- Homeschool Blogger

Time Travel

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:04:00 -0500

I haven't been posting very often here, but just wanted to share with my (two or three, if I'm lucky) faitful readers that I am going on a "time travel" trip this weekend. I am headed home to Alberta today so that I can attend my high school reunion - my class 25th!! *gasp* I'm really looking forward to it, and hopefully will have some fun things to share when I get back.

And it started me wondering... do you know of any homeschool alumni that have "class reunions?" For instance, the graduating class of an umbrella group or co-op getting together 5 or 10 years after they graduated? Just curious.

Show & Tell {Kennady's music lessons}

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 11:46:00 -0500

For Show & Tell this week, I want to share how Kennady has been spending a lot of her spare time lately - practicing her recorder. I have to admit that the family gets pretty tired of hearing it, but from what I can tell, that's fairly common among family members of recorder players!! She has been learning to play in a co-op class and is really enjoying it so she practices at home (which not all of her classmates do, apparently) and last week she got out the whiteboard and practiced writing out her music as well.

Okay, now she's embarrassed because I'm taking her picture:

Okay, time to go - we need to practice for the Talent Night this evening - she is singing!

For more Show & Tell fun, visit my friend CanadaGirl!

Show & Tell {Art Glass field trip}

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:23:00 -0500

It's time for Show & Tell, and as usual I am late in getting mine ready. I posted a little preview earlier today though.

On Monday, I took Landon and Kennady on a field trip. We visited an art glass studio in Baltimore and were able to see how the glass pieces are made, and the kids each got to make a marble using the technique! As our group arrived, we looked around at the interesting glasswork in the workshop area.

Calla lilies!

I thought this looked a little like Spanish onions! Its MUCH larger, and is hanging from the ceiling, almost like a chandelier.

Here's where its all made:

As we were getting settled, our tour guide - the owner and artist, Tim - quickly fashioned a horse out of glass.

Then it was our turn. One at a time, the kids chose which colored glass bits they would use for their own marble. This is Kennady getting a quick lesson on how to hold the rod and keep turning it so that the hot glass doesn't droop.

Tim got the hot glass on the end of the rod, and then Kennady pressed it into the little pile of lavender glass she had chosen.

Next, over to the furnace where the glass is heated again, always turning the rod.

Back to the stainless steel table again, this time to shape the molten glass by turning and pressing it onto the table.

And to the furnace again...

Finally, Kennady can sit down (still turning the rod though!) and Tim helps her to pinch in the end of the glass so that the rounded marble will come off the rod. (I took a little video of that, which I will add here later if I can)

Landon's turn:

Here is Kennady's finished marble:

All the kids in our group proving that they still have their marbles!

Afterwards we looked around the shop and gallery - beautiful and unique work!!

He's got everything you could imagine in there, including the kitchen sink! (Actually, this is the bathroom sink - we couldn't resist taking a picture, despite the fact that our reflections are in the mirror! Ooops LOL)

Thanks for coming by - more show and tell fun can be found by visiting Mary aka CanadaGirl

A B See Photo Meme {H}

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:15:00 -0500

H is for Hot!

On Monday we went on a field trip to an art glass studio. We were told that the furnace is about 2000 degrees! This is the smaller oven, which I guess isn't quite that hot, but still...

For more A B See's, visit The Homeschool Post

Show & Tell {Co-op Class News}

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:19:00 -0500

A couple weeks ago I shared some pictures from the kids co-op class. Well, now we've passed the halfway point and here are some more co-op pictures. First the gross stuff... I went into Spencer's biology lab two weeks ago to get a look at a cow brain. I'm still rather surprised at how little it bothered me. LOL

They've now examined the tongue, heart, brain, and lungs. Interesting.

The younger kids are enjoying their classes as well, particularly Music and Art. One of the local library branches puts up artwork in a "gallery" to showcase different area schools, and most recently our homeschool group was featured. We sent a perspective drawing Spencer did in his co-op art class:

Kennady also had a piece from her Art class submitted, a story quilt drawing inspired by the work of Faith Ringgold:

Kennady was with me when I went to visit the "gallery" so I tried to get her picture. Not easy since her work was at the very top of the bulletin board, and I'm not crazy about how it turned out, but I haven't got a copy of Gramma's picture yet. (hers turned out much better, I think!)

For more Show & Tell, visit Mary aka CanadaGirl

Show & Tell/A B See Photo Meme {G}

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:58:00 -0500

G is for Greenhouse

This is what it looks like right now at the greenhouse where my DH works. Pansies, violas, and petunias. I love the colors.

My mom took a family picture of us as well.

For more A B See's, visit The Homeschool Post

And for Show & Tell, visit Mary aka CanadaGirl

Homeschool Memoirs #29 {Sick Days}

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:25:00 -0500

As homeschoolers, we all have “one of those days” every now and then. Sometimes there isn’t even a sickie in the house. Sometimes mom is drained or burned out and feeling run down. Sometimes there are other medical or health issues that are interfering with our best laid-out plans (bedrest for a 9 month old teacher, anyone?!)…

So do we give up and give in? Do we change the plans to make them more flexible?

I’d love to hear about the ideas that some of you have, the stories that you all can tell - about days that were less than perfect because someone “came down with a bug”, but successes anyway. Are you a “carschooler” when there are doctor appointments to attend? Are you a “bedschooler” when life lays you up? Or do you have a “sick day” schedule that you follow - a “rainy day idea can” that you dip in to?

What happens at your house when life throws a schedule curve?

Share your story with all of us moms who need a little encouragement.

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Sick Days don't interfere with our plans as much, now that the kids are all older! Way back when I was pregnant or nursing, and had a toddler to deal with, it was a different story. But I have forgotten much of how we handled those times. Now that my students are all reading on their own, if *I* am feeling too miserable to manage their schoolday, I ask them to work on their own. Most of the time they are working on their own anyway, so its really only History and Science that have to be rescheduled when sickness interferes. Recently I had a touch of pneumonia and pretty much lost my voice (and what little energy and motivation I have!) for about a week, and was just plain tired all the time for a few weeks after that. I took a couple days off History and Science, because my voice just wasn't strong enough to get through the class time. When we got back to it, I kept the lessons shorter so as not to wear my voice out.

Since we do Science and History together (except for Harrison) I am sometimes torn about what to do if ONE of the three kids isn't feeling well. Thankfully it doesn't happen that often that someone is feeling so poorly they can't even sit at the table for a half hour for a History discussion, so most of the time we just postpone those subjects until everyone is feeling better.

Check out other homeschooler's ideas on how to handle sick days at The HSBA Post

Show & Tell {Vermillion}

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 07:29:00 -0600

Time again for Show & Tell! A couple weeks ago, when we started our Lewis & Clark unit in History, we followed my book's instructions for making "vermillion" paint, which the Corps of Discovery took with them to trade to the Native Americans they met.

Then it was off to a mirror so Landon and Kennady could paint up!

Here is Landon trying to look mean, like he's headed out on the warpath. And Kennady tried to look mean too, but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

At first we were a little disappinted that the paint looked more PINK than RED, but when the time came to wash it off, I was glad! I had a few anxious moments where I thought I might have to take them to gym class looking like they had sunburn! Thankfully it really was washable, like the instructions said, but I'd recommend not leaving the paint on for TOO long! LOL

For more Show & Tell fun, visit CanadaGirl and feel free to join us!

(by the way, I try to visit all the Show & Tell entries each week, but have so much trouble getting comments to post! I will visit your Show & Tell, I promise! Just might not be able to comment)

A B See Photo Meme {F}

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 06:49:00 -0600

F is for Fire Hydrant

Ever seen the underground part of a fire hydrant? I hadn't, until driving through the nearby town where they have been doing a major overhaul of the main street. All the detours and delays are annoying, but this was kind of neat!

For more A B See's, visit The Homeschool Post

Show & Tell/A B See Photo Meme {E}

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:59:00 -0600

E is for Eeeeek!!!

Had to be creative with this letter, but that is pretty much what I said when our TV antenna blew off our roof on Monday! Here it is sitting in our yard. I'm trying to think of a good homeschool project we can do with a TV antenna - suggestions?

For more A B See's, visit The Homeschool Post

And for Show & Tell, visit Mary aka CanadaGirl