Homeschooling at a Construction Site

Anybody remember when I shared Homeschooling With a Cement Mixer?  Today we took advantage of a similar opportunity.

We have a Construction Site within walking distance, so the boys and I set off on a walk to learn more about how houses are made.

This is one of the empty sites.

Since they're putting in an entire subdivision, there are several empty sites still.

After the pipes are in, they build forms.

The forms hold the concrete when they pour the foundations.

They had a couple of these little Bobcats working.

Moving piles of dirt and rock around.

There aren't any houses currently at the framing stage, so we'll have to go back over there when the newest ones get to that point.  These ones have most of the siding on already.

I was showing the boys the various stages of roofing.

Naked roof

Roof with bundles

Roofs in progress

Finished roof

And finished roof with solar panels (these are solar homes).

Finished house

And SOLD finished house.

Along the way, not only did we have a nice walk and see interesting things, we also discussed vocabulary words like rebar.

We got to see a truck making a delivery, too.

We even stopped briefly in the model office to look at the floor plans and got to see an aerial view of the neighborhood.

When we got back home, we had trail mix for snack and then wrote about how houses are made, complete with drawings.

I'm planning to brainstorm a list of construction related words on the whiteboard with the boys, and then have them spell them out with the letter tiles.  Things like nail gun, blueprint, hardhat, foreman, bulldozer, plywood, hammer, pipes, shingle, plumber, etc.


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Becoming Bea book review and Kindle Fire #giveaway

This was such a sweet book!  A late bloomer's "coming of age" story.  As a fellow lover of words, the way the author wove Bea and Ben's spelling bee experiences of their school years into the story made me smile.

I've always found the Amish rumspringa tradition a little odd, and an incident in the story confirms that things can and do go wrong with that.  Ben couldn't have thought he saw Bea kissing someone else if there weren't any couples kissing in the woods in the moonlight, you know?

Becoming Bea shows the main character going through a tremendous amount of personal growth, both in the area of reclusive shyness and in competitive pride.  Although this book is part of a series, it stands on it's own.  I haven't read the other books, and I didn't have any problem picking up the story.

Sometimes, at the end of a book, you feel like, "Well, they're together for now, but..." when the characters have behaved badly or overcome really difficult circumstances.  I didn't have that feeling with this book.  I really felt that Bea and Ben are well suited for each other, and should do well together.


Leslie Gould is back with the latest book, Becoming Bea, in her Shakespeare-inspired series, The Courtships of Lancaster County. Don't miss the other books in the series, Courting Cate (retelling of The Taming of the Shrew), Adoring Addie (inspired by Romeo and Juliet), and Minding Molly (inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Leslie is celebrating the series with a Kindle giveaway and a Facebook party on November 11th.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• One copy each of the entire The Courtships of Lancaster County series: Courting Cate, Adoring Addie, Minding Molly, and Becoming Bea.

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 11/11. Winner will be announced at Leslie's 11/11 Becoming Bea Facebook author chat party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Leslie and Amish fiction fans, as well as for a chance to win some great prizes!

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

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Quilted by Christmas book review and Kindle #GIVEAWAY

Am I allowed to have 2 favorites in this series?  Because I really really liked this book.  I know I said earlier that Rival Hearts was my favorite Quilts of Love book, but I think it might be a tie between these two.

Quilted by Christmas is a heart warming tale of two people with a Past, whose paths cross after a prickly break up 12 years ago.  Justin has been off in the military, and Taryn has gone through college and become a teacher.  When his first words to her after all that time were "This was a bad idea," it's understandable that they continue to be edgy, hesitant, and tenuous around each other.  But he keeps coming around, offering to help with a project Taryn's grandmother dumps in her lap after she is injured and unable to finish it herself.

Author Jodie Bailey weaves a tale that made my chest ache.  Taryn has a secret, and she's not sure Justin would ever forgive her if he finds out.  It turns out, Grandmother has a secret, too.  How would things have been different if both women had told the truth long ago?


Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey. October’s QOL release is a warm Christmas tale of God's steadfast love.

Enter to win a Kindle HDX, and RSVP for the “Merry Quilted” Quilts of Love Facebook party on December 9th.

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Two copies of Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey (One for you and one to give away as a gift!)
• Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll
• Swept Away by Laura V. Hilton and Cindy Loven

Enter today by clicking the button below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 16th. Winner will be announced November 17th at the Quilts of Love blog.

Wait! There's more! RSVP for the "Merry Quilted" Quilts of Love Christmas Book Chat Party on December 9th and connect with some of the Quilts of Love authors. Jodie Bailey, Laura V. Hilton, Cindy Loven, Cathy Elliott, and Gina Welborn will be hosting a "merry" evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, prizes, and more!

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on December 9th!

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Trouble in Paradise book review and $25 #giveaway

Last summer, I got to review Deception in Paradise, by Deborah Brown, which I really enjoyed!  I jumped at the chance to review Trouble in Paradise, as well.

Trouble in Paradise brings back all your favorite characters from the first two books, in tense and hilarious escapades.  Madison has built her community well.  She's got Fab, the unlikely best friend; Zach, the boyfriend; Creole, the backup boyfriend; and an assortment of seedy people that get her into and out of trouble!  Oh, and let's not forget her Mother, who shoots somebody in this book!

I enjoyed Trouble in Paradise every bit as much as the first two books in the series, and I'm looking forward to the next two books, as well.  If you're lamenting the change to cooler weather, get away to sunny Florida in these great escape books.

Welcome to the Florida Keys! Get ready to go on vacation and lose yourself in this action packed read.

What is big news in small town Tarpon Cove? An accidental drowning or perhaps a ruthless murder? When a dead fisherman rolls up on shore, Madison cannot resist jumping into her new role as Private Investigator. But she soon discovers the people in The Cove who normally gossip about everybody's business are unusually tight-lipped.

The bad tenant radar still not working, the cottages continue to be full of riffraff. Madison gets arrested, shot at, and outsmarted. She teams up with her best friend – the Glock carrying Fabiana. Together they take on cases no other investigators would ever touch!

Trouble in Paradise, is the third novel in Deborah Brown's Paradise series, can be read as a stand alone book.

Author's Website

"'Trouble' is captivating from the first paragraph.  The stories are a true adventure!" - review from Amazon

"This book continues the drama as it can only occur in South Florida, with a host of truly fun, unique characters." - Author Kim Cano

Buy the book from.....

Amazon.co.uk    Amazon.com    Barnes and Noble

About the Author

The Paradise series, are Florida Keys mysteries, "great as stand-alone reads, but they're like chips...you won't be able to devour just one!"

I've been writing, in one way or another for as long as I can remember; writing poetry, short stories, a romance novel secretly stashed under the bed and sappy love letters. Fiction should be fun. I wanted to create the perfect beach book, to make the reader laugh, cry and cheer... and then run out and tell their friends about it.

My love of reading began when I was seven, the day I opened the cover of my first Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book. Mrs. P gave lessons to other children in how to behave and to me I learned to love the written word. I live with my family and demon children aka rescue cats in South Florida.

Follow the Author.....

Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads 

Also available in the Paradise Series

Follow the Book Tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win a $25 Amazon.com Giftcard or Paypal Cash
(winners choice)
Open Worldwide

Ending on Thursday 4th December at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Katie's October Tot Trays

I'm finding "tot trays" to be less and less of a good description of what Katie does all month, but I haven't come up with an alternative.  Suggestions?

Hannah has gone back to school, so I found myself needing to entertain Katie a bit more.  I'm very blessed that my girls play so well together most of the time.  Puzzles in the school room are a good, quiet way Katie can hang out with us while we're doing school.

I pulled out the Color Wonder coloring book and markers from our road trip this summer.  I can see why these appeal to moms, with the NO MESS factor, but honestly, I think regular coloring pages and markers are better for kids like Katie who aren't deliberately destructive.

I shared before about all the fun we had with the Montessori By Mom box, pouring and mixing colors.  We're still using the tools from our box for other forms of play and learning.

Notice the bandage on Katie's hand in the photo above and no bandage in the photo below?  She's doing GREAT post surgery.

More puzzles.  She's pretty good at them.

The day we made "redneck shrinky dinks" Katie saw me draw a pumpkin, so she wanted to draw a pumpkin, too.

And here's her finished pumpkin, after shrinking!

Dripping color on coffee filters was super fun!  I've saved the pile of dried filters, and I think we'll hack them up for snowflakes in a month or so.

In honor of fire safety month, the kids colored these cute pages from Kidorable.

Did I mention we're still having fun with our Montessori By Mom box tools?

This was a super cool unexpected treat.  The turtle lacing card came as a bonus with something I ordered as a special project for the girls.

There's a new company called Cuts By Laser doing lots of interesting wood products.  Stay tuned for pictures of the special project I'm working on.

A little seasonal coloring.  Katie told me this morning, "I like my pumpkin in my room!"  She got a little pumpkin at the pumpkin patch, and it's up on her dresser.

These are the coolest blocks.  They're Uncle Goose Chinese Character Blocks.  One side makes a picture of a dragon and a map of China, the other sides show characters and how to write them correctly.

Combining our colored rice with our MBM tools was fun, too.

Well, fun until Hannah spilled it in the carpet, anyway.  ;)

The water beads are fun to pour, too.  Unfortunately, some of our colored rice ended up in the water bead tray, which then started to get icky, so we had to toss them.  But we got to play with them for a couple weeks.

Katie and Hannah playing with the animal toob bucket.  I'm going to put a toob in each of the girls' stockings, since they enjoy these so much.

You can see that October was the month of weather change for us, since Katie goes from short sleeves and tank tops to long sleeves and pants.  I'm guessing next month will bring more holiday related projects as we careen toward Christmas.


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