joyfulhomeschooling

I'm moving.....

I'm sorry guys, but I've decided to move my blog.  I just have more flexibility and creativity, without having to think alot and do alot of extra work.  I know if I spent the time I could learn more about changing my blog around, but right now I don' t have the time -or energy. 

I'm hoping you'll still follow my new blog!! 

www.eagleeyeacademy.blogspot.com

Take care!

Michelle

sorry

for the negative post yesterday.  Apparently, it was an exhausted, whoa is me, feel sorry for me kinda day. 

I'm working on getting our school room finalized.  I'm searching for where we put all the posters and things in our old schoolroom/dining room.  I'm pretty sure we unpacked them, but have no idea where we put them, so the hunt continues.  My next step is to get some curtains or something up in here.  The white walls, with white blinds, is a little much for me.  I'm debating whether or not, just to sponge a pale yellow or blue on the walls, just to get some color.  Maybe blue would be better, isn't that color supposed to put you in a good mood?  AT this point, I would have to go around the bookcase and computer hutch, becase well, they are way to heavy to move and no one will ever see behind them.  I think I'll look at paint this week.

Must be nesting I guess.  I'm also trying to get the rest of the stuff up on the walls.  The echoing in here is a little overwhelming sometimes.  hehe

Also this week, we're going to be putting together the crib and getting a baby swing for baby x.  I just realized that we are exactly eight days away from the csection.  Wow, where did that time go?  I will also get a bouncy seat, but we don't need that right now.  I use it more later on.  I don't need the dog licking the newborn or Kailyn pulling her off the table or counter (did I mention that Kailyn's climbing all over in the last post?)

I've been pretty lazy today and haven't gotten much done.  I guess I needed that.  Tomorrow I will get going and get some things done that need to be done.  I'm excited to finally be getting the school room and the rest of the house done!  Yeah!!

Take care!!  Tomorrow is a doctor's appt and hopefully I will find out what time the csection is scheduled for next week.  Daddy has a standing golf game on Tuesdays and would like to try to fit it in, hehehe.

ps-we are so excited for football season!!  Last night, we got to watch the Bills-which is my team and yes they lost AGAIN!!  We're famous for that.  Anyway, its nice being able to watch football at a normal time.  In Japan, we had to get up at 3am on Mondays to watch the Sunday afternoon games!

Also, please keep my Japanese friends in your prayers.  The area where we lived has had to major earthquakes in the last few days!

Pondering what to write.....

For once, I really have no idea what to even blog about.  Usually I have some homeschooling topic or funny thing that happened, or pictures to post-nope not today.  Must be pregnancy brain.

I have an appt on Tuesday and I'm hoping that the doctor will be able to tell me when the csection will be scheduled on the 18th.  I mean, we do have other children that we need to find a place for during that time.  Of course, being new here, means not knowing alot of people, so depending on the surgery time, we may have to keep daddy at home with the kiddos while I'm in surgery.  Let's face it, its hard to ask someone that you really don't know that well to get up at 6am with four kids.  All are self sufficient, except Kailyn-and we are rediscovering the explorations of a toddler.  Climb on the table.  Climb on the counter.  Climb on the changing table.  PUt the whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet and flush.  Swing from the ceiling fan-you get the idea.

I'm doing pretty well considering that I can't get comfortable and therefore can't sleep that well.  I say that, although I know I've been barking at my husband and children the past few days, I'm just pretending that I haven't been.  I'm in denial.  I'm at least smart enough to say, I'm so tired and I'm sorry but...... bark, bark, bark.  Not that it makes it any better, but at least they've been warned that I'm a sleep deprived crazy person and they usually shrug it off.  They're wonderful and forgiving. 

My only big issue is the baby's name.  Hubby won't discuss any names other than this ridiculous name he's thought of combining Hannah Montana and Gabriella from HSM-Montana Gabriella.  I absolutely hate it.  Both names, not to mention the fact, that I don't really want my child name after pop stars, it doesn't even flow with our other children's names.  Its driving me mad.  I like to be ready for things, not deciding the day we leave the hospital her name.  Or perhaps, we'll be like Murphy Brown and take six months to decide.  We could try different names on her and see what fits.  Nope, doesn't work for me.  I'll be too crazed not having a name.  So, right now, we argue discuss names.  Actually, we really don't argue about it, he just keeps repeating this  nutty name that he knows is driving me over the edge.  I know he's doing it on purpose, but stop the madness already!!

.  I've finished all the school stuff and other than hanging some posters in the school room, I am as ready as can be for the upcoming year.  I'm very excited.  I hope the kids are too. 

I hope you don't think I'm too crazed after my rant today.  Just needed to rant to someone other than my family, I've put them through enough!!

Take care and have a wonderful week!

Record keeping

My record keeping skills for homeschooling have been, well, to be honest, quite poor.  Our first year of homeschooling was in Japan, where there aren't any laws to follow.  Our next two years were in CA, where all I was required to do was keep attendance.  The last three years have been back in Japan, without any requirements whatsoever.

Don't get b me wrong, I did keep some things.  Very little though, looking back.  Of course, dad's been gone for about four of the last six years, so I was doing what I could to maintain my own sanity.  I did keep goal sheets and report cards, but that's about it.

I'm currently going backwards, starting with last year, and at least making a sheet of curriculum used and books read.  Yes, I know.  Its a royal pain.  I should have done it each year and I didn't.  My excuse-living overseas, husband deployed most of the time, and no family to help out.  Okay, enough excuses, it really wasn't that hard to do and now I'm paying for it.

This year, I'm back to using Homeschool Tracker.  For those of you unfamiliar with the program, they have two versions-free and about $25(Don't quote me on that, I bought it a few years ago).  I used the free program for a while, but didn't like it for one major reason.  ALl the lessons were directly assigned to the students.  So, for example, when entering the assignments, you must assign it a day.  My problem comes in when you don't get it done that day or for several days, say because of illness.  Well, then you have to change all the assignment dates thereafter.  With the upgraded version, you can load all your lessons for the whole year and then move them over to the student grid when you want to.  Much easier for me and my peace of mind.  Since, I do like to be somewhat organized.

Last year, I hand wrote my assignments, but that didn't work for me either.  I didn't mind so much, but it meant every week, I had to sit and write out the lesson plans.  Not so much.  I didn't have time for that. 

I've already entered in every lesson for the entire year for each student.  The only things, I don't enter are the unit studies, which I'm still working on.  I have the Vikings unit done and am completing the Human Body unit.  I break the units down by day and assign them a day in the lesson planner, but most of the planning in on my computer in microsoft word.  Its easier for me.

Now that I've totally bored you with my lack of record keeping skills, I wanted to share a website which most of you probably already know about  www.donnayoung.org.  She has lots and lots of record keeping, lesson planning, calendars, everything you could want or imagine for your school year. 

My other outside source that I use for goal setting is 'Home Learning Year by Year' by Rebecca Rupp.  She has basically broken down the public school goals for each subject and grade level.  This DOES NOT mean that I follow it.  I use different goals from different years based on my child's learning level.  Plus, we definitely don't follow the science or history goals for the year.  It does however, point me in the right direction for math, grammer, writing, and reading.  I make adjustments as needed.  It guides me along as I'm too lazy to write my own, I can copy it right out of the book.  She also has some suggestions for you to use for your homeschooling year.

Well, I'm off to finish up the Human Body unit, put in the art lessons, and finish up my curriculum book list for the year.   I hope to complete that all today and get my goal setting done for the year.

Good luck planning and organizing your year!

Chicken Manure Man

Today I thought I'd share the story of the Chicken Manure Man.

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The kids and I had driven with the camper and dog from VA to MT and picked up daddy at the airport.  Daddy got to drive the rest of the way to WA, and I got to deal with the kiddos in the back of the truck-I think I would have preferred to drive.

Anyway, we were on the third day of driving with daddy and pulled into a rest area before hitting the Cascade Mountains.  The kids and I were in the camper going to the restroom, when this tractor trailer comes whizzing in and pulls up next to us.

This above average sized man gets out and goes over to Kevin-"hey you got an apple?"

Kevin looked at me and I nodded and turned to go in and get him one.  We were both thinking that perhaps he was diabetic and his sugar was low.

The guy says, "no, no, I mean do you have an apple tree>"

Hmmm, let me think about this.  We're in a rest area in Eastern WA, with our 34 foot camper, big dog, and four kids.  Nope, not so much.

"Or how about some tomato plants?"

Hmmm, please refer to the above thought.

"I mean at your house!  Do you have any at your  house?"

Oh, now we're getting somewhere.  Nope, we don't have a house-at this point we're living in the camper. 

"Too bad, I've got the best fertilizer in the world here"

Then the smell hits us.  Chicken manure.  Now, I don't know how many of you have ever been around a chicken farm, but the smell is worse and more toxic than a pig or cow farm.

The man rambles on for a while and we're finally able to get into the truck and leave. 

"So," I asked "exactly what was he going to do.  Go to the top, scoop us out a cup of it?  And then what?  What would we have done with it then?"

Thoughts of chicken manure fermenting in the camper came to mind.  eeeeeewwwwwwwww

Finally, the long awaited photos!!!

Okay, here we go.  I'm finally posting pictures!!  Yeah!!!

This is Painted Canyon in ND.  The picture really doesn't do it any justice.  Its beautiful.

I think Hallie's trying to point out that I was very unstable after driving from VA to ND-at this point.  I was starting to get kinda short with the kiddos, but they were champs and tolerated my craziness.

Kailyn's checking out the view and happy to be outta the car!

Trey's enjoying the view also-and very, very, happy to be outta the car!

Okay, Courtnee.  I got it!!  I was unstable!!  hehe

A few after arriving in WA, we went camping to Lake Baker.  Remember, now that we're still living in our camper at this point!

A view of the lake.

Here's Trey enjoying the lake.  He did go tubing, but was freezing when he got out.  The lake is mountain fed, snow fed, so very very cold.

The girls kept walking in the water.  It was way to cold for me, even this shallow.

You can see some of the pieces of driftwood here.  THere is driftwood everywhere in WA. In fact, not any real beaches-there's driftwood covering everything and its illegal in most places to take some.

Kailyn walked around barefoot but refused to put her feet in the water.  Smart girl!

This was taken in the camper at some point.  Kailyn was insisting on wearing her sister's panties.  Here, she got a little carried away with it!

Vikings unit study

Yes, I know.  The long awaited pictures have not been posted.  I'm going to try to take a little snooze after I post this unit study and then maybe later today I'll get the pictures posted.

Remember, that I'm making this unit extremely easy.  This is because I'll have had the csection (Aug 18th) a few weeks before and will still be sore and sleep deprived.  We will be taking alot of pictures during our study and making a little scrapbook.  We will be adding vocabulary and I will have them write a little description everyday.  I found some really cute Viking notebooking pages at currclick.com for $3 that we will probably use.

Vikings Unit Study for Grades 1, 2, 6

Books to use:

The Vikings by Jane Shuter

Edupress Hands on Heritage-Vikings

You wouldn’t want to be a Viking Explorer

Lesson 1

Read Pages 4-7 in The Vikings

Discuss Vocabulary:

        Raided      thing         jaris          slaves       fjords

Using a blank map (page 5 in Hands on Heritage books), locate Norwary, Iceland, and Greenland.  Locate the compass rose and discuss directional terms north, south, east, and west.  What direction would you be traveling to get from Iceland to Greenland and Norway to Iceland.

Using a world map or globe-discuss latitude, longitude, equator, and prime meridian.

Activity:  Work on vocabulary lists

Lesson 2-Religion

Read pages 10-11 in The Vikings

Vocabulary:

        Pagans              dwarfs

Discuss the different Gods that the Vikings believed in.  Why do you think they believed in so many Gods?  Do we believe in many Gods?

Activity:

Page 26 in Hands on Heritage book-Draw a rainbow bridge from Asgard to Earth and one of the Gods on Asgard.

Lesson 3-Storytelling and Writing

Read pages 28-29

Vocabulary: 

        Runes       saga

Discuss the differences in the way the Vikings passed stories down and how we pass stories down now. 

Activity:

Page 9 in Heritage book-Look at the runic alphabel.  Can you write your name?  Why or why not?  How many letters are in our alphabet?  How many are in theirs?

Page 29-30  Discuss jelling stones and the purpose of them.  Color jelling stones

Lesson 4-Families

Read pages 24-25 and 26-27

Discuss how the Vikings families lived.  Is it the same as today?  Why or why not?  Discuss the type of jewelry that the Vikings wore.  Did men and women wear jewelry?

Vocabulary:

        Raiding

Activity:  Work on making a jewelry project

Lesson 5–Clothes

Read pages 26-27 clothes

Vocabulary:       tunic

Activity:     Finish jewelry designs

                Make clothes from Heritage activity book

Lesson 6-Armor

Read War pages 8-9

Discuss the different types of armor used by the Vikings.  Do you think it helped them in their raiding? 

Activity:  Make a sword and some armor

Lesson 7-Ships, expansion, and trade

Read pages 12-17

Label parts of a Viking ship page 36 Heritage book

Why did the Vikings carve dragon’s heads on their shops?   Discuss the Viking ship parts, how they traded and expanded their kingdom.  Why did they raid other parts of the world? 

Get a map out and trace some of their routes to see where they went

Read pages 5-13 in You Wouldn’t Want to be a Viking Explorer

Discuss the differences between a country and continent

Activity:  Finish Armor

Lesson 8-Towns and Houses

Read pages 18-21

Vocabulary:       thatched            turf

Why didn’t they have windows?  What were the different types of houses made of?  What was a smokehole?  (read pages 14-19 in heritage book)

Read pages 14-19 in You Wouldn’t want to be a Viking Explorer

Activity:     Make house

Lesson 9-Food and Farming

Read page 22

Vocabulary:       harvesting         roasted

Read pages 20-29 in You Wouldn’t Want to be a Viking Explorer

Activity:

Label different foods page 44 Heritage book

Make different foods page 46 Heritage book

How is their food different from the food we eat?  Why do they have different types of food?  Do you like their food?  What is your favorite food?

Lesson 10

Read Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky

Leif discovers a new land and calls it Vinland.  What continent is it that he discovers?  Find America on a map.  Is it north or south of Greenland.

Pull out a map and review where the Vikings went.  Identify the five oceans and 7 continents.

Lesson 11-Finish up (two days)

Trey-Write a report on the Vikings

Hallie and Courtnee-Pretend that you discovered a new land.  Write a description of what you find there and draw a picture.

Its wonderful!

We are back to typical weather for WA!!  Yeah!!  Its nice and cool-good sleeping weather.  For the first time in nights, I got a good nights sleep.  Yeah!!  The kids are still sleeping and its after nine.  I'm letting them and enjoying the peace and quiet.  They are so tired after trying to sleep in the heat and we'd been letting them stay up really late to hopefully cool off their rooms some before going to bed. 

So, now I can continue on with my lesson plans, which I will be doing today.  I would like to finish them up today or tomorrow.  I have some  housework to catch up on because it was too warm to do anything, especially upstairs.

I have some pictures I'll be posting in a few minutes for you!!  Thanks to everyone for your prayers for nicer weather!!

Its blazin hot here....

I know, I'm complaining over nothing.  There are parts of the US that have been over 100 for weeks, however, its been really hot here the last few days.  Unfortunately, being in the Pacific Northwest, specifically on an island, you have to deal with this heat without air conditioning. 

Now, I grew up in WNY.  It got hot a few weeks outta the year there.  I dealt with it with fans, popsicles, pools, and any type of water activity to keep cool.  Even though sleeping at night was difficult, I managed to suffer through the hottest room in the house due to the storage area on the side of my room and the attic overhead which were like ovens insulating my room.  I was however, not eight months pregnant at the time.

My own little internal oven has made these past few days very uncomfortable.  We're trying to keep the kids cool, keep them and myself hydrated.  Its working so far.  I however, am swelling up like a water balloon.

Case in point, I took my sandals off the other day.  Yes, my feet were swollen, very swollen-leaving marks on my feet.  Trey observed this and innocently told me that my shoes were too small.  No son, just a super hot super pregnant lady.  

So, the heat coming off of the computer has been too much for me to bear and sit in front of.  I have the computer off during the day   Yesterday was a record day for heat in Seattle.  That's only about an hour and a half from here.  Thankfully, because we are on an island, we do get a little breeze to cool us off.  Today is supposed to be a little cooler and tomorrow more still.  I've been praying for it!!

And for my friends who are suffering in the heat more than I am, my prayers and thoughts are with you-we're all on an Iceburg floating in the ocean with drinks with little umbrellas in them while being fanned.

New School Year

Believe it or not, I'm almost done with lesson plans for next year.  There's a few subjects that I have to finish up yet, but I should be getting those done in the next few days.  My history and science units will be done as we get nearer to doing those units.  I've learned in the past not to plan out those units because plans might change during the year and the kiddos could get interested in something else.

Here's so far for all three kiddos:

Art-1.we will be scrapbooking our school year.  Each child will be responsible for his own scrapbook pages and journaling them.

     2.  Meet the Masters Track B

     3.  If time permits, I want to do a puppet making session

History-I am making my own unit for the Vikings, but with a new baby, I will probably stick to the Hands of a Child lapbooks and some fun activities for us to do

           Vikings

           Middle Ages unit-will probably use hands of a child lapbook

           Renaissance-will probably use Hands of a Child Lapbook

           American Indians-already have Hands of a Child Lapbook and other items

Science-We're starting off with Human Body.  From there, I haven't decided yet.  We would probably have to split up into two groups.

             Trey-Dinos, Chemisty, and Electricity

             Girls-bubbleology and habitats

Courtnee-grade 1

Geography-Daily Geography by Evan Moore

Reading-Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Level 1

            Explode the Code workbooks, levels 1 &2

Grammer-First Language Lessons

Writing-Plan, Prompt, Write Grade 1-the Teacher's Mailbox

Library Skills Grade 1-Frank Schaffer

Math-BJUP Math 1 and reviews

        More Math Minute Drills

Spelling-Building Spelling Skills Grade 1-Evan Moor

Handwriting-BJUP Grade 1

Hallie Grade 2-with our big move and traveling last year, Hallie didn't finish all of her first grade work so we will complete that and catch her up by the end of the year

Spelling-Building Spelling Skills-finish Grade 1 complete Grade 2

Geography-Daily Geography Grade 2

Math-BJUP Math 2 and reviews

       More Math Minute Drills

Reading-Finish Sing Spell Read and Write Level 1-I'm not sure which program we'll go to after that

            Explode the Code Books 2.5 and 3

Grammer/Writing-BJUP English 2-I like this program because you do grammer for two weeks and then a writing project for two weeks.  On the off writing weeks, we will use Plan, Prompt, Write Gr 2 to keep up with writing

Library Skills-Grade 2

Handwriting-BJUP Grade 2

Trey-Grade 6-again, with the crazy second half of last year, combined with his phonetic dsylexia, we have some work to do this year.  I've picked spelling levels that he will be comfortable with and he will be doing alot more writing.  I think by the end of the year, he'll be almost up to grade level.  My fault for not keeping more on top of this with the move, or he would be alot better.

Math-Teaching Textbooks Level 6

Geography-Daily Geography GR 6

                TRail Guide to US Geography

Latin Roots Level one-we'll be studying the first fifty

Handwriting-BJUP Grade 6

Writing/Grammer-BJUP Grade 6 English

                          Writing Fabulous Sentences adn Paragraphs

                          Daily Journal Prompts

                          How to Write a STory

Library Skills-Grade 6

Phonics-Adventures in Phonics and his Dsylexia workbook

Spelling-Building Spelling Skills-Grades 3, 4, 5

Reading-we do classics, not a reading program.  Trey was so bored on those, that he stalled out in fourth grade trying to read those.  So, this year, we're starting with Henry Hudgins, Sign of the Beaver, adn My Side of the Mountain.

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I know this sounds like a lot, but I've learned that if I don't keep them busy while working with one, the others shy away to toys.  Plus, we do NOT do all this everyday. 

I'm working on our daily schedule now.  Its easier for mom if I have a schedule to stick too.  I know that between a toddler and a new baby, we'll be having lots of interruptions so our days will probably be longer than I want them to be for the first few months but that's okay.

Take care and have a nice cool day!