,,,,the CHAP convention!

I'll be there.  Will you?

My notebook is all made up with my lists and ready to go.  (I need a new one, though~ I've been using this one for the past few years and, well, it's falling apart!)  Anyway, for those of you who are new to homeschool conventions, I thought I'd briefly share what I include in my notebook, just in case you need some convention tips. 

We register online for the CHAP convention, so the first thing in my notebook is always my printed reservation confirmation.  Make sure you take some sort of proof of payment with you, just in case! 

Next, I include a workshop schedule.  CHAP makes this available to us online before convention.  This is handy, as I can look it over and decide beforehand which workshops are of interest to me.  I highlight the ones that I'd like to listen to and/or purchase the audio cd.  I prefer the audios, actually, as I can concentrate on them better~ however, sometimes they have hand-outs at convention, and I do so love those handouts.  So, weigh your options and choose what's best for you.  I have 5 workshops highlighted for this year, and I'm noticing a recurring theme......each one is related to homeschooling the high schooler.  What do you think?!

After that, I have a section for Ashley and a section for Gracie.  I print pages off the internet or pull them from catalogs, with pictures and prices of the items that I know I need to buy.  I like to have pictures, so I know that I'm getting the latest versions/editions of what we need.  And I like to have prices so I know I'm getting the best deal (if it's cheaper to order online or through a catalog, I'll wait and order when I get home~ though I've never found that to be the case).  I keep all of these pages in plastic sheet protectors because, well, I'm weird like that!

I keep some extra page protectors in the back, for any hand-outs from workshops, etc.

Today, I will make up a quick reference check-list for the front of my binder.  I will print this on cardstock and will not put it in a sheet protector, as I will have check boxes to check off the items as we buy them.  I will seperate this list by child;  and, this year, I'll have a section for my friend Isabelle (who has given me a list of items to look for as well). 

Oh, I always carry pre-printed return address labels.  Many vendors have contests and drawings at their booths, and it is much quicker to use these labels to sign up, rather than having to write out the same information over and over again. 

I want to say a special THANK YOU to my dear friend Crystal, who first encouraged me to attend convention years ago.  I always thought I'd be too overwhelmed at convention.  I was wrong!  I love it, and look forward to it with anticipation each year. 

If you'll be at CHAP, you can look for me in the TOS booth~ I'll be there off-and-on both Friday and Saturday.  Hope to see YOU there!

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As the girls and I are winding down our school year (only 34 more days to go!), I'm starting to plan for next year (ok, for those of you who really know me, I confess~ I've been planning for months! )  Anyway, I have my handy dandy convention folder all ready to go and thought I'd share a list of the items that I'll be needing to buy (this list does not include things we already have or that I have already purchased~ used~ via online resources). 

For Ashley:

• Videotext Algebra, modules D-F (on dvd)
• Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology and companion cd-rom
• Latina Christiana I
• Books needed for "Where the Brook & River Meet" unit study
  - George Mueller biography
  - Napoleon biography
  - Queen Victoria biography
  - The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee
  - That's Why They Call It Grace (tape/cd) by Diana Waring
  - What in the World's Going on Here?
  - Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Rick & Richard Mayberry
  - Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? by Rick & Richard Mayberry
  - The Snow Queen by Nas Christian Anderson
  - Marmion by Sir Walter Scott
  - The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edit Schaeffer
  - The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality by Mary Pride
  - Laurel's Kitchen Caring; Recipes for Everyday Living by Laurel Robertson

For Gracie:

• Abeka's God's Gift of Language A (and test book)
• Abeka's Arithmetic 4 (and test book)
• Modern Curriculum Press Spelling Workout Level D
• Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology 2
• and possibly Prima Latina
  

My list isn't too big this year.  And I will continue to check the used curriculum boards leading right up to convention time, as I'm always looking for better deals.  If you have any of these items that you'd like to sell, please e-mail me.

Oh, and speaking of convention.....
Is anyone planning to come to CHAP?  If so, check for me in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine booth (I'll be there for a few hours each day (not sure yet of times);  but when I'm not in the booth, I'll be strolling the convention.  Hope to see you there!

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Over the next several months, I will be working with Kris Price to help TOS create the PERFECT homeschool planner.  We'd also like to include household planning in this as well.  We want YOU to offer your suggestions.  What would YOU like to see in the ULTIMATE planner?

If you're anything like me, you've searched for the perfect planner, and just can't find it.  I've tried several, but none are just what I want~ so I always end up creating my own planning sheets on the computer. 

So, in order to create the BEST PLANNER EVER, we'd like your suggestions.  Please send them to Gena~ tell her what you're looking for, and we'll do everything we can to incorporate all YOUR ideas into the new TOS planner.

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THE TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE?

Totality (when the Moon is completely engulfed in the Earth’s shadow) starts at 7:00 pm and will last 52 minutes (Pacific Standard Time – you can add hours depending upon your time zone).  We will not have another Total Lunar Eclipse visible from the Americas until December of 2010, so you will not want to miss this!

If you'd like to learn more about the 5 stages of a lunar eclipse, click here.

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*I'm going to leave this "sticky" at the top of my blog for a few days, as I'm really hoping for some HELP with this one! 

We are planning to use Where the Brook and River Meet with Ashley for next school year.  I'm anxious to try to whole unit study thing and see how that works out for us.  I would LOVE to hear from anyone who has used this in the past~ please tell me your experience with it, pros and cons, any suggestions you may have for making our school year fun and productive.

In addition to this book, we only need to add in a math program (not a problem, as we'll continue with VideoText algebra), a science program (we'll be using Apologia's Biology), and seperate grammar and Latin courses.

That's where YOU come in (if you're not already answering from paragraph one, and even if you are!).......I'd love to hear about any Latin course that you've used.  I'm not really familiar with any of them.  So, tell me titles, where they can be purchased, what you liked and disliked about it, would you recommend it, etc.  You know, your basic review~ positive or negative. 

Also, if you have something to recommend for high school grammar, that would be great too.  The book says it's not needed if "your child is proficient in grammar".  Well.........(that's all I'm going to say!)

Help, please!  Our school year next year is dependent on it!

NOTE:  If you would prefer to share about your Latin experiences (or your thoughts on Where the Brook and River Meet) on your own blog, that's fine too.  Please just sign the Mr. Linky below with your name and a direct link to your post.  I so appreciate it (and so do a few friends of mine who are also interested in Latin!)

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Last week, I shared about our latest homeschooling adventures and promised to share pictures of Gracie's lapbook on Kirsten (the American Girl).  Here is a slideshow that we made for on Gracie's blog;  I'll share it here as well:

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Well, we are over 1/2 way through our school year and I thought I'd take the time to report on some of our progress and some of our/my favorite things.......

I shared the other week about Gracie's science and her making a bird field guide, thanks to NotebookingPages.com.  I must say again how wonderful those notebooking pages are!  If you haven't checked them out, please follow the link in my left-hand sidebar~ she's got so many notebooking pages to choose from that you can spend ALOT of time browsing her site!

We finished The Mystery of History Volume 1, right on schedule at the mid-way point;  and have eagerly started in on Volume 2.  I LOVE these books!  I think it is absolutely wonderful that both girls and I can sit down and study history together~ and we're ALL learning (yes, even me~ that's what  I love about homeschooling!)  They both took the first quiz today and both got 100%! 

Along with The Mystery of History, we're using the Wonders of Old timeline book by Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest.  I ordered mine  through Homeschool E-store and it's a very good thing~ we have so many timeline figurines to add, and we're doing the 3-ring binder style timelines, so we're forever printing out extra pages.  I love that I paid for one and can print out as many pages as we need for our own use.  This book, though, is also available in a hard-bound style, which I'm sure is just beautiful.  It's a matter of personal preference~ I'd love to do a wall timeline, but we just don't have the space in this "house of many windows".

We use the timeline figurines from Homeschool in the Woods~ these are awesome!  They are so detailed!  We bought the paper copies (which are actually on a nice-quality cardstock);  you are allowed to make copies for your own family's use, so they've come in very handy.  I may have prefered to have these on a cd;  but we bought a "package deal" and this is what came with it.

Just a little over 1/2 way through the school year, and Gracie finished her 3rd grade Abeka math book!  On Monday morning, she said "Mom, school just isn't going to be the same today!  I don't think I'll like it without math."  Fortunately for her, Ashley had won 2 Math Mammoth books as part of her prizes from the Homeschool Blog Awards.  Ashley doesn't care much for math and is busily working through VideoText Algebra;  so she graciously offered to get the two 4th grade  books for Gracie.  They ought to keep her busy throughout the remainder of the year, and then some......

And one last thing......
Gracie just finished reading the Meet Kirsten book today, from the American Girl collection.  We're using a lapbook kit from Knowledge Box Central (yes, I got mine from Homeschool E-store) and we'll probably finish it up tomorrow.  She's enjoyed doing the mini-books, and I'm sure we'll both enjoyed the finished product when we put it all together (this is a huge lapbook~ taking 4 file folders!)  I'll be sure to post pictures of it when it's completed.

Both girls got straight A's on their 2nd report cards.  We don't make a big deal about the report cards, but I do like to include them in their portfolios (which are viewed by the superintendant of our local school district). 

Now, it's time to start making plans for yearly testing~ with Ashley  being in 8th grade and Gracie being in 3rd, they're both in years that are required testing years here in PA.  Also, it's time to start making plans for next school year, and for homeschool convention.  My wheels are turning......

How is your school year going, so far?

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I have to confess:  Gracie and I have really been lacking in our science study this year.  I chose the Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day book by Jeannie Fulbright (Apologia) because of Gracie's great interest in and love for birds.  However, neither of us is too interested in the entomology part of the book;  and, though I know a well-rounded education is important and sometimes we need to learn and study things that we're not necessarily interested in, the fact of the matter is that Gracie is only 7 years old~ she's got lots of time to learn.  Truth be  told, she wasn't even too excited about working on the lapbooks that we were working on to accompany the course.

So, here we are~ almost 1/2 way through our school year, and starting a new calendar year.  Time to regroup and rethink some things.  Here's what we've come up with:  We are going to READ the remainder of the textbook.  We'll verbally answer the questions, but we're not going to do the assigned notebooking pages.  From now on, each day, Gracie is going to do some of the pages from NotebookingPages.com~ each day, she'll pick a new bird to research and work on the pages that correspond to that bird.  Here's what she did yesterday:

 This is the "cover page" that is available for each bird.  There is also a very similar one that is available with some room for writing at the bottom of the page~ under the bird name. 

I found some great websites with pictures of the birds, as well as information about them, that will help her to fill out these pages.

In the end, Gracie will have a "bird field guide" of sorts~ made totally by herself!  How wonderful is that?!

 This is one of two styles of pages to write information about the birds.  (Both of these pages, as well as one cover page, are also available with broken writing lines for younger children;  so there are essentially 7 pages included in this notebooking page set for each of 97 North American birds!)

Also included in this set is a cover page, and 4 template pages (in case there's a bird that you'd like to add to your collection that is not part of this set~ I can't imagine!)

If you're interested in this set of notebooking pages, or others like it, click on the link to NotebookingPages.com in my left-hand sidebar.  You won't be disappointed.

Oh, and this all kinda goes along with my "one day at a time" post from yesterday.  Sometimes you just have to be flexible and be willing to change some of your ideals or goals.  I've found this to be true several times in our homeschooling adventures over the years. 

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My friend Melissa (over at Melissa's Idea Garden)
is hosting a new meme:

She's thirsty for information, so each week she'll post a new question/topic.
This week, she want to know WHY WE HOMESCHOOL.

When Ashley was a little one, if someone would have said to me "would you consider homeschooling?" I would have said, rather adamantly, "No way!"  The only people that I knew that homeschooled were "strange".  And, although I always thought, in the back of my mind, that I would keep Ashley home with me instead of sending her to kindergarten, I would have never, ever called it homeschooling.

Fast forward five years.......when the time came that Ashley could have gone to kindergarten, the  teachers in our school district were striking (for the 2nd year in a row).  They didn't have a contract, and the school district was having some major problems.  I  thought to myself, "Gee, I could do a much better job teaching her at home!"  So, I did.  I ordered the entire boxed curriculum for kindergarten from Abeka (because I was familiar with it, having attended a primarily-Abeka Christian school). 

When Ashley was about 1/2 way through second grade, and Gracie had recently arrived, I started questioning whether being home with me (and a baby) all day was enough for Ashley.  She was such a social girl, and I just started having those misgivings that we all face at times in our homeschooling journeys.  So, in January, Ashley started at the local public school. 

She spent the next 2 1/2 years at that school.  Though it wasn't ALL bad, there were definitely some things that happened in those years that were not good.  If I could turn  back the clock and do it all over again, I would keep her home with me.  But, as they say, hindsight is always 20/20. 

The summer that Gracie turned 4, I decided that she was a prime candidate for homeschooling and she was ready for kindergarten.  The decision just seemed to include bringing Ashley home as well, and she didn't argue in the least.  Now, we've been homeschooling both girls and we're 1/4 of the way into our 4th year together.  We love it!  Ashley says she NEVER wants to go back to public school;  and, Lord willing, she won't have to.

Our days with Ian can be quite interesting, to say the least.  Sometimes I look at him and wonder how we'll ever get him raised, let alone through school!  But, truthfully, in my heart, I know that we can do it.  And, we will!

The reasons why I homeschool now don't have anything to do with the reasons why I started homeschooling all those years ago.  Here are some of them:

• Even though the teachers aren't still striking at the local public school, I've seen and heard too much to want my children to be a part of that.
• I love being in charge of my childrens' education, and being able to pick the curriculum and resources that we will use, in direct relation to their interests and learning styles.
• I enjoy being able to set our own schedule.  With a toddler in the house, we need to be flexible.  We have to work things like science and history around Ian's naptime.  My girls both function best after they've been awake for a few hours, so we often wait until late morning or after lunch to start our schoolwork.
• I love that we can go on field trips and vacations whenever we want, and that the world is one big field trip and learning experience. 

If you decide to participate in Thirsty Thursday, be sure to go to Melissa's blog and sign her Mr. Linky.  (I'm sure she won't mind if you're a day or two late.)

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