Posted in Ponderings

Last Thursday was take your child to work day here at CBD. Seeing how I work the evening shift, I was unsure if any kids would be going, but there were four others besides Matt. Three were his age, two boys and a girl. Matt hung out with the boys for most of the night.

When we got to work, there was a gift bag for Matt that had a sports bottle, some snacks, and a ton of office supplies. Matt got excited to see the post it notes. No clue why though. LOL The conference room off of the customer service area (where I work) was full of toys, and coloring books and crayons as well as movies for the kids. All stuff we sell. Each of the kids were given a headset so they could listen in on some of our phone calls. We made sure that they could only hear you and that you could not hear the kids. hehe

So, here are a few pictures of our night.

Posted in Ponderings

A few weeks ago I switched from the normal wild bird seed mix I normally buy (which the birds go hog wild over), to just plain black sunflower seeds. I have noticed that hardly any of our birds have been coming by, but our seed would be gone every night. We thought that we just happened to miss the birds, but I think our cat Gracie has been keeping the birds away as she now likes to "bird watch" right under the feeders.

So, yesterday, was a lousy day. Gray and damp and just a blah day. I happened to be looking out the window at the feeders as I saw a male and female cardinal. They they flew away suddenly. Knowing that the cat was in the house sleeping, this is the little visitor that we got.

Posted in Ponderings

Yesterday was our monthly Nature Study group. This time it was close to our house, so we were able to go. We went on a Nature Scavenger Hunt, or well, we were suppose to. It was in the 60's (warm for us in MA this time of year) so we took advantage of it.

We were at Breakheart and did the inner route, which is almost 2 miles. Most of the kids ran it, while groups of us moms were scattered all over. Matt, who usually runs all over, was walking either behind me or next to me. He was in one of his anti-social moods again. It took me a bit to get him to actually move near the kids. I have no idea what is up with him recently.

When the group was over, Matt and I headed home, with a stop at the grocery store for Diet Coke and Milk (the staples LOL). Matt was playing outside enjoying the warmth of the day. I was on the computer playing a game with my hubby, when Matt came in upset. I couldn't tell at first, but Steve could. Matt came in the room crying (gosh my hearing must be getting bad if I did not hear him crying).

When we asked him what was wrong, I expected him to say that the neighborhood kids were being mean again (hmmm maybe that is why Matt has been anti-social recently), but instead he said that Titan, or neighbors dog, bit him. This is the second time this dog bit him. The first time Matt provoked it by teasing him while he was on the lead. He would get just out of Titans reach and then run in closer and then back out. Titan ended up getting him once then.

But this time, Titan got out ofthe house and, from what Matt said, just came after him. Bit him in the thigh and scratched up his arm. The neighbors daughter got ahold of the dog and put him back in the house. Matt does have a bunch of superficial scratches on his arm, but the bit on his thigh looked gross and you could see some puncture wounds. I cleaned him the best I could (alcohol wipes and first aid ointment) then brought him to the Dr's office, where they cleaned him up even more and then bandaged him up.

To look at the bite now, it looks like nothing, but yesterday, it was gross. Right now it looks like a nasty purple bruise (which it probably is) with a few marks in it. It probably wasn't too bad of a bite, but dog's mouths are nasty and full of germs.

Well, today is suppse to be in the 70's and Matt and I will take advantage of this warmth as well.

Posted in Website of the Week

I love e-books! It helps with the environment and you don't have to wait weeks for it to be delivered to your house or waste fuel to go out and pick one up. So, here are some great ones for Spring time. There are all types of e-books from lapbooks (my favorites) to copywork and activity books.



Spring Idea Book
Spring Activities
Spring & Summer - Cut & Create
Simply Spring
Spring Notebooking & coloring pages
Poem in my Pocket - Spring
Spring Lapbook with study guide
Storybook activites for Spring
Spring into gardening Unit Study
May Day Lapbook
Here Comes Peter Cottontail Lapbook
In the Garden - Flowers & Insects Lapbook
Gardens Unit Study

Posted in Ponderings

I can not believe that it has been nearly 3 MONTHS since my last posting. Yes, I have been busy between home and work. I never seem to have enough time for anything.

I'll be working on updating my blog theme and adding in the spring books we are reading as well as a few other updates to this blog. It really needs a big overhaul.

Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been that long. Like every year, we celebrated by going to the place where we had our first date. The carnival that comes to the town next to us every year. We took Matt and he probably had more fun then us as he rode the rides and played games. My husband and I just walked around holding hands watching Matt have fun. I did get to have my fried dough though. LOL. I must find a recipe and learn to make it for myself.

Well, I must get some lunch in me and Matt. I have only had a few Cheez-It's since walking up this morning and my belly is so mad at me atm. LOL

Posted in Lapbooks

In the Hands of a Child

Kit Pack               Sale Announcement         January 12, 2009 Dear Valued Customers, Due to the new CPSIA law In the Hands of a Child, for the time being, is discounting our Kit Pack inventory in order to lessen our possible loss in the event that an exemption is not granted.   While we are still praying for this situation to work out for all small businesses we feel that it is in our best interest to lessen our possible loss.  And what better way than to pass the savings on to you, our wonderful customers, who are praying with us through this difficult situation!!   Please help us clear our shelves and enjoy a 35% savings on all Kit Packs!!  Savings will be automatic!  Spread the word and help us empty the shelves!!   This sale will continue until our Kit Pack inventory has been exhausted, so purchases will be on a first-come-first-served basis.    Once they are gone, they are gone!    In the event the law is modified, In the Hands of a Child reserves the right to bring back Kit Packs in the future at full price without any discount, implied or expressed, during this sale.    Cannot be combined with any other offer, special, discount, coupon or sale. Super Member discount DOES NOT apply to this sale. Tax and Shipping not included in calculating discount price.  Not valid toward prior purchases.  No rainchecks.   DO YOU HAVE A BLOG?  YOU CAN RECEIVE A FREE KIT PACK!   Help us spread the word by posting the above notice on your blog.  Then place an order for at least 1 Kit Pack, email us the link to your blog where the notice is posted along with your order number and your choice of Kit Pack and we’ll add it to your order.            How easy is that?*   *Please note customer is responsible for shipping costs for free Kit Pack, shipping will be combined with original order if email is received same day as order is placed notifying us of blog posting.

Posted in Ponderings

Well, the cold in the house made its way to me. The last part of last week, I was feeling yucky. So it looks like school will start up tomorrow, after Matt's Dr's appointment.

On Monday, my dad had a stroke. He is doing well and I spoke with him on the phone the day after it happened. He has had many strokes before, so for me this is not a big deal. It only will become a big deal if it totally disables him. He was cracking jokes so I knew all was well. Here is my dad a few years ago. He is a lot thinner now (he has terminal cancer).

Posted in Science

This weeks freebie from Currclick is a Galaxie Lapbook by Hands of a Child! Grab it before next Wednesday!

Check out these other Space related Lapbooks at Currclick.

Advanced Astronomy Lapbook by Hands of a Child
The Moon Lapbook by Hands of a Child
The Sun Lapbook by Hands of a Child

Exploring Creation with Astronomy ~ Lessons 1-6 by Knowledge Box Central
Exploring Creation with Astronomy ~ Lessons 7-14 by Knowledge Box Central
Astronomy Lapbook by Knowledge Box Central

Matt and I are using the Exploring Creation with Astronomy Lapbooks while studying Astronomy. We will post pictures (near the end of the school year) when we are finished. It is going to be one big lapbook!

Posted in Ponderings

Well, today was our first day back after nearly a month break. It was so nice to take December off. Between being crazy at work and lots going on with selling the house (lots of lookers but no bites), I needed to take December off from school. Matt enjoyed it that is for sure. Lots of video games. LOL. Also lots of one on one time with his dad, who is on layoff every winter.

Today started out slow. Both of us were tired (I was up until nearly 2am LOL). I showed Matt what I had planned (I showed him my list of subjects from my planner) and told him he could pick what he would like to do first. I was thinking he was going to pick History or Science first, but nope, he picked English. LOL.

We get done with our lesson (or nearly, he had to write three sentences but ran to the bathroom instead). For the past week, my hubby, has had a cold. Well, it seems that now Matt has it. He is running a low grade fever and just feels like crap. I was in the kitchen laminating my husbands hunter and bow hunter education cards, when he sent Matt to bed.

So, I head up to Matt's room and curl up with him on his bed. I told him that we will hold off on lessons until he is feeling better (god I love homeschooling). He said ok and then asked if I could read him the Tale of Despereaux. I bought the hardcover version at work for $3.75! I told Matt before that once we are done reading the book, we will go see the movie. So, now that he is feeling yucky, we have the perfect curling up with a book opportunity.

Time to hit the bank and deposit my little check. Then after lunch, it will be mumma and Matt reading time. I fully expect him to fall asleep while I am reading it, but that is ok.

Posted in Holidays

Here is Matt and his monkey in their jammies.

Posted in Geography

Matt has asked to learn about the United States. For some time now I have been getting the "Which Way USA?" activity books from Highlights. They have been a bit older for him, but I decided we can do them together. I also bought a book to add a little literature to our study. So here is what we are using:

Simply Stated by Katie Campbell

State Unit Studies by Beverly Hernandez from About.com

Which Way USA? by Highlights Books

 

Simply Stated says to study one state a week and to finish up in a little over a year. I am stretching this out to last two years. Some states we will do more on, others less on. This books is full of fiction and non-fiction books all bout each state or just stories based in the state. Most can be found at your local library.

I am also not doing in it order according to the order the states came to be states. I put in a jar a list of all the activity books we had, and I let Matt pick out 4 states at a time. I don't want to do a state without having the activity book to go along with it.

These are the states Matt pulled out ofthe jar:

California, North Carolina, Idaho, Arizona.

In addition to learning the basic facts and landmarks to each state as well as reading a few selected books from Simply stated, we are also cooking up a recipe using a food that each state is known for. Idaho will be easy hehe.

So stay tuned each weekend to learn about what we did the previous week(s) for our state. First up, California!

 

Posted in Website of the Week

Here are a few freebies I found for ya:

This month only over at Westvon Publishing you can get the Happy Scribe Age of Discovery for free.

Over at Currclick this week only, you can get Wisdomkids: Thanks and Giving ebook for free.

Every quarter (4 times a year) over at Hands of a Child, you get one free lapbook kit. This quarter it is all about Thomas Alva Edison. This one is good until 12/16/08.

Once a day over at HomeschoolFreebie, they give away a free ebook. These change daily and are only available for one day, so make sure you sign up for their weekly newsletter to get advance notice of what they will be. Also only subscribers get an extra special ebook.

Posted in Nature Study

We were originally supose to meet last Thursday, we it got canceled due to rain. It never rained here however, but it rained in the group leaders city 15 minutes away.

Anyway, we all met up yesterday in my home town for our monthly meeting. It was supose to be on the fall foliage, but was changed to seed dispersal as all the fall foliage is well past peek and is at that rather ugly stage now.

So the goal for this meeting was to take a nature walk along the inner path at Breakheart (2 miles) and collect different seeds. Matt got many flower seed pods and some pinecones. One was closed and I found one that was open. (The closed one we later disected to see all the seeds still inside and the open one had no more seeds in it.). Once the walk was over, we all met up with the group and the kids talked about what they found and if anyone found anything different than others.

The one seed the leader wanted to find, she couldn't. That was until my son fel into a patch of them and was covered in them. It is those little vampire fang looking seed pods that stick to everything.

A tree just outside the reservation

Beginning our walk

Matt being silly

Collecting some seeds

 

Posted in Nature Study

Matt was outside playing when he got all excited and came running in the house. He had found a ton (and I mean a ton) of muchrooms right outside our house. We have a rock wall going around our house and last year we had cut down some sick trees, one of which was in front near one of the rock walls. This is where all these mushrooms could be found.

Later today we are heading to Breakheart with our Nature Study group for a fall themed nature walk and I know there were a tonof mushrooms there as Matt and I saw them in late August. Mushrooms of all colors were there, so I am hoping that they are still there (and maybe more) and I will post pictures of them here later.

 

 

Posted in History

Last week started our leassons on Mummies. We are stretching this part of histoy for a few weeks as it intrigues him.  So here we are making Mummies. I did this two years ago when Chantelle did this subject.

Posted in Nature Study

This past weekend we went up to Applecrest orchards in Hampton Falls, NH for thier Harvest Festival.

 

We picked a 1/2 a bushel and made sure that the bag over flowed so that we got our 25.00 worth. Apple Pies and Apple Crisp will be made this week. I am also going to make up some apple pie filling to can so that we can enjoy the apples all winter long.

I also got a kit to make some apple dip and Tiramisu Cheescake mix. I am going to try these two soon. Maybe for Thanksgiving snacks at my sisters.

 

Posted in Notebooking

Free for this month from History Scribe is Notebooking pages on Rocks and Minerals. There are both a elementary and middle school version so you can use these pages with multiple ages.

I wish I saw these last month. Our first Nature Study group of the year was at the Saugus Iron Works and we learned about the different types of rocks while there. I know Matt wantsto go back, so I will have to bring these pages with us to do.

 

Posted in School Year Stuff

Like the previous post said, I was going to post about my meeting with our local Superintendent in a seperate post.

Meetings are not required here in MA, but because he is new to our district and has no clue to who I am, I decided to meet with him.

Now, in the past, all we had to do is show the Super the books/texts (is any) we will be using and that is that. I went to the first meeting my first year of homeschooling (after much fighting with the Super at the time) and never went back.

Well, for this meeting, things were very different. First off, they made me wait 45 minutes in the hall. I was 5 minutes early and I hate to be late as well as made to wait for a long time. I was getting ready to see what the hold up was (as my time is valuable to me and my son was at home not learning anything with me sitting on my butt twiddling my fingers), when the Super came over to me. I offered him my hand as a greeting, and he looked at it, then me before even shaking my hand. He did not havea good grip and had a weak shake. My father always told me that if a person has a good grip and a good handshake, then the person is excited and happy to see/meet you. My assumption fromthis guys shake was that I am a waiste of his valuable time and he just wants this over with (just as much as me by this time)

I head into his office and sat down at the conference table. He handed me this paper (more like a checklist) of the things he requires of homeschoolers in our town. He askes for my sons name and grade. He also asked for my reasons to homeschool. This is not required. I tried to tell him politely that the school system sucks, but he already is aware of this (see this article here. There is even a picture of the Super for you to see is normal facial expression). He also asked for my lesson plans, which have never been required before and are not listed as a requirement in the two case studies we follow for our homeschooling guidelines here in MA (see Charles and Brunelle).

So, I started to tell him about what we had planned to learn about in science (I have done this in the past with the former Super with no problems), when he rudely interupts me and was shaking his head. He went on to say that what I was tellign him was not what he wanted. Hello, I am not a mind reader. I told him that this is what I have done inthe past with no problems before. He sighed and asked to see what texts we will be using.

I showed him the Singapore math books. He looked at me and goes "You know that they teach differently in these books than in our school system". I felt like saying "Ya that is why a magority of Americains can't do basic math and why Asians and Europeans out rank us in math"; but I was a good girl and just said "I know". he is familiar with these books, so he said he had no problems with them.

The Pathway Readers were next. He was giving them faces as he flipped through them. He said that he did not like them and thatthey were out dated and told me I needed to pick something else. I told him I would think about it, knowing full well, I was not goingto do any such thing.

Here he is complaining to me that the copywrite date of one of the readers was 1976 (but there w as also another in 2005). Umm, Hello?!? Has he seen the history books in the high school recently? They most recent president in those books are CARTER! He was president when I was born 32 YEARS ago!

He also had nothing niceto say about the Climbing to Good English book, but I hoenstly don't care what he thinks.

History was up next and the reaction was the same as the readers and English. We are using Story of the World Volume 1 with the accompaning activity guide. I also have a ton of extra books to suppliment as I already used this book with Chantelle. The Super told me that this book was above Matt's level (and how does he know what Matt's level is? He has never met my son). He also said that I have to follow what the schools are learning so that Matt will not suffer should he go back into school. Matt lvoes this subject and is doing well, so we are not changing anything. Not only that, but we do not have to follow what the schools are doing.

The meeting lasted 1 hour and it ended without any approval until I submit my detailed (with goals and scope & sequence, which are not required) lesson plans.

When I got home, I ventedto my husband and then I called a local homeschooling mom to see what he asked of her. She was kind enough to send me a copy of the "lesson plans" she submitted for her son last year (he is one year ahead of mine). I recreated my "plans" using her format and some of her wording (I hope you don't mind B). I have it all typed and printed out and ready to be certified with return reciept. I hope likes this as I am not doing anything else.

 

Posted in School Year Stuff

This past week has been crazy. Between homeschooling and work, I really have no time for much. There was even a day I saw my husband just long enough to grab a kiss before I headed to work. Ilike I said busy, busy.

Monday night was Mabon (Autumn Equinox). Normally we have a harvest theme meal and take a nature walk to observe any seasonal changes in the leaves and such, but that never happened. It's not a huge holiday for us to celebrate anyway. Samhain (Hallloween) on the other hand is huge for us. I'll post more on this as the time gets closer.

Tuesday was my meeting with the new Superintendent of our school system. I'll post a seperate post all about this one as it is long.

In Science this week, we begain a unit of hearing. We read a ton of books related to hearing, made a model of the ear and learned about the parts of the inner ear. We also did an experiment to show how we use our sense of hearing.

We never got around to doing history this week. We did no school work on Monday because my hubby had the day off, so we cut our day short, only doing math and english.

For English, Matt has been working on rhyming words, capitalization and punctuation. He also read a few stories in his readers and did a few pages in his workbooks about them. I fill in with lots of oral narrations. I plan on adding some spelling lessons next week. He has been reading a half a book + a day on his own. Well, I tell him he has to read for 30 minutes everyday, the book is his choice. Recently he has been reading the A to Z Mystery series.

Math was a struggle this week. We started a lesson on "greater than" and "less than" which totally confused him at first. It took 3 days before he started to understand it. I wish the Singapore books offered more practice before moving on to another topic. I know I can buy another book, but I don't wantto have to buy another book. I see myself either supplimenting a ton from various websites, or just switching to Saxon, which he did well in in the past. (He did the 1st grade book while in kindergarten).

 

Posted in Ponderings

The other day I posted about a odd bug I had seen in my yard and have gotten lots of replies and help identiflying it. I am very greatful because of that.

However, today I recieved an anonymous comment saying "How can you teach your children if you don't know that?".  

Just because I educate my children does not mean I know everything there is out there. Hell, even public and private school teachers don't know everything. I honestly had never seen this bug before so that is why I posted about it here to get some help from someone who might.

I know I shouldn't let a stupid little comment left to me rile me up so much, but I have had it. I get comments left to me alot here and over at Cafemom about my choice in education and faith. I am tired of letting this stuff roll off my back and say oh well. It bothers me and I am sick of it. I usually just delete the comment, but this one is staying.

To that person who left that comment to me, why are you anonymous? Afraid that a homeschool educator might be a better teacher than you? Scared that I actually might know something more than you? Or is it that your jealous of the fact that I am able to stay home and give my child a better education than his peers?

Sorry about the vent/rant post, but I really just needed to get it off my chest.