COOL COUNTRY REPORT

It's pretty cool that Elka got to write her Cool Country Report about China with her Chinese brother on her lap.

 

 

This is very Elka...and one of my favorite aspects of homeschooling.

 

It's also pretty cool that Beck trusts his sister enough to simply doze off while she worked on her poster.

 

 

Talk about bringing China to life! I'm so thankful for Brodie and Elka's experiences in China and for

the education of their hearts through their role in Bea and Beck's adoption process. It's been sweet.

 

"I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

Isaiah 43:5-7

BLANK BOOKS

In my quest to buy masses of inexpensive blank books for writing projects today,

I stumbled upon a suggestion to sew them at home. Why didn't I think of that?!

 

Not wanting to waste any time (or money), I grabbed my sewing machine,

some blank paper, and plain card stock and got straight to work!

 

First we layered the writing paper, folding just the middle page as a seam guide.
The card stock piece stayed on the bottom to represent our front and back cover.

 

 

Next, we sewed the binding.

 

 

 

After trimming the extra threads, we folded the whole book evenly.

 

 

Lastly, I added faint pencil lines for those who prefer a template.

 

 

And, voila!

 

In a matter of minutes, we made ourselves blank books in bulk, (for free!) ready for the creating!

 

For their first book, I gave Nova, Olia, and Elka a prompt to write about Christmas, telling any tale they'd like to tell.

 

The memories rushed back as I scripted Nova's dictation, though for me, I remember standing

by my kindergarten teacher's desk at school. Nova will remember storytelling to Mommy in the kitchen.

 

 

Olia chose to write about Jesus' birthday.

 

 

She worked so diligently and carefully, emphasizing the "true meaning of Christmas" in her book.

 

 

Elka's book was titled, The Nativity.

 

 

Her heart and understanding for the meaning behind the birth of Christ shone through.

 

 

This was such a fun, quick, and easy project...I'm sure our bookshelves will be bursting with special new stories!

And, our new beautiful Christmas books will come down with our other decorations every year.

 

 

If you ask me, homemade anything is always of greater value than something bought in a store.

I love to see what kids create from scratch and the sky's the limit when you begin with blank books!

 

"He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work."

Exodus 35:35