Goodbye Blog

In case anyone stumbles here, I am no longer posting due to lack of readers. 
I will be keeping my regular blog up and running...http://www.pressedpetals.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading.

just checking

Is anyone still reading this blog?

Just checking, because it's awful quiet here.

random

Son has started an art program, Draw Today from Sonlight.

He LOVES to draw.  He came out of the womb sucking his thumb and drawing with the other hand.

This is his first full art project.  He had a few little ones.

He could spent hours like this.

We recently went on a field trip to a few places, Albuquerque and Santa Fe.  I blogged about it here, here and here.

Here we are at the Natural Museum of Science in Albq.

You can see that our home schooling has paid off! 

Son's third drawing.  (More like erasing.)

It's Beethoven.  He looked more abstract before some touch ups.

Today I caught up (almost) on grades, credits, transcripts and all of that fun stuff.

Home schooling can't be good for trees.

I can't tell you how many copies I make in a school year.

Today I copied a weeks worth of SOTW tests plus more.

Thankfully dinner is in the crock pot. 
Unfortunately, the cabbage and onions are not pleasing to the nose.

For Sale

I know I have a few readers, so I am putting this out there.

I have a few items I am selling.
All items are in very good condition and come from a smoke-free home. I prefer PayPal, but will take checks.


Postage paid on the following items:

Writing Strands - Both for $15
Student Level 4
Evaluating Writing

MUS - Algebra I - Both for $20 DVD
Teachers Guide

Diana Waring - All for $40 These all go together.
Ancient Civilization and the Bible Vol. One 5th-12th (a bit older version)
Student and Teacher books
Cds: What in The World's Going on Here & True Tales

A Reason for Science - Each for $45, plus s/h as the kits aren't media mail
Both have almost complete kits and Teachers Book. The items missing you will more then likely have at home. When looking this item up, they show five student books. I just called them and they gladly gave me the homeschool deal. You can order as many or as few books.
Level F
Level G

If you need the links just let me know. 
If you are interested just let me know in the comments.
As always, thanks for looking!

blessed

Yesterday our package of used Math-U-See came.
When I opened it and laid it all out, I thought "She sent us extra."
I then went to the pc to right her and there was a PM for me from her.
She not only sent us extra (we now have pre-algebra through pre-cal) she gave the money I paid with to a relief fund for Japan!

I don't know this woman.  I may never meet her.
But golly, it made all of those times I gave stuff away worth it.

The blessing doesn't stop there.
My dear friend has blessed us as well!

That is one BIG thing I love about homeschooling and homeschoolers, their generosity.

May your day be blessed!

Another Use For MUS...

Need another use for those math-u-see blocks?

Son found that they make great building blocks. 

Love double duty items!

test tube mosquito

I loved this experiment.

Son wants to do it again.

We learned about air pressure.

Here we have a test tube mosquito.

We are boiling the water...creating the pressure.

Though it has one wing (a second holder was to be it's second wing) it worked great.

Sucking the "blood" (ours is alien blood...all I had was green).

Can you see the squirt?

 Before we heated the water it wouldn't/couldn't suck anything up.

Gotta love science!

Not mosquitoes!

The PE Dilemma

We have a dilemma in our house/school.
Physical Education is lacking.

While we are fairly active, son being very active, our daughter is not so much.

This is her 9th grade year and she needs PE credits (2 years worth!).  So I have been trying to fit it in, keeping track of all of the pysical activities she does.

This morning was a melt down.
Calisthenics was our course of action.
The floor was dirty.
The exercises were DUMB.
The leg lifts just too hard.

She took an F for today.

She did redeem herself somewhat by riding her bike for an errand.

Do you have a reluctant PE student?
What do you do?

Open Book Test

When we took our kids out of public school they did not know how to learn.
For the most part, they would read, close the book and forget what they just read.
One of my big goals in homeschooling them would be to teach them to learn.

The best way I have found is to let them take their history tests open-book.
They look over the test.
Then I play the cd.
I pause as they need.
I "go back" as needed too.
While it is subtle, I have noticed that they are retaining more information this way.

What about you, do you have open-book tests?
How do you teach your kids to learn?

Good Intentions

Oh, I had such good intentions for you today.

Fridays are our science day.  They make for fun photos.

We had fun experiments and all.

We had no live batteries.

Also, I have had good intentions on posting at least once a month (I'd prefer more). 

It seems I am barely making it.

With that I will give you a quick run down of our homeschool life.

It is pretty much running the same.

Daughter finished her Writing Strands this morning.

-I don't think we will be doing any more of those.

I have my our Sonlight in for next school year.

-I got a $500+ core for $250!!!

I am on course and have a plan for dd's high school schedule, thanks to my friend Anne.

Daughter will entering the writing fair and we are trying to get an art fair going for son.

We actually had two snow days.

That was 2 weeks ago...today it's like 74!

We are also taking next week off.

My brother and his family are going to American Samoa to be missionaries.

We are their last stop before they leave.

Hopefully I will have something more interesting to say in March!

back on track

Something broke in my spirit.

I am back on track in the homeschooling department.

We took time off for Christmas and it felt good.
Now I am looking forward to starting back on Monday.

Son finished his Math-U-See with an A!  He is excited to start the next book.
We finished 7th grade science and will start 8th grade this coming week.

Question for you...What do you use for History?  I am possibly not going to use Sonlight next year.

end of the year confessions

I have a new follower?  How can that be when I never post?   Anyway, welcome, so glad to have you.

This school year I have struggle with more than just keeping up with this blog.
I have wondered and pondered more then once if I need to send the kids back to public school next school year.

Here's why (honest reasons):
*I want more "me" time.  Not that the kids at grades 9 and 7 need me all too much.  However, I am sure you all know exactly what I mean. 
*I am bored with most of the stuff we have.  I realize that it can't and won't all be fun.  We did something out of the ordinary the other day and that really reminded me what I loved about homeschool.  I need to step out of the books more often.  I don't want to short change them if I am not into it anymore.
*Since the kids are in 9th and 7th I feel if they were in PB school that they would have more opportunities (electives).  I have asked them if they want to do this or that and no, they are doing what they want for the most part.
*The kids get really tired of being around each other all of the time.  We have gotten them "into" separate activities outside the home, which helps some.
*Sometimes the task of searching for the right curriculum is daunting.  Where we live we are pretty much on our own.  Which is nice, but you really have to do a lot of leg work.
I have talked to two other homeschooling moms that I respect and one says keep them home and the other says to put them back in for one year and see.  I know a mom who homeschooled for two years then pbschooled for one and so on.

How do you stay motivated?

They Need to be Around Other People

We, as you, have gotten the, "They need to be around other people and get out of the house", more then once.
We have also gotten the, "They need to be around other people besides your church people."

While I understand, and somewhat agree, I know they people are not seeing the whole picture.

At public school they see and are exposed to:
good kids
bad kids
kids who get into trouble
kids who are into drugs (our kids are older)
and so on, you know
They are around all kinds of adults as well.
They are around different types of people from different walks of life.
People who aren't like you.

In church they see and are exposed to:
good kids
bad kids (yes, even in church)
kids who get into trouble (These ones they know personally and are more affected by it)
people who are on drugs, most who get delivered
couples who were shacking up getting it right and getting married
Last night in revival, we had a scitzophrenzic (sp?) get saved and prayed for.
They see all walks of life.
People who aren't like you working together.

They go on outreach and meet all types.
They go to the grocery store, etc. and see and interact with all types.
They volunteer, etc.

I really could go on.

Are our kids sheltered?  Yes, but they were before public school.
Are our kids at home a lot?  Sort of, but that is part of the point.
Do I feel our kids are missing out, not too often.

Sorry for the rant.

Catching Up

Does anyone have time they could loan me?

We have been very busy.

Here's some science we did a few weeks ago.

Experimental Epidemic

Focus: Disease Transmission

Objective: To explore how disease can spread so fast and far.

Overview: Diseases sometimes spread rapidly across vast areas. 

We have also started Passport to India through Sonlight.  I am sure you all could join too.
We are on day 2.
We visited a fisherman slum neighborhood. 

Gotta run!  Have a great day!

Living History Days

We went to the mountains today for Living History Days.

I really liked it.

The kids...gave me a shoulder shrug.

Son wanted more hands on stuff.

We ended up hooking up with another group. 

I knew the mom from public school.

It was nice to see her.

Here is a frig in a caboose!

You had to put a bag of cold water in the top.

 You have to read the writing on the wall...the second part.

(when you flush, it all goes out, right onto the track or whatever)

Did you know that a caboose can go either way.  You can move these vents inside depending on which way you are going.

 Son looking at a toy train set up of the mountains.

Learning about wool.

Funny thing...the man said that this wool is clean.  The girl with her hand on her hip said "CLEAN!".

The cost of a homemade sweater from scratch (starting with the wool on the table) $5,000!

WOW!

It would take a week to make thread out of one pound of wool.

Homemade butter.

 Adding machine.

This trapper is 250 years old! 

Those are real furs!

The trappers would trade horses, furs, etc. for women, to be their wives.
Romantic!

The women did a good deal of the heavy work too.

We also learned about blacksmiths and Harvey Girls. (and here)

Son said this was the best part!