Did you think I fell off the face of the earth? Well I haven't-just been super busy and unable to post much

Isn't that way it goes in life?  You get into these nutty periods that drain the days right out of life and you have no idea where they went.  Well that has been going on here of late.  Sewing, and now constant running to and fro to baseball practice and games. Whew!

SOOO, I need to do a post or two about how our year went and oh the shame...we didn't use the workboxes say for a couple days.  I missed them. So did the boy.  SOOO next year we are back to workboxing and I am looking forward to it.  I am also hoping to create some new boards to go along with the science we'll be doing (Apologia's Flying Creatures on the 5th Day and the Swimming Creatures on the 5th Day)as well as some new games.  So I am going on a 'Fun Hunt' this summer! A hunt to find these things and frankly, I have fun doing it-usually-and then making the goodies!  Of course, I will share once I do.

I have been posting on my other blog-Homeschooling on a Wing and a Prayer so you can catch up on the recent goings on there.

Look for some new posts coming in the next few weeks...and golly geez peeps-head to the Dollar Tree stores and stock up on stuff for the coming year.  I found a bag of cute sea creatures (in the Hawaiian party theme area) to use as wall decorations when we do the Swimming creatures study.  :)  Looking for some birds/bats and other flying critters to use for the other book. Always fun to dress up the walls a tad to match what we're studying.

Til then-have a great rest of May and hope you'll come back and visit soon!!!

Printable downloads for workboxes, teaching material and games! Helps us too because we earn a percent of each purchase!

Adoption Bundle

By visiting and purchasing the adoption bundle at Little Learning Lovies-you are helping make it possible to bring our child home.  Every purchase gives us $$ to put toward the large expense of adopting.  

You can save 40% by using the promo code "MOM" when you check out. You save and we will be one step closer to saving our little starfish!  Thanks so much.

A special thank you to Sandra at LLL store for running this promotion for our family-it means the world to us to have folks willing to do this for us!  

And a very special thanks to those folks who have already purchased this package-just know your kindness has not gone unnoticed!  Thank you very much!!

Homeschooling and Mom/Child Training books for sale on my FB page

I have put them in a listing on a FB page I created. There are also some Stampin'Up! stamps (ones listed in the goodies for sale area)...Hagemann Adoption Fund Raiser FB Page

I am asking for a $12 min. order (you can mix/match the stuff listed) or very close to that....please PM or comment under the item to ask about availability and shipping/handling fees. I will calculate when I have your zip.

Here are a few of the things we have up for sale:  pricing/conditions are all listed on the FB page.

Little Learning Lovies Giveaway and yes-I do exist-LOL

I am here-I truly am.  I have just not been much for blogging lately and I do apologize.  I am trying though, so to kick start the new year and hopefully my blogging juices-I have a great giveaway for you all!

Super easy and fun too.  You see, I am pals with the gal from Little Learning Lovies and an affiliate too. Which means every time you all make a purchase (via our affiliate link), we get some money to add to our adoption funds! It's a win-win situation. You get a great product to use with your school/workboxes and we are that much closer to bring home a special little lovie of our own from an Eastern Europe country/orphanage. And for the duration of this giveaway-plus a couple of days-LLL is offering the adoption bundle for 30% off the regular price of $50 making it only $35 for all those goodies!!!!

March's special: 
Sweet Little Piggy

Expanded Workbox Tag Set

$0 

(now that is sweet!)

These bright, colorful and professionally done products are all downloadable, so wherever you are in the world, you can have these almost immediately to print and then use!  Workbox tags, dot art, games (including File Folder games), planners, bulletin board sets, language arts/math "works" (that is actually a Montessori term-basically they are activities that reinforce/teach a concept), and more!

The prices at Little Learning Lovies are very, very reasonable too.  So stop by and take a look-I am sure there is something there that will benefit your workboxing experience.

GIVEAWAY has ended...look for another
coming in the fall

I am now an affiliate of the Little Learning Lovies company and each purchase helps our adoption funds!

The Learning Little Lovies has a lot of wonderful downloads to help you workbox better! Yes, and each time you purchase thru our affiliate link-you directly help us to build our funds to bring home a precious orphan from an Eastern Europe country. It's a win-win sitzie folks!  :)

Working on some things

I am working with the boy on a few things-projects and such but alas-I am heading out of town this weekend for a ladies scrapping/sewing expedition and I have to concentrate on getting those goodies put together (esp. since I was not ready b/cuz it was on, then canceled, then on again) so I am behind...in my posing here. So sorry.

I do hope to also get a post done [sometime before the new year arrives] about our adventures with the HOD Creation to Christ curriculum. Have some new poetry pages to showcase and the biggie (this will take some time)-our salt dough map of ancient Israel.  I am hunting down a large piece of cardboard and have been unsuccessful but will ask at the store tomorrow.  It will need time to dry between the painting and the salt doughing steps.  And with my mind on the getaway weekend-I doubt we'll get it done by Friday morn. So that too will have to wait until it is done/documented, but I will try to get that post up before too long here.

Other than that-haven't really been 'workboxing' too much b/cuz this curriculum is not real conducive to it.  I have been trying to put additional things/activities in his first 4-6 boxes but that just hasn't been happening enough to even post about.  I need some uninterrupted time to do some thinking and planning to get back into the workboxing.  I know he misses it and I do too.

Anyhoo-hope all of you are well and not too terribly affected by the big Sandy mess. Blessings to you all and have a great weekend

Finally did some nature study-what is in the box you ask?

When we went to have my dd's wisdom teeth evaluated, we found oodles of these pods laying about under a tree that I didn't recognize.  So to keep the boy busy I had him gather some up (that translates to him not picking up the ones already on the ground-like every good boy he jumped and jumped and tried to gather from the largest tree all those pods that were way up there. Well at least he got rid of some of his ya-yas before we went into the appt.).  Later in the week, I put them in a shoebox workbox with the tree identifying book, some paper, a pencil, tweezers, a magnifier and a container.  The goal?  To open those babies up and examine the seeds, count them, average them and to just kinda explore these crazy pods.

We figure it is a Honeylocust (thornless version) since it fit the description to a T, was used as landscaping for that building and such.  He enjoyed the task.  Well, say for the beetle that popped out of a pod.  He jumped a bit since he wasn't expecting it and that little beetle took a swim into the depths of the sewer line (aka: it was flushed).  Oh and the biggest pod held 26 seeds!  We have them saved and will disperse them about hoping the birds/animals eat and distribute them later via the natural way (since they do germinate better when they go thru a critters system).  I didn't have him record or draw them this time-since we were running behind on other activities but I truly don't feel we need to journal/data entry/draw every. single. thing. we do in nature study. But I am a rebel like that.

Hopefully, we'll have a few of the Honeylocust trees in our neighborhood (in a few years) and maybe next time I will be a better NS instructor and request a notation in his nature study book-or maybe not.

Workbox ideas and a blessing for our adoption fundraising

We have been blessed by a wonderful lady, Sandra Modersohn, who has put together an adoption bundle that will directly benefit our fundraising efforts!  You can purchase these downloadable PDFs to create many different 'works' to print off and use.  These will make excellent workbox projects.

You can find the info on the Adoption Bundle on her site, LITTLE LEARNING LOVIES, and don't forget to like her FB page too!  Thanks again Sandra! It is folks like you that showcase such loving kindness and a giving spirit!

With Christmas just around the corner here

Just a couple crafty updates here:

I have been sewing up a storm and now have quite a few Starfish Ornaments available, some tea bag wallets (5 more coming soon) and of course, the notebook covers (various styles) and a couple book slings still available. All proceeds go directly to our adoption fee fundraising efforts.  You can view them over on our Sowing Seeds of Redemption blog (the pages at the top of the blog have more info about each project).

Also-if you are on Facebook and are looking to purchase some goodies there is a new page with several 'shops' of handmade products by those who are in the adoption process or just starting out (like us) and also-those working to help build their Prayer Warrior/Angel Tree children's funds. By purchasing from them, you are not only getting very unique and lovely gifts, but you are helping orphans! 

You can browse the 'shops' on the RR Christmas Craft Mall page.

Science: Apologia Land Animals Activity

We are currently studying the Apologia Land Animals of the Fifth Day as a part of our Heart of Dakota Creation to Christ study and I decided to make this activity to go along with the animals study.

Land Animals/Continents Match

*most animal images from National Geographic Stock Images

I simply made copies of each continent [from my Montessori collection of maps], added the title of it, glued them onto a reg. sized piece of card stock and then laminated them. I used a couple online sites (I think National Geographic** site has the best pics) and copy/pasted them to a MS Word document, shrunk them in size then copied them off.  Cut them out, placed a number on the back and then I will created a master list where the name of the critter matches the number and what continent(s) it can be mostly found on.  I went by the names found in the study and added a few extras when I saw that they also came from that continent.  I still have a few more to find but it is a good start.

The boy can then take this out-lay the correct critters on the correct continent and then I can check the work after.  This is the basic activity.  Some animals go on multiple continents so I need to do one of two things: make copies of those so each will have their own, or have him focus on one or two continents per time (and hopefully ones that don't have shared animals. Otherwise, I guess he can put the pic between the two continent cards).

The more difficult level of the activity (which can be done separately) is to have him put the animals under each order or species group, etc.  I simply went thru the material covered in the Apologia study to get these names. I typed/printed/glued to cardstock and laminated them in order to create this activity.  He'll have to do this several times before it become 'easy' for him but it is a way to reinforce the material (and esp. so because he is a hands-on learner).  I can also break it down into sub-groups like the study does to simplify it a tad as well.

 This is the chart found in the section on primates.  I can also have him pull all the primate pics and place them into their correct categories too.

I am only missing a few titles that I still need to type up/print/glue on and laminate.  But again-this is a good start and will keep him plenty busy.  I store these in three Ziplock bags (one big one for all of it, 2 smaller ones hold the pics and the titles).

**side note here-Nat'l Geographic allows you to upload and use pics for your personal use. Check the royalty free section of the stock photos. Therefore, I cannot share this 'work' for you to download. You'll have to go there yourself and create your own material.