|
Homeschooling Adventures at the Maxwell's
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Where to start?
Sometimes I start to write on this blog and my mind draws a total blank and I can't think of a single thing to write about. Today I have so much on my mind that I can't figure out what to write about and whether any of it is noteworthy anyway. I think I'll make some random "headlines" then go back and fill in my thoughts below them.
Online friends
For some reason I've grown distant from my online friends for the most part. I have one that I've knows for several years now and she introduced me to two others, now I never seem to get to connect with any of them. Perhaps they are busy and distracted, I hope so, but I do really miss them. We used to get together online and do "15 minute missions." That is basically doing focused cleaning or organizing in our own homes then checking back with each other to talk about what we accomplished. We would do that several times in row and it was a lot of fun and we each were able to get so much done. I've joined the Flylady forums and there is a group that is doing something similar, maybe I'll give that a try again. It's not as much fun, but maybe it will keep me inspired.
New homeschool co-op
My two youngest children and I have joined a fairly new homeschool co-op in a nearby town and so far things are going pretty well. There was one woman there that I'd met at a previous homeschool function and we have hit it off pretty well. There are several little girls around my daughters age, so she is making some friends also. There are several boys around my sons age also but I think he's determined to not make friends, as the one boy he enjoyed spending time with at our old homeschool group isn't in this one. He's starting to come out of his shell a little, it's just that my kids are as shy as I was at that age. I still am quite a bit, but it's not as crippling as it was at that age. Along with making friends they are really enjoying their classes. They are taking Art, Science, Home Ec. and Gym. I'm trying to consider if I want to instruct a class next semester, but I'm not sure of what to offer. I'm sure it will be some sort of artsy type of class, just not sure what yet.
Crafts
I'm still doing crafts and other art projects both on my own and with the kids, just haven't been taking any pics of the process. I did alter a sweatshirt today and made myself stop and take pics while I was doing it, so once I'm satisfied with the end product, I'll probably post it on here. I plan on making some of the Christmas gifts we'll be giving to our extended family, and I'll try to remember to photograph them along the way also.
Friends found again on Facebook
While I've lost contact with some online friends, I've been able to reconnect with several of my old high school friends with Facebook. Right now I'm advising two on how to begin homeschooling. Which reminds me, I need to send them links that I promised I'd send them. Both with be homeschooling their only child, and it makes me wonder what it would have been like to homeschool only one. When we started six years ago, my oldest was going into 5th grade, middle was in 1st grade and the youngest was only three but determined to do school right along with the older ones. Homeschooling more than one can be frustrating, but it is also very rewarding.
Ebay and Christmas
I've been listing some items on ebay and so far they've done pretty well. I've gotten paid quickly and recieved positive feedback, can't beat that!! It would be nicer if the items went for more money, but I did make a little profit so that works too. I used the profits from my first round of sales to purchase my dad's Christmas gift, the full year of 1964 Hot Rod magazines. My husband has already poured over them and has even taken them into work to let those guys look at them. They are all safely and neatly in my closet awaiting the holiday season. I have some ideas for other gifts, and hopefully starting sooner will not put such a financial strain on us at the end of the year.
I had two other categories listed on here to write about but I've got housework screaming for attention so I'd better be getting off of here. I'll try to post more later.
|
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Co-op Gym Class Ideas
We joined a rather new homeschool co-op in my area and are really enjoying it. Really the only thing I'd like to see run a little differently is the gym class. Right now the kids are led to the gym for about half an hour and they are to find something active to do during that time. It's generally something with balls but nothing structured. I'm going to make a suggestion that planned activities be done during that time.
There are some shy kids in the group that don't just jump in where the action and usually stay on the fringes watching everyone else. Yes, I'm mostly talking about my two that I take. I don't take my oldest one as there are no other kids their his age and he'd be annoying beyond belief if I forced it on him, so I let him stay home.
I was doing some searches online yesterday for some ideas that I could implement into a gym class if they are interested in letting me help with it. I worry, though, since many of the kids seem to enjoy themselves as it is now, will they rebell if I try to add structure? The kids in this class range in age from 9 through 14. I'd like to stay away from competitive games and have the kids do things just because it's fun. Kind of hard to go totally non-competitive, but that's my goal eventually.
Here's a list of a few ideas I found or thought up, I wonder how they'd be received by the kids.
- Table tennis ball spoon race - balance a ball on a spoon, walk to the other end of the gym and around one or more obstacles and back to the next person in line. If dropped, pick it up and continue from where it dropped.
- Paddle ball balance - balance a table tennis ball on a table tennis paddle and continue as above.
- Frisbee toss - take three plastic flying discs and toss them one at a time either through a hula hoop or into a large trash can.
- Javelin throw - use pool noodles to throw through a hoop, into a large can or past a certain point on the floor.
- Chop Stick Relay - Using chopsticks, lift a stuffed chicken out of a bowl and transport to the other end of the gym and deposit into a frying pan, come back and give the chopsticks to the next person. The next person retrieves the chicken and brings back to the bowl. Continue until everyone has a turn. Chopsticks cannot be used to poke or stab the chicken, but must be used properly.
- Obstacle course - take whatever I can find in the gym area and create an obstacle course. For example, weave around cones in a line, bounce a ball around a chair, crawl under a table, etc.
- Wacky Walk - The kids would be spread out around the perimeter of the gym and would start walking in the same direction. Every 30 seconds or so a new way will be called out. They will continue with that for 30 seconds then return to walking for 30 seconds. Some ideas: crab-walk, reverse direction, backwards, jog, skip, jump, big steps, tiny steps, sideways, sideways jumping.
- Jump rope - teach some jump rope rhymes and teach how to jump in the middle of other people twirling the rope.
I hoping to find more ideas. I'm not sure if the co-op is interested in changing the way the gym class is run but if so, I'd like to be ready. The class is around 30 minutes and we have another 6 or 7 classes left in this semester. So if they'd be interested in holding off on it until the spring semester, then I'll be ready for that too. |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Trying To Get My Ducks In A Row
It seems like my summers have been pretty much the same since we started homeschooling 5 years ago. I take a break from thinking about schooling during June. In July I start evaluating what worked the previous year(s) and what didn't. In August, I start gathering supplies and curriculum.
I wish I had the money to drop on the latest and greatest choises out there, but since my oldest is in high school now, his curriculum is where the majority of our school budget will be going. He'll be doing Switched On Schoolhouse this year as we were able to borrow our friend's 9th grade version at the end of last year and he loved it. I won't be buying the 5 subject boxed set though, but will still be spending a good bit with the ones we do get. He'll be doing 10th grade LA, Science, and History, and 9th grade for Math as it is Algebra and he hadn't really covered it yet. Since he plans to work in Law Enforcement as an adult, I'm going to also supplement these courses with Civics, Logic, and Accounting as was suggested to us by my local sheriff. Now I just need to get these ordered and delivered by the end of the month. He'll also be doing other things, but these are the only items I still need to order.
My two youngest will be working on the same level in most areas, except for reading at least. I would like to buy a Spelling curriculum for them, but I hate to purchase anything without being able to hold it in my hands first to see if it would be a good fit for them. However, I do have some of the older spelling books in our personal library so I made up lesson plans for them myself. I think they will really enjoy doing their spelling this year as I took all the words for a given week and used them in a story starring themselves. I still need to type it out and bind them, but that won't take me very long once I get started.
I'll also be babysitting my grandson a couple of days a week and I want to have more planned activities to keep him occupied while we are doing our schooling. The kids have volunteered to take turns helping with him (not diapers though, they were very clear on that) and they are all looking forward to homeschooling him also. So, I want to look around on the web to find good activities to do with toddlers, he'll be 17 months when we start back at the end of the month.
I also want to get some basic breakfast and lunch menus planned and do any advanced cooking as possible before we start back also. We all work and focus better on a full tummy and we tend to waste so much time trying to decide what to eat then preparing it. I need to get much better in this area.
I'll try to post more regularly again, but probably not with very many crafts. We are still a very crafty family, I just don't photograph it all. I do have pictures of the blacksmithing class I took last week with my son, though. They are on my facebook page and if you tell me you read this blog I'll approve you as a friend so you can see them as well as anything else I've posted on there. |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wish List of Books and Movies
I'm finally sorting through my mountains of pages torn from magazines and I'm compiling a list of books and movies I'm wanting to see. I'm also checking my library inventory and on Netflix, anything I can't locate at either of these places will go onto this list. I need to declutter some of this paper in my house, it's overwhelming. I'm tossing the pages as I'm going, but I'll have this as a reference for the ones I can't locate otherwise.
BOOKS
GOD STORIES - edited by Jennifer Skiff
THE PAPER BAG CHRISTMAS - by Kevin Alan Milne
THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER - by Kathleen Kent
THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS IN THE SOUTH OR IF YOU CAN'T FRY IT, SPRAY PAINT IT GOLD - by David C. Barnette
VETERINARIAN AT SEASIDE ZOO - Work It series
TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO THINK - by Edward de Bono
THE ENGLISH AMERICAN - by Alison Larkin
LAST SEEN LEAVING - by Kelly Braffet
LIVING ARTFULLY - by Sandra Magsamen
BAD KITTY GETS A BATH - by Nick Bruel
READER'S DIGEST HOMEMADE
STAR OF THE WEEK - by Barney Stalzberg
THE RED LEATHER DIARY: RECLAIMING A LIFE THROUGH THE PAGES OF A LOST JOURNAL - by Lily Koppel
THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY - by Tiffany Baker
THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS - by Barbara O'Neal
DEEPER by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF IMMATURITY by Klutz
THE PUZZLING WORLD OF WINSTON BREEN by Eric Berlin
TWENTY-ODD DUCKS by Lynn Truss
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Allison Lassieur
THE STORY OF RUBY BRIDGES by Robert Coles
HENRY VIII by Sean Stewart Price
HIP-HOP US HISTORY by Blake Alexander and Alex Rappaport
THE 39 CLUES by Rick Riordan
CHASING YESTERDAY #3 TRUTH by Robin Wasserman
WARRIORS by James Harpur
WHO CONDUCTED THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Peter and Connie Roop
THE MANY RIDES OF PAUL REVERE by James Cross Giblin
HARRY HOUDINI by Vicki Cobb
CHARLIE by Tina Nolan
THE MONSTER HEALTH BOOK by Edward Miller
THE GREAT FAIRY RACE by Disney
THE MISSION OF ADDITION
THE ACTION OF SUBTRACTION
LOST IN THE STORM by Holly Webb
FLY GUY Series by Todd Arnold
TWO TIMES THE FUN by Beverly Cleary
WAR HEROES - VOICES FROM IRAQ by Allen Zullo
HEROES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS by David Adler
BLOOD AND ICE by Robert Massello
THE WRITING ON MY FOREHEAD by Nafisa Haji
SING THEM HOME by Stephanie Kallos
MOVIES
HORSE TUNES FOR KIDS - DVD and CD - Songs by Brent Holmes and Harvey the Horse
INTO THE UNKNOWN with Josh Bernstein
IDITAROD by Discovery
EVEREST by Discovery
I'll try to keep this updated. I know I have a slew of book and movie wishlists somewhere in this house! |
• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Girl Scout Cookie Time!!
We just signed Lindsey up for Girl Scouts, and just in time for the cookie sales! My husband took an order form with him to work and has sold several boxes for her already, she has set her personal goal at selling 250 boxes. She is hoping to earn a stuffed elephant. I told her that I'll be surprised if we can make it to 100 boxes, we don't know that many people.
I did just send off an email to a lot of people and plan to start making some phone calls here in a little while to help her out. I'd planned on taking her to visit with some of our friends and family to sell them, but the weather just isn't cooperating with us right now, so email and phone calls will have to do for now.
If you live in WV and would like to order some cookies, let me know by leaving me a comment. Or if you live elsewhere and want some and would pay for shipping to you, let me know that also. I can't imagine I'd be lucky enough to sell any on here, but it doesn't hurt to try, huh? |
• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Friday, December 5, 2008
December Menu Plans
I made up some general menu ideas and did the bulk of my grocery shopping yesterday. It took two buggies to get it all out to the truck, funny how it all fit in one buggy in the store though.
I'm not really great at actually making dishes that I've assigned to certain days, so I just make sure I have the supplies on hand to make a variety of dishes then I just make whatever I'm in the mood for that particular day.
I'm also going to do a lot of bulk cooking and freezing the majority of it so that will make meal prep even easier down the line. Here is a list of some of the things I'll be doing bulk cooking of today:
Lasagna
Meatballs
Meatloaf
Hot dog chili
Taco meat
Hamburgers
Hoagie meat
That's a lot of beef dishes, but we have some other meat, too. My mom gave me a vacuum pack sealer and a couple of rolls of bags, so it looks like I'll need to blow the dust of of that and try to remember how to use it!
I wrote all these foods above on my large dry-erase board that I keep in the kitchen on a large artist's easel. When the kids saw all their favorite foods written out they started clamoring to want to help me make them. Sounds good to me!! |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Friday, December 5, 2008
Christmas Shopping Done So Far
Every year I vow to cut back on spending for Christmas but I always seem to splurge anyway. I decided I wouldn't do a single bit of shopping this year until I had a very detailed and specific list for everyone. I've done the majority of my shopping from Amazon this year, a first for me, and even though I cringe at the shipping costs, I've been very happy so far with each transaction.
So far I'm totally done shopping for my husband, my grandson, my nieces and nephew, and for all three of our children (not counting stocking stuffers). I still have to shop for my parents and my brother and sister in law and my step-son and daughter in law. I know exactly what I'm getting each of them, just need to wait until payday to do it.
Hopefully I'll do better at setting aside money for Christmas shopping next year, I really hate the way I rob Peter to pay Paul at this time of the year. I find myself acting like a Scrooge when it comes to this time of year and really want to change my attitude. |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Printing Photos for Scrapbooking
Now that I take all my pictures with my digital camera, I have very few paper copies of any of them. I wanted to make a small scrapbook of my family to send to an older gentleman friend of ours so I started weeding through the multiple files of pictures taken in the past year.
I saved all the ones I wanted to have printed onto a disc and took it to Wal-Mart. I knew it had been a long time since I'd had any paper prints made as I was clueless about the "new" way to do it. I had to put the disc in a little computer looking kiosk and select how many copies I wanted made and what size and so on. I felt like I just crawled out of the woodwork, but the man behind the counter actually came out and put all the info in for me.
It only took an hour and $29 and I had 164 prints waiting on me. I had 3 copies made of most of them and 20 copies made of one to put in our Christmas cards. It's by no means a professional portrait of my family but it is the only one of all five of us and it was on our last day of our fabulous vacation this Summer. Here it is:
I have already made and mailed the scrapbook to our friend. He should have recieved it earlier this week, but we usually don't hear from him until the weekend, and I'm anxious to here his reaction. He hasn't seen us for about 5 years and you know how much kids change in just 5 years!!
I gave the other set of prints to my parents. I should have kept them and put them in an album for them for Christmas too, but I'm glad they have them now. It's been so long since I've had pictures printed, I'd forgotten how enjoyable it is to sit and sift through them. I've also been impressed that I'm in so many pictures this year, normally I'm the one behind the camera. But with our new super easy digital camera, my kids have all become photographers and videographers. Now I just need to remember to put on some make-up whenever a photo-op arrises, because there's a good chance I won't be the one holding the camera! |
• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Sunday, November 30, 2008
On Our Calendar For December
So far our calendar is pretty sparce, nothing much happening aside from our normally scheduled lives. I have a doctors appointment on the 2nd, hopefully I'll be able to get a scrip for some ADD meds. After reading about the symptoms of ADD in both adults and children, I realized that I've had to deal with this all my life, so I'm really hoping I'll be able to get some help for it finally.
The 3rd will be an ice skating trip with our homeschool support group. That should be interesting!!
I have a meeting on the 4th, need to remember to take all the bills and paystubs with me for it.
The 6th is what I'm most looking forward to this week! We'll be going to a town about an hour away to see the "Zany Umbrella Circus" which is supposed to be on par with the Cirque de Soliel except WAY cheaper.
The 10th we'll be meeting with our hs group again and then our hs 4-H group will meet directly afterwards.
The 13th will be the Christmas dinner for my hubby's company. It's not extremely dressy, but it is fun to get a little dressed up and get out with NO kids for a few hours. We always have a lot of fun hanging out with all those silly people. He's lucky to work with such a great group of people.
The 17th will have us meeting with our hs group again, this time for our potluck lunch and meeting. I'm not sure what the topic of discussion will be, but it's always great to hang out with like-minded people.
24th is Christmas Eve and it's the day we gather at my parents for dinner and gift exchange. My kids end up getting as much at their house as they do at ours, sometimes more!
25th is Christmas, and I'd love to just stay home and have people visit us here. But most likely we'll be going to visit my husbands family instead. I've tried getting everyone to come here instead, after all we have been the only ones with kids for years (not so now that we have a grandson), but old habits are hard to change I suppose. But, one good thing, it does get us up and dressed instead of just hanging around the house in our pj's all day.
31st is New Year's Eve and we normally just celebrate it by letting the kids stay up until midnight then maybe letting off some firecrackers saved from the 4th of July. We usually end up playing board games and doing crafts all evening just to pass the time.
I know our calendar will fill more as we read the newspaper and see dates for interesting activities, but I won't let it get so filled to ruin the peace we truly need at this time of the year. |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Setting Up To Do a Month of Blogging
Looking over this past year of blog posts, I'm rather disappointed in myself for not writing more about what's happening around our home. The majority of my posts have been copies of ones I post on the HSB Company Front Porch as the craft writer. There have been a few other posts stuck in here and there, but nothing very personal.
So, to remedy that, I'm going to try to post every day for the month of December. I already set up several posts and just saved them as drafts. I grabbed my calendar to see what we had coming up this month and wrote headlines to remind me to do reviews after the events. There are many more things I plan to write about, and of course, the crafts that get posted every week will still be here. I've lost the majority of the people that would stop by my blog to check in on me, so I hope this will help to bring them back.
So be sure to check back everyday for the next month. I'll be posting on all sorts of topics. Such as 4-H, our great support group, my business idea, household organization ideas, lesson plans, Etsy and Ebay, menus, recipes, and several others. |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
|
