One of the other topics we read briefly about was the human body. This is their "Human Body" mini-book which fits on the right flap of the "All About Me" Lap-File Folder book--Size: 11 by 4 inches using an 8 by 11 sheet of paper folded in half but opening on the right side this time. Again, the information is very basic yet the boys are able to identify the organs/systems included in their book. On the bottom right side is a picture the oldest little boy drew of himself on a small sheet of paper approximately 3.25 X 6.5 inch paper. Underneath that is a photo of him, titled: "1 Body" and "I am an individual and unique, there is only one of me." with a bit of information about skin and glued to the top. Following next are images of human figures made to fit the size of his photo to show a particular system: muscles, skeleton, and a few internal organs. In order to include a bit of information about the organs and there wasn't room on the body, I found and printed images of a brain, heart, lungs, digestive system and the boys glued them to the left side of the book, along with little strips of paper cut and folded to fit so they weren't visible when the book is closed -- simple folds so they would fit the book.

This first photo in the mini-book itself glued to the right flap side of the file folder and it opens to the right:
This photo is the mini-book opened up. It might be a bit confusing because I used his photo on both the cover and inside for his "body" underneath his drawing. I'm not sure that makes it clear or not.





Part 4 Mini Book "Birds I Know" "Owls I Know" "Sunflowers Grow Tall"

Books I'm studying and using for research are stuffed with my notes written on many loose sheets of ruled notebook paper which also keep my place. In some of my other newer books, there are even things such as newspaper clippings, cards, photos, ribbons, etc. and this isn't always a good thing. I'm usually good at being careful with my old, antique books but not so good with newer books. After reading an excerpt from the book, The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: A Simple Repair Manual for Book Lovers by Margot Rosenberg and Bern Marcowitz, I going to be more careful with what I put in my new books to mark my place.

Read the excerpt What's marking your place in the books you're reading now? at my Seven Pillars Book Nook blog.

This is the mini-book on the Four Seasons of our "All About Me" Lap-File Folder Book. Very basic and easy to put together. Size: 11 by 4 inches using an 8 by 11 sheet of paper folded in half and glued to the left flap of the large file folder book. I chose fine art prints for the season images on the cover but any thing could be used. Mini-shape books of spring flower, summer sun, autumn leaf, and winter mitten open up also at the very back last two pages.Part 3 Mini Book "Human Body"

Here's our 2008 Summer Sunflower project from the beginning to end - Giant Russian Mammoth Sunflowers:

Sunflower seeds were sown approximately Memorial Day weekend and

The first picture at two weeks from sowing, on June 16, here.

Second picture another two weeks later, on July 1, here.

Third picture one week later, July 8, here.

Fourth picture one week later, on July 15, here.

Fifth picture two weeks later, on July 30, here.

The final pictures for the month of August where the Sunflowers reach 10 to 12 feet high, here.

A poem and antique image: Sunflowers

and the bees love them. We have bees again this summer -- Bumble Bees, Honey Bees and some Carpenter Bees. This Carpenter Bee was very delighted with my Zinnias and stayed for quite a while.


Against Idleness and Mischief
from Divine Songs for Children
~Isaac Watts~

HOW doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!

How skillfully she builds her cell!
How neat she spreads the wax!
And labours hard to store it well
With the sweet food she makes.

In works of labour or of skill,
I would be busy too;
For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play,
Let my first years be passed,
That I may give for every day
Some good account at last.

In the past year, the boys (I babysit three little boys ages: 2.5, 4.5, 5.5 yo) and I covered many topics in our conversations - a lot of wonderful conversation. Although we did use some great books too for information. One thing I found myself thinking about quite often is the "systems" that exist in our world, which are many: living, non-living, abstract, seen, invisible - "one or a whole ______ (fill in the blank) with many parts."

One of our "systems" is the file folder books of our covered topics. I had good intentions of taking pictures and posting to my blog as we went along but it didn't work out as I planned. So here, at the "end" of the year and before the "new" one begins, I have the oldest little boy's completed file folder book. He will be starting Kindergarten Monday at one of the local charter schools. The girls, and the two other little boys (one being his brother) and I will miss him very much. He's been a part of our day-family for 4.5 years. He gets to take his book home tomorrow.

The topics we read and talked about are in the mini, individual books within the file folder book. The information in each is basic and the file folder book/mini books aren't fancy because we emphasized the topics more than the file folder itself but it can be as detailed as one would like to make it.

SYSTEM, n. [L. systema; Gr. to set.]
1. An assemblage of things adjusted into a regular whole; or a whole plan or scheme consisting of many parts connected in such a manner as to create a chain of mutual dependencies; or a regular union of principles or parts forming one entire thing. Thus we say, a system of logic, a system of philosophy, a system of government, a system of principles, the solar system, the Copernican system, a system of divinity, a system of law, a system of morality, a system of husbandry, a system of botany or of chimistry.

Closed front of file folder book: "All About Me"

Side flaps open and first middle flap closed

First middle flap lifted up and next middle flap

Both middle flaps lifted up showing bottom of file folder
and the "4 Seasons" & "My One Body" mini-books on sides are opened.

More on "the parts" to be continued . . .

Part 2 Mini Book "Four Seasons"
Part 3 Mini Book "Human Body"
Part 4 Mini Books "Birds I Know" "Owls I Know" "Sunflowers Grow Tall"

The first two tomatoes were picked earlier and they have been eaten already for lunch. After looking at the tomato plants there will be more ripening soon. Especially on the Super Sweet Cherry 100 Tomato plant. I trained it to grow up a trellis using garden twine and it has grown over seven feet. Color is starting to come to my garden.

I didn't really know how much more the Sunflowers would grow but they have grown quite a lot the past two weeks. I missed posting a picture last week so there are two pictures today. The plant tops are above the telephone wires and there is a flower blooming. It really is a "Sunflower" today and not just the green plant. It's been fun to watch them grow throughout the summer and the boys are enjoying putting the pictures of themselves and the Sunflowers in their folder books.

Sun-flowers, stop growing!
If you touch the sky where those clouds are passing
Like tufts of dandelion gone to seed,
The sky will put you out!
You know it is blue like the sea . . .
Maybe it is wet, too!
Your gold faces will be gone forever
If you brush against that blue
Ever so softly!

~Hilda Conkling~
Poems by a Little Girl

That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy
and magical light;
and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all
in the freshness of childhood.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~