Reflections On This Year's Birthday

Well, my birthday is Monday. No, it's not a milestone year. No, I'm not the only one in the world celebrating another year of life. But, yes I will be celebrating this year in a different way.

The pandemic has changed lives for all of us. For us, it is just as unique as it is for you perhaps.

Every year since about 2010, my husband and three children have gone on tour around this time of year. My husband is a musician, and he would book gigs up in Wisconsin and Michigan We love it up there around this time time year because the weather where we live is blazing hot and humic, but Wisconsin and Michigan tend to be cooler. Plus, kids were traditionally going back to school. This meant our kids, who are homeschooled, and us had the run of the place to ourselves.

We were spoiled!

Every year, we would try to be in my favorite spot on Lake Michigan on or around my birthday to celebrate. On years it wasn't on my birthday, we tried to make it our anniversary which is in July.

Not this year!

Actually, not the last two years either.

In 2018, my husband took a position on a cruise ship that put him onboard on my birthday. So, we headed up north earlier that year. But, I still got to go and visit my favorite spot.

Last year, 2019, my husband suffered a life-threatening event in May. By God's grace, we were able to still travel up to Wisconsin for a few days only but made it to my favorite spot once again even though it was later than my birthday. I still got to go. And, even though I had to drive the entire way this time since he had not yet been cleared to drive. By God's grace, I did it!

This year, we had planned on heading up there in July and then going back in August to visit Mackinac Island where we had spent our honeymoon and where we stayed the night with our children to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We had planned on staying at least a couple or three nights this time.

Then COVID!

I have no intention of making this political or a fight about a mask debate. I'm simply reflecting on the fact that we will not be able to go this year on my birthday, and that makes me long to go back.

I won't say I'm sad, because truth be told I'm more grateful that I've had the opportunity of experiencing Lake Michigan at all let alone on my birthday several years past. But, I will reflect on borderline deep thoughts about it all.

Since late February, we have been affected by this virus. My husband plays music at retirement centers and restaurants. Retirement centers were the first to shut down, and we first heard of these shut downs in February. Soon to follow were restaurants. Bam! Just like that all of my hard work in booking jobs for the entire year was shut down.

Honestly, I do not know what the future holds. Between my husband and my children, we have tossed around probably every scenario of possibilities. So, please don't offer your two cents unless, of course, you have a boatload of money to offer as a gift or as a salary for our work. I'm sure you mean well, but unless you have walked in my shoes for last two years, I cannot listen because you really have no idea what you are saying.

What I do know is that I believe in a God who will take care of us. In Him alone is where we place our trust.

I am grateful for every last memory I have to cling to even though some make me long to go back to places where I felt so at peace and happy. I just won't be seeing them on my birthday this year. So, I've rallied up some photos for your enjoyment from birthdays and years from our past tours to Lake Michigan.

ENJOY my birthday gift to you!

History Lesson: Thomas Edison Quotes And Inventions

On this day in history, February 11, 1847, Thomas Edison was born.  Some of the inventions he brought to the world include

Quadruplex telegraph
Incandescent light bulb
Phonograph cylinder
Carbon microphone
Movie camera
Electric power distribution
Mimeograph
Phonograph

On behalf of his birthday, I created a few memes with his famous quotes. &;Feel free to download, share, and use however you want.  As always, if you do share them, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you included a link back to my blog as the source or a mention to let me know where they end up.

If you want to use some of his quotes for copywork, here's some of my favorites:

Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how cloe they were to success when they gave up.

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.

I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.

The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.

Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged.

Quotes From Benjamin Franklin

On January 17, 1706, Benjamin Franklin was born.

I don't know about you, but I am fascinated with looking into "This Day in History" information and working lesson plans accordingly. I wanted to post this blog early enough that you could do the same.

Also, check out these articles for even more free lesson plans, printables, and information about Benjamin Franklin:

Why Benjamin Franklin Made it to the History Books
Free Benjamin Franklin Lesson Plans and Printables

Franklin said a lot that relates to education. Today, I'm going to share some of these quotes with some infographics I created. Feel free to use them as you want, though it wouldn't make me unhappy if you provided a follow-back link and a mention at Tere Scott Photography/Teachable Scotts Tots:

Quotes from famous historical figures are fun to use for handwriting copy work or memorization. Here is an extensive list of some more of his quotes that are helpful for parenting, homeschooling, day-to-day living, or budgeting finances:

• A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.
• Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.
• Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
• Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.
• Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.
• Time is money.
• Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
• I am doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion about the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it…Benjamin Franklin
• Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
• The use of money is all the advantage there is in having it.
• Remember that credit is money.
• If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some.
• Work as if you were to live a hundred years. Pray as if you were to die tomorrow.
• I didn't fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.
• The doors of wisdom are never shut.
• Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
• Write your injuries in dust, your benefits in marble.
• He that raises a large family does, indeed, while he lives to observe them, stand a broader mark for sorrow; but then he stands a broader mark for pleasure too.
• Applause waits on success…Benjamin Franklin
• He does not possess wealth; it possesses him.,,Benjamin Franklin
• To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals…Benjamin Franklin
• Games lubricate the body and the mind…Benjamin Franklin
• He that speaks much, is much mistaken…Benjamin Franklin
• Speak ill of no man; but speak all the good you know of everybody…Benjamin Franklin
• Rather go to bed without dinner than to rise in debt If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed…Benjamin Franklin If you would be loved, love, and be loveable If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins… Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning…Benjamin Franklin You may delay, but time will not It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it
• A good conscience is a continual Christmas
• Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.
• Lost time is never found again
• The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself
• Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment
• Well done is better than well said…Benjamin Franklin

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Homeschool Science Lesson - Super Moon

Another post I pulled out from 2012

Last night we not only witnessed a full moon, but what some are calling the "Super Moon"

I went out on our deck and zoomed in to snap a few pictures.  It was an amazing sight.

It happened last night, so you will have to wait to see another one if you missed it.  These pictures give you a pretty good idea of what a full Super Moon looks like.

Follow up with a fun unit study about moons.  Find a few lesson plans here:

Moonconnection.com elementary lesson plan
NASA Super Moon
Science Facts for Kids

Homeschooling Tip: Using Art To Teach Math

If you have an artist bent, you're gonna love these two amazing books out from Freddie Levin. One gives step by step instructions as to how to draw princesses and princess-related items, such as a horse and a carriage, or a castle. The other book actually teaches math by using drawing.

How can you use these in homeschool?

Draw Plus Math Enhance Math Learning Trough Art Activities by Freddie Levin is a book that does exactly what the title says. Imagine teaching/learning math without the struggles. The author takes you through a series of drawing activities which contain a math lesson.

The book starts out by teaching basic shapes, colors, and patterns using fish in a tank. It progresses to teach odd and even numbers by drawing odd-numbered eyes on an adorable alien creature, or birthday candles on a cake; learn fractions by drawing pizza slices. There are twenty lessons throughout the book. You can even learn to draw a frog, who helps you add, and then make him a special addition to your princess drawings (next book).

(The above set of 3 drawings is from my 4 year old)

The next book is a 1-2-3 Draw Princesses by Freddie Levin. This book walks you through all the steps necessary for drawing a complete princess from head to toe. But, that's not all. You can learn to draw a tiara, a horse, a carriage and a castle to go with your princess. And, there are not just your commonly-known "Disney" princesses. These princesses also include great warriors such as Nzinga, and scholars such as Eleanor or Aquitane.

Practical Lessons from the Princess book:

Let's face it, Disney does not have the market on all princesses. The author explains that a princess can be thought of in a positive light, or as a spoiled brat. A princess simply means - a daughter of a king, or a queen. In addition, there are many options to use this book, and apply it to your core lessons.

History - There are obvious history-teaching elements in this book.  The Middle Ages was the time of knights and castles. The author has included historical princesses from various countries. With each princess, there is a brief description of who she was and how she served her country. Don't see the one you want to learn about? Choose one or more princesses in history and draw elements of that princess into the princesses you choose to draw from the book. Some of the princesses included in the book are:

Eleanor of Aquitane - Princess of France
Nes Amun - Princess of Ancient Egype
Jahanara - Princess of india
Nzinga - Princess of Africa

(The above drawing is from my 9 year old)

Literature/English Skills - Begin with these fun Knights and Castles worksheets.  Then, read a story about royalty. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a good choice for starters. As you read, allow your children to select princess-like pictures from the 1-2-3 Draw Princesses book and draw along. Often, if you can keep little hands busy, while you read, the child's mind is undistracted and open to focus on the story. If what they are doing to keep their hands busy happens to also fit with what you are reading, all the better for peaceful, connected learning.

There is also a princess reading list included with the "Reading Princess" toward the back of the book.

Spelling - Use the book to pull vocabulary words for spelling, such as:

princess
queen
king
castle
tiara
carriage
horse
ballet
opera


Science -There are some fun science lessons to be learned from frogs to the physics involved in a moat.  Here's a great site to get you started with science and castles.

Math - Math involves more than the numbers 0 through 9. It also involves the use of shapes and patterns. Your child will learn shapes such as circle, triangle, square, and more complicated names and shapes, like a trapezoid. The very first thing the book explains is what these shapes are called, and what they look like. This is important, because this is the foundation of the ability to create the pictures in the book. It also lists out each drawing in a series of steps. These need to be followed in a seuential order, while the child is counting - 1, 2, 3...

Religious Studies - As a homeschooler who does so from a Christian perspective, I'm always trying to weave into my curriculum how it applies to our family's faith. This book is no different. When I read the description of why the author created this book, and what a princess is: a daughter of a king or queen", I immediately thought of how, in the Christian faith, we believe that we are all children of the king. As girls, we are princesses and our boys are princes. There is a prince, by the way, in the book for your son to draw. This description led me to remember a book that is so very helpful in teaching your little girls how to handle the world they are about to walk into as they leave childhood and grow into adolescence. It teaches her how to determine if a "prince" is really a "prince" or just someone who wants to come and "steal her goodness". The book is called "the Princess and the Kiss".

Taking the princess one step farther, you could conduct a unit study on Queen Esther. This is a Bible account that is taught during Purim. But, you could learn about her any time of the year.

I'm sure there are more learning/teaching tips within the covers of these two books. However you choose to use your 1-2-3 Draw Princesses book, or your Draw Plus Math Enhance Math Learning Through Art Activities is up to you, but the both hold tons of possibilities for learning.

Art - And, of course, you can always use the books for simply teaching art alone.  But, with so much more to learn from them, other learning is bound to happen naturally.

American Girl Doll Bunny Slippers and More

JUST A LITTLE REVAMPED BLOG FROM 2010


My son has been having issues getting his school work done. My 4 year old has been begging for mommy to play with her. So, today we took some time to simply reconnect and we made a ton of crafts.

We made little purses out of an old pair of pants. We made pom poms which we put on hair bands and my daughter added them to her boots. My 4 year old made a paper doll, and of course we had to have plenty of elephants for my elephant-loving daughter.

My favorite are the bunny slippers we made for Kit, my oldest daughter's American Girl Doll.

Do you think we can sell any of it on Etsy?