Chloe Bean: Fall 2016

As I write this post at the end of November, our homeschool life is in full swing, and we are quickly approaching Christmas. I figured I should take time to update before I get even further behind!

I've been keeping our homeschooling blog updated, but I keep letting this one get pushed to the backburner. The blogs serve different purposes, so I hate to let this one go. I need to just make an appointment with myself to update more often so that it isn't such a chore when I do sit down to do it.

First up, some random posts that I've shared on facebook over the past 3 months. Many things were posted on our homeschool blog, so I'll try not to include the school-related ones here.

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Aug 18 -

Today's the day. My baby girl is off to start a new chapter in her life as a Belmont University Bruin. She'll be nearly 700 miles away, but I know she's going to do great things. I'm so very very proud of her. It's an AMAZING feeling watching your kids chase their dreams!

I keep hearing these lyrics by Sidewalk Prophets running through my head, and they are SO accurate:

Be strong in the Lord and
never give up hope.
You're gonna do great things
I already know
God's got his hand on you so
don't live life in fear
forgive and forget
but don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

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Aug 19 -

My baby girl! @Regrann from @kendragracemusic - "Someday I'll be living in a big ole city, & all you're ever gonna be is mean..."
It's someday, y'all.
#MovingDay #Nashville #BelmontUniversity #Regrann

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Aug 24 -

We read a book today called "Sun Bread" as we've been studying the sun. Since today is the last day of our unit, we decided to make our own "sun bread." As we were mixing the ingredients, Chloe says, "What if we put REAL gas in our bread since the sun is actually made of gas?" Then she cracked all the way up, and said, "I"m just joking. That would be silly!" LOL She's a geek.

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Aug 28 -

Spent some time with our friends Jon& Kelly the other night and checked out their Oculus Rift system. Chloe even got into it...technically...almost literally. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAzINOfsE1g

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Sep 3 -

Nothing like being awakened out of a dead sleep by a huge earthquake! That's how my Saturday started! (at 7am this morning... I'm just now getting around to posting about it).

We're all fine (it was a 5.6 in Oklahoma, but we felt it STRONGLY up here). I don't know how many of these my poor 1918-built house can handle before it topples down on us though!

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Posted by Jeff on Sept 6 -

I can't make this stuff up. lol Chloe named her butterfly nightlight, "Sinking Ship." So, of course I had to play the song "All You Ever Wanted," by Casting Crowns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ybDxWo49Q

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Sept 10 -

You know what I'm discovering that I LOVE about homeschooling? The flexibility! I love that there is no one-size-fits-all model... even among people using the same curriculum. If 100 of us are using the kindergarten curriculum I'm using, you'll likely have 100 different ways that the program looks in our houses. Seriously, people, isn't that AWESOME!?

For me, these next couple of weeks, the flexibility means that we are taking a tiny break from our main curriculum because I have a big work deadline, we have guests from out of state coming to spend 4 days with us, I have a huge program to prepare for at church, and we have 2 field trip days with friends in town.

So, we'll take some days completely off. Some days we'll work on phonics, reading lots of books, playing some math & learning games, and probably throw in some free creative time (she loves to just make her own creations when handed art supplies). And you know what? That's OK! We are going to school year-round, so I don't feel rushed to get to a certain point by a certain time of the year.

And when we start back with the apple unit in a couple of weeks, there are so many fun extra things that I want to do that we may just stretch it out for 7 or 8 days!

Seriously, this has me SO excited!!

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Sept 28 -

10:30pm Chloe comes out from her bed (where she should've been sleeping for about an hour and a half).

C - Hi mommy. I just need my scissors.

me - Um. I don't think so. Why do you need scissors?

C - (sheepishly) I just need to cut something.

me - That's not happening, babe. What do you want to cut?

C - Just my pets (her stuffed animals). I'm playing with them in my bed.

Uuuuummm, at least she's honest? This ended with whining about how now she'll NEVER get to cut things ever again.

I'm sure all you other moms would let your 4 yr old take scissors to bed in the middle of the night, so I'm probably the meanest mom ever.

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Sept 29 -

Late start on school this morning because she needed to illustrate her dream after breakfast. She does this often. Thinking i should have her start a dream journal. (Side note, we HAVE started a dream journal, and she now writes in it at least a few times a week)

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Oct 3 -

Survival advice from Chloe (age 4): If your mommy & daddy tell you that you're going on a nature walk in the desert, you can just take a rope with you in case you fall in some quicksand. That way your mommy or daddy can pull you out!

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Posted by Jeff on Oct 9 -

I'm not the only creative one in this house. Chloe created this last night....it's an Elephant-shark....obviously!

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Oct 14 -

Chloe was correcting her friend today when he wasn't listening to his mother. I said, "Chloe, his mama is handling this. You need to stay out of it. She will be the one to tell him what he needs to do."

She puts her hands on her hips, turns to me and says, "I. am. TEACHING. him!"

Later, while getting in the car, she says, "I can't wait til I'm a grown-up so I can tell kids what to do."

Ooooooooh boy!

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Posted by Jeff on Oct 14 -

So we're watching Supergirl on Netflix as a "Faminey" when I pause the show to ask Chloe if she knows what the "green stuff" is. Chloe looks square at me and replies, "Kryptonite. It makes Supergirl and Superman get into bad trouble like laying down and not getting up. I learned it on Hobby Kids!".... Libby and I looked at each other, shook our heads, and un-paused the show. lol

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Oct 18 -

"Ummm Mommy? I know you usually make really good toast, but today my toast is a little too dark. It's pretty yucky. Sometimes when you leave the toast in the toaster too long, it gets too dark. And you know I like light toast." - Chloe, age 4

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Posted by Jeff on Oct 22 -

Spent a couple of hours at Sedgwick County Park yesterday with Chloe. She found a new "friend" wearing another Jack-O-Lantern shirt, and they pwayed and pwayed!! Too bad the little girl is from Minnesota and just visiting her grandma.

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Oct 22 -

Chloe loves retelling the Bible stories that they learn in church. Tonight, she was telling us about how Moses led the "laser lights" out of Egypt.

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Oct 23 -

Spending some time being silly with our little family this morning. We were making up jokes, and Chloe (who admittedly usually doesn't have anything that makes sense) came up with 2 doozies:

- What did the kid say to the other kid?
- Maaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!
(she clarified it was because they were goats. LOL)

Second joke:

- What did the kid say to the goat?
- We're both goats!

*rimshot*

Thank you, folks. We'll be here all week!

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Oct 30 -

I was tied up at church volunteering for Judgement House, so Jeff took Chloe out Trunk or Treating at a local church and then out for pizza at Knolla's. Chloe was initially hesitant because the cheeseburger pizza had both pickle and onion. You can see that she was soon a big fan!

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Halloween 2016

We had a blast dressing up as a family and going out trick or treating with Jeff's friend Ivett from work and her 2 boys Andy & Liam.

This picture of Chloe is my absolute favorite. I entered it in a local costume contest and won a $25 gc to a children's clothing consignment event!

And our whole family...

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Nov 2 -

Every day for school, we go outside and observe the weather to record on our weather chart. Today, Chloe says, "I predict it will be sunny. Or cloudy. Or partly cloudy. Or rainy."

So, we go outside to check.

"Yep! I was right! It's cloudy today!"

I think she has a definite future as a meteorologist.

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Nov 3 -

I was explaining to Chloe a little about the election in VERY simple terms. Basically that the President is sorta like the boss of the United States and that we get to go vote to choose a new President. I mean, she's 4, so she doesn't need to know much more than that, right?

So, she asked who we vote for, so I was telling her the names of the candidates that we could choose from, and she says:

"I want Donald Trump cause it sorta sounds like Donald Duck, and I do like Mickey Mouse."

That's as good a reason as any, right? LOL

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Nov 7 -

Chloe has jokingly referred to her daddy as a "stinky boy" for a long time now (thanks to her Aunt Andria! LOL). Today, she said, "I think instead of 'stinky boy' we should say that daddy is an 'awesome boy' cause he's really awesome at building stuff."

Talk about a promotion!

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Posted by Jeff on Nov 10

Went to a very fancy restaurant tonight where they serve virtually "Anysing at all!" I know this cuz the menu said so. lol

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Nov 14 -

Chloe's bedtime prayer tonight ended with, "And please let my sissy love brownies."

Clearly she has some unresolved issues with the fact that Kendra (my weird child) doesn't like brownies.

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Nov 18 -

"Hey Mommy, did you know about Dillons Clicklist? You can order what you want on the computer, and when you get there, they have everything ready for you! You don't even have to wait!" - Chloe, age 4, schooling mom on the power of advertising.

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Nov 18 -

Apparently, I'm now the mom of a 4 year old vlogger. I found Chloe today with her Kindle Fire recording a video she called "Chloe's Corner." She just invited me on for an episode. She keeps referencing "people at home." LOL (Is this a sign she watches too much YouTube?)

She also worked on a lineup of songs that I expect will be in future episodes. These are a few of the "Chloe Originals" that she sang for us tonight:

- Don't forget to wash your pants in the dishwasher
- Why did you hit me in the face, little dog?
- Oh little box, what will i put in you
- This song will crack your pants off
- Oh no, where did it go? i forgot to get my dog.
- Tomato, tomato, i wish you could talk
- Fight with the toothbrush
- Why are you a blood-eating bat?

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Nov 19 -

That moment when your poor child runs into the door & ends up with a bloody nose. Poor baby!

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Nov 25

Chloe: <growling> I'm a mean haunted lion!
me: Where's my Chloe?!?!
C: She's gone forevah!
me: <sobbing> Oh no! I'm so sad! I miss my girl!

(a few seconds later)

C: Oh hi, Mommy. Did you just see that mean haunted lion?
me: Yes, he was really scary! I was so worried about you!
C: Oh, I'm sorry. I was on holiday. I went to Mt. Everest. It's the highest mountain in town. It's SO beautiful there. You should really see the view.

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Nov 28 -

That moment when you are looking for a picture on your phone only to discover that your 4 year old has taken 287 photos of the tv, her toys, and random pieces of food that she thought were cool