Am I Still Here?

So I stopped blogging for awhile mostly because I had no time and had trouble thinking of what to write. I've  never been much of a writer and even though it should be easy to write about our happenings around the house, I always seem to get writer's block. But I am going to try doing better.

So let me catch up with what's been happening with us. The school year is going very well and I'm pleased with the changes we've made. The last two months have been more of a challenge for me, trying to get their work ready, not procrastinating, etc. We're almost done with SOTW Volume 2 (yes, finally) and it's been really exciting. The kids have picked up so much from the reading and activities. This week we'll be reenacting a sword fight scene from a Shakespeare play, complete with fake blood! Last week we crowned Liberty as queen and the kids carried her around the house on her litter (aka laundry basket with poles stuck through the holes) for her coronation parade.

Look at me, I'm the Queen!

Another big highlight are the new additions to our family: pet mice. We have Oreo (Leanna's), Ratatouille (Jacob's), Mr. FluffyPants (Joshua's), Mocha (mine) and Oreo I/Templeton is still running loose somewhere in the house. Never thought I'd have a pet mouse, but I'll admit, they are cute. Mocha has mostly gotten used to me and will sit in my hand for a few seconds without looking for an escape route. 

Ratatouille (the gray one) an Mr. Fluffypants

Have you heard of the "no poo" trend? Poo, as in shampoo, not poop poo, although I'd like no more poo diapers soon too. I've heard about it for awhile, but been pretty skeptical about it. Really, no shampoo or conditioner?? For my curly rat's nest hair? But when my sister said she was going no poo and going to have gorgeous hair, how could I keep shampooing and let her outdo me? Of course I couldn't so I jumped on the bandwagon. Now I'm not much of a green/health-nut/crunchy mom and I've never cared too much about the chemicals in my hair products, but I do understand the argument that shampoo is bad for you. Of course, that's not the reason I'm going no poo. I'm doing it for the amazingly beautiful hair I've been promised. The healthy stuff is just a side benefit. Today is Day #7 of no poo. Last Wednesday, Day #1, I washed with a small amount of baking soda followed by a rinse of vinegar. I did the same on Friday or Saturday, but every other day I've done nothing or just rinsed with water. By Sunday my hair was oily, but I'm keeping at it. From what I've read, the less I use the baking soda, the quicker my head will adjust and stop overproducing oil. I'll admit, my hair is easy to brush, unlike when I shampoo but don't condition. Of course, that's mainly because of greasiness. After a week, I haven't really noticed anything different, except my showers are much shorter. I'll keep going because I'm still hoping for the amazingly beautiful hair, but I'm not sold yet.

That's it for now, but I am going to try to blog more often. 

Busy Times

So I finally steal away a few minutes to blog and for the life of me, I don't know what to write. I feel like I should give an update on our school year, my fitness journey, life in general, but how do I cram 6 weeks of school into just a few paragraphs? Guess I'll give it a try.





Overall, school is going really, really well this year. I attribute 95% of that to the new website planner we're using. Have I mentioned I love mywellplannedday.com? More than love really. It's revolutionized the way we school. I love being able to print out a schedule for each of the kids so that they know what is expected, but I also love that changing the schedule only takes a few mouse clicks. Making it easier to keep me and the kids accountable. We actually "had" school for 25 consecutive week days. Five entire weeks without missing a day of school. If you know me, you'll know that is an all time record.

From science to history to our new homeschool group, we've been having a lot of fun this year. I'll share a few things that we've been doing through the pictures below.


Joshua is focused



After reading about Ivan the Great and Ivan the Terrible from Russia, we painted Russian architectual eggs. The kids enjoyed painting the eggs, but watching me blow out the eggs was probably the best part. After the paint was dry, they added a small colored drawing of a Russian building. I hung them on strings and the kids want to save them to hang on our Christmas tree this year.

One of the eggs

 

Our new homeschool group has been a lot of fun.The kids just finished up Unit 1 and we'll be starting Unit 2 this week. The boys were both in the Knots class and learned how to tie various knots. They made a collectible shadowbox showcasing 8 of the knots they learned to tie. I was able to assist in this class and actually learned a few things myself! Their next unit is Spanish and once again they are both protesting it.

 

 

Joshua showing off a knot he tied



Leanna's unit was on Rocks and Minerals. She enjoyed learning about different types of rocks, how they are formed, etc. Next she will be doing a unit on Stencils and I will be assisting. I'm looking forward to learning about stenciling and the opportunity to spend time with just her.

 

He was not thrilled with picking everything off the bone



In science, we're learning all about the human body. For the lesson on bones, we dissected chicken wing bones. We were able to see the tendon connecting the muscle to the bone, cartilage, and the inside layers of the bone. It was pretty fascinating to see the spongy bone on the inside.

We also did an activity to demonstrate how important the fluid in our skull is for keeping our brain safe. We used an egg in a small plastic container to represent a brain in a skull without fluid. The kids took turns running around the house with the skull. As you can see, our brain turned to mush. Next, we filled the container with water, to simulate the fluid around our brain, placed the egg in the container and ran again. The water was enough to stop the egg from rattling around and our brain was safe! A great idea to show how God planned out each detail of our bodies.

That's it for now, just a small glimpse at the many things we have been doing. Check back for pictures of the "Digestion Theme Park" the kids will be designing later this week. Never a dull moment!





Skull with fluid makes a happy brain



 

Skull without fluid makes mush











In the Name of Science

All the kids had a great time with the Edible Cell

I've never been much of a science gal, most likely because of the boring way it was taught to me. Who wants to sit and read about all these scientific details that mean absolutely nothing to me? Yah, well, I didn't. But science is one of those subjects that homeschooling has brought fun into. I absolutely love teaching my kids science and I love learning along side of them.

We spent the first two weeks - 4 days really -- love the Apologia schedule -- learning about the history of anatomy and about the cell. Friday we had our first big project. There's another homeschooling family at our church that is doing the same curriculum this year so they joined us in making an Edible Cell. What better way to help the kids remember the parts of the cell than to have them build their own by sticking candies (organelles) into jello (cytoplasm)? I will forever remember that the mitochondria is bean shaped - as in jelly bean. Jelly Belly to be exact. We had skittles for lysosomes, fruit rollups for endoplasmic reticulum - some with nerds added as ribosomes, smarties were the golgi bodies, bits of licorice were centrioles and we finished it up with a big gumball as the nucleus. Will they (or I) remember every single thing we learned about each organelle and its function? Doubtful. But will they remember more than if they had just cracked open a (boring) textbook and mindlessly read about it? Absolutely. And most importantly, it's the hands-on learning that makes it an everyday part of our lives. Because I was right along side of them stuffing my cytoplasm with lysosomes and mitochondria, I'm now knowledgeable enough to have discussions with them about it. So next time they break open a box of nerds, maybe - just maybe - they'll think to themselves "I think I'll eat some endoplasmic reticulum today." And if not, I'll be able to remind them what they're eating without running to the book or a teacher's manual.

Adding the organelles

Liberty just wanted to pick out the candies I put in hers

so proud!

Looking good!

She stuffed hers full!

After they were finished, we flipped them out onto a plate and you could see all the different organelles floating in the cytoplasm. Awesome!

Back to School

First morning of school

Ah, yes it's that time again! Last week was our first week of the new school year. We made some changes this year and I have been excited to see how things would go. So far, great! One huge thing is my attempt to be more organized and prepared by using My Well Planned Day.It's a web-based planning software and so far I am in love! I was able to spend some time over the summer typing up lesson plans, which are stored on the website, that I can then assign weekly. Each child gets a daily check-off list detailing what they are to do for what subject. This is especially nice since we have different schedules for different days. We've cut history back to 3 times a week and added a new science curriculum for the other 2 days. 

Making paper

Another addition we've made was joining a local homeschool group, Cornerstone Keepers. Starting this Thursday, we'll be meeting every other Thursday afternoon to participate in enrichment activities. The kids will earn pins for each activity completed throughout the year. These are life skills that will help them later on or just be fun to experience. We've also joined up with a few other homeschooling families at church and will be having park days and field trips.

Our first week went very smoothly. We finished before lunch every single day! That's saying something since we don't start until 9am. My alarm goes off at 8am and I refuse to wake up any earlier. Yes, I'm spoiled. And yes, I do wear a t-shirt and pajama pants all day. Wouldn't everybody work in their PJs if they could? That's one of the little joys of homeschooling. We're free to do what we want, answering almost to nobody. (Thank you Florida for making your education standards so low!) We can wear what we want, do our work where we want (the living room floor has been the choice so far), and learn what we want. All the kids are fascinated right now with reptiles and amphibians. Specifically toads and snakes. The garage is filled with tanks and cages full of critters my kids have collected. All in the name of science!

Both boys caught a snake which are being kept in a tank in the garage

Later this week we'll be blowing eggs for a history project. I hope to get pictures up here of our creations so check back!

A Breath of Fresh Air #homeschooling

My husband and I just returned from a weekend at the annal FPEA Homeschool Convention. We've attended two conventions before, but I had forgotten how refreshing it is to be surrounded by thousands of other homeschoolers. Not to mention the plethora of curriculum available to peruse in the vendor hall. Or the speakers explaining their products or just giving encouragement. And of course there's the time away from the kids for the man and me to enjoy each others company.

After a particularly challenging year of schooling - which is not quite over - this was just what I needed. Something to bring back the joy of schooling. Because let's face it, when the kids are ornery, the work isn't getting done, the house is falling apart all around you, throwing the kids on the nearest school bus sounds inviting. So this weekend was a time of renewal and reigniting the passion. I came home with a renewed desire to teach the four kidlets who call me mommy. And of course, armed with new curriculum.

Over the past few months, we've realized that several things we're using haven't been working. With a few goals in mind, I attended grammar and writing workshops and we perused science books. Imagine my delight when talking with a vendor about science curriculum and hearing him tell the man exactly what I've been trying to tell him. Elementary science is about fun, learning about what interests the kids and not worrying about tests or mastery of facts. I'm absolutely positive that the boys will join my enthusiasm in finishing up their current science books and getting back to a more fun, hands-on approach to science. In fact, I'm so excited, I can't wait to start!

Alas, we do have to finish up this year, mail off report cards and attendance records and put together portfolios. Then there's that pesky summer break my kids are sure to beg for. This week I'm going over work, filing papers, and making end of the year goals. Next week, while relaxing on vacation, I'll be able to start setting up the new planning software that the man so graciously purchased for me. I'm sure he had his own motives, including his hope that it will help tame my wild, unschooling nature and get the kids into a more rigorous schedule. I'm just hoping it will serve as a way to get the kids more independent and self-motivated. After vacation and our church's VBS program, we'll settle back into our work and finish up everything to meet the goals I will set this week.

If you made it all the way through this and are still interested, check back next time for when I'll share our new curriculum choices.

A Time for Testing

I've been meaning to blog about this for over a week and other things keep coming up. Tonight I'm pushing everything else aside and getting my thoughts out.

If you know anything about me, you'll know that my homeschooling style is very eclectic and laid-back. I don't regularly test in most of our subjects and I don't adhere to any one set of standards. My methods aren't perfect, but it works. Until the man gets uneasy about whether or not the kids are actually learning anything.

Another important factor to me is how involved the state is in our kid's education. We chose to enroll in Allendale Academy so that we are accountable to them, not the state or school district. They don't require annual resting until 4th grade so last year was the first year we were required to have any kind of testing done for Jacob. We had him evaluated by a certified teacher and turned that evaluation into Allendale. One of the nice things about homeschooling in Florida, although kind of scary, is that the only thing you have to show is that the student made progress during the year. Since I'm not too concerned about whether the state thinks my kids are meeting certain requirements at certain grades, I've never been too concerned about standardized testing. I'm with my kids almost every single day of their lives. We have made learning such an integrated part of our life that it is involved in almost everything. Learning isn't just about schooling, it's a way of life. I know what my kids know. When you're that in tune with your kids, you already know their strong and weak areas. But back to the man. Since he's at work every day, he isn't as in tune as I am and needed some kind of concrete proof that the kids are learning.

So on to the testing. One of the ways that Allendale suggests for annual testing is to use the 1970 edition of the California Achievement test sold by Christian Liberty. They offer a paper version - they mail it to you, you proctor it and mail it back, they mail the results - and an online version - after you pay online you get an email with a link to the test, test is proctored using the testing website, and results are emailed immediately after all portions of the test are completed. Being the instant gratification person that I am, of course I chose the online test. The entire testing process was done in one day starting from ordering the test to having the results in my hand. The actual testing was probably 1-1/2 to 2 hours, although maybe not even that long. Each section was taken and timed separately. I really liked testing this way. I was able to look over his shoulder a little and see what the questions were testing him on. He seemed very comfortable with the test and he liked working at his own pace. He couldn't believe that when I did SATs we had to wait for the entire allotted time and couldn't go on to the next section. Booooring!

Now I'm guessing that you're thinking 1970? Really? Isn't that outdated? Those are exactly the things the man was asking. Christian Liberty does an excellent job of explaining why they still use the 1970 CAT.

Reasons for Using the 1970 CAT

Reason #1
We still use the older version of this nationally normed achievement test because the newer editions reflect a lower academic standard. Most educators will acknowledge the fact that our nation's educational standards, as far as student achievement in the basic skills is concerned, have dropped considerably since the early 1970s. It is our professional opinion that the more recent versions of achievement tests simply do not demand as high a standard of achievement because too many of today’s students are ill-equipped to handle the level of evaluation that was common in the early 1970s.

Reason #2
We are convinced that the older achievement tests reflect a standard much more in keeping with the academic level of our curriculum.

Reason #3
The older achievement tests permit us to compare our students on a national level with students in the public and private schools who were tested prior to the period of the steady decline in student achievement in the government schools during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Reason #4
The older versions of the CAT still accurately measure the basic skill development of students in the time-honored subjects of Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar and Composition, Spelling, and Mathematics skills. Therefore, state officials who insist that private home school students be tested to determine whether they are making satisfactory progress in the basic skills can still rely upon the 1970 CAT. After all, the supposed purpose for state-mandated achievement testing is simply to determine whether children are receiving an education that will permit them to be functionally literate and, therefore, not a burden to themselves or society. The simple fact is that the basic skills have not changed much since the 1970s. In large measure, reading, writing, and arithmetic are still the same as far as the basics are concerned.

Reason #5
To the best of our knowledge, there is no distributor of achievement test materials that will allow any homeschooler to use the latest editions of their tests. Most providers of current achievement tests must approve test administrators before shipping their tests. Suppliers of the achievement test materials most often utilized by homeschoolers and home school organizations will usually not permit their tests to be used without a government-licensed individual being directly involved in the testing process. In such cases, parents are often unable to oversee the testing themselves; they may be required to use proctors to administer the tests. We view this stipulation as an unnecessary intrusion into the privacy and sanctity of Christian home schools in general, and our testing service in particular.

In conclusion, while we are not inherently opposed to using newer tests, we are not in favor of using more recent achievement tests that would be an inadequate evaluation of our customers’ students or require proctoring by individuals who are state sanctioned or licensed. Therefore, for the reasons listed above, we have continued to use the 1970 edition of the nationally recognized California Achievement Test. 

I agree with all five reasons they list, but one and three particularly stand out for me. I'm not here to bash public education, it has its place, but I think anyone would agree that the standards of education have been slipping. (Recent FCAT results anyone? Students fail so we lower the passing grade. Srsly?) It only makes sense that more recent tests would not demand as high a standard of education. Going hand in hand with that would be that since standardized tests use comparisons, an older test with older results would reflect the higher standard of education. After discussing these reasons with the man, he was more than happy to trust my judgement in choosing a test.

Now to the best part - results! Like I said above, within minutes of him finishing the test I received an email with his scores. I admit, at first I was a little nervous about how he would do. This could either make or break my confidence as a homeschooling mom. Nervousness aside, he did exactly how I knew he would do - or better. His highest scores were in math and spelling and his lowest were in Language usage and structure. Exactly what I told the man his strong and weak points were. But for $25, he has peace of mind, I have renewed confidence that I'm not totally screwing up our kid's education and we have our annual testing results ready to mail in. All in all, it was a good experience and most likely what we'll do in the future.

Catching up...

It's been awhile since I've taken the time to write anything so here's my attempt to catch up. I'm still on my journey to a healthier me. Since my initial weigh-in at the gym, I've lost 16 pounds and 4.1% body fat. More importantly, I've gone down two pant sizes and I know I'm getting healthy. Do I feel any different? Yes and no. I can tell my stamina, endurance and strength have increased. When I first started I could barely pedal backwards on the elliptical. Now I can easily do 15 minutes. As far as increased energy and feeling rested, nada. Supposedly exercise helps give you energy and not so run-down and exhausted feeling. Well, that hasn't happened here. I still sleep fine, but wake up exhausted. While I would love to not feel exhausted all the time, I'm not disappointed enough to give up. I know I'm healthier than I was 4 months ago, even if I can't feel it.


I'm still running. Crazy, I know. The 5K I had planned on running was unfortunately canceled. It's ok, I'll find another one. I'm still running 3 miles at a time, at a pace of about 13-15 minutes per mile. Just today I took the kids to a nearby paved trail and we ran/jogged/biked 3 miles together. Even with two kids on bikes, one running with me and pushing one in a stroller - and don't forget everyone's water bottle - we managed 3 miles in about 45 minutes. Not bad for a run in the hot Florida sun. I really enjoyed taking the kids and while I think it was a challenge for them, there was no complaining and everyone stayed together. They all seemed to enjoy it also. One of the best things about making these lifestyle changes is that my kids have noticed. I feel much better about the example I am setting for them by showing that healthy eating and exercising are both important. I want them to know that working out is not just something you do to lose weight, but something you do to stay healthy. 

Jacob's print fossil

In other news, homeschooling is going well. Most recently the boys are learning about fossils and rocks. Jacob was able to make a print fossil using clay and a seashell, which he then used to make a cast fossil. Joshua grew salt crystals and examined them with the magnifying glass and microscope.

In history we've reached the Age of the Crusades and the Diaspora. We still love The Story of the World and the activities that go along with it. Next, we'll be heading back to Asia for the invasion from Mongolia. I'm looking forward to making Chinese hanging lanterns and building a ger. That would be a Mongol home, similar to a teepee, that the nomads would pick up and take with them. 

Eating with chopsticks after reading about Asia

Next time I get a chance to blog, I'll share the excitement of our new hobby, geocaching. But for now, it's my bedtime.

New Beginnings

I've decided to combine my homeschooling and foodie blogs into one blog about me. I want a place I can blog about homeschooling and my food journey, but also about life as a wife and mom, my thoughts on things and pretty much anything in general. I'll post more later, but for now, I've imported all my posts from the other two blogs so everything is still in tact. I welcome you to follow my adventures with life, love and laughter.

And So It Begins....

It's been a long time since I've blogged about our school adventures! The last two years have been crazy with different life issues so blogging took a back burner. We still schooled, but very non-traditionally with a lot of unschooling. This year will be different.

Yes, this year we'll be buckling down and keeping a tighter schedule. Yesterday was our first day and things went extremely well. We now have a 5th grader, 3rd grader, 1st grader and a very mobile 16 month old tottering around. We're starting our school day at 9am with a short Bible devotion. The next 5.5 hours are scheduled out in thirty minute increments for each subject, including lunch and a 15 minute snack break. After today though I'm thinking about trimming the times down. The kids work very fast and we've been able to cover the needed material with time left over. My goal has always been to finish by lunch time so maybe we'll get to that.


We're using a few new things for curriculum this year. Tim picked out LIFEPAC for science for both Jacob and Joshua. It's a little bit more "textbook" than I like, but it can be self-guided which is a big help since Jacob can mostly work on his own.


For grammar, I found Mastering the Mechanics for all three levels. I ordered them online so we're still waiting to get them in. I'm very excited about starting and keeping the same format with each child. 


Today we started reading The Story of the World: The Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance. History is one of my favorites because of the classical approach we're using. If I could have learned this way, I think I would have enjoyed it so much more! I'm looking forward to finding some supplemental activities to bring history alive. 


Math and spelling are staying the same, progressing at our own speed. At Tim's request, we'll also be doing US Geography. And then there's the usual extra activities. The kids are excited that they each have 30 minutes of "educational" computer time on the schedule. We also got MOSI passes again this year with the IMAX so we can go see movies any time we want. 


All in all, we're all pretty excited about starting the new year. It's going to be a great one!

Working hard on handwriting

Individual reading time. Not sure how MY bed was chosen as the spot.

First week

Monday was our first day of school! Joshua and Leanna were very excited to get started. Jacob needed a lot of persuasion. But we managed to get the day finished.

We're starting each day with history which so far has just been reading from the Bible. It's been a nice way to transition into our school day and seems to be working to get the kids ready to start.

Science is another favorite. So far, we've read through the Creation story in Genesis and started our Creation notebooks. I have a lot of fun stuff planned for the year and we're all excited about finally starting.

Joshua is starting cursive and doing very well. He's also ahead in Phonics because of last year so we're just doing some review to start.

Leanna has impressed me with her writing and how much she remembers of her letter sounds. She's doing 2-3 pages from her books a day and at this rate, I'm going to run out of stuff for her by the end of the month!

Jacob isn't impressed with Latin, but we've only done one day. He's doing well with spelling. He tested at a 4.8 grade level on his survey test. He's also enjoying the grammar book he's starting.

We're reading Pippi Longstocking as a family and although the kids say they don't like it, they all seem to listen and enjoy it. Yesterday we walked backwards just like Pippi does! Jacob is doing a unit study about the book that has vocab, comprehension, spelling, and grammar. The first day of it was rough, but yesterday went better.

Our new math curriculum is going very well. We're starting slow to get an idea of where the boys are at and the best place to start. Today we did a few practice problems and played Rummy-kub and that was math! They enjoyed that.

We're participating in quite a few extra activities this year. Jacob is doing weekly PE at the local YMCA. Last Thursday was the first class and didn't go very well. I"m hoping for a better attitude tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the start of our monthly reading group with the homeschool group. Yesterday was the first of monthly MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) classes. Tonight is the beginning of Awana for everyone at church. And next week Leanna starts ballet! We're very busy this year!!

They came!

Our science and history books came today! I am so excited to be able to read through them. Looks like a lot of exciting stuff!

Homeschool Convention

I'm on a homeschool high as Tim and I spent last week at the FPEA (Florida Parent-Educators Association) Annual Homeschool Convention. We had a great time attending vendor workshops and perusing the vendor hall full of different curriculum and resources. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to keep our children at home and have control over what they're learning. Even with the difficult days, I wouldn't trade spending this time with them for anything.

We're taking a different approach next year and I believe it will help in making our difficult days fewer and farther between. Less texbook/workbook stuff and more hands-on and literature based learning. I'm excited that we have settled on a few of our curriculum choices. For Joshua we will be sticking with Abeka for phonics, language arts and cursive writing. His books came this week and he actually seemed excited while looking through them. For both boys we'll be trying a new math curriculum called Math on the Level. Like it's name, you teach math on the child's level rather than grade level. This will allow Jacob to move as fast as he wants with less repetitive workbook pages to slow him down. I think it will also be a good fit for Joshua if he needs to move at a slower pace. And the great thing is that it's set-up for preK through pre-algebra so I'll be able to start some of the activites with Leanna! Jacob will be starting Spelling Power for spelling, a book that goes from 3rd grade level all the way through high school. I also got him Barron's Painless Grammar (for only $5.88 at Sam's Club!) that covers 3rd-4th grade grammar. We'll be combining that with at least two unit studies from Total Language Plus. I ordered the unit study books for Pippi Longstocking and The Sign of the Beaver and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. Using literature as the teaching tool, the study will combine vocabulary, grammar, creative writing, etc. to cover all his language arts. The only things we haven't quite settled on are history and science. We both feel that this is the time to start something more formal, but I do not want to do a textbook approach. We're looking at a few options from Simply Charlotte Mason that look promising. The best part is that with the literature studies and whatever we choose for history and science, I'll be able to incorporate activities for all 3 children. Jacob will also be taking PE once a week at the YMCA with our homeschool group.