Old School Christmas Party! Friday!

It's the annual Vintage Homeschool Christmas Party!

We'll keep it short and sweet. ; )

WHERE: The usual downstairs classrooms there in the Children's Ministry building at Vintage Faith. 

WHEN: This Friday, Dec. 19 from 12:00 noon - 1:30. 

WHAT TO BRING: a finger food snack to share, a wrapped "white elephant" gift for each of your children who want to participate in that game. 

If you have your own water bottles and travel plates, please do bring them!  And as always, you are welcome to bring a lunch for your family if that makes coming to the party any easier for your family needs. 

For the white elephant game: just choose (or have your kids choose) something you already have around the house to bring. Wrap it up, or put it in a paper sack--you can't do it wrong, and it's always fun!  Just be sure to bring one item for each kid in your family who wants to participate. 

And please feel free to invite friends!

Questions? Please leave them in the comments here, so that everyone may see the answers. : )

Hope to see you there!  If you get a chance to RSVP, please do either here or on facebook. We'll start the party activities right at 12:30. : )

lisa

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party 2014--This Friday

Hello all!

It's time for the annual packing of the shoeboxes!

Where: the Downstairs right-hand classrooms in the Children's Bldg. at Vintage Faith
When: This upcoming Friday, Nov 7, from 11-1

Bring your own boxes to stuff, and bring goodies to share in the boxes!

If you are new to this event, or have questions about what can go in a box, please visit this link to the official Operation Christmas Child website.

I recommend paying for your shoebox shipment online, so you can track where your boxes go!

Is anyone willing to volunteer to deliver the boxes to our local drop-off location after the event? In this past this has been at Santa Cruz Bible Church. If we do not get a volunteer, then everyone will be responsible for dropping off their own boxes. If we do get a volunteer, then be sure to either pay for your box online or bring $7 per box to cover the shipping fees.

I do have a few extra shoeboxes in the homeschool closet there at church, which anyone may decorate and use for this event. Or you can stop and pick up the free boxes from the local drop-off place.

Any questions?  Ask here in the comments so everyone may benefit from the responses.

Old School Monday St. Patrick's Day party!

Hello fellow moms!

Next Monday, March 17 is our next Old School Monday gathering. Normally we try to meet the last Monday of each month, but with St. Patrick's Day on a Monday, I could not resist the opportunity.  We are learning about the Christian saints here at home, and how perfect that now at Old School Monday we have talked about St. Nicolas, St. Valentine, and now will get to learn about St. Patrick!

So as usual, the gathering will be from noon until 2:30, there in the first floor right-hand classrooms.

--We will have circle time and read a story about St. Patrick. (Anyone have a favorite version of this story you want to bring and share?  Just let me know in the comments! I don't always have to be the one who does this part of the gathering.)

--I would love to have a craft or quick and easy science project for the kids to do--anyone have ideas?  If so, let me know!

--If your kids are working on the Book of Months project, please bring pages to share!

--And let's make this a green party!  Please bring a green food item to share. 

--As always, you are welcome to bring lunch for your family, or to eat before you come--whichever is easiest for your family!  But would you please remember to bring plates, napkins & cups for your family.  We're striving to make our gatherings as waste-free as possible. : )  Thank you!

The Old School Valentine's Party!

Image found here

What: Our Annual Valentine's Day Party
When: This Friday, February 14, 2014
            Noon until 2:30
Where: Vintage Faith Church, Children's Ministry Building,
            Upstairs and to the right.*

We will be sharing a little circle time, learning about the real Saint Valentine, decorating cookies, passing out valentines, and generally sharing love and laughter!

What to bring: 

--Valentines to hand out to the children who want to participate in the valentine exchange.  So that we all know how many valentines to have our kids make, please RSVP for this event.  Please tell us the names of your kids who will be sharing in the valentine exchange either in the comments to this post or to the facebook thread Ali started for this event. 

--Whatever containers your kids want to use to receive their valentines.  Decorate a pail, turn a shoebox into a mailbox, bring a pretty box, whatever you and your kids want.  Ali is bringing some bags that kids can decorate if someone comes without one.

--This is a party, to please bring a snack to share!  And I say, the more "Old School" Valentine's Day Party food the better! (Great time to share with your kids your favorite memories of the parties and treats you enjoyed most in your own childhood. ; )

--As always, you are welcome to bring lunch for your family, or to eat before you come--whichever is easiest for your family!  But would you please remember to bring plates, napkins & cups for your family.  We're striving to make our gatherings as waste-free as possible. : )  Thank you!

How you can help:

--Ali is going to be hosting a cookie decorating table for the kids old enough to participate!  She is going to be bringing gluten-free sugar cookies ready to be decorated.  We need two moms to volunteer to bring frosting and regular sugar cookies to be decorated. If you can help out with this and make the vision a reality, please say so in the comments here or send Ali a message on facebook. Thanks!

--I so appreciate you moms who usually officiate the picking up and clean up while I'm running around yelling at kids guiding fun and learning.  If we do the cookie decorating, we may have a little more need for moms to step up and help make sure the rooms we use are un-stickied and de-crumbed.  Thank you in advance! 

Our Valentine's parties have traditionally been good times to  invite friends, so please do!  Just please have them RSVP too. : )  Oh, and if you can come on time please do, as we will start the fun right away!  See you Friday!


Just a note of encouragement:

There is NO wrong way to participate in the Valentine exchange at our Old School Valentine's Day party on Friday.  Your kids can hand-make little cards (esp. if it gets you motivated to let them do messy art, or try out something you have been meaning to do).  And you realize writing on cards can count as their handwriting/printing/spelling for the day! ; )  Or you can go purchase ready-made cards from the store.  Or if you don't even have time for your kids to write their names what feels like a bazillion times, just bring some little Valentine treats (a bag of kisses, for example) and your kids can stick those in people's "mailboxes."  My own Evan is making paper "rockets" to pass out. (picture a paper airplane, except made by a five year old who has no idea what he is doing.)  It's all going to be fun and good!


*Because the Vintage Moms Meet Up happens on Fridays in the downstairs rooms we usually use, we will have all our Friday gatherings this Spring in the upstairs classrooms.  : )

Old School Valentine's Party! YOU are needed!

Hello Vintage Homeschool Moms!

So, after our last gathering, many of you told me how much your kids enjoy the annual Valentine's Day party.  So, yes let's do it!  I have reserved the room for Friday, Feb 15 from 12:00 to 2:30, as we discussed last time. 

BUT I am really suffering from allergies this year, ladies, and am feeling pretty stretched thin.  I just don't know if I have the reserves to plan and execute another party so soon after the last one.  SO this is the chance for some of you other moms to step in!  Does anyone want to plan and lead the party?  Or do several of you want to take turns leading certain parts of the party?  Please, everyone, jump in with your excellent ideas and leave them in the comments below, so others know your intentions and ideas. : )

In the past we have had Valentines-ish party food, a reading of a book something about love, and some kind of craft or activity.  (Often some kind of holder for valentine's day cards.)  And then we have the traditional passing out of the valentines at some point near the end. : ) 

I look forward to hearing whatever you come up with!

lisa

Vintage Homeschool Party! THIS Monday

Hello Vintage Homeschool Moms!

Wow, looking at the last post makes me realize how busy we have all been this Fall semester. 

Well, it's time for another party!

I tried to get official permission for us to use the usual classrooms for a Christmas party, and never heard back from the person who schedules the rooms, so that is why I am posting this at the very last minute.  We're down to the last week before Christmas, and I really want to have a party, by gum!  So let's go ahead and have the party and pretend they said we could. ; ) 

(You know they likely meant to say yes and just got busy and forgot. So I am sure it's fine.)

But we're not going to make this a big production this year.  No cookie exchange, no ornament craft, no announcing on any other homeschool groups.  Let's just get together and celebrate Christmas!

WHERE: usual classroom at Vintage
WHEN: THIS MONDAY from 11-2
WHAT TO BRING:  a festive food item to share

We will sing some carols, read a story or two, and eat yummy food and chat and play.  Very low key!

Hope to see you all there!

Naturally-dyed Easter eggs

Just in case any of you have the inclination to try this!

--no artificial dyes
--great homeschool lessons on color and chemistry

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/11-ways-to-dye-easter-eggs-naturally/

Our Valentine's Party!--THIS FRIDAY

Hi Vintage Moms!

I have been trying to spread the word for a couple of weeks now, so that hopefully you all would set aside the date, but I did not post anything sooner because I had not yet heard officially if we could use the classrooms.  Turns out poor Janene in the church office has been sick, but YES we can use the rooms, so we are on!

This Friday, Feb. 11 from noon until 2:30.  Please come and invite friends!

--We will be making valentine "mailboxes"--very simple ones this year--and then filling them with valentines, so please have your children prepare valentines ahead of time and bring them to share.  

--It's a party!  So please bring some party snack to share. 

--to cut down on waste, would everyone please bring small plates, utensils, napkins, etc. for your own family?  Thanks!

--I would like to have the older kids do a special craft in the attached classroom, so would one mom volunteer to watch my littlest in the main room in the meantime?  Thanks!

If anyone has a favorite book dealing with "Love," please feel free to share it for circle time!

I hope you can all come!

snowflake art--wow!

I just saw this posted on another homeschool blog, a beautiful project for anyone still interested in studying snow this year. . . (myself, once Christmas is over I get into Spring mode. : )  So I think I will file this away for next year--but isn't it beautiful?  And what amazing chemistry must be going on behind the scenes, which would be fun to figure out. 

UPDATED!: New Year's (Homeschool) Party!

Really, do we NEED a reason to get together and have fun? 

Seriously, fellow moms, this weather and various ailments being passed around our family for the past three weeks has gotten me just a teeny bit blue--I am ready to get out and reconnect with friends!  So how about a party?  (think I'm experiencing just a tad post-holiday let down? ; )

I was thinking it would be so fun to get together with TWO sole objectives:

1) kids playing while moms chat
2) kids sharing with the group one learning goal for 2011

Moms could share a learning goal too! 

If we wanted an activity, I have two bags of flour I have saved for making playdough (unless we think that would make too much of a mess--moms, please give your feedback).

Otherwise, I was just thinking of everyone bringing one snack to share, and we can chat and eat and play. . .

Who is up for it?  Please leave a comment if you can come!

WHEN: This Friday, Jan. 7, noon
WHERE: the usual classrooms at Vintage

Please invite your friends!

***UPDATE***
To cut down on paper/plastic waste, please bring a small plate/bowl and cup and napkins for each member of your own family.  Thanks!

Old School Monday--NEXT week!

Hello Moms!

Our next OSM is scheduled to happen this next Monday. June 28 at 2:00 p.m. there at Vintage.

We are going to have a patriotic theme, and teach the kids some old-time songs (like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "God Bless America") and have some kind of craft--I was thinking making flags to wave at a parade, but have not thought through to the supply aspect and it turns out we are going on the Vintage family camping trip and so I will not have time to spend this weekend figuring out a craft. Anyone want to host this part of our gathering?

Then we will also have a game where kids run and point to states on our map of the U.S. (for the younger) and countries of the world (for the older).

And we will read together some proud-to-be-an-American story.

Please use OSM as a show and tell for any special projects you have completed or are working on! I might do a little plastic lesson for the kids--we shall see. : )

Hope you are all having a great week so far, and hope to see you Monday!

Valentine's--the Old School Way

Those of you who could not come, we missed you! : )

Old School Monday--TOMORROW!

Hello moms!

Sorry I did not post about this sooner! But just a reminder that tomorrow is our Old School Monday for the month of February. And we are going to have a belated Valentine's party! So please bring a snack to share, and have your child bring Valentines (or we will make them all together at a couple of art stations). : )

We will be doing some easy schoolish things, but mainly this one is going to be a fun day. Hope to see you there! As always, 10-1 there at Vintage Faith.

Boomeria--a MUST DO!

All homeschool moms--please check out the following and GO!


http://www.bonny-doon.info/

http://home.comcast.net/~pqboom/tour/tour.html