Draw/Write Paper FREE Download!

I have a freebie to share with you! If you use any drawing or writing books or work on short story writing with your kids/students, these pages are easy to use!

Download the printables here:

We have used Draw Write Now, but I know there is a Draw and Write Through History series as well, which looks fun. Draw Write Now was perfect for my reluctant writer, and I ended up purchasing books 1-8 during an Educents deal. I think that means we are likely set for now and won't be buying the Draw and Write Through History books, but I'd love to hear which draw/write series you have used!

wordless wednesday: small and tall

Family Traditions

What are some important family traditions you share with your kids? One of my favorite traditions is making pasta with my children! It's such a simple and satisfying task, and one that is appropriate for their skill level in the kitchen. We even used my great-grandmother's wooden cutting board.

Today, the dough was just perfect!

This was my dinner. Yum!

A quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thanks to Kimberly Geswein and EduClips for the font and graphics.

"Build" is the word of the week!

Though pretty much every week here can be summed up with this word, I thought I would share some recent creations!

FREEBIE round up for next week!

Are you looking for some activities for MLK Jr. day? Here's a list of some freebies I found I think you might enjoy!

Free January Crossword Puzzles: New Year, Winter, Martin Luther King Jr, & More!

from Happy Teacher Happy Kids

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Create a Mini-Book

from Blair Turner

For your little ones:

Martin Luther King Jr. Activities FREEBIE!! {Print and go!}

by Sheila Melton

And be sure to check this out from Luvs2TeachinCa

Martin Luther King, Jr. Facts and Comprehension Check

Free for a LIMITED TIME ONLY from Lovin Lit (grab it while you can!):

and check out this PowerPoint presentation!

Hayes' Heavenly Hands

This story touched me and I wanted to share it with you, too. I can't imagine going through loss like this, yet I am aware of so many families in various circles going through this very struggle. There isn't often much an outsider can do, so when the opportunity came that I could so something for someone, I was very grateful for the opportunity.

Now you can support this family too, by either donating directly to them or donating by purchasing this bundle on TPT with $70 worth of resources for just $25. Clicking on the image below will take you to the resource, which has a link to donate in the description:

I'm so sorry this family is going through this, and to all others who have passed through this journey. Thanks to Schoolhouse Divas for setting this all up!

clip art input from a 5 year old

I've been toying with a few kid clip art images and had my 5 yo give me his input on how to color this one. He explained to me he thought it was a boy "because his hair is kind of short like mine" so I asked what color it should be and he wanted it pink. Then I asked about the bow and wondered if he'd seen anyone with a bow. "I think I've seen some kids with a bow. Definitely kids, not grown ups. I think the boy should have a green bow." Done, kid. "I think the picture should have something in it other than just white." Yeah, I can dig that. So here it is:

I think he is pretty fabulous! =) In fact, I liked it so much I added it to my newest product! Here he is on the cover:

week in review

It's been awhile since I posted but I thought it might be nice to do a week in review. I don't dump photos off my camera often enough but I grabbed a few from my phone. What we've been up to this past week:

There was a lot of creating! From snow walls to angry birds to gears galore, there were plenty of imaginary story lines this week. A huge 3D puzzle was completed (and I didn't touch a single piece). My 5yo wanted to make a chess set entirely out of LEGOs. He had clear ideas about how each piece should look. We played a game with them when they were finished. My 7yo had his 5th chess tournament and was thrilled to walk away with a trophy to add to his collection. We learned a little about Chinese New Year, and honed fine motor skills with a lot of cutting.We listened to Story of the World, and after I read the first 15 or so pages of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the 7yo finished the book the next day. I had a lot of explaining to for that book! We have talked about bullying in the past but I guess he forgot what it was, so we had to go over it again, as well as a bunch of other words we don't generally use in our house (nerd, dork, moron, etc.). It made me very grateful to be homeschooling these kids!

 What have you been up to this week?