Saxon Math 1 for Rinoa
Posted on | October 28, 2009 | 1 Comment
While Mica is using ALEKS for her math program, Rinoa stayed with Saxon which she started using for Math 1 this fall. It amazes me (and I’m sure I’ve mentioned this countless times before) that Rinoa is not eligible yet to enter kindergarten due to age requirement but is finding 1st grade math easy.
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The first thing we do during her math class is work on her “Meeting Book”. Everyday, before her actual lesson, we go through the same routine with her Meeting Book.
- She opens it to the current month-calendar and I ask her what year it is, what month it is, what date it is, and what day of the week it is.
- She figures out what the shape of the day is based on the month’s shape pattern and draws it on the calendar together with the day’s date.
- She writes the full date on a “meeting strip”. (This is what she’s doing in the picture above.)
- She also completes a number pattern on the same meeting strip. The number pattern will either be counting forwards or backwards.
- She counts the coins in a coin cup and writes the value of the coins in her meeting strip. (As of now she’s just counting pennies but we’ll slowly progress to counting nickels, dimes, and quarters.)
- When she’s done working with the calendar, she checks the weather outside and draws the weather in her weather graph. Then we analyze the graph to see what kind of weather we’ve had the most so far – sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy.
- After working on the weather graph, she turns to the hundred number chart and counts from 1 to 100.
- Then she adds a number to her number line, which is also in her Meeting Book.
- Lastly, we practice her lefts and rights – like I’ll say “Raise your left hand.”, “Raise your right hand.”, “Turn your head to the left.”, “Turn your head to the right.”, etc.
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After the Meeting Book, we discuss the lesson of the day. We use her Lego blocks and other toys to illustrate math concepts like ordering, measurements, more or less, math operations, etc. It makes learning fun for her.
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Her math lesson culminates in the completion of a 2-page worksheet. This picture here is actually a funny blooper. I was reading the instructions to her, and I said “Write a t on the last line.” … She wrote 80. … Haha! Can’t say she made a mistake there.
Anyways, we started doing Math 1 with me reading the instructions to her, but now she can do her daily worksheets independently – although I’m still beside her just in case she needs assistance.
She’s also learning the concept of time. I made her a clock that says morning, afternoon, evening, and night. She moves the clock hand appropriately during the different periods of the day. And she really likes this.
Here’s a video of Rinoa working on her math worksheet during the 3rd or 4th week of school. It shows how easy the lessons are for her. Also by this time, she’s already learned to write her first and last name. Her name is actually longer, but I don’t want to give her that agony yet. (Forgive my crappy voice and the squeaky foldout table.)
ALEKS Math for Mica
Posted on | October 27, 2009 | No Comments
My cousin, Jannelle (who, incidentally, is Gavin’s mom), introduced me to ALEKS early this month. She said that it’s a highly recommended math program for homeschoolers. Mica already started with Saxon Algebra this fall (and she wasn’t having any problems), but I still had her try out ALEKS to see which one she likes better. She chose ALEKS.
ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) is an online math program which uses artificial intelligence to assess and instruct students. Assessments are presented in a color-coded pie chart, as shown below.
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| (This is Mica’s current pie chart for Algebra 1 after 2 weeks of using ALEKS.) |
The size of the slices represents the importance of each topic in the program. The darker colored part of a slice indicates how close the student is to mastering that part of the program – and this is what Mica is thrilled about because she can clearly see her progress. She gets motivated to fill up those pie slices. As for me, I like that it’s one less subject I have to worry about. I can check Mica’s progress and attendance reports anytime online or just wait for them to be emailed to me every week. The downside is that it’s $19.95 a month or $179.95 for 1 year – which isn’t really bad.
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This is her setup every morning during math time. She still uses pen and paper to do her computations, and then she just types in her answer on the netbook. She’s allowed to use a calculator in certain problems. I don’t have to worry about her using the calculator occasionally since ALEKS also drills her in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to ensure her mastery of the math tables.
Halloween Events and Some Cards
Posted on | October 26, 2009 | 4 Comments
We got to start Halloween a weekend early this year, which is good because Rinoa has been wanting to wear her Tinker Bell costume ever since we purchased it about two months ago!
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| We went to Barnes & Noble Saturday morning for some kiddie Halloween craft time. |
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| Here’s Rinoa and Mica with B&N stortytime friends Zoe and Maddy. |
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| Saturday afternoon, we went trick or treating at Midway Village. Throughout this whole day, Troy was somewhere else helping a friend fix his car. |
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| Here’s Rinoa at a friend’s party in Monkey Joe’s Sunday morning. (Photo by Troy) |
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We definitely had a lot going on this weekend but we still managed to make some Christmas cards for Gavin’s fundraiser. Mine was an ecclectic mix of cards. I had a great time working on them that I think I’m going to use some of these designs for my card-giving this year.
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| I’ve been trying my hand at mixed media collage lately (in what little free time I have), and with this newfound love, I’ve learned to appreciate vintage images and ephemeras. These first two cards reflect that. The Santa and the Angel were copyright-free images I found online. I printed two or three copies of each and layered them for a simple 3D effect (which the photos don’t really show). |
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| This Christmas tree is an ode to my college days when I learned to be crafty with a craft knife. |
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| This more-graphic-less-grungy set of cards was inspired by this. |
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And here are Mica’s and Rinoa’s. They got to play a little bit with stamps and embossing, which they had fun with.
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| Here’s one of Rinoa’s stamped cards. |
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| These are my favorites of Rinoa’s cards because they include her drawings. |
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| This is one of Mica’s cards. She made several but I have no idea where the rest are at the moment, and it’s late so I’ll just have to show the others next time. |
I’ve also started receiving cards in the mail. So exciting – especially for Mica and Rinoa who gets to open them! I’ll be posting pictures of the cards soon. Can’t wait to share them.
Tags: Christmas cards > Halloween > handmade cards > holiday cards > holiday projects > ica > Rinoa
Updates on the Hope for Gavin Card Drive
Posted on | October 20, 2009 | 2 Comments
First off, friends who I haven’t seen or talked to in a while have asked which of my two siblings is Gavin’s parent. Gavin is actually my cousin’s firstborn son and the first grandchild of my mom’s eldest brother.
Gavin’s family is one of only two known cases in Southern California who are living with Tay-Sachs Disease. He has a younger sister, less than a year old, who is a carrier of Tay-Sachs but very fortunately doesn’t have the disease.
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| Gavin in 2008. |
I want to thank all those who are volunteering their time, talent, and resources to make handmade Christmas cards for this very important and worthwhile cause. We have generous people donating cards from all over the world. Not only that, I am very grateful to those who are sharing Gavin’s cause to friends and family and promoting awareness about Tay-Sachs. I see that my cousins’ friends continue to support Gavin’s family by joining and promoting this card drive. My friends also didn’t fail to show their support – thank you so much. Even more touching is that people who don’t even know Gavin are helping out and extending their prayers. (Blog entries such as this just make me teary-eyed – and I read them in the morning!)
I must admit that the satisfaction I’m getting from this fundraiser is priceless – aside from being able to help my nephew, the responses I get from kind souls from different countries make me happy all the time and continuously remind me that the world is good. (And please take note, this is not just my project anymore – this is all of our project.) – Oh! And it also teaches my kids compassion and selfless giving. I tell you, priceless!
One very important announcement: The handmade Christmas cards are now available for pre-order. Many have asked how they can buy the cards. I’m selling them online and making them available for pre-order now lest you guys forget that you promised to buy some. *wink
My deepest thanks to everybody who made this fundraiser possible – those who donated Christmas cards, those who donated money, and those who bought the cards. I am truly grateful. We have raised a little over a thousand dollars – not bad, in my opinion – a good enough reason to consider this fundraiser a success. Thanks again so much. In our own little way, we have all helped Gavin. (December 11, 2009)
These are not the Droids you are Looking for
Posted on | October 16, 2009 | 1 Comment
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| Mica: Aaaawww. Are you Little Red Riding Hood? |
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| Rinoa: No. |
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| Rinoa: I am Master Jedi! |
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| (Haha! Obviously, we’ve been watching a lot of Star Wars lately.) |
Banana Pudding
Posted on | October 15, 2009 | 1 Comment
I had the chance to try Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding when I was in New York – thanks to my sister-in-law who bought some. It was heavenly! Imagine my delight when I found out that the original owner of the bakery released the recipe so I didn’t have to guess how it was done.
The first time I made the pudding, I reserved some for my neighbor, but my family enjoyed it so much that they even ate the neighbor’s share. Then a few weeks ago, I helped Troy whip up a batch to share with his coworkers.
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| Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding (edited) |
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups ice cold water
1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups heavy cream
1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers
4 cups sliced ripe bananas
1. Mix the sweetened condensed milk and water in a large bowl until well combined. Add the pudding mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before continuing. (It is very important to allow the pudding mixture to set properly.)
2. Whip the heavy cream in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.
3. To assemble the dessert, arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of a large wide bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering two more times. (Although here, I used a Pyrex casserole dish.) Garnish the top with wafer crumbs. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight before serving. (I think the longer you wait, the yummier it gets.)
Scarecrow Harvest Festival
Posted on | October 14, 2009 | 3 Comments
I absolutely love fall –
the autumn hues of red, brown, yellow, and orange,
the rustling leaves on the pavement,
the pumpkin spice lattes and apple cider donuts,
the 60 degree weather – just right for light jackets and sweater (Hey I rhymed there!)
Last weekend though, we skipped the nice fall air and went straight to brrrr. (Mother Nature’s constant reminder that the Earth is ailing.) But with chattering teeth, we still marched to the Scarecrow Harvest Festival at Midway Village to make scarecrows.
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| We used some of Mica’s old clothes and stuffed them real good with hay. |
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Unfortunately, there are no finished scarecrows to show yet. They’re still stuffed at the back of my car – with no head, and bodies unattached. I know, poor scarecrows! I’m going to try and buy some pumpkins for the head and assemble them this weekend. Should make a great fall decoration in my front porch.
Our Prize Watermelon
Posted on | October 13, 2009 | 3 Comments
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| I don’t know what to say. Why wouldn’t you grow? Did we do something wrong? |
Hope for Gavin
Posted on | October 12, 2009 | 66 Comments
Just last March, my 3-year old nephew Gavin was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs Disease – an extremely rare fatal genetic disorder that progressively destroys the brain and nervous system.
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| (This is Gavin taken March of 2008.) |
Even though Gavin was a laid back child, he seemed to develop normally – doing things any other toddler would like walking, playing, and biking. One thing he never was able to do is speak. But his regression over the past few months is undeniable. He can no longer walk unassisted and is not able to eat solid food anymore – in fact, last week, he underwent a major surgery to attach a feeding tube to his stomach.
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for this disease, no preventive treatment to stop the brain from regressing. According to sources, children with Tay-Sachs usually do not live beyond five years of age – and at this time, all doctors can do is make sure the affected children are as comfortable as possible.
But Gavin’s family and friends are not giving up. As long as the sun rises everyday, and Gavin still breathes, there is hope. Researchers are investigating several treatments for Tay-Sachs, but none have passed the experimental stage yet.
I can’t imagine what Gavin’s parents are going through. Just looking at my two daughters and thinking “What if it’s them?” breaks my heart. And I know I must do something, anything, to aid Gavin’s cause. I’ve decided to organize a fundraiser, as detailed below. All proceeds will be donated to Gavin’s Trust Fund. The trust fund will be used for special equipment and other expenses he will need to make his life as comfortable as possible. In the words of another family suffering from Tay-Sachs – “to give him the best memories he can have”. (I hope they don’t mind that I borrowed their words.)
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| HOPE FOR GAVIN CHRISTMAS CARD DRIVE |
I thought this time of year is perfect for doing a Christmas card fundraising drive – especially for a very good and urgent cause such as this. (I’m afraid time is against my nephew.) The premise of this two-part campaign is to accumulate funds from selling handmade cards that will be donated to Gavin’s Trust Fund.
Part I
I’m reaching out to the generous spirits of crafty and creative people to donate handmade Christmas cards. For those wishing to participate (and I hope there are a lot of you that will), please post a comment with a valid email address so I can email you the mailing address. You can send as many handmade Christmas cards as you want, and please don’t forget to include an envelope to go with each card. The deadline to participate is November 20.
(If you want to make a card or write a note of support to Gavin’s family, feel free to do so. You can mail it together with the cards you’re going to donate, and I’ll make sure the card/note goes to them.)
Part II
This is where we sell the cards you’ve graciously donated. More information on Part II will be posted soon.
My deepest thanks to everybody who made this fundraiser possible – those who donated Christmas cards, those who donated money, and those who bought the cards. I am truly grateful. We have raised a little over a thousand dollars – not bad, in my opinion – a good enough reason to consider this fundraiser a success. Thanks again so much. In our own little way, we have all helped Gavin. (December 11, 2009)
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Posted on | October 8, 2009 | No Comments
While at the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, I had the pleasure of eating this delectable portobello mushroom sandwich. I loved it so much that I had to recreate it – or at least do something similar at home. Here’s my version:
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The sandwich in this picture included portobello mushrooms (of course), roasted red bell peppers, roasted zucchinis, onions, tomatoes, fresh oregano, provolone cheese, and goat cheese in an onion bun.
I actually have two ways of marinating the mushrooms, and they’re both really simple. I either marinate them with balsamic vinegar or Mama Sita (a Filipino barbecue sauce you can find in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores). I think both the balsamic vinegar and the Mama Sita should be a staple in any pantry – they’re great marinades for beef, pork, and chicken too.
The bell peppers I roasted straight on the stove until the skins were charred black. Then I just peeled off the skin. The zucchinis I roasted in the oven.
I put provolone cheese and fresh oregano because that’s what I had in the fridge. And goat cheese, well I had that in the fridge too plus I love goat cheese on steaks, so why not on beefy portobello mushrooms? :)
Onion buns – because that’s what Troy bought that night. But I would have loved to use ciabatta also – that’s my favorite I think.
Oh! And I reduced some balsamic vinegar and drizzled some on top before closing the sandwich.
There you go. Yum!
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© 2006-2010 Johwey Redington.
Please don't steal my text or images, it's disrespectful and you'll be subjet to karma! If you want to use any of the images, please email me for a written permission. Thank you.
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