Urgent care for my Uvula
6 years ago
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
