Preschool Week 1 Detailed Guide

This is our week 1 detailed guide for Preschool.

Theme- Animals
Life Skill- Proper Hand washing
Physical Skill- Walk in a straight line touching toe to heel
Cooking Lesson- Make PB Sandwich
Vocabulary- Letters A,B&C
Reading/Oral Language- Read a book about animals out loud together
Math- Numbers 1-5
Hands on Skill- Trace straight line
Handwriting- letters A,B&C
Craft- Animal Paper Bag Puppets

Monday-
Introduce new Life Skill: Show child how to properly wash hands. Continue to teach this lesson throughout the rest of the week until it becomes habit.

Handwriting: Show child how to write letters A,B&C. Practice writing these letters together using a dry erase board (or paper/pencil)

Coloring: Color animals together. Practice staying in the lines. Talk about each animal and their sounds as you color.

Tuesday-
Physical Skill: Demonstrate how to walk in a straight line touching toe to heel. Have child repeat the action.

Vocab: Worksheet- Find & Circle letters A,B&C on the page. Alternatively you can use pages from a magazine, newspaper, etc.

Wednesday-
Math: Count out loud to 5, Worksheet- color groups of animals. Count the animals while coloring.

Reading: Read a book about animals together out loud. Encourage child to repeat sentences or certain words.

Craft: Make animal Paper bag Puppets. [Supplies needed: paper bags, construction paper, glue or glue sticks, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc to make faces]

Thursday-
Hands on Skill: Trace straight lines

Cooking lesson: make PB sandwich

Friday-
Review handwriting, vocab & math lessons from the week.


These are some sites I like for Worksheets:
http://www.tlsbooks.com/preschoolworksheets.htm
http://www.kidslearningstation.com/
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/handwriting.htm


These are some additional items I'll be purchasing to use as an addition to our curriculum:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006JZCG/ref=oss_product
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-27-Piece/dp/B000GIJ4Y4/ref=pd_sim_t_5
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Lace-Trace-Shapes/dp/B000O7KR0W/ref=pd_sim_t_3

Preschool Curriculum

I have been searching and searching for a curriculum for our 3yr old. But everything I found was either too expensive or not what I was really looking for. So I decided to throw caution to the wind and create my own. Afterall, isn't that one of the advantages of homeschooling? At first I was hesitant about doing a more structured curriculum with CJ but again, one of the joys of HSing is being able to adapt the schedule as needed. This guide that I have created is just structured enough to give me a plan for the day rather than a set in stone curriculum.

So here's how it's broken down. Written out in a list like this it's going to look like a lot but it's spaced out over the entire week with no more than 3 lessons a day. It would be easy to change the days around, adjust the lessons for your child's needs, etc. My personal goal is to have the lessons done before lunch so the afternoon is free for free play, etc. Each week will also have a theme.

Overview of the week-
Life Skill (personal care, manners, new chore, etc)
Physical Skill
Cooking lesson
Vocabulary
Reading/Oral Language
Math
Hand's on lesson
Handwriting
Craft

Monday-
Introduce new Life Skill
Handwriting
Color Page (that goes with the week's theme)

Tuesday-
Physical Skill
Vocab

Wednesday-
Math
Reading
Craft

Thursday-
Hand's on lesson
Cooking lesson

Friday-
Review of the week's lessons

The except to this guide is the last week of the month. (or every 4th week) This entire week will be a chance to review all the new things we have learned. So it will look something like this:

Monday-
New Life Skill
Coloring Pages

Tuesday-
Review Physical skills for this month
Review letters/words

Wednesday-
Review numbers (or math lessons)
Reading
Craft

Thursday-
Review hands on skills
Cooking lesson

Friday-
Fun Day!!
This day will be dedicated to focusing on doing something fun.

I will post the first week's detailed guide soon.

This week's menu and budget total

Let's start with the menu for this week.
Sunday- Tacos
Monday- Chicken & Rice
Tuesday- Swiss Steak
Wednesday- Cheeseburgers, Fries
Thursday- Homemade Pizza
Friday- Baked Potatoes, Salad

Lunches:
Corn dogs, Hot dogs, Pasta, Leftovers

Snacks/Desserts:
Magic in the Middle Cookies, Chocolate chip pound cake

And now on to the grocery total:
Walmart-
1 gallon milk 3.18
freezer bags 2.48
juice boxes 1.68
cheese 1.96
bacon 2.08
hot dogs 1.50
sour cream 1.12
salsa 3.00
tortillas 1.14
pasta .88
bell pepper .98
3lb onions 2.98
Angel Soft 1.18
juice 3.47
pull ups 8.47
paper plates 2.48
plastic cups 3.00
5lb flour 1.58
5lb sugar 2.54
cheese 2.50
can pineapple .67
juice boxes 2.88
1# hamburger 2.48x2
tomato sauce .56x2
tomato sauce .26x2
carrots .88
corn dogs 4.47

total 63.70

5/10-5/16 menu plan

Yesterday I had plans to make a birthday dinner for my hubby. But since he had to work late that plan was nixed. I ate soup and grilled cheese and CJ had pizza at my mom's. I am glad we celebrated his birthday on Saturday with the family rather than waiting for his actual birthday. I'll just have to save his birthday dinner for this weekend.

So here is the menu plan for this week.
5/10- Grilled Cheese & Soup
5/11- Sloppy Joes, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans
5/12- Roasted Chicken, Sweet Corn
5/13- Pot Roast, Potatoes, Carrots
5/14- Tacos, Mexican Rice
5/15- "At home date night" Pizza & a movie
5/16- Maple Glazed Salmon, Rice, Broccoli

Saturday we will be having a yard sale as well. I am sorting through our entire house and doing a major declutter in preparation for our move at the beginning of July. It is such a wonderful feeling to be freeing the house of all our unused items. I am really looking forward to a house without all the clutter and am wondering what took me so long to do it. lol

I also wanted to share something we got in the mail on Friday, Laptop Lunch boxes. I purchased an LL before but never got around to using it. I think when I bought my first one CJ was really too little to really put it to good use, especially with me being a SAHM. So now, with the arrival of our second LL, we will each have one and I hope it makes lunch time around our house more varied and healthy. I put his lunch in it Monday and he really seemed to enjoy having his own little lunchbox with a variety of foods in it to choose from. I can't wait to put it to use again tomorrow. (We skipped today bc he was back and forth between our house and my mom's house all day)

Until next time...

Birthday week & Menu plan

My hubby's birthday is Monday. So in the spirit of a tradition I started this year with CJ we are celebrating his birthday all week. Monday afternoon CJ and I decorated the kitchen and the table with birthday decor. The living room still had the decor up from CJ's birthday in March. Opps. Saturday night we will go out with our families and have dinner for his birthday as well as do a little shopping. I still haven't decided what to get him for his birthday though. So I think instead of a gift I'll make him his favorite cake, a special dinner and have CJ help me make a homemade gift for Daddy.

Now for the menu plan for this week:
Monday 5/3- Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joes, Chips, Baked Beans
Tuesday 5/4- Chicken Tenders, Waffle Fries
Wednesday 5/5- Beef Tips with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes
Thursday 5/6- PW's Cajun Chicken Pasta
Friday 5/7- Tacos, Mexican Rice
Saturday 5/8- Dinner Out for Hubby's Birthday
Sunday 5/9- Family Mother's Day Dinner ~Cooking Glazed Carrots & Neiman Marcus Bars
Monday 5/10- Hubby's Birthday Dinner ~Maple Glazed Salmon, Rice, Broccoli, Refrigerator Cake

Menu Planning for a family of 3

Let's talk about menu planning. This is one area that took me a little while to master but now that I have it down it has helped so much. I started writing out one week's meals at a time and I gradually increased to a month's worth of meals. This will be especially helpful when we move because we will be an hour away from WalMart and around 2 hours from Aldi.

So what I do is first I go through my freezer and pantry and make a list. Then I write down enough meals using those items and our family favorites to cover the whole month, minus each Sunday as it has become a family tradition to watch a movie and have pizza on Sundays. I tentatively set each meal with a day of the week, but I use it more as a guideline for the week/month switching around meals as needed.

Then I go through the first 2 weeks meals and write down every single ingredient I will need for each meal. I check off each ingredient that I already have on hand and write my grocery list using the items left. So basically I'm shopping for 2 weeks at a time.

I keep a copy of that month's meals in my household binder. I bought a wipe off calender from the Dollar General for $2.50 that sticks to the fridge, it isn't dated, but it has spaces for each day of the month. I write my meals on that as well so I can see what the plan is at a glance.

And now here is March's Meal Plan-

1- Sloppy Joes, fries
2- *Take out* (had to work a double and got home late)
3- Ribs, Mac & Cheese
4- Tacos
5- Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes
6- Pork Loin, Green Beans
7- Pizza
8- Cheese Quesdillas
9- Baked Potatoes, Salad
10- Breakfast
11- Swiss Steak
12- Sloppy Joes, fries
13- Sandwiches
14- Pizza
15- Roast Chicken, Sweet Corn
16- Tilapia/Salmon, Boiled Potatoes
17- Turkey Wraps
18- Cheeseburgers, Fries, Beans
19- BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Chips
20- Tacos
21- CJ's 3rd Birthday and his Party *planned take out day*
22- Salads
23- Chicken & Rice
24- Soup & Sandwiches
25- Baked Chimichangas, Mexican Rice
26- Beef Stew
27- Sloppy Joes, Fries
28- Pizza
29- Breakfast
30- Terayki Chicken Legs
31- Pork Loin, Potatoes

February in Review

Hello there my dear friends,
After months of not blogging, creating a new blog and then taking a break from that one I have decided to unearth this blog and make a fresh start. No more big plans for the blog either. I just want a place I can talk about everything and nothing in particular.

So let's start with this last month in a quick review. Actually it will be more like 2010 so far in review.

To start, I went back to work. From 2000-2006 I worked as a waitress at my grandparents seafood restaurant. And this year when it opened for the season I said why not go back and help out the family and make a little extra money. So that's just what I did. I miss CJ terribly during the day but I do enjoy being back at work. When we close again in April I won't return to work, I'll continue to be a SAHM but for the time being I am enjoying it.

Also in big news, we are planning a move! By April we will be out of our current house and into a new one. I am hesitant about leaving my family, I will be an hour away, but I am looking forward to a new chapter in my little family's life. I am using this an opportunity to free our home from all the clutter that we have been collecting for the 4 years we have lived here. If we don't absolutely need it or love it, its going out of here! And then even some of that stuff is getting tossed as well. The Salvation Army will either love me or hate me for the next few weeks.

And now onto something equally important. My Budget/household finances. I created a new household binder right after Christmas and it is a must have for any Domestic Goddess. I will do a detailed post about my binder later. I also have been menu planning again and it has made a huge difference in not only my day but my grocery budget as well. I have almost cut my monthly budget in half since 2009! I will post about menu planning later as well. We do need to seriously work on the amount of money we spend on junk food, eating out and other "treats" but I also know with the move that will take care of itself.

Now here are my totals for February.

Grocery: 205.24
Health & Beauty: 15.94
Pet: 48.60
Treats/Misc/Eating out: 206.61
Clothing: 58.49
Holidays: 76.40
Diapers: 9.01

Notes:
Under Misc- New Bedding, Ink for printer, workbooks/craft items for CJ
Holidays- 4 birthdays and Valentine's Day
Clothing- Not typical to spend this amount. But I purchase a new pair of shoes, some shirts on sale for $1, several items from the thrift store as well as a pair of rain boots (aka Wellington's) from Target for $25