About Honey

Honey is a homeschooling mama of five amazing children. She and her husband Jonah run Sunflower Schoolhouse together. She provides the content and he provides the technical support. Please see the About for more information.

Ten Special Needs Books That I Have Read

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Honey

Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight by Sharon Heller. Visit the author's website and read an excerpt from the book.
Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR. You can read more about the author and her foundation.
The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz. Visit the author's website to read more about this and other books.
The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun by Carol Stock Kranowitz. Visit the author's website to read more about this and her other books.
Autism Spectrum Disorders by Chantal Sicile-Kira and Temple Grandin. Visit Chantal at her website. Visit Temple Grandin's website.
The Sensory-Sensitive Child: Practical Solutions for Out-of-Bounds Behavior by Karen A. Smith and Karen R. Gouze. I searched the Internet for an author website and could not find one. You can visit Amazon to read a book description and several reviews.
All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann. I searched the Internet for an author website for this book as well. Here is a link to the book on Amazon. I borrowed this book from the library a long time ago, but it was one that I will always remember. It was so good. It is a very easy read.
The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, Updated and Revised: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet by Pamela J. Compart and Dana Laake. This is another book where I could not find an author or book website. This book has an amazing collection of recipes for use if you or your child is following the GFCF diet.
Raising Your Spirited Child Rev Ed: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. You can visit the author's website and read more about this book and her other books.
I would really love to hear about what you are reading. Insert your book here.

I am linking up this post with Top Ten Tuesday and Hip Homeschool Hop .

NOTE - Please don't forget to scroll down below this really long list of participants and leave me a comment about what books you are reading.

We Are Studying Ancients This Year

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Honey

I am so excited.

Have I told you yet that we are studying ancients yet?

Oh, wait. I just did that.

You can read all about our homeschool plans for this year. When you are done reading, you will know that we are using Mystery of History, Volume 1 for our social studies, history, and geography this year.

We have not started yet because we are still getting used to all of our other subjects, but we will be starting very soon. I can't wait to dig in with the kids and have fun.

But wait...

I have a surprise.

I have asked my friend Sara, from over at Saving For Someday, to do a series this year on the Jewish feasts and festivals. I am so happy that she said yes. I can't wait to learn from her.

Her first post goes up this Wednesday (September 1, 2010).

It is really good! (Yes, I got to have a sneak peak.)

Make sure you come back and read it.

PS - You can read more about the Mystery of History if you are interested.

What are you studying for social studies, history, and geography for this year?

Raiding the Pantry

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Honey

and the freezer and the garden.

There is about a week until payday and our food supplies are getting quite interesting. You know the strange combinations of foods left in the cupboards and the freezer right before it is time to get groceries (help me out folks, please tell me I am not the only one). This week's menu will revolve around the strange foods that we have left in our house, but I will try to make them as interesting as possible.

Here is the list of foods (this may not be a complete list, but I am going from memory here):

canned baked beans (at least 4)
canned cranberries (tons)
elbow noodles
spaghetti noodles
pasta sauce (2 cans)
tomato sauce (1 can)
rice (tons of rice)
frozen berries
frozen rhubarb
frozen fruit lax (don't ask! and no we didn't need it, it was given to us)
a case of frozen hot dogs (yes, you read that right and no, I didn't buy it)
a case of canned salmon (no, I didn't buy this either and it makes Jonah sick so we never use it)
a big jar of sauerkraut (no idea where this came from)
a huge bag of flour
a huge bag of oats
a huge bag of white sugar
frozen bread
onions
peppers
tomato juice (several large cans)
canned pineapple (at least 2 cans)
pomegranate jam (who thinks of these things?)
fresh beans from the garden (just enough for munching)
fresh swiss chard (not enough for a whole meal yet)
fresh spinach (maybe enough to put on pizza or throw in pasta)
popcorn (but no oil)

So, given this odd assortment of food, what would you make? (I'm just curious). Keep in mind that we cannot use eggs, dairy, mushrooms, or nuts in our house.

Here is my list of ideas of what to make for this week (it is fun getting creative!):

oatmeal for breakfast everyday (for the next six months, the bag was huge)
stir fry (onions, peppers, hot dogs, with noodles on the side)
pizza bread (hot dogs, tomato sauce, pineapple, bread)
salmon loaf (Jonah will have to sit this meal out)
spaghetti (hot dogs, peppers, onions, sauce)
salmon on toast (another meal for Jonah to sit out)
rice and baked beans (I will sit this one out, I don't like beans)
macaroni and baked beans
hot dog pasta bake (hot dogs, pasta, onions, peppers, sauce, baked in the oven)

That should keep me going for the week. I am really curious to see if you can come up with some creative ideas for me.

Oh, and just for the record, if I could buy a limited amount of food right now, it would include these things:

a jug of oil
margarine
more fruit
more veggies

I will be linking this post up with Menu Plan Monday.

Our Week In Review

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Honey

First, I want to apologize for not writing much over the last little while. Lots of things have been going on around here.

Airplane Missing in Alaska

We ask for your prayers. Friends of ours were on a plane that went missing in Alaska - SEVEN DAYS AGO! A website has been set up to keep us all informed of the search progress. Alaska Search Update.

Bladder Infection, Oh Joy

I have been really sick with a bladder infection (and delayed going to the doctor because it wasn't your usual symptoms) and am just now feeling more normal (although normal is subjective with five kids) since getting the antibiotics.

Wheels Again

Our van, the one that has been sitting since last October, is running again. Our housing complex announced they were repainting the lines in the parking lot and any vehicle that was not moved would be towed. Oh fun! Our van has been sitting, parked, with insurance since last October when it died. We used our free towing (through our insurance) and had it towed to a garage to get an estimate. It is a long mixed up story, but the short version is that the van is fixed and drivable now.

Library Time

We visited the library yesterday for the first time in over 2 years! Can you believe that? Homeschoolers who never go to the library? We had a blast and came home with tons of books and videos for the all the kids.

Our Amazing Occupational Therapist

We had our first Occupational Therapy Visit of the year yesterday. Have I told you have how much I love our OT? She is awesome. Our OT is helping us with sensory issues, social skills, fine motor skills, and a host of other things.

Changes To The Site

Sunflower Schoolhouse underwent a few major changes this week (like a theme and layout change) and I hope you will come over and have a look and let me know what you think. I have tons of fun new things coming your way this year.

What changes are happening in your house?

I am linking this post to Weekly Wrap-Up over on Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.