Always Learning - Homeschool Blogger

Just needing to update....

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:09:00 -0500

I've been wanting to post what has been going on in school, life, cooking......unfortunately I have been having a month of migraines. In the last month I've had 20 days of migraines, 11 in the last 12 days. So even thought my intentions for this school year was to keep up on my blog, I guess it won't be happening like I planned. I will be going to a specialist the beginning of November......however, I'm sure it will be a loooong process.

So what have I been doing the last few weeks?

Co-op Classes: So far we have had 2, 4 more to go. I'm teaching Jr/Sr High, "English from the Roots Up". Going very well so far. We are working on 10 words for each week. I give them a pretest on the words we will be working on, we review the previous words (last week we did a crossword puzzle together), put together our flash cards (I type out the words/definitions, then they glue them onto their 3x5 cards), and then we play "Rummy Roots" if we have time. When we correct the pretest, I explain more about each root.
Homeschool Support Meeting: While the parents have their meeting, another teacher and I are teaching the K-2nd grade children. We are doing a science theme this year. So far we have done Simple Machines and Water Cycle. I'm hoping later to have separate post of these classes outlining what we did. It has been so much fun. The next class will be about The 5 Senses.
ECC: Week 3&4 United States: We did get through these weeks. I actually had posted a long post but somehow lost it. We are now in Weeks 5 & 6: Mexico. I'm already a week behind with these migraines, but we work though it. For days I'm not doing well, I always have lots of books for the book basket that violet can read to me. Also I make sure we get several movies from the library about what we are doing. We also have a DVD interactive game, "Planet Earth". This is a great game for geography. We were fortunate enough to receive it as a gift last Christmas from some friends.

I've been doing alot of canning, mostly salsa lately, but that will hopfully be another post with recipes to share.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:44:00 -0500

For Today: September 21

Outside my window....the leaves are changing to their fall colors, I love this time of year.
I am thinking...about our fist day of Co-op this afternoon.
I am thankful for...so far, a migraine free morning, being able to just be a homeschooling mom, wife..........and in a few month, a grandma.

From the learning rooms... today is Co-op day. Violet is taking More Electronics, Christmas Make & Take, and Ocean Life.

From the kitchen...this weeks menu:

Meatloaf, rice, veggies
Fajitas
Baked Oyster Stew
Pork Chops, rice, veggies
Beef & Barley Soup
I'm also still doing some canning. Today I need to get some tomatoes done.

I am creating... memories.

I am going...to Co-op, Library, bank, grocery store.......
I am reading... as a family we are reading through the New Testiment, we are in Matthew 19. I am also reading "Homeschool Co-ops: How to start them run them and not burn out" by Carol Topp.
I am hoping... for a migraine free day.
I am hearing...Violet watching "Tales from Avonlee".
Around the house... is looking pretty good now that I'm not working outside the home. I was able to tackle a few room the last two weeks, making them at least presentable. Now I need to start decluttering some areas, don't think I will get to them today, but later on this week.

In the yard...husband is making progress now that he is getting to have weekends off. Over the weekend he cleaned out the storage building thats been in need of cleaning for a very long time. Last weekend he got on the roof and swept it, also cleaned the gutters. Good Job Hunny!

One of my favorite things...being able to sleep more than 5 or 6 hours at a time.

A few plans for the rest of the week: mostly just staying home and doing school. I do need to get bread made this week and granola.

If you would like to be part of Simple Woman's Daybook, please go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

We are going to have a new addition to the family....

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:08:00 -0500

My older daughter and her husband are pregnant......I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA!!

She was thinking it would come the middle of May, but they were doing an external exam, they thought she was further along....more like April. She will have a more complete exam in November.

So now I need to figure out what I want to be called. Granny and NaNa are already taken. Someone suggested MeeMaw......any others??

I am so excited....have known for a few weeks, but had been sworn to keep it a secret.

My Father's World Blog Roll 2009-10

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:44:00 -0500

If you interested in finding others who are using MFW like I am, then click on the button above and add your blog to the list. This is open for ALL of MFW curriculum, which is great because I will be able to see what we will be doing next year and remember what we have done in the past......

Our week of school....

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 22:00:00 -0500

This is our second week of school, alot of outside activities and freezing corn this week. But still, we did get ~~some~~ a little schooling in. Again, we are doing MFW: ECC, were actually doing the first edition. We're barely into week 2.

Bible: We finished some color sheets on Jn. 3:16, worked some on personal Bible study

Language Arts: practice handwriting f-j; finished the Explode the Code from last year; finished spelling book from last year.

Math: finished Singapore Math 1B from last year. We will begin a new workbook next week.

Geography: read some more of "Maps and Globes", worked on latitude-longitude; tried to find places on the map using lat/long coordinates; equator/ prime meridan. Played "Geography Songs" during down times; "Wee Sing" Hello to the Children of the world.

Science: In our "Living World Encylopedia" we looked at Long-term Changes. After she is done reading a section outload, she writes a sentence of what she read. Right now I am helping her with these sentences, but she is coming up with some of her own.

Book Basket: Some books she liked reading this week were:

Mapping Penny's World, Lorren Leedy
Me on the Map, Joan Sweeney
Celebrations, Kindersley
What a Wonderful World, Weiss and Thiele (she thought this was fun because there was a song that went with this)

Outside Activities:

Houdini Museum- we were at an appointment an hour away from home, so I figured we might as well make a day of it and go somewhere educational. She learned that magic was all about tricking others into believing something was true.
Mongolian Grill for lunch on same day as museum.
Homeschool support meeting- the kids are divided into different grades for activities.
K-5th Social: just time for this age group to develope friendships. I realize that for some families, this is not important, but Violet is basically an only child. Yes, she has sibblings, but they are already out of the house and she really needs this time once in a while.

I'm planning on a full week of uninterupted school next week. So we should get lots done. However the week after will be more half days, then we should be back to a normal schedule again.

It feels so good to be back to homeschooling again. How was your week?

First week of school....

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0500

Last week was our first week of school. I figured we would start right away, even though I just worked my last day that Sunday morning. We are doing My Father's World: Exploring Countries and Cultures. We are using the 1st Eddition, they came out with the 2nd this year. This is our 4th year with MFW, I'm so glad that we found it. When I first started homeschooling Violet, I needed something planned and that had a great phonics base. I never had to teach my older two to read as they started out in PS. Also, this week and next will be mostly 1/2 days at home, we have alot of stuff going on outside of home these two weeks.

Bible: We are memorizing Jn. 3:16; Window on the World- read p. 8-9; colored some pages with Jn.3:16 in their language: Greek, Korean, and Spanish. Also, since Violet was recently baptized, we are going over again what baptism is for , why we are baptized and example in the Bible of others and their conversions, and briefly what our responsibilities are as a Christian. We go into more detail later on.

Language Arts: practice printing letters A-E (we will start on cursive after we go over printing in another week or two); writing strands lesson #1 day one and two; 4 pages of explode the code (has about 10 pages left from last year); a lesson of spelling (again, 2 lessons left from last year)

Math: we are reviewing addition and subtraction, 4 pages of singapore math

Geography: this week we read through "Maps and Globes", put world map on wall, filled out world map with a compass, labled continents, equator, hemispheres, poles; made a map of her room; distance and scales. Geography vocabulary: continent, continental shelf. We also found pictures of people from different countries that we cut out of national geographic magazines and pasted onto 8x11 sheet piece of paper. The instructions were to put onto a poster board, but this way when were done, it can go into her notebook and I don't have to figure out what to do with it. She really enjoyed this.

Science: we are using as our main text this year "Living World Encyclopedia". For each two page spread she will write out 3 sentences of what she learned. This week we read about "Environments". We also went on a field trip to the State Fish Hatchery only 5 miles from us, this is only the 2nd time in almost 9 years going. They just built an educational building and did major expanding, so we were actually checking it out for a field trip for our homeschool group. But anyways, she drew a picture and wrote down 3 sentences of what she learned.

Art: Last year we started using "I Can Do All Things", we only got through the first part, I think it was called ABC's of drawing (I know I'm wrong with this name, but too lazy to look). Then we went to a class that Barry Stebbings was holding here locally and I went ahead and bought the DVD's for this book. The plan was to finish thru the summer, but I'm sure you all know how plans go. So we started with painting this week using the dvd's, lesson 101.

I know we have more subjects to add and we really didn't get everything done for "week 1", but like I said before, these were mostly half days.

Hope that whenever your starting that it is a good week........Happy Schooling!!

2 Week Notice

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:11:00 -0500

Well, I gave my work 2 week notice when I left Sunday morning. Hubby got offered a QA position at his work, working the same hours I do. Bummer, ha ha. We are only at 80% of our saving goal, but I'm sure we will be fine. I'm so excited to just be a mom, wife and homeschooling. Violet says that maybe I won't be so grumpy now. That would be funny if it wasn't so true. By the time I get done with cooking, cleaning and other chores, I don't have the energy or desire to be mom. Thank You God for making this happen.....

Busy filling my freezer

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:34:01 -0500

Been kind of busy the last two days after work filling my freezer. I'm trying to save money on our food budget, which seems to get forgotten when I'm tired. So far I have:

cooked and deboned 10 lbs of chicken hind quarters (on sale for $.49/lb.)
cut up and froze 10 lbs. of chicken hind quarters
cooked and froze rice
cooked and froze kidney beans
made and froze 6 meals using the deboned chicken
shredded and divided 26 cups of zuchinni into 2 cup packages
made double batch of granola
made double batch of Whole Wheat Healthy Muffins
made double batch of Applesause Muffins
shredded and froze carrots

I still need to:

make a chicken soup out of broth
blanch and freeze 10 lbs. of green beans

Next week I'm planning on doing some stuff with ground beef.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:55:00 -0500

For Today: July 28

Outside my window....is sunny, its been raining alot lately, so this is good.
I am thinking...not yet......I just got up.
I am thankful for...not waking up with a migrain, although I'm sure by the end of the day I will have one.

From the learning rooms... Violet begged for school to start again, so we did yesterday. I don't have the history or science yet, they are being mailed by a friend and should be the end of the week. I think for now we will just do 1/2 days.

From the kitchen...this weeks menu:

Ham and Beans
Steak, baked potatoe, veggies
White Chili
Tator Tot Casserole
Pork Chops, rice, veggies
Taco's
Pancakes
I am creating...absolutely nothing.
I am going...today is my day off, but will take Violet to swimming lessons.
I am reading...The Ballet Shoe, well actually we are listening to this on tape as we go back and forth to swimming..
I am hoping... for plenty of sleep and less migrains this week.
I am hearing...hubby and Violet having their morning time. And the cat tearing apart Violet's viliage shes been building with legos and timber logs........not good.
Around the house... haven't even thought about it yet. I guess I will need to do the normal picking up. I would like to help Violet get under her bed cleaned up and maybe go through all her clothes.

In the yard...still just watching the grass grow taller and taller.

One of my favorite things...ice cream, I bought some last night and if I could I would have just sat with the carton and a fork (sometimes easier when it's frozen) and pigged out. But Violet would know because she was with me when I bought it.....bummer.

A few plans for the rest of the week: this is our last week for swimming lesson :)) , pick up our produce and eggs, library, Bible study, might see if older daughter wants to meet for coffee......

If you would like to be part of Simple Woman's Daybook, please go to http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Co-op class list....

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:22:00 -0500

Thought some of you might be looking for ideas for classes to teach at a co-op, so I thoght I would post what is being made available at ours. Sign-ups are in another week or so for the fall session, were pretty excited. Violet is in the 3rd-5th grade group. I'll let you figure out which classes she wants to take, you may be surprised....

1st Hour:

PreK-K: Animal Life Cycles

1st-2nd: Fun with Physics

3rd-5th: Celebrate America through Crafts & Activities ......or.....Electronics

6th-8th: Mid-Lit

6th-12th: Cooking

9th-12th: Foundations in Personal Finance

2nd Hour

PreK-K: Animal Life Cycle Cont.

1st-2nd: Fall & Winter Crafts

3rd-5th: Christmas Make & Take......or........C.S.I.

6th-8th: Founding of America

6th-12th: More Basic Electronics

9th-12th: Foundations in Personal Finance Cont.

3rd Hour

PreK-K: Music & Movement

1st-2nd: Book & Project

3rd-5th: Cookies & Bars.....or......Ocean Life

6th-12th: English From the Roots Up.....or

Explore the Stock Market.......or

Wisconsin Prairie Wildflowers

So, which one's do Violet want to take?

Electronics, C.S.I., and Ocean Life.

Makes me wonder if I'm not giving her enough science. Won't she be surprised when she finds out that in the electronics that she will be putting together a metal detector. She asked for one for this next Christmas!!