In less than two weeks, I have the privilege of attending the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha, Nebraska! I cannot wait! The girls and I are counting down the days!

I wanted to let you know that today (May 20, 2013) is the last day to register online for the convention. The cost is just $55 for your whole family (grandparents and children included), and there is also the opportunity to register your child or teen in special programs for an added cost.

Some of my favorite speakers will be there–including Sally Clarkson, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, Debra Bell, Pam Tebow and so many more!

I’ve been wanting to try this Puzzle Hunt activity for quite some time, but I always forget to try it during Easter when we have the eggs out!  I was cleaning out a closet (I’m in one of those simplifying moods again) and ran across the tub of plastic eggs, so I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

This activity combines two of my girls’ favorite things:  putting together a puzzle and going on an Easter Egg hunt.  Unfortunately, all three of them were feeling a little grumpy yesterday, so things didn’t quite go as planned {but they rarely ever do anyway}!  One of them loved the egg hunting part and cried when it was time to put together the puzzle.  One loved the whole thing–including the puzzle-putting-together part.  The other refused to do anything and sat in her room reading a book.

Welcome to my world. 

Puzzle Hunt Activity for Kids

Supplies:

• Plastic Eggs
• Puzzle pieces
• Basket

1)  Find a puzzle with pieces small enough to fit in the plastic eggs.  Put one piece in each egg.  If your puzzle is quite large, you may want to put more than one piece in each egg.

2)  Hide the eggs.  Have your child go on a hunt to find them.

3)  Open each egg one at a time and separate the pieces–edge or middle part.

4)  Put the puzzle together!

Afterwards, we decided to do a few more eggs hunts since I had the eggs down from storage already. 

I think this could be a great idea when it’s really hot outside and you need an indoor activity!  Also, you can find more of our Easter Egg and Easter activities for kids here.  You can find 101 Days of Summer Fun for Kids here.  I’ll be adding more ideas to the list in June!

Feel free to email me if you have a fun summer activity idea for kids!

This week’s 10 in 10 Blog Hop from iHomeschool Network is “toys that have lasted in my home”, and I thought I would share a few of our favorite toys.  These are toys that we’ve had for a while that the girls still play with…and toys I anticipate they will continue to play with in the future!

Please note that these are not all inexpensive toys!  Sometimes, I do find it to be a good investment to buy quality toys (or ask for them as gifts)!

1)  Legos

Obviously you can’t use these with little bitty ones, although you can start with Duplos!  Once your child is ready, they can start with simple ideas…and build as elaborate as can be (robots, model cars, and more).

2)  Wooden Blocks

We have two sets of these Melissa & Doug wooden blocks and use them to build all kinds of things.  When the girls were small, we built bridges and roads and made letters from the blocks.  Now, they can build castles, zoos, and farms.

3)  Magformers

These are expensive and I would’ve never thought to buy them myself, but a friend has given us a few sets of these Magformers.  They are awesome!  When your child is small, they’ll get a kick out of the magnetic properties and sticking them together.  As they grow, they can make all kinds of structures with them.

4)  Basketball Goal

Our basketball goal was actually a Father’s Day gift, but I purchased one that was adjustable.  The girls love practicing now on the short goal, but we can easily move it up as they grow (or when dad and mom want to play)!

5)  Play Kitchen

This one may be a stretch, but we got it as a gift six years ago, and they are still playing with it almost daily.   Add in some old pots and pans and my girls will play happily for hours–especially if they can take the pans outside and make mud pies!  If you can afford it, I would recommend a wooden play kitchen.

6) Craft Box and Art Supplies

I keep a box filled with various recycled goodies–boxes, cans, containers, lids, and more.  The creations the girls make have changed over the years, but they still love a good craft or art project using materials from the box!

7) Animals or Bug Stuff

We have tons of miniature animals picked up from our local Orshelns.  These are some of our favorites because they are so realistic compared to some of the cheapy plastic ones you can get.  They are great for learning about animals, building zoos or farms, and more (we use them with the blocks and legos)!

Also, bug stuff is popular around here!  Bug jars are easy enough to make (or you can buy a simple one), and they seem to keep kids of all ages entertained.  We also love the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden.

8)  Doll House

This one may only be pertinent if you have girls, but the girls got this one year as their Christmas present, and they love it.  I, personally, love this KidCraft Majestic Doll House.  It’s pricey (although I got mine about $45 cheaper than it’s priced right now and had some gift cards from Swagbucks), but all of the toys with it are wooden and it’s big enough for Barbies, too.  You can see–it is an enormous dollhouse!

9)  Board Games

I keep the game closet stocked with various board games.  Classics like checkers, Blokus, and Jenga can be “adapted” to your child’s age.  Sometimes we completely change the rules, too!

10)  Swing Set

This is probably a favorite!  I do wish we had saved up and gotten a little bit larger jungle gym.  It’s served us well for the past three years, but my eight-year-old can swing high enough to make the leg come up sometimes!  If I did it again, I would save up for a bigger swing set to last for many more years!

How about you?  What is your one favorite toy that has lasted in your home?

This summer, I’m participating in the 10 in 10 Blog Hop from iHomeschool Network!  I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to write about things I don’t normally write about–and to give you a chance to know a little more about our family.  Also, I started a little late, so I’ll share two posts this week!

The theme for this week is “10 Things Homeschooling Has Taught Me About Myself.”  In no particular order, here they are:

1)  I love teaching my girls to read.

Back when I was a school teacher, I enjoyed teaching reading, and I actually thought I would one day pursue a reading specialist certificate.  Teaching my own girls to read has been even more amazing.  There is just something about watching them move from non-readers…to devouring huge books.  It’s a blessing for me!

2)  I am less patient than I thought.

When I became a mom, I realized I was much less patient than I thought.  Homeschooling has revealed that character lack of mine even more profoundly.  The best {and worst} part is that I have plenty of room for improvement.  Thankful for grace!

3)  I don’t have to make things so “school-y”.

I struggled at first with this.  I wanted to set up a miniature classroom–just like my first kindergarten classroom.  Over the past few years, I’ve gotten a little more relaxed.  We do school everywhere–in the car, outside, at the kitchen table, and every once in a while in our actual school room!

4)  It’s okay to call a snow day…or spring day…or an autumn day.

Sometimes we all just need a break.  And I’m learning not to be so rigid.  The great outdoors is a wonderful classroom!

5)  It’s okay for my house to look lived in.

We are home…a lot.  Our house gets messy.  I’ve often felt embarrassed if someone stops by and it’s a mess, but I’m learning to let go (a little).  I figure we work hard all morning, and then we have various projects and craziness in the afternoon, so it’s okay for my house to be a little messy, right?!!

6)  I’m a curriculum junkie.

I love looking at curriculum.  I love trying new curriculum.  I love making my own!  There are so many fun projects we may never get to….

7)  Homeschooling is harder than I thought.

I thought teaching a classroom of kids was pretty challenging, but it’s a breeze compared to teaching my own!  I’m often second-guessing myself on what we’re doing.  I’m often in a battle of wills with one of my children.  My heart is often breaking for the shyness of one of my children.  My temper is often flared up at the antics of one of my children.

Those are rough days.  But, then again, there are rough days no matter where you are at in life.

8)  On the other hand, homeschooling is easier than I thought.

There is so much information to help along this path.  There are wonderful support groups out there.  I love spending days reading, making projects together, and building memories.  My teachers were all fairly good when I went to school, but I don’t have fond memories of baking together, building stuff, and being loved on all day.

I  hope those are some of the memories my girls have once we finish this journey.

9)  Sometimes I get burnt-out.

There are good reasons we are choosing to homeschool, but some moments I don’t always feel like it.  And, I think it’s okay to feel that way–as long as I take time to step away and get some perspective and process how I’m feeling.  I’ve made it a requirement that if I start to get burnt-out, we pull a #4.

That’s usually all it takes!  That, and a little group of encouraging moms around me!

10)  I’ve learned that I still have a ton to learn.  

Enough said.