Atoms & Turkeys

Tuesday morning atoms were the rage at our house. Joel gave each of the boys a question concerning atoms. Micah spent the morning researching, building both out of Magnetix and having a huge discussion with Joel. I paid attention for the most part. I was right there with them as the talked about atoms and water molecules, but they lost me when they started discussing DNA, RNA, and genetic coding.


Xavier did some research on his IPod. Then decided he was going to write a song about atoms. He is almost done with it (so he says). He gave me a small taste of it, but I am still waiting to hear the final result.


While Sabrina napped Micah, Isaac and I headed back up to the library. Micah wanted to get some books on drawing. Isaac wanted to get whatever he could grab and I already had a handful to turn in and a list to pick up. I have been reading a lot of nutrition/GMO Foods/back to the land type books lately. So I picked up a few more of those along with a handful of Chemistry books for myself. Currently I am working on the "if I read it & talk about it - they may get interested and read it too" idea. It's not working out that great, but then the main topic of discussion over the last week has been about turkey sex or lack of it and having the job of being the "turkey sperm wrangler" (you need to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to get it). The boys are not to thrilled with the idea of reading about sex as it is, much less turkey sex. Oh well, maybe Chemistry will be different. Besides I never took it in High School so I might as well learn about it now. Maybe then when Micah decides to have these "chemistry" discussions with his dad I won't be out in left field.

The rest of our Tuesday consisted of video games, swimming at the pool, more talk about turkeys (specifically how we won't be eating one for Thanksgiving if I cannot find one which does NOT have the name Butterball on it, as I won't be eating a Broad White Breasted Turkey) and having a jail in our living room. Only the warden responsible for shutting off the living room decided to hide under the table.





Wednesday was not nearly as exciting and plain out sucked for me. I was not in a good mood. I woke up late & missed a meeting I was suppose to be at :-( Maintenance didn't show up to paint - must of mixed up the date on my calendar. Signed the older 2 up for Edge classes. Guess who agreed to be a taxicab every day for a month :-o Not sure what I was thinking there, but they both wanted drawing, skateboard design, and theater arts. Isaac went to gymnastics & I was suppose to meet someone afterwards only for them to not be there. Okay so I was 4 minutes late.... but seriously??

The boys spent the day reading, playing video games, talking about technology, and the Amish (thanks to another book I just finished reading). We also learned how Xavier will live in Maine on a farm and make his children wax the toilet for punishment if he doesn't make it into the Air Force and how women everywhere should be safe if he is around because he now knows how to deliver a baby in a cab (and pick a lock and kick down a door - thanks to a book he is reading).

For dinner we ditched all forms of good nutrition and had breakfast burritos, talked about Thanksgiving some more (yep we talked more turkey) then ended the day watching a show and goofing off. What turned out to be a crappy day had a wonderful ending. Well, except for the evil face we kept being given - don't be fooled, no matter how cute she looks right now - that is NOT the cute face...

"Not School" Learning

As all the kids in our neighborhood walked to school or hitched a ride on the big yellow bus today I sat on the porch thinking about how thankful I am to be at home with my children. I am thankful that I do not have to wake them up early during the dog days of summer to rush them out the door so they can sit in a classroom with 20-30 other kids learning from a prescribed curriculum. I am thankful I do not have to worry about whether they are bored to death, being challenged enough, or being held back because their interest is not something which does not correspond to their age. I am thankful we can go as fast or as slow as we want when it comes to different subjects. Most of all I am thankful that I/we do not have to look at the middle of August as the end of summer and the beginning of fall (which officially starts September 23rd).

So while hundreds of thousands of children across America watch their summer come to an end today. We enjoyed every moment of of our summer day and even did some "NOT SCHOOL" learning along the way. To many it may look like we spent the day playing (we did), but learning happens all the time.

So here's a look at our "Not School" Learning day...

Our morning consisted of watching "Secrets of the Dead: China's Terracotta Warriors". A trip to the library where a miracle happened and we only came home with 1 bag full of books & played puppets:







Our afternoon/evening was spent reading, drawing, napping (Sabrina & I), playing video games, watching Thomas videos, building tracks, swimming at the pool, and more reading. While it was a fun-filled day for us, plenty of learning was taking place. Objectives covered today: social skills, research techniques, history, the judicial system, science, religious beliefs, creativity/art, physical education, money skills, strategy, nutrition, our body/GMO foods, air streams, and more. It was a pretty awesome "No School" Learning day :-)

Nature Study

So we are finally taking the Outdoor Hour Challenge. I have been planning on doing it for some time, but never get around to it.

We took a short walk down to the stream by our house. It was nice to get outside and go for a walk and Isaac really enjoyed looking at everything and listening to the sounds. Micah & Xavier saw a rabbit we couldn't get a picture of it but Isaac found piles of rabbit scat.


A flower Micah brought home to look up.


Xavier finding a flower to bring home.


"Princess"


A not so friendly grasshopper (I think he was challenging us, lol).


Cacti

Then Reality Sets In

Continuing on from my last post... That was short lived. My dear children informed me that they need to graduate from high school by the time they are 16/17 years old. They have both come up with a plan to finish high school and start college (and one wants to graduate college and go in the military). So my fun, creative learning has been tossed aside by them for an action packed plan to graduate. Oh Lord, help me now.

fresh start

"I hate school" - is the motto at our house and to be honest I am singing it with the boys. When we started homeschooling I saw visions of grandeur. School would consist of projects, outings, learning on the go, yes we would do the 3 R's but creativity was going to be key. Somewhere we got lost along the way and school has become about textbooks, completing curriculum and pure drudgery. The result: my children and myself are suffering.

In my heart I am an unschooler. In reality I am stuck on a curriculum, keeping up with the Jones', and preparation for life nightmare. I have been reflecting a lot on what I remember from my days in school and realized a lot of stuff that I was suppose "to learn" is nowhere in my recollection. Instead I remember the research I did on numerous things when my mom decided that if I was going to be "a truant" I might as well be truant at home. So the rest of that school year I walked all over town, researched vampires, witches, global warming, PETA, and a million other things. It was a great few months and summer! The only thing Mom asked is that I do a little math and write a paper for her once in awhile.

So here I am years later wishing my kids could have a school life like the one I had those months. Why can't they? Because their mom started "doing school". They don't understand that you can learn without the textbooks, curriculum, and that learning can be fun (and considered "school" for record keeping purposes). Hmmm, how do you help your children love to learn when you killed that love to begin with?

Unfortunately, my kids need & want a To-Do List each day. So maybe I will give them a new one. One filled with creative, fun, "learning" activities and eventually their love of learning will re-emerge. So this week is a fresh start and hopefully it is not to late...

Schedules - Week 1

I have a love/hate relationship with schedules. I love making them but am horrible at implementing them. The bad part is we work better when we have a schedule in place whether it is for school or just general home life. However, we have not been sticking to any kind of schedule for the past couple of months. It has really become a free for all here and the chaos is taking over (along with attitudes and misbehavior). So what do I do?

I decided that I needed to start somewhere... but where? With me having to check my blood sugar I have really become aware of the time. Not sure that if that is good or bad but it is a beginning.

I am not writing out a strict schedule and trying to implement it all at once. Instead we are going to slowly work into a schedule that way I can make adjustments to it as needed. So with my "handy dandy notebook" in hand we are starting each day this week with a goal in mind. I am hoping to add a goal to each day and slowly work our way into a complete schedule over the next month or two. This way we make a habit of some things before we start school up.

Week 1
Monday - wake up and eat breakfast together as a family

Tuesday - complete Monday's goal and then complete our chores

Wednesday - complete Monday & Tuesday's goals

Thursday - complete Monday & Tuesday's goals then take a walk

Friday - complete Monday, Tuesday and Thursday's goal then ? (Friday is going to be co-op day so on the days we don't have co-op I would like to do something fun)

Play-Doh Fun

Isaac had a blast playing Play-Doh last weekend. We bought it for him a few weeks ago, but never got around to pulling it out and actually letting him play. Now it is one of his favorite things to do.

Week 1 - A Look Inside

We do use texts in our homeschool. Which is one reason why I thought the workboxes would be great to add in more fun and more hands on learning. Here is a list of what we I have put/will be putting in the boys boxes this week. It is our first week of using the boxes and the items listed below are not necessarily in that order (it was just easier for me to list them with numbers).

Monday:
1) Lang. Arts
2) Math (with mom)
3) Science (with mom)
4) Spelling
5) History Reading
6) Free Reading
7) Computer Time
8) Connect 4
9) Joke book in Xavier's box & Backyard Ballistics in Micah's box
10) Bible & Prayer Journal
11) Geography Fact Cards

Tuesday:
1) Lang Arts
2) Math (w/mom)
3) Science Reading
4) Free Reading
5) Othello
6) Computer Lesson: Webpage Authoring #2
7) Geography worksheet
8) Bible & Journal
9) Spelling
10) Computer Time
11) Brownie Mix

Wednesday:
1) Writing (w/mom)
2) Math (w/mom)
3) Science (w/mom)
4) Computer Time
5) Free Reading
6) Bible & Journal
7) Spelling
8) Unit Study (History)
9) Game
10) ?? (still deciding)
11) Art

Thursday:
1) Writing (w/mom)
2) Math Review/Game
3) Spelling
4) Science Reading
5) Computer Time
6) Bible & Journal
7) Unit Study (History)
8) Free Reading
9) Game
10) Play Outside w/Isaac
11) Family Work

Friday: (normally we have co-op on Friday, but this week we have off for Good Friday)
1) Writing (w/mom)
2) Play Hullabaloo w/Isaac
3) Math Review
4) Computer Time
5) Spelling Test
6) Game
7) Unit Study (History)
8) Make Peanut Butter Cookies
9) Bible & Journal
10) Nature Study & Walk

Workboxes

Ok, so the shoe rack idea flopped. I went to the store to buy them but they didn't have any. Meanwhile my dear hubby is asking if there is some way we can be more economical about this. Personally I think he believes this is another one of my attempts of organization that will quickly be tossed aside. So... being economical I found some things I have around the house: boxes and folders (of course now I have to find a new home for the science stuff that was in the boxes). Using the template from the Sue Patrick's Workbox System and schedule cards from Walking by the Way, I now have Xavier & Micah's boxes!


Xavier's Box


Micah's Box



Micah and Xavier have been great about moving through their folders. We even started school an hour earlier than usual today (it is only our 2nd day using the workbox system).


Science Reading - more than I need to know about bugs!!



Working on changing fractions to percents

Could It Be

an answer to prayer? Recently I came across a blog talking about workboxes. I was so intrigued with the system that I had to know more. After visiting other blogs who have started using workboxes and praying about it. I bought Sue Patrick's book and now I can not wait to set up our boxes. I have been printing off the scheduling strips and number strips along with the extra cards. Today I get to go buy my boxes ;)

One of the things that impresses me with the workbox system is the ability to put in those things you want to do in your home school but never get around to. I hope that by starting the worboxes I will take be able to let go of the "school at home" rut we have gotten into lately. The only problem I have though is I can think of a bunch of things I want to do or the boys want to learn but I don't think we still have enough time to do it all ;-)

** The Workbox System is a physical system which allows your child(ren) to move through their work in order. It is visual system that your kids can see: they see what they have to do, they see how much is left to do and they see the fun things coming up in a box ahead.

Sue Patrick is pretty set on using a shoe rack that will hold your shoeboxes (about 12) as the workboxes. At first I was going to try to "scale down" the workboxes because of room, but after reading the book I am going to stick with her shoerack & shoe boxes idea.

Each box is numbered and the child has a schedule strip on their desk telling them what to do (in order). You can have box 1-12 in a row or you can put in extra cards like lunch, group time, break, etc. The child moves in a sequential manner matching the # on their schedule strip to the matching workbox. They continue down the strip completing each activity/workbox. Once the strip is empty they are done for the day.

Science Experiments

We started using Apologia General Science last week. We are not using it in the traditional way but are working on it together to help Micah and Xavier get use to the format. Which means we are probably going a little slower than normal :-) I also found a really neat Lapbook Journal to use over at Knowledgebox Central. So far the boys are enjoying the "class like" setting for science.


Experiment Time
Writing their observations, summary

Explorer's Unit Study Day 2

Tuesday's Photo-Op

Every good sailor/explorer must learn to tie knots




Who wants to be a "Limey"?
Making Old Fashioned Limeade

Explorer's Unit Study Day 1

We started our Explorer's study this week. This is our first "real" unit study and so far the boys have had a blast! We are using History Through The Ages New World Explorer's by Home School in the Woods. If the rest of the unit goes as well as the first 2 days I will definitely be buying the "Colonial" unit next!

Here are a few photo's from Monday

Working on a lapbook entry



Using Spices of the Orient to bake a carrot cake

Geography Studies

We decided to continue the boys Geography Studies from the One Room Schoolhouse. The boys have a blast looking up and presenting the information on the state they have picked. This week we are trying something a little new and they are making a power-point presentation. They "present" their state on Monday evening that way Joel can be here. I don't think I am going to have them do a power-point every week but alternate it with an actual report, poster, or some kind of model. I haven't quite worked out all the kinks but it should bring more life to Geography :)

Tuesday's Tidings

What a dreary day. I woke up this morning and decided to put together my grocery list and go shopping. Xavier came with me since I was heading to Wal-Mart. He needed a few clothing items. $200 later we got home and I still have half my list to fill. You can see the breakdown of what I spent the money on in the post Day 1 - 30 Days of Nothing. I still need to finish my shopping and take Micah to get some new clothes as well as hit the shoe store for Xavier. That Xavier has decided to grow out of everything he owns at one time.

At lunch time I let Isaac feed himself pudding. What a mess! He had a blast. He normally feeds himself all but the pudding/yogurt. Not that he can't just I normally don't want to tell him no a bunch of times as he tried to feed me and throw it on the floor. Today was not to bad. I did not get out of eating a few bites but he did keep the floor clean. After lunch Isaac went down for a nap and the boys started their homework from the One Room Schoolhouse. Technically we should be doing our school and not working on homework, but since they have taken the initiative to get it done I figured we can work on some of our school work later on today. I don't have a lot planned for the boys to do today but they both need to read some and work in their math books.

I am hoping tomorrow is a nicer day. I have decided to start walking/jogging again. I am hoping to run in the Thanksgiving Day 5K that is held every year here in town. Which means I really need to get back into shape. The plan is for the boys and I to go walking/jogging 3 times a week. Micah loved it when we use to jog before I got pregnant with Isaac, and we all could use the exercise.

Well, I better get back to dong something productive. Hope everyone has a great day!

One Room Schoolhouse

I dropped off the boys this morning at the One Room Schoolhouse. They absolutely love going to class there. However, this week I didn't hound them about their homework. I decided they needed to be more responsible and remember to do it. I did remind them a few times but it was not completed until this morning. I woke up to a child looking for his notebook so he could do his homework. When I came out of the bedroom both boys were sitting at the kitchen table trying to finish it all up. Xavier was almost in tears because he couldn't do it all. I was a mean mommy. I told him I was sorry he couldn't finish it, and maybe next time he should try to do it before the day it was due. Micah informed me this evening that he planned on doing his work this week and not at the last minute. I think a poor spelling test helped confirm the fact that he needs to study.

I will remind them a couple of times this week, but completing their homework is going to be left up to them.

School & Schedules

Well, we are still ironing out kinks in the schedule. I am happy to say that we finished The Giver and have completed the tests I had downloaded for the book. Now we can get back to My Side of the Mountain. We should finish it within a few days so I am already planning our next book: The Cay.

We started Writing With The Best by Jill Dixon this week and I am loving it so far. When we lived in Savannah, GA I went to a speaking event she was having at a local church. I have been wanting to get Teaching with Structure and Style but the price... Well, I was surfing online and remembered she taught writing classes and thought I would check out her site. Yep - she had a writing program. I want to get her Diagnostic Test that helps you see what kind of learner your children are. So that is my next buy. Well, along with a few other things on my list :) I have got to stay our of the bookstores!

A deer in the yard starts the day off right

As I sat on the porch this morning waking up I saw a deer run across the yard and jump the fence. At first I couldn't believe my eyes, but it was so neat. We do not normally have deer in the yard and that is one thing I miss from the little time we were in Michigan. What makes it so much better is this was the 2nd time this week that I saw wildlife that we normally do not see from our yard. Yesterday we had 5 bald eagles flying over the house, in and out of trees and landing on one right by the pond. From what I was told they use to nest there until about 3 years ago when the osprey's chased them away.

Seeing the deer put a good day in motion. I managed to shower and get ready for school before Isaac woke up. We are working on the schedule, but after today I see where I need to switch a few things around. After lunch the boys are pretty much out of school mode except for finishing up work and reading. I also have found that by doing SOW first thing in the morning we are taking to long and not getting to our math and science. Tomorrow I plan on switching the classes around a bit and seeing if it works better. We are also starting our morning devotions back up. We have fallen out of the habit of having them, and we need to make it our first priority in the morning.

This afternoon Xavier taught me how to throw a football. I know I have been shown before, but I did not remember how. This of course thrilled him for a couple of reasons: 1) he taught me and 2) he got to toss the ball around. We tossed it around for a good hour or so. He is now talking about teaching me to play catch. I asked him if he actually thought I was going to catch a baseball. Yes, was his answer, and laughed. Doesn't having a baseball thrown towards you mean you are suppose to duck or run away from it?

Isaac tried to play ball also and he threw a woofle ball to me and I would throw it back. We tried to get Micah to play with us but throwing a football is definitely not his thing. Oh well, maybe next time.

Oh - Xavier finished the starter book for Awana. This is his first year so he had to go through the first 7 steps booklet to be able to get his shirt and actual book. He s quite happy that he finished the last 3 steps tonight and next week we are going to get his shirt and actual book. WAY TO GO Xavier!!

A New Book

Steve and Teri Maxwell have a NEW book. I have no idea when it actually came out but I can not wait to order. I loved their Managers of Their Homes & Managers of Their Chores... the new one Managers of Their School. You can check it out at Titus 2.

Jr Rehabbers

This morning I dropped the boys off at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. We visited there a few years ago and really enjoyed seeing the birds that they house. Micah is still a bird fanatic and when I saw that they were having a JR Rehabber class I signed both of the boys up. According to them "It was awesome" and "We cleaned up the cages and saw rats (dead and alive)." The class was 3 hours long and other than doing a little cleaning and feeding they also watched on in the lab as a hawk got a physical. Unfortunately, you have to be 18 to volunteer or Micah would have jumped at the chance.






While waiting for the boys class to be over Isaac and I walked through the local neighborhood to a small park. We watched a bunch of squirrels and admired the view of the lake.