Thanksgiving Lapbook

The past week and a half we have been working hard on our Lapbook after finishing our core curriculum. Each day we completed an activity and added something to the lapbook. This go round I pieced the lapbook together myself with no set plan. We combined our two books we were reading one which focused on the Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving and the other Cranberry Thanksgiving.

You will note from the pictures below that there is some space inside the lapbook which I have reserved for photos of Thanksgiving Dinner and our Cranberry Bread we baked. Next month I have purchased a Lapbook Lesson Plan on the "12 Days of Christmas" which will make things a little easier.

So here are photos from the Thanksgiving Lapbook ...

Front Cover ~ Devin, Lexi and Ava Mae wrote a few things they were thankful for on the pieces of corn. I thought it was cute how large Devin wrote he was thankful for Daddy. He loves his Dad so much!

Inside ~ Lexi and Ava Mae shared the coloring responsibilities while Devin wanted to be the one to write information.

Inside ~ This shows what went inside the different little flaps.

Back Cover ~ A Wild Turkey - the only turkey which can actually fly. We learned that turkeys we eat at Thanksgiving are grown so large that it is impossible for them to fly.

A Change in Plans

This week would have seen us traveling to Asheville to spend Thanksgiving with my Mom and Dad and a few of my siblings but, with sickness still lingering we made the decision to stay put. Though a little disappointing - also an opportunity to get to some things that would have gotten pushed to the coming weeks. And, a bonus for me, getting to cook our own Thanksgiving dinner from scratch. When I have the time I really enjoy cooking and baking as do all of my kids!

So, my to do list for the coming days ...

1. Address Christmas Cards - thankful for the fact that the actual cards were done months ago when we had professional pictures taken at Hilton Head.

2. Put up our Christmas Tree and Decorations. We are hosting two parties within the first two weeks of December so having this done is a huge weight lifted!

3. Work on my class for Christmas Jubliee which is less than two weeks away. Including, finishing up some 3-D stamped items I am going to offer during the bazaar.

4. Create, address and mail out invites to Lexi's American Girl Christmas Party. Something that definitely needs to get done ASAP being the party is just a little over two weeks out.

5. Shop for the family we have adopted for Christmas, on Black Friday, when I can really stretch the budget we have allotted for this.

6. Work with Daune on what we are going to have the kids say on the Sunday our church has selected us to light an Advent Candle.

7. Enjoy spending time together with just our immediate family.

So, quite a few things and I know I will probably not get to it all and though I do not have family to help watch my kids I have a wonderful husband who loves to take the kids out to the movies or out to a restaurant by himself giving me time to get things done with a few less distractions. :)

And, in case you were curious, our menu for Thanksgiving Dinner ... Turkey using Alton Brown's recipe, Honey Baked Mini-Ham, Paula Deen's Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing, Company Potatoes (my signature dish) and Paula Deen's Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I couldn't end this post without at least posting one photo ... here is Lexi, last Friday at JFBC at her class Thanksgiving Play. It was so adorable and this is a great picture of her and her good friend - they were both Indians.

November Field Trip

Before our family came down with the Bubonic Plague (aka - Chest Colds and Stomach Flu all in the same week) we took an awesome field trip to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Though the day started out dreary and looked as though it would start downpouring at any minute it held out for our field trip, and so with two other families from our homeschool group we took a learning filled guided tour.

Here is our day in pictures:

A Time for Thanks and Giving

This week a dear friend of mine hosted our homeschool group for our Thanksgiving Celebration. The kids were able to pack Operation Christmas Child Boxes. It was fun to have everyone bring items to pack the boxes with and let the kids choose what would go in each box. The older kids were so thoughtful and careful in each decision they made while packing. The younger kids were hilarious. My youngest would have packed ten pounds of candy in her box had I let her. Our afternoon wrapped up with a good lunch and playtime for all the kids in the wonderful fall weather.

Packing Boxes ...

The Thanksgiving Favor we made for all our homeschool friends ...

We have begun our study of Thanksgiving this week during our homeschool time. Today we made a Thanksgiving Tree out of a small tree limb. Each day we will add a tag to the tree with what we are thankful for. We are also reading from one of our favorite Five In a Row Books - Cranberry Thanksgiving. Next week we will use the recipe from this story to bake our own cranberry bread.

Our Thanksgiving Tree ...

I love having a month to reflect on all the things I am thankful to God for! I am thankful for a husband who financially supports our family so that I may stay home with our children. I am thankful for all the wonderful homeschool families we have met and the relationships my children have formed with them. I am thankful for the beauty of this season and how it reminds me of what a wonderful loving God we have!

The Beauty of the Season

Some days are easier than others ... I am sure that is a sentiment that many a homeschool Mom can relate to. We have had a crazy week and I have felt on many days that my patience was being tried over and over again during our school day. Today I promised the kids a fun outing if school work was finished on time and with a happy heart.

Lexi had a playdate, with her best friend Grace, scheduled so once she was home from school we packed up and headed over to Sope Creek for a Nature Walk. The kids were excited and so I had to remind them how if we walked a little bit quieter through the woods we could actually hear nature. We enjoyed listening to the leaves rustling under the feet of little chipmunks and squirrels ... of course my girls were so sure it was bear that we were hearing walking on those leaves.

It can be so refreshing to get out and submerse yourself in the beauty of this season. Fall is one of my favorite times of year and my children seem to have inherited that same excitement. Our nature hike did not last real long - about 45 minutes. My son is always scared that we are going to get lost in the woods so the trails we pick must stay close and preferably loop back around pretty quickly.

I need to remember to get out more often with the kids when we are having a rough week ... we always have such a good time! As I walked through the woods today I could definitely feel God working in my heart, whispering ... "Be still and know that I am God".