My Ramblings

Attempt Number Two

2010-06-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to recreate our missing year in a few quick posts.
I am not the kind of person to have a blog.
That has probably become obvious with my erratic posts.

But I miss a few blogs I used to read. They inspire and remind me why I do, what I do. Also, I miss keeping track of our life. Something beautiful is captured when I blog our days. I see the grace where I otherwise see lists done and undone. So here is our year in review.

Sally my sponsor and all around wonderful lady made this Easter treat for my children. It is a doll with a hard boiled egg inside. I can't remember the name of it.

What did my children think of it?

That would be three thumbs up.

During this time baby number four was busy growing and getting ready for her big debut.
Morning sickness does not fit what women really go through.
Thank you April for your advice. I talked with Ann my midwife, and the pills really helped.

We're Back...........

2009-04-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

After a very long break I am back on the web. A lot has happened in the last forty days. The kids and I were baptized at the Eater Vigil and Craig and I were confirmed. It was so beautiful. I hope to have pictures up soon.

Also our family is eagerly anticipating a fourth child sometime in early December. We are having trouble coming up with boys names so if anyone has ideas please share them. For those of you that heard we were house shopping, we have decided to renovate our house instead.

Thought of the week.

2009-02-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

Anger bites the hand that feeds it: us.

- Ann Voskamp

Wowzers

2009-01-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

We got back from Regina last night and we had so much fun. But I will post about that later. For now I wanted to post this picture.

Evan received Pokemon coloring pages for Christmas and has been coloring and cutting them out all week. He is very proud of them and so he should be. As you can see they are adorable. Then the other day I saw this drawing Mikayla made of one of them. I was impressed, especially with the facial expression.

Making an effort to grow.

2009-01-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have been growing spiritually over the past year. I do not usually mention this because my faith is new. I feel the need to protect it, for it is too precious to treat carelessly. Often I will read a blog and it will speak to me. I don't want to forget the truth that these posts brought, but my memory is not the greatest. In an effort not to lose what I have found I am going to link my favorite post of the week. Something that speaks to me spiritually. My link today is to a post on patience/gratitude. It has made me take a deeper look at my life and realize that I have so much to be grateful for.

First Day on the Job

2009-01-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

The windchill was -45 and their paper route is long, but take a look at their proud faces.
Who could ask for more.

Meet Claire

2009-01-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to make room in my life for more I that love. In my quest I stumbled on Dawn's file crate system. I am searching for a way to organize my thoughts, plans and responsibilities. I spend far too much time planning and re-planning my days. I believe that I may have found a system that will work for me. But despite the impression I may give, I am not one to jump into something. After pondering the idea I mentioned it to Sarah, lo and behold she had been thinking of trying the very same thing. Inspired we headed out to Staples. A few days later my kids wanted a playdate with her kids, giving us the perfect opportunity to compare our file crates and share ideas.

Isn't my file crate cute? I have grown quite fond of her.
So I decided to give her a name, meet Claire.
(a.k.a. "Claire" from the Rheostatics)
There is a line in that song
"let me see you save a mind that isn't there.....".
I feel that sums up my hopes.

Anyway, I wondered onto Sarah's blog the other day. She posted about our crate's playdate.
She has come up with many great ways to use her system. I may have to steal some of her ideas. So far I have used Claire to tame the paper clutter beast I created in the last five years. I own two address books but I could never find an address when I needed one. Now I will have one address book and it has a home.

I have made myself a weekly planner. This has already saved me from forgetting to renew my license, and it gives me peace of mind to know that everyone's birthday and anniversary is right there where I can not lose it. Just this afternoon I jotted down our confirmation # for the hotel in Regina. I don't need to think about it again I'll know where it is when I need it.

I also created a household binder. So far it holds my weekly menu plans, the recipes for each week, and all our contacts. It will eventually keep my daily, weekly and seasonal chores, our homeschool schedual, the kids chore charts, and gift ideas as well.

I have a daily clip board where currently holds today's recipes, history handouts, a science experiment, a french game and a todo list for the day.

I have used my file crate to place things to sort for the weeks to come. Homeschool ideas for next month have been thrown into the last folder of this month. The front ideas folder of this month holds two sheets for the Precambrian Period, we were studying this but decided to put it on hold while we focused on magnetism. There is a slip with a web site I need to check into before the kids doctors appointment on the January 27th, as well as a few sheets on attachment parenting. I have wanted to turn my rambling thoughts from the parenting course I took into a few words of inspiration. I intend to print these inspiration thoughts and put them up to remind me through the day.

As unwieldy as my system may seem it has already given me peace of mind. I don't have to remember everything I have Claire to take care of that ; )

Obsessed

2009-01-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Rosetta

Hair on Fire!

2009-01-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

So I was listening to Stewart McLean's Vinyl Cafe on CBC last night. All the people that helped to produce the show had the chance to share embarrassing stories of Stewart and a song they love. I wish I could remember who recommended the song New Goodbye by Hey Rosetta, but she said it was so good that by the end she wanted to light her hair on fire. I concur.

Click on the Music button and then on the song New Goodbye.

Go have a listen ; )

P.S. It is more flame producing if you read the lyrics.

Blinded by Science

2009-01-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Today was the first week back after a three week hiatus.
The kids were so excited about the treasure hunt I had planned for the afternoon.

Mikayla and Aidan got right to work and finished all their homeschooling in the morning.
Evan was great once I remembered that he can only hold one direction in his head at once.

I was going to send the kids outside after lunch but then I read Cheryl's blog about the -50 windchill.

No I am not exaggerating. We were the coldest place on the planet this morning. Yay us!

What do you do when the windchill is below -50?

We have a treasure hunt. Sarah told me about one she had a few weeks ago and I thought it would be a great way to introduce our science kits.

This week is magnetism.

We did three experiments and then each of the kids read.
They loved it.

Menu Fun

2009-01-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

I have been making weekly menus for a while, I find that they make my life much easier.

Then I thought why not post them. If I put them up here they are easy for me to change and I can not lose them.

Week 1

Breakfast

oatmeal and jam
oatmeal and frozen berries with yogurt
cereal
instant flavoured oatmeal for kids

Lunch

homemade chicken and rice soup
healthy greak salad on pitas
vegetable soup and toast
eggsalad sandwiches veggies and dip

Supper

honey baked lentils and brown rice, fruit for dessert
spaghetti sauce on whole wheat noodles with large salad
roast chicken with rosemary potato wedges and corn
meatloaf, baked potatoes and carrots
homemade pizza on pitas and salad

Week 2

Breakfast

oatmeal and jam
oatmeal and frozen berries with yogurt
cereal
instant flavoured oatmeal for kids

Lunch

chickpea couscous salad
beef barley soup
split pea and barley soup with fruit
eggsalad sandwiches and fruit

Supper

roast, baked potaoes and corn
chick pea orzo pilaf and fruit
chicken stirfry
meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn
homemade pizza pitas with salad

Week 3

Breakfast

oatmeal and jam
oatmeal and frozen berries with yogurt
cereal
instant flavoured oatmeal for kids

Lunch

package soup mix
eggsalad sandwiches and fruit
beef vegetable soup
vegetable soup

Supper

orange ginger pork with brown rice
Silvia's chicken on noodles
eggs and potato wedges with fruit
spaghetti and salad
homemade pita pizzas and salad

It is almost time...............

2009-01-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

Monday we start homeschooling again.

So here is the plan.................

Monday through Thursday

Mornings will begin with a reading, I got a great book for Christmas.

Then the kids will start their morning lessons.
I made each of them an index card of what needs to be done.
This works really well, the kids like the freedom and I like that I can focus on one child at a time. I arrange their lessons so that know one needs me or the computer at the same time.
Then the kids head outside while I make lunch.

In the afternoon we have a few options depending on our interests.

art lessons / art history
Real-Science-4-Kids
jogging
history (currently we are studying the Precambrian Period)
science experiments
IEW

Fridays

Reading/Poetry(with sugary tea)
Nature Study Field Trip
Library

History at Sarah's
Homeschool Group

Well that all folks!

I just need to remember my priorities.

Homeschool should aid our growth individually and as family.

If I focus on our to do lists I miss the point.

Hello Again!

2008-12-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

I have a dilemma. I blog from my photos and my camera needs new batteries, so I have not been blogging. I will attempt a photo free blog, even though I don't know what the heck I am going to talk about.

First off the reason for the post was Sarah wanted the felt play mats link. Cheryl pointed out that LaPaz's blog has a version of felted play mats. They are quite adorable so here is the link to her playmats. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did. This coming week is dedicated to Christmas crafting , helping others and getting the house ready for Christmas. Perhaps I will get a few playmats done then.

Today the homeschoolers met at the skating oval and it was beautiful. I was surprised how quickly the kids regained there skating legs. We were there for over an hour before my toes started to freeze (which for December is awesome). The kids were warm and could have kept skating for at least another hour.

This Sunday is the homeschooler's Christmas Tea. Everyone had such a good time last year. The kids have been practicing their poems. I said that I would bring a craft and I think I will bring bookmark supplies. But if anyone knows a great children's craft let me know.

This Tuesday we will be heading out to Souris to help my niece get her house ready to sell. She said to not worry about it till after the Christmas Season. But when you think about it, there isn't a better thing we could be doing than helping someone out. So this year our Christmas cookies will be purchased and our home will not be picture perfect (far from it). But our coffee will be Free Trade, our gifts (mostly) homemade and we will make time to appreciate the people we love. It works for us, and that is what matters most.

I hope you find time to enjoy each day this Advent.

P.S. Even if it is ice cube toes and frozen fingers!

P.P.S. If my post is scattered I do apologize, and I will try to purchase batteries this weekend : )

Craft Night Bliss

2008-11-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

I was made aware of a serious omission on my part. When I was mentioning what was beautiful yesterday, I failed to mention the amazing group of ladies coming over. Last night I hosted our weekly craft night. It was lovely. Friends bonding over knitting and card making. I believe there might have even been singing. We were only drinking tea or coffee, but a group of mothers out late with only grown ups to talk to ........ well we can get a little giddy. So to the great ladies that I failed to include in my post, you too were a big part of yesterday's beauty ; )

And Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2008-11-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

After a week of crafting we were already to get back to normal. The kids got so much done! Their Christmas crafts are almost complete. I was not as efficient with my time, but two of three children are now sporting beautiful toques.

This morning we completed our book and computer work, had our lunch, and then headed outside for nature study. The weather was beautiful. At first Evan claimed that there is no nature in winter, and then we went outside and discovered for ourselves. Evan was the one to spot an abandoned bee hive. The bottom had broken off and you could see the honeycomb. We observed the color of snow in sunlight and in shadow, made numerous fake animal prints, and spotted some real ones, we felt the inside of a tree where the bark had separated. We listened to black-capped chickadees that a couple we met on our walk identified it for us. We sat in our favorite spot to draw, which wasn't as private now that it has lost its leaves. Then we headed back home. Now the meatloaf is cooking, the kids have wandered off to play, and I am recording what was beautiful in our day. I hope everyone else has had a great day!

Advent

2008-11-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

I corrected the first link, it now links to all her advent ideas.

Well I am looking into ways to celebrate Advent with the kids this year and found a great resource at By Sun and Candlelight . She rocks! So instead of not knowing what to do, now I have to choose what I want to do most. She has great ideas here and here as well. But if anyone else has favorite Advent traditions please pass them along.

Christmas Crafting Week!

2008-11-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Well we have started are Christmas craft week off with a resounding bang a.k.a.(puttering around making tea and plans). Some craft ideas are well on their way, while others were put on hold. The kids dreamed up new plans and couldn't wait to start them. If the rest of the week is as productive (and exciting) as today we will want to do this again very soon : )

We would show you more but well you know.....................

In your face snow!

2008-11-10T14:39:00.000-08:00

It is cold outside. Yes the snow glitters in the sun bla, bla ,bla.... but it is also cold, and we are sick. So today I had a show down with the outwear clothing stores in Brandon. I would not give up, my children would have warm coats and ski pants by the end of the day. Winners saved the day. Thank you Winners for carrying warm outerwear. So now we will be prepared to face the cold, as soon as I find touques, mitts and scarves....... But fear not I have a basement full of them. For anyone else not yet ready for the cold, head to Winners and you too can be a winner in the quest for outerwear ;)

Felt Landscapes

2008-11-04T08:27:00.001-08:00

The kids are sick today, so I have decided to make it a story/craft day. While the kids are reading and building block towers I thought that I would post the link to the felted jungle. We are thinking of doing these for Christmas gifts.

P. S. I was just surfing and stumbled on yarn balls as well. I think that we will have to try this to.

I hope that everyone is having a great day!

Boy Digs Hole

2008-11-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

That's my boy.
M and A are sick today. So after a morning of learning they curled up to listen to Jim Weiss will E headed outside to play. Oh, to see through the eyes of a child again.

A day for rest.

2008-11-01T20:43:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is our rest day. I have been have been working my butt off all week in anticipation of this day. No shopping, no lists, no guilt just a chance to experience the day as it unfolds. I am looking forward to the possibilities of knitting, hot coffee/tea, phone calls with friends/family, crafting and walking with the kids. But best of all, a day without shoulding. Have a great Sunday and I'll see you all on Monday!

Must Embroider Something

2008-10-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96156254@N00/sets/845915/

I found this sampler on a blog called chloesplace. I feel I must embroider Christmas gifts for someone. My love for crafting and nature are colliding. Hopefully it all ends well ; )

Sketch Shot

2008-10-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a snap shot of an afternoon. The kids spent over an hour sketching in the backyard. This is their official sketch fort.

Che'ryl I'm trying to'do my part to bring back the apo'stro'phe.

Have a great Hallowe'en everyone!

Qoutey Goodness!

2008-10-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

"What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge,
not knowledge in pursuit of the child."
George Bernard Shaw

I went on an internet stroll.

2008-10-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

While taking an internet stroll I spot many beautiful crafts. I have been thinking of what Christmas crafts the kids might want to do, and then I stumbled upon a blog called In These Hills. She shows how to make balloon lanterns and wet felted cookie cutter shapes. I now have two new crafts for my list, and a Sunday to spend crafting. What fun we will have.

Kia

2008-10-23T17:50:00.001-07:00

My daughter the photographer.

Nature Study

2008-10-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

I was told that nature study brings a breath of fresh air to your day (no pun intended). I always thought.... yes, yes when I get done this important stuff I'll get to it. Well I finally got to it, and I don't ever want to give it up.

After covering the different kingdoms and how the major eight taxonomic ranks work. We headed off to the great outdoors. The following pictures are from our first week of nature study. I do not apologize for the amount of photos in this blog, for I have cut many great pictures out. We have gone out twice this week, and each time we discover something new.

This is first Fungi spotted by Evan. He found two types. We have not yet found out what kind of fungi he discovered, but we will next week.

I believe that this is common green shield lichen. Lichen is not a plant. All lichens are a combination of two very different organisms, a fungus and either an alga or a photosynthetic bacterium. Just in case you wanted to know ; )

After much deliberation we discovered that this was a female Downey Woodpecker, at first we thought that it might be a White Breasted Nut Hatch. We did spot the Whited Breasted Nut Hatch yesterday though. Along with the bird below. We think it is a female Dark Eyed Junco.

We saw many galls on the leaves of one tree. Evan looked inside a few to check for bugs. Here he is showing his brother the bug inside.

Here are the kids after the first day out. Back home with their treasures and a treat for the birds.

Words of Wisdom From LaPaz Home Learning's Blog

2008-10-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

For a Child

by Fannie Stearns Davis

Your friends shall be the Tall Wind,
The River and the Tree;
The Sun that laughs and marches,
The Swallows and the Sea.

Your prayers shall be the murmur
Of grasses in the rain;
The song of wildwood thrushes
That makes God glad again.

And you shall run and wander,
And you shall dream and sing
Of brave things and bright things
Beyond the swallow’s wings.

And you shall envy no man,
Nor hurt your heart with sighs,
For I will keep you simple
That God may make you wise.

She talks about what that means to her. Not to raise kids in ignorance, or to shelter them from the complexities of life, but to live simply. A life of wholesome food, good books, a slow pace and time in nature. Long periods to think and play(free from distraction).

I am not doing her justice. If you would like to see what she actually wrote go here.

LaPaz Home Learning

Field Trip Gone Wild!

2008-10-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Today's post is about our field trip to the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Having never driven in Winnipeg before I decided to take a chance. Surely I would find the zoo if I drove in the right direction. Unfortunately I was driving in the wrong direction and drove right out of Winnipeg. After stopping for a map, I decided to take the perimeter till I found the street I needed. Unfortunately I once again driving in the opposite direction on the perimeter highway(heading north instead of south).
It was then that we commenced our site seeing tour of Winnipeg. We drove south on Henderson highway, past the The Manitoba Museum , the Winnipeg Forks, and through St. Boniface. It was in St. Boniface that we discover where we where on the map. After this our site seeing trip ended, and our trip to the zoo began.
We made it to the zoo and here are the pictures to prove it.

We spent a lot of time watching the Prairie Dogs. The kids love how playful they are.

This couple spent most of there time kissing.

This little guys ate, and ate, and ate..........

The kids spent time watching the Bison aswell, they are very striking creatures.

I couldn't resist posting this picture.

Last but not least is this little guy. He was so curious.....................

My nemesis is back and it is all my fault!

2008-10-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have maintained my weight loss all summer. Then someone (me) had a moment of weakness at the grocery store. Nutella my nemesis is back, she whispers to me through the day,

"I'm made with nuts and milk, I'm good for you."

She is attempting to drag me back to the dark side.

I MUST USE THE FORCE!

Force not working, dark side winning............................

CURSE YOU NUTELLA, AND YOUR CREAMY GOODNESS!

Fall my precious.

2008-10-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

I'm back. Did anyone miss me? I have been on a blog reading frenzy, and unfortunately my blog postings have suffered. I am in a weird home school vortex, our lives feel full and mostly content, but when I am asked what we have been up to I draw a blank.

Now that Evan does not need training wheels, we go on extended bike rides.
Aidan's AirHog was fixed (by him) and the kids have been spending much of their free time shooting off rockets.
We have just been busy living.

Kia are adorable kitten, has made herself at home. The kids are delighted to have a pet, and Craig's allergies are not to bad. She is still a little skittish, but considering that she was a stray, she is doing great. Yes, the cute little kitten seen above was a stray. She adopted the engine of our van as her home, and then we adopted her.

New Plan

2008-10-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

So we have been homeschooling for a month and it is time for me to adjust our schedule. We have been studying prehistoric times and the animal kingdom making notebooking pages as we go. I do not feel that there is enough of a frame work for them to place this new knowledge in. So as of today we are going back. In history we will be focusing on the prehistoric time periods and what developed in each. Or new information will fit into this framework. In science we will be studying taxonomy and how it is used to classify life. We will then look to the animal, plant and fungi kingdoms and place our new information into that frame work. So today, we will be getting a very long piece of paper to make our prehistoric time chart. I am very excited! Hopefully the kids will love it too.

New Goals

2008-09-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

This week I will document my days through photos. I found a group on flikr doing this and thought what a great idea. So I will be starting one day late, but better late than never. I also have decided to take the handmade pledge for Christmas this year. Maybe the kids and Craig will join me.

Birthday x 2

2008-09-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

We did it. The long awaited birthday sleepover for two has happened. The kids had a blast. We had hotdogs by the fire, the worlds sweetest cake, race cars, lego master pieces, a movie, rock skipping, fossil digs by the ravine, and much celebration.

The kids spent loads of time in the ravine digging away. Who could blame them, it is beautiful down there. For all their efforts, they found numerous bones and not one but two skulls.

The famous four celebrated their great discoveries. They sang, ran, danced and jumped for joy, as all great discovers should do. I just tagged along taking photos. I have to say that it has been hard to pick only six.

Evan finally got a chance to climb Shale Mountain. He has been wanting to all year, but by the time we are leaving the lake, we were always too rushed.

So overloaded on sugar and excitement we headed home. But I must not forget what awaits us next summer. It is far to easy for me to get busy and miss the chance to build memories.

One More Day

2008-09-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Life just keeps getting better. Our friends have returned, giving us one more thing to be thankful for. I feel blessed to have such a great family to share life's adventures with.

So Much Has Happened

2008-09-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

We were adopted by a kitten. Actually, our van was adopted, but we decided the engine of a van was no home for a kitten.

Here she is looking oh so adorable.

And here Aidan is looking oh so adorable.

We have read many great books, and had many great walks. In our adventures we have come across many interesting creatures.

The kids were very excited to spot this little guy. Evan spent the next twenty minutes collecting food and arranging it on a bed of leaves.

Mikayla enjoyed trying to identify the birds we found.

Evan learned to ride his bike. Congratulations Evan! He also learned to ride this tree.

Our friends are back from Europe where they spent the summer,WAHOO! They were missed, and it was wonderful to see them again. Aidan didn't think he could survive without his best friend for so long but he did it.

We were recently visited by a hungry rabbit; our overgrown grass has come in handy. We have also been the local hot spot for birds. I discovered if you use a tarp to reduce weeds, you create the perfect breeding ground for garden slugs. As I am sure anyone reading this will agree, this is very gross. It did cut down on the weeds though ; )

These last pictures are from a last minute camp trip we took with Cheryl, Emily and Maya. I have been meaning to post them. So here they are.

There was a field full of frogs at our camp site. It kept the kids busy most of the time we were there.
We aren't sure what this was. We thought beaver but the tail was bushy looking. If anyone knows, please share. And if this is a beaver, please don't judge my homeschooling competence. I do try. : )

Danielle My Hero!

2008-09-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

So after a conversation with my niece a language arts pro : ) She told me she would be happy to help us. That night night she created an Elements of a Story breakdown for me.
So as of Monday we will start to make our way through the list, mapping and narrating as we go.
I just have to say thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

A Day In The Life of Three Homeschoolers

2008-09-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

It was too beautiful to spend the day indoors today. We live in a climate where winter comes early and stays long, so I feel the need to squeeze in outdoor time while we can. So off we went to learn outdoors. To our delight, someone found an egg!

Then we came back for a little history/science reading and crafting. Notice the three dimensional volcano. I'm still not sure how she managed to get it to fold down, and pop up like that.

Poor Aidan spotted a rogue asteroid and was almost hit. Who ever said homeschooling was too protective obviously wasn't aware of possible asteroid collisions.

I am happy to report that he survived and appears to be thriving.

In the last week Evan has gone from ripping up most of his art to proudly displaying this piece. It is the inside of a volcano. The yellow semicircle is the center of the earth. I wrote up his narration and he pasted it on the bottom. It is a very proud boy you see above.

Someone Had Their First Horseback Riding Lesson Last Night!

2008-09-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

At long last Mikayla has had her first horseback riding lesson, and she had a blast. While timid at first she soon became comfortable with guiding and grooming her horse Jay. Now she can't wait for next week. I am having a little trouble uploading our video. But I will try again tomorrow.

The How To in Classical

2008-09-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

I struggle with writing. I am far more comfortable with math, science, logic.... So I find the idea of narration, copy work, dictation tricky. I can not always see the structure or form they follow. I hope to overcome this in 2008. Here are site links for me to reference as I figure it all out.

Copy Work

I have figured out copy work. The kids copy a sentence or paragraph depending on their ability. When they are done they look back to the original and find and correct any errors.

Teaching Dictation

http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/how-to-do-dictation/

Teaching Narration

http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/narration-starters/

Grammar

http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/grammars-order-of-operation/

I realize the process may seem obvious to some, but I need to know what is trying to be accomplished. Copy work done neatly but not corrected by them will not achieve its purpose as efficiently (if at all). And as I said before this way of seeing does not come easily to me.

Still day 2 and 1/2

2008-09-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

While not directly related to homeschooling my children knitting is my stress reliever. And lets face it some days I need all the stress relieving I can get. This is my first pair of socks made with sock weight yarn. The yarn was hand dyed by Evan and they look beautiful. I think I have a new addiction.

You can never be too late for International Rock-Flipping Day (September 2).

"Today is the day," we cried! We will venture forth to flip rocks! Even though today is not technically the day, off we went. We discovered numerous bugs to our delight and their dismay. We even found a worm for our wormery. Feeling like true adventurers we returned home to revel in our plunder. But now I must get off the internet because unfortunately supper will not make itself.

Day 2 and 1/2

2008-09-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was non stop appointments. Today we had time to read, learn and explore. For anyone who hasn't read "The House at Pooh Corner" it is hilarious. It was a perfect start to our day. Then naturally we moved on to worms. We learned more about worms today then I have in my entire life up until now. While I am no worm connoisseur I still find this impressive.

Daily reading was a nice break for the kids and allowed me to get somethings done. Evan's working his way through his Hooked on Phonics books. He is so adorable.

Aidan is working through Sonlight's reading list for his age. He is reading Water Sky right now. This is not the type of book he would usually pick but he is enjoying it.

Mikayla my avid reader finished her assigned reading in one sitting. She said it was beautiful. She started to tear up when she was telling me about it. But she insist that it is not a sad book. I think I will have to read this one as well.

Confounded By Gravity

2008-09-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

This video is posted by request for Craig ; )
Enjoy!

First Day Back

2008-09-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

So we started the day off with a bang. The kids couldn't wait to decorate and organize there homeschool supplies.

After two hours they were proud but a little loopy .

We had lunch, then they went outside to burn off some energy and came back in to play. It is amazing how much kids can fit in a lunch hour.

We ended the day we fairy tales, tea, and chocolate wafers. It was wonderful. Aidan kindly refilled the sugar bowl for us (apparently one bowl of sugar was not enough). So the first day is done and the kids and I are excited for the year to come.

What Was I Thinking

2008-09-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

For some reason I cannot fathom I went shopping for homeschooling supplies, groceries, and clothes the day before school starts. What was I thinking.

We're Off

2008-08-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well we are heading out for one last camp trip with Cheryl and her broad. Maybe this will be the kick in the butt I need.

Help!

2008-08-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

I think I gave my self todo list burnout. It can't be actual burnout because I haven't done much lately. I need a kick in the butt.

Evanroo

2008-08-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Evanroo's Homeschool Schedule.

EUREKA!

2008-08-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

Mikayla and Aidan's homeschool shedule 2008/2009.
Slightly unorthodox but it will have to do.

I've finished the homeschool shedules!

2008-08-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have spent almost as much time trying to post the schedules to the blog as I took making them. So I will put it on hold for now, but I have not given up!

I'm a crazy homeschooler on the edge!

2008-08-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

I know I have to pull all these resources together into a homeschool year. I know that I haven't left myself a lot of time. But what can I say I'm still in summer holiday mode.

Here I go into the glorious and terrifying world of blogging.

2008-08-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

It is almost time for another homeschool year. I am feeling unprepared, but I always work better with a little time pressure.