We had a great day today! We went up to the outlet mall near Frankenmuth to look for fall clothes for the boys especially for John who is hard to fit because he is so small. After we ate lunch, we went to several stores and found clothes that he liked and that fit. We also went to the Kaybee Toy Outlet which was their favorite stop. After we drove back, we also went and bought some pumpkins at a local farm which they will decorate in the next day or so.

We had a light week with homeschool this past week since we went to a homeschool friend's birthday party and Andrew also had a mild cold. We were able to finish the Civil War in history and start on the settlement of the West. We also looked at different types of rocks closely and learned about their characteristics in science. I am posting some pictures about some activities we did back in September. (making earth cookies, spice drop crystals, and hardtack; also, going to the Detroit Tigers game)

We've not heard anything about our possible move yet, but this coming week should be the big week since all of the head guys are supposed to be in town. If we hear anything, I will update and let everyone know what's going on.

Have a great week!

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The last few weeks have been very busy as we have become used to our schedule. The boys are really enjoying their Homeschool Connections classes. In music, John has been learning about the different kinds of rhythm using instruments like tambourines and drums. His art class has included learning about wire sculpture, fabric art, and decorating flower pots and visors.  Andrew's tennis class is keeping his activity level high while his video game design class is the high point of his day. They are still learning how to use the software, and he did so well last week that he gets to be the helper tomorrow.

The classes that we have at home are also going well.  In science, we have made an earth cookie demonstrating the layers of the earth and used graham crackers and peanut buttler to learn about the earth's tectonic plates. In history, we have made hardtack, watched movies on the Civil War, made flags, and drew pictures of Pickett's Charge. The boys are moving forward with their math and LA skills, and we are continuing to work on writing.

We have not heard anything about our possible move yet, but are hoping the news comes soon. I will update when we know something.

    With this being a four-day week, we still had quite the eventful week. If you don't know, the company that my husband's company contracts with is moving its North American headquarters out of Michigan to the northern Virginia area. He is the senior team lead of their deskside support team, and the news this week was the culmination of several weeks of rumors. Nothing is settled yet, but we are thinking that this, more than likely, will result in a move for us sometime next year. I will update with news on this front as it comes to us.

     On to homeschool news::  This week we had all of the beginning of the year activities. Wednesday was the homeschool picnic, Thursday was the first 4-H Club Meeting, and Friday was John's first fall gymnastics class. He was real excited about going as he is always is since he loves gymnastics so much. It has done alot for his self-image since he started last year, and he has grown up so much since he has had the opportunity to participate.

    Our classes went well too. I figured out how to schedule WP's LA so it would fit for what I wanted to do. I actually reworked the schedule, and the boys seemed to like it much better: math, spelling/vocabulary, break, American history, grammar/writing, lunch, reading, and science.  We are doing math and LA every day; American history 4 times a week, and science 2 times a week. We start classes with our local homeschool group next Tuesday, and the boys are really looking forward to it. Andrew will be taking tennis and video game design while John will be taking music and art.

    Andrew has been working in a math review workbook while we have waited for Teaching Textbooks 6. I finally got an email on Friday saying it had shipped so we will probably be getting it sometime next week. I'm looking forward to seeing how he does with it.

    Finally, the boys are also doing better with what I have decided to call educational free time. When I am teaching one of them, the other is to either be on the computer with an educational game, reading out of their book box, or drawing in their sketch journal. I have yet to have a problem with them not doing what they're supposed to.

    I hope everyone has a good week.

We finished our first week of school today, and it went quite well. It was a good idea not to start with all of our subjects. The boys repsonded better to that and to putting more structure into our schedule. WP's Language Arts is going to be a good fit for us. I just need to figure out the best way to schedule all of the various parts of it.

John had his last summer gymnastics class this week. They had a big bouncy house in the gym that all of the children got to play in. He begins his new session of classes for the fall next week.

Andrew's big news of the week is that he got his cast off his arm. Yeah!!!!!! We went swimming that afternoon, and both boys had a great time.

We met a local homeschooling family today when they came over to look at the Rescue Heroes toys that we were selling. The children's cousin really enjoys them, and they were going to give them to him for his birthday. The boy in the family is Andrew's age, and they hit it off well. Hopefully, we will be able to have some playdates with them soon.

Hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend!!

     Writing is not my strongest suit, but I want to keep a record of what we are doing in general and in school so I am starting with this blog again.

     Yesterday was John's 8th birthday. We went to a local indoor amusement park and game place and also ate lunch at Johnny Rocket's. A homeschool friend of his joined us, and we all had a wonderful time. I am so proud of him. He has come a long way since last year. He and his brother did a great job with their summer reading (30 hours) and their summer workbooks. He is still taking gymnastics and is looking forward to the beginning of our homeschool on Monday.

   Andrew is also doing well despite breaking his hand six weeks ago. The cast should be coming off on the 29th. He has especially enjoyed our read-alouds this summer: By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, and Little Town on the Prairie.

   This fall we will be using mostly Winter Promise for curriculum: American Story 2, Rock Around the Earth, LA 5 with LA 4 AS 2 readers, and LA 3 with LA 2 AS 2 readers. For math, we will use Teaching Textbooks 6 and Math U See Beta (going on to Gamma when we finish Beta in December). The boys will be taking two classes each with our local homeschool group--tennis and video game design and art and music.

   Hope everyone enjoys the pictures.

John's Birthday - John and Andrew on the roller coaster

John's Birthday - John & his Dad

Last weekend, I went to the Winter Promise retreat in St. Petersburg, FL. It was nice to get away from cold Michigan and spend the weekend in nice spring weather. It was a small group that was able to come, but I was able to get to know all of the women well because of that. The author of the curriculum was also able to meet with each of us individually, and that really helped me greatly in my planning for next year. My favorite memories of the retreat include: the announcement of the new programs and getting to look at the resources, going to Starbucks, moonbathing, and "talking" to the WP Yahoo group.

My plan for next year is to use: WP American Story 2, WP Rock Around the Earth, WP LA 3 and LA5, Math-U-See Beta, and probably Horizons 5 math for my oldest. I feel very much at peace about my plan and am very grateful I was able to have the experience in FL. I will try and post pictures later on.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

      We had a wonderful week last week, and I think part of that was because we took our homeschool on the road. After homeschool gym class last Tuesday, we went over to the library, picked out new books, and then went upstairs to the teen area which was deserted because it was in the morning. There was a low table and chairs that the boys sat at, and they absolutely loved it. We plan on doing this every Tuesday.

       We also tried homeschooling in a tent on Wednesday, but that didn't work so well because the tent was meant for outside and not inside. The boys want me to find an indoor tent so we can try it again eventually.

        My husband and I were talking about how much they have grown and matured this year, and I know homeschooling has been a big part of that.  Andrew is now an enthusiastic reader (Magic Tree House books), and loves American history while John is enjoying his new Beta math book from MUS which we started last week.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 7 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 7 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 7 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1) I am a science fiction nerd! Some people would say this is weird. I am proud of it.

2) The initials of my name are now: AAR.  Before I was married they were AAS. I was so glad my parents did not give me a middle name that started with S .  :)

3) I was a computer brat growing up. (think of military brat and you'll know what kind of work my father did)

4) When I met my best friend, I was her Sunday School teacher. (She was in high school; I was in college.)

5) I drove across the country by myself (from SC to CA) when I was in college.

6) My godson started college this past fall. (That means I'm getting old.)   :)

7) I like reading fanfiction on the Internet.

I have tagged:  Crossings, DraiochtSchool, hollyhobby32, homeschoolingmichigan, Lindsey, mtbriere, SoaringEagleAcademy

    Out of all the expectations and questions I had when I first started researching homeschooling was the opportunity for my children to make new friends who were homeschooled as well.  So, of course, I have been taking every opportunity to get together with other children that we were able to do.  I wasn't real sure how it was all working out until the other day when the boys came out of homeschool PE, and John says that he has made two new friends. You can't imagine how pleased I was to hear that as he has been the one we have been most concerned about.

      I asked Andrew if he had felt like he had made any new friends this year so far, and he said yes. We have had playdates with some homeschooled boys his age, and he said that he felt like those boys were his friends. So, success on both fronts!!

      Hope everyone has a great day!!!!!!!

We have been very busy during the last couple of weeks. Andrew and John especially enjoyed our trip to Frankenmuth, MI last Sunday (10/8/06). We ate lunch at the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn, went to the Christmas store, and went to Grandpa Tiny's Farm and Petting Zoo. The boys especially enjoyed the hayride and petting the rabbits while we were there.

We've done well with our schedule during the week. The boys like knowing how long we are going to take with each subject. John is really enjoying his writing while Andrew likes his math and science. I was also able to find some other activity books for history at the library, and we've done some of the activiies--making a pound cake and making Indian shields. We also started a new read-aloud today, Sign of the Beaver.

It is hard to believe that we are beginning our seventh week of homeschooling. The support from our family and friends (real life and Internet) has been amazing. We hope everyone has a great week!!

I am wanting to keep a record of everything I write about homeschooling so I am going to quote a post I put on two of the boards I frequent.

Quote:

Thought I would share this. It almost brought tears to my eyes. I had both ds's in Target a little while ago, and we ran into a child who was in younger ds's class last year in ps. I exchanged hellos with the parents, and pointed to the child ds knew. He said hi kind of abruptly and then turned to the checkout line where we were going. I nodded at them, and they walked off. When we were in the line, ds said "Now, I don't have to be scared anymore." I asked him what he meant, and he pointed to the child we had seen and really didn't say anything else and still has not. Dh asked him which one he liked better (ps or homeschool) when we got back and he said homeschool. So I'm thinking his comment either had something to do with the bullying he experienced last year or his frustration at not being able to finish his work.

I am really glad we are homeschooling now.

Today we went to the Cranbrook Science Center for the MetroParent Education Expo and to see the science center. What was really cool was that it was a FREE event for the community. There was alot of information about education resources, crafts for the children, a chance to see the new planetarium show and the new crocodile exhibit, contests to enter, snacks, and lunch. There was also a booth letting the children dress in costumes that represented what they wanted to be when they grew up. Andrew and John both chose the astronaut costumes. I will download them to the site when I get them, but, for now, I have pictures that I took with my camera, and I am in one of them. (My husband took that one.) Hope everyone has a good week.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sc_stargate_fan/my_photos

We have still been getting adjusted to our schedule, and it did not help that Dad was home for three days last week because of some health issues. He's ok now though, and we have been moving through our studies. For the last few days, I had been thinking that I needed to plan out a specific time schedule for when each child did their subjects so I could focus on that child without the other child asking for help so I actually wrote out the schedule yesterday and we tried it for the first time today. It went great and was especially helpful for the subjects they are doing individually! Of course if opportunities come up, like field trips or playdates or we go longer because we're exploring a topic, I can make adjustments, but it was nice to see it all in black and white. For anyone who's interested, here it is:

Homeschool Schedule:

9:00 - 9:15  Pledge of Allegiance/Announcements

9:15 - 9:30  Andrew - Spelling/Handwriting

                  John - educational computer game

9:30 - 9:45  John - Spelling/Handwriting

                 Andrew - educational computer game

9:45 - 10:00 Andrew - Math

                   John - educational computer game

10:00 - 10:15 John - Math

                    Andrew - educational computer game

10:15 - 10:45  Break

10:45 - 11:15  John - Langauge Arts

10:45 - 11:05  Andrew - DEAR (Drop Everything and Read)

11:05 - 11:15  Andrew - educational computer game

11:15 - 11:45  Andrew - Language Arts

11:15 - 11:30  John - DEAR (Drop Everything and Read)

11:30 - 11:45  John - educational computer game

11:45 - 1:00   Lunch/Recess

1:00 - 1:30  American History

We are also adding Science, Art, and Spanish 1/2 times a week which will be after this point.

    We have certainly had some a-ha  moments this week. The boys have gotten into a routine, and we were able to add spelling. We finally received our Math U See student books this week, and John was able to test into Level 8 of the book. Andrew is also going quite fast in his Saxon Math book. He took Test 1 and made a perfect score and will probably Test 2 sometime next week. I'm getting him to do the first 3  - 4 lessons in each section and then take the test. When he starts making mistakes on the test, I will slow down and make sure he has grasped those concepts.

     This is what I enjoyed most this week: both boys gaining an understanding of nouns, putting together the Viking map in history, and John understanding the concept of finding the unknown number in math.

     On Tuesday, we went to our first homeschool PE class at the YMCA. Both of the boys are in the same class, and there were six other children besides them. They seemed to have a good time. Next week the class will be slightly larger because the 10-12 year old class is going to be folded into the 6-9 year old class

     Towards the end of the week, I found out that a homeschool Campfire scouts group was going to be formed and we went to the first meeting today. Andrew really enjoyed himself, and John finally warmed up towards the end. We'll have to see how that works out. My husband really wanted the kids to have more daytime actvities vs. nighttime/weekend activities so we have decided to drop out of Cub Scouts and try Campfire Scouts out.

    I have learned so much during this first week of homeschooling my boys. First, homeschooling was the right choice for us. My fourth grade son will more than likely be out of Saxon 5/4 math by Christmas and into Saxon 6/5 math. He is enjoying the chance to go quickly in his math book which he wouldn't have been able to do if he had been in school. My second grade son was able to take breaks when he got frustrated, and from some of the frustration I witnessed, we would have already been called in for a conference if he had been in school.

      The second thing I learned was that all the research I have done over the last few months has been beneficial. When I tweaked our curriculum this week, I hardly batted an eye  because I knew that it was a normal thing to do. I also knew that it was normal for younger ds not to sit still during read-alouds because I was already familiar with his learning style.

      The third thing I learned was the consistency of keeping them on a schedule. They went to bed 30 mintues later than usual because we were at our neighbor's house, and it sure showed this morning when they had the blahs.     But we pushed through it, and now we're done for the week. 

       Finally, we are liking the rest of our curriculum as well including WinterPromise American History. I am including some pictures of them with their Navajo bracelets.

Here is the link. (click on the folder named Navajo Bracelets)

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sc_stargate_fan/album

We had our first day yesterday, and it went very well. We decided on how we were going to start school (Pledge of Allegiance) and then we decided on what the order of our schedule would be each day. Andrew was very enthusiastic about this, and of course, since he likes math so much, that is what we will be doing first.  We then did math and history and went on a homeschool picnic. They had a great time!!!  We will be getting into more of our subjects today, and John will have his gymnastics class this afternoon.

We took our first trip as a homeschooling family today. We had never been to this park before so we had a lot of fun walking near one of the beaches and hiking the trail near the nature center. John and Andrew really enjoyed petting a turtle and looking at the fish. We will be starting our homeschooling on Tuesday and are very excited about the beginning of our journey.

For pictures of our trip: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sc_stargate_fan/album