The Amazing Online Friend

I just stumbled across a huge upgrade to the LDS church's website for kids. I didn't even know that the site was geared towards kids until tonight. On their page for the Friend Magazine they know have online coloring pages, and video's that are going to be updated monthly and you can listen to the Friend read outloud.

This is not a substitute to reading the friend to your kids, but is more geared to accessibility. It is however, a great way to build reading fluency. Your kids can put on the headset, open up the friend and follow along, and build their reading fluency while having fun.

Online Friend

Reader's Theatre

If you have never participated in a reader's theater you are in for a treat.

We really enjoy them, and they have been a big hit at our annual Growing Georgeson Homeschool Halloween Party. (Doesn't that sound official) We invite a bunch of families over to our house for a potluck halloween lunch. Everybody brings a creative halloween dish to share and before we much we perform 2 reader's theatres. Our favorite is The Little Old Lady who was not afraid of anything it is a great story for the whole family because even the non-readers can participate pretty easily and the simple props can be found around the house.


Here are 2 Christmas Scripts and and Easter Script from the Friend Magazine that we have also performed. These involve music which I've downloaded and burned onto a cd ahead of time in the correct order for the script. I also typed up the lyrics for the songs so everyone could participate.

Christmas in the America's: A Christmas Program
A Nativity Presentation

Why We Rejoice: An Easter Program
Testimony of Easter


This year I decided that I needed a Thanksgiving Reader's Theatre. I found some great scripts with just a quick google search - check out these and try this out with your kids!

ABC's of the First Thanksgiving by Marci McGown

Thanksgiving Idea's and Writing Reader's Theatre's and Other Links

A List of Reader's Theater Scripts

Aaron Shepard's Reader Theater's Page

A Turkey Takes a Stand - Lois Lewis


Now all I have to do is choose which one to use this year!

Scavenger Hunt

Today we went on a small nature scavenger hunt. We had to feel somthing smooth, rough and wet, I found a rock for smooth, a pinecone for rough and a walnut that had been in water for wet. I also had to find a seed, the green ball with spikes on has lots of seeds inside

I also had to find a red leaf ,a yellow leaf, a orange leaf, a green leaf, a leaf that had two colors and a leaf falling. I also found a leaf with three colors on it.

Sycamore Tree

We were at the hospital and we were visiting our grandpa at West Valley Hospital. We found this tree. It's a sycamore tree. I thought it was a sweetgum tree because it had a seedball. - Isaac


When we picked a seedball we decided that it wasn't exactly the same as a sweetgum tree, so we had to identify it when we got to a computer. It is most likely a california sycamore or at least some member of the sycamore family.

Veterans Day

It is the end of Veterans Day but I am finally researching and preparing to teach my kids why their Dad had the day off to play with them today. Somehow these holidays always seem to sneak up on me, and this was no exception, I was concerned with Rebecca's 11th birthday party this past weekend.

I found these two lapbooks as a starting point for our lesson tomorrow.

Veterans Day Lapbook Pack free from Currclick.

Veterans Day Lapbook from Our Homeschooling Expedition. This one includes some great website links.

I really like the mottos, flags and seals of the branches of the military on this lapbook at LaPaz Home Learning


The Origins of Veterans Day from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Here is a great collection of learning activities.
Maybe next year I'll remember to check out library books in advance!

Eating with Harry Potter

My Dad started a new tradition last Fast Sunday, Ok, maybe he just modified that tradition. We have been gathering for dinner with everyone that could make it for dinner for years. Last month Dad suggested that we come up with a monthly theme for the dinner, so last month it was Chinese. The best part was, I didn't have to cook, the boys really got into it and my brother made orange chicken, and Brad made the fried rice. Dad said we was bringing the chopsticks, and he did, along with Pork and Seeds and fortune cookies. Malinda brought some sort of a dessert, called ? Another interesting think about this meal was the the kids weren't the only ones that had to try something new, and everyone actually liked most of the food. Ok, the mustard was hot, or not, depending on your tastes and the dessert was, edible, soggy biscuits cooked in coconut milk. Ok, so nobody really liked the dessert, except maybe Malinda, but we ate it and didn't complain and got to understand how it is to be a kid again.

The theme idea was a hit and we decided on England (the home of Harry Potter) for next month, and the Scandinavia Countries for the first of the year so that we can have rosettes.

I claimed the privilege of making butterbeer, because I had just heard of a couple of good butterbeer recipes on the Mormon Mom Cast which is one of my favorite podcasts. I don't know that we will be repeating treacle fudge however.

Mysterious Fruit

We went on a nature study walk and found an interesting tree. We found the prickly balls lying on the ground and had to identify which tree they fell off of. Since it is Fall the leaves had turned yellow and fallen to the ground. We also found a few dried out seed capsules. We didn't take notes to identify the tree by it's leaves, so we identified it by it's fruit. It is a sweetgum tree.