Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Green Pocketbook Fun

Last week we read The Big Green Pocketbook! It was such a fun story about a mom and little girl and their morning running errands together!

We had fun painting with green paint and making our own green paint out of blue and yellow:

Our town does not have a city bus, but we drove to a nearby city that does - I found green purses at Goodwill to surprise my little ladies with:

We walked to the post office and each bought a stamp for a thank you card we made the painted pictures into:

walked to the bank and did a deposit into their savings account:

stumbled upon a CVS! Yeah for free toothbrushes!

Had a treat at Starbucks - thanks Aunt Carrie for the gift card; mmmmm a chocolate donut:

Next we caught the bus and rode it to the mall where we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A (also a gift card):
picked out soap at Bath & Body Works (another gift card!):

and read books at Barnes & Noble:

We went to the bus stop to wait for our ride back to the car and took another ride:

Samuel spent the day in the stroller - just taking it all in: what an agreeable baby!

What a fun and busy day!

Another day, we made pocketbook cookies - don't have a purse cookie cutter? Me either, but Mrs. Potato Head's purse worked just fine! :)

We made icing from blue and yellow food coloring to reinforce the fact that green can be made from these colors and decorated with green sprinkles.

We talked about other things from the book as well - what a fun week!

44 comments:

Katy said...

How completely fun!!!! It looks and sounds like the girls had a fantastic time with it! I love your ideas and how you put them into action, monica! :) Such great pictures...and YAY for the gift cards! That is fantastic!
So glad you guys had such a wonderful time!!!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Monica,

You are a wonderful example of a great homeschooling mom! What an inspiration you are!

Anonymous said...

If pictures are worth a thousand words, these photos make a storybook of a very fun and happy day! Looks like a great time was had by all -- and some learning in the process! Thanks for sharing - Love, Mom

GeonHui's Bakery said...

That looks like a such a fun day! Thanks for sharing!

Heather said...

You're so creative to use a Mrs. Potato Head's purse for a cookie cutter!

How do you plan your lessons--one a week?

Wendi said...

That looks like so much fun!

*carrie* said...

Monica,

I loved seeing the pix from this fun outing. Super cute. Those green purses are a great touch to all your neat ideas and stops along the journey. I can't believe how much older Rachel is looking--and more like you, too!

Christi said...

Sounds like a great day!!

Unknown said...

So ADORABLE! You have so much fun together, that is awesome! Thank you for sharing, I LOVE to see all the great memories you make with your family. Did Emily get her hair cut?? Her bangs look different.

Thanks again,
Angela

Anonymous said...

Monica,

I love all your homeschooling ideas. It looks like everyone had a great time. Thank you so much for sharing!

Judy said...

Where do you come up with these ideas? I LOVE your creativity!!

Anonymous said...

I was just telling Jennifer yesterday about the purse cookie cutter!! She thought that was such a good idea.
I loved seeing the pics of your day trip. I might have to get the locations of your stops and do it with my littlest girl! Love, Dawn

Monica Wilkinson said...

Angela -

Emily CUT HER OWN BANGS! Aaack! She has done it twice and I know they look funny - but they are simply going to have to grow back out!

Heather -

Yes, I plan out one week at a time. Usually on Sunday afternoon I sit down with the book and BFIAR book and come up with what we will do that week. It is usually a skeleton schedule that evolves over the week. It seems that as the days go by of the week, I come up with more ideas of tying in the theme!

Paige said...

Max just cut himself some horns yesterday, it suits him hehe.
I love the green theme, letter green, shopping with mom and saving gas (green) by taking the bus and saving money (also green) by using gift cards. How clever!
P~

My Blessings From Above said...

I see you are doing some Five In A Row. We love FIAR it what I am using with my boys! We have a lot of fun! What a fun day you had!

Annette said...

Sounds like you all had lots of fun. Great ideas!

Tammy said...

Monica, you are so creative! It looks like you and your girls had a wonderful outing together. :-)

I am expecting our first, a daughter, and I love to see what you are doing with your girls, for inspiration later down the road!

Rachel said...

You truly are Supermom! I have three little ones myself and just going to the post office by myself is daunting... much less all the other stuff you did in addition to the post office! I guess it is doable after all. :)

Christy said...

Wow your little ones must have had a blast!

~aj~ said...

Fun, fun, fun! The pictures tell the story really well. I especially love the one of Samual looking up at you from his stroller. ;)

Anonymous said...

You are such an inspiration! I'm so impressed that you ventured out to take the bus when you had Samuel in the stroller. What a great mom you are who is making great memories with her kiddos!

Jamie said...

I have to agree with Rachel...your day overwhelmed me just reading about it! I just don't see myself doing all that, and I only have two!

But as usual, your post inspired me. Our homeschooling days are much simpler, but I realize I need to think out of the box a little more...and my comfort zone. Maybe if I have a chocolate doughnut, I could pull it off;o)

Looking forward to following your homeschooling journey!

Tracy said...

Very cool! I love your ideas for the homeschool/preschool. I should be done working (for good!) once it's time for Henry to start preschool and I hope to refer back here often!

*sidenote- we have the same stroller!*

Elise said...

You are the best!! I wish your children were older than mine, so I could use all your ideas!! That looks like such fun!!
Elise

Elise said...

I just read a few of your comments. Lilly hacked off her hair a little while ago and it is just now starting to look a little better. I dared to nap one day. BIG mistake!!
Elise

Anonymous said...

What a fun day, and very creative, Mom! Great pictures. I can't wait to do things like this with my grandkids.
Regina

Anonymous said...

You are such a fun mom!! Thanks for sharing your ideas! I don't homeschool my son but you inspire me to add to his education with fun activities. God bless!

Melissa Martin said...

What fun! Those are the things that they'll always remember when they grow up.

Jenn said...

What a fun momma!!!!! Love reading about your days homeschooling~

Rachel said...

I love your blog! You have won a blog award from Surviving The Stores! You can see the details here:

http://survivingthestores.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-favorite-blogs.html

Kelly @ The Barefoot Mama said...

I love that book, Monica! Felicia Bond is my favorite illustrator. :o)

Very cute story ideas1

Charlotte Cushman said...

fun!

Jen said...

What fun! My girls are older now (16 and 13) but this looks like a book they would have LOVED! I may have to get one for my niece! :-)

Amy said...

You do the coolest stuff with your kids. Completely genius using the Potato Head purse- you are so creative. I love how you reinforced learning the colors- great ideas!

Bay said...

What an adorable trip! And who doesn't love Starbucks and Chick-fil-A? ;) Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

These are such great pictures! Your children are so blessed and they don't even know it!

Anonymous said...

Great fun!
I thought you might like this awesome new movie! It is called Come What May! It supports the fight for life, inspires the Godly marriage and encourages purity. You can even veiw it free today and tomorrow yet! It is so worth the time. I am trying to get the word out before everyone goes to vote, too!
It was made by over 40 homeschoolers! Way to go homeschoolers! A+
Check out my post here:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinRhome/611224/
Please leave me a comment if you were inspired and plan to pass it on to others. I'd love to hear that!
In Christ's love,
SchoolinRHome

Tracey said...

What a great mom and teacher you are!!! I haven't heard from you about me asking you to adopt me...I'm a really good kid...I could watch the younger too...please!!

Anonymous said...

I just looked at the pictures again, and the one of Rachel in the apron offering the cookie plate is just so much a view of "hospitality".

kymk99 said...

Thanks for sharing your fun day with all of us! Those Five in a Row books are must haves for the home library. Hope you continue to enjoy them!

Yvonne :o)

Unknown said...

What great ideas, Monica! Your blog is so fun to read and such an encouragement! I have a 5 year old, 3 year old, and a 15 mo (Samuel too! ;) ) and so it is wonderful to get ideas for younger kids! So, you are using 5 in a Row, huh? You are liking it?! Thanks again! God bless your family, richly!

Anonymous said...

Dear Monica:

What precious pictures! Thanks for sharing. You are indeed so creative and SOoo brave to take all 3 littles on such a big outing all by yourself!!

It was so good to talk to you yesterday. looking forward to seeing your Mom and 2 aunts on our trip to the Smokies. Will talk to you then.

Love to all, Grandma

Jenny said...

What wonderful ideas! I had never heard of this book, but I noticed its illustrator is Felicia Bond, who also illustrated If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and all of the other If You Give a...books.

Kimberly said...

Monica, you make learning so much fun!! What wonderful memories your children will have!