My children attend science classes with a retired science teacher at our homeschool co-op on Mondays. This morning, my son did his homework. The photos show my children using the "telephone" that DS made for his science homework.
Jan. 26, 2010
Science Homework
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Dec. 3, 2009
The Jesse Tree
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I wrote an article about the Jesse Tree as an Advent tradition that was published over at Catholic Exchange. You can read it here. |
Nov. 24, 2009
Do you notebook?
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Do you need any notebooking pages for this school year, to give as gifts for journaling, or just to stock up ahead of time for next year? Notebooking pages is having a "balck Friday sale. I have posted more information at my other blog. I love to have pretty and useful pages for my children to use as they do their school work. I even substitue notebooking pages in their three ring binders. It gives them incentive to do their best.
Happy Thanksgiving! |
Nov. 5, 2009
As the first quarter ends....
we find ourselves settling into a routine for the week. We still have a few logistical bumps here and there, but for the most part, we have things figured out. Each of the children is finding things a bit more challenging this year. The 9 year old and the 13 year old have each been "bumped up" a grade level. I did this in order to challenge them and see if they would rise to the occasion. For the most part, they are both doing a pretty good job. DS is really enjoying both his art and science classes at co-op. He does not particularly enjoy his writing class, as it is a challenge for him, but he is putting forth decent effort. DD is enjoying her art class, Apologetics class, Church history class, literature class, and "gym" class. She is doing the work for science, but it is not her favorite. Both of their grades are a little lower than they would be at a lower grade level, but that is because of the difficulty of the work expected from them. |
Oct. 4, 2009
Srodowisko at Quiet Waters
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This is a video of my daughter's youth group at their srodowisko retreat in August. The song that is playing is the youth group singing a song that they wrote that week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6I2a1FbHF4 This is an incredible group of young people ranging in age from 12 to 20 something. The older youth mentor the younger youth and they are all hoping to attend World Youth Day in Spain in 2011. Many of them are homeschoolers or homeschooled until this year. (Some of them are in Catholic High Schools instead of at home) Pray for them to be able to raise the needed funds, please. |
Sep. 26, 2009
The battle over Grammar
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My son hates Grammar. There is no other way to describe it. He will drag his feet all day and finally sit down with the book, but it will take him hours instead of a few minutes to do even brief assignments. I have tried a couple of different books already this year. I love the structure of Rod and Staff, but he seems to be "getting it" more from the Barron's Painless Junior Grammar workbook I picked up. I looked at God's Gift of Language from A Beka, and Easy Grammar, but neither of these seemed to be a fit for my son, or for me. A friend loves Analytical Grammar, but it is for older students. My dear son is only 9. I want to be sure he has a good grasp of grammar. He is very intelligent, and being able to express himself properly and accurately, while not particularly "important" now, will be vital to success later. For now we will plug away. I hope he learns the grammar and we stop fighting. Lord, Thank you for the gift of language you have given us. Please help me to impart on my son, the dear child You have placed in my care, the ability to express himself in a manner that will demonstrate the intelligence with which You have gifted him. Amen. |
Sep. 14, 2009
Back to the grindstone
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We started co-op classes today. YDS has 3 classes and his sister has 6 or 7...I lost count! Our co-op has a very full junior high/high school level "program" and she will participate in that. It is 2 days and will probably fill most of her week after "homework" is assigned. I had won a Picturing America grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and we are sharing it with our co-op. One of the other mothers has a degree in art and agreed to teach with the grant. Both of my children had her class today. She is teaching twice...once for the younger group and once for the older group. They used clay today to sculpt after looking at and learning about southwestern pottery. Both of my children enjoyed it.
YDD has a literature class this year. I was informed by her teacher that she was enthusiastic during class and even asked if they might get to read and study more than just the 3 books currently on the syllabus. I wondered if it could possibly have been my child she was talking about, or perhaps a body snatcher alien.....
Both students have science classes with a wonderful retired science teacher. We will see how the year goes. It is the first time YDS has been sent off into classrooms without mom hovering around.
I get to be hall monitor. I don't mind being the mean mom who has to corral little ones back to pre-school music, or tell teens to lower their voices. I also monitor the door to the building we use. There is an office there for a missions group and there are elderly sisters who live in half of the building so we are not the only people in and out. It is an old convent building. We are grateful that we have use of the building. It has given us the opportunity to have a really full co-op.
Dear Lord,
Please guide us on the path of your choosing this year. May we be humble and loving. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. |
Aug. 31, 2009
Vacation disappointment
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Well, we tried to go away for a few days. We went to Orleans, MA. We left Saturday morning and came home Sunday evening. We were supposed to stay until Tuesday. Our 19 year old was supposed to help out and do our cleaning for us. DH had the feeling on Sunday that we needed to come home. No sooner were we all packed than my phone rang and 19 was telling me he had car problems. Oh, well. Maybe next time we can actually enjoy a couple of days away. |
Aug. 1, 2009
Field trip
We took a trip to Skinner State Park. We took along our sketch books and lots of colored pencils. We played chess and ate cherries.
 We saw this strange caterpillar. This was the view.  You can see it was a really hazy day. Afterwards, we went out for ice cream at a local dairy farm. It was all made on site, and was quite yummy! I wanted to add the scans of the children's artwork into this post, but I couldn't figure how to. The pictures were scanned into a PDF document. DS drew a picture of himself climbing rocks. DD drew 3 drawings of the scenery. |
Jul. 6, 2009
wrapping up
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I am still processing all the end of the school year stuff. You know what I mean. The essays and papers that still need to be corrected, the portfolio that still needs to be assembled. I am also waiting for the standardized test results for my 3 children who are at home. We are also thinking about next year and planning for curriculum. We are venturing back into a co-op for many of our classes next year after staying home for all of our classes this past year. I love the co-op as far as opportunity to be with other families goes, however, I am afraid my children see only the social opportunity, and do not understand that this is a wonderful learning opportunity. I am wondering about how to balance the co-op with the rest of the week. I am also trying to determine if I will continue to attend the Ladies Bible Study that has been a part of my life for so many years. I am not sure if I can justify another day out of the house with 2 co-op days. In the mean time, one of my dear homeschooling friends is taking classes and talking about becoming a public school teacher.  I will miss her if and when she starts teaching in brick and mortar schools.Dear Lord, Thank You for opportunities and changes. May we follow Your will for us. Please help us to discern the way You would have us follow. Amen. |
Jun. 7, 2009
NECHC
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Well, we survived the First Annual(hopefully)NECHC. If you had asked me a month ago if I thought this conference would be successful, I would have scratched my head and and mumbled "ummmmm...." as a vague kind of "I really don't think so, and I think we have been absolutely crazy to undertake this!" After yesterday, though, I am pleased to say that the conference was a success. We had a beautiful day, a great turnout, and happy vendors. Our lovely Challenge Club girls (with a lot of help from Mrs. Seaver and Mrs. Hill) put together and manned a "food court" to raise money to help defray the costs of the Challenge Summer Convention for the girls who would like to attend this year. Attendees raved about the food. Dr. William Fahey, President of Thomas More College in NH presented a talk about homeschool fathers. He was very well received by the mixed audience of moms, dads, grandparents and religious who attended. He was at turns witty and serious, and touched on the disconnect that can occur if fathers are "divorced" from the homeschool situation. Cynthia Montanaro spoke of her years as a homeschool mom and all the lessons she learned along the way. Dr. Jean Golden-Tevald shared her faith journey as a doctor, wife and mother of natural born and adopted children. There was a music workshop done by Making Music, Praying Twice which seemed geared toward younger children and the importance of surrounding our children with all different types of music from an early age. Nick Morganelli rounded out the afternoon with some fun science experiments that can be done at home. He also demonstrated a "here comes the rain" rhythm with clapping, snapping, stomping that he has used in co-op classes. I am certain that children in a class would love this so much we might have a hard time returning to quiet. The Daughters of St. Paul presented a lovely hour of Eucharistic Adoration for the hour before Mass. The readings and music brought great peace to the room and very nicely helped to lead everyone into the close of the day. The two sisters also manned a table for Pauline Books and Media. I think my favorite part of the day, however, was the attendees. People came from as far away as Quebec, Canada, and as near as right here in Chicopee, MA. We had a large turnout of Catholic homeschoolers from CT, RI, and NH. One family came in from Boston very close to the end of the day, having only just heard about the conference on Friday June 5th. There were several Catholic support groups represented from different areas including this one and this one. It was wonderful to meet so many people dedicated to teaching their children at home. Many people seemed excited about having a Catholic Homeschooling conference. I know that the Holy Spirit led those of us involved in planning this conference. He laid on our hearts an ache for something that we miss at other homeschool conferences. Our Catholic identity makes us yearn for the presence of the Lord in a way that only Catholics truly appreciate: Our Lord in the Eucharist. Having both Adoration and the Holy Mass available fulfills in us something that other forms of prayer simply don't give us. It brings the Lord more fully into our hearts and souls. Dear Lord, Thank you for Your guiding hand in the NECHC. I am truly awed by the spirit of joy that surrounded all who volunteered and attended the conference. You have blessed us with children who not only help out when "forced," but who also cheerfully offer their assistance where ever they see a need. Please help us to continue to lead them to have servant's hearts. Thank you, Lord, for all those who volunteered at the conference. There were so many who arrived and pitched in. I am humbled by their generous spirits, Lord. Amen. |
Jun. 2, 2009
Conference boxes
The tower of boxes shown below arrived today for the NECHC. I will be manning a table for HSLDA. It is hard to believe that 2 years of planning have gone by and the day has nearly arrived!  |
May. 30, 2009
New additions
We have added a new member to our menagerie. His name is Fitzie. He is soft and white and weighs in at 6 pounds. Can you guess what he is? If you guessed a small dog, possibly part Bichon, you are correct. We adopted this 11 year old last Friday. I didn't think I would like a small dog, but I was wrong. He plays fetch. He tries to climb on the bed, but I make him get down. He follows me around and sleeps near me where ever I am. I also added something else to our home. My brother sent me "an old friend." I had one of these when I was a little girl: Her name is Mrs. Beasley. She was the doll that "Buffy" of the "Family Affair" TV program that ran from 1967-1971 had. I watched that show when I was little and I had a Mrs. Beasley doll. She was the only doll I ever wore out. My brother sent me this one. She is actually an original, and she still has her pull string and talks. I was really surprised to receive her, and I am thankful to my brother for thinking of me. He sent her without any sort of special occasion....just because he thought of me and Mrs. Beasley.I am enjoying having her. I had recently been reminiscing about her, so it was that much more of a surprise that my brother sent her. He lives in Ireland and I am in the U.S. and he was not the person I was reminiscing to...... |
May. 20, 2009
A notebooking give away
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Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available. You can see samples on the Apologia website here:
These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.
Each of the notebooking journals include:
See the sample pages here:
Botany: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=128
and
Astronomy: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=127
Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: www.jeanniesjournal.com
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May. 19, 2009
A review of Five Minutes with the Child Jesus
A Review of Five Minutes with the Child JesusFive Minutes with the Child Jesus A Christmas Story by Alvaro Correa, LCIllustrations by Gloria Lorenzo While this story has been called A Christmas Story, I believe it is really a story about the corporal works of mercy and the faith of a child that happens to take place at Christmas. The main character is Michael, a ten year old boy who knows to be respectful in church, and who truly speaks to Jesus as his friend. School has just let out for Christmas break and Michael has stopped in at Our Lady of the Snow Catholic Church with his friend Andrew, whose father is a sacristan there. While Andrew speaks to his father in the sacristy, Michael sits in a pew and speaks to Jesus. Jesus not only speaks back to Michael, He brings Michael on a series of visits to the lonely, the impoverished, the sick, and the hard of heart. Michael listens to the instructions of Jesus for each of these visits, and we see people being helped and healed throughout the "five minutes." This book is written as a children's book, however, it is really a story from which anyone who seeks to do the Lord's will can learn. Jesus said, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." (Mark 10:14b-15 NAB) This book demonstrates what our Lord meant about the faith of a child. This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Five Minutes with the Child Jesus. |
May. 13, 2009
Rosetta Stone Contest
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Rosetta Stone is the fastest way to learn a language and has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — and you can WIN the *all new* version 3 Rosetta Stone Homeschool LATIN program… FOR FREE! This is the first year you can get Latin in the brand new Version III update. This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!) To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original page http://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post. And good luck!
I would love to win this! |
May. 9, 2009
Physical education
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What do you do to address physical education? I admit to being pretty close to a couch potato, so I am not very good at incorporating physical activity in our routine. My son is very active and loves to ride his bicycle and bounces on the trampoline regularly. My daughter is more like me. Right now my son is also playing baseball. Here are a few photos from his first game: They still don't keep score and they get 6 pitches, but the kids know which team really won the game. If you get tagged out, you are out. I am not sure if they are counting outs. It would appear they are not. They go through the entire batting order (9 batters). It is coach pitch. My little guy made a couple of really great plays and got a couple of outs. This is physical education in my homeschool world.  Playing first base Running to first base He swings and connects! First up to bat. |
May. 5, 2009
Big sale at Notebooking Pages!
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NotebookingPages.com 3rd Birthday Celebration Sale - Save 50% 3rd Birthday Celebration Sale Tired of Busywork? Seize the Most from Your Day . . . with Notebooking!
Notebooking is a powerful tool that captures what your children have learned, turning it into a concise, artful piece of work. Visit NotebookingPages.com for free and affordable templates to help you get started today! Simply print out a selection of free notebooking templates or choose pages from one of their themed sets.
Now is a great time to try some of NotebookingPages.com's products during their 3rd Birthday Celebration! Every product and specially priced combo set is 50% off! You can get ALL of their products for $50 - save almost $90! This sale is only in effect May 6, 7, & 8th. They are also giving away three great prizes! Check it out here: |
Apr. 27, 2009
Water, Water Everywhere
We signed up for an online video science class by that title through Currclick.com. Here are some photos from some of the experiments we have done. This one is an air pressure experiment. We learned that 1 atmosphere is 14.6 pounds of pressure per square inch and that the air pressure will keep the water in a submerged glass and even push more water into it. The second photo is also the air pressure experiment.  We made a water clock last week. This photo shows the finished product held by YDS. This photo shows the lines within the bottom cup. It took 90 seconds for water to reach the first line, another 60 seconds to reach the second line, another 105 seconds to reach the third. The total time it took for water to reach the third line was 4 minutes, 15 seconds. We did an ice cutting experiment using dental floss and an ice cube. Unfortunately, the cut in the ice from the floss did not show up in the photos we took. It was fun to see the ice being cut by dental floss, though. We are looking forward to more experiments in the weeks to come. |
Apr. 12, 2009
Alleluia!
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Christ is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! |