Update

Just a quick update. Things have been going good. Some days are longer then others. Math has been taking a long time. It seems like they both need help at the same times. Other times they just sail through it.

Some non-academic changes, C smiles when I wake her sometimes now! (It's been years.) She likes to cook and is quickly picking things up. J does better having sister there. There are more but my brain is a bit tired.

Some of what we are covering.
History - The Rise of Civilization's
Math - Angles, measuring, big addition, fractions, subtraction, Roman Numerals, $$, etc.
Language Arts - Homonyms, poems, speaking, listening properly, propaganda, spelling, etc.
Science - Types of science, scientists, insects, birds, etc.

J still practicing his drums. He also reads to C. She is such a help to me. They are both reading a classic book each. C reads all of the time though.

Well, I need to get! I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you all who read my blog!

Spiritual Science Experiment

Our words are like toothpaste, our mouth is the tube


What we say out loud
Won't go back in the tube.

So choose your words wisely
And think before you speak
If they aren't too kindly
Better to not even sqeak.

We have been talking to the kids about the words they speak. It wasn't getting through to one of them. So I did this hands on lesson. ( I saw someone else do it along time ago.) It seems to have helped.

In-service

Man, it's been awhile since I've posted. Sorry. Things are going good in the homeschool world. Math doesn't take as long for one kid and as long for the other. But they are getting it! Yesterday, we watched Sarah Palin's speech. The kids watched Obama's speech the day after he gave it. I'm going to be honest here. We do talk politics and they know where R & I stand and who we side with. When we watched the speeches and I kept quiet unless they had a question. I wanted them to make up their own minds. They were bored with Obama's and didn't like it. Frankly, they were kind of down afterwards. They didn't understand a lot of what he said. As for Sarah Palin, they liked it much better. One of them even commented during her speech, "This is much more interesting the Barrak's." Near the end of her speech I asked if they wanted to keep watching or stop. They wanted to keep watching. Not so with Barrak's. Today we will watch McCain's speech. I don't think we'll watch the whole thing as I've heard it's like an hour long. I think just from their reactions to the speeches they would be McCain voters. (Which R & I are) I must confess that they probably are biased towards him due to all of the talks we've had about issues and where the candidates stand.

On another point, we had a "Teacher In service day" yesterday. I had so much I needed to do and really didn't feel like teaching. So we had a day off. Today it's back to the books.

I'm back! Sorry to be MIA for awhile. I've been fighting this weird flu bug for a bit now. So by the time I do the basics I'm beat. Today, so far so good. We are on our lunch break, so I'm sneaking in here to post. School's going good. We still spend a long time on math. However, math and language are very important so I am very willing to go over, recheck, rework problems until they know them. J in going over "America" by Samuel Francis Smith in language, so we've learned the first verse of that song. They kids thought it was very funny when I sang it to them. Thank you Grandma M for teaching me patriotic songs!!

Funny, both kids have covered pronouns, and how they replace nouns, etc. We have gone over Roman Numerals again. It's good for me. I never really knew them. Still doing long division with C. She has finished two units already!! One unit should take about a month. Unit 3 has geometry/algebra, etc. I'm really thinking of getting math on video for her next year, to help with the harder stuff. J is covering animals in science. He is in Unit 2. C will take her unit test tomorrow in science (I think). It seems like someone is almost always testing. They have been getting A's & B's on their tests! (The scoring is higher with their schooling. Ex. They have to score a 94% to get an A.) It really is amazing how we get anything done. It seems like we laugh so much and get sidetracked.

You know I was thinking in the shower (my time by myself), how I am really enjoying being a mom again. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved it, but not always enjoyed it. But being with the kids all day really helps me to know them and to watch them grow. It's something I can't really explain.

I do have more to say, but I need to get back to school for history.

For the love of Math

It's 9:30am & I am already having my afternoon iced coffee. We have done math this morning. We have worked out LONG division, averages, word problems, $$, multiplication, did I miss one here? Man, it's been a long time time since I've done some of these myself. And did my brain get a work out. I am glad that we worked out almost every problem, for now the kids know it. I have to admit that sometimes I do surprise myself with the things that I still can figure out.

Right now they are writing rough drafts of their unit studies, so it is quiet!!! C's on Pepsi and J's bottle rockets.

Performing Arts

Just a quick update for my home school diary.


Today we had some younger hs'ers over for a puppet show that C & J put on. The kids loved it! We also did a taste test for C's study on Pepsi. Everyone wants to do it again.

You know going into this school year, I had some areas that I was concerned about. So far none of them have happened, for sure not to the extent I was expecting! Praise God! The benefits have outweighed the headaches big time!

The Fair

Ahhh...Friday! Yeah! I have to be honest here, yesterday I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. I needed space, my mind to be able to shut off for a bit, nobody to need me...I was even feeling it a bit this morning. I hate being in a funk. Anyway, the kids and I did some school in the morning, then went on a field trip to the County Fair. I LOVE the fair. I can't explain it, but just walking around looking at the animals, seeing the crafts, etc. really calmed me down. I came back refreshed, which is a good thing! Isn't it silly how the little things can make a difference.

Hola!

Just a quick note for you today. The kids are learning spanish. Today was their first lesson. It was so nice to hear them repeat the words. They really did good. It's lunch and they are speaking to each other in spanish already! We got Visual Link. So far so good.

Also, Jared has a great imagination. He created a word the other day. Sporiphonicle (my spelling). Means: Chemical reaction. Used in a sentence: Tuna is a sporiphonicle drug.

MOM!! He's hitting me with his underwear!

Have you ever had one of those days that you've heard "MOM!! He's hitting me with his underwear!" after you've wrestled division, done a spelling test, clipped coupons, put a load of laundry on, done the dishes, have a head cold or allergies, etc...and it's only 9:30am and you're trying to get into the shower so you can grocery shop, pay bills, etc? Well, today has been one of those days. Today is the first day of public school here and for many HS. We started a week early and boy am I glad we did. But a quick thought crossed my mind as I was putting the wash into the dryer, "First day of school. What am I doing?" Then I remembered why and what I HS for and finished the laundry, thanking God that I have kids to HS and got refocused. Good thing I prayed this morning, before underwear starting flinging!

History Projects

Today was Project Day for History! In our history, it is really Bible with history. We are going from Creation to Christ. The kids got to choose from 8 different types of projects that cover 8 different learning types to show what they learned this past week. Jared picked making a poster. He made a poster of Noah's Ark (pic 3). Colleen did one too, but wasn't happy with it. Jared and Colleen did the Naturalist together. They used items in nature to make a picture of Adam and Eve (pic 1 & 2). Colleen also did the music project and rewrote the words Row, Row, Row your Boat, her lyrics are at the end of this post.

We got done early today. Jared is listening to one of the history CD's. He LOVES them. we've listened to this part already and will listen to more of it later and he doesn't care. He asked and asked to listen to it. Awesome.

Colleen's Lyrics to Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Row, row row your ark

Gently down the sea

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Life is but a breeze

And

Sin, sin, sin and Eve

Adam takes an apple

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

No more Garden Eden

Oh, Thanks to the support for not showering until later!!! I didn't shower until 9:30ish!! Hahahaha!

In my Jammies

My Dear Husband (DH) has me self-conscience. This is my second year HSing (home schooling) and I pretty much did the same thing last year as this year. Here's my first 1/2 of the day. Get up between 6:00 - 6:30. Run, read my Bible, pray. Get kids up, if they aren't up yet at 7:00 - 7:30, get breakfast, brush teeth, etc. Start school @ 8:00am. I don't take a shower until 9 - 10 am. I try to get it closer to 9. So technically, I teach in my PJ's or running clothes. My DH was surprised that I waited so long to shower. He knows how I am and figures that I'm all sweaty & smelly from running, etc. I am like trying to figure out where to fit a shower in and still eat. I mean the kids haven't complained! hehe

So this morning, I did fit a shower in. J was up, so I said, "I'm going to take a shower."
J, "Why?"
Me, "Because."
J kept wondering why I was showering out of schedule. He either doesn't mind me teaching that way or he's concerned he won't get his break (which is when I shower).

Probably the latter.

LO

Here's a LO I made of our first day of school.

everything from "Back to School" by Cinzia Loosemore

Welcome

Why a second blog? I have so much to say! Hahaha! I really wanted a seperate place for my homeschool "diary". This will be pretty much about homeschool stuff. I will still have Pressed Petals up and running. But that is becoming more and more my digiscrapping blog.

Day 3 - Today went good too. The math is way too easy for C thus far. We are hoping that the start to get harder here real soon. We are using Alpha Omega. She has taken two Self Tests already with A's. J's doing good too. He is working faster, thank God! History is awesome! We are using History Alive! by Diane Waring. Let me tell you it does come alive and come together. It's very christain based and starts at Creation to Christ. We just finished Noah Ark.

Since we've started HS this year, I have a real peace about it all. I know that I will need to hold on to that in days to come.