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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

August 12, 2015

{learning} From the Book Basket: Week 03

It turns out that reading to the kids has been an easy habit to adopt.  Remembering to take photos of the books we’ve read…well, that’s another story!  Here are a handful of our favorites from the last two weeks.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Your Very Own Robot
Let’s Go, Froggy
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
Franklin Wants a Pet
The Napping House
Max Found Two Sticks
Oh, Were They Ever Happy!

**links are affiliate – thank you so much for supporting the Big White Farmhouse!**

August 11, 2015

{currently} 20 Things I Love: A Gratitude Journal vol.3


finding love notes from Mark in my planner
the kids’ excitement for school
new products for Big White Farmhouse
TJ’s adoration for his Daddy
temporary relief as hot coffee soothes my sore throat
“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day”      -Saint Gianna Molla
the smell of freshly bathed babies
brand new school supplies, just waiting to be used
waking to a little (okay, teeny) chill in the air before it gets hot for the day
“Just one more story, Mama!”
exercising first thing in the morning with M
memory filled hand-me-down clothes passed from brother to brother
fresh fruit salad: nature’s dessert
the pride in the kids’ faces as they wear their new backpacks around the house
reading a few pages before bed
a trunk full of boxes to donate
burgers on the grill, even if I can only eat them on lettuce
less mindless social media scrolling
big imaginations and cardboard box forts
contentment in where I am, right here and now

August 10, 2015

{learning} Our Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 2015-2016


Today is our first day of school!  

Last year, I went with a boxed curriculum, but ended up tweaking it to fit our needs.  For this year, I pieced together a curriculum and I’m really excited about my choices.  Buying curriculum is a tricky thing, at least for me.  There are so many wonderful books and for as many people who love a product, there are just as many who hate it.  My method is to research as much as I can, then trust my gut and make a decision based on that particular child.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  


Here are our choices and goals for this year:


3rd Grade

My third grader is a strong reader and average mathematician.  This year, we are focusing on improving his spelling skills, writing more clearly and sharpening those math facts.

  • Math // Horizons 3
  • Reading & Writing // a mishmash of books: I took some ideas from Lesson Pathways and made a few myself
    • Homer Price
    • Pippi Longstocking
    • The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
    • Little House on the Prairie
    • The Hobbit
    • The Mouse and the Motorcycle
    • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
    • The Borrowers
    • The Wizard of Oz
    • A Biography of his Choice
  • Grammar // First Language Lessons Level 2
  • Spelling // All About Spelling Level 2 (and we’ll probably get a good start on Level 3 too)
  • Handwriting // Handwriting Without Tears: Cursive
  • Extras // we may add or delete from this list as necessary:
    • The Science Chef
    • Maps & the Activity Book

1st Grade 
We believe my first grader may have symptoms for dyslexia, but it’s not going to hold him back!  His learning has been slower and more deliberate and I am so thankful for the opportunity to homeschool him.  This year, we are focusing on reading fluently and helping him find his confidence in learning.  

  • Math // Horizons 1
  • Reading // All About Reading Level 1 
  • Handwriting // Handwriting Without Tears: My Printing Book

Pre-Kindergarten
I am dedicating Tuesday and Thursday afternoons as special time for the little kids.  While I generally would keep things really light and easy at this age, these two are just dying to be like the big boys, which makes things tricky.  This year, we are going to focus on our letters, numbers and lots of read-alouds.  

  • Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest!  
  • Kumon Uppercase Letters
  • Kumon Lowercase Letters
  • a few random math workbooks from the store

All Together
This year, we’re going to do a few subjects together as a family.  It helps lessen my work load a bit and I like that we can adapt the work to each person’s level and pace.

  • Religion // M will be in CCD, but we will also be celebrating the liturgical year, learning the lives of the saints and reading through the Treasure Box series
  • History // Story of the World Volume 1: Ancient Times and Volume 2: The Middle Ages
  • Art // Home Art Studio DVD
  • Science // Participation in our Co-Op as well as Magic School Bus

Linking up with Micaela – be sure to check out the link-up if you need homeschool inspiration!


Some links are affiliate – thank you for supporting the Big White Farmhouse!

August 7, 2015

{around here} Week 31/52: Week of 8.3.15

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:



starting T25.  On a Tuesday.  I’m done choosing the “right” day to start something, so Tuesday it is.  The workouts are hard, but manageable and even fun.   Mark and I (and even M) have been doing them together first thing in the morning and it has been a great beginning to my day.


eating clean and finally on week two of Whole30.  I’ve done this before and knew what to expect, so it was a little like childbirth: you know it’s going to hurt, but it’s worthwhile in the end.


enjoying Brain Games on Netflix with the kids.  The show is educational and entertaining and we have learned a lot.  (Note: I would suggest skipping the episode on fear.  I previewed it and determined it was WAY too scary for my kids.)


taking care of D as we found out he has double ear infections.  He feels so much better now that he’s on antibiotics.


setting up our new birdfeeder!  It is acrylic and sticks directly to our window.  We are still waiting for the neighborhood birds to realize it’s there, but hopefully we’ll have some visitors soon. 


stitching like a mad woman!  I set a personal deadline to finish Sophie’s “girls” by the time we started school and now we’re only three days away!  Hoping I can finish up this weekend.  (Finally linking up to Erica’s Summer Stitching Stash Blast #11 too.)


watching TJ all the time.  He is climbing stairs, dancing to any and all music, loves peek-a-boo, and hits and throws everything in sight.  He also does a full cross-body waving thing that I’m crazy about.  I love this age.


buying Do a Dot markers for the little kids.  They have been a little jealous of all the cool books and supplies the big boys have been receiving for school, so it was fun to tell them that this package was theirs.


laughing at Sophia and her adorable and hilarious comments.  A few of her latest: “I a goose!’ (meaning: she’s a silly goose), “I go to bed in…um, thirty years!” And my absolute favorite, asked every single evening as I start getting ingredients out: “We cookin’ family dinner, mama?”

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