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.  

Free Day!

I love homeschool.   Today dad had off so we went out of town to visit a friend.   It was so much fun.   We went out for lunch then back to his house to play games.   I haven't felt like playing games in a while.   Sometimes I just get so worn out that just sitting around and visiting is enough for me.   Since we began a new way of eating I have so much energy.   Depression and fatigue are kept at bay.   I really do feel great!  As for homeschooling, I love that we can schedule or reschedule as we need.   Sometimes its the things we do that the children learn from.   Schooling is important, but when dad's off we need to be able to adapt.  These are memories we are making with our kids.  I want them to enjoy life too.

Son purchased the game Mancala this weekend.   He was so excited because it is a game he learned to play on Poptropica website.   It is by the writer of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  Son saved his allowance and decided it was time to go shopping.  He bought himself a Foam Sword and the board game Mancala.   It is a game of strategy.   It comes in a wooden box which is the board. 

Daughter on the other hand had been saving her money for a new puppy.  

Isn't she precious?  She is a 6wk old sheltie.  Her name is Autumn.  She is in a basket.   Easy to train and very sweet disposition.  Daughter had been wanting a puppy of her own since she was 8yrs old.   She is now almost 14.  I hope she is really ready for the responsibility.

Well seems like there will be all kinds of learning in this house.   hehehe 

Not Much

Well today was one of those days.   We started out really cold, cloudy and raining.   It sure does make it hard to focus.   Since I went to bed so late last night, I slept in.   9:30 to be exact.   Ugh.   This just means on a short day, it gets even shorter.   I was slow moving this morning.  Son is so great lately that he was ready to start me a pot of coffee.   When suddenly I remembered, we had put a couple of diet sodas in the freezer for dad who was coming home at midnight.   I hated the thought of opening the freezer, but I had to look.  



















See son's "experiments"?  hehe  We will be taking those frozen balloons to launch them in the ditch with his giant sling shot. I got it for him at the homeschool convention this past summer.





What a wreck isn't it?   Well thanks to the kids we got it all cleaned up.  

 

 

 











Much better!  I didn't put all that ice cream back in either.   Looks brand new.   I hated putting anything in there.   I threw out a lot but what I kept went into the freezer in the garage.

For school we did our meeting prep.   Bible reading and things like that.   Then I had them write a grocery list.   They even took the dogs out for a short walk in the rain.   I figure that's good schooling.   hehehe

As for tomorrow, we will do some quick math then off to the store and some errands with those lists they wrote for me. 

Monday, Monday.....

Well, it was a school day today.   Unfortunately we only got home ec. done.   hehehe  I am glad about that too.   It got cold this evening.   We started out with nice sunny weather then it changed to dark clouds.   I believe it was in the 70's today.   Tonight it is in the 50's and very windy.   So although we were in shorts today, tomorrow we will be in jeans and long sleeve shirts.   

We did finish a read aloud we had checked out from the library.   A friend had told me about the book Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.   We just finished the 2nd book in the series.   We liked the series, so I am sure we will be checking out the 3rd one this week.   While I did most of the cleaning, the kids folded laundry and put away clean clothes.  They also did some writing on their own and then we did a bit of wrestling.   hehehe   I love getting down on the ground with them and tickling them 'til they cry uncle.   hahaha

Well I'm off til tomorrow.  Night!

Homeschool?

Ok. I have made a new decision. Since Thursdays are very short for me, I have decided we will make that our "game" day. My son feels that he needs more play time. Isn't that funny? I think what he means is that he needs more mommy time. It is still a form of learning anyway. For example, have you ever played this game? ......



hehehe Well, its Spanish isn't it? hehehe We also played Uno. Before, after and between games we had our Bible reading and other meeting prep. Sounds like homeschool to me.


I'm sure all homeschool moms can relate. It just seems that time gets away from me. I have been feeling so crummy for so long. Now with our change in diet, I seem to have more energy and a more positive attitude. I think the kids see that as well, so they want to take advantage of it. I always tried to keep house and was always worried that it wasn't organized enough. I know our home will never come out in the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. I do want the children to look back on their childhood and reflect on all the love and fun that we had as a homeschool family. It's important. The mountains of laundry will always be there as will the inches of dust and the dirty windows. Believe me I do my best to clean, but I have realized that I don't need to spring clean everyday. If by chance someone happens to drop by unannounced, then I just hope they aren't offended. I will not apologize, nor will I make excuses. We live here. 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. (and if it really bothers them, they can pitch in anywhere they see fit. I can always use a maid.)

Now I'm off to get my z's. Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Day

No traditional school for us today. It was a wet, cold and dreary day. We had an 8am eye appointment. Then we rushed back to make some "wash day" soup for lunch. We read from our latest book Earthborn. Then headed back out to a couple of dental appointments. I thought it was interesting that my 9yr old seemed to be more aware of things going on. He showed a great deal of interest at the optometrist's office. They were very nice and accommodating too. They even showed him how the boxes with the animals work. Since he does not need glasses, he had not been there in a long time. Sister has astigmatism and is nearsighted. He was able to see how all the instruments they use work to get the best lenses for her vision. So although we did not have traditional school, we did have school of sorts. It was more a like a field trip! By the way, hot chocolate and some banana nut cake sure make a yummy breakfast on a day like today. YUM!

Same ol',same ol'....

Hi, you probably thought I was no longer here. Well sometimes I feel like I'm not. hehehe Life keeps me busy. I actually have posted a few times, but they are still in the draft section of my blog. It just seems like I don't have the want to or the energy to post lately. We have had a tummy virus and it has almost made its rounds to everyone in the family. I had other issues this week as well and it is difficult to school on such days. The reason for my posting this negative post is the header on my blog. I am supposed to be recording the good and the bad of my homeschool life. So to me, this is the bad side. No matter how much school is the most important part of our day, life has a way of prioritizing for me. The goal of course, is to do some form of schooling no matter what. How do we manage that? This blog is about homeschooling after all. hehehe Well we read in bed, play educational games... Yes even Monopoly can be educational! My son has learned to count money very well with that game. I have a site that sends file folder math games. They are easy and just something to keep them going. The math is easy to take care of because even if I am not up to playing games, they can do some worksheets. Then they have some Language Arts. I have a few books that they can work in if they need to do something that I don't have to actually teach. We have also been working on a maps and globes lapbook from Hands of a Child. They are older now too so it's a lot easier. They are now able to read instructions and understand what they are to do. We have taken a few field trips to nature trails and such to keep them thinking and learning. It also gets us out of the house and gives us fresh air and refreshes our minds. Certainly it is not just about academics. Life has plenty of lessons for us as well. We have had a few deaths amongst our friends and family which helps the children learn compassion and kindness and how to give comfort. In being helpful in someone else's time of need, they learn to make application and importance of scriptural guidance. The lesson for me here is that I have learned that I am not a failure as a mother or a teacher. I am able to persevere under our circumstances and help the children learn thru life's lessons. Well guess that's all for now. Until next time. Hope its soon! Happy homeschooling!

School

Well another week started. Thursdays and Fridays have not been very good school days. Seems those errands and interruptions have decided those days belong to them. This week we will be extra special busy. Starting Tuesday evening we will have a special week of activity. The ministry will be our main focus. It will be good for public speaking and volunteer work.

We will still try to do the 3 R's for school. Today was the boy's 1st composition. We began with something simple. A paragraph of only 3 sentences. Right now he is just adding adjectives. He is working on the format of a paragraph. He did some reading and language arts as well. I see alot of improvement from him since last year.


The girl read and worked on critical thinking and some language arts. She sure is reading a lot. and she has done a great job with her art. She is very creative. My shadow is in the way, but here is her interpretation of the scripture Matthew 19:6.


The hand around the wedding couple represents God yoking the 2 together.

Well that's it for today. Until next time!

Well, school has been slow going. Too much to do and too many interruptions. Last week I had to make preparations and clean up. We made tamales on Saturday. We really began on Friday. That's when I started putting meat in the crock pot. We also had a grown up sleepover. Mamo is really the tamale maker and she likes to get started at 7am so we can finish and be ready to eat by 5pm. There was no time for school except home ec. hehehe Then the kids can see how much work goes into making tamales. The fruits of our labor can be so worth it. YUM!

Monday we worked on some reading and language arts. Today, the girl was not feeling well, but we did some school anyway. It was really fun and I couldn't wait to post about this. I had heard about online classes given in a webinar. I had never tried them. Science Jim had a free online class thru Currclick. It was fun and informative. Even my 8yr old enjoyed the class. It was on Atoms. It was very cool. I have just a few pictures posted. They didn't take notes, but I did. We did receive some info before we even had the class. Basically it was what he said in a 45 minute class, but on paper. If you ever get the chance to do this, I recommend it. We did not need a webcam for this class. Some do require it though. We were able to ask questions online too. Now don't look at the mess on my desk. hehehe It's about how attentive the kids were during the class. Another good thing was that we didn't have to get all dressed up to go out. It took place right there in front of our monitor. Science Jim was great!

Email and Other Online Reads

I don't know if you're like me, but I sure do get a lot of email. Yes, some of it is from the groups I'm on. Most of it is from online magazines. "What kind?" you ask. All kinds! Mostly homeschool things. I do have a few other things as well. Cooking, decorating, how to's, financial, you name it they are there. I was thinking about this because when I don't look at my email for a day or so, there could be hundreds. I rarely can go a week without looking. I have most of my groups on special notice. The other things seem to come in on a daily basis. I change around and get off email lists all the time of course. As the children have grown and things in life change, so do the emails. I no longer receive anything on preschool or how to homeschool. I have changed other online mags as well. When I begin to realize that I no longer care to look at one, I send a request to be unsubscribed from their list. Then when I look thru the ones I do have and I find an article I think I could use, I print it out and save it in my school planner. I usually just print pieces that I find helpful. Whether it be an idea on organization or tips for teaching handwriting. I use them as reminders. I even print out scriptures and/or supporting materials that I know I will be needing to read again one day. Does it sound like too much? Maybe. I know it helps me to have those things where I will see them. hehe As things keep changing in my life, I will continue getting off some lists and on to others. I'm sure I'm not the only one that does this. hehe

Now for school topic. We read books, worked on some math, did some home ec., and our weekly Bible reading. Nothing really to post about. Just the usual. They are doing well in their subjects and moving right along.

Btw, there is a great picture of a cave on the National Geographic POD on the right side of my blog.

A New Week

Well we started off like a firecracker. A big bang with lots of fun and color and ended with a fizz. hehehe Oh well. We schooled really well the 1st 3 days then a few things came up that we needed to get taken care of by the last 2 days of the week. Today is Monday and we missed it too. Well tomorrow is Tuesday and I hope and pray to be back on schedule. I have some math, writing, and science ready to go. It is the 2nd day of the week and I have to keep that in mind. Of course the whole world is on holiday today because it is Memorial Day. I wasn't planning on taking the day off but that's how it worked out. I'm ready. I hope they are too.

--------------------------------Hump Day!

Ok today is Wednesday. It's over and I am so glad. The boy and I got up at 7:30, but the girl didn't even budge until 8:30. It was the longest and hardest day so far. The boy was so moody that I had to keep reminding myself it's only the 3rd day. He was very upset about lunch. He wanted pizza and she wanted a taquito. The drama continued until around 5pm. Nope. No pictures today. hehehe I can only imagine the faces I'd see.

We did put in a full day of school. After breakfast we worked on Language Arts, Science, and Writing. We did some oral reading, chores, and a little more science with our wonderful new video. Today was still good. I hope we can still keep up our schedule. It's always a challenge since I'm a "stay at home" mom. hehehe

TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER!

-------------------------------Another Day

I know it's only the second day, but it has gone very well. Especially since we are now waking at 7am. Yesterday I thought I would pass out by 1:30pm. Today we didn't feel sleepy until 3pm. We didn't nap because I was afraid we wouldn't be able to sleep. hehehe They are doing really well getting up so early. No grouches. Still going slow and easy. Math, reading, and some arts and crafts. We made some Happy Hanger Apples to decorate our school area. We will try to do some decorating monthly. It helps with their fine motor skills and of course it's fun. After we were done we went outside for some exercise for kids and mascot. Then we stayed outside and I read a book titled Schooled, about a homeschool kid, while they worked on some art. I am enjoying getting up early. It allows us more time for some fun.

---------------------1st Day of School!

Finally. I thought it would never get here. Even the kids missed school. Well you know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. hehehe Here are our 1st day of school pictures. We waited until 5:30pm to go by the water to take these.












They sure have grown. We had a great 1st day. Started nice and easy. A good breakfast with whole grains and fruit then a walk around the block. When we got back, the school mascot took a nap and we got to work. We sat on the sofa and cuddled while reading Tiki Tiki Tembo by Arlene Mosel. I know my babies are growing, but that's one of the perks about homeschooling. They still like to cuddle. Afterwards they worked on math, writing, and reading. Here is what the bulletin board looks like now. Don't forget, you can click on the pictures to enlarge.

---------------------Getting Ready For Tomorrow!

Woo hoo! I'm excited even if no one else is. I will leave their schedules on their desks tonight along with some treats. We will take pictures tomorrow afternoon when the "principal" gets home from his "other" job. I have really been working hard on cleaning up and cleaning out the school area. I am posting pictures from one side to the other. These are a couple of our bookshelves. Of course, as any homeschooler, we have bookshelves in each room of our house. Yes, they are all loaded with books. I LOVE BOOKS! hehehe


The principal and I went out to get some treats for their 1st day of school too. He helped me decorate. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. I have a few new games we can play. I found some math and geography games to help with our memory and for fun. We will begin lightly tomorrow. Mostly the 3 R's. We will also be incorporating more home ec. I am not quite ready with their schedules, but I have to start sometime and if I put it off, it will not get done. Hope to post more tomorrow. For now I have to hit the sack, since I will be trying to get up early. I don't want to be a grouchy zombie tomorrow. hehehe

All About Timing

Hm? Where does the time go? It seems these days that it goes by all too quickly and then it's time to start dinner. No, I'm not talking about the years. I'm talking about the hours. Between laundry, bathroom cleaning, sweeping (just to mention a few)and the other chores we have around here, it seems as though there isn't enough time to get in all the fun and schooling we want. The good thing about a new year is that we can try again. You know, something different. We go thru our planners or schedules and keep what worked and throw out what didn't. So as I go thru the blogs I have stored in my Favorites list, I find things I can glean. Some school in the mornings, some in the afternoons, and some in the evenings. Others do what I like to call grazing. hehehe You know a little here and there and take a few breaks. We are all different and there is no right or wrong way. Its whatever works for each of us. With all of our different circumstances, we have to keep in mind what's important. Our child's education, bonding, fun, spirituality, or all of the above. Whatever is most important to YOU. The parent.

So one of the things I was thinking of trying was working with each child individually for 20 minutes. Although I only have 2 and they are 8 and 13, they still require some one on one. That's not a bad thing. I like it. I get to see what they need help on or how they think to come up with the answers. I'm undecided. Maybe 20 minutes each then a 20 minute break. Then I can give them things that they can work on by themselves. Like if I start with the oldest one for 20 minutes then let her work alone for 20 minutes. That will give me time to work for 20 minutes uninterrupted with the younger one then give him some time to work alone. After that we can take a 20 minute break so I can do some housework. Then we can start again. Maybe using the same method. The problem I have is the constant interruptions. Not just the phone and other external things, but from people that get bored while waiting their turn. hehehe

Well these are just my thoughts for today. The best I can hope for is the chance to keep trying and hopefully we will find what works. I do like the chance for a fresh start the next year. It also keeps ME from getting bored. hehehe After all, they are growing up quickly. Soon they won't need my help like that anymore, so I have to make the best of the time we have together.

HAPPY HOMESCHOOLING!!

What Method Are You?

This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. We started with a box curriculum. I loved it. I still do. Its hard to get away from it. Although it wasn't perfect, the teacher's manuals are a gold mine. So, thank you, CALVERT. I couldn't have done it without you. or maybe I could have, but I'm glad I didn't. I was looking thru the spring magazine from TOS and saw an article on the different methods of homeschooling. There are many styles. After reading it, I consider myself Eclectic. It is defined as a "mix of philosophies and curricula to accommodate each child's abilities and interests. Parents choose from any method or style only those components that fit their specific needs." I like the Charlotte Mason method, but I am still learning. I have learned to like Unit Studies by doing lapbooking. I think the Principle Approach is important because it puts emphasis on God's Word. A couple of examples of this is when we do our Bible reading or anytime we do nature study. The Classical approach uses the five tools of learning, known as the Trivium. They are reason, record, research, relate, and rhetoric. It is to teach people how to learn for themselves. This is important especially when getting ready for college. And who doesn't use Delight Directed? Isn't that what homeschool is all about? This is where learning is based on the child's interests. On the other hand, Unschooling is a relaxed setting in which learning is directed by the child. Last but not least, Traditional Textbook. This is a full-range, packaged, textbook type curriculum. Like my Calvert. hehe A little of everything suits us just fine. We have good easy days and some very busy difficult days. Sometimes its easier on all of us to just do what we like for that day. I'm sure this happens in all homeschoolers lives. So, what method are you?

Still Here

Today I was thinking about my blog and school. I haven't done much of either. Today was especially difficult due to a migraine that arrived Tuesday afternoon and didn't leave until Wednesday night. ha ha! Nope I'm not talking about a guest. I am talking about a real painful no light no noise debilitating throbbing can't even move my head headache. Of course life doesn't stop because of it. The trick is to train the children and do things as slowly and light as possible. It's good to teach them how to make their own lunch. They also helped taking care of the pets. They are old enough. I sure do appreciate them.

We did work on math today. She did multiplication and he did some regrouping subtracting double digits. I also looked at this web page Lesson plans and worksheets from learningpage.com. They had some books that will go with a study on bones or vertebrates.

Well tomorrow is another day.

Today's Events

I will start with the fun stuff today. After dinner was a fun lesson in chemistry. Dad and son made some edible wart drops and some fizzy drinks. Have you ever heard of Doctor Dreadful? We found this chemistry set in the toy aisle a few years ago. They are sweet and sour mixes you eat or drink. Comes with recipes and all the beakers and other lab equipment needed. Son always enjoys brewing up a new concoction with his mad scientist laugh. muahahaha






Earlier in the day we took a 20min walk out by the water. Before we got to the trail we saw this in the road. We think it is a yellow rat snake. Too bad someone didn't like him crossing the road. hehehe




Of course there were other things in school today. Math is always done. Home Ec is another daily subject. We had some delicious buttermilk cornbread made by Daughter and Son helped with a little laundry. Let's see what's on for tomorrow? Hope it's more yummies made by the kids. hehehe