Glue, Gingerbread and Narnia lessons

Confession of a homeschooling mom - I hate glue! I hate all projects related to glue. Therefore arts and crafts is not my favorite time. I have small children, I have artistic children, we have lots of glue. Lots of glue yields unhappy moments for mommy. Wiping glue off kitchen table for 13th time. Statements like "No you may not glue the board game to the stool" and "Keep the glue away from the dog" and "Your sisters hair does not look better with more glue added" have actually come out of my mouth. Finding little pieces of paper glued places they should not be and that perpetual sticky feeling on my hands no matter how often I watch them for there is more glue waiting to be cleaned up. I'm a great homeschooling mom, right?

Well I do let them get the glue out. I try in vain to regulate it which turns into supervision which ultimately leads way to the two year old gluing her own pieces to the project because as she says "I do it myself". Remember the days when you had one two year old and you never even thought of buying a stick of glue or pair of scissors but now you simply try to have more rules about when the two year old can touch them?
Ah but she will perhaps be more artistic or atleast better skilled at removing glue from her own hair and clothing.

Why all the discussion of glue? Because tonight we made a gingerbread house. No not the real kind - the thought of tears over crumbled and broken gingerbread was too much to bear, even glue was more appealing. Besides grandma sent a foam gingerbread house kit in the mail today and it was about 25 seconds before it was opened and being assembled on my couch. I gave in and we moved to a semisafe location of the kitchen table. We put placemats down but honestly why bother when it is inevitable they will find the one spot uncovered on the table and that is where they will glue and stick things to!

The house came out nicely actually. The kids had a blast and my glue disasters were held to a minimum. Because of the raging success tommorrow holds a foam nativity scene in our future as well. Somewhere between seeing the Chronicles of Narnia (yay!) and watching the Polar Express (they got that DVD today too - thanks grandpa and grandma).

I think I should just give up on school for the month of December. The entire month of December is tough for anyones concentration. We have packages to mail, presents to make, cards to write, and kids who are very excited. We still have field trips, AWANA, and other activities. The snow makes the kids just want to be outside in the cold so they can come inside for more hot chocolate. Of course I will keep trying to find those teachable moments and throw things in now and then when they are unsuspecting. Besides tommorrow gives me a nice segway into many Narnia lessons.

Maybe we will do some activities from this Gingerbread Man Lesson Plan, Gingerbread Activites my favorite print out this great masks and act out the gingerbread man.

I think the notebooks and workbooks are away for the duration of the month and we will just have fun and play around with our lessons. That's the way they like it best and truthfully they tend to remember more anyway.

Peace,
Tenn