We are finally getting started on some of the things I wanted the children to do during the summer, in addition to the few things we needed to finish up from the core subjects.  Mary is starting to work on:

and Micky is working on:

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We have also been trying to continue their Catechism studies here at home with:

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I have also found this site, recommended by dear friends on an e-mail loop I am on,

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which has been extremely helpful in our studies.   We just need to be more faithful in doing this with the children.

I am going to be receiving from AOP today a package of goodies.  I ordered their Drawing Basics, Alfred's Music Theory and State History of Texas.  The state history will wait until Fall, but the rest will be started this summer. 

Mary has been wanting to really get her sketching techniques down, and I thought this would be the best way.  It includes DVD's and workbooks, starting with very basic things and working it's way up to complex sketching. 

She is signed-up for an area homeschool beginning band starting in the Fall, so I thought a course of music theory over the summer would give her more confidence.  She is going to be playing the flute, just like her mama did.  I sure wish my parents hadn't sold my Gemeinhardt, she could be playing that.  She has a nice beginner's flute though, and if she shows she is serious about playing, I'll get her a Gemeinhardt.  The music theory course may help me as well, because I can't seem to remember anything about playing the flute, except a few songs by ear.  I guess too many years have gone by. 

Both Mary and Micky are going to a couple of day camps in the area over the summer.  They are really excited about those.  There's also VBS at our church, which I know they will enjoy.  It is a very small church and so it is really nice, because even with bringing in a few children from the area that aren't from our church, it still remains small enough that they aren't lost in a crowd.

HomeschoolEstore.com Celebrates Mother's Day on Monday, May 14th, with it's Biggest Promotional Even! t Yet - An absolute MUST for Homeschoolers everywhere!

HomeschoolEstore.com, the only online retailer of over 4000 Homeschool eBook educational products from over 100 of the top homeschool and education publishers, will be celebrating Mother's Day on Monday, May 14th with its biggest promotional event to date. Though no specific details about the event can be released at this time, it is certain that Homeschool Moms, Dads and educators who visit HomeschooEstore.com on Monday, May 14 will find many, many reasons to celebrate.

So, mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information from HomeschoolEstore.com, where you can always get "Tomorrow's Lesson, Today."

Click on the HomeschoolEstore banner on the far right, down the page a bit and it will take you to their site.  Remember, the event is Monday, May 14th. 

I have been trying to load pictures for my entry and this thing won't cooperate!  It keeps spacing them all over the place.  Oh well. 

The UPS man has been bringing all kinds of goodies for our homeschooling.  It is so neat, because he knows we homeschool and he's always talking to our dc about the fact that they sure are getting a lot of stuff for school, and that they must be really smart.    They just grin ear to ear! 

I've gotten a lot of stuff on William Wilberforce, and we will rent the DVD, Amazing Grace, once it comes out through Netflix. 

I've also gotten a lot of Geography and fun Math stuff.  We use ABEKA for Math (were using Saxon and I was getting nowhere with my dd, so I switched her back to ABEKA and she is doing fabulously!), but I thought they could use some fun things to do (and not really think about it being Math they are doing, LOL!). 

I also got them a terrarium, actually called a "Sensory Garden", from Home Science Tools and I got them a motorized Solar System from Learning things. 

Needless to say, they are having lots of fun!  I love homeschooling! 

There is only a slight difference between the two, having to do with the name on the lower half of it.  Give me your votes.  Thanks! 

Number one:

Number Two:

Here's the latest creation from our Home Ec class.  Pumpkin Bread, my favorite!  Oh, if you could only smell my house right now.  Mmm, Mmm, good! 

Here's a picture for you:

They don't look a lot different than the Banana Bread we did, but oh, is there ever a taste difference!  Yummy!

It seems my dc have gotten a second wind regarding their schoolwork.  Dd even asked last night, while hubby and I were watching TV, if she could start on the next day's work.  Wow!  I sure wasn't going to say no!  LOL!  Ds, who just can't be outdone by big sis, was right in there with her, doing his own work. 

Now, the reason for all of this was a practical one, to them.  They wanted to make sure they had time to get all of their chores done (they've been letting a lot of them go lately) and they still wanted time to play with their new friends, so,  they knew they better get a head start. 

It is so nice for them to have the freedom to work ahead on their subjects, so they can fit things in that are important to them (and get the chores done that Mom and Dad want them to get done, too!  LOL!). 

It is such a beautiful day here today again.  It is 52 degrees right now, which I am just LOVING!  The air is so crisp and clean!  The squirrels are all running about, picking up the acorns to store away.  It's really fun to watch them all scurrying about. 

Another Home Ec. class today.

Dd just got through making three loaves and one pan of mini-loaves of Banana Bread.  Yum!  She has been wanting to do it for a long time.  Well, the last two times, the bananas had actually gone way past banana bread stage.  Blech!  This time I was determined to not have that happen.  I told her today would be a good day, since it was so cool, and she agreed!  So, we are now enjoying not only the wonderful taste of her Banana Bread, but the lingering smell as well. 

Ahh, don't you just love cool weather and the smell of something yummy coming out of the oven?