What a sweet moment to be able to pull out a dress What a sweet moment to be able to pull out a dress my Grandmother LaVonne sewed for me and have Blakely wear it for her violin recital! She adores it and keeps insisting on wearing it. She told me while twirling around the living room in her dramatic voice, "I just love the old fashioned look. I feel like I'm from the 1950s." I had to correct her I'm not that old; it's from the 1990s. 😂 #blakelybrianne #vintagestyle #mamasmini
So proud of our Brookie Cookie! She absolutely lov So proud of our Brookie Cookie! She absolutely loved being a part of @oakridgecivicballet 's Nutcracker ballet! This was her first time being in the Nutcracker. She was a baby mouse who jumped out of the grandfather clock and also a sheep in the Mirleton dance. She told me over and over, "I adore ballet, and I want to do every one you can sign me up for all the way to even when I'm a grown up." 🩰 #littleballerina #nutcrackerballet #ballerinamom
Happy Halloween from the Hicks Six! Can anyone gue Happy Halloween from the Hicks Six! Can anyone guess our theme this year? Let me know below! Hint it's a book fav of the twins.
#familycostumes #halloweencostumes #halloweenfamilycostume #happyhalloween2023 #hickssix
Special Halloween lovies thanks to @slumberkins! W Special Halloween lovies thanks to @slumberkins! We have always loved our Slumberkins, but this Halloween Fright Collection is extra special because there are features that glow in the dark! We love the story too with its message about being Brave even when you're afraid. #gifted #slumberkinshalloween #frightcollection #boobaskets #happyhalloween
Realized I didn't have any "portrait" shots of Rem Realized I didn't have any "portrait" shots of Remi without a carton of eggs next to her lol. Had to remedy that! She'll be 13 months this week and in the last few days she has started walking with a walker and babbling "mama." 💕 #milestones #13monthsold #remirose
We adore these first readers from The Good and the We adore these first readers from The Good and the Beautiful!!! 
As a mama to emerging readers, I've quickly learned that not all beginner readers are quality. A lot of "level 1" readers I have come across in the past year contain so many advanced phonetic words and irregular words that I'm left shaking my head at how they can be considered Level 1. How discouraging for a new reader trying to practice their decoding skills to constantly be interrupted by words they can't decode. Not exactly the boost of confidence you want from a beginner reader. (I particularly dislike the "I Can Read" series and the easy readers that have been made for Disney and other characters.) 

We also have read the classic Bob Books. While they are much truer to phonics instruction, as I'm sure you're aware, they're not the most esthetically appealing books. I am also not a fan of having 50 small books to potentially all end up needing reshelved every night.

That brings me to these readers from TGTG (BTW this is my completely unsponsored adoration). First of all these books are gorgeous! The illustrations are so beautiful and the little stories are delightful. And of course we love the nature focus. I also love that there are 20 stories in each book. So it's one normal sized book is read of 20 miniature books to keep up with. And best of all, it follows the sequence of phonics lessons my girls are getting in their language arts curriculum. They don't introduce words before you've learned how to decode them, they emphasize words with particular sounds to practice, and they do it all without making the story as dull as "Sam sat. Mat Sat."

We have also found some stories we love from the "Step into Reading" series, which I have saved in my Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

#raisingwildflowers #readaloudfamily
#bookswelove #kidsbookswelove
#bookwormfamily #bookwormkids #easyreaders #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolkindergarten #homeschoolfirstgrade #tgtb #thegoodandthebeautiful #homeschoolbooks #raisingreaders #homeschoolmama
Happy Monday ya'll! I hope everyone has a great we Happy Monday ya'll! I hope everyone has a great week! What's some things you're looking forward to this week? Let me know below. 👇

- I'm most excited about finally blowing the dust off a writing project I've been wanting to do for a very long time. It's very much in it's infancy, so I'll hold on the details, but infancy is better than nothing! 

- We also will have extended family in town this weekend. Bittersweet because it's for a funeral, but I am happy to get to see them.

PS: When your family has a logo 🙌🏼
Thank you Brittney @bpmdigitaldesigns for making this for us!

#thehickssix #raisingwildflowers
And just like that, one whole year of Remi Rose! T And just like that, one whole year of Remi Rose! To think this time last year, we didn't even know your name. Now you're our beloved Rem Rem, Rem, Remrose, Rosie, Rosie Girl, and more. You have been the most delightful addition to our family, and we just adore you! This month has been all about growing teeth and you've gone from 2 to 8. Interestingly all the teeth on your left side are fully popped through, while the ones on the right are just peaking. You finally started clapping on your own two Sundays ago at church. Before that you just grabbed mommy's hands and made me do the clapping for you 🤣 (#4thkid). You're talking sounds a bit like Chewbacca right now lol, but you have also learned a pterodactyl shriek for expressing yourself. You got an activity table for your birthday and last night we were able to get you in a standing position at it for about 4 seconds unaided. You are getting up on your knees though and starting to put one leg with foot on the ground and knee up, so maybe soon you'll start pulling up to standing on your own. No rush because you're an expert crawler, alligator death roller (during diaper changes), and have a bunch of chauffeurs in this house to carry you around. At 12 months you weigh 20 lbs 4 oz and are 28 1/2 inches tall.
#raisingwildflowers #remirose #1stbirthday #12monthsold #oneyearold #1yearold #12months12pictures #4thbaby #fourthbaby #babysister
What does our homeschool prep / rhythm look like? What does our homeschool prep / rhythm look like? Well, last year we figured out that we work best in a Weekly Rhythm. We operate well with knowing what is to be accomplished weekly tracking towards annual goals, but with flexibility on how to get it done during the week.

So over the summer, I laid out week by week for each subject what I wanted us to accomplish working towards our first grade goals (finishing units, courses, etc.). I love to see how it lays out over the year and make sure things line up with our breaks in a way that make sense. I especially love seeing how the topics for science, history, and Bible line up, so I can tie things together and make connections across subjects.

Now every Sunday, I pull out my planner and check what the goal is for the upcoming week. I'll use my notes to print off all of our Math, Language Arts, and Handwriting for the upcoming week from PDFs on my computer. Then taking into account our schedule for the week, I'll divvy up the work into manageable chunks (usually 3 or 4 day chunks) and bundle with a paper clip. Then I arrange the bundles in order in the right pocket of a folder for each girl.

Whenever we're ready for bookwork on a particular day, the girls will pull out the bundle for the day, and we work through it. The girls like being able to easily see the amount of work they need to get through in that sitting separate from everything else. When they're done, they file it away in the left pocket of the folder and at the end of the week, I hole punch it and add it to their portfolio binder. They love seeing the work they have done accumulate over the course of the year!

Science and history have their own books, and we just do a chapter a week on those fitting in whenever it makes sense (usually one particular day for science and one for history. I always check ahead on the topics I have earmarked for upcoming weeks, so I can check out books from the library, print maps, or pre plan activities.
And Bible I usually plan to cover 4-6 chapter a week and have those written out in advance as well and we just read a little bit each day towards our weekly goal.

What does your homeschool prep / rhythm look like?
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Samantha Raising Wildflowers

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· January 4, 2018

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Hello! I’m Samantha from @samantharaisingwildflowers. I am blessed to be raising four wildflowers after years of infertility. Our family "The Hicks Six" lives on a small homestead, dubbed Cedar Brook Haven, in the Knoxville,  Tennessee area. We're diving in headfirst to homesteading, entrepreneurship, homeschooling, and more! We love sharing all of our escapades including our many DIYs, our sprinter van conversions, our crazy adventures, as well as our quiet moments in between chasing chickens, planting seeds, and reading books. We love Jesus, family, nature, travel, books, and laughing. We are not afraid to be stand out and do the unordinary. We would love to connect with you and have you along for the journey!

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What a sweet moment to be able to pull out a dress What a sweet moment to be able to pull out a dress my Grandmother LaVonne sewed for me and have Blakely wear it for her violin recital! She adores it and keeps insisting on wearing it. She told me while twirling around the living room in her dramatic voice, "I just love the old fashioned look. I feel like I'm from the 1950s." I had to correct her I'm not that old; it's from the 1990s. 😂 #blakelybrianne #vintagestyle #mamasmini
So proud of our Brookie Cookie! She absolutely lov So proud of our Brookie Cookie! She absolutely loved being a part of @oakridgecivicballet 's Nutcracker ballet! This was her first time being in the Nutcracker. She was a baby mouse who jumped out of the grandfather clock and also a sheep in the Mirleton dance. She told me over and over, "I adore ballet, and I want to do every one you can sign me up for all the way to even when I'm a grown up." 🩰 #littleballerina #nutcrackerballet #ballerinamom
Happy Halloween from the Hicks Six! Can anyone gue Happy Halloween from the Hicks Six! Can anyone guess our theme this year? Let me know below! Hint it's a book fav of the twins.
#familycostumes #halloweencostumes #halloweenfamilycostume #happyhalloween2023 #hickssix
Special Halloween lovies thanks to @slumberkins! W Special Halloween lovies thanks to @slumberkins! We have always loved our Slumberkins, but this Halloween Fright Collection is extra special because there are features that glow in the dark! We love the story too with its message about being Brave even when you're afraid. #gifted #slumberkinshalloween #frightcollection #boobaskets #happyhalloween
Realized I didn't have any "portrait" shots of Rem Realized I didn't have any "portrait" shots of Remi without a carton of eggs next to her lol. Had to remedy that! She'll be 13 months this week and in the last few days she has started walking with a walker and babbling "mama." 💕 #milestones #13monthsold #remirose
We adore these first readers from The Good and the We adore these first readers from The Good and the Beautiful!!! 
As a mama to emerging readers, I've quickly learned that not all beginner readers are quality. A lot of "level 1" readers I have come across in the past year contain so many advanced phonetic words and irregular words that I'm left shaking my head at how they can be considered Level 1. How discouraging for a new reader trying to practice their decoding skills to constantly be interrupted by words they can't decode. Not exactly the boost of confidence you want from a beginner reader. (I particularly dislike the "I Can Read" series and the easy readers that have been made for Disney and other characters.) 

We also have read the classic Bob Books. While they are much truer to phonics instruction, as I'm sure you're aware, they're not the most esthetically appealing books. I am also not a fan of having 50 small books to potentially all end up needing reshelved every night.

That brings me to these readers from TGTG (BTW this is my completely unsponsored adoration). First of all these books are gorgeous! The illustrations are so beautiful and the little stories are delightful. And of course we love the nature focus. I also love that there are 20 stories in each book. So it's one normal sized book is read of 20 miniature books to keep up with. And best of all, it follows the sequence of phonics lessons my girls are getting in their language arts curriculum. They don't introduce words before you've learned how to decode them, they emphasize words with particular sounds to practice, and they do it all without making the story as dull as "Sam sat. Mat Sat."

We have also found some stories we love from the "Step into Reading" series, which I have saved in my Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

#raisingwildflowers #readaloudfamily
#bookswelove #kidsbookswelove
#bookwormfamily #bookwormkids #easyreaders #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolkindergarten #homeschoolfirstgrade #tgtb #thegoodandthebeautiful #homeschoolbooks #raisingreaders #homeschoolmama
Happy Monday ya'll! I hope everyone has a great we Happy Monday ya'll! I hope everyone has a great week! What's some things you're looking forward to this week? Let me know below. 👇

- I'm most excited about finally blowing the dust off a writing project I've been wanting to do for a very long time. It's very much in it's infancy, so I'll hold on the details, but infancy is better than nothing! 

- We also will have extended family in town this weekend. Bittersweet because it's for a funeral, but I am happy to get to see them.

PS: When your family has a logo 🙌🏼
Thank you Brittney @bpmdigitaldesigns for making this for us!

#thehickssix #raisingwildflowers
And just like that, one whole year of Remi Rose! T And just like that, one whole year of Remi Rose! To think this time last year, we didn't even know your name. Now you're our beloved Rem Rem, Rem, Remrose, Rosie, Rosie Girl, and more. You have been the most delightful addition to our family, and we just adore you! This month has been all about growing teeth and you've gone from 2 to 8. Interestingly all the teeth on your left side are fully popped through, while the ones on the right are just peaking. You finally started clapping on your own two Sundays ago at church. Before that you just grabbed mommy's hands and made me do the clapping for you 🤣 (#4thkid). You're talking sounds a bit like Chewbacca right now lol, but you have also learned a pterodactyl shriek for expressing yourself. You got an activity table for your birthday and last night we were able to get you in a standing position at it for about 4 seconds unaided. You are getting up on your knees though and starting to put one leg with foot on the ground and knee up, so maybe soon you'll start pulling up to standing on your own. No rush because you're an expert crawler, alligator death roller (during diaper changes), and have a bunch of chauffeurs in this house to carry you around. At 12 months you weigh 20 lbs 4 oz and are 28 1/2 inches tall.
#raisingwildflowers #remirose #1stbirthday #12monthsold #oneyearold #1yearold #12months12pictures #4thbaby #fourthbaby #babysister
What does our homeschool prep / rhythm look like? What does our homeschool prep / rhythm look like? Well, last year we figured out that we work best in a Weekly Rhythm. We operate well with knowing what is to be accomplished weekly tracking towards annual goals, but with flexibility on how to get it done during the week.

So over the summer, I laid out week by week for each subject what I wanted us to accomplish working towards our first grade goals (finishing units, courses, etc.). I love to see how it lays out over the year and make sure things line up with our breaks in a way that make sense. I especially love seeing how the topics for science, history, and Bible line up, so I can tie things together and make connections across subjects.

Now every Sunday, I pull out my planner and check what the goal is for the upcoming week. I'll use my notes to print off all of our Math, Language Arts, and Handwriting for the upcoming week from PDFs on my computer. Then taking into account our schedule for the week, I'll divvy up the work into manageable chunks (usually 3 or 4 day chunks) and bundle with a paper clip. Then I arrange the bundles in order in the right pocket of a folder for each girl.

Whenever we're ready for bookwork on a particular day, the girls will pull out the bundle for the day, and we work through it. The girls like being able to easily see the amount of work they need to get through in that sitting separate from everything else. When they're done, they file it away in the left pocket of the folder and at the end of the week, I hole punch it and add it to their portfolio binder. They love seeing the work they have done accumulate over the course of the year!

Science and history have their own books, and we just do a chapter a week on those fitting in whenever it makes sense (usually one particular day for science and one for history. I always check ahead on the topics I have earmarked for upcoming weeks, so I can check out books from the library, print maps, or pre plan activities.
And Bible I usually plan to cover 4-6 chapter a week and have those written out in advance as well and we just read a little bit each day towards our weekly goal.

What does your homeschool prep / rhythm look like?
Happy Labor Day! We had a wonderful long weekend c Happy Labor Day! We had a wonderful long weekend camping with family and inviting friends out to celebrate Remi Rose being One Happy Camper (officially 1 later this week). #raisingwildflowers #remirose #1stbirthday #onehappycamper #labordayweekend #labordaycamping #happycampers

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