Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Solstice, Happy Festivus (I really should pick up a Festivus pole). May you experience the joy of the season.
When I started this blog at the beginning of this adventure I always seemed able to find the time to post something about our days. The older the kids get the more difficult this seems to be. And now that Mister B is a high schooler I seem to have even less time. Academics take up a large part of the day for both kids and then they swim, and swim, and swim.
Mister B is loving swimming for the high school team. So far they are 4-0. A good start to the year. The high school team seems to be easing his social needs of hanging out with kids his age frequently. When he is not with the high school he is with the club team. This is a great relief to me, and as we all know, it is all about me.
Little Miss M is enjoying her time on the club team. Unfortunately, she is getting a little lost in the shuffle of getting her brother where he needs to be. I am hoping this resolves itself over the next couple of weeks as she is feeling the effects.
Academic wise we are plugging away with the usual subjects and all is on target in that area. Today they had philosophy, a class they continue to love, where they have been discussing rights. Today they talked about animal rights, vegetarians and do plants have rights. Moral rights vs. legal rights. So much to talk about here. They could probably spend the whole year on this topic.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
High School Swim Meet
Today Mister B attended his first swim meet for the high school. As the first homeschooler on the high school team I thought it was important that he shine. And shine he did. He wasn't a superstar. He only swam in 2 relays but he did the team proud by keeping his lane in the race.
The high school team has been a great social outlet for him. As much as he loves swimming on the club team he is also on those kids are from all over and it makes getting together socially next to impossible. Plus, his two closest friends on the team decided not to continue this year. Unlike the club team the high school team does team building stuff. They have to take the bus together to and from practice and the meets. After the first two weeks of practice they have a pasta night at the high school together. The night before a meet they get together at a local pizza place for dinner. I have to say that Mister B (social butterfly that he is) is loving every minute of it.
Even though my 9th grader did not lead the charge to victory the team did win the meet. And they won against a private school known for its athletic prowess. All in all it was a great afternoon.
The high school team has been a great social outlet for him. As much as he loves swimming on the club team he is also on those kids are from all over and it makes getting together socially next to impossible. Plus, his two closest friends on the team decided not to continue this year. Unlike the club team the high school team does team building stuff. They have to take the bus together to and from practice and the meets. After the first two weeks of practice they have a pasta night at the high school together. The night before a meet they get together at a local pizza place for dinner. I have to say that Mister B (social butterfly that he is) is loving every minute of it.
Even though my 9th grader did not lead the charge to victory the team did win the meet. And they won against a private school known for its athletic prowess. All in all it was a great afternoon.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thanksgiving
We had a lot to be thankful for this year. The only damage to our home after Sandy was to the chimney. We had no power for over a week but we had good friends and neighbors to take care of us. We had family that also lost power from the storm but no other ill effects. We are rich in the things that matter. Good friends and family.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, today was our first day back to school. Instead of easing back in we went full throttle. Diving in to all our subjects and catching up on work that we let slide before Thanksgiving.
Little Miss M and I had a lovely discussion about Hinduism and its history. She continues to work on note taking skills. Vocabulary seems to be a bit of struggle this year for her. She understands the meaning of the word but is struggling to use it correctly in a sentence. I think she just does not like taking the time to think up a thorough sentence.
Mister B continues plugging ahead in all of his subjects. He finished up his unit on ph values in the stomach and the intestines and learned the valuable lesson to read all the instructions first. A lesson that he seems to need to relearn every few months.
Today Mister B has his first swim meet for the town high school team. It is an internal meet so the coach can see what you've got and make the line up for the first competition meet this coming Friday. He has been enjoying the team practices and they have definitely given him some tips that have been helping on the club team the kids swim for. He has been finding the practices challenging and enjoyable. The high school team does a lot of team building. You have to take the bus too and from practices, swimming in a meet or not you have to attend to support your team mates, and after today's meet they are having a pizza party. All of this definitely assists with the social needs that are always such a challenge with homeschooling in my area.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, today was our first day back to school. Instead of easing back in we went full throttle. Diving in to all our subjects and catching up on work that we let slide before Thanksgiving.
Little Miss M and I had a lovely discussion about Hinduism and its history. She continues to work on note taking skills. Vocabulary seems to be a bit of struggle this year for her. She understands the meaning of the word but is struggling to use it correctly in a sentence. I think she just does not like taking the time to think up a thorough sentence.
Mister B continues plugging ahead in all of his subjects. He finished up his unit on ph values in the stomach and the intestines and learned the valuable lesson to read all the instructions first. A lesson that he seems to need to relearn every few months.
Today Mister B has his first swim meet for the town high school team. It is an internal meet so the coach can see what you've got and make the line up for the first competition meet this coming Friday. He has been enjoying the team practices and they have definitely given him some tips that have been helping on the club team the kids swim for. He has been finding the practices challenging and enjoyable. The high school team does a lot of team building. You have to take the bus too and from practices, swimming in a meet or not you have to attend to support your team mates, and after today's meet they are having a pizza party. All of this definitely assists with the social needs that are always such a challenge with homeschooling in my area.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Hurricane Sandy
It has been a crazy couple of weeks here. Hurricane Sandy came and knocked out our power. No lights and no heat (except for our much loved fireplace). Fortunately we have friends who let us hang out with them all day. They fed us and let us charge our electronics. We also discovered we have generous neighbors. An hour after we lost power they were knocking on our door offering us an extension cord from their house for our fridge.
The biggest discover we made-None of us wants to be a Mennonite. Our evenings in our chilly house was a nice break from our daily routine-but leave the living room and you really noticed the chill. I told the kids this was just like camping only better because we had hot water (thankfully) and a private bath that was not in the woods. I am not sure they were buying what I was selling but we had fun.
After our break from school (did I mention those days with friends while the schools in town were closed) we are now trying to get back into the swing of things. It has not been easy. There is resistance and tempers flaring. Mostly my temper but I am trying to control that. There seems to be a desire to fall back into bad work habits. Lets face it, it is easier to be lazy in the short term. I know we will get back into the groove but the road there is not pleasant.
The biggest discover we made-None of us wants to be a Mennonite. Our evenings in our chilly house was a nice break from our daily routine-but leave the living room and you really noticed the chill. I told the kids this was just like camping only better because we had hot water (thankfully) and a private bath that was not in the woods. I am not sure they were buying what I was selling but we had fun.
After our break from school (did I mention those days with friends while the schools in town were closed) we are now trying to get back into the swing of things. It has not been easy. There is resistance and tempers flaring. Mostly my temper but I am trying to control that. There seems to be a desire to fall back into bad work habits. Lets face it, it is easier to be lazy in the short term. I know we will get back into the groove but the road there is not pleasant.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Adventure Aquarium
Last Friday we took a field trip to Adventure Aquarium (http://www.adventureaquarium.com) with some friends. They were offering discount tickets to homeschoolers and behind the scenes tours.
The behind the scene tour was great. It took place at the top of the largest tank. It is not as pretty back there as it is out front. Pipes, walkways, dive equipment, etc. It was very informative. We learned what was involved in maintaining the tank, how much water is in there, how the viewing glass is held in place by the water pressure and it would fall out if the tank was drained (that one freaked me out a little bit), they walked us through the dive area and the equipment, and we learned about the different fish, sharks, and turtles in the tank. Turns out the turtles are the most dangerous when you dive. They are like curious toddlers who stick everything in their mouth. You don't want a loggerhead chewing on your air hose.
After the tour we walked around. The hippos were adorable but a slight let down. They were snoozing when we were there and their area smells like a barn. None of us thought that it would smell like that. They also have a very cool shark tunnel where they swim all around you. The kids loved that.
Here are a few pics from the trip:
The behind the scene tour was great. It took place at the top of the largest tank. It is not as pretty back there as it is out front. Pipes, walkways, dive equipment, etc. It was very informative. We learned what was involved in maintaining the tank, how much water is in there, how the viewing glass is held in place by the water pressure and it would fall out if the tank was drained (that one freaked me out a little bit), they walked us through the dive area and the equipment, and we learned about the different fish, sharks, and turtles in the tank. Turns out the turtles are the most dangerous when you dive. They are like curious toddlers who stick everything in their mouth. You don't want a loggerhead chewing on your air hose.
After the tour we walked around. The hippos were adorable but a slight let down. They were snoozing when we were there and their area smells like a barn. None of us thought that it would smell like that. They also have a very cool shark tunnel where they swim all around you. The kids loved that.
Here are a few pics from the trip:
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| Ooh, fish. |
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| You are never too old to want to pose in a shark mouth. |
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| Class photo. |
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| Another class photo where you can see Mister B. |
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| Sharks are cool! |
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| Another class photo. |
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Chugging Along
The days continue to fly on by. We are busy as bees. School work, swim, sleep. Repeat.
Lessons are progressing. Some days I take a deep breath and say "Wow, they are learning." Other days the thought is "Holy Moly, I am messing them up for life!" I try to keep those to a minimum.
Today I was working with Little Miss on her note taking skills. She was reading about India (side note-I think the only thing I learned about India when I was in school is that there is a country called India and they think cows are Holy) and The Golden Age of the Gupta Dynasty. I said to her "Golden Age is in italics. That means it is probably important and you should write it down." She wrote down Golden Age of India and moved on. So then I said "What about the Golden Age?' And she said " That is the only part in italics." You can see why sometimes I think I am messing them up for life. Then came the lengthy explanation about how 1 week from now when she looks over her notes will just seeing "The Golden Age" be enough for her to remember facts about it? Would you believe she actually tried to argue with me?
Note taking disaster aside, the kids had music class. They do love that class. The teacher was happy that they remembered a lot of the stuff they learned last year. Today they started learning about the 3 minor scales. They already know more than I because I had no idea there was more than 1 minor scale. Someone in the family will know how to appreciate music.
After music I dropped Mister B off at the high school for some pre-season swim team endurance training. He really enjoys working with the weights. Here is something I never thought I would ever say, but, I think I may end up purchasing some sort of weights/weight machine one of these days.
Lessons are progressing. Some days I take a deep breath and say "Wow, they are learning." Other days the thought is "Holy Moly, I am messing them up for life!" I try to keep those to a minimum.
Today I was working with Little Miss on her note taking skills. She was reading about India (side note-I think the only thing I learned about India when I was in school is that there is a country called India and they think cows are Holy) and The Golden Age of the Gupta Dynasty. I said to her "Golden Age is in italics. That means it is probably important and you should write it down." She wrote down Golden Age of India and moved on. So then I said "What about the Golden Age?' And she said " That is the only part in italics." You can see why sometimes I think I am messing them up for life. Then came the lengthy explanation about how 1 week from now when she looks over her notes will just seeing "The Golden Age" be enough for her to remember facts about it? Would you believe she actually tried to argue with me?
Note taking disaster aside, the kids had music class. They do love that class. The teacher was happy that they remembered a lot of the stuff they learned last year. Today they started learning about the 3 minor scales. They already know more than I because I had no idea there was more than 1 minor scale. Someone in the family will know how to appreciate music.
After music I dropped Mister B off at the high school for some pre-season swim team endurance training. He really enjoys working with the weights. Here is something I never thought I would ever say, but, I think I may end up purchasing some sort of weights/weight machine one of these days.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Happy October
Since my last post time has run away from me. We are now well into October. We have been quite busy here.
Besides the usual schooling, swim team has started. We are at the Y most nights for swim practice. This year Mister B is also swimming for the high school. This was not easy to achieve but achieve it I did. Practice for the high school has not started yet but Mister B is participating in a swim clinic that they are offering so he can get to know members of the team and benefit from fresh coaching eyes. Needless to say, he is pretty busy.
School work is moving along at a steady pace.
In History Little Miss M is learning about the Huguenots. In Math she is continuing her work with converting fractions to percentages. For English she read The Summer of Monkeys. Science she continues to observe the world around her. She enjoyed the ever popular food coloring and celery experiment.
Mister B is learning about the colonies and why the English really did not push for colonization while they were allies with Spain. He has also been learning about how awful the Spaniards treated the locals when they got here and stole their gold. In Math he is finding the volume of cylinders (that is loads of fun). In science he is learning in depth details about cells and how we are all connected. For English he is still reading The Wizard of Earth Sea (a little behind there) and working on his 5 paragraph essay about himself. In Spanish he has mastered greetings and counting to 100. Now he is working on the days of the week and the months.
For Discussion Group tomorrow we will be talking about the debate, the different political parties, and perceptions. It should be interesting.
Besides the usual schooling, swim team has started. We are at the Y most nights for swim practice. This year Mister B is also swimming for the high school. This was not easy to achieve but achieve it I did. Practice for the high school has not started yet but Mister B is participating in a swim clinic that they are offering so he can get to know members of the team and benefit from fresh coaching eyes. Needless to say, he is pretty busy.
School work is moving along at a steady pace.
In History Little Miss M is learning about the Huguenots. In Math she is continuing her work with converting fractions to percentages. For English she read The Summer of Monkeys. Science she continues to observe the world around her. She enjoyed the ever popular food coloring and celery experiment.
Mister B is learning about the colonies and why the English really did not push for colonization while they were allies with Spain. He has also been learning about how awful the Spaniards treated the locals when they got here and stole their gold. In Math he is finding the volume of cylinders (that is loads of fun). In science he is learning in depth details about cells and how we are all connected. For English he is still reading The Wizard of Earth Sea (a little behind there) and working on his 5 paragraph essay about himself. In Spanish he has mastered greetings and counting to 100. Now he is working on the days of the week and the months.
For Discussion Group tomorrow we will be talking about the debate, the different political parties, and perceptions. It should be interesting.
Friday, September 21, 2012
L'Shanah Tovah!
Rosh Hashana was this week. We wish you and your families a Sweet and Happy New Year. May you be inscribed in the Book of Life.
No school on Mon. & Tues. of this week for Holiday celebrating. We saw family on the first night and friends on the second night. Apples dipped in honey, brisket, and other assorted traditional foods were enjoyed.
Wednesday was a philosophy day. The kids finished up the first book on Logic and are ready to move onto the next book which deals with Ethics. Lots of thought provoking conversation on Reason vs. Excuse. How are they different? Is violence against another person ever justifiable? Is lying ever acceptable? One instantly wants to say no, but, if someone is threatening you if you don't tell them where someone else is do you lie about their location? So much to think about.
The kids are plodding ahead in their studies. Little Miss M completed a paper on Henry the VIII's wives. Mister B has been working on an essay about himself for a writing course he is taking. Little Miss is learning about percentages and pie charts while Mister B is reviewing Greatest/Lowest Common Factors & Greatest/Lowest Common Multiples. Mister B is also busy with Spanish-learning to count to 100 and the days of the week. And of course, some science for both of them.
Some days really make my head spin.
No school on Mon. & Tues. of this week for Holiday celebrating. We saw family on the first night and friends on the second night. Apples dipped in honey, brisket, and other assorted traditional foods were enjoyed.
Wednesday was a philosophy day. The kids finished up the first book on Logic and are ready to move onto the next book which deals with Ethics. Lots of thought provoking conversation on Reason vs. Excuse. How are they different? Is violence against another person ever justifiable? Is lying ever acceptable? One instantly wants to say no, but, if someone is threatening you if you don't tell them where someone else is do you lie about their location? So much to think about.
The kids are plodding ahead in their studies. Little Miss M completed a paper on Henry the VIII's wives. Mister B has been working on an essay about himself for a writing course he is taking. Little Miss is learning about percentages and pie charts while Mister B is reviewing Greatest/Lowest Common Factors & Greatest/Lowest Common Multiples. Mister B is also busy with Spanish-learning to count to 100 and the days of the week. And of course, some science for both of them.
Some days really make my head spin.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Week 2
Little Miss M is starting to get a handle on her workload. So far, this week has been a little easier with her. Mister B on the other hand, well lets just say I have had moments when I have been prouder of myself.
Everything with him has been a battle. Part of that is normal teen envelope pushing and part of it the fact that I am still not feeling 100%. I really miss my sweet toddler. I am hoping this sullen, everything is a battle stage passes soon or one of us may not survive.
On the upside swim practice for the club team they swim on started last night. They both got a solid nights sleep.
Everything with him has been a battle. Part of that is normal teen envelope pushing and part of it the fact that I am still not feeling 100%. I really miss my sweet toddler. I am hoping this sullen, everything is a battle stage passes soon or one of us may not survive.
On the upside swim practice for the club team they swim on started last night. They both got a solid nights sleep.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Day 2 of the new school year
Day 2 was off to a slightly better start then day 1. No slurpees at 9:00 the night before (Thanks dad for the sugar crash on the first day of school).
I have to say, neither one is enjoying the majorly increased work load. Mister B is especially feeling it. My answer: Too bad. That is life. Deal with it. Then I also explained that since this is a short week I have been cramming in the information and that over the next few weeks he will be able to start figuring out how many days each week he will need to work on each subject to meet his deadlines. He may decide to do a little each day or block his day with intense focus on a couple of subjects.
Today he had his first Spanish Class through http://spanishonline.okstate.edu/. He seemed to enjoy it. And like all good classes, it started with an easy lesson. Today was all about greetings. Hola! Que tal? Muy bien, y tu? Adios! Buenos dias, buenos tardes, bueno noches. I also like that the textbook is available as an ebook so I did not have to shell out over $100 for it. Mister B liked using it, too since it is interactive. This is the first ebook we have used because I am old school and like holding a book.
Little Miss M also complained about her work load. This is the first year where she will not normally be done by lunchtime. She had to continue her school work after lunch.
I am confident they will adjust.
What I see as an upcoming source of possible strife...Mister B's friends whispering (loudly) that he should go to high school with them. They want to see him and hang with him. I get that. He gets that, however, the siren song of friends can be very appealing. Then we talked about how he will be swimming for the high school team (Yay, me-major victory since the school district originally said no) and he will be involved in going to football games with friends and other social events. 9th grade should be an interesting ride.
I have to say, neither one is enjoying the majorly increased work load. Mister B is especially feeling it. My answer: Too bad. That is life. Deal with it. Then I also explained that since this is a short week I have been cramming in the information and that over the next few weeks he will be able to start figuring out how many days each week he will need to work on each subject to meet his deadlines. He may decide to do a little each day or block his day with intense focus on a couple of subjects.
Today he had his first Spanish Class through http://spanishonline.okstate.edu/. He seemed to enjoy it. And like all good classes, it started with an easy lesson. Today was all about greetings. Hola! Que tal? Muy bien, y tu? Adios! Buenos dias, buenos tardes, bueno noches. I also like that the textbook is available as an ebook so I did not have to shell out over $100 for it. Mister B liked using it, too since it is interactive. This is the first ebook we have used because I am old school and like holding a book.
Little Miss M also complained about her work load. This is the first year where she will not normally be done by lunchtime. She had to continue her school work after lunch.
I am confident they will adjust.
What I see as an upcoming source of possible strife...Mister B's friends whispering (loudly) that he should go to high school with them. They want to see him and hang with him. I get that. He gets that, however, the siren song of friends can be very appealing. Then we talked about how he will be swimming for the high school team (Yay, me-major victory since the school district originally said no) and he will be involved in going to football games with friends and other social events. 9th grade should be an interesting ride.
The School Year Has Begun!
We officially started our school year yesterday. It was a rainy, dreary day so no outdoor pics. Then the battery in the camera died so I was only able to get these 3 shots.
It was a bit of a challenging morning. Getting back into the routine after summer fun is an adjustment. Fortunately, they had philosophy class and that broke up the day. For the first day of school Little Miss M worked on Math, English, Science, & History. Mister B focused on Math & English.
When I was getting the pics off the camera I discovered a whole bunch of pictures that I never downloaded. Oops. Here are a few shots from the summer.
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| Little Miss M is in 7th Grade |
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| Mister B is a High School Freshman! |
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| Don't they look thrilled! |
It was a bit of a challenging morning. Getting back into the routine after summer fun is an adjustment. Fortunately, they had philosophy class and that broke up the day. For the first day of school Little Miss M worked on Math, English, Science, & History. Mister B focused on Math & English.
When I was getting the pics off the camera I discovered a whole bunch of pictures that I never downloaded. Oops. Here are a few shots from the summer.
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| Outside The Met. |
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| Street entertainers. A very good Capella group. |
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| Getting ready for the Ballroom Dancing showcase. |
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| Waiting for her race at summer swim meet. |
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| I don't know what he was looking at. |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Gearing up for the new school year
This summer has gone by in the blink of an eye. Summer swim team kept us busy for the month of July. Kids had a great season. They placed in the majority of their events. A couple of first place ribbons, a bunch of second place ribbons, and a few third place ribbons. It was very exciting and exhausting. At championships our team came in 4th out of 6 teams. Which was a step up from the year before and 2 steps up from the year before that.
I spent the beginning of August finalizing and purchasing the last of the curriculum. Then I spent 2 weeks in bed with a virus that then allowed a strep infection to settle in. That was not so fun but it did give m a much needed rest. And now I am scrambling to get the school books in order and get everything ready. The last 2 weeks is normally when I would have done all of the set up. Such is life.
I still can't believe I am embarking on homeschooling high school. Some mornings I wake up and think "I am some kind of nut! What am I thinking? There is a perfectly good high school right down the road with clubs, and activities, and lots of kids my kid could be friends with, and seasoned high school teachers who at least think they know what they are doing." Mister B's friends are all talking about all the cool stuff they will be doing. They all sound so hopeful and excited. I think I have high school social envy.
But then I talk myself off the cliff by remembering why we homeschool in the first place. Yes, the social stuff is definitely harder and Mister B does find it kind of frustrating at times. There are not a lot of teen homeschoolers in my area. The teens are busy with homework and after school activities. The reality is, during the school year swim team takes up a lot of our time but that is not the same as hanging out with friends. The fact that none of his schooler friends are free for hanging out because they are busy with their sports is not the point. I do struggle with this. But, if you ask Mister B what he wants to do he does want to continue homeschooling because he knows a good thing when he has got it. As much as he wants the social aspect of school in the same degree he does not want the wasted time, the large class that doesn't allow you to dig deep into a subject because you have to move on, the waiting for others or the sinking feeling of trying to catch up.
This will be an exciting year, I am sure. I think the key for me will be not to let my fears and doubts rule my decisions. Curriculum has been researched and chosen and we are going to leap in and move forward.
Little Miss M has all the benefits of following her Big Brother. The fears and doubts that I am experiencing with him I already went through for middle school. I am confident in those decisions and since I have already done 7th grade with Mister B it will be a little bit easier for me to teach it for Little Miss M. Mister B is my guinea pig and Little Miss gets the benefits from the experiments.
I spent the beginning of August finalizing and purchasing the last of the curriculum. Then I spent 2 weeks in bed with a virus that then allowed a strep infection to settle in. That was not so fun but it did give m a much needed rest. And now I am scrambling to get the school books in order and get everything ready. The last 2 weeks is normally when I would have done all of the set up. Such is life.
I still can't believe I am embarking on homeschooling high school. Some mornings I wake up and think "I am some kind of nut! What am I thinking? There is a perfectly good high school right down the road with clubs, and activities, and lots of kids my kid could be friends with, and seasoned high school teachers who at least think they know what they are doing." Mister B's friends are all talking about all the cool stuff they will be doing. They all sound so hopeful and excited. I think I have high school social envy.
But then I talk myself off the cliff by remembering why we homeschool in the first place. Yes, the social stuff is definitely harder and Mister B does find it kind of frustrating at times. There are not a lot of teen homeschoolers in my area. The teens are busy with homework and after school activities. The reality is, during the school year swim team takes up a lot of our time but that is not the same as hanging out with friends. The fact that none of his schooler friends are free for hanging out because they are busy with their sports is not the point. I do struggle with this. But, if you ask Mister B what he wants to do he does want to continue homeschooling because he knows a good thing when he has got it. As much as he wants the social aspect of school in the same degree he does not want the wasted time, the large class that doesn't allow you to dig deep into a subject because you have to move on, the waiting for others or the sinking feeling of trying to catch up.
This will be an exciting year, I am sure. I think the key for me will be not to let my fears and doubts rule my decisions. Curriculum has been researched and chosen and we are going to leap in and move forward.
Little Miss M has all the benefits of following her Big Brother. The fears and doubts that I am experiencing with him I already went through for middle school. I am confident in those decisions and since I have already done 7th grade with Mister B it will be a little bit easier for me to teach it for Little Miss M. Mister B is my guinea pig and Little Miss gets the benefits from the experiments.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Summer Swim Team
Summer has kicked off with summer swim team. They had their first meet this past Monday. I am proud to say Mister B and Little Miss M did very well. The town we were swimming against is a serious swim town. The majority of the kids on their summer rec team swim for the highly competitive Y team in the winter. Suffice it to say I was one super proud mom when Mister B came in 1st in the backstroke, 3rd in the breast stroke, and his relay team placed 2nd. Little Miss M came very close to placing (4th) in backstroke and freestyle and her relay team also placed 2nd.
It was a great way to settle into summer.
It was a great way to settle into summer.
Friday, June 29, 2012
End of Year Wrap Up
The school year is officially over.
It has been quite a year. We have done some interesting things and some not so interesting things. Overall a solid year.
I woke up this morning and thought "Wow, I am really going to teach 9th grade next year. Yikes! A highschooler! I am some kind of nut! What am I doing? Why am I doing it? There is a perfectly fine high school down the street."
After I got over my mild panic attack I remembered why. Because we can. Because we like learning at home. Because we realize all the opportunities we can take advantage of by not being tied to the public school system. Because our family goals for education are not the same as the public schools. As long as I remember why we do this I know it will be okay. I am blocking out the naysayers and following my instincts.
I spent a good portion of the second half of our school year figuring out curriculum for next year. In the exact opposite move of many homeschoolers, instead of morphing into doing our own thing and putting it all together myself I am using a boxed curriculum. Over the past 2 years I have fallen in love with Oak Meadow curriculum and have been using more and more of it. Next year for high school Mister B will be using Oak Meadow for English, Science, and History. Math-U-See for math - a lot of people do not think MUS is rigorous enough for high school. The program has been working for us and I see no reason to switch. If I had a budding engineer I might but I don't have one. For Foreign language he will take Spanish online with Oklahoma State University. Finally, he will continue with Discussion Group, Philosophy, and Music Class.
Little Miss M is officially a 7th grader. She is maturing into a lovely young woman. She is also making the switch to Oak Meadow for English, Science, and History. She was already using them for science and now I am adding the other courses. Math-U-See for math. And the continuation of Discussion Group, Philosophy, and Music Class.
I also want to somehow fit in The Great Courses-Museum Masterpieces-The Louvre and A Nutrition course.
Next year is shaping up to be a full year and I think a good one.
And now----off to summer swim team.....Happy Summer!
It has been quite a year. We have done some interesting things and some not so interesting things. Overall a solid year.
I woke up this morning and thought "Wow, I am really going to teach 9th grade next year. Yikes! A highschooler! I am some kind of nut! What am I doing? Why am I doing it? There is a perfectly fine high school down the street."
After I got over my mild panic attack I remembered why. Because we can. Because we like learning at home. Because we realize all the opportunities we can take advantage of by not being tied to the public school system. Because our family goals for education are not the same as the public schools. As long as I remember why we do this I know it will be okay. I am blocking out the naysayers and following my instincts.
I spent a good portion of the second half of our school year figuring out curriculum for next year. In the exact opposite move of many homeschoolers, instead of morphing into doing our own thing and putting it all together myself I am using a boxed curriculum. Over the past 2 years I have fallen in love with Oak Meadow curriculum and have been using more and more of it. Next year for high school Mister B will be using Oak Meadow for English, Science, and History. Math-U-See for math - a lot of people do not think MUS is rigorous enough for high school. The program has been working for us and I see no reason to switch. If I had a budding engineer I might but I don't have one. For Foreign language he will take Spanish online with Oklahoma State University. Finally, he will continue with Discussion Group, Philosophy, and Music Class.
Little Miss M is officially a 7th grader. She is maturing into a lovely young woman. She is also making the switch to Oak Meadow for English, Science, and History. She was already using them for science and now I am adding the other courses. Math-U-See for math. And the continuation of Discussion Group, Philosophy, and Music Class.
I also want to somehow fit in The Great Courses-Museum Masterpieces-The Louvre and A Nutrition course.
Next year is shaping up to be a full year and I think a good one.
And now----off to summer swim team.....Happy Summer!
Last Early Europe Class
The school year is officially over. Today we had our last class in ancient history. We met at The Cloisters (http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-the-cloisters) One of my favorite spots in the city. We looked for ancient symbols in the early christian symbols. They are there. One of the knights who went on crusade-His sarcophagus shows him with a Chinese sword. Where did that come from? The Crusades were nowhere near China. A mystery whose answer has been lost in time. We saw a fountain with a mystical beast and crosses. Items used in churches with fanciful forest men in green as toppers. Chapels with mythical beasts painted on the walls. So much still to learn.
After the class we all sat outside and enjoyed a meal together. It was a nice way to end the class.
After the class we all sat outside and enjoyed a meal together. It was a nice way to end the class.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Essex County Court House
Today we took a 4 hour tour of the Essex County Court House with some friends. It was an amazing experience. They really do a great job.
It started with a general overview of the different courts and what they do. Then we went to an empty courtroom in The Veterans Court House. The kids got to sit in the Jury Box, the Judge's chair, and the lawyer's tables. The ombudsman walked them through the court set-up. Where everyone sits and why. How the jurors are called. They also got to see the jury room where they wait when they have to leave the courtroom.
Then we went across the hall and sat in on a real trial. That was the highlight for Mister B. It was a Robbery trial. When we came in the Prosecutor was questioning the man who was shot by the defendant. He was going over the night he was shot. Submitting photos into evidence and having the witness tell his story. Then the Defendant's attorney took his turn. I have to admit, the defendant's attorney had much better courtroom presence. There were sidebars (and unlike TV, you don't get to hear what they say). At one point the jurors were sent out of the courtroom for 10 minutes while the judge mulled over a legal matter.
When the court adjourned for lunch we had to wait until the jurors were cleared from the floor before we could leave the court. While we were waiting the judge talked to the kids a bit about the trial procedures and thanked them for coming in and taking an interest in our court system.
After the trial and a short break for lunch we went to the juror room. They have 3 waiting rooms for potential jurors. They actually cleared one for us so they could go over the different types of juries and give an overview of the system. They talked about Grand Juries. I was unaware that most states have eliminated The Grand Jury. Grand Jurors serve one day a week for up to 2 years. They talked about changes to the system because it used to be you served 4 days a week for 6 weeks and people were losing their jobs when called for Jury Duty. After The Grand Jury talk they moved on to Petit Jurors. We saw the short film they show potential jurors about what they can expect to happen. Voire Dire and how it works, what they may experience during the trial, and the types of instructions the judge will give at the end.
Our final stop was the Historic Courthouse. That is an amazing building. Construction started in 1902 and was completed in 1906. The glass domes were donated by Tiffany's. All the glass was donated by Tiffany's. The water fountains in each courtroom had 24k gold dolphin spigots. The building eventually fell into disrepair and was closed. The Bar Association set money aside to restore the building. It was restored at the cost of 49.5 million dollars in the 1990s. The artwork is beautiful. Unfortunately, when the building was closed someone stole the dolphins and the brass doorknobs that had the Essex County Seal on them. When they renovated the building they did not enable the water fountains again Turns out the original pipes are iron. We now know that is not good.
We were able to go into The Ceremonial Courtroom. This one shows where the defendant had to stand during the trial (Yep, you Stood trial-and amazingly enough the kids actually remembered this from our Philadelphia trip). In this courtroom the accused stood and stared at a quote from Job about the wicked not reigning for long. The jury sat across from the accused staring at a quote from St. Paul (I think) about remembering the good. We were also able to go into one other courtroom which has an unusual set up. A semi-circle. The judge who presided over this courtroom took some time to talk to us about it. He told us how the lawyers hate it because the jurors are very close to their table and can see what they are looking at/writing. We also learned that the courtroom is featured in the movie Presumed Innocent with Harrison Ford.
It was a really good day and a great ending to our unit on the court system.
It started with a general overview of the different courts and what they do. Then we went to an empty courtroom in The Veterans Court House. The kids got to sit in the Jury Box, the Judge's chair, and the lawyer's tables. The ombudsman walked them through the court set-up. Where everyone sits and why. How the jurors are called. They also got to see the jury room where they wait when they have to leave the courtroom.
Then we went across the hall and sat in on a real trial. That was the highlight for Mister B. It was a Robbery trial. When we came in the Prosecutor was questioning the man who was shot by the defendant. He was going over the night he was shot. Submitting photos into evidence and having the witness tell his story. Then the Defendant's attorney took his turn. I have to admit, the defendant's attorney had much better courtroom presence. There were sidebars (and unlike TV, you don't get to hear what they say). At one point the jurors were sent out of the courtroom for 10 minutes while the judge mulled over a legal matter.
When the court adjourned for lunch we had to wait until the jurors were cleared from the floor before we could leave the court. While we were waiting the judge talked to the kids a bit about the trial procedures and thanked them for coming in and taking an interest in our court system.
After the trial and a short break for lunch we went to the juror room. They have 3 waiting rooms for potential jurors. They actually cleared one for us so they could go over the different types of juries and give an overview of the system. They talked about Grand Juries. I was unaware that most states have eliminated The Grand Jury. Grand Jurors serve one day a week for up to 2 years. They talked about changes to the system because it used to be you served 4 days a week for 6 weeks and people were losing their jobs when called for Jury Duty. After The Grand Jury talk they moved on to Petit Jurors. We saw the short film they show potential jurors about what they can expect to happen. Voire Dire and how it works, what they may experience during the trial, and the types of instructions the judge will give at the end.
Our final stop was the Historic Courthouse. That is an amazing building. Construction started in 1902 and was completed in 1906. The glass domes were donated by Tiffany's. All the glass was donated by Tiffany's. The water fountains in each courtroom had 24k gold dolphin spigots. The building eventually fell into disrepair and was closed. The Bar Association set money aside to restore the building. It was restored at the cost of 49.5 million dollars in the 1990s. The artwork is beautiful. Unfortunately, when the building was closed someone stole the dolphins and the brass doorknobs that had the Essex County Seal on them. When they renovated the building they did not enable the water fountains again Turns out the original pipes are iron. We now know that is not good.
We were able to go into The Ceremonial Courtroom. This one shows where the defendant had to stand during the trial (Yep, you Stood trial-and amazingly enough the kids actually remembered this from our Philadelphia trip). In this courtroom the accused stood and stared at a quote from Job about the wicked not reigning for long. The jury sat across from the accused staring at a quote from St. Paul (I think) about remembering the good. We were also able to go into one other courtroom which has an unusual set up. A semi-circle. The judge who presided over this courtroom took some time to talk to us about it. He told us how the lawyers hate it because the jurors are very close to their table and can see what they are looking at/writing. We also learned that the courtroom is featured in the movie Presumed Innocent with Harrison Ford.
It was a really good day and a great ending to our unit on the court system.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Little Miss M is 12!
My baby celebrated her birthday over the weekend. I can't believe I really don't have a baby anymore. She is 12. To celebrate she had a few friends sleep over and then the next day we had some family over to celebrate. A real party weekend.
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| This years birthday breakfast. Ice cream w/gummi bears |
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| Fun with friends and whip cream in a can. |
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| Isn't she charming. |
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| Nothing is as fun as the m & m game |
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| Opening gifts with the family. One of her favorites-Duct Tape! |
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| Happy Birthday! |
Friday History Class, Philosophy, & More
Things have been moving right along as we start wrapping up the school year. The Friday History class we have been taking is progressing nicely. Last week they continued talking about the Greek Gods, The Norse Gods, and The Roman Gods. Seeing where storied overlapped and why.
In Philosophy we shook things up a bit. We tied it in to our Discussion Group. In Group we did a unit on the Appellate Court and how it works. Then they performed a brief play-The Big Bad Wolf sues The 3 Little Pigs for attempted murder. It was a lot of fun. We decided that the kids should watch 12 Angry Men (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/) and the philosophy teacher would discuss all the philosophical issues in the movie. Mister B enjoyed the film. Little Miss M found parts of it to be quite dull. There were a lot of philosophical questions in the film. From standing alone with your convictions to issues of prejudice. There was a lot to talk about. We are wrapping up our court unit with a trip to the courthouse this week.
And the more.....Music class. Kids had a great time. They learned about base clef and another kind of clef whose name is escaping me at the moment and how they are different.
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| As you can see, the novelty of the train ride has worn off. |
In Philosophy we shook things up a bit. We tied it in to our Discussion Group. In Group we did a unit on the Appellate Court and how it works. Then they performed a brief play-The Big Bad Wolf sues The 3 Little Pigs for attempted murder. It was a lot of fun. We decided that the kids should watch 12 Angry Men (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/) and the philosophy teacher would discuss all the philosophical issues in the movie. Mister B enjoyed the film. Little Miss M found parts of it to be quite dull. There were a lot of philosophical questions in the film. From standing alone with your convictions to issues of prejudice. There was a lot to talk about. We are wrapping up our court unit with a trip to the courthouse this week.
And the more.....Music class. Kids had a great time. They learned about base clef and another kind of clef whose name is escaping me at the moment and how they are different.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Early Europe Class #2
Today was our second Early Europe Class. We went to 2 places today to discuss ancient art from Asia across Europe and to question if one can or can not count Asia as part of Europe from the artwork. We were at the NYU Center of Ancient Studies (http://ancientstudies.fas.nyu.edu/page/home) and The Met (http://www.metmuseum.org).
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| Before class-had to get a hot dog all the way. Yum! |
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| Enjoying them at the fountain outside The Met. |
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| Sibling Love outside the NYU Library of Ancient Studies. |
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| Okay, now we are ready to learn. |
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| The exhibit they saw at the Center. |
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| Then off to The Met-Asia Galleries |
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| Large Map of Asia and the Middle East |
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| After class we headed to our favorite Egypt and Medieval Galleries |
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| Look through the blog and you will see them grow as they run from the horses. |
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| Superstar! |
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| I am so cool in front of this arch! |
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| We are part of the exhibit. |
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tuesday is Music Day
Today the kids had music class. They really enjoy it. I thought today I would share what they have been learning all year.
I. Music Theory
•By the end of the year students will be able to:
• Identify chords (I,ii,IV,vi)
• Identify intervals (major and minor)
• Understand all standard note and rest values (whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, dotted)
• Recognize frequently used Italian terms regarding tempo and volume
• Recognize differences in pitch and volume
• Maintain a steady beat while clapping a rhythmic pattern
• Read all notes in treble clef, including notes above and below staff
• Recognize the "road map" of a composition: repeats, codas, pick-up notes, key, and time signatures.
II. Music Participation
•By the end of the year students will be able to:
• Compose a song that includes a variety of notes, rhythms, and chords
• Sing a round with peers
• Sing Independently
• Clap and sing rhythm patterns
• Play all presented chords and single notes on the piano
• Play pitched hand bells along with composed music
III. Listening & Understanding
•By the end of the year students will be able to:
• Comprehend and listen to select compositions from Beethoven, Mussorgsky, Mendelssohn, and Desperez
• Listen to and learn songs related to American musical traditions, such as African American, patriotic, and cowboy repertoire
My kids are ahead of me. I once knew all the things in section I, but once I left elementary school behind I stopped music. I did chorus for awhile. Confession time-I couldn't carry a tune even if it had a handle.
I. Music Theory
•By the end of the year students will be able to:
• Identify chords (I,ii,IV,vi)
• Identify intervals (major and minor)
• Understand all standard note and rest values (whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, dotted)
• Recognize frequently used Italian terms regarding tempo and volume
• Recognize differences in pitch and volume
• Maintain a steady beat while clapping a rhythmic pattern
• Read all notes in treble clef, including notes above and below staff
• Recognize the "road map" of a composition: repeats, codas, pick-up notes, key, and time signatures.
II. Music Participation
•By the end of the year students will be able to:
• Compose a song that includes a variety of notes, rhythms, and chords
• Sing a round with peers
• Sing Independently
• Clap and sing rhythm patterns
• Play all presented chords and single notes on the piano
• Play pitched hand bells along with composed music
III. Listening & Understanding
•By the end of the year students will be able to:
• Comprehend and listen to select compositions from Beethoven, Mussorgsky, Mendelssohn, and Desperez
• Listen to and learn songs related to American musical traditions, such as African American, patriotic, and cowboy repertoire
My kids are ahead of me. I once knew all the things in section I, but once I left elementary school behind I stopped music. I did chorus for awhile. Confession time-I couldn't carry a tune even if it had a handle.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Early Europe Class
Today was the first in a series of 8 classes on Early Europe. They are taught by a professor at Hunter College. The class just sounded really cool. The class will be covering Who is an ancient European? How far to the East do we go? Celtic Migration. Who built Stonehenge? What happened after the Celts arrived. Heroes, Monsters, and Adventures: Cu Chulain, Beowulf, and others. Gods and Mythology: Shared traditions. The Volsung Family, Ragnarok, and other Norse stories. Invading the Roman and Medieval World and the end of "old Europe".
Today's class was an introduction to the course. A chance to get to know the other students and the teacher. She gave an overview of the course. Discussed ancient Europe, ancient art, the different kinds of art, and discussed how we really don't know what those cave paintings mean or any of the art left behind and that we are just guessing.
Today was also the day I made good on the promise I made 4 years ago to take mass transit into the city instead of driving. We took the train and the subway. A banner day.
As you can see the Hoboken station is stunning and I am now thinking I need to figure out how to add a unit study on old train stations.
Today's class was an introduction to the course. A chance to get to know the other students and the teacher. She gave an overview of the course. Discussed ancient Europe, ancient art, the different kinds of art, and discussed how we really don't know what those cave paintings mean or any of the art left behind and that we are just guessing.
Today was also the day I made good on the promise I made 4 years ago to take mass transit into the city instead of driving. We took the train and the subway. A banner day.
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| Taking the train into Hoboken. |
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| So happy to be on the train! |
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| Taking the Path (subway) into the city! |
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| Of course we stopped for some real NY Pizza. |
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| The library we met at had beautiful stain glass windows. |
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| Waiting for class to begin. |
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| Back in Hoboken. Time for a cookie. |
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| Beautiful waiting room at Hoboken. Takes you back to when train travel was the way to go. |
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| A bit blurry but these are the doors to the trains. |
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| Even the ceiling is stunning. |
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| Old time shoe shine station. |
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| Love the ironwork on the staircase. |
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| Loving it at the top. |
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| Walking to the train home. |
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| The end of a good day. |
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| Ah, my ipod. |
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