Forgot to mention!...I have been working on a new blog..this one is not about us, but about MODESTY!  We have really been called lately to support and to dress in a more modest fashion.  I am now completely wearing dresses and Megan is almost there...It has been a really eye opener for us and sadly, it has earned us some serious criticism from some well meaning (or not) folks.  *sigh*  Oh well..we are sticking to our beliefs..maybe we can make a difference some day! 

You can find our new blog at http://modestytoday.stblogs.com/

You can also find modest clothing at the following sites as well:

http://www.holyhillbillycreations.com

http://www.modestclothes.com/

Peace to you all! 

Hi all, boy, it's hard to do so many things at once!  I have been busy and have neglected our homeschool blog..so here is what we have been doing!

We had our Annual county fair the last week of August..the kids again brought home ribbons and more ribbons..the new news to this is Mom brought home a few herself!  LOL! 

Megan has learned to sew..and is suprisingly good (really good) at it.  The bigger suprise is Mitchell is very good too!  :-) 

We have been really busy with the construction busy..unfortunately, that doesn't mean lots of money..financially things are rough..long jobs with lots of problems eat into the profit really fast!  *sigh*

School has started for us!  The kids are doing good..they have discovered some really neat science experiments they want to try..I've heard rumblings of paper mache and vinegar and baking sode..somehow I think I see a volcano in our future this year!  :-)  I also see some potted vegatable this fall as well...

Amongst all this, we allow one day each week to visit my 81 yr old Grandmother.  We love her dearly and cherish our time each week with her!  :-)

Well, that about caps our summer..more when I have time!

Summer..have you ever noticed that summer seems to be defined as when public schools let out and when they go back?  When did the schools dictate the seasons?

For us, summer has really just started!  It has rained for so much of May and June that it's just now getting warm enough to swim and dry enough to be out side! LOL! 

Summer time for us is swimming, cooking on the grill and Yard Sales!  :-)  I love a good yard sale! It's the best time to find gifts, new clothes and great toys!  We have a list of things we are looking for and then we go shopping!

Some of our recent finds:

A large set of the Rubbermaid Utility Shelves..4 high and 3.5 feet deep...$2  perfect for all my fabrics!

A cool new construction set for the kids...Coinstruction...they use coins and these little connectors to build fantastic structures.  Megan just finished building a huge bridge with pennies!  Definitely on my favorite toys list!

We have started attending morning masses and the kids serve at them.  We are up to attending at least 3 times during the week and then of course on Sunday.

Time is short, but I have more things to add, so will add another post later! 

Peace!

I got this link from one of the wonderful ladies on my Cathswap Chat yahoo group!  It really is worth reading.  Just think..someday, homeschooling might just be the majority instead of the minority!  We can only hope! 

http://www.thsc.org/Getting_Started/socialization.asp

Happy Reading!

~Peace

I have had a comment on this, not the first believe me! :-) .  So, I thought I'd elaborate more.  First off, to be perfectly clear..I don't use any curriculum that is protestant based.  I don't use ABEKA, Bob Jones, Alpha-Omega, or any of those.  We are Roman Catholic and any resources I choose are pulled from curriculums that are Catholic based.  I don't wish to debate protestant vs Catholic...it's just a statement...please leave it at that.

Well! That being said..the concern for most people is how are the kids going to learn their math, science, etc.  I do wish people would stop trying to force feed textbooks to kids and trust that they really do know how to follow their intincts!  We have made sure that the kids have a solid foundation in Math..they can add, subtract, multilpy, divide, borrow, carry, add money, move decimals, figure area, circumference, add fractions, measure, estimate, and more.  How did they learn it?  What curriculum did we use?  Well, I have to be honest.  We do have Modern Curriculum Press math workbooks on the shelf that we occasionally pull out and use..but only when they are having problems with a particular concept.  The rest of the time...we use life!  Don't you know we are surrounded by Math, Science, language and history!  We use it in some form everyday. 

Another thing I might add here:  I don't base our success solely upon those test scores!  They simply confirmed what we already knew!  We see the intellegence and inquisitive nature of both kids on a regulur, daily basis.  No, daily lessons are not important in building excellence..they are good for busy work...keeping them quiet, etc. 

Take life by the horns and jump in with both feet!  LOL!  Look around you!  Do you want your child to really, really learn?  To learn to think, act, and build on mistakes? 

Or do you want your child to memorize, repeat, and follow?  Make them conform? 

 I don't...We encourage our children everyday to be themselves...however quirky or oddball that may be!  :-)  We don't follow fashion dictates, peer pressure, or the Jones!  LOL! 

They ask a question?  We look it up in one of 3 sets of encyclopedias (or look it up in all three sets..they do all give different variations).  We research it on the internet.  We find books in the library..they do love the library!  We explore the question until they are satisfied...which usually takes a while.  Pick a topic..they've probably at least studied a little about it!  Columbus, Native Americans, Roman Catholics, the Reformation, Jacques Cousteau, Iceland, Europe, the ocean floors, sea urchins, the Amazon, the Kalahara desert, Austraila, the rain forests, Pine beetles, the correct way to build a deck, the hardness of an Ash tree..and why they make baseball bats out of them.  How to make baseball bats and balls, how to make tennis rackets, and balls.  Different breeds of cats and dogs..all about Beta fish.  how to grow potatoes, onions, calla lilies, canna lilies, iris, moonflowers, english and boston ivy, multilply types of lilies (Megan is a big fan of lilies). How to cook on a wood stove, how to wash on a rub board, how to make soap, how a mirror reflects, why you use baking powder and baking soda, different uses for both..besides cooking.  The different uses for vinegar.  The list could go on forever! 

Megan learned to add fractions before she could hardly write..because she wanted to learn to cook.  The kitchen is an excellent classroom!  It covers math, reading and science, as well as history!  The garden covers math and science.  My sewing studio covers math, history, home ec skills (almost a lost art these days) and ethics.  Our trips to town cover math, science, government, economics, social skills, reading, and attention to detail. 

History doesn't have to come from a boring textbook written to shove things down a child's throat!  History is a living breathing thing...we have lived it, our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents..etc.  It's all around us.  We have history in our town, our buildings, our church, our state..our families, our lives.  Megan has read every book in the Dear America series she can find.  She has read every single American Girl series as well.  They love books on electricity (especially Mitchell) and magnetism. 

Oh, I could go on....but I don't have time.  The point is that they are learning everything they need to know..are they learning it in the same order that the public schools teach it?  NO!  We don't attend public schools...for many reasons. 

I do have Catholic Heritage Curriculum guides that give me an idea of what they should have learned in their basic skills...so far, they have always covered those things plus much more! 

I don't believe that you have to have a set curriculum to teach your children and I don't believe that they will be lacking if you don't.  What I do believe is that children are naturally curious and if allowed to fully explore their interests, they will grow up to be very good at what they do, and that they will be happy!  I want my children to love life and learning, not dread each day of work or school! 

The bottom line?  I have Faith in my Kids and in my ability as a mother and a teacher!  I know that a child that is firm in her/his religious faith, family love and is physically healthy and provided with plenty of intellectual stimuli, will grow up to be a happy, faith filled, healthy intelligent adult that will raise the same kind of children!  :-)

God Bless!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful, tireless (but tired) moms!  Whether you stay at home or not, whether you homeschool or not, whether you have 1 child or 12...you all deserve a pat on the back and a vacation! 

Our day has been a quite and simple day!  We went to Mass, as always, but today each mom got a red carnation and our education director canceled sunday school classes, so we didn't have to teach.  So we came home and I got a 3 hour nap! 

Our day started off a little rough though..when we got home, Mitchell cried..he didn't have a present for me and was terribly upset about it!  I finally got him to listen to me and quit crying and told him, the best thing I could get today was lots of hugs and kisses and happy faces!  It worked and I have gotten lots of hugs and kisses and more hugs and kisses and more...and more...and more....I'm the most hugged and kissed mommy ever!  LOL!

Anyway, today has been good..I made the kids Coke floats after I got up...they were so good and let me rest, I figured they deserved a treat!  I have been fighting a case of allergy induced bronchitits for 2 weeks now and the rest sure made me feel better!  I am on the mend..it has just taken awhile!

Peace~

Our oldest just got her test results back..they were very good. 

We decided last summer, during all the moving, remodeling, starting of businesses, etc. to try a year of unschooling, letting the kids learn at their own pace, guided by their own interests.  We agreed that we would try it for one year and then adjust as needed based on the results of her next test scores.

So began our journey..no textbooks, no formal lessons, no defined structure.  People accused us of neglecting our kids education, they told us how bad she would perform on her test..but we stuck it out and waited and watched.

Watching children learn is an amazing thing..given the freedom to explore and build their own interests, form their own ideas, think their own thoughts..we could learn a lot by watching them.  Through the beginning the kids automatically spent more time outside..in the sand, in the flower beds, in the tree in the neighbors yard..LOL!  Gradually we noticed that they weren't just playing, they were LEARNING!  They found a baby robin...feed it, cared for it, read about them...but it died, they cried, buried it and went on.  They learned about life, about compassion, about commitment, and about moving on.

Then they helped dig up flowers from our old house...they learned the depths needed for certain plants, the names of all the flowers, trees, etc.  They learned which plants needed sun, which needed shade, what happened if you planted them in the wrong spot.  They also learned about the honey bees and how they pollonate the flowers and plants.  Later they learned what cold weather does to plants that have bloomed.  They were learning science.

They helped in the kitchen and we turned our daughter loose to cook.  She has turned into an excellent cook and needs very little help.  She has mastered many skills, as has our son.  They both love it and always ask to make something.  Home Ec and Science!  :-)

They help with the groceries, they shop with me, they help make the list out and juggle the budget.  They asked questions (why can't we get this or that, why doesn't it cost the same as last week, etc).  I explained as we went.  They learned the importance of the grocery list and budget and know why the prices fluctuate.  They watch the news with us and discuss and ask questions.  Government, economics, social studies, home ec., Math, and more!

So at the end of this year, we got her test results back.  The results floored me!  It really worked!  :-) She scored in the upper 90's on most everything.  We were able to identifiy weak points (spelling and punctuation) and her strong points (science scores were perfect, government, geography, Economics, math and reading were all very high). 

So as we begin the next year of school, it will be predominately unschooling, with enough work in the weaker subjects to improve those skills.  Our kids have a love of science, so we will be giving them encouragement and support in those areas and encouraging the math skills as well. 

Interestingly enough, her scores in math showed higher scores in the difficult maths..(division, mutiplication, decimals, and fractions, algebra, and geometry) and lower scores in the simple rote learned math (basic addition and subtraction).  She can add and subtract well, mind you, but does better if the task is complicated and has a purpose behind it.  She does a lot of math in her head and has great difficulty showing her work.  It is odd, but I am the same way with math..plain algebra gives me fits, but take the same technics and apply them to business statistics and I can ace the course (and did in college).  I have to be able to see an end need..not just work a problem for the sake of working a problem.

Well, enough for now, just my take on things.  We love the unschooling life style and have proof now that it does work for our kids and we will continue this method and adjust as needed for strengths and weaknessess.

Have a Great Day!

Today was a beautiful Day!  :-)  Our wonderful son received his 1st Holy Communion today.  It was a very wonderful service, but also a little heartwrenching for mom! 

As we dressed this morning, I realized that my 7yr old wasn't a baby anymore, he is growing up.. and I also realized that my daughter is 11yrs old..only 3 yrs from going through confirmation...a sign of her becoming a more mature young adult.  It seems like only yesterday they were just tiny babes in my arms!

We are very proud of both of them!  They tackle everything they do with enthusiasim and gusto!  They tackle things that most kids their age wouldn't...we never tell them something is too hard or too old for them, we just stand back and watch and help when requested.  :-)

Mitchell was so handsome today in his white shirt, black dress pants and black tie (he hated the tie and it was only a clip on).  He was very excited and now is ready to move on to training for altar service!  Megan has agreed to serve long enough to help train him, and then she will step down unless a substitute is needed.  She doesn't like being up there and gets a bit anxious at times! :-)

God has really blessed us with our children.  We love them dearly and only wish them the best!  I am sure that God is pleased with the wonderful little people they are growing into!  I know that I am! :-)

Peace~

Well, we had some rain that cleaned the air, so everyone is breathing easy now!  Yeah!!  Now it's on to fall activities! 

I do so love this time of year...walking in the leaves, the beautiful colors across God's country, the crisp clean air...mmm..can you smell it?

Anyway, we are shifting gears as we travel into autumn...it is time to sort out the summer clothes...move in the fall/winter clothes.  Our house is small, so I pack the off season clothes in plastic totes and store it until the next year.  This usually takes about a week to go through it all, determine what we need for the new year, try on clothes, sort the too small stuff, the stuff that will be too small next year, etc.  I will try to have a yard sale when I get done with all this and move out the stuff we no longer need.

It is also the time I start preparing for Christmas.  It is a big season with us, beginning with Advent...and of course Thanksgiving is coming quickly as is All Saints Day!  We also have DH, DS's birthdays in Nov. and our Anniversary in Nov.  So I have birthdays to plan..and hopefully, this year, DH and I will actually get a weekend away for our anniversary...it will be our 15th!  We will also be renewing our vows in the Church, since we weren't married in the Catholic church (we weren't Catholic then)..it seems appropriate now!  :-)

Business is picking up and more of our schooling is taking place outside or in the kitchen...Science, and Home Economic and art are big this time of year!  DD will learn to bake bread this year, along with my famous pie crusts.  DS will learn to write Christmas cards, they will both decorate wrapping paper, we will use nature's bounty to decorate the house...we will watch the geese fly over and the plants change. 

Right now, I better get to sorting clothes...cool nights are upon us and I need to find jackets, tights, sweats and make DD and I some warm skirts and petticoats!

Watch our site for DD and I's newest venture...we will be "rescueing" lost baby dolls and fixing them up with clothes, diapers, layettes and "adopting" them out to new mommies...just in time for Christmas!  It will be called the "Hillbilly Dolly House".

God Bless!

Guess the title says it all!  DD won 1st Premium on her no bake cookies , her abstract painting and her Sunbonnet Sue embroidered wall hanging!  The wall hanging also won Best of Section!  She got 2nd Premium on her drawing and her tote bag, 3rd Premium on her necklace, and a participation ribbon for her caterpillar! 

DS won 2nd Premium at his 1st ever fair entry...his clay caterpillar!  I got 1st Premium on my skirt and 3rd on the dress.

Needless to say, we are very proud!  However, the rest of the fair was not as good!  We had record numbers of people, so it was very crowded..not like usual.  It was also very dusty and DD ended up with a nose bleed..we stood in too many lines...even for the kiddy rides! 

We did hand out quite a few business cards and reinforced a few contacts that weren't really aware DH had left his previous job and was now self-employed.  So the fair was a draw!  Some good, some bad. 

Of course, the dust flaired everyone's allergies up!  Even mine!  So now everyone is stuffed up again!  *sigh*

Well, my bragging is done!!  Time for laundry!!

Our favorite time of year!  Our annual County Fair!  DD has really gone all out this year, even though she is still fighting that sinus infection (the one that she took antibiotics for and that went away and that has reared it's ugly head again) *sigh*.

She decided that since she is indoor bound, she should do something, so she drew a picture, painted another picture, and embroidered a very nice Sunbonnet Sue applique that she framed with a large vintage frame she found at our local thrift store!  She also entered a necklace she had made for her Tio Marty (the one with the shark tooth on her jewelry page) and a decorated tote bag and a large clay caterpillar.  She made No Bake Cookies the next day and entered them as well! 

On the other side, Mom entered a tiered skirt and a dress I had made. DS entered a clay caterpillar he made.  We aren't the over achievers DD is I guess!  :-)

DS is on antibiotics for Bronchitis and DH is also taking antibiotics for Bronchitis and a sinus infection.  We do so love allergy season!  Needless to say, not much formal school has been done!

We have been saddened by the news of the death of our favorite "Croc Hunter" Steve Irwin!  The kids just loved his show and will definitely miss him!  We watched a documentary that Animal Planet did last night...he truly was an amazing person!

So I suppose we have gotten some schooling done....just no books!  We are a rather eclectic unschooling/homeschooling family anyway, so I don't really worry too much.  We do lots of hands on learning and a little book learning when I feel they need the textbook lessons (math problems, grammar, punctuation, etc)  We use the TV as a powerful learning tool!  Both love to watch Animal Planet, but DD also loves to watch cooking shows and decorating shows!  She is rapidly becoming as good a cook as I am!  :-)  Not many 10 yr olds can say they can cook as good as Mom and have won blue ribbons at the county fair 2 yrs running...we'll see if this is the 3rd year tonight!

We are going to brave the dust and crowd and attend the county fair tonight!  Probably will result in a few allergy setbacks...but the fair only comes once a year and we all just love going!  The kids get their annual bag of Cotton Candy and we ride the rides, check out all the exhibits, see if anyone of us won a ribbon and see lots and lots of people!  That is a good thing, as we can hand out business cards and "smooze" a little!  LOL!  :-)

Well, errands to run and laundry to finish! God Bless!

Well, one week back to lessons and we are fighting a sinus infection and asthma flare up with our DD.  She is so frustrated!  She hates being sick and really fights the asthma attacks, which make them that much worse!

On a lighter note, we celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday today!  She has been such an wonderful influence in my live and I feel so very blessed to still have her in my life!  She had a big party at my uncle's and seemed to really enjoy herself!

Remodeling on our home is still ongoing!  We have window facings now!  Next is paint, when the weather cools enough to open the windows.  DD doesn't deal with paint fumes too well! 

Well, it has been a long day, so this will be a short post!  Good Night All!

Hi,

I hope to be able to capture some of the special moments that homeschooling brings us each and every day!  I have never blogged before, so everyone should bear with me as I learn to do this and learn to keep it up! :-)

We are a Catholic Homeschooling family of two wonderful children.  Our daughter is the oldest at 10yrs old and our son is the baby at 6yrs old.  Their b-days are Feb and Nov, respectivly. 

I must say that our own parenting beliefs do not allow us to post pictures of our children on the internet...that is something I simply cannot condone as safe!  However, I am working on getting pictures of our different schooling areas/stations and activities that we are doing!

I  hope that this helps keep our extended family updated on our activities as well!