What We're Learning Now

Today Sure Came Fast

2011-08-16T07:27:00.002-06:00

I can't believe our summer is over. The kids got up at 6:30 this morning, wasn't sure that was possible, and have begun their day. In many ways I'm glad this day is here, the anticipation and waiting was becoming all consuming. I will, however, miss this summer. As important as education is, there is a value to lazy days with no agenda but to simply be.

Featured Resource: CK-12

2011-06-23T14:51:00.001-06:00

Right now I'm immersed in Biology. I'm planning a 10th grade honors course for my daughter. I wanted to take a moment and share a resource that has been an amazing help in the planning of my course, CK-12.

CK-12 provides free, customizable, digital textbooks. The one my daughter will use for Biology is even downloadable onto her Kindle, awesome. There is also a teachers edition that has lessons, worksheets, quizzes and tests. Online, the textbook is interactive, with videos and links. You have to contact them to get the full teachers edition with answers, but so worth it.

I've read about half the Honors Biology textbook myself and compared it to Biology, which I have and is often used in AP Biology courses and it is comparable. The graphics aren't as pretty, but I don't see this as a problem. Especially since I will be encouraging Callie to use many resources as she learns.

They also have other free textbooks in science, technology, engineering and math. I plan on also using their physics and chemistry in upcoming years.

Updating Our Website

2011-06-22T13:22:00.004-06:00

Our year is over and our website is being updated. We are currently archiving all of this years pages under Teacher resources. Over the next few weeks we'll be adding pages for the upcoming year.

The new pages will include course pages, files and internet resources.

We're currently busy working on a 10th grade Honors Biology course and will have the course outline and resources up soon.

We've also changed the layout, it was time for something new.

Stop by at Ocotillo Academy.

Jing!

2011-04-28T08:34:00.003-06:00

I am truly loving this application. One of the many challenges of homeschool, is that I'm not always available when the kids are ready to go over an assignment. With this valuable tool, there's a way to fix this. I love it for editing papers and working out problems.

So what is Jing. It does screen captures, then lets you edit them and send them as short video clips or pictures. I can edit a paper and make verbal comments the whole time and save it all at 4am. Callie can watch the whole thing around 1pm. She can hear my thought process as I go over each correction. If it's a simple, short assignment, a simple picture of the assignment that I can put highlights, text and editing marks on is sufficient. I can also use a whiteboard program to work out a math problem and use Jing to capture it so that Callie can see all the steps in the problem. It's ready when she is.

Here's a link to a much better description of what you can do with this great app. Oh, and the version I use is free!

Moon Shot Entry 1

2011-04-27T18:45:00.005-06:00

When reading Moon Shot I learned about the selection of the astronauts. They had to have flying experience and an academic degree. Also, the had to be under 40 years old and couldn't be taller the 5'11. Reading this showed me how tough it was to become the first astronauts. In the book I was introduced to two pilots.

First, Deke Slaytor, a test Pilot working in the Mojave desert at a military base.

And ,Alan Shepard, a Carrier Pilot.

China Study

2011-04-27T18:17:00.002-06:00

In the China Study I learned how people get Cancer. In the book the author explained it like growing grass. Planting the seed, letting the seed grow into grass, and the progression of the grass going out of control and taking control of your yard. This example was very helpful to me and I was able to picture it very clearly. So now I understand the process of Cancer much better.

WIKIPEDIA:HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA

2011-04-26T09:11:00.001-06:00

WIKIPEDIA:HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA

At around 500 B.C. the people of south Africa started to collect livestock from northern areas as it slowly became a country. They also had domestic animals as they began farming and practicing agriculture. The web address is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Africa

southafrica.info

2011-04-25T09:05:00.003-06:00

southafrica.info

South Africa was populated for hundreds of thousands years without any written history until European travelers arrived. To them the ancient country was like a giant treasure chest.

The Fantastic Inventions of Nikola Tesla, Chapter 2 Summary

2011-04-25T08:13:00.003-06:00

The Fantastic Inventions of Nikola Tesla, Chapter 2

In chapter 2, he showed sketches of his first patents from 1886 to 1888, but none of those first patents got any medals. Although he was only in his 30’s, he was already one of the great scientists of the world.

Time For Something New

2011-03-14T17:06:00.005-06:00

No matter how well something is working, the time comes when a change is needed. Brent is ready to move on to something new. Probably inspired by his sister's planning for High School. We spent a few productive hours at the coffee shop today and came up with a new plan.

First, we broke down the day in subjects. I decided to model his days after what he would be doing in high school since Callie is having such a hard time with the transition. I'm hoping it will be easier for Brent. The day is broken up into 5 credit hours. The subjects are: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies and Electives.

Second, we looked at each individual subject and decided what was to be studied and how.

Language Arts will be completed while working on the Science and Social Studies. It will include: spelling, grammar, writing, speaking, reading and more.
Math will be done using Math U See.
Electives that currently interest Brent are: guitar, cooking, and computer programing.
Science topics that he wants to learn about are: physics, nuclear energy, electricity, magnetism, chemistry, sound, light, evolution, and zoology. For zoology he wants to focus on the following animals: bears, puffins, salmon, sword fish, orca, beavers, crabs, komodo dragons, and toads.
Social Studies topics are in order of his preference: US history, geography, economics, world history, current events, civics and law, politics, government, and ancient history.

Finally, we discussed what would be the best way to learn science and social studies, and the best way to show understanding. We brainstormed the following ways to learn: online research, books (narratives, non-fiction, fiction, biographies and reference), experiments and observation, and documentaries and videos. He loves keeping notebooks as he works, so he would continue taking notes as he learned interesting things. He would also plan and implement his experiments and observation studies when applicable. Brent decided the best way to show understanding would be to write a report on each subject, then typing it and posting it online. The writing would include several rough drafts where we focused on writing techniques, spelling, grammar and typing skills. Then, he would create a webpage or glog to teach the subject to others. He wants to have a website of his own that covers everything he studies. He can practice some computer programing while he's creating it.

We've decided to do a test run of this plan. He is currently studying electricity and freshwater. Starting next week he will approach these subject this new way and see how long it takes to complete. After we get an idea of the time required, we'll layout a plan for next year.

The coffee was really good.

Daily Reports

2011-01-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sounds so official, guess I could call them - What I Did All Day Logs. The kids fill them out with the details of what they did and when. Why is this necessary? Well, despite being home most of the day and working with them regularly, they are experts at looking busy and I have a lot to do. It's difficult when you find out late in the day that they haven't actually done much. We've simply had too many days in the past where they've just not done enough to count it as a day. This record keeps them accountable.

It also lets my husband be more involved, since he can see how they used their time and what they were supposed to get done. I appreciate the help. There are boxes they can check to show they hit all the daily required subjects. At the end of the day they staple their work to the back and turn it in. I'm still working on the format, it has changed frequently as we see what works and doesn't work. We have added a second page in case they need it. They record all their activity, perfect for records.

I've uploaded our latest version in PDF to our website, you can find them here.

Our Schedule

2011-01-24T08:28:00.004-07:00

Our schedule seems to be falling into place. Callie has math in the morning, Brent in the afternoon. We use Math-U-See and this prevents them from needing to watch a DVD at the same time.

9am to noon ~ school

noon to 1pm ~ lunch/break

1 to 3pm ~ school

We've also been adding stuff back into the schedule. Callie is now working on Mondays from 1 to 5pm. This means she will have a couple of hours of school she needs to make up later in the day/week. The kids will be adding rock club back this week. Callie will attend on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Brent will be going on Thursday from 3 to 5pm.

We aren't including PE in these hours. They are doing it after school. PE can be really disruptive, plus when the kids are in sports, that will count as PE and we won't have to have a schedule change.

Right now, because of lack of focus, they are doing their work in the living room. We brought in the folding table from outside. Normally I would have put them in the dining room, but it's under construction. It feels a little crowded. They have desks in their rooms, but have difficulty focusing in there. Here's hoping that after awhile they'll be able to go in there once the routine is established. Next week maybe?

King

2011-01-17T13:27:00.003-07:00

This morning we watched King on the History Channel. It was narrated by Tom Brokaw. I thought it was very good and the kids enjoyed it as well. After, they both wrote a narrative response using the discussion questions in the study guide provided by History.com

OK...We're Ready!

2011-01-16T20:27:00.002-07:00

I'm exhausted. We took a little extra time off this winter because I just couldn't teach with all the paint around, we did three rooms in three weeks. Pictures should be up soon on What I'm Learning Now. I spent this weekend putting together our 2nd semester.

First, Callie will no longer be taking art classes from the local middle school. This is her choice, but I'm so glad she made it. It was a learning experience for her and as is the case with most learning experiences, there was good and bad. She had some wonderful experiences with her teachers, whom I have nothing but praise for, and some good experiences with her classmates. She also had some bad experiences with the several members of the administration and most of her classmates. Her final statement on the whole thing, "If this is what the middle school is like, I don't want to see the high school." Me either.

Now on to the fun stuff. I guess years of practice are starting to pay off. I'm getting pretty good at this home school thing. I'm doing both the kids almost completely different, excluding PE and Spanish.

Callie, who is my liberal arts, unstructured learner, will be embracing the Charlotte Mason Method. To help improve her writing skills, which are in need of some attention, most of her narrations will be written. I love this method. Nothing is better than a good book. She will be reading some great books this semester, including The Jungle, Macbeth, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Animal Farm and Narrative of Sojourner Truth. She will also be participating in a local Science Fair. We will be continuing our math using Math U See.

Brent, who hasn't met a checklist he didn't immediately fall in love with, will be doing thematic studies using three books from Teacher Created Resources. We have used these before and he loves them. He will be studying from Our Country, Electricity and Oceans. These are literature based thematic units. He will also be using Math U See as well.

Both kids will be learning Spanish using Rosetta Stone. For PE we are going to participate in the President's Challenge. I'm super excited about this.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day on Monday, we will be spending the day learning about the man and his movement. Here are some great links: The Learning Network MLK Resources, The King Center, King Institute, Text and Video of the speech, and History.com.

OK, It's Getting a Little Hectic!

2010-09-16T11:57:00.000-06:00

Ever get that feeling that something has got to give? I'm there. About a month into the school year and I'm not sure we'll make it with our sanity intact.

Of course, both kids are homeschooled, so that requires planning, teaching, grading etc. Lots of time. both kids added athletics; golf and football. My hubby is the football coach. Both are Monday through Thursday with Football games on Saturday. There is also Girl Scouts for Callie and myself (a leader, not to my daughter's troop and SU Manager). Callie attends the local Middle School for two art classes and violin, this is Monday through Friday for 6 hours daily. And to top it off, we've started attending church 60 miles away. All this means the next day of doing nothing is very far away.

What is truly amazing is we are pulling it all off with only one vehicle.

Spelling

2010-09-14T08:45:00.000-06:00

My son had 41 spelling words last week.

I teach my kids spelling and grammar rules, but we do things in a way that feels natural to us. Reading is core to our literature based education, so I have no concerns about them not having a diverse vocabulary. As I review their work, any misspelled words are added to a list. This list becomes next weeks spelling list. If I see them struggling with a specific rule, I will add words that will help them understand it. I use Spelling City to create lists and worksheets for them to work on that week.

Theoretically, they could have no spelling, but this has yet to happen. Usually they hover around 10 to 20 words, but my son had a epic week. Most were errors because he didn't want to take the time to look up the word, but 41 is a lot of spelling words!

What We Are Reading This Week

2010-09-07T20:03:00.002-06:00

Books are the core of not only my children's education, but my own continued education. I'm currently reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and How to Rule the World From Your Couch by Laura Day. Brent is reading James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling. Callie is reading The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare and numerous other books.

Hip Homeschool Hop

2010-09-07T12:55:00.000-06:00

This is my first time participating in the Homeschool Hop. I love seeing all the different blogs out there. There is such a wonderful community of homeschoolers.

For those of you stopping by, our homeschool is quite eclectic. We use a thematic approach, it has been the only thing to keep my kids interested. I homeschool a 4th and 8th grader. This is our 3rd year of homeschooling.

Welcome!

Cats Everywhere

2010-09-05T07:49:00.000-06:00

I'm looking forward to a normal week. If there is such a thing. While this week wasn't a bad week, it wasn't normal either. Callie was sick two days last week and really struggled getting the extra work done on top of her regular weekly assignments. This was due to planning problems. By Wednesday we sat down to go over her schedule and plan out her remaining assignments.

Our cats seem determined to undermine the kids attempts at learning. The big gray one, Delilah, swats at the pencils when they try to write.

A Pretty Good Week

2010-08-27T08:04:00.001-06:00

This pictures pretty much sums up our week. Brent has been tired enough to take some afternoon naps. Both kids got sick by the end of the week. I think they just took on too much and got a little run down.

The 6-week binder system is working smoothly. After 3 years of experimenting, I think this might be it. Having said that I take the risk that next week we'll have a meltdown. The binders have all the assignments for the entire 6 week unit, organized by weeks. Instead of carrying around 6 weeks worth of work, the kids have small binders that just have that weeks' work and any incomplete work from previous weeks. I grade a week after they are done completing it. I no longer have to wait until they are done with their binders since they move completed weeks into the big binder when they are done. I am also currently working on the next 6-week binder. We begin the next unit on September 27th. Brent will be studying inventions and Callie will be studying Ancient India. I've ordered most the books I will be needing and am setting up assignments for each week. Much less stressful than planning for tomorrow (or today) with the kids waiting.

Our Day

2010-08-24T16:33:00.000-06:00

I can't believe we are nearing then end of August. This month has flown by and we're all exhausted. It just now feels like the schedule is starting to work, though I must say I wasn't kidding about being exhausted. Brent has started taking power naps in the afternoons and the rest of us want to. We are almost half way into the second week of homeschool plus electives at public school. Of course this only applies to Callie, however, we are all feeling the impact of this on our day.

Callie is really enjoying her classes. She loves her two art teachers. One is a drawing class and one is an arts and crafts class. She is also enjoying her Violin class. Today was the first time she picked up her instrument. Exciting. The Library period has turned out to be a blessing. Plenty of time for quiet school work and a room full of books for her to use for 70 minutes. The only disappointment so far is that her lunch is during the 7th grade lunch and not with her 8th grade classmates. She has joined the student council, plans on joining a few clubs and is thinking about going out for golf. As if she didn't have enough going on already. She is volunteering at the Animal Shelter and is doing Girl Scouts. I'm tired thinking about it.

For his part, Brent has been quite happy with the new schedule. He says it's quiet with Callie gone. He is getting his work done much faster than before. I don't think Callie was noisy alone.

Our schedule looks like this:

5:30am - Callie's alarm goes off
6:30am - Brent gets up
7:00am - Breakfast
8:00am - Brent starts school, Callie heads to RMMS for Creative Art/Painting, Crafts, & Violin.
Noon - Lunch for Brent
2:00pm - Callie is done at RMMS and the kids take a 30 min break
2:30pm - chores
3:30pm - School for both
4:30pm - Brent is done for the day. Callie takes a break
5:30pm - Football for Brent until 7:00pm, if no Girl Scouts- homework for Callie until 7pm
7:30pm - Dinner
8:30pm - Bedtime

Saturdays are when Callie does her volunteering at the shelter. We'll see how clubs and golf fit in.

Insects

2010-08-20T08:04:00.002-06:00

I knew eventually that with Brent studying insects they would eventually need to come into my home. Thanks to a friend, our first guest is a centipede (I think). He used our dissecting microscope to get a good look. Very interesting.

We Made It

2010-08-09T11:39:00.007-06:00

Week 1 was tough to get through after having so much time off. I don't know how teachers do it! We have a little unfinished work from last week, but that is why we started early. The hardest challenge will no doubt be next week, when Callie has to be somewhere everyday by 8am.

I completely see the reasons behind year-round school. It wasn't just one thing that slowed us down this last week, it was everything. Handwriting is rough, time-management skills are poor, heads are a little slow. I had intended to maintain a small amount of daily writing, reading and math; I wish I had.

I'm sure we'll get up to speed.

Binders

2010-07-26T08:32:00.000-06:00

This week I'm putting together the kids' binders for the first period. Callie is focusing on the Ancient Middle East and Brent is all about Insects. Our main resource is the Thematic Units from Teacher Created. They were both downloaded as ebooks, so I can print just what I need.

We are saving money and looking out for the environment by using binders from last year. They don't have a lot of life left in them, when I do replace them I am looking at getting away from the vinyl. The Naked Binder makes some very nice ones as does Earth Binder. Earth Binder is especially great because you can replace the shell only and keep the metal rings as long as they last. The disadvantage, they are sold in packs of 10. We are using about 8 right now, so maybe 10 isn't too many. I have 2 binders, one for yearly records and one for the current period. The kids have 3 each. One for the current period, one for the upcoming one (this allows me to get it ready ahead of time) and an annual portfolio binder. The annual portfolio binder is where transcripts, attendance and samples of their best work is kept.

I'm organizing the period binders by weeks, normally this would be a 6 week period, but we are going to ease into it for the first one. We will be doing it in 8 weeks. Both kids thought this was a good idea. It's hard to start up when you've had so much time off. This should allow the kids to get back into the swing of things. The weekly organization helps the kids see clearly what needs to be done each week. In addition, both kids will be using planners this year to help organize their time.

James and the Giant Peach...A Play?

2010-07-24T21:06:00.000-06:00

I feel a little silly. Trying to save money and get the cheapest edition of James and the Giant Peach that Barnes and Noble offers I accidentally ordered James and the Giant Peach: A Play. I then had to order the book too, lessoned learned. Other than that, everything for school came promptly and I'm getting a little excited for school to start. Next Friday our home school group is having a Curriculum Show and Tell. I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else is doing. I'll have to bring my laptop though, I have two ebooks to share.

Is It That Time Already?

2010-07-13T08:39:00.001-06:00

It's about a month before school starts here. I have been chatting with the kids trying to determine how we want to approach this year. The kids and I agree that we've had the most success with thematic units. Callie especially seems drawn to this and has expressed learning more about ancient cultures. After much looking and decision making the kids have picked their 6 subjects for the year.

We are dividing the school year into 6 six week periods. Each period will be focused on one subject.

Callie is doing a survey of ancient cultures: Middle East, India, Egypt, Rome, Greece, China, Japan and a unit combining Mayans, Incas and Aztecs. She is also doing Oceanography.

Brent is doing Insects, Inventions, Flight, Amphibians and Reptiles, Money, Spiders, Baseball, Chocolate and Oceans.

We've ordered some of the supplies for the first 6 week period and have scheduled an Insect fieldtrip. We are also busy updating the website. The first day of school will be here soon!

Glogster Update

2010-05-06T14:45:00.001-06:00

This morning both kids made online posters using Glogster for History. Callie did one on the Magna Carta and Brent did one on Lief Erickson. A couple things to note if you try this free service. First, save frequently. It doesn't save automatically, as Callie discovered today when she lost over an hours worth of work. Second, don't hit the backspace button on the keyboard unless you are in a text field. That is how Callie lost all that work. Third, there is no spell/grammar check so we found it easier to type in a word processor and copy and paste. I like the technology and the savings on wall space, but sometimes the features became more important than the information in the poster. A simple syllabus with the required content can help kids stay on track. Overall, a really nice site.

Official School Name

2010-05-04T18:12:00.003-06:00

Well, it's that time of year. Curriculum time. At least it is for me. I'm looking back and planning for the future. I have been contacting companies about educational discounts and I keep running into a problem, they want me to have an official name for our school. Their accountants prefer it if it doesn't have homeschool in the name. So we decided to name our school and reap the benefits. We got some ideas from A to Z Home's Cool. We narrowed it down to two and we are now officially, drum roll, The Ocotillo Academy. Bring on the discounts!

We've also decided to make our private homeschool site public. This is the one the kids use regularly. I had made a small public one with links, but got so many requests to see the real one, that I gave in. I made a few changes to get it ready and there is a lot more information there now for fellow homeschoolers.

This Weeks' Current Event

2010-04-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

I know the eruption didn't happen yesterday, but we weren't able to get to it until today. We followed the lesson plan from the Learning section of the NY Times. We read several articles from all over the world and discussed all the different types of impact the eruption had. We mapped out the areas impacted in the articles that we read on a world map. I would have loved to do the push pins, but we don't have a cork board.

Some are just dots, where the impact was felt locally, others are connected. We used a color code system to view the types of connections. Travel is economic, but we felt it should be separated due to the level of impact.

Glogs

2010-04-26T13:53:00.004-06:00

Brent and Callie will be making Glogs this week for History on castles. I did a sample one in about 5 minutes to show them all the things they can do. Glogs are digital posters. You can add images, texts, video and sounds. I added a Gregorian chant to mine. I love that you can hear coughing. This is scaled down to about 1/2 of the actual size.

Is That Hail???

2010-04-22T09:10:00.000-06:00

This morning I woke deciding that the kids aren't getting enough physical activity. I hated PE in school and I want my kids to have that memory too. So after JT left for work I told the kids to put something athletic on. Callie came out in a sporty cute outfit. I told her that wasn't exactly what I meant. Driving to the track it started to rain, I was undeterred. Then it started to hail.

Callie, "Is that Hail?"

Me, "No, that would be crazy."

Brent, "It's Hail!"

We went anyway. Callie was able to run and glare the whole time. Truly amazing. Brent was able to run and grin. It was fantastic.

Expository Writing

2010-04-20T08:21:00.000-06:00

Callie and I have been working hard on her essay writing skills and it is paying off. She is able now to get her thoughts out in an organized way. She has so many creative ideas, but has difficulty expressing them on paper. Her two most recent essays were about Monks in the Middle Ages and Jewish Persecution in the Middle Ages. Both of these were also for our History Unit on the Middle Ages. We used some wonderful recourses at classzone.com.

She has also been using the Cornell note taking method for researching. We found a great generator here and one that can be more personalized here. Now if only we could do something about simple spelling errors.

Late Night, Lazy Morning

2010-04-08T08:07:00.000-06:00

JT has been gone this week and our schedule has gotten a little off. Especially Tuesday night. I had a late meeting and the kids and I didn't get to be until after midnight. Brent was happy he went to bed in the morning. Stuff like this doesn't happen often. So of course my plan was to let them sleep in, despite what would happen to our schedule the next day. I got up first and headed outside with a cup of coffee to let the Nuggets work on the grass that has been springing up in our back yard.

Slowly the kids joined me; Callie first and then Brent.

It was lovely. It is mornings like this that I feel so blessed to homeschool my kids. What could have been a hectic morning, full of rushing and tired kids, turned out to be the best morning of the week. Not only that, but everything that was needing our attention that day got it, just a little bit later. Plus, we saw beauty in an unexpected place, our own backyard.

Two Beds In!

2010-04-08T07:17:00.000-06:00

JT and Brent worked hard and got two garden beds in. Callie and I took diligent notes and planted them. Here's hoping. We still have a long way to go, but the back yard is looking better and more useful already. Both kids were surprised how much math went into gardening. From what to plant and when, to the layout of the beds and finding out how many cubic ft of each soil component to buy, there was a whole lot of math.

Anthropology!

2010-04-07T19:25:00.003-06:00

For Girl Scouts we went to EYH. One of the workshops I got was on Biological Anthropology. It was so great that the other day I got myself two college text books on anthropology. Anthropology is the study of Humanity. It has four categories, Biological, Archeological, Cultural, and Linguistic. I'm so interested that I think that's what I want to be when I grow up. We're having a project fair in four weeks and my project is going to be on anthropology. I don't know exactly what it's going to be about yet but It's going to be more on the biological and Archeological side. Wish me luck!

A chimp skull and a human skull

Food Inc

2010-03-17T06:14:00.000-06:00

We watched this movie as a follow-up to the Omnivore's Dilemma that we just finished. It was very good and interesting. It was helpful, especially to my youngest, to see it rather than just hear it. If you rent this, there are a few tough parts, but overall it is very easy, and interesting, to watch.

Brent added a Walmart documentary to his queue on Netflix. All I'm thinking is I have to shop there, it's one of the only places in town. Darn informed kids, lol.

Yardwork Continues

2010-03-14T09:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the guys spent some more time outside removing things from the yard. Three cacti came out and a large agave was trimmed. The gravel area will eventually hold the raised garden beds. We have a definite timetable, the seedlings are already growing inside!

Brent looks scarred, but I think that is just because he just witnessed me pulling cactus spines out of his Dad's leg. He's just concerned.

It looks so open after the removal of the cacti. On the far left was a lilac bush that was taken out last Wednesday. Callie was a little bummed, but we will be planting lots of cutting flowers.

Wintergreen and Venus

2010-03-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here are our most laid-back Nuggets, Wintergreen & Venus. I love watching them. They are so fun to have and the eggs are good too. One of them is laying a pink egg, most are green or blue. We aren't sure which one. We know it's not Aphrodite or Artemis. We actually watched Artemis lay an egg and Aphrodite is an escape artist and likes to lay her eggs on the other side of the fence.

Getting Ready for Blueberries

2010-03-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

We are planning to add a blueberry bush to our backyard. I am currently in love with this jam we get that is imported from France. My two favorite flavors are cherry and blueberry. They taste nothing like Smuckers, no offense. After reading the Omnivore's Dilemma the kids are too educated to not point out to me the food miles involved. So say hello to the blueberry bush and homemade jam, yum. There is an old, unproductive bush that is in the perfect spot, or was in the perfect spot. JT and Brent spent the morning tearing it out. Lots of work. The Nuggets love it. I think Brent loved getting dirty.

Changes in Writing and Language Arts

2010-02-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend we sat down and discussed our Language Arts program. Right now, it is the subject that feels like it is just not working. Both kids are finding the lessons a little boring and abstract. Starting this week we are going to relate most of the Writing/LA assignments on our History. Research Projects will have a greater writing requirement to help. We all think this is a great idea.

School Period Schedule Over!

2010-02-05T07:01:00.002-07:00

Our school schedule experiment is over, that was a rough two weeks. Now that the kids have more to do in some subjects than others, they find the time constraints of a schedule confining. They also are now frustrated to stop working on something and move to something else just because the class period is over. I couldn't be more happy to rid myself of that demanding, artificial schedule.

We had fallen behind Monday and Tuesday, a little on Wednesday too, and spent the rest of the week catching up. It is often tempting as a homeschool to just do it later. If there had been an event that caused our falling behind, that is what would happen. Part of the advantage of being able to deal with the surprises in life. In fact, we were sick most of January and just added a week on to the end of the school year rather that stress about catching up. This week however, it was just a lack of focus on the kids part. Monday, all the lessons happened, but no assignments were finished at all and actual daydreaming was seen. Both kids have claimed the new class periods helped keep them focused. I guess that effect has worn off. Maybe I should increase snacks.

Today, we have park day. Considering the week, we can all use the break. The kids will spend the rest of the day completing the weeks' work. I'm glad they will have no work over the weekend, they need a break before next week. I will spend the weekend grading and planning, but that's OK.

Scheduling Changes

2010-01-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

It seems just as I get used to something, change is needed. We've switched our schedule this week to a conventional schedule with class periods. All I need is a bell system. The results have been immediate. The kids' school work has improved and both have expressed that they prefer this; it keeps the day more interesting. They are getting a lot more done.

I however do not prefer this. It has been awhile since I have felt so confined and tied to a clock. Our periods are 40 min long, with a 5 min break in between, 1 hour lunch and 30 min break in the afternoon. The kids get a 5 min warning before the end of a class time. I am directly involved in 7 out of the 8 classes. I guess that is my planning period. I can't leave the house unless I can do it in under 30 min. And that is only during one class period a day. Gone is the luxury of hitting Cruces on a work day to run errands and avoid the crowds.

The previous way was doing lessons and assigning most of the work on Mon & Tues. Then the kids would work independently and I would have free time on Wed & Thur. Friday would be our Homeschool group, library and testing. But the truth was the kids had a hard time staying motivated and would forget work they needed to complete. My optimistic hope is that they just need a refocus and then we can go to something a little more flexible.

Homeschool Reading Time

2010-01-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

I love to read and I want to pass on that love to my kids. Reading is so important to us that our daughter (7th grade) reads 2 hours a day and our son (3rd grade) reads 1 hour. These are the minimums for our school. Reading time is split between a personal choice book at their reading level and a classic at their reading level.

I was walking past the Pit and caught a glimpse of Brent in there reading. Too funny. He loves doing his school work in there too. He has a desk in his room and a huge table in the dining room, but he likes to squeeze into the pit and work in there.

Callie's Acid / Base Experiment

2010-01-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

Callie's turn to complete her experiment. She also enjoyed the process and was able to determine the nature of her unknowns. I think it is hilarious they were both wearing wrestling sweatshirts. Maybe I should incorporate a school uniform!

Brent's Acid / Base Experiment

2010-01-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

We use Real Science 4 Kids. Both kids are studying Chemistry. Brent did a simple Acid / Base experiment. I like how they explain everything, and the experiment worked perfectly. Brent had fun doing it as well. Delilah, School Cat, enjoyed it as well. She kept trying to hint that one was milk, since the liquids were all unknowns.

Spring Canyon

2010-01-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Spring Canyon on New Year's Eve, so I'm late adding these pictures up. Unfortunately, we spent the first few weeks of the year sick. It was off and on, but it seemed just as we were getting better we would sick again. Yuck. We all seem healthy now and the Nyquil has finally wore off!

Both the kids wanted to go further, but we really don't have the gear they need, so we didn't venture too far from the main park. Despite this they still had quite a good time.

Spring Canyon is always beautiful. I love how in some of the pictures it looks warm, believe me, it was quite cold! I love that New Mexico Sun! It was quite windy as well.

The kids went much farther than we did, I'm not sure when they would have stopped on their own, but a trip to the winery lured them off the mountain.

They raced back to the car, Callie tripped him and won, Brent jumped that rock right behind him in the picture, I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't end up on his face.

Vacation Over

2010-01-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Vacations seem to end just as they really get going, however part of me is happy to slip back into a normal routine. We have just completed our first week back. It took about a week and a half. We started some of the assignments early because I know the kids would have a slow start after so much time off. We needed the little jump start, since the kids are just now finishing up. Monday was rough, but over all the week was a success. Now, if we can just fit a week of work into an actual week.

A Christmas Carol

2009-12-03T07:53:00.001-07:00

I had tried to read this book to the kids a few years back, but they struggled with the language of the book. Monday we tried again with success. The book has only 5 chapters, long ones, and we are reading one a day. We are all really enjoying it, though I am reminded how sad the story really is. Especially if you are not watching the Muppet Version! We are planning to see the new version out in theaters this month. We also like the Bill Murray version.

Renaissance Faire

2009-11-16T10:27:00.005-07:00

We had a great time at the Renaissance Faire, but I can't say we learned a whole lot. The event was mostly food and booths with things to buy. We did watch some belly dancing, sword fighting and a magician. The kids did point out a lot of historical inaccuracies, so some learning did occur. Plus it was fun. We met some great people from the The Astronomical Society of Las Cruces. and from the Paleozoic Trackways Foundation.

The kids bought some wooden swords and Brent got a shield. They enjoyed the rat on a stick (teriyaki chicken) and dragon scales (funnel cakes). The parade was also very enjoyable to watch. We will be going next year.

Watership Down Update

2009-11-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

I can't express how beneficial this book has been and we aren't done yet! Brent is loving the action, but Callie sees so much more. We've had long discussions about society and human interaction that I would have thought were beyond her 13 years. Even Brent chimes in, though the depth isn't what his sister has. Both kids have drawn correlations with life at unexpected times, like at the dinner table. It is a commitment, but the kids are excited when they know we are reading the bunny book.

Corn In, Corn Out

2009-11-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

We just began a study focusing on Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Young Readers Edition. I have read a few of his other books, including the "adult" version of this book. This version seems to have all the humor and general information, minus the technical details. Whether you agree with his views or not, he is a wonderful writer. Both kids were a little hesitant today, but there was plenty of interest and laughs once I got started. Corn can be funny.

What does a normal day look like?

2009-10-12T12:45:00.001-06:00

I belong to a local homeschool group and as much as we chat about our days, most homeschool parents only have a vague idea of what goes on in someone else's home. I know in the begining I was desperate to know what a normal day looked like. I would search online and talk to other parents, but the answers were always vague. I understand it now. No two days are alike, so what is average? Parents tend to speak more in ideals, what does their ideal day look like. The challenge here for newcomers is that this can make homeschool seem pretty intimidating and their own "normal" days seem like disasters.

We use a weekly planner despite the fact it has never been exactly followed. It is like my menu plan, which I have trouble following as well. It has suggested meals that I have all the ingredients for, but if something comes up, we're having something else for dinner. Our weekly planner allows me so see what we need to get in and how far we are from reaching our goals, but it allows me to react to the world around us and learn from challenges and changes. Something I want my kids to know how to do. So, as usual in homeschool, everything turns into a lesson. It also helps me to not go too far off track, my goal is always in sight.

So here is what this weeks ideal plan looks like now, on Monday, fresh and lovely. Most things will be accomplished and the general timeline will be used, but things will happen, changes will be made. Most important of all, learning will occur.

So then, what does a normal day look like? It is real, flawed, chaotic and sometimes beautiful. Sometimes the kids dawdle, my house looks like a tornado passed through, I wonder if they're learning, everyone gets frustrated, all the sudden it's time for lunch and no "learning" has occurred, a discovery is made, kindness is shown, family is strengthened, someone finds their passion, a difficult lesson is learned...

Brent's Birthday

2009-10-05T08:24:00.000-06:00

Well the first birthday celebration for Brent was yesterday. It was his actual birthday and we had a quiet celebration at home. He has been requesting a Herfy's dinner for a few months now, so that is what he got. Later this week we will have cupcakes and a piñata at the homeschool park day. Next Sunday he is having a party at the park with some of his friends. They will be playing flag football. Brent got a Nerf Compound Bow, and it shoots pretty far and hard. Callie isn't so thrilled with the gift. She is a popular target.

Park Day

2009-10-04T05:54:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wonder if Park Day is really for the kids. Staying home now wasn't like when the kids were younger. I was fairly isolated and us moms would have get-togethers just to hear the sound of a voice over the age of 4 and a conversation about something other than Blue's Clues. Now I can come and go pretty much as I please, so the desperation is gone. Yet this week the kids weren't getting their chores done and I was worried we were going to miss park day. Since it isn't the social interaction that I'm craving, and the kids have plenty of friends, I realized it must be the shared reality of teaching our kids at home. Talking to people who share my experience and understand what my day really looks like. I think it must be like that for the kids too. They have friends that attend school as well, but there must be an understanding between them and their homeschooled friends. So I guess it is for all of us. I make it a priority for us; it is more than just going to the park.

You Can See His Fang!

2009-10-02T06:10:00.003-06:00

It makes me laugh how JB falls asleep on Callie. We needed to go to gymnastics, but he was completely out. We have rules about moving cats. Luckily he awoke just in time.

Schedules

2009-10-01T13:12:00.001-06:00

This week has had one surprise after another. As well planned as our schedule was, it was no match for the challenges that came up this week. Life happens, and in the middle of homeschool a lot of life happens. I remind myself that not only are my kids getting an excellent education, they are learning to deal calmly with the chaos that life sends their way. I'm still learning this little lesson myself.

Prickly Pear

2009-09-27T13:29:00.005-06:00

This week my nature was a prickly pear. I had a chose to do a close-up picture or not. I never knew that a prickly pear was a fruit. A prickly pear is a cactus. Cacti are spiky.

Watership Down

2009-09-24T13:22:00.003-06:00

For group literature we're reading Watership Down! It's a story about a band of rabbits moving out of a warren. Hazel the leader of the group. Fiver is his younger brother who can sense danger.Bigwig a large rabbit with a tuft of fur on his head, and very blunt at times. Daisy a fast story teller, Telling rabbit folklore. Pipkin a small little guy Rabbit. Silver a dependable big rabbit. It's a good Read for anyone who likes Rabbits!

here is how to say rabbit in Japanese!

Usagi!

Turkey Vulture

2009-09-21T15:49:00.002-06:00

Last weeks Nature Study was on this lovely creature; a turkey vulture. There were many in our yard when we were leaving for the park, so we were wondering if something had recently died. Callie quickly checked online and was relieved to learn that they eat carrion exclusively. This didn't stop her from checking on the Nuggets anyway.

Another Simply Charlotte Planner Update

2009-09-21T13:36:00.003-06:00

As much as I am in love with the planner on this website, and I still highly recommend it, I am no longer using it. I was hoping this year to create my own science curriculum, but found it just too much for right now. I purchased a new program from Real Science for Kids, and have redirected the money I was spending for the planner. The planner is only $9.95 a month, but in a year it will cost more than the science curriculum I purchased. Oh well. I am happy with my binder and I'm enjoying all the free time I have since I am not planning as much for science. Brent is doing Pre-Level 1 Chemistry and Callie is doing Level 1 Chemistry. We will be adding History of Chemistry and Biographies of Chemists to our study.

Embroidery!

2009-09-16T11:07:00.004-06:00

For history this year we are doing the medieval times. The project I am working on is medieval embroidery! I will be using the embroidered fabric to make a tapestry. When I'm all done it should look very nice!

<--This is the design I'll be making. This is a great project because, after I'm done with this I'll be able to make all kinds of things.

Like this!

Or this!

(To find more funny embroidery patterns like these go to sublinestiching.com!)

From "Princess Bride" to Wind in the Willows"

2009-08-26T12:42:00.002-06:00

Yesterday marked the end of our reading The Princess Bride. When we first began we didn't realize we were reading "The Good Parts Version". That is up to debate. The editor (for lack of a better word) removed chunks of the original authors writing that he felt unnecessary to the story. In one case actually removing an entire chapter. Callie was especially indignant about the editing, feeling that each reader should be able to decide for themselves what is necessary. She plans on reading the unedited version on her own. The most frustrating part, the ending was removed. Kind of a let down when you come to the end of reading a book.

We are starting The Wind in the Willows today. The book is a little young, so we should go through it quickly. Both JT & I remember the story from our childhood and wanted the kids to know it as well.

We keep a running list of books at Goodreads.com.

Update on the Charlotte Mason Planner

2009-08-26T11:08:00.004-06:00

It has been 5 weeks now that we have been using the organizer/planner from Simply Charlotte Mason. I love it. Our trial period is now over, but the planner has become an indispensable part of our school. I gladly pay the low $9.95 subscription fee a month to continue using it. I plan on purchasing it by the year soon, it has a lower rate then.

We use a lot of concepts of Charlotte Mason. I love the literature based learning that she emphasizes. The shorter lesson times have also really helped the materials connect with Brent and Callie. We still consider it a work in progress and we make slight changes and tweaks to our plans every week. Most of the changes aren't necessarily curriculum based, but schedule issues.

Brent and Callie both wanted a printed weekly plan for themselves. The CM planner is mainly a record keeping/planning resource. It allows you to select the actual resource that was used for that subject. Brent and Callie wanted a time schedule; when would be doing history, science, etc. This has changed weekly as they give me feedback on what worked and didn't work for them. It helps us all to keep track of time we are working together and time when they are working independently. Callie prefers things in a time block format. Brent prefers a checklist set-up with minimum time/assignment requirements. I have a master schedule that helps me know what the kids should be doing. Their schedules are a combination of both styles.

Actual Race Footage!

2009-08-25T10:35:00.004-06:00

Deming Duck Races 2009

2009-08-25T10:06:00.004-06:00

We do love our ducks around here. Even though I'm pretty sure there are no native ducks in this area. The kids had a great time. The mass balloon ascension was a disappointment; the morning was just too windy. They filled one of the balloons as a sort of consolation prize. Despite this, we had fun. We got up at 6am, got donuts and burritos and hung out in the back of the truck and people watched. Almost as good.

Brent and I set up at the parade alone, JT had a softball game and Callie was in the parade this year for Gymnastics. She thought it was way better than when the Girl Scouts had been in a parade and walked. Brent hung out in the back of the car to avoid the sun.

Callie and Brent were still excited to get their ducks and race on the wet track.

The ducks thwarted their plans for victory by being the first two to get near the finish line and then turn around.

Spoiled Cat

2009-08-24T16:41:00.000-06:00

I found him like this in Brent's room. He is completely out. So cute.

Bookstore Kids

2009-08-21T17:17:00.000-06:00

We went to Barnes and Noble. My kids have serious book issues. After we enter the building, they are gone. Then we find them sitting around reading books! The little monsters.

Making Friends

2009-08-20T07:14:00.003-06:00

OK, so as predicted, Brent and Callie lost the willpower necessary to complete 10 large planets using paper mache. This turn of events is fine with me. The remaining balloons became an art project.

Ichiro is Chillin'

2009-08-18T08:36:00.001-06:00

This toad cracks me up. He likes to lay upside down in his pond. First he has to fill it with mud, then it is time to lay back and relax.

Callie is Ready for Her 1st Babysitting Job

2009-08-17T20:41:00.001-06:00

I never thought this day would come. Callie is a little small and doesn't exactly convince little kids she has any authority over them. Rebecca bravely decided that she would be the first. Callie watched Sebastian & Isabella. It went really well, it was nap time. She did have to put Sebastian down, but he is a pretty good kid and after a couple of books he was out. Isabella never woke up from her nap.

Here is Callie relaxing with her kitty before we left for the job.

They Are Growing So Fast!

2009-08-17T07:27:00.000-06:00

We decided another update was needed since they are changing daily. If the kids didn't have such constant contact with them, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't know who half of them were.

White Meat

Cleopatra

Dark Meat

Artemis

Aphrodite

Goldie

Wintergreen

Spearmint

Athena

Venus

Another Day

2009-08-13T18:00:00.001-06:00

Callie got to the process in her Manga writing where she has begun her storyboard. She is really enjoying this and spent extra time today working on it. Brent made some upgrades to his Kitty Condo. The cats love it. There are "suites" inside and the cats will actually go and nap in one. Bitty thinks she owns the place and has decided to sleep in the entry.

Paper Mache Solar System

2009-08-11T14:03:00.002-06:00

Brent and Callie began their paper mache solar system today. We did lots of research and both Callie and Brent want to include Pluto in the solar system. In fact, Callie wants to get a T-shirt that says "When I was your age Pluto was a planet". The other T-shirt, "Size doesn't matter ~Pluto".

There are 10 bodies in all that we will make, plus I am making a young earth colliding with her twin, Theia, and forming the moon (one theory). The kids chose their planets like kids pick a team. Brent is creating the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Yes they are in order, Brent is an orderly little guy. This suited Callie fine, she wanted the Gas Giants and Pluto. She is doing Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto.

New Toad Friends for Ichiro!

2009-08-10T15:57:00.000-06:00

Friday Night we listened to music at the Winery with Rebecca and her family. Brent and the boys found some toads and Ichiro got some roommates. There are two larger ones and two smaller ones.

This is Ichiro

One of the larger new toads.

Ichiro and an unnamed new friend.

Nugget Slide Show on YouTube

2009-08-05T17:19:00.003-06:00

Nugget 2 Week Old Update

2009-08-05T10:13:00.003-06:00

White Meat

Goldie

Athena

Wintergreen

Dark Meat

Venus

Cleopatra

Spearmint

Artemis

Aphrodite

The Nuggets have grown so much and even have tail feathers. They are spending their days outside now and nights warm in our garage. They still get lots of cuddles.

Lovely Summer Morning

2009-07-29T09:09:00.002-06:00

Brent gets a little frustrated with Callie's reading problem. The problem, she always wants to read. Brent wants a partner to play with. He practiced his bunker shot this morning, his first couple attempts covered Callie and I with sand and we asked him to aim in a different direction. Eventually, Callie couldn't take it anymore and got up to "coach" him.

Grasshoppers at the Park

2009-07-28T14:00:00.003-06:00

This morning we found ourselves once again at one of our favorite local parks. There were an assortment of games played, badminton first. Both Callie and Brent are really new at this, so it is quite entertaining to watch.

The kids don't usually play on the equipment, but today was an exception. I found them using their imagination, they were sailing a ship, and arguing about which end of the ship the wheel would be at. I laughed and teased them, and they quickly came to a compromise. Callie informed me they weren't arguing, they were reasoning. Nice.

Then, of course, there was wrestling. Brent is getting smart and going after her knees, but Callie still has the upper hand.

Callie and Brent were both able to catch a grasshopper this morning. They were very excited. I actually don't know if these are grasshoppers or crickets. Either way, we let them go after they were photographed. We will be adding them to our Nature Journals.

The Nuggets are Growing

2009-07-26T10:05:00.002-06:00

The little Nuggets love being held and are growing so fast. They are all starting to get their wing feathers and when they are not hanging out on one of the kids, they like to run around and flap their wings. So cute!

The Nuggets are Loose!

2009-07-24T14:42:00.002-06:00

Time for the first cage cleaning and the little Nuggets are enjoying a little freedom. The kids usually take out 4 at a time and play and cuddle, but this if the first time the herd was free.

Nugget Update

2009-07-24T10:41:00.002-06:00

Here are all 10 nuggets with their current names. Since we still don't know which is the rooster and what they will eventually look like, we feel free to change their names at anytime.

Athena

Artemis

Venus

Dark Meat

Cleopatra

Spearmint - a toothpaste twin

Wintergreen - a toothpaste twin

Aphrodite

White Meat

Goldie

Park Time

2009-07-23T15:25:00.000-06:00

We try most mornings to head to one of the local parks. We like to go early, before the heat of the day hits. The kids bring a bag full of sports stuff, blankets and books. We usually stay for about 1 1/2 hours.

The Nuggets are Here!

2009-07-22T10:32:00.000-06:00

(fresh out of the box and huddling by the heat lamp)

Early Wednesday morning the sounds of ESPN were broken with a phone call, it was the post office alerting us to the arrival of the Nuggets. Our Nuggets were safe in their new home by 7:30am.

(warmed up and exploring their new home)

(Delilah is very curious why we would bring birds into the house)

(JB was acting pretty disinterested, but he wasn't)

(Callie is showing a chick to Erica)

Cat on the Way to 8th St Park

2009-07-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

We often see this cat on our way to the park. We decided to snap a picture and add her to our nature journal. Brent has not made his cat page, he jabbed a sharp pencil tip into the palm of his right hand and couldn't write or draw.

Tohru Honda

2009-07-20T09:12:00.000-06:00

Callie is working on drawing Tohru Honda, one of her favorite characters from Fruits Basket. Here is her work so far. This is after 15 min.

Harry Potter and BBQ

2009-07-18T14:06:00.000-06:00

Today, we had lunch at a relatively new BBQ place out by the gap. JT and I have tried it already, but this time we took the kids. The atmosphere is cute, but we were all disappointed. First, they were out of ribs, which I am pretty sure is some kind of BBQ crime. Plus, they had already raised their prices from the last time we were there, two weeks ago. That usually is the kiss of death. Charge what you need, or say it is introductory pricing. I was annoyed that lunch cost double and choices were so limited. What they did have wasn't true BBQ, but cooked in the dozen or so crock pots they had around the open kitchen. The kids did enjoy playing checkers at one of the game tables after eating.

After lunch we caught a matinee showing of the new Harry Potter movie. We thought it was pretty good. Poor JT was a little lost, unlike the rest of us, he hasn't read any of the books and he missed the last movie, so he had a little trouble keeping up. Callie was a little disappointed, not in the movie, but in the fact that we didn't see it the night it came out at midnight. She got over it though when she saw the amazing seats we got in the theater.

This was our first outing to the Deming theater. It was nice, small but comfortable.

Vinegaroo Sketches

2009-07-17T16:17:00.001-06:00

We have been keeping a nature journal of the things we see in person. Here are our pages on the Whip Scorpion we saw in the back yard. These are a work in progress and the kids keep adding to the pages. If we see another, we'll add that too. They convinced me to keep a journal too, so this is something we do together.

Simply Charolotte Planner

2009-07-15T14:59:00.000-06:00

Keeping track of homeschool is a burden. At least it is for me, I have tried many ways, but haven't yet found the one that works. I've just started using the organizer at Simply Charlotte Mason. It has a free trial and so far is incredibly flexible, which is what I need since I like a lot of flexibility in our schedule. What I like most, you can schedule anything and if you don't finish everything in a day, it automatically moves it to the next day. I am frequently frustrated in planning because days rarely go as planned, then you have to adjust, with this I don't. I don't even need a start date for the next thing we want to do, I can schedule it "after" whatever we are doing is finished. Nice.

Itty Bitty Psycho Kitty

2009-07-14T08:42:00.000-06:00

Bitty is not known as a lap cat, in fact Brent is usually the only one she will tolerate touching her. When we first rescued her she was constantly lounging on laps, but it seemed as soon has she felt secure in her home, she decided that she no longer needed to woo us. Since then she is elusive, except today.

Bunny Killers

2009-07-10T16:37:00.000-06:00

Sounds bad doesn't it, but it's not. At least the game. This game is filled with strategy and humor. Brent is planning something special for Callie's Bunnies, I can tell!

Making 9's

2009-07-09T11:32:00.000-06:00

We use the Math-U-See curriculum for our math studies. Here is Brent working with the manipulatives.

4th of July Pictures

2009-07-08T08:17:00.000-06:00

We had a really nice Independence Day. We headed through the crowds of people on the side of the road out towards the fairgrounds, to the Rock Club for a fantastic view of the City's fireworks display. The crowds were so thick, there were vendors selling glow sticks and snacks, we were unsure a few times if we would make it through. Last year we missed most of it, opting to hang out at home on our roof deck. A few big fireworks made it up past the trees for us to oohh and awe over, but most we could just hear, but not see. We found out why this year, the fireworks were incredibly low! I have never seen a show so close to the ground.

Giant Whip Scorpion

2009-07-07T07:32:00.003-06:00

The kids were out this morning doing some yard work and found this. It's a Giant Whip Scorpion. Despite its terrifying appearance, it has no venom. Thank God!

It, and a friend, had taken up residence in the bottom of our small, waterless pond.

Character Sketch by a Character

2009-07-01T15:12:00.003-06:00

Callie is continuing her creative writing about girls and cats. Today she did some in depth character sketches.

Pangaea

2009-07-01T15:09:00.001-06:00

Brent made Pangaea 225 million years ago (blue background). JT created the one 65 million years ago (brown background).

Lemons

2009-07-01T15:07:00.001-06:00

Today we were looking at the similarities between oranges and the earth's structure. We subbed a lemon, hope that's OK?

Unwelcome Guest

2009-07-01T15:01:00.002-06:00

JT brought this home yesterday for the kids to look at under our dissecting microscope. I can't get anywhere near it.

Food For Thought

2009-06-30T15:59:00.004-06:00

How is an apple like the earth? That is what Brent and I looked at today and they are remarkably similar. Especially considering that one is edible and fits into the palm of your hand.

Brent then drew a diagram of the layers using the outline of the apple.

Tomorrow, the orange!

My Sous-Chef

2009-06-30T08:38:00.002-06:00

Brent helped me make potstickers for dinner last night. He is quite a little cook. You can check out my recipe at Nibbledish.

Baseball Trophy

2009-06-29T12:20:00.003-06:00

YESTERDAY, I GOT A BASEBALL TROPHY FOR THIRD PLACE.