I took the 2 younger children to an art fair in town.  What a fun time we had.  The girls made at least 10 different art projects and aside from a parking & concessions the projects were free. 

There was a talent contest there too.  It was actually the finals as it was the last day of the fair.  One of the girls was very good.  Good stage presence & even danced while singing. By far the best one the girls & I thought.  She ended up not winning though. 

 Another girl who sung ok won it.  I think part of my not liking her was the type of music she sung.  I am mostly country & christian type but the girls do enjoy pop too & I can handle some of that.  I just don't like a teenager singing about a man not leaving her the next morning & all the wooooo wooooo's in a song when they are not necessary.  (To each is own)

All in all we had a really fun time.

I have a question about co-ops too.  How many of you are in them & what types of things do you do?

We were in one a couple years back that was really fun.  Different moms shared their talents & taught a class that lasted for 5 weeks 1 day a week.  The only fees were a small charge for each family to pay to the church for use of their facilities & no more than $5 class fee.  ----We loved it! 

Then, for some reason, they turned it into like a school.  You still only went 1x a week, but they turned it into a yearly thing instead of short segments.  They teach things like biology, grammar, history.  I do that at home!  Even one of the founders of the group said it was not what she ever intended but the majority wanted it so she stepped down.

Anyway, I saw online where a woman who used to go is starting something up.  It looks like a half-year thing with art, writing & music classes.  --Some of these women like drama (from experience) so I just think it's probably not for us.

I would like to start something similar, but don't want to step on toes.  I was thinking of maybe just starting a weekly  or bi-weekly park day & if a mom wants to teach or host something to do that day then it would be ok or we could just let the kids run & play the whole time.  What do you think?

Trying To Do Right

Oh that it were my chief delight

To do the things I ought;

Then let me try with all my might,

To mind what I am taught.

Wherever I am bid to go,

I'll cheerfully obey,

Nor will I mind it much, although

I leave some pretty play.

When I am bid, I'll freely bring

Whatever I have got,

And never touch a pretty thing,

If Mother tells me not.

When she permits me, I may tell

About my little toys;

But if she's busy or unwell,

I must not make a noise.

And when I learn my hymns to say,

And work, and read, and spell,

I will not think about my play,

But try to do it well.

For God looks down from heaven on high,

Our actions to behold,

And He is pleased when children try

To do as they are told.

I have decided to switch up our homeschooling for the 2009-2010 school year. 

I do like most of what we have been using, but my husband & I feel like the children need more academics.

Elementary

We have decided to use a program from Heart of Dakota.  Here is why:  I like that it has the lessons layed out for each day is #1.  I also like that there is alot of Bible incorporated.  They suggests singapore math but allows me to stick with my math of choice, which is Rod & Staff.  It uses several different books that I will have to buy but I have checked the library & they have all but 1 of the regular reading books.  I also like that it tells you that say if you are to read about Thomas Jefferson that you can either use their suggestion or your own reader about him &  the program still works fine.

I downloaded a week lesson plan on their site & her plans seem similar to the ones I try to write for us.  I have found that with the children getting older & having different things on my plate that not having to take alot of time to plan would really help me out alot.

Highschool

We are going to try Switched on Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega.  My highschooler also has a full plate with helping out with the farm & his martial arts classes.  I think that the SOS will help to let him learn and yet get things done in a more timely manner.  I also think this will benefit me as a mother of a teenager.  I'm not telling him what to do so he can't think I'm giving him too much work.  He can see what a typical 10th grader is doing & just do it.

So that is our plan.  I am going to spend a bit more than I normall do, but I am praying that it will be worth it.  I am also going to hopefully sell some things to help the cost.

I don't know if anyone reads this, but if you do and have used either of the above, I'd love to hear from you.

Resurrection cookies.

A neat project/treat along with scripture to read for Easter.  You do have to start this on Saturday night.

http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/treat_resurrection_cookies.html

A wonderful example to show the children to not go along with the crowd & to trust in the Lord.

Daniel 3:1   Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

  Daniel 3:2   Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

  Daniel 3:3   Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

  Daniel 3:4   Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

  Daniel 3:5   That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

  Daniel 3:6   And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

  Daniel 3:7   Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

  Daniel 3:8   Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

  Daniel 3:9   They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

  Daniel 3:10   Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

  Daniel 3:11   And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

  Daniel 3:12   There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

  Daniel 3:13   Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

  Daniel 3:14   Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

  Daniel 3:15   Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

  Daniel 3:16   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

  Daniel 3:17   If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

  Daniel 3:18   But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

  Daniel 3:19   Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

  Daniel 3:20   And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

  Daniel 3:21   Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

  Daniel 3:22   Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

  Daniel 3:23   And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

  Daniel 3:24   Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

  Daniel 3:25   He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

  Daniel 3:26   Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

  Daniel 3:27   And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

  Daniel 3:28   Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

  Daniel 3:29   Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

  Daniel 3:30   Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

I really like this series of books by Keepers of the Faith.  We started this one yesterday. They are full of biblical information on character traits.  The children make a notebook of all they learn.  Today here is what we wrote:

Poem for the day

If I must do things my way,

If I do not follow directions well,

If I do not see my job as serving others,

I know nothing yet of obendience

Bible Verses

Obey thy Father & Mother

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." ~1 John 14:15

Words to define & use in a sentence

accordance, compliance, dutifulness, submission

What a wonderful lesson we wrote in our hearts today!

The Mosquito

are common flying insects in the family Culicidae that are found around the world. There are about 3,500 species. They have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and six long legs. The females of most mosquito species suck blood (hematophagy) from other animals, which has made them the deadliest disease vector known, killing millions of people over thousands of years and continuing to kill millions per year by the spread of infectious diseases

An awful little creature, in my personal opinion.  However, just like everything that God has created they do serve a special purpose.

This week we will be studying all about them. 

Questions to be answered:

What is their life span?

What is their life cycle? (draw & color from egg unto maturity)

What is their habitat?

What to they eat?

What eats them?

How do they spread disease?

How do you control them?

Can you get rid of them? 

Cause & effect of pesticides?

What happens to humans & animals when they are bitten & why?

How does bug repellant work?

There may be more as we go along, but that's good for now.  The children are getting their information from the internet, books & will do a nature walk through the back to see if they can find any.  Probably will be some in some puddles in the back woods because we've had alot of rain lately & it won't be dried up yet.

We had to run erronds today so no book work was done yet.  After supper we will have our read aloud time passing the book around so everyone has a turn to read aloud.

Chores for boys & girls

I have a friend that has an only child & I have known for some time that this child does NO chores.  No making of his own bed, nadda!    This shocked me because since my children could walk they were doing little things like putting toys in the toy box.  Now, this may have been done more like a game.  -Baby puts the toy in the box & mommy claps and says "yeah."  Baby laughs & does it again & again.  This to me is just a basic thing to do. 

My husband says we all live in the household so we all should have a part in taking care of it & I totally agree with him. 

I have seen the effect of, now grown, people who were not given chores to do at home.  They are lazy, selfish & not capable of doing the most basic of things.  I see this as a lesson in being responsible for yourself.  Is that not the job of a parent?  As much as I'd love to keep my children young & squishy  it is my job to train them up to be a responsible, caring adult.  

Part of this families reasoning is that he doesn't need to do any of these "household" things is because he is a male.  Perhaps my son will grow up and marry a loving, do-it-all-for-him wife.  Perhaps not!  Perhaps he will be on his own for some time & need to do things for himself.   Same with my daughter.  As much as I would love for her to be a stay home wife & mother, does this mean she needs only to be taught how to sew & bake?  Of course not.  So why should boys/young men not be expected to have basic knowledge of homemaking things as well. 

Are there "jobs" for boys & "jobs" just for girls.  Well, I do believe that in a way.  Men & women do things differently.  It says in the Bible that there are certain things for men & women to do & rules to follow.    However I will continue to teach my children all of the skills that we feel are important.

Chores my children do, or help do:

Feed & water chickens, rabbits, pigs, dogs & cat

Make their own beds & keep their own rooms cleaned

Keep their bathroom clean

Cook

Wash dishes by hand (that's right we have no dishwasher)

Clean cat litter

Sweep porches

Do laundry (including washer, dryer or clothesline)

Chop & stack firewood

Gardening (weeding, tilling, planting & harvesting)

So basically they may not do all of this every day, but they do know how to do it or are learning.  My children do have a list of chores to do every day, both boys & girls ....And I'm proud of it!

Hello & welcome to my homeschool blog. 

 I would say we have the eclectic yet classical approach to learning.  I adore the Charlotte Mason style & really enjoy the books on homeschooling I've read by Ruth Beechick.  So I guess we're a bit of everything!

We do alot of "hands-on" learning as well.  Since we live on a small farm we get some type of science lesson daily. 

We do try our best to get in arithmetic & language arts daily.  As for the rest my children love doing experiments & taking nature walks.  I am also incorporating a read aloud hour after lunch.  We did this when the children were younger & I really enjoy doing it.

Currently the text books we are using are:

Rod & Staff

Climbing to Good English

Pathway Readers

Practical Arithmetic

Learning Language Arts Through Literature (for my oldest)

Our current read aloud is Where the Red Fern Grows

I just adore talking about homeschooling.  I have a "book addiction" also & would love to get suggestions on new books to read & I will try to give book reviews on here too.

I suppose that is enough for today.  I'm off to get warmed up by the fire.