Delicious Cake!!

Doesn't this cake look yummy?? All 4 layers have a different taste, though when the flavors mix together,Oh my!
My daughter M (11) has been on a cooking frenzy recently when it comes to baking cakes. She started with boxed cake mixes and moved on into homemade cakes complete with home made icing. She has prepared a cake everyday for the last week, she is my little Betty Crocker! She really enjoys her time in the kitchen and I am so proud of her for the fact that she does this on her own. This, in my book, is another great reason to home school for us. My kiddos can explore and see where their interest/talents are, what they enjoy doing and delve into it. Right now my daughters interest are in cooking and that's all right with me.

The Great Money Tree

Have you ever owned a money tree? Well, we have or should I just say that (J), my son has. It was about a year or so ago that my hubby brought home a money tree, so green and beautiful. Well, my youngest son, who was 6 at the time, seen it and thought it was so cool to own a money tree so he inherited it although I kept it in my bedroom so that it would get plenty of light and just the correct amount of watering so it would flourish.. What was I thinking

First thing every single morning, (J) would come to my room to check on his money tree and collect whatever it had grown during the night. He would excitedly take all his loot to his room for safe keeping. This went on for months & months!! First the tree grew $5.00 bills, then $2.00 bills, then slowly it would only put on 1 or 2 $1.00 bills during the night with some change added in here and there. (J) loved it! Who wouldn't???

As time went on, the same thing happened every morning. (J) came in my room, collected his loot & left to go stash it. Well, my hubby and I found out that (J) loved the quarters that the wondrous tree would some how create during the night. He acted as if he had found gold. (See, His older brothers have a collection of all the State quarters and (J) liked knowing that he had some of them too). Well, what exciting news for us, the parents, the guardians and care takers of said tree. :0)

So, the little Money Tree kept churning out lots of quarters and dimes for a period of time. Then the tree started looking a little frazzled, finally (J) decided that he would really like it if the tree were kept in his room. Whoo-hoo, mom thinks to self! After a little more time the poor tree just dried up and whithered away although not after lots of $$$$.

Now every time (J) and I are in town shopping and I happen to see one of these glorious trees out of the corner of my eye, I grab (J) by the hand and find something, anything to distract his attention away from the Great Money Tree. I don't think I can afford another one. :0)

Density in Nature experiment C & M

August 16, 2007

Today the kids and I did an experiment in science, we use Apologia General Science for the two middle kids. They are studying the history of science, the different scientists and what they are known for. Today their experiment was on Density in nature (Atoms). First they did the experiment and then had to draw what they had seen occur in their science notebooks and write why certain things happened. Very neat experiment, although I wished we'd used dark corn syrup instead of the light, it would have showed the layers a lot differently to the kids. Oh well, I am sure there will be a next time.

First Day of School

Today started a fresh new year for us. I'm excited and I sure hope the kids are too. I have a wonderful year planned with lots of adventure. Here's a few photos of "Back to School-2007"

J (8)

M-(11)

C1 (15)
C2-(13)
S-(16)

School house photos

This is our one room school house where we spend a lot of our time. I have 5 children and each one needs their space to do their school work. Can you really have enough space...I don't think so, especially when you home school. There is just too many great books, computer software programs, hands on items for learning. The list just goes on and on.
Anyway, this is our learning area. I love our little school house. The children can really concentrate on what they are doing without a lot of interruptions that we used to have when we did our schooling in our home. (Our little school house is only a hop-skip-and jump from our house, we walk down our little 50 ft. walkway every morning to school)