Something Old, Something New. . .{the crayon project}

I think I have already mentioned that I got to work in high-gear last week organizing, cleaning, preparing and planning for our new school year, which is just about a week from starting.

During that process, the one in which I inhale deeply the smell of fresh school supplies and sharpen every pencil the walls of our home contain, I discovered we had a lot of broken crayons in our preschool drawer.

Considering it was hotter than, um, hotter than Oklahoma {I'm not sure if that's true or not}, my frugal, but efficient, mind started to formulate a plan.

Turning broken chunks of Crayola into something useable again.
{Gramma, this one is Ryland}

It was a great way to keep my kids busy since it has been too hot to play outside and even the littlest guy was able to help.

These little toes are so irresistible to this Mommy. I have six pictures of his "tee-kose" (that's how Langston says 'tickles' which is his word for his toes since I tickle so much) from this project. I really love little toesies!

We all stripped the crayons of their paper, then gathered them into a container. Once all the crayons were without paper, I lightly greased two small pie tins with vegetable oil and had Ryland and Langston fill their tins with the crayons.

Then the experiment began.

Yes, it has been hot here. How hot? Hot enough to melt crayons! Last week our thermometer read 104 {that was by far a cool day compared to a few 112' days we experienced. . .ugh!} with a heat index of 131'. I know our weather station bears the name 'Accurite', but I do think it measured the heat index a tad high. Just a tad, though. It was HOT and sticky and miserable. Those of you in Washington reading this, you just have no idea what this kind of heat feels like.

Oh, back to the crayon project. The sun did a great job melting the crayons {although I did have to stick the tins in a 200' oven for just a few minutes to get the middle crayons to melt all the way and have the wax flatten out.} The end result?

Yum. Oh, that's not the end result. This kid of mine who will not touch his white chili at supper but will eat a crayon! I guess that's 2 for you.

The end result: we took something old and turned it into something new. And we are so excited to put our new rainbow crayons to good use on our first day of school.

Although, I did let the Preschool class take their new crayons for a test scribble while I was taking their picture.

It was a hit and they love their crayons because they were able to do most of the work themselves.

And, on a totally separate note from melted Crayolas but in the same topic of home education, I read this book below in an evening a few weeks ago. I highly recommend it to anyone with children, regardless of education preference. I was able to discover my children's different learning styles and discover my own teaching style. It was an eye opener. The book is packed with a lot of helpful information and ideas on how to teach to the different learning styles (and how not to). I am excited about the changes it will lead to in the years to come in our home school. I bought my copy from Timberdoodle years ago, I only wish I had read it a lot sooner.

Braden is our talker, Tarver is a watcher, Bob is a doer and I am a watcher. The verdict is still out on the two preschoolers - right now it seems they are doers, but I am sure that is their age more than anything.

And now, to leave you with a quote from another of my favorite books on home education {I'm not sure why, but it has been rolling through my head today so maybe blogging it out will get it out of my head. . .}

"There is a . . .test I like to offer to determine whether or not you are competent to homeschool. You don't have to go to college to get a degree in education. . . .You don't have to have teachers in your family background. Nor is it necessary that you were once the teacher's pet, or are an expert in clapping erasers. The test is rather simple to take. It should only take a few minutes, and then you will know. The first thing you do is wait until it is late at night. Then, very quietly, go from room to room in your house. Peek in carefully, and see if you find any sleeping children. Then be sure that these are your own children. If there are wee ones in your home during the wee hours, and if they belong to you, you are competent to homeschool. The true Expert on education is the very One who gave you these children."

From When You Rise Up, A Covenental Approach to Homeschooling by R.C. Sproul, Jr.

*This is a favorite book of mine and one I am sure to read every year. It helps give me encouragement for the hard days and to keep my eyes on the ultimate Vision I have for my children. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Leaning on Him,

Hollie