Cloudy School Day

  Today has been cloudy most of the day.  Not cold, just really dark.  It seems that the weather is making everyone stir crazy.   There's a lot of noise and no focus.   Today we have had many breaks. 

   Grammar was  making up sentences and finding the subject and predicate. We also did some reading and geography.   I don't usually use the same books.   Depends on the mood.   Sometimes its just reading. Games are fun too.  We will do that later.  For now, we are going to ride our bikes before the rain comes.  Yay!

Gotta Love Homeschool!

Or vacations.   Lol! 
Headed to the Hill Country!

It was just beautiful!  We had a great time.  Although we had fun, we still had school.

We are using a Live Class from Currclick.  It was their last week, so they had to finish out the class.  That's what I just love about homeschooling.   I never would have thought to visit an out of town library.   The staff here was very homeschool friendly.  They opened up their conference room to us and gave us privacy to have our class.  


Thank you, Leakey Public Library!  

Speaking of public libraries.....I never realized how important it is to visit those libraries.   That particular library is in a small town.  Population: 357.  They are funded by how many people visit them.  Even if you don't check out books, some sell books and they have useful information concerning the goings on in the area.   At this particular one, I found a great deal of homeschool information.   They had Practical Homeschooling Magazine and 1 other that I don't recall.  Sorry.
I was also informed that because of all the visitors in that area, they had over 280 zip codes on their list last year.  I saw an address from Germany and 1 from Switzerland on their list too.  My point to all this is that it is important for us as homeschoolers to  visit these libraries, so they will be there when we need them.  Our support is very important to their existence.

Garner State Park 

  
We love hiking.   Lost Maples State Park is a great place.

Can't wait for our next adventure.   Homeschooling doesn't have to be school at home. 

Homeschool Life

Time flies when your living life by the seat of your pants.   The kids just keep growing and learning and maturing.   Sometimes I feel like they'll be leaving me behind too soon, but other times I feel like it's not soon enough.   What can I say, I'm a true homeschool mom!  Ahahahaha! 

Quick rundown of our happenings:  This summer we attended 2 homeschool conventions.   It was so much fun with the family.   They learned a lot too.  We even got to see a porcupine at one.  They had all kinds of exotic animals on display. The kids had a look at all the books and really loved Rainbow Resource.  Of course we picked up a few things!

They are also doing well with their French lessons.  This is the 2nd year.   Son wants to take French 3, mostly cause he likes the class.   Daughter does not.   She was never really into it.  I do want them to take a different language.   Perhaps something that they would actually use in our area.   We'll see.  

Well, gotta run!   Yesterday was our anniversary and we are heading out the door to go for a late celebration. 

Wow!  I've been gone a long time.   There is so much to do.   Or so much that we've been doing.   Recently they have been taking a placement test from the Alpha Omega site.   http://www.aophomeschooling.com/           I used the test as a guide for myself really.   I'm trying to prepare for next year.   Checking to see what they still need to learn or work on.  It starts with kinder and goes until 8th grade or you can get the higher grades.   That's just what I used.   They did very well.   One is 9 years old and the other just turned 14.   They are above their age level on most things.   I'm glad to know I'm doing my job.   : ) 

We will take more time off this summer.   Maybe 2weeks off, 2 weeks on.   Not sure.  Still thinking about it.

Library Today

Have you been to the library lately?   If you are a homeschool mom, I'm sure you have.   Maybe not this week but within the year.   I usually just go to pick something up and leave.    Today I started looking thru the shelves.   I'm speaking particularly of the biographies, kids biographies.    Gone are the days of Amelia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin, and Johannes Gutenberg.  (sigh)  I was looking for a book on Amelia Earhart and couldn't find anything.   I did find other inventors and such, don't misunderstand me.   I was just surprised at the amount of books on Christina Aguilera, Tupac, Beyonce and others such as that.   When did singers and actors become today's role models?   Or so important that they had so many of those types of books.  I know they have always had followers, but in our library I found quite a few books on "stars" rather than on the stars.   I was young once.   I remember reading about my favorite actor's or singer's likes and dislikes.   What I'm talking about is the change in morals and desires.   I know we have already had the 1st lady astronaut or the 1st lady speaker of the house, but surely our kids must aspire to more than getting paid for acting or singing.   Not that these people haven't broken barriers in their profession.   It's just not what I would like for my children to base their lives existence on.  We all can choose how to raise our children.   It is our choice to train them or encourage them toward something.   I really just hadn't noticed those books nor their importance in our life.   That's another reason to love homeschooling.   I can choose what my children watch and can encourage their interests in the direction which I see fit.