Dirty Face Angels Academy

Foodie Friday

2011-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Foodie Friday

2011-09-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Foodie Friday

2011-09-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Slime Cake!

Ramadan 2011

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Eid Mubarak! Ramadan 2011 has ended, but the spirit of discipline, charity, and sacrifice continues. This year my family undertook what turned out to be a beautiful, worthwhile project centered around gratitude. Throughout the month, each family member identified 114 things, people, and ideas for which they are thankful to Almighty God. We chose 114 to correlate with the numbers of surahs in the Holy Quran. Towards the end, it was fun to see the children go to the "sun" and check to see if what they thought of was already written. This project forced to use to examine the little things that make our life joyful like water, paper, and bricks! I plan on framing this really soon and displaying it in our home.

Foodie Friday

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hot Rocks

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Want a way to entertain your preschooler? Try hot rocks! Simply heat up a smooth rock in the oven at a very low temperature just until the rock is warm. You will need to supervise your little one the entire they work with the rock. Allow your child to rub old crayons across the rock. The wax from the crayon will color the rock. Encourage your child to mix colors and create patterns.

Scence from the Princess Tea Party 2011

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Saviours' Day 2011 (I know, I went way back!)

2011-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

While in Chicago, we visited the Museum of Science and Industry. Love, love, love this place. If you ever get the opportunity to go, go!

Had to enjoy the snow. I mean really we live in the desert.

The culmination of our trip was, of course, hearing from our beloved Minister Louis Farrakhan. The lecture was a revelation in every sense of the word. Afterward, we were blessed to be guest at his dinner which felt like an afterparty. We had a ball!

Playing Catch Up!

2011-09-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Boy have we been busy! So busy, I haven't had time to blog. :-( No worries because over the next few posts I'm going to catch you all up with lots of homeschool ideas and tips as our other interests. Enjoy!

Summer Fun at the Library

2011-07-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

For the last 3 years, my children and I have taken advantage of summer programming at the local library. This year is no different! We've seen balloon sculpting at its finest, puppet shows, cultural dancing and more. The children have also had the opportunity to earn to prizes for reading. Best of all, it's free!

Creating Vision Boards

2011-07-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've been using vision boards for years, and it recently occurred to me that I should introduce this life planning tool to my children. It was so beautiful for me to visually see my children's future through their beautiful eyes. And I must say their future is bright. I need some shades!

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 13

2011-03-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

The girls' stencil for freezer paper stenciled shirts.

After we traced the stencil onto the freezer paper, ironed it shiny side down onto our t-shirt.

Amir's Stencil

Put some paper in the middle of the shirt and paint away.

Fininshed products!

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 12

2011-03-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

We made Cookies that were um, um, good! The children did almost 100% of this project except operating the oven, of course.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 11

2011-03-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Making Fleece Scarves--Pictures to Come!

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 10

2011-03-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Precut Puzzles from Michael's.

Cut pictures to shape and Mod Podge them onto the puzzles.

I had the job of using a Xacto knife to cut around the puzzle pieces. I shamefully admit this still is not finished. :-( Working on it though!

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 9

2011-03-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

We ended up adding some soap base from Michael's, because this soap melted weird.

The children added small toys to the molds. Our soup smelled heavenly and we actually liked the chunky texture.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 8

2011-02-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

Here's our SD song, set to the tune of Frere Jacques . . .

Do you love Saviours' Day?
Do you love Saviours' Day?
Saviours' Day
Saviours' Day

I love Saviours' Day?
I love Saviours' Day?
You should too.
You should too.

Do you love Master Fard?
Do you love Master Fard?
I love him.
I love him.

Do you love Elijah?
Do you love Elijah?
I love him.
I love him.

Do you love Farrakhan?
Do you love Farrakhan?
I love him.
I love him.

Do you love Saviours' Day?
Do you love Saviours' Day?
Saviours' Day
Saviours' Day

Written by Yasina Muhammad

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 7

2011-02-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

Our cardboard model of Mosque Maryam is so bomb! I love it. I love it. I love it.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 6

2011-02-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Making SD gifts for our friends.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 5

2011-02-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Red velvet cupcakes. Mmmmmmm!

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 4

2011-02-10T16:33:00.001-07:00

We made a family memory board for our Saviours' Day mementos. So far we have SD cards, a ticket from the local community recognition dinner, and our Singing Saviours program.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 3

2011-02-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

My husband is a creative genius. He came up with the coolest Saviours' Day game, 19 Ways To Get To Saviours' Day. The goal is to get to Mosque Maryam in the center, but you have to visit 19 other mosques in the US. by tapping your game piece around the board. It takes a lot of skill to move your piece around. We also got to learn the numbers that correspond with the mosques. We keep track of who went to what mosque on a piece of paper. Tariq won by visiting all the mosques first. In general, it was really, really fun! I'm going to do some research and see if we can manufacture a professional looking version.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 2

2011-02-08T22:20:00.001-07:00

We shot our commercial for Saviours' Day 2011 yesterday only to realize later that night when I went to edit it that I didn't have the memory card in. Booooo! So we had to re-shoot today in a park. Besides the very loud sound of the wind, the commercial came out great. The children liked it alot. They said they felt like real actors. As soon as I can figure how to format this thing I'll post it.

19 Days of Saviours' Day--Day 1

2011-02-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

We took our first family hike! (No pun intended!)

The Singing Saviours Performance

2011-02-07T11:16:00.002-07:00

The Singing Saviours Debut!

2011-02-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 months, my children along with 2 other families have practiced and sang their little hearts out in preparation of the debut performance of the children's choir, The Singing Saviours. They did an awesome job at our mosque's Evening of Gratitude event sharing 2 selections. I could not be more proud of their dedication and enthusiasm for praising Allah (God) through song.

19 Days of Saviours' Day Countdown 2011

2011-02-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Saviours’ Day is around the corner and I want to celebrate! SD 2011 is upon us and for the 3rd year my family will prepare for OUR Holy-day with the 19 Days to Saviours’ Day Countdown. I’ve found it beneficial to begin planning and involving the children in idea gathering during this month, because it provides a great distraction from that which we do not participate! Well, our list of activities is provided below. Check out the blog under the Saviours’ Day or Islamic studies tab for info on some of the individual activities. Feel free to contact me if you need more of an explanation, etc.

Happy Saviours’ Day!

Last Year’s Explanation . . .

Want a way to get your child actively engaged in the celebration of Saviours’ Day? Incorporate the 19 Days of Saviours’ Day Countdown into your home this year. You and your children will participate in fun, hands-on activities for 19 days proceeding the Saviours’ Day weekend. Young and old alike are encouraged to make, create, and think all while celebrating the majesty of Almighty God, Allah. Inspired by the Christian Advent Calendar, the 19 day countdown will have your children excited and prouder than ever to celebrate our Nation’s holiday.

Last year I purchased a traditional wooden Advent calendar from Target. I painted and renumbered the doors 1-19. (My blog has pictures.) Over the past few months, I also made a fabric, pendant-style banner that reads, “Happy Saviours’ Day” to hang in the house. For all the activities that lend themselves, I incorporate the colors of our National, star and crescent shapes, and discussions from our Teachings. While making cookies, cupcakes, or candies from scratch, I always remind them that homemade is better than storebrought. (How to Eat to Live) I also strive to inspire a love for nature and all of Allah’s creations. Overall, I attempt to let their creative minds shine through.

Below I have listed the crafts and activities my children and I will attempt this year. Feel free to mix and match to suit your own ideas, needs, and schedules. I tried to provide a link for projects so you can “see” what I mean. Also I blogged daily about our 19 day adventure last year, so check out my blog for more project ideas under the label/connection, “Islamic Studies.” Our countdown will begin Sunday, February 6 and conclude Thursday, February 24 as we plan to begin our travel to Chicago Friday, February 25. Please feel free to email me with any questions, lakisa_muhammad@yahoo.com. This is a link to my blog, http://dirtyfaceangelsacademy.blogspot.com/

So use what works for you and leave what doesn’t, but most of all have fun in the name of Master Fard Muhammad, his Christ, and his Messenger among us!

What is fun? Fun is us watching intelligence develop. Fun is feeding intelligence to create the creative mind that the child will be able to say like God, “Be” and it is. That’s fun!

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

Closing the Gap p 374

Day 1 February 6 Field Trip to a Local Farm

Day 2 February 7 Record a SD commercial

Day 3 February 8 Create a SD game

Day 4 February 9 Create a Family Memory Board for SD keepsakes

Day 5 February 10 Bake Cupcakes—Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing

Day 6 February 11 Make SD gifts for friends

Day 7 February 12 Build a model of Mosque Maryam from Boxes

Day 8 February 13 Compose a SD song

Day 9 February 14 Make Homemade Soap—Godliness is next to Cleanliness!

Day 10 February 15 Make picture puzzles of Master Fard Muhammad, Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

Day 11 February 16 Make Fleece Scarves for the Chi-town Cold

Day 12 February 17 Bake National Flag Cookes

Day 13 February 18 Freezer Paper Stencil T-shirts with a NOI theme

Day 14 February 19 Field Trip—Hiking in the Mountains

Day 15 February 20 Wood Burning Activity—The Name Allah in Arabic

Day 16 February 21 Make a set of refrigerator magnets using the National

Day 17 February 22 Record a SD TV Show

Day 18 February 23 Make leather bracelets---Etch the Child’s Name_SD 2011

Day 19 February 24 Write and Illustrate a SD Story

Homeschool Update!

2011-01-10T06:00:00.003-07:00

Wow, I almost forgot this blog was suppose to be about our homeschool! Nah, just kidding. Alright this is where we are halfway through this year!

Islamic Studies
Our Islamic Studies has morphed into our history study as well. We begin our year in Triple Darkness and have been working our up through the annals of time. Much of it has been review for the Twins, but new to Hassana so still time well spent. My approach to a history study is to concentrate on people and the impact that these events have on us today rather than dates and rote memorization. We are also still memorizing our short surahs from the Holy Quran and well as questions and answers from the Supreme Wisdom book. Our school day begins with what would be considered a devotional time. After the prayer, pledge, Fight Song and drill, we read and discuss a random section from the Holy Quran. I've found that this really sets the tone for the day.

Penmanship
Copy work continues in the Muhammad household except now for the twins it's in cursive! Finally! Amir started cursive awhile ago, but I had to put it off for my leftie, Yasina. Well, she's caught up and now everyone is looping it up. My kindergartner is learning to write her name and doing quite well.

Math
Still rolling with Math U See! Right now we're working to master subtraction regrouping with 3 digit numbers. (I still call it borrowing.) We've begun multiplication tables also. In the coming weeks, I'll be ordering the Gamma and Delta levels of MUS which cover multiplication and division.
My kindergartner is ready to begin Primer, which is the introductory level of Math U See. The only requirement to begin is knowing your numbers and she does. So, we're off!

Language Arts
We've been reading, reading, reading! I did what I said I wouldn't do and tested the childrens' reading levels. I was so pleased with the results. Both of the twins are reading on a 5th grade level! I pretty much expected Yasina test high, but I was honestly worried about Amir. What we found was that basically when he feels pressured to read aloud he gets nervous and it effects his performance. So what I've done was instead and hovering over the book while he reads, I sit next to him and croquet while listening. What a difference it makes! He doesn't feel like I'm pressuring him, and he reads so much better. Right now, he's reading the Wimpy Kid series, and I introduced Yasina to the Babysitters Clubs books which I used to love.

We have been keeping our I am Grateful journals for some time now, and they are really paying off. The twins are now writing a 5 sentence paragraph each day about anything/one for which they feel grateful. Within that writing assignment we are able to review spelling, grammar, and pronunciation. I still incorporate Natural Speller and Growing with Grammar, but the bulk of our learning comes from practical application.

I still highly recommend the Explode the Code series. So much so, I ordering the prep books for Hassana, Get Ready, Get Set, and Go for the Code. Leap Frog videos have done wonders for helping learn the letters and their sounds, now it's time to read! We are also loving Starfall.com and Fisher Price games.

Science
I just posted about our Chemistry study this year which is going beautifully. We went back to science journals this year. I'd tried them a year or so ago, but they just weren't feeling it. This time around they're drawing a picture and writing at least a couple sentences about the experiment. I also make certain I focus on "science" words that they should know as well.

Geography
If you've following the blog, you may know that I've started a childbirth services business which has been very successful thus far. In light of this, I've outsourced our geography studies. We've signed up and began receiving a subscription from Little Passports. We are also swapping postcards around the world on Postcrossing.com. Both are awesome programs that I would recommend you look into.

Foreign Language
Spanish, Spanish, Spanish. We are picking up so much from neighbors and friends, but I'm still looking for a formal program. Ugh! Why is this so hard to do? My hopes for Hassana have to do with linguistics, so I've got to get it popping in this area.

Fine Arts
The twins are taking piano lessons! As soon as I think Babygirl can handle it, I'm adding her to the rotation.

I used to focus on vocabulary and such, but I've found they learn so much from life and just don't single it out any more. I'm looking for a great Latin roots program though.

Carnival!

2011-01-07T06:00:00.003-07:00

Geography Has Never Been So Big!

2011-01-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

I found these fabulous geography books in a thrift store for $1! Hassana loves them. Nothing helps boring material like putting it in a life size book!

Wordless Wednesday ~ The Heavy Weight Champ!

2011-01-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good Ole Vinegar and Baking Soda

2011-01-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

Our chemistry study continues, and we couldn't resist this one. Blowing up a balloon with vinegar and baking soda, who could?!

Making Rust and Other Science Fun

2011-01-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

So we've been working our way through the book shown above this year. I decided last year that our science curriculum would be experiment based. The children love it! Each week we do a different experiment and journal about it. This year we are studying chemistry and it's been going awesome. The crew love the experiments and can't wait to see what we'll do next week after week.

In this experiment, we made rust. Using a jar filled with water, a tablespoon of vinegar, a tablespoon of bleach, and some steel wool.

After only a couple days, we had rust. The vinegar strips the protective coating off the steel wool and the oxygen in the bleach mixing with the iron forming rust. Rust forms when iron, oxygen, and water are combined.

Our Homemade Paper

2010-12-16T06:00:00.004-07:00

Here is the product of this post. This was a super messy, but very fun project.

Wordless Wednesday---Hassana's Photography

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Exploring the 5 Senses

2010-12-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hassana and I had fun learning about the 5 senses. We made it interactive by arranging hearing, seeing, smelling, touching and lastly, tasting tests. Above you see our taste test with nachos, a pickle, sunflower butter, mustard, and soy sauce. Sana loooovvveddd this! She even replicated it for her Daddy when he got home, blindfold and all.

Meditate ~ Concentrate

2010-12-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

The above picture was taken in the Albuquerque, NM airport. I was shocked to see that an airport had a whole room devoted to meditation. Although I can think of no better place where a good ole wa-suuuu is needed, this sign was really unexpected. The ability to quiet one's mind is in my opinion a learned skill. If I had mastered it by my college days . . . sooo now I find it important to share the importance of "quiet" time with my children. Usually after our yoga practice we use our meditation owls and find a comfortable position to just be quiet. I find the skill also helps with concentration in general. How many times have you found yourself attempting to complete a task, but you have 20 ideas, reminders, worries, etc rolling around in your head. Meditation can help you go to that quiet place when you need to. You know what they say, practice makes perfect.

Our Family Caterpillar Dissection

2010-12-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

My dear, sweet husband found a caterpillar at work and decided to create a homeschool dissection lesson. out of it. So he researched, wrote a lesson plan for the body parts and their functions, drew worksheets by hand, and facilitated the dissection! Let's give it up for this awesome homeschool dad!

Wordless Wednesday: Dr. Hassana's First Patient

2010-12-01T06:00:00.002-07:00

Mandalas

2010-11-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

I've incorporated coloring mandalas into our "peaceful" routine. Along with yoga, meditation, and breathing and relaxation exercises, the children are learning to find peace and calmness of mind by creating art. Mandalas are series of shapes and patterns that come together to create beautiful pieces of art. They can be found in the ancient Native American and Indian cultures. I also incorporate mandalas and their equally awesome cousin, labyrinths in my childbirth classes.

Making Paper_Fun, Fun, Fun

2010-11-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

Our paper maker; I found it at Goodwill.

Torn tissue paper soaking in the crock pot.

We blended up our soaked tissue paper.

We used the "sifter of sorts" to create a sheet of paper.

This was the children's favorite part.

Ok, so why did I not take any pictures of our finished paper?! I'll post later . . .

Watch the New Image Fashion Show

2010-10-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

If you would like to view the fashion show my children participated in, simply go to the link below. Thanks and let me know how you enjoyed it!

View the fashion show.

Chemistry~Things that go poof!

2010-10-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

We have officially begin studying the science of chemistry. Fun, fun, fun. My approach to teaching science is like my approach to teaching almost anything else, hands-on and experiment-based. I have a huge book of experiments and I plan to do at least one each week. First up was a couple of tried and trues, baking soda and vinegar reactions and making bread. We've made a couple volcanoes and played with soda and vinegar a lot, so this time I demonstrated and explained what was actually happening to create the bubbles and fizz. We haven't made bread in a while (grasp!), so they enjoyed this and we learned about how yeast works.

Communing with Nature!

2010-10-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

The twins built an ant house which was covered with ants! Imagine my terror. Then I thought what empathy and compassion they must possess to even care if the ants had shelter. Way to go Wonder Twins!

Montessori Monday: Big to Small, Small to Big!

2010-10-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

This was a cute way to learn gradualism in size for Hassana. You could also combine texture with this exercise by making each circle out of a different type of fabric. It's a nice opportunity to talk about pattern as well.

Meditation Owls

2010-10-14T06:00:00.003-07:00

My children and I have been studying yoga for a few months now. We love it! I've also incorporated meditation, relaxation scripts and breathing techniques into our routine. So when I saw this owl project I knew we had to do it. I cut the pieces out of felt, let them put them together and I hot glued them.They like to use them like you see above, over their faces during meditation and relaxation time. Yoga in My School is an awesome site with tons of ideas for bringing yoga into the classroom, wherever your classroom may be.

Scenes from the New Image Fashion Show

2010-10-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yasina backstage.

Hassana working the runway.

Yasina working the audience.

Give 'em a smile and a wave.

Sisters.

Don't forget about Amir!

My darling dainty dolls participated in a fashion show recently. I firmly believe that opportunities like this are essential for confidence and self esteem building. We are fighting against so many factors that can negatively affect our children's perception of themselves, they NEED to be on a stage representing beauty, elegance, and just plain fabulousness! So thanks, Rajii and Niya Clothing, for allowing my girls to show the world what fab princesses they are!

Robot Man

2010-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Amir asked me to paint his chest. So I did. The joys of homeschooling!

Learning to Count

2010-09-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

Ramadan Mubarak!

2010-09-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ramadan Greetings to all! Here we are in the last few days and I'm finally posting. This has by far been the most beautiful Ramadan I've experienced. After 3 years and pregnancy and nursing, I have no free pass for fasting from food and water from sun up to sun down. And guess what, I actually did it! I am so proud of myself! I finally feel that I am now at a place where I have the discipline to can change my eating habits and become holistically healthier. Allahuakbar! (Allah (God) is the Greatest!)

Ok, enough about me. The twins even tried to fast a couple times, it didn't last long. LOL.Their Ramadan project this year is hosting an Eid Fest. Eid is a celebration in honor of the end of Ramadan. It will be held here at the house. There will be decorations, a dessert table, and crafts. They are so excited about it.

The Adventures of Princess Yasina

2010-09-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

Yasina wrote and illustrated a book. Her idea, her vision, her work. This is what's important to me as a facilitator of my children's education. I love seeing their ideas and creativity come to life. It makes me so proud. Way to go, Yasina.

Learning with Shower Curtains

2010-09-03T06:00:00.002-07:00

I honestly can't remember where I saw this idea, but it is awesome! I bought 2 shower curtains from Dollar Tree and traced circles on both. On one I added numerals 1 - 20 and the other letters A-Z. I've used these for many games. With Hassana, we are basically identifying numbers and letters, so she finds them and jumps on them. With Amir and Yasina, we've practiced our spelling lists and drilled math facts. The children are always happy when I pull theses out!

Summer Boredom Buster: Fun with Foam!

2010-09-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Amir and Yasina!

2010-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Montessori Monday~Shape Pizza

2010-07-19T06:00:00.002-07:00

With colors down pat, Sana and I are working on shape recognition. This was fun activity (pretty self explanatory) that she enjoyed. After it dried I used the pizza slices to review fractions with the Twins. Talk about double duty!

The Joy of Music

2010-07-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

We visited Bookman's Media Exchange who hosted the Guitars in the Classroom program for a very fun and engaging presentation for the children. They sang, clap, and dance to In the Jungle. After singing, they painted maracas.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Fashionistas

2010-07-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday, Hassana Sunshine!

2010-07-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

My Anniversary!

2010-07-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 8th wedding anniversary. We had a nice day, a dozen red roses for me, a family dinner at Sweet Tomatoes, a relaxing evening on the patio by candlelight with a bottle of sparkling cider that led to wild romp on our newly upholstered bench. Oh wait, noooo, the romp part wasn't possible-- because we were chaperoned. She is living up to her nickname, BC. . . Birth Control! Can't you just see the frustration on his face! No really, we were both reflecting on what a blessing it is to be a family, in every sense of the word. So I thank Allah for the good, the bad, and the ugly for certainly the good times outweigh the bad. I love you, Waynie!

Egg Carton Wind Chimes

2010-07-13T06:00:00.001-07:00

This was such a fun project that I saw on The Crafty Crow. I cut up a 5 1/2 dozen egg carton. The children painted them, and we allowed them to dry. Next, Yasina used a needle and thread to connect the pods together. And wha-la! Now we are waiting on Tariq to hang it up so we can see what it sounds like in the wind.

Montessori Monday ~ Counting

2010-07-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

Diamonds are a girl's best friend even at age 3! I wrote the numerals 1-10 on each of Sana's fingers. As she put on her Dollar Tree diamond rings, she says each number. She can already count to 15, but now she's learning to recognize the numerals 1-10.

Beating the Heat!

2010-07-09T06:00:00.001-07:00

Paper Quilts

2010-07-08T06:00:00.002-07:00

Here's another summer boredom killer. I used a ruler to some "equal as possible" squares and allowed the children to quilt their papers. They really liked it.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Whoa! Extreme Face Painting

2010-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

2010-07-06T11:00:00.001-07:00

Currently, my Daddy is on a cross country road trip. He is traveling from South Carolina to the Wild, Wild West. Sooo, I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce some US geography to the children. We are checking in with PawPaw each day and mark his location on the map. I'm using the States Facts wheel (Dollar Tree) and talking about major landmarks for each state my Daddy visits. So far we've focused on Olive Branch, MS; Albuquerque, NM; Williams, AZ; and Las Vegas, NV.

Montessori Monday ~ Transferring Water With a Spoon

2010-07-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sana loved this activity. She would spoon all the water and then start over. We are really trying to work on concentration and remaining focused until we complete our work.

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-25T06:00:00.002-07:00

My babies' fingers hurt from crafting this Father's Day. They designed their Dad a T-shirt, colored a coffee mug, and made him a wallet from duck tape. Sana Sunshine with help from created a book all about her Daddy. I was asking my husband what he wanted for dinner, and Sana suggested we go to a restaurant. Tariq asked her did she have some money. She said yes and came back with what you see in the last picture. How cute!

Homeschool Budgets or Lack There of

2010-06-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here catching up on one of my favorite homeschool forums, The Well-Trained Mind Hive. I'm basically blown away by the amount of money being spent on homeschool books and supplies. Wow! I wish I had it like that! I see long lists of workbooks and kits and these are from families who have been homeschooling for years. I don't get it. I don't know if its because I just make or create a lot of the things we need, but the longer I homeschool, the less I find I need to buy. We are also blessed with a really good public library system which we use heavily. Our biggest purchase is usually our Math U See curriculum for the year, everything else is minimal. Or maybe it's because I'm the queen of free? I'm sure as high school approaches, the expenses will mount, but 100s of dollars for 3rd and 4th grade? Homeschool moms, am I missing something? How much do you spend of homeschool stuff?

With that said, some of the most profound teaching advice I've ever read was the best way to teach a subject is by doing it. To teach reading, read. To teach writing, write. Teaching science, experiment; math, work the problems, but be creative and make it fun. I just don't think it takes a lot of money to do that.

Design Your Own Beanie Bear

2010-06-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Sana Sunshine used a kit to make her own beanie baby. She, in her creative genius, named it, White Bear.

Wordless Wednesday ~ She's Breastfeeding . . . in Public!

2010-06-23T06:00:00.001-07:00

Examining Our Beach Finds

2010-06-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

We came back from a day trip to San Diego with new seashells, rocks, sea weed, and kelp. We washed everything, dried it, and took a closer look. This was our best nature walk ever!

Our New Favorite Author

2010-06-17T10:14:00.001-07:00

My newest big girl and I have discovered an author we really enjoy, Rachel Isdora! We started with her African rewrite of Rapunzel. I could hear Sana around the house saying, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

Then The Ugly Duckling has never been so cute! Her illustrations are simply amazing and so eye catching for little people and big folks alike.

Of course, we could not pass on a book that has As Salaam Alaikum on the front.

Ms. Isdora has written and retold many more and we plan to read them all. In our house, she's the new Eric Carle!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Pacific Ocean

2010-06-16T12:00:00.001-07:00

Copywork Lives On

2010-06-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Right after Islamic Studies, the muscle memory in my children's feet take them to the kitchen table. It's time for copywork. A tenet of the Charlotte Mason method, copywork has been faced with a gamut of emotions over the past couple of years from all smiles to tears. I've been consistent and it's paying off. Remember Yasina, my leftie, her English handwriting used to look like Arabic sometimes! My poor child, we found out that she was truly a leftie kinda late in the game. Well, she's made a full recovery. Amir has always had a neat, controlled penmanship, and copywork has just helped to refine and enhance his fine motor skills. I've also been able to introduce punctuation, grammar, and proper spacing into our daily practice. Copywork in our house serves as a reinforcement of memorywork--so we copy the Surahs or Lessons that we are memorizing.

Sea Life Aquarium

2010-06-11T06:00:00.002-07:00

Graduation Day!

2010-06-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

Our Babygirl is officially a big gurl! Just shy of her third birthday, my baby is weaned. Tear . . . Tear, I can really bear witness to the benefits of extended breastfeeding. We have enjoyed our time, and are bonded for life, but my little one is growing up. Tears are forming in my eyes as I think about the fact that I no longer have a baby baby. The twins will be 7 soon! Well, it's on to new adventures and challenges. I'm preparing for a major shift in the parenting dynamics soon. Welcome to Preschoolhood, Sana Sunshine.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Ooohh, Can I get in?

2010-06-09T06:00:00.002-07:00

Homeschool Storage, How do you do it?!

2010-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I really pride myself in being an organized person, but managing homeschool materials has posed my greatest challenge. What do you with all the stuff? First we have school at the kitchen table, I don't have a classroom nor do I really want one. So I have bookcases throughout the house holding reference books, a large storage cabinet in my son's room that contains Montessori, other preschool items, and art supplies, and lastly the kitchen island cabinets basically hide the rest of it. The top on the island use to house our materials that I know we would use everyday. My logic was I would just keep them out and readily available all week then put them away on the weekends. I didn't anticipate how badly looking at all that stuff all day would get on my nerves! It was driving me crazy. Imagine having to push a math worksheets out of the way to chop tomatoes!

My prayers were answered when I came across the Free.99 beauty above. Thank you, Lord! I cleaned her up and covered the glass panes by taping scrapbook paper to the inside. My island is clear and my sanity is restored.

Summer is Here!

2010-06-07T16:08:00.001-07:00

111

Degrees that is. Yep, that's the temperature today. I've been preparing and planning and now it's time to execute! I admittedly homeschool longer and harder during the summer months to fill in the time when we would normally go outside. This year will be no different. I'll be updating on our academic schedule this week, but our extracurricular routine will go a little something like this:

Monday~Crafts (Field trip if possible, but I've been storing activities for months.)

Tuesday~Pool Day

Wednesday~Library Day including free summer shows and reading incentives

Thursday~Bookman's Bookstore free summer events or Pool

Friday~Movie Day with the Harkin's Theatre Summer Movie Program ($7 for 10 movies)

Saturday~Mixture of free Lowe's and Home Depot building projects, Michael's free events, Lakeshore Learning free activities, and free activities at Changing Hands Bookstore. (See the theme here, FREE!) We also have an Astronomy Club that just started at the Mosque.

Also, Phoenix family, the Heard Museum is holding its FREE Sizzlin Summer Event again this year in July.

Sunday~Family Game Day and Talent Showcase

Pray for us! LOL We have only just begun. I'm bracing myself for 115 and 117 days. My goal is to never hear, "I'm bored"!

Wordless Wednesday ~ The Jedi Masters

2010-05-26T06:00:00.002-07:00

Embellishing Our Femininity Books

2010-05-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

While the boys were away, the girls decorated their Femininity books with cute girlie foam stickers. Now I can't keep them out of their hands. So if you want a way to make a particular study attractive, find a way to allow your children to personalize it. It makes it their own! I'll be using this same theory when my soon to be 7 year olds are presented their first Holy Qurans. (But certainly not with foam stickers!)

Montessori Monday ~ Walking the Line

2010-05-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

We easily recreated this Montessori classic with tape and yarn. She was really challenged by this activity, trying to keep those tiny feet on an even tinier piece of yarn was pretty tough!

A Day For Children Festival

2010-05-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

A Sunset Nature Walk

2010-05-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday ~ Here Comes the Bride!

2010-04-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

Montessori Monday ~ Fun with Baking Soda and Vinegar

2010-04-26T06:00:00.002-07:00

Adding baking soda to a bowl of colored vinegar is fun way to teach cause and effect to little ones. They get a kick out of the fizz!

Read to Feed with Heifer International

2010-04-22T06:00:00.002-07:00

Another great free curriculum offer! This is from Heifer International. The organization works worldwide providing families in developing nations with farm animals to promote economic development. They gave us two sets of curriculum, one for 3-4th grade and another geared toward 5-6th grade as apart of the Read to Feed program. Both are based on books about families who have recieved animals and how thier lives changed. We are currently working 3-4th grade curriculum which is based on the book, Beatrice's Goat. The curriculum covers economics, biology, civics, and geography. The story of Beatrice is so touching and the children love it. We are saving money now to buy a goat for a family. I got this about a year ago, so check out Heifer's website for current info.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Superheros!

2010-04-21T06:00:00.001-07:00

Planet Protectors Club

2010-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

We are the newest members! Our homeschool schedule has been going great, but my Mommy senses saw a rut on the horizon. So I went into the arsenal and pulled out some new materials, some of which I've had for awhile and have been waiting for the right time to break it out. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) provides lots of fun materials for schools and individuals to help teach children learn about protecting the environment. They provided coloring and activity books, membership badges, and a calender of activities for about 8 months. We began our lessons last week.We revamped the April activity which was to make flower pots out of newspaper to recycling old paper to make new writing paper. Of course, we'll post the results. You can visit the web page for inform and to get your materials.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Baking with Hassana Sunshine

2010-04-07T09:16:00.002-07:00

Deconstruction!

2010-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

We've gone to taking apart old electronic equipment here at the Muhammad household. Who knew it was this much fun? The children love it! They got to use screwdrivers and pliers to dismantle a vcr/dvd player and a printer so far. Tariq has been able to explain many of the inner workings and the parts. I'm on the look out for more things to deconstruct for my little scientists.

Montessori Monday: Sensory Activities

2010-04-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Water is known as the universal solvent. So if you have a cranky child, give her a pot of water and problem solved! All of my children love water play, always have. It is a great, easy sensory activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Of course, watch the little ones closer around all water. Final tip, do this activity on days when you're going to mop the floor!

Where You Might Find Me This Weekend

2010-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

My family and I will be traveling to my hometown to see my Daddy tie the knot!

Science Blast 2010 Wrap-up

2010-04-01T06:00:00.001-07:00

The Science Blast was an outstanding success! The children had a ball. We began by dissecting cows's eyes that I purchased from Home Science Tools which is considered a high school level lab. I used the guide that came with the kit to help the children along. They worked in groups of about 2 or 3. Next, we created our own veggie pizzas. Then made ice cream in a bag. This was a big hit. They keep asking, "Is it ready?, is it ready?". I would tell them, "No, keep shaking." The children then made ice cream sundaes with chocolate syrup and sprinkles. The smoking punch was fascinating. I added dry ice to fruit juice and foamed wonderfully. Last on the agenda was the rocket launch. After a brief lesson in the laws of motion, we all went outside. Everyone was waiting with baited breath to see our little rocket go, go, go. It didn't go. My husband and I followed the directions perfectly, it just would not work. We tried and tried to no avail. So I sat all the children down outside and explained them there would be no rocket blast today. They of course understood. Children are so forgiving. We went around the circle and everyone commented on their favorite part of the party. Each child left with a certificate of participation and two homemade chocolate chip cookies. Watch out for Science Blast 2011! I'm already collecting ideas.

Wordless Wednesday ~ BOWTIE

2010-03-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Science Blast 2010

2010-03-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Montessori Monday: Sensory Activities

2010-03-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sensory Activities have always been a big hit in my house from the time my oldest were very young. I really just keep recycling the same activities over and over again and I plan to share them over the next few weeks. I put this one together a couple weeks ago using various types of beans. I hate to waste food, so I use beans that we don't eat. LOL. The tools are just various kitchen items. Clean up can also provide an opportunity for sweeping practice.

When We Make Wudu

2010-03-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Need a cute, fun way to help your children remember the steps of ablution. I took pictures of each part of the body they are to wash and hung them in order in the bathroom. It has worked great.

Ablution or Wudu is a cleansing process that also has spiritual meaning that Muslims complete before they pray.

Summer is a coming!

2010-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

As you all may or may not know, Phoenix gets smoking hot during the summer like stay inside and lay under a fan all day and night hot. Even though we homeschool year round thus though the summer, I've had to do some serious planning to keep my children engaged and entertained each day during the summer months since we are stuck inside all day. The past couple of days I've been doing some brainstorming. Last summer, a neighbor/friend and I created a weekly schedule for our children that worked out great. Our neighbors have moved, but I think I'll keep the schedule. We had a day for arts and crafts, a trip to the pool, science experiments, weekly public library events, and the Harkins Summer Movie Program. Right now I'm working on a list of craft ideas and experiments which I may alternate with a cooking/baking project. Any really fun ideas? I'm taking all suggestions.

How to Train Your Dragon Day at the Arizona Science Center

2010-03-24T09:24:00.004-07:00

Petting a big, juicy lizard? Have at it!
Making dragon snot? Go for it!

Creating your own protective shield. Do it!
Slit walkers rocking Converse? Love it.

Having a great time in the name of science and creativity? Couldn't make me happier!