FunSchool is Cool

Hey everyone just wanted to share a few little entertaining things we did this week in our homeschool. We had a pretty busy week outside of the house this week with an illness in the family so most of the week we just stuck to the basics reading, writing, and math. But saturday we had a little extra time to spare after our soccer game so we did two fun projects, the first one we have been working on the parts all week and we finally got it put together, and the 2nd was a life cycle activity that I found in our science text.

Lapbook

Since school started we have been working so hard on the addition chapter of our math book so once we got finished and took the test I figured we needed a little math fun so I went looking through all the fun math related freebees I have been collecting forever and found this A Circus of Math Lapbook I downloaded from CurrClick. (I guess I had a coupon for it because now it is 7 bucks.) The file comes as a 61 page download it includes everything that you need to create fun mini books for the 1-9 addition facts as well as 3 math games with directions describing how to put it all together. The only extras you will need are a couple of file folders and paper. I just printed mine of regular copy paper (because that is what I had on hand) but it will probably hold together better with cardstock, the lapbook pieces are all in black and white so it would also be eye catching on neon cardstock.  
 Most of the things I cut out because it was a lot of little pieces and plus I did it at night when the kids were sleeping. There were a few things that I let Olivia cut out and then I let her fill in the answers to the math fact problems and we glued or folded each book together.  I think that each day we did 3 books and then today we sat down and got our file folders out and refolded and glued all of our pieces together. This was a great way to practice the math facts and also we can use it as a fun resource we will be able to utilize when we start memorizing these facts.

 Metamorphosis

This week we learned a little about the life cycle of Insects and found this project in our Science text (see this post for the link to the free science text we use). We used construction paper strips to make a model of the 4 stages of a butterfly life cycle.

eggs



caterpillar                     chrysalis

 

butterfly

Olivia had fun doing this project (but she thought the strips would make better bracelets)

 

Although this week has been a little tiresome I am so blessed to be homeschooling. The school work may not always get done at “normal” school times but we were able to get plenty of learning accomplished.

 

What do you do when life puts a bump in your homeschool day?

-Becca

*****I just love going back and looking at how much fun we have during our school time it puts my mind at ease when I feel like things are not going as planned****

My weight loss journey

A WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

By Debra Sumner

I would like to tell everyone this has been a quick and easy process for me but that is not the case. I have been on one diet or another off and on my whole life. Losing then gaining back more. I was to the point were I didn't care and I really got up there in weight. I just found something today that said I weighed 240 lbs. It was from several years ago not sure when. I started this weight loss journey April 2012 weighing 219. I might have weighed more because I was "semi dieting" already. I don't know what made me decide "this was it" but the first thing I did was cut my soda drinking off. I woke up to sodas and went to bed with them all day everyday. I am proud to say I haven't had more than a sip since April 2012. I am a water drinker and an ice eater. I go through about 2 bags of sonic ice a week. Plus when I am out I get a large water with extra ice several times.

 

My favorite way to get exercise has always been walking. But though the years I started having problems with my feet. Every time I would start walking and losing weight I would start having problems. Then later on when I got way over weight I started having problems with my legs, hips and back. So of course I didn't want to do anything that would hurt me and put me in bed. Well I decided to see what I could do. I figured any movement was better than none right! So I secretly started doing a small amount of what I call bed exercises. I would lie in bed and do any kind of movement that didn't cause me pain. I also did things like when brushing my teeth or hair I would do heel to toe exercises. (Don’t no the names so I made up my own. LOL) when sitting I would also exercise by heel to toe and any arm exercises I could think of. I never did them in front of anyone always when I was alone. I was embarrassed but determined.

 

When I found I didn't have a lot of energy and I couldn't control my appetite I went on the search for something to help me. I tried a lot of different diet aids. Most made me feel just a little off so I moved on to another one. I was on a mission to make this work. I am not one to stay with one thing for long anyway. I can't even stay with the same exercises. I have to at least mix up the order, anyway getting off track. I finally found a couple things that work for me so I mix them up and they help me keep my appetite down and for the most part give me enough energy to make it through most days.

 

Back to my exercises I started telling a difference and started losing some weight. One morning my husband caught me doing my bed exercises and laughed at me. He is the type that thinks no pain no gain. Well I am here to tell you I can do without the pain.  He is not laughing now. I did it my way and at my pace and it has been slow but I have not given up. I am not skinny but I feel good. My ideal weight is probably around 100 to110 but that is not my goal. I am going to try for 150. I am able to walk again with the help of orthaheel shoes. I have some pain some times, and have to stop for a few days, but so far not enough to make me quit.

 

I am staying between 159 and 162 right now. Which I think might be because I am walking more and building more muscle mass (that’s what I am telling myself anyway) I am slowly changing my eating habits. My favorite sweet use to be ice cream; now I love whipped cream in the can. They have chocolate flavor at Brookshire Brother and it taste like chocolate ice cream. Sometimes I put it on top of pudding in a cup. mm mm. I love grapes right now and keep a bowl full handy for walk by munchies. 

 

 I still have cake and ice cream at parties, eat extra butter popcorn now and again, and fried foods too just not as often. I am really fighting with chili cheese French fries from sonic right now. I try to share with the kids so I think I am eating more than I am LOL. There is so many things I have done on my journey I can't even remember all of them. Is all I know is I didn't take the fast track like before so I hope it will be a life change this time and I won't slide back into my size 18- 20 clothes.(which I got rid of)

So this is my words of wisdom I would like to pass on to you:

Do not worry about how your suppose to do it. If you do an exercise and it causes you pain try it a different way. Any movement is better than none (even if you have to sit or lay to do it). Make up your own program as you go, change a few things at a time.

 

Set small goals. Try different things. If it does not work change it. It’s your body and your choice. It’s your plan, do what works for you. One week it might be one thing and the next something different all together if it works do it. I don't even think it is important to stick to one plan of action forever do it while it works and then when it stops working change it.

 

Do not completely do away with everything you love it wont last; I don't even realize sometimes that I haven't had certain things in a long time unless I sit a think about it, which I try not to do, (that's where the extra butter popcorn came in. LOL) The first time I went to the movies and didn't get a large coke it was really weird but I still have my buttered popcorn. The only thing I completely got rid of was Pepsi. I am afraid that I wouldn't be able to limit myself (plus they make me swell) everything else I just don't eat as often or as much.

I hope this made sense and helps someone. My journey has not ended and may never end but I hope and pray that it will always be a journey that I can control.

Love to everyone,

Debra Sumner