Happy Independence Day!

We have freedoms here in this country that other countries can not fathom; such as choice of religion, freedom of speech and the right to homeschool our children how we want. And for this I am thankful. May God bless your lives during this special day.

 

I'm posting this a bit early so you might take advantage of the links if you wish. Happy July 4th weekend!

July 4th Unit Study

Online Games

Flag Tag Relay game

Vintage Crafts

Recipes

I've Got Plans!

I think I have our school schedule all planned out. Oh no, not the schooling, just the holidays. lol 

August 23rd - School starts

Sept 6th - Labor Day Holiday

Oct 4-8th - Break

Nov 22-26th - Thanksgiving Holidays

Dec 20-31st - Christmas Holidays

Feb 7-11th - Break

Mar 21-25th - Spring Break
April 29th - Last day of school

This is my PLAN anyway. You know the saying... best laid plans of  mice and men. I wonder what that is from? The book? OH, I found it: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men" from Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I'm adding that to my list of books to read.

This accounts for 36 weeks of school with  6 weeks off interspersed. We'll do school for 6 weeks, have a week off, 6 weeks, have Thanksgiving week off, 3 weeks, have 2 weeks for Christmas. Then we'll have  5 weeks of school and a week break. 5 more weeks and a week break and then finish with 5 weeks of school. I am determined to finish by the end of April. If we get behind I'm sure we can keep schooling in May but by then we're usually done with looking at books, etc... The bitter cold winter and spring are always a hard time for us.. 

Hopefully I'll be dd's hero for throwing in so many weeks of holidays! LOL

It's just like me to think of scheduling the holidays first isn't it! lol I don't want to have burnout this year though. What is your schedule, for those who visit my blog?

Homemade Summer Fun!

School has ended for this family, this semester. We're enjoying our summer vacation and I'm trying not to think about the fact I have not finished up this semester's paperwork, nor planned for the fall.

The teen graduated this month and has her college classes for the fall all lined up. She took the ACT again a couple weeks ago and we're anxiously waiting her scores. Either way, she is still going to college at the local community college.

The summer has been packed with many kids visiting, spending the night, movie nights, pool days and laziness galore. We're trying to fill moments with art, reading and other things besides organized homeschool or TV. Camp time is coming up and I'm hoping to sneak away with the hubby for a weekend before the fall descends on us.

Today the little one had her cousin over and they searched high and low for a 'slip-n-slide' type apparatus in this house. They settled on a paint tarp. Perfect homemade summer fun!

I'll be back soon I'm sure, whining about all the schooling I need to plan, now for just one child. In the meantime, enjoy life. Talk soon.

Summer Update

The girls were enjoying their summer until... (insert scary DUN DUN DUN DUH music) evil mom said they haven't finished their math books and must still work on them. I've been waking them this week at 10 am. I say 'if you finish your chapter in math and do an hour of reading this morning then you have the afternoon to veg.' Apparently they haven't embraced this plan yet. Dilly dally dilly dally.

We spent a few weeks doing no school. We read, baked food, went places. We needed a break. But now I feel the need for them to finish up these math books so they will be ready for the next book in the fall.

The little one has made a summer goal. She wants to read 45 books. She has 11 weeks. I told her maybe there could be a reward at the end (possibly a new book purchase. She's been wanting the whole set of Hiccup books.) So far she has reread 3 of her Spiderwick books for fun. My only stipulation is that they be chapter books for her grade.

DD is running off to volunteer most of the summer at church camp. I think it's good responsibility for her, learning to care for others, be responsible, finish her jobs on time. Next year for her is busy busy. She plans to graduate in the spring. So a summer of fun volunteering is just the way to relax. Time to get busy looking up scholarships.

We've been playing at the pool this week. DD has taken up running with DH and is excited to say she has a 'sport.' She hasn't ever been much involved in any. DD and I are both reading through Madame Bovary for fun.

I haven't finished grading everything or giving the teen final grades for her transcript. That is the next order of business. Plus I'm planning fall curriculum and possibly choosing a new course of action for the little one. Possibly Sonlight, less textbook and more reading. I'm also planning to take everything out of the dining room /aka schoolroom. Need to spackle and paint, put in 'new to me' furniture I was given by my SIL.

Summer is here. Big plans are everywhere (including selling off all the extra school stuff and donation the rest.) We'll see what gets done.

Homeschooling On Vacation

Not to say that our homeschool is uninteresting and I have nothing to post, but its been the same-ole same-ole lately. January and February is always full of catching up. Although I've tried to be very good in keeping up with school paperwork, I start scrambling to reorganize us. I don't want to be caught in May/June with my pants down so to speak. I don't know if I'm just destined to be disorganized or if its a curse. I've tried having certain notebooks/folders, certain places to put paperwork, certain rituals and habits. We don't stick with a one. I'm blaming it on the holidays. Between Thanskgiving and Christmas, we get schooling done but we're a wreck. Nothing is every organized. How to change this, I have no clue.

We went on vacation the beginning of January (with my parents, SIL & her kids) which didn't help my organizing problem one whit. But we did have a lovely time. Some schooling was definitely included. It went down like this (and for those who can't see how a vacation can count as school, watch...)

ENGLISH: Word games played out loud on several long car rides. Mad libs on the plane.

READING: Many books were read, magazines. Watched Neverending Story and found the book at the thrift store to read too!


SCIENCE: Visiting Kennedy Space Center 5 hours. Visiting the ocean; gathering shells, identifying them, finding crabs, stingray and fish on the beach. Visiting Orlando Science Center for 4 hours.

HISTORY/GEO: Visiting Epcot Countries & cultures all day (plus Epcot's greenhouse & fish farm)




ART: Making posters for the marathoners (DH & my dad ran it). Making sandcastles at the beach. Drawing at the house.



PE: Walking in Ikea's 300,000 sq ft facility for 3 hours, walking at Disneyworld and Universal, Epcot parks 3 days all day, Swimming in the pool and the ocean, Walking on the pier in St. John's Pass, Running from the seagulls trying to eat out ice cream.




I'm spending my evenings these days, catching up on paperwork so I can quit pulling my hairs out... Maybe I'll just pull the gray ones. I'll be dreaming of the beach while I'm doing it though...

Halloween Costumes

We spent a bit of time yesterday working on finishing touches for costumes.(counting it as art of course.) I had purchased a renaissance costume for $1 at a garage sale during the summer. It just needed jewelry and a hat. We looked up what a hat should look like (not sure why they had those weird fabric strips on the sides in renaissance days but...) The teen made the hat using the sewing machine, probably the only purple fabric I own and some gold ribbon. I think it's cute! I worked on a necklace, and the little one made a ring to match.

The teen's costume is harder to explain. lol She was deciding between going as a green M&M or going as something she calls a 'Raver'. The dictionary defines it as 'a participant in a rave dancing party.' I remember DH attending a Rave party down in Hollywood when I was 7 months pregnant with the teen. He went with a military buddy and I think I stayed up all night worrying about them being down in Hollywood. Wondering what trouble they might get into! lol So it must be her father's fault that she is now a 'raver'.

P.S. I don't know what is up with the teen's pose. She's a dork. lol I'll take more pics tonight when its spooky and dark out and the teen has her glowsticks on.

Tableau Thursday

Tableau: A still image, a frozen moment or "a photograph."

This week's pics are all about Halloween. We decorated/carved our pumpkins and Clemie the pup has a costume for her first Halloween! She's a punkin! Yes, we spoil our animals.

Halloween Goodness!

I'm a pushover. Both my kids (ages 16 & 9) stood in the middle of Michaels and whined in 2 year old voices when they saw this:


And I caved. After I told them I don't listen to baby whining of course. They asked nicely, it was on sale $3 off, so I gave in. It's the season, what can I say? We've already called the parts we get to eat when Halloween is over. I was smart. I went with the roof and all that frosting. Yay me.

The kids enjoyed creating together although the teen has a thing about it being a 'certain' way. I told them to play nice or I would take over and make it myself. I will say I was a bit disappointed in the kit and how much it skimped. There were only 5 gumdrops. 5! What kind of nonsense is that? None for me to eat while they create! That's probably why it was on sale, there was a gumdrop shortage. lol