March is over...

I told David, "If I can just get through March I'll be alright."   Well, I made it! 

We have chosen to intentionally not be overly busy with out-of-the-house activities. 

But in March we had Science Olympiad Competition....

This is a video of David and Sarah sanding down a component for her Mouse Trap Vehicle using a hand drill as a lathe.



Enrich Science Olympiad Team "Fusion"

From L-R

Sarah, Connor, Jared, Nathan H., Jon, Alexander, Phillip, Joshua, Ricky, Matthew, Daniel, Nathan

Sarah and Connor partnered in Mousetrap Vehicle and placed 5th.  Daniel and Nathan H. partnered in Bottle Rockets and took 4th. 

Overall our team did really well.  This was our first year in SO and Fusions 2nd year as a team. 

Sarah and Connor getting readt to launch the mousetrap vehicle.



There it goes!

Sarah and Connor made a great team.  They worked well together, pushed each other and brought different strengths to the event.  If they work together on this even next year they should have an incredible run.





Not Back to School

It is hard to believe that we resume formal lessons tomorrow.  This new year has required much more of my time to plan.  But, it's done (mostly) and we're ready to start. (I always tweak as we go)

Our focus this year will be a very strong Bible study and a very intense Latin program.  But there will be time for fun as well.

For fun and fellowship D & S will be involved in a 'Speed Stack' club.  If you have never heard of this new activity you can check it out here.  www.speedstacks.com

This program helps to develop both sides of the brain as they learn increasingly difficult stack sequences and decrease their time.  We have a set and D &S practice almost every day.  They must have the correct technique and order in which they up-stack and then down-stack.

For Latin we will be using The Latin Road to English Grammar vol 1www.thelatinroad.com

For Bible we will be going through :

The Westminster Shorter Catechism
The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Cross Centered Life, Mahaney
Do Hard Things, Harris
Don't Waste Your Life, J. Piper
Learn one hymn per week

For US History
ABeka
Drive Thru America

Science
A History of Medicine
Apologia General Science

Math
Saxon 7/6 then 8/7

Writing
Reading
Spelling

Daniel will go through a book called 'Created to Work' as well as start his A+ training to build computers.

Sarah's book will be 'Beautiful Girlhood' and she will be using an art program.

I would also like to start working on ASL.

I will be teaching an 'Intro to Crochet' and "Intro to Basket Weaving' for our homeschooling group. 

So that's it in a nutshell.  If you think of us, pray that we will be diligent, disciplined, and most of all Christ-like in our attitudes, work and interaction with others.

Another Finished Project

This time the project was a short story for a contest.

It had to be science fiction or some other type of imaginary story and both D and S entered. They were due to write a short story in several weeks for their writing class in school, so I just rearranged the schedule and had them do the short story to coincide with the contest.

S wrote a story about a boy struggling with his geography homework. As he gazes at the map trying to remember the answers he finds himself suddenly in Turkey….

D wrote a story about a monster that had been terrorizing a village in the Sahara and how it was defeated.

D’s story won second place and S’s story won third place.

CONGRATULATIONS KIDS!!

Is summer break already over???

Tonight, at 10.30 pm, my children dug out their math books and started working on math for the 2009-2010 school year. Sarah couldn't find the math book she wanted so decided to work on spelling instead.

This after only 4 weeks of "summer break". I am no where near ready to resume teaching. Shoot, I still have to reorganize all the bookcases, order the books we need, and my teacher's guide for next year isn't even going to ship until August 1. (I plan on officially starting on August 17).

Daniel asked if he worked all day tomorrow on books would I count it as school. "NO"!

Sarah is also in the process of writing a preschool curriculum. I'm trying to encourage her to stick with it. After all, isn't that where a lot of the great homeschooling products have come from to begin with? Other homeschoolers? Why shouldn't she be one more author? She loves children and is really good with them. She seems to be a natural teacher. She has some really good ideas, now to get them on paper, organized and eventually submitted to a publisher...

Daniel on the other hand has a mind for computers and music and story telling. Who knows where God will take him with those interests and skills.

During these next few years, we are really focusing on helping them to grow in the areas where they have interests and skill, to become stronger in their weak areas and to grow in their love for Christ and for others. Sometimes it seems that it is all for naught. We cannot see the future. But our Father is in control and we have committed these children to Him from before they were born. They belong to Him. We are only temporary parents, hopefully teaching them to serve and to love as the Father has loved us.

Reading Aloud

We have always read aloud to our children. David has slowly read through the Sherlock Holmes books over the past 4 or 5 years or so. He has (I think) 2 books left in the series. I don't know what he'll read then, but he as a while to decide.

I am currently reading "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder to them. This is our FIRST book by her. They have not until recently been the least bit interested in any of the stories. It was INCONCEIVABLE to me. These were the books I had cut my teeth on. These were classics.


But now they cannot get enough. After FB, I intend to read the books in the correct order. I don't know if we will skip FB or read it again when we come to it.

Reading aloud is something that I hope we will continue long into their teens. This family time is something that ties us together. Something that is a constant in our life when all else seems to be falling apart.

Yes reading FB is "school" but it is so much more than that. It is life, family togetherness.

Been A While

Well, today is the first day in at least 4 weeks that I've been headache free for most of the day. It's 4pm now and a little one is coming on, but hopefully can be controlled with aspirin.

Last week was my 44th birthday. But, Isabelle (age 5) told me I looked 21. Now I know that at 5 she hasn't completely comprehended the significance of numbers, but what she said made me smile.

My sweeties, David, and kiddos, like to make me a cake on my birthday. It's always fun to sit back and listen to them as they work together. Most years I chose a new recipe from the Hershey's website. This year I was craving a simple white cake from a mix. So much to their dismay, that's what they made me. It was just what I wanted.

They also fed my crochet addiction. Two hand carved hooks and a nostepinne made by a friends husband. You must check out his work at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5663156.

Then they also bought me the yarn I'[d been wanting to make my own version of this http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/granny-square-pucker-purse.

I'm well on my way to getting it done and might be able to post pics when I finish.

We also had to completely rebuild our main pc after being hit by a "drive-by" virus. It took David and me a week of working on it here and there to get it all back and online. BUT in the process both kids have decided they want to learn top build their own pc. So...that is another project in the wings.


School is going well, I see improvement every day. Tho' we are behind the "schedule", we are able to stop to smell the roses, or watch the backhoe as the case may be. Even though my kids are 10 & 12, they still love to watch the heavy equipment working. I'm so glad that we are free to teach our children in freedom and able to follow their interests. It still amazes me what they know, when I know I haven't taught them that.