Operation Christmas Child

This year we participated in the Operation Christmas Child project. We went to the store and bought a plastic shoe box. Benjamin chose items to fill it with that another four year old boy might like. He picked out coloring books, cars, crayons, stickers, candies, etc. and wanted to put in a Christmas card.

When we got home we watched this video and I was surprised that it brought him to tears. He said that those kids were so happy to get their presents and we needed to send ours out fast so that "my kid", as he called him, could have his present too.




It was difficult for him to understand that we didn't know who exactly was getting the present or where it was going. When I told him that God knew who the little boy was and that He would make sure it got to him, Benjamin said a prayer for him.

We also included a picture of Benjamin, a letter, and paper and a self-addressed stamped envelope, so that if the little boy wants to write to Benjamin he can. I know Benjamin would love to write to the little boy again.

Benjamin has been praying for "my kid" everyday. I am so thankful that we were able to participate in this ministry this year. This will definitely become a family tradition.

Reptile Week

Hunting for lizards.




Gecko.



This week we made a notebook of Benjamin's work on reptiles.


Reading list:

KingFisher Knowledge: Dinosaurs by Nigel Marven
Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner
Yucky Reptile Alphabet Book by Jarry Pallotta
Dinosaur - An Eye Wonder Book by Sarah Walker and Samantha Gray
The Science of Living Things: What is a Reptile? by Bobbie Kalman
A New True Book: Reptiles by Lois Ballard
Fun Facts About Turtles by Carmen Bredeson
Animals After Dark: Alligators and Crocodiles, Hunters of the Night by Elaine Landau
What Do You Call a Baby Turtle? by Emma Nathan
Snakes by Gail Gibbons
The Visual Dictionary of Dinosaurs by DK Publishing
Geckos by W.P. Mara
Steve Irwin Wildlife Warrior by June Eding
Dinsaur Hunt by Rolf E. Johnson and Carol Ann Piggings
All About Turtles by Jim Arnosky


Turtles.



Lizards.




Benjamin narrated a reptile story to me. Here is chapter one:

Brother Lizards

They come to the junction, on the track Bill and Ben comes. They scared the lizards. Alligators come! There is a dinosaur. It scares Bill and Ben. They go home to Tidmoth Sheds. Dinosaur leaves; he's really scary. The tracks are clear. The lizards get off the tracks.

Then it is playing time. They play chasing each other. It is a game. Then it rains, and rains, and rains, and rains, and RAINS! Then it gets sunny, and sunny and SUNNY! Then the tracks are clear.

There is a railroad crossing. They apply their brakes. Then stuck in the mud. Bill and Ben can't help, so Rusty and Mavis get the lizards out of the mud.

The End.


Crocodilians



Where to find crocodilians.


Here is the second chapter:

Alligator is in the mud. He chomps and drinks and eats crocodiles. Way over there.

The End.


Snakes




Dinosaurs





His final chapter:

The dinosaur helps Bill and Ben out of the mud. It rains. Then it stops. Then there are rocks. The rocks get bigger, and bigger, and BIGGER. The dinosaur eats the rocks. He eats them all.

The End.




On the back I attached a workbook that we got at the DMV about Sea Turtles.


Here a a few of the pages.




He designed his own sea turtle.


In the summer I was able to buy a complete set of animal encyclopedias from the library for $2. This is where we got a lot of our reptile pictures.

Most of my printouts came from Homeschool Share. I used the Crocodilians Lapbook, the Dinosaur Lapbook, the Lizard Lapbook, the Sea Turtles Lapbook, and the Snake Lapbook.

Farm Week

We were able to visit two farms this week and both on the same day. Needless to say we were a little farmed out that day, or at least I was. Benjamin now has plans to buy a cow, goats, and a poney. He wants to milk a cow and grow corn too!

First we went to Hunsader Farm.

There were lots of animals to pet and feed there.
Goats.



Ponies.


A peacock - I don't get why it was on a farm.


More goats.


Sheep.


Goats again.


Geese.


Pigs.


What a cute little kid.





Bunnies.


Not everyone can say they have hand fed a deer.



He tried very hard to get the butterfly to sit on his finger. The problem was every time he got close to them he got really excited and was too loud, but he kept on trying!



Next we went to Dakin Dairy Farm. They have over 1,400 Holstein cows.
It is really too hot in Florida for cows to live comfortably, so the farm has fans and misters on the cows when it gets above 77 degrees outside.

Benjamin told me his favorite was the black and white cow. When I asked him which black and white one he said very seriously, "The black and white one is my favorite KIND of cow, mommy. Just all of them."


The guide told us that during the day many of the cows will be crowded in the water or in the washing area.



The milking shed.



Watching the milking process.


This is the field where the pregnant and injured can get away from the herd and rest. This is also where the newborns live.






Here is our Farm Lapbbok.

We made it in the shape of a barn.


When you open the doors the animals are waiting inside.




Inside is the animal matching game, the mini book I changed the name to personalize for Benjamin.

He also made a picture with a craft stick barn and fence and added tumbprint animals. We drew some sheep and he practiced counting them and the cottonballs that he glued on them.

Here is our book list:

We Need Farmers by Lola M. Schaefer
Farm Animals by Jim Pipe
I Can Be a Farmer by Kathy Henderson
The Farm by Stuart A. Kallen
Cows by Mary Ann McDonald
Linnea's Windosill Garden by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson
Fantastic Farm Machines by Cris Peterson
A Field of Horses by Peter Hansard
This is Daniel Cook at the Farm by Yvette Ghione
Tractors by Peter Brady
At the Farm by Sandy Francis
Find It on the Farm by Dee Phillips
Pioneer Farm by Megan O'Hara
Oink? by Margie Palatini
Ginger and Petunia by Patricia Polacco
Farm Animals by Mary Scott
Baby Animals on the Farm by Hans-Heinrich Isenbart
And the Cow Said Moo by Mildred Phillips
G is for Goat by Patricia Polacco

These are books we referenced or just looked at the pictures:

Farm by Ned Halley
Farm Animals by James A. Corrick
My First Garden Book by Angela Wilkes
Farm Birds by Edward C. Haggerty
Pigs by Christina Wilsdon
A Kid's Guide to How Vegetables Grow by Patricia Ayers