Homeschool Mothers Journal

I never know what to put in the In My Life This week category or the In my Homeschool Week. Since they mesh together so much sometimes it is hard to find the line that separates them

In my life this week…
We purchased Vinyl Siding and windows for the house.  I will post before and after pics in a few  weeks after they have completed the work. My dilemma now is so figure out how to remove the concrete steps the last owner put snug against the wood siding at the back door. We may just have to get a jack hammer and break them up, which would be a shame since they are  very nice steps.

I went to the theater by myself which was like a mini vacation and saw Magic Mike.An ex of mine from my  very early adulthood ( pre children ) was a male stripper up in Canada so I felt compelled to watch it. The movie brought me back to my younger days. it's funny though the only other people in the theater was myself a woman in her 40's and another woman in her 90's ( maybe mother daughter) it was at a 10;00 show on a Wed. though! I hate seeing movies on the weekends when it is busy.

Owl  my youngest bird turned 3!

In our homeschool this week…
Art- We worked on Picasso working with water colors, oil pastels, pencil, crayons and paint. I will be getting a detailed blog post up about it next week.

While doing school work outside we were visited be a butterfly that we ran around and chased, to pictures of and studied. She was very friendly she let the kids get within inches of her and landed on my arm a few times to check me out. So we ended up doing a whole nature study on the butterfly we identified it as an Eastern Comma.


Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
The kids and I  cooled off and went to the theater to see

We found a HUGE new and used bookstore that just opened near us that offers books at a great price and it nicer than Barnes and  Nobles. This will defiantly be a store I could go bankrupt in. I am going to contact them to see if they would host a homeschool reading club during this school year. They would be  wise to do this I don't know of a homeschooler that doesn't just LOVE books an would quite possibly buy out the store each week!

My rant of the week…
The kids and I were at the mall and we walked into the family restroom room area and there was a 15-17 yr old boy standing there peeing in the toilet with the door wide open. I was mad! The men's restroom is just 6 feet down the hall, and seriously SHUT THE DOOR. As he walked out I stopped him and explained that his behavior was rude and inappropriate and that he should be using the men's restroom not the family restroom. I get so sick of seeing people who are not families taking advantage of the one restroom I can safely watch all my kids. The last 6 times I have been at the mall I have encountered this happening even by mall employees.I decide to file a complaint this week and went straight to  mall management. I am sure it won't do any good, they cannot control the behavior of others, but it did make me feel better.
We are reading…
I am still working through the 50 Shades of Grey books, I am now on book 3. I find each book even less interesting than the one before, wondering if I will make it through book 3 at all.

Falcon is reading Bridge to Teribitha (school literature unit I chose for him)

Owl and Duck have been pretending to ready Scooby Doo books to eachother.

Robin is still reading magic tree house book she at Hour of the Olympics now. She has also been reading many picture books from the library and some Charlie and Lola books, she loves those.

I am now on Book 3 of the 50 Shades of Grey series I find that each book I am less interested in reading.




A  quote to share…

Human Hamster Wheel Run.

In my homeschool week...

I usually homeschool 6 weeks on 1 week off year round but just going a little lighter in summer. This year I have been doing a lot less schooling than I usually do I feel somewhat  guilty about it but I just keep telling myself that my kids are ahead of where they should be, so going a bit lighter this year is okay. Especially since the 6 month trip to Argentina in November got cancelled so now I feel like we don't have to cram in a ton of info over the summer. I knew that if we went to Argentina we wouldn't get as much schooling done as I would here because we would be out exploring. So we are a bit more relaxed this summer.

What we are reading this week...

Robin is still reading through the Magic Tree house Series and is up to book #9 Dolphins at Daybreak. 

Falcon just started reading The The Bridge to Teribithia

I am still reading Fifty Shades Darker.

We did a science experiments to see if ants prefer butter or margarine. I saw this post on facebook and wanted to try it myself and see if it was true.

Margarine on left organic butter on right.

Well it's not totally true our ants  seemed to eat the margarine but defiantly preferred the butter. Look how all the ants are lined up next to each other to eat the butter. They are not doing this on the margarine. Wonder if they would prefer un processed cane sugar or refined white sugar, we may try that next week.

 Our ants ate the butter and the margarine but they seemed to prefer the butter. They were attracted to the margarine at first but they moved to the butter. I like the message of the blog post saying that ants wont eat foods that are not real but it is just not true. How many times have you seen ants swarm a McDonald's french fry? I don't even know if its even a real potato after they put all those chemicals and preservatives in it.

Fun Places we went this week..

The zoo

We haven't been there much since  main stream schools have been out because I don't like crowds but Duck has been asking me to go everyday for weeks. There was NOWAY I was going to go in 100 degree weather so went this week when it was only 83 degrees. I had a lot of fun with the kids and I decided that I am ditching my double stroller from now on. Duck (4) and Owl ( almost 3) weigh 70 lbs together plus the stroller weighs 30 lbs so a combined weight of 100 lbs that I am pushing around is not fun trying to get through crowds. So from now on they are walking and if they get tired we can  go  home (the joy of having a zoo membership).

The Science Museum

 Robin trying out the human hamster wheel

The chair Falcon made. He was so proud of his work, it took him 90 minutes to construct.

Duck's brain just works differently than my others kids, he is going to force me to re invent the wheel trying to teach him this year. The project was to make a food person out of healthy foods from all 5 foods groups (you can see Robin's finished project in orange to the left). Duck didn't want to make a food person he wanted to take all the caps off the glue sticks and sort them putting the caps back on the tray and the glue sticks to the right! Still learning I know!

 Me in 95 MPH winds bearing down on me. It's a hurricane force wind simulator.

My not so favorite moment of the week...

Duck started throwing up in the van so I handed him a cup to throw up in it and after it was nice and full he decided to throw it! So much for trying to contain the mess. Finger crossed that our nest has not come down with a belly bug and that it was just a fluke incident. I won't gross you out with a picture of that mess!

In my life this week...

I have decided to start my photography business back up.  7 years ago I had just started it but then lost my studio due to our main business expanding into that space and being pregnant at the time so I just stopped. After I took my friend's pictures a few weeks back I realized how much I missed it. So I am hoping to get some more pictures done soon so I can get a portfolio put together and website. When driving home from the zoo this week I came across some neat graffiti that is relatively new and as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to photograph it with people in front of it.

Here are a few shots I took while driving down the road. They are not great but you get the idea I am hoping to get some great shots of it next week. I have a very specific idea on what people I want in the picture and what I want them to wear.

I was looking for a quote to add to this weekls blog entry and came across this great one

 Which then lead me to this blog post  written by a complete stranger but whose words seemed to reach me in a very important way.

Melting In My Chair!

It's a scorcher out there. Most of the US is in record high heat this week, including us. Being in the 100's is not normal up here in the north and I am not happy about it. We do not have central air and the heat actually makes me physically sick due to varies medical conditions. So we have not accomplished that much school work this week because I just have not been feeling well.

We saw  BRAVE last weekend before Papabird left for Argentina ( he was nice and cool there this week since it is winter there while we were sweltering up here in the far north). I really enjoyed the movie and my homeschool brain was working  overtime watching it while thinking of all the educational opportunities it could bring. The plan this week was to do a BRAVE theme week. Studying Scotland, Bears, and vikings. We didn't get that far due to my lack of motivation to teach in this heat but we did get started. Here is a link to some craft ideas I found. We didn't get to that many of them and will continue more next week.

We did some archery

On the fourth of a July we went to a minor league baseball game and baked in the stands in 100 degree weather. Thankfully there was a quick rain that cooled it off a bit. After the game we stayed to see the fireworks that our city shoots of just 2 blocks from the stadium. This was the first time that Duck was able to see them, he usually falls asleep. He said "this is so cool I'm going to dream about this" so cute.

Duck enjoying a hot dog at the game sitting the the cement instead of his seat, go figure!

At the start of the game we heard Amazing Grace playing on the bagpipes, a wonderful tie in to our Scottish discussions this week!

Fourth of July wands we made wand brought with us to the baseball game

We cooled off my making fun nature cubes to play with in our sand water table.

A thunderstorm blew threw our city and took out tons of trees power lines and wrecked houses. We were lucky enough not to have been hit my mother in law was not so lucky she had 3 HUGE trees come down in her yard and on her porch but thankful not her house.

It was in the high 90's after the rain but the kids insisted on wearing their new rain jackets. They love running through puddles and splashing. Owl brought a cup with him and filled it with water from a puddle and drank it (YUCK!) before I could tell him no!

Falcon was shaking the tree to make in rain on Robin, Duck and Owl if you look closely you will see the water falling down.

Falcon Finished  reading:

I asked him to write a book report on it with the help of this awesome website it's a fun site that helps kids put together a book report like layers on a sandwich.

I am reading:

I read through the first book last week. It was good, just not as good as the Hunger Games or the Twilight series. It is defiantly very adult in context though. So far this book is better than book 1.

Cooking....

Noway, not in this heat! We have been eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and more ice cream than I usually let the kids have.

2 ER Trips, Yummy Blueberries and Muddy Shoes.

In my life this week...

Owl broke out in a strange rash so I took him to the ER which usually means I am going to sit there for 3 hours before being seen but that night we were lucky there was no wait at all we walked right in and was seen by a Ped within 5 minutes.  On the way in Owl noticed the moon and asked me where the other half was he was very concerned that it was broken because it was not big and round like it was the last time he saw it. It was so cute!He quickly diagnosed Owl with hand mouth and foot virus and said that for whatever reason they have seen more cases this year and more severe cases than any other year. So we literally left after just 15 minutes, Yay!. Now just to cross my fingers that my other kids do not catch it. Owl has it the worst on his boy parts and I cringe ever time he goes pee because it looks like it would hurt so bad but it doesnt seem to bother him. it seems like everytime I look at him more spots show up and more scab over.

Earlier in the week I was seen at the ER as well, doing something stupid of course. I have been riding my bike every evening after the kids are in bed. A favorite place I like to ride is through a cemetary near my house. The gates are closed but I found a place near a side street that the gate is missing so I sneak in there! Oh yes, tresspassing! It's a lovley place to ride a bike it is very pretty with lots of trees, a lake and many very beautiful old graves from the 1800's. I really do love cemetaries so full of history. I'll take some pictures and opst them next week. Anyhow there is a hidden service path that has a nice hill. I was just picking up speed down the hill while standing up when I decided to change the song on my ipod. Thats when I saw a branch  right in front of me on the road, I hit it then went flying over the top and slide down hill on concrete about 5 more feet. To top it all off I landed on a huge pile of carpenter ants carrying eggs, they were all over me for quite some time because I was to hurt to move. I am very brusied up I have at least a dozen bruises the size of apples and ripped open my elbow which I cracked to notches out of my ulna. I am healing well though and back to bike riding just taking it a little easy for a bit while I am healing.

Lesson learned: Do not ride a bike 1 handed standing up while accelerting downhill changing the song on your ipod!

Shopping list this week: Buy a helmet what could have happened scares me (alone in a cemetary at night without a way for an EMT to find me!)

I spent quite a bit of time working on field trips, classes and co op planning for next school year. I am trying to have it all done and organized by  the first week of Aug  for the  school whole year.

We went Blueberry picking on Monday and got about 15 lbs of bluberries before my kids didnt want to pick anymore. I think we will go back next week and pick some more.

Duck taking his time to looking for the biggest and most plump berries.

 The kids were very excited to see that the goats on the farm had babies.

In our Homeschool week...

We went out to paint some works of art like Monet at a local garden. The kids worked hard to  make similar brush strokes like Monet did. Here they are doing waterlillies (a favorite subject of Monet)

Falcon and Robin working on their paintings, Duck and Owl were busy throwing leaves and sticks in the water and watching the ripples.

Falcon is still chugging along through his studies he is almost through reading Michael Vey which was a suggestion by my friend Aby.At the gardens this week Falcon caught this awesome picture. Its a bit out of focus but if you look closely you can see the worm hanging out of the Robin's mouth.

Robin has been reading like crazy and is reading  through the Magic Tree House books as of this week she has read through books 1-5 She loves answering the questions on the website when the story is over. Her comprehension is not that great yet but we will work on that. Robin and I have just started working on her new Brownie books A World of Girls we are almost through with the book and all the activites that go along with it. A great book we came across that fits well  with our around the world theme was Isabella Girl On The Go a  great story about a girl with a BIG imagination that visits favorite landmarks arcoss the globe.

Owl has been practing his writing on one of those wipe off type books.

Duck is still working on counting, he likes to skip numbers still.

A lesson my children taught ME this week....

Shoes are not ment to stay on your feet to keep them clean and dry.....

they are ment to be taken off and used to store mud and water and transport it from place to place. I guess I have being doing all the wrong things with my shoes!

I am reading...

This is defintaly not my style of book but it has recieved so much fuss that I just had to see what it was all about. I am only in about 5 pages so far.

This was yet another book not typical of my tastes but my favorite librarian siad that it was such a good book that she couldnt put it down so I am giving it a try. I am about 1/4 into the book so far and its not bad but its not one of those books that I go out of my way to read.

Whats cooking this week...

Not much actually cooking  but lots of salads, and raw fruits and veggies.

A little note...spell check wasn't working in blogger this week so I am sure you will find plenty of mistakes. I was to lazy busy to copy and paste it into word to check it.

Goodbye Mom.

Finally back in the swing of things after a  3 week break.

During our break we took a family trip to Wrightsville Beach NC.  .I moved here when I was 20 and this  was the first place my mom ever saw the ocean at 48 years old. I was so glad to share that moment with her. She said it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen later that week I took her to the beach at night during a full moon and it was so magical to see the water light up so brightly under a big bright full moon, it is such a breath taking view.

It was my mothers dying wish for her ashes to be placed in the water during a full moon at that exact spot that we were so many years ago. So the trip was a bit bitter sweet as I was going to place my mom in her final resting place.  She died of  pancreatic cancer 4 years ago and  this was the first summer I wasn't pregnant or nursing and was able to make the 17 hour trip with out a screaming baby unhappy to be stuck in a seat that long. It was a beautiful night  Falcon and I went down to the beach alone while the little ones slept in our resort with Papa bird. Falcon poured her ashes slowly in the water under the light of the full moon and when all the ashes were in a HUGE wave came after such small calm waves. I really felt like my mother was there with me at that moment saying thank you. I feel such a relief that she is resting where she wanted to be.

Falcon dumping my mothers ashes in the ocean. It was a beautiful night.

The next few days I took great joy in watching all of my children play at the beach and collect shells I felt as if my mother was there with us, and happy to see the children playing with such joy.

.

A week after I was back I happened to be at Walmart and was looking for  collage frame to put pictures of the beach in to add to our ocean themed living room and I came across this frame.

I almost cried! This was my mothers favorite quote

I haven't added beach pictures to it yet, but what more perfect way could I display our beach trip than to  put in a frame with my mothers favorite quote since this was the day we placed her ashes in the water at her favorite place in the world.

Okay back to homeschooling.

Art studies: Monet

Robin studying a Monet painting

Math: Robin working on Calvert grade 1 Falcon almost at the end of TT Pre Algebra

Science: Botany

History: The Silk Road

We  are almost back to our routine of schooling. We take daily nature walk with our neighbor who also has 4 home schooled kids. Check out what we found on our walk this week. A beautiful Cicada. It was still alive but was injured and couldn't seem to fly. Robin flipped out when the cicada started flapping its wing madly while she was holding it.

We worked on some stained glass projects at our museum and looked at the new glass exhibit. It was just some thick clear plastic framed with painters tape that they painted on with a white glue acrylic paint mixture. I love how they turned out.

Wonder Woman,Frogs & Photography

In our homeschool week...

Well we are on a 2 week break right now so there has been very little formal education but learning always happens in our house. Robin started reading chapter books all of her own this week and has been staying up late in her bed sneaking in some reading. I am proud of her for reading chapter books that I haven't stopped her and have just let her read until she falls asleep.

She has read through at least 6 Wonder Woman Chapter books in the last week. I LOVED Wonder Woman as a kid so I was super excited that she likes her too!

Our tadpoles finally turned in to tiny frogs the kids were so excited. So were all the neighborhood kids who have been watching them closely as well.

In My life this week...

I got back into photography and did an old friends pictures it was the first time I ever photographed a male. In the past I usually did modeling portfolio stuff for woman. Here are a few of my favorites that I took.

A full color shot

Sepia

B&W

The Sepia toned one is not my favorite but it seemed to be the most popular on his FB page. I am not happy with the shadows and such in the picture. This are all raw un edited except for the tone change I don't have the photo editing software I used to have but I will in the next few weeks so I can do some fun stuff to his pictures.

Whats cooking...

Well not a whole lot, we bought a masticating juicer so we have been doing a lot of juicing. Next week we will be starting week 1 of a 3 week juice fast to detox our bodies. I am going to be one hungry girl !

Memorial Day

Most people see this holiday as a reason to BBQ and have an extra long weekend to relax. Memorial Day is actually day for  remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.How many people took the time to do this?

On Sunday I took my children to my Grandfathers gravestone to make sure he had a flag. He did not die during battle but he was a member of the Navy and fought in WWII. While we were looking around the graveyard we found another person who fought in WWII so Falcon chose to put a flag on his as well.

Fallen but not forgotten.

This picture does not show what an amazing site it was to see. There was a large tree throwing shadows over all the graves. The only grave that had sun shining on it was this one, it also happened to be the only solider in the area. It was truly breathtaking!

We went to another cemetery on Monday to watch a memorial service for fallen solders and a dedication was also made for a solider who was KIA during the Vietnam war but his body was never able to be recovered. It was quite the tear jerker.

It was quite a moving day and I was glad to have my kids there understanding the sacrifice men have made for our country