, where's the bathroom?"

Got two boys and one girl down...Stacia is still fussing.

I rounded out the day with a few random phone calls, a trip to return a huge stack of overdue Passover and Japan books, conversations with kids and the gym.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

Random Colonial Trivia

The Swedish colonists of Delaware were the first to begin building LOG CABINS with stone fireplaces OUTSIDE of the cabin. This model spread throughout the colonies and into the western frontier. Most other colonies of the time had homes made of thatch that were prone to chimney fires.

{Hmmm....we're having so much fun sharing our random Japanese finds that we may make this a common blog feature - Random Homeschool Trivia. }

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

Have You Heard?

We're Moving! And this is a post about STACIA'S MOVING BOOK!!

I have been kicking around an idea for a moving book but didn't find quite what I wanted at my normal free lapbook sites. We set out to make our own. I'm quite proud of this because...we found our own clip art, we made our own plan of what we wanted to include and I LET STACIA DO MUCH OF IT HERSELF!!!! For those who know of my aversion to mess and imperfection this signals God has done a great work in my heart. Honest.

I started by having Arielle take photos of the thing that everyone most wanted to be sure was packed for our upcoming move. I printed the photos out and laminated them.

Pretty representative: bookshelf, dolls, play kitchen, laptop, dinosaur collection, action figures, kayak...

Front cover - Stacia's moving on a plane...and there is also a map which shows our projected road trip.

We have a middle extension....this side has 4 monthly calendars that I printed at 50% normal from Organized Home. The hearts in May are Arielle's birthday/Jamin's Graduation. The circled date in June is when we expect to leave TX. The X in July is our report NLT date.

The other side shows a map of Japan and has a pocket for stickers. Stacia will either X each day or place a sticker on each day until we leave San Angelo, get on the plane etc. I think I need to go buy some smaller stickers to fit the calendars.

This is the open spread. The boxes, truck, boat and Misawa sign are all pockets. Note that Stacia cut up and glued the map on the right hand side "all by herself". She also pasted all sorts of red things with black writing all over in the book. She's proud.

We've talked about the move all afternoon. She's enjoyed moving the "things" from the "toy box" (which had to be improvised after she colored the top left hand toy box) through the various stages of the move. Here are our favorite things. First they'll go into a box. (Hmmm, I should probably get some photos of movers.)

Then they'll go into the truck.

Then our things will go on to a boat....

Then they'll arrive in Misawa. (Hmmm, I should add boxes at this end to unpack).

These last four photos are not accurate. That "laptop" used in the photos will never go into a box. It will go into a carry on, into the trailer and then on to the plane. ::snort:: We are not sure WHAT to do about Jared's kayak.

As Stacia and I worked on this this afternoon I realized how often I run to Office Depot for laminating stuff, folders, brads, colored paper....and realize I'm going to have to be much more organized based on comments I received from my question on Misawa Home Educators about office supplies. ::snort::

Liz A (Woot! A reader from Misawa) - click here (link is in sidebar too) for a handout I made of my favorite lapbook links. Homeschool Share - has lots of great, free, lapbooks to "prime the pump". You can find lapbooks that go along with children's books or topics...we used them for our Knight Books and our Viking Books earlier in the year. Stacia came up with her first lapbook all on her own.
You can see more of our lapbooks at Our Lapbooks Page.
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

You Know it's a Peculiar Day When.....

...a man with a BIG badge shows up on your doorstep and asks to speak with Josiah or Jamin G. I was trying to remember WHERE I'd put the HSLDA phone number, because this guy sure looked official and I wasn't sure I wanted him in my house....but then I realized Josiah graduated 2 years ago so it couldn't be HSLDA.

It turns out a friend of theirs is applying for a very secret Intel clearance...in fact he's a student at the base. Shew.

We are slogging away on our studies of Colonial America.

We got everything out to work on our Japan book....

We got side-tracked by lunch.

Then Speech. Nolan took a test and they said he is making all the sounds correctly except "ar" in the ending position. I have an ARD meeting tomorrow and expect we'll agree to dismiss him from the program.

By the time I got home the kids really didn't want to do more school.

Arielle was working on a Princess lapbook.

I printed out stuff for Stacia to make an Easter lapbook. I'll try to post resources later.

Stacia and I made a Moving Book.

The inspection on base began today. Prayers are welcome...for the base to shine as it is a GOOD base and they've worked very hard to portray their strengths.

Mike isn't home yet - but he said he'd be home early.....so....I think I'll go ahead and eat. ::snort::

{Intel - Intelligence career field in the military; ARD - Admission, Review and Dismissal review}

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.