Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Butterfly!
Our butterflies hatched, and have been released... One made friends with The Girl before flying away!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Putting it Together: Science
There are so many resources I love, and I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to put them all together. I think I might be on to something here, at long last!
1. I am working on a giant checklist, using Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, all three volumes. As we go through everything else, I can use this checklist to make sure we cover plenty of scientific territory. And I can always add in a trade book or two if we miss something!
2. I am working on compiling a list of books I would love to read for science. Some of those titles are:
4. And of course, there is always a place in our hearts for documentaries!
I think this might work because it balances my unschooly AND schooly desires, AND I can let the kids choose which book/subject we study next! We can cover a large number of topics this way, read some really good books, and still not have a formal curriculum that spells out each day's activities.
Next on the agenda: Putting it Together: History. And I'm working on a list of mathy books to add to the Afternoon Basket. I'd love to finish String, Straightedge & Shadow one of these days!
1. I am working on a giant checklist, using Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, all three volumes. As we go through everything else, I can use this checklist to make sure we cover plenty of scientific territory. And I can always add in a trade book or two if we miss something!
2. I am working on compiling a list of books I would love to read for science. Some of those titles are:
- Dr. Art's Guide to Science
- You Are the Earth
- Dinosaur Bone War
- The Magic of Reality
- Breakthroughs in Science
- A Briefer History of Time
- Swampwalker's Journal
- Science Matters
- An Inconvenient Truth
- The Omnivore's Dilemma
4. And of course, there is always a place in our hearts for documentaries!
I think this might work because it balances my unschooly AND schooly desires, AND I can let the kids choose which book/subject we study next! We can cover a large number of topics this way, read some really good books, and still not have a formal curriculum that spells out each day's activities.
Next on the agenda: Putting it Together: History. And I'm working on a list of mathy books to add to the Afternoon Basket. I'd love to finish String, Straightedge & Shadow one of these days!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Are Textbooks Where It's At?
Being the kind of homeschooler I am, and all that, I have generally avoided textbooks like the plague. But, I am finding them creeping insidiously into our homeschooling journey.
First, it was history. I bought the book on the left three times, and sold it twice before we actually tried it out. And when we tried it at long last, we loved it!
Now, science?
Well,I don't know... yet. I did order the four books above, which are older versions, but I heard they haven't changed much in the last ten years, so I don't mind older. And they were cheap that way.
I think what it comes down to is that I am tired of trying to piece things together. I know I don't want an all-in-one curriculum in a box, because I like to pick and choose what we will use, but using books like the above do make things more streamlined for me. And I know the basics are covered.
I'll admit, I'm looking into "all in one" language arts too...
I'm not positive yet if I will buy these... I do still love Brave Writer. Hmmmm.....
ETA: I'm going to go with my gut, and stick to Brave Writer, with a little extra thrown in.
How have you found your approach to homeschooling changing over the years?
First, it was history. I bought the book on the left three times, and sold it twice before we actually tried it out. And when we tried it at long last, we loved it!
And then it was math... we tried to make a non-textbook approach work, but there were too many gaps...
Now, science?
Well,I don't know... yet. I did order the four books above, which are older versions, but I heard they haven't changed much in the last ten years, so I don't mind older. And they were cheap that way.
I think what it comes down to is that I am tired of trying to piece things together. I know I don't want an all-in-one curriculum in a box, because I like to pick and choose what we will use, but using books like the above do make things more streamlined for me. And I know the basics are covered.
I'll admit, I'm looking into "all in one" language arts too...
ETA: I'm going to go with my gut, and stick to Brave Writer, with a little extra thrown in.
How have you found your approach to homeschooling changing over the years?
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Sunrise and Science....
I'm betting if you've been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I really wanted BFSU to work for us. I made flowcharts for two out of the three volumes. I made library and video lists. But somehow, it never gelled for us. Still, I found myself at The Boy's fencing practice last Saturday morning, and then again on Tuesday afternoon, going through my much-marked-up copy of BFSU. What is it about that curriculum that fascinates me so much? I think it is a few things that keep sucking me in: the fact that it integrates the various threads of science and shows how science is all interconnected; that it covers so many topics, and that you can go as shallow or deep as you prefer with each one; and that it sets a student up very well for higher level sciences later on.
But actually implementing it has been a drag, and I'm not sure why.
In the meantime, we're having some fun with a couple of books...
Both these books are exceptionally well-written. The first was a recommendation I stumbled across on a homeschooling forum, the second came up in a library search when I was looking for something on the web of life, how everything is interconnected, to go with the first book. I really like it (as do the kids)! Very readable, and child friendly, and interesting, without being cluttered as some books are. We might even set aside the first book for a little while while reading through this one, as I am trying to simplify!
Reading aloud chapter one, about air, from You Are the Earth, we came across topics ranging from how the body breathes and processes oxygen, what the atmosphere is composed of, the ozone layer and pollution, and much more. Then I had a kind of a ha! moment! So now I am thinking of compiling a list of all the topics/threads covered in BFSU, and brief notes about each topic. Then, as we read through books like the two above, and The Magic of Reality, and Science Matters, and so forth over the next couple of years, I can mark off what topics/threads we cover, and bring in trade books to cover anything we miss. It is still a very much in-progress idea...
Oh, and I had what I think is a brilliant idea for actually getting nature study done! Nearly every Friday afternoon is spent at our beloved Park Day, a gathering with a smallish group of fellow homeschoolers at a local, regional park. Each week, we notice something... woodpeckers, or fungi, moths, or an interesting tree. So I thought, what if I read to them about whatever it is we noticed from The Handbook of Nature Study after we get home, but before dinner that evening, and they can draw a picture for their nature notebooks/journals? That just might do the trick!
Hope you're enjoying your week! We are sure enjoying ours!
Monday, March 11, 2013
What We're Up to This Week...
On this week's agenda:
Homeschooling...
Food and nutrition...
Around the house...
It should be a good week!
Homeschooling...
- Read aloud chapter one in Dr. Art's Guide to Science, and then check out Dr. Art's website; add in a book each about photosynthesis (big theme in chapters one and two) and Galileo
- Have The Boy try out Writing Strands 3 in addition to The Paragraph Book (I'm trying to get him writing more, can you tell?)
- Have The Girl try out the Elson Readers Primer
- Read the first of two chapters on ancient Egypt in the Human Odyssey, along with 2-3 chapters from Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
- Stat actually reading The Secret Garden!
- An art project, maybe a history related craft, some more of The Red Pyramid and The Titan's Curse
- Maybe a nature walk at the nearby wetlands!
Food and nutrition...
- Check out a local butcher/meat shop for "wild" meats (currently they have venison, elk, buffalo, and wild boar!)
- Start reading The Primal Blueprint to M in the evenings as he is curious about what I have been reading nutrition-wise. This will be his "bedtime" story!
- I've been experimenting with veggie replacements for grains. My kids really liked the paprika cauliflower "rice" I made yesterday! (I used smoked paprika and left out the cayenne)
Around the house...
- I have a week off coming up, and am planning on some good, old-fashioned spring-cleaning! In the meantime, old clothes continue to go out the door, I've donated a box of books already, sold a few older homeschooling items we're not going to use, and so forth.
- Our veggies are off to a good start! I need to remember to look on craigslist for 5 gallon planters for this year's container garden!
It should be a good week!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Trucking Along...
Yet another week has flown by! We started out the week with a lot of celebration, since The Girl turned ten. We went roller skating on Sunday, then on Monday, her actual birthday, we went to the movies, and saw Wreck-It Ralph, which we all enjoyed.
As for homeschooling, it was a book heavy week! From our Afternoon Basket:
The kids are really enjoying The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt - we read chapter one this week, all about the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, and Napoleon's time in Egypt. That was great because in reading The Red Pyramid (our current bedtime book), one of the first things mentioned in chapter 2 is the Rosetta Stone, and the kids were able to instantly make that connection! Another book we really enjoyed this week was There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story. We read this as a follow-up to last week's dissection, and loved that it used all the terms for worm parts that we had just learned about from the dissection. Plus Gary Larson just has an awesome sense of humor!
The Boy is doing quite well with Saxon 6/5. He does every problem without complaint, and makes very few errors at this point. He does want to use Teaching Textbooks again next year, and should be able to go right into level 7 without trouble, I think.
The Boy is making good progress through The Paragraph Book. He'll be done with it in probably another 5-6 weeks, and then we'll possibly move on to something like The Five Paragraph Essay. I also ordered Writing Strands 3 for him, to give him some more creative, yet structured, writing instruction. I'll have to see how this all works out! He still loves his spelling book, which we will not finish by the end of the "school" year. That's okay, we'll just pick it up again in the fall!
We didn't start The Secret Garden yet, so we'll aim to start it next week. We weren't quite as consistent as I would like this week, so there is room for improvement there!
And that's our week. Nothing terribly exciting, but still a decent one! Hope you all had a good week too!
As for homeschooling, it was a book heavy week! From our Afternoon Basket:
The kids are really enjoying The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt - we read chapter one this week, all about the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, and Napoleon's time in Egypt. That was great because in reading The Red Pyramid (our current bedtime book), one of the first things mentioned in chapter 2 is the Rosetta Stone, and the kids were able to instantly make that connection! Another book we really enjoyed this week was There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story. We read this as a follow-up to last week's dissection, and loved that it used all the terms for worm parts that we had just learned about from the dissection. Plus Gary Larson just has an awesome sense of humor!
Math
The Girl is really enjoying Math Mammoth's multiplication book. She will easily do 3-4 pages at a time. I think she'll be using more of the Blue Series over the next couple of years, unless (somewhat unlikely) she switches over to Teaching Textbooks.The Boy is doing quite well with Saxon 6/5. He does every problem without complaint, and makes very few errors at this point. He does want to use Teaching Textbooks again next year, and should be able to go right into level 7 without trouble, I think.
Language Arts
The Girl is a bit frustrated with Explode the Code right now. She feels it is too easy, but since she still is really working on building reading skills, I'd like her to continue with it. Maybe I should just buy the next book up? She is making good progress with Reading Pathways, and next week we're going to try out The Elson Readers.The Boy is making good progress through The Paragraph Book. He'll be done with it in probably another 5-6 weeks, and then we'll possibly move on to something like The Five Paragraph Essay. I also ordered Writing Strands 3 for him, to give him some more creative, yet structured, writing instruction. I'll have to see how this all works out! He still loves his spelling book, which we will not finish by the end of the "school" year. That's okay, we'll just pick it up again in the fall!
Science
This week was a little lighter on science. We did read chapter one in Real Science 4 Kids Biology, about classification. They watched a Bill Nye video on evolution. Our caterpillars are growing rapidly, and we're waiting anxiously for the mantises to hatch! The ladybug larvae too are growing. Of course, reading There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story was good science too!
History
We read from The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt as mentioned above, and starting watching Out of Egypt, which is really fascinating! We also learned a lot about Alexander Graham Bell, the battle of the Alamo, Dr. Seuss, and Montezuma (all books listed in A Picture Perfect Childhood). We have a plan to make cartouches next week, as per the recommendations in one of the craft books I picked up at the library. I also would like the kids to make a model of the Nile River delta, complete with mini-pyramids. I'll have to see though if that is something they really want to do!
Other
The Boy very much enjoyed his first fencing class at a new level last week (Saturday mornings). We're enjoying listening to The Titan's Curse in the car. Oh, and speaking of Greek mythology, The Boy completed the National Mythology Exam this week, and we mailed it off. Both the kids enjoyed watching Prince of Persia and The Phantom Menace as this week's movies.We didn't start The Secret Garden yet, so we'll aim to start it next week. We weren't quite as consistent as I would like this week, so there is room for improvement there!
And that's our week. Nothing terribly exciting, but still a decent one! Hope you all had a good week too!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Little Things...
It is the little things that count, isn't it? Three mornings a week, I leave the kids snugly tucked in bed, fast asleep, and off I go to work. Two mornings a week, they head off to my mom's house for a morning of fun, and again, off I go to work. On the days they stay home with their dad, because they are still sleeping when I go, I leave them a note. I usually doodle a few illustrations on it (for example, today was a sun peeking out from behind a rain cloud), tell them I love them, things of that sort.
Once, when I was running late and did not leave a note, my kids let me have it when I got home... "Where was the note?" and "Why wasn't there a note?" They usually call me at work once they are up and about, so I had thought that would be enough, but no. I've never missed a morning's note since! Oh, and I leave a good morning note for the husband too!
And yes, every time I leave the house, I tell everyone in my family that I love them. You never know what's going to happen out there in the big bad world after all! When I was growing up, hugs with my mom were a daily thing, and I dutifully gave my dad a goodnight kiss on the forehead each day until about the age of 9 or 10. But, besides an "I love you" here and there, those weren't words that were just bandied around. Three small words, but perhaps the three most important words out there. I want my husband and kids to know how much I love them, and so I tell them every day. And they tell me every day that they love me too!
There are other little things I am working on, like actually listening when my husband or son tell me all about something they are fascinated by, which can take a while. And listening to The Girl's little stories that she invents. It is so easy to get distracted... hey, there's that book I wanted to read! Or, I really want to watch this TV show, or catch up on facebook. I am trying to not be the distracted mom, and sometimes, I tell you, it isn't easy. [Sorry (cringing a bit here), but I really am not that interested in exactly how the RC car works and all the modifications you can imagine]
Do you have any tricks for paying attention to things like that?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been reading about the Paleo/Primal diet. I'm still not 100% convinced, but it is intriguing. There are a lot of happy testimonials out there too. I do know that if I eat anything with wheat, I am guaranteeing myself achy joints the next day. But to ask the kids to give up pasta? Homemade muffins? Hummus? I'm not sure. I have Primal Body, Primal Mind at home waiting to be read as further research. Naturally though, I'm a little distracted by a new(er) Barbara Kingsolver book, as she is one of my all-time favorite authors: Flight Behavior. Maybe I'll aim for a chapter of each every day.
Any thoughts on Paleo/Primal?
And tonight I have to present legal options for homeschooling in California at a Homeschool Information Night our local association is putting on. I will say I am a bit nervous, as I am not always the best public speaker! So wish me luck!
Enough rambling! Have a good day!
Once, when I was running late and did not leave a note, my kids let me have it when I got home... "Where was the note?" and "Why wasn't there a note?" They usually call me at work once they are up and about, so I had thought that would be enough, but no. I've never missed a morning's note since! Oh, and I leave a good morning note for the husband too!
And yes, every time I leave the house, I tell everyone in my family that I love them. You never know what's going to happen out there in the big bad world after all! When I was growing up, hugs with my mom were a daily thing, and I dutifully gave my dad a goodnight kiss on the forehead each day until about the age of 9 or 10. But, besides an "I love you" here and there, those weren't words that were just bandied around. Three small words, but perhaps the three most important words out there. I want my husband and kids to know how much I love them, and so I tell them every day. And they tell me every day that they love me too!
There are other little things I am working on, like actually listening when my husband or son tell me all about something they are fascinated by, which can take a while. And listening to The Girl's little stories that she invents. It is so easy to get distracted... hey, there's that book I wanted to read! Or, I really want to watch this TV show, or catch up on facebook. I am trying to not be the distracted mom, and sometimes, I tell you, it isn't easy. [Sorry (cringing a bit here), but I really am not that interested in exactly how the RC car works and all the modifications you can imagine]
Do you have any tricks for paying attention to things like that?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been reading about the Paleo/Primal diet. I'm still not 100% convinced, but it is intriguing. There are a lot of happy testimonials out there too. I do know that if I eat anything with wheat, I am guaranteeing myself achy joints the next day. But to ask the kids to give up pasta? Homemade muffins? Hummus? I'm not sure. I have Primal Body, Primal Mind at home waiting to be read as further research. Naturally though, I'm a little distracted by a new(er) Barbara Kingsolver book, as she is one of my all-time favorite authors: Flight Behavior. Maybe I'll aim for a chapter of each every day.
Any thoughts on Paleo/Primal?
And tonight I have to present legal options for homeschooling in California at a Homeschool Information Night our local association is putting on. I will say I am a bit nervous, as I am not always the best public speaker! So wish me luck!
Enough rambling! Have a good day!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Mmmm, Mmmm, Yummy!
We've been experimenting with grain-free cooking lately. A friend passed this recipe along, and I tweaked it a tiny bit. I have to say, it is absolutely delicious! There was about half a pan left after the kids each had two servings for breakfast, but with everyone picking at it every time they walked past, those leftovers were gone quickly! So without further ado...
Grain-Free Dutch Baby
3-4 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
4-6 eggs
1/3 cup each almond meal and coconut flour OR 2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 cup milk of choice
A good pinch of sea salt
Optional: if you're using a sweet topping, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a [heavy] dash of cinnamon; if you're going the savory route, try some pepper and smoked paprika
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the butter/oil in cast iron frying pan, or heat and then pour into an 8x8 baking dish, or you can heat it in the baking dish in the oven while it preheats - just don't burn the butter! In the meantime, put the other ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth (I used a bowl and an immersion blender, which worked well). Pour the batter into the hot butter/coconut oil, and place the pan/baking dish in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until very puffy and brown.
To serve sweet-style: While the Dutch Baby is baking, place about a cup each of blueberries and cut-up strawberries in a small pan. Add a dash of vanilla, and about 2 tsp. maple syrup. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until all juicy and hot through. Top wedges of the Dutch Baby with the warm fruit and enjoy!
A savory variation: Sauté leeks, mushrooms, and sliced chicken sausage in butter, lard, or olive/coconut oil until the leeks and mushrooms are very tender, and the sausage rounds brown nicely. Season with a little salt and lemon pepper. Top wedges of the Dutch Baby with the mix, and enjoy! This is actually what I am planning for tonight's dinner, alongside a simple green salad.
Have a good week!
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| image courtesy of nourishingdays |
3-4 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
4-6 eggs
1/3 cup each almond meal and coconut flour OR 2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup arrowroot flour/powder
1 cup milk of choice
A good pinch of sea salt
Optional: if you're using a sweet topping, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a [heavy] dash of cinnamon; if you're going the savory route, try some pepper and smoked paprika
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the butter/oil in cast iron frying pan, or heat and then pour into an 8x8 baking dish, or you can heat it in the baking dish in the oven while it preheats - just don't burn the butter! In the meantime, put the other ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth (I used a bowl and an immersion blender, which worked well). Pour the batter into the hot butter/coconut oil, and place the pan/baking dish in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until very puffy and brown.
To serve sweet-style: While the Dutch Baby is baking, place about a cup each of blueberries and cut-up strawberries in a small pan. Add a dash of vanilla, and about 2 tsp. maple syrup. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until all juicy and hot through. Top wedges of the Dutch Baby with the warm fruit and enjoy!
A savory variation: Sauté leeks, mushrooms, and sliced chicken sausage in butter, lard, or olive/coconut oil until the leeks and mushrooms are very tender, and the sausage rounds brown nicely. Season with a little salt and lemon pepper. Top wedges of the Dutch Baby with the mix, and enjoy! This is actually what I am planning for tonight's dinner, alongside a simple green salad.
Have a good week!
Monday, March 4, 2013
A Special Day...
Today is a very special day... The Girl turns TEN!
I can't believe it has been TEN years already! Ten times around the sun, and many, many more to go. We may have our challenging moments, but I wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything in the world.
All my love always, to my wonderful girl!
I can't believe it has been TEN years already! Ten times around the sun, and many, many more to go. We may have our challenging moments, but I wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything in the world.
All my love always, to my wonderful girl!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
The First Cut is the Deepest...
Okay, not really, but we dissected worms at last! And the first cut is pretty shallow...
They had a lot of fun doing this, and managed to find all the important parts: the ganglia, the crop, the pharyx, etc. And they made labeled drawings which I'll scan in later! We sure know a lot more about worms now!
They had a lot of fun doing this, and managed to find all the important parts: the ganglia, the crop, the pharyx, etc. And they made labeled drawings which I'll scan in later! We sure know a lot more about worms now!