Harper is finished with his Core studies for the year!  Yipee!

Although it was Harper's curriculum, Hawken and I learned alot from it too!  I'm keeping all the materials, because I may use it with Hawken in a couple years. 

Harper did a great job and learned a lot.  But, most importantly, he enjoyed learning.  We're excited to begin next year's materials...after a nice summer break!  We all deserve it!

Today, we took Grandpa on his "Father's Day Hike" at Theodore Wirth Park.  Grandma came along for the adventure too!  Our first stop was the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden.

We caught a glimpse of the Indigo Bunting, and we also saw a Woodpecker.  We also spied various butterflies and insects, and lots of wildflowers and plants.  It was neat to notice the difference in the park since our last visit in the spring.

The Water Horsetails had grown a couple feet since we last saw them.

I can really see the impact that nature study has made on the boys.  They pay attention to the smallest details, and really enjoy pointing out new discoveries along the trails.  Going on a hike is always an exciting adventure for them.

Grandpa and Harper pose by the beautiful oak tree during our rest break. 

Our second stop on our adventure was the Quaking Bog of Wirth Park.  We were greeted by some cute baby racoons when we got there!

We watched the racoons for a while before heading to the bog itself.

After crossing the moat, we walked around Mariana's Isle.  The dock and boardwalk are part of the ongoing restoration of the Quaking Bog. 

We had a full adventure today, and spent some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa out in nature.  We can't wait to get out and do it again!

We finished reading "Hero Tales" by Dave and Neta Jackson last night.  The book is a collection of of true stories from the lives of 15 Christian heroes.  The kids learned valuable lessons of virtue through the stories presented in the book.

I would not have picked this book out on my own, but it turned out to be a nice piece to our curriculum this year.  The stories and follow-up questions were challenging, but the lessons were kept short.  We enjoyed many of the stories and learned many "character qualities" along the way.

We learned about the following heroes:  Gladys Aylward, William and Catherine Booth, Amy Carmichael, Adoniram and Ann Judson, David Livingstone, Martin Luther, Dwight L. Moody, Samuel Morris, George Muller, Menno Simons, Mary Slessor, Hudson Taylor, Harriet Tubman, William Tyndale and John Wesley.

Some of these heroes were new to us, and some we learned about last year when we read the "Heroes for Young Readers" series.  These are great books - well written and nicely illustrated.  We'll read these books again during Hawken's Kindergarten year. 

To be honest, my knowledge of Christian heroes is pretty limited.  I have learned a lot from these books along with the boys.  It's been fun to learn together!

Today, we had a nice summer day.  The weather was perfect and we had some fun adventures.

We met some friends at Bauer Berry Farm and picked strawberries this morning.  The kids had so much fun finding the best strawberries for their buckets. 

No need to wash these berries - no chemicals are used on the farm!

It feels good to buy local and promote a sustainable food supply.

After picking berries, we headed to a park along the Mississippi River to explore with our friends.  Even though there wasn't a playground, the kids found plenty to do and had a good time.  Nature alone can keep us entertained and happy.

Next, we headed out to visit Grandpa and Grandma Karen.  The kids enjoyed some outdoor games, lunch, and an ice cream treat while I ran a few errands. 

We made a quick stop at home before heading to the pool! 

An evening swim is just what we needed at the end of this hot day. 

Showers, snacks, and bedtime stories with dad rounded out this nice summer day.  Oh, and we ate LOTS of strawberries! 

We all got to see wall-e this weekend!  We enjoyed it, and Harper wants to go see it again! 

It has prompted some good discussion and some creative play!  It's gotten us thinking about robots and the future!

Harper has made his favorite characters from the movie out of play dough.

Hawken made "Eve" and a couple of big snails!

Not much traditional "schooling" going on this week, but we're nearing the end of Harper's Core program for the year.  We should be done at the end of this week.  We're just finishing up with our Bible study and a bit of history now.

Our school plans have changed for the summer from my original plan.  I had ambitious plans to create my own schedule for July and August, but have opted to be more flexible and laid-back for the next couple months.  We will, however, continue with math and science in the mornings - if we're home. 

Summer goes too fast, and we'll be out-of-town at least a couple weeks in the upcoming months, so it will be nice to enjoy a break.  Of course, we'll keep reading, exploring and trying new things - we are always learning something. 

I tried to get some pictures of Harper at t-ball last week, but I told Hawken I wouldn't go too far from his field.  As soon as I tried to get close to Harper's field, Hawken came running from his position at third base to have me put his glove on for him again.  I did manage to snap a few pictures though...

Here's Harper in action!

Here, he's waiting in the field for more action.

Hawken is getting a lesson in batting.

T-ball has been fun for the boys, and the co-op is a good way to introduce them to the sport.  There are two weeks left of t-ball, and then the kids will play soccer!  Harper says he likes t-ball better, but soccer will be fun.

We've been busy at home too...

We recently got a new table for our schoolroom, so we turned the old, small one into a sand table in the backyard.  (It used to have a tabletop that would cover a storage area.  The storage area works great for holding sand and a bit of water.)  The kids have had lots of fun designing their own beaches this week!

When Hawken wears this sun-safe swimsuit, he calls himself "Action Man!"

Every year, we go to the Earle Brown Days Parade with Grandpa and Grandma Karen.  It's only a block from their house, and we always have a good time.  The kids were looking forward to it all week!  They even chose special bags to collect their candy. 

They've eaten some candy, of course, but most of the candy has gone into their candy store.  They have each made a couple bucks selling their candy to family and friends.  When Hawken grows up, he wants to be a "Candy Man" and own a candy store.  Harper also wants to own a store, but he will sell "everything he likes" at his shop.

Hard to believe it's the end of June already!  We've had lots of fun this month, and learned a lot in so many ways!

For Father's Day, the boys gave the Grandpas a certificate to go on a nature hike.  We took Grandpa Sally to the MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge for his special day. 

You're probably wondering why we call him Grandpa "Sally."  Well, both Harper and Hawken's Grandfathers are named Mike, so when Harper was little he started calling them Grandpa Sally and Grandpa Karen - using the Grandmother's names instead.  I'm not sure when, or if, the boys will ever switch to something else, but it works for now...and it's kind of cute!

We had a great day for a hike!  It was fairly cool, with a mix of sun and clouds.  We even got caught in a small sun-shower, which felt good.  We were out for three hours!  I think the boys were troopers to stay out on the trail that long! 

Oh, and Hawken is dressing himself now.  Check out his red socks! 

There is a nice visitor center, with lots to investigate.  Here, the boys are looking at a muskrat home with Grandma Sally.

The trails took us through prairie, hillside forest, and wetlands.  We also got a peek at the Minnesota River and Long Meadow Lake.

There were many beautiful wildflowers along the trails.  Hawken enjoyed pointing out the many flowers, including this wild rose.  Grandma Sally pointed out, and named, many flowers and plants for us.

We saw some wildlife at the park, including wild turkeys up at the visitor center.  We also saw snakes, fish, a crane, red-winged blackbirds, a goldfinch, and numerous bugs. 

Harper found a snail, and Hawken spied a black caterpillar on the hike back.  They both carried these critters for a while, and didn't want to let them go.  It was a hard, but good, lesson to learn when we had to leave them at the park.  They both chose nice spots to let them go again. 

After the hike, we spent a little time in the gift shop, where they had lots of great books!  Grandpa bought the boys each a little stuffed animal keychain.  Harper got a mallard, and Hawken chose a loon.  Hawken has been wearing the loon on his beltloop since the hike.  He even wore it to t-ball last night!

We all enjoyed a nice dinner together at Chevy's before we headed home.  We had a memorable time with Grandma and Grandpa Sally, and look forward to doing it again!

Summer is here, and the boys have been up to the typical summer activities:  Swimming, playing in the sprinkler, biking, parks, bug catching, hiking, and gardening.  This week, they also caught toads, fed ducks, found a turtle, flew a kite, watched fireworks, and made s'mores!

Toads and boys just seem to go together, don't they? 

The backyard sprinkler is always fun, cheap entertainment!

This week, we also got a season pass to the Jim Lupient Water Park.  We've visited a few times already, and enjoyed it.  I plan to get the boys there at least a couple times during the week, and once on the weekend throughout the summer.  Tomorrow is going to be a hot one here, so we're looking forward to our visit to the water park in the afternoon!

Although we were busy with summer activities this week, we fit our schoolwork in too.  We're in the final countdown of days until Harper finishes Sonlight's Core C!

Harper and I read "Granny Han's Breakfast" by Shiela Groves.  This true story is about a Christian Ambassador's experience in China when God provides for her needs.  I didn't think this would capture Harper's attention, but he enjoyed it!  Sonlight provides lots of good books which I never would have found on my own. 

Pete and Harper finished "Mitt and Minn's Illinois Adventure" by Kathy-jo Wargin.  Harper likes these stories, and has now finished the series.  He is hoping for another Mitt and Minn book soon!

Harper read "The Titanic: Lost...and Found" by Judy Donnelly.  I love the readers that provide a lesson in history.  It's like a two-for-one.  This was Harper's last book in his set of second grade readers from Sonlight.  Way to go, Harper! 

In history, we learned about Amy Carmichael.  In math, Harper worked on a review of adding and subtracting.  In science, we studied weather, climate, seasons and time. 

Hawken has been participating in almost everything as best he can.  It will be interesting to see how he does with his own "school time" next year. 

I'm looking forward to next year, but for now we're making the most of our summer! 

Yesterday I was trimming a vine on our fence, when I noticed this cute little nest among the leaves.  The boys were playing in the sprinkler, but they took a break to come see what I found. 

It's always exciting to find a bit of nature in our own backyard!  We have a small-sized city lot, so we feel pretty lucky when we can study nature so close to home.

Because the eggs are a pretty blue, we decided it must be a Robin's nest.  We checked out a little info online at Wikipedia about the American Robin to learn about our backyard friend.  Many times I'll go to Wikipedia first, then check out their links at the bottom.

Hawken is excited to go take another peek at the nest this morning...so gotta go!

This week, Hawken left my side to play t-ball with the group!  Once he got out there, he didn't even look back.  He had a great time, and when I asked him what his favorite part about t-ball was, he said, "Everything!"  He's excited to play again next week!

I was wondering how this would all go for him after our first time last week.  I was an assistant coach at our last game, and Hawken was stuck to me like glue.

This week I wasn't coaching, and it made all the difference for him.  He asked me to introduce him to some of the kids, and then he told me to stand in a certain spot to watch him.  That was all he needed. 

Here he is, warming up with the group.  (He's in the gray shorts and blue shirt.)

The kids are waiting in line to run the bases.  Aren't they cute?

The playground at the park is fun too! 

I didn't get over to Harper's field this week because I told Hawken I would stay and watch him.  Pete coached the six-year-olds this week, which was fun for both him and Harper.  They had a good time, and Harper had some good hits!

I'll have to get over and snap a few pics of Harper and Pete next week!

We've got most of our curriculum picked out for next year, except for science.  I'm still sorting through the options, and I keep discovering more options to consider. 

We are just finishing up with Sonlight Science K Program.  It has been a good experience, and my only complaint is that it jumps around  a lot.  It worked well for Hawken, but I think Harper is ready for some more in-depth studies.

Yesterday, we got a science supply catalog from Home Science Tools.  The company supplies hands-on kits, chemistry supplies, microscopes, curriculum...everything I think we'd ever need for science-at-home. 

Since Harper did a nice job choosing our history curriculum, I thought I'd get his opinion on science studies.  I asked him to take a look at the catalog, and circle anything that looked interesting to him. 

Well...he's circled everything he's looked at so far!  He's interested in life science, biology, earth and space, chemistry, physics and technology! 

After checking out the first few pages, he asked me, "Mom, can you get me some of these things for my birthday?  Lots of these things look too fun to be for school!" 

So, I'm not much further in choosing what to do for science next year yet.  However, I think anything that includes lots of hand-on activities will work well.  Whichever curriculum we choose, we'll tie it in to some frequent trips to the Science Museum of Minnesota as often as we can. 

I have noticed how quickly the weeks seem to fly by, when I sit down to write our weekly reports.  Has another week gone by already?  Yes, another busy week sped past me.  At least, with our "obligation" to the weekly report, I can recapture the highlights of our homeschooling adventure.

This week, Harper and I finished reading "Ozma of Oz" by Frank Baum.  It is the third book in the Oz series, and it left Harper wanting to read more of Baum's books. 

We picked up "Ozma of Oz" at a whimsical toy store during our trip to Ames, but I discovered most of the titles are available through the library.  We requested the second book in the Oz series titled "The Marvelous Land of Oz" from our library.  I also requested a Muppets version of the Wizard of Oz on DVD, which hopefully will make an entertaining family movie night! 

In math, Harper worked with graphs this week.  Hawken likes to see what Harper is up to, and seems to understand how graphs work as well. 

In history, we learned about Samuel Morris.  We also received our American History Program from Beautiful Feet Books in the mail.  Harper was happy to get the books, and even more excited to see that some of the books are in color (they were pictured in black and white in the catalog)!  Hawken was excited to get the cardboard box the books came in!  He turned it into a car!

Harper read "Wagon Wheels" by Barbara Brenner.  This books prompted some good discussions about the Homestead Act and the Civil War.  Our geography lesson included Kentucky and Kansas, and the route the family traveled between the two states.  Harper and Hawken both enjoy learning geography and studying maps.

We got out for a few park dates this week and had some fun!  The boys especially enjoyed our visit to Lion's Coon Creek Park with a couple of friends.  We'd like to go back and check out the trails soon.

On a more personal note, I'm taking note of how big the boys are getting! 

Harper lost his second tooth this week, and his training wheels are officially off his bike!  Harper is a cautious guy, and had always insited that he would use training wheels forever.  This week, he decided he'd get rid of the training wheels and is enjoying the freedom!

Hawken is learning how to drive already - hee hee. 

But seriously, Hawken did get a scooter this week, and has enjoyed scooting around the neighborhood with Harper.  He caught on quickly, and feels extra-important because his scooter has a pouch on the front to carry our keys and phone.  He also carries granola bars for snack-breaks.

Lots of excitement and changes this week.  And, like Hawken tells me, "Everyone grows a little every day!" 

To assist with our study of bugs, we picked up an ant farm.  The actual name of the farm is "Ant Hill: Living Ant Habitat."  We sent $2 for our live ants to the company a few weeks ago, and the package arrived this afternoon. 

We've been checking the mail daily for the ants, so today was an exciting day indeed.  Actually, I don't even think I saw them scream in excitement on Christmas morning like I witnessed today.

We had to put the ants in the refridgerator for ten minutes before depositing them into the ant farm.  The cold air slows them down, so you can get them in safely.  I wore gloves to protect my hands, just in case.  Harvester ants do bite!

We've been checking on the ants all day.  Hawken has been a good little reporter!  It took a while for the ants to adjust, but now they're working hard at building their tunnels.  It is fun to watch them.  We put a piece of a cherry for them to eat, and they seem to like it! 

We had a couple of large ants in the habitat from our backyard, but unfortunately the harvester ants killed them almost right away.  It was a bit shocking and gruesome, but a lesson in nature I guess. 

The boys can't wait to see the ants in the morning.  They're curious if ants work all night long!  We'll find out tomorrow. 

Harper and Hawken are playing t-ball with the Homeschool Summer Sports Co-op this year, and our first night was tonight!

Hawken is playing, for the first time, with the four and five-year old group.  I'm helping as an Assistant Coach for a few of the games. 

Harper is playing with the six and seven-year-old kids, and Pete is helping to coach that group.

With the Homeschool Summer Sports Co-op, the boys will play t-ball for five weeks, then switch to soccer for five more weeks.  I think it's a great way to introduce the boys to a couple team sports, in a pretty non-competitive environment.  The games are all about having a good time, and learning the basics of the sport.

Pete took the boys out to get new gloves, balls and caps last weekend.  We also got a new tee for the kids to practice at home.  It's been fun, and they're both batting well! 

Harper was looking forward to t-ball all day, and had fun playing tonight.  Hawken was pretty timid, but he did a great job when he was up to bat.  He's a good little batter.  I hope he get into the game a little more over the next few weeks.  Out in the field, he was more interested in birds, moths, and airplanes than he was in the game.  We'll see what happens.  Harper wasn't much into the game when he was four years old either. 

Here's to a fun season!  Cheers!

Well, it's Monday night and I'm just getting to our Weekly Report about last week's events and news.  Needless to say, it was a busy week last week.  Pete was in Las Vegas for work last week, and we're happy to have him home with us again! 

Last week, our main subject of study was bugs!  We've had fun reading and learning about the many different bugs in the world.  It's been fun to capture and identify the bugs we've found in our yard.  The boys caught ants, beetles, moths, inchworms, spiders, and numerous unknowns. 

Maybe I'm raising a couple of future entomologists?!

Harper is displaying the materials we've been using to study bugs.

The books have great illustrations and pictures - especially this pop-up book that Hawken is enjoying!

Both boys found several inchworms.  Harper is showing off a small one he discovered.

Hawken invented a new game where he pretends to be in a cocoon.  He emerged dramatically from his sleep over and over again.

In history, we learned about Menno Simmons, John Wesley, and Dwight L. Moody.  We also read about Jesus' death and resurrection.  We added these people, and events, to our historical time line.

Harper read "The Fire Cat" by Esther Averill.  He did a great job with the three stories in the collection.

Harper's new math book arrived in the mail, and he got started with it right away.  Hawken got a book of mazes.  He and Harper both love mazes.

In science, we finished reading "Finding Out About Everyday Things" by Usborne Publishing.  We enjoyed learning about common things and how they work.  We especially enjoyed learning how glass is made last week. 

We made a trip to Underwater Adventures at the Mall of America.  The aquarium has been called "The World's Best Shark Encounter" by Discovery Channel, and boasts 4,500 sharks and other sea creatures. 

We enjoyed the sharks, lots of different fish, seahorses, and jellyfish, but the highlight was the touch pool where the boys got to touch stingrays!

The boys were not afraid to get their hands in the pool.

They decided the stingray felt like velvet!

We missed a few park dates with friends last week, due to the rainy weather we've had.  Hopefully, it will feel like summer this week, and we can get out and see our friends and enjoy some outdoor adventures.  T-ball starts tomorrow, so we're hoping for good weather so we can get out to the field and have some summertime fun!

Grandma Karen gave Harper a coin collector's map when we visited her this week.  She had been collecting the coins since the coins were issued in 1999.

Since 1999, five coins have been issued every year.  After this year, all the state coins will be in circulation.

Harper has been studying this map, and plans to collect the missing coins.  It's been a fun way to study geography, and the art on the coins tells us a bit about each state.

We are in search of the following coins:

• Alabama
• Oklahoma
• Montana
• Utah
• Arizona
• Oregon
• Hawaii
• Alaska

We can learn more about collecting coins at The United States Mint!

I registered Harper and Hawken for the BOOK IT! reading program sponsored by Pizza Hut.  The program runs October through March next year.

As the teacher, I will set a monthly reading goal for each of the boys - this can can be measured by number of books, number of pages, or number of minutes read each month.  With Hawken, I can also create a goal representing the books I read to him.

Once the kids reach their montly reading goal, they are rewarded with a free, one-topping personal pan pizza, BOOK IT! card, clip and sticker.  Each month they reach their goal, they'll receive a pizza and a sticker.  Kids who reach their goal in all six months of the program will receive an "All Star Reader Award" from Pizza Hut.  (I'm not sure what the award is, but any type of award is fun for the boys.)

I should receive a tracking chart and reproducibles in the mail in a few months.  There is a Pizza Hut a few blocks away from our house, so we'll be able to walk or ride bikes there once a month for a special lunch.

The boys have already decided what kind of pizza they will get!  Hawken will order a cheese pizza, and Harper will get green olives on his.

We've been studying German using the Muzzy Language Course, along with various books and dictionaries.  The boys like Muzzy, and have fun with the lessons.  Today, I gave them the opportunity to watch something on TV while I cleaned up the kitchen and got laundry going...and they chose Muzzy! 

Next year, I think we need to add a program that offers some more concrete lessons, and a method for measuring progress.  I think that program is going to be The Learnables foreign language course. 

I like the fact that it is an immersion method, and it involves lessons on the computer along with book lessons.  We can either do the lessons together, or Harper can work on them alone while I spend some time with Hawken.  We work at our own pace, with a minimum of three, half-hour sessions per week. 

I've heard only good things about this program so far, and it is recommended by several homeschooling experts, including Mary Pride and Cathy Duffy.

Also, I can't beat the price;  $100 for everything we need to complete level one.  Each year/level is equivalent to one year of high school.  However, kids can begin these lessons as an elementary student. 

Other than sleeping in again, we got back to our "usual" routine.  We don't have a very structured routine, but we have certain things we need to get done each day.  With Hawken being a bit older, I'd like to try more structure next year.  I believe we need to be flexible, though, in order to really enjoy the benefits of homeschooling. 

Well, today we got schoolwork and chores done in the morning, then headed out for a few fun errands in the afternoon.  Today I noticed that errands are getting easier, and more enjoyable, as the boys have matured.  Yes, they really have.

After reading The Wizard of Oz, I thought it'd be fun to watch the movie, so I requested it from our library recently.  The DVD came in for us today, so we headed to the library to pick it up.  The boys like the librarians, and see the same ones regularly, so they usually stop to ask for certain books or just comment about something.  They both picked out their own books today.  They usually don't head for the non-fiction books, but today Harper grabbed a couple books about baseball and one about football.  They both grabbed some books about money and finances?!  Maybe we'll all learn something!

After the library, we headed to the grocery store to get a few items.  Since I didn't get a cart, they helped me carry things.  The boys each brought two of their own quarters to get themselves a couple gumballs on the way out of the store.

We stopped at Linder's Nursery before we headed home.  We weren't going to do a big shopping trip there, but I told the boys they could each pick something out.  Harper chose sweet banana peppers and sweet green bell peppers.  Hawken chose a coleus variety pack.  They both grabbed some marigolds.  We walked around for quite a while as Harper read the names of plants and flowers.  We wanted to get them all, so it took a great deal of will power to only get what we could carry.

Tonight, we had another movie night and watched The Wizard of Oz!  We all enjoyed it, and I actually noticed that this movie held their attention better than any recent movie we have seen.  It was cool to watch a movie I saw as a kid with my own two kids. 

More often than not, we get old vhs tapes from the library, but we got the 2005 three disc collector's edition for this movie!  The collection also includes a short storybook version, which uses illustrations from the original book that Harper and I read.  Since Harper was comparing the movie to the book throughout the film anyway, this feature was cool to check out for the final comparison. 

THE FINAL VERDICT:  Harper thought the book was better than the movie! 

Notice Harper's Uglydoll, Tray, is enjoying some water at popcorn at the movie!

The boys were laughing hysterically at the tornado scene!

We have an ongoing "bug habitat" in our house.  Both boys use the habitat, but Hawken finds it particularly interesting.  The "habitat" is basically a plastic aquarium with plastic landscaping that we picked up at Target.  We have a bug field guide, and numerous smaller bug houses for travel. 

Hawken's most recent find was an inchworm hanging from a tree in our backyard. 

Hawken is trying to gently catch the inchworm.

The worm was inching along in his hand - it tickled!

Hawken made this worm a bed of leaves on the table, and then it got lost.  Luckily, we found another one.  It lives in our bug habitat now, with two "sleeping" ladybugs.