Go Away BIG, BAD Germs! : November 5 - 11

In My Life This Week
((sniffle)) ((sniffle)) A cold. ((shiver)) It's that time of year, isn't it? At least in our "neck of the woods"! Things were a bit slower this week as I tried to rest. ((cough))

(Psst! Don't forget to enter my FIRST EVER giveaway - My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software - if you haven't! I'm lovin' the software! A winner will be chosen through www.random.org on 11/18. Click here to enter!)

Oh, and I was nominated for the 2011 Homeschool Blog Awards! Please vote for me under #20 Nature/Field Trips here! Thanks! So exciting!

Whatcha Makin' Wednesday

(Link up YOUR fab recipes with the kids by clicking on the sidebar button)

Sugar Maple made a family favorite this week: Toll house Cookie Bars.  Look at the chocolate! Yum!

Homeschool Happenings
Sugar Maple's friend C__ joined us the Maine Wildlife Park on Saturday. (We LOVE visiting the park in the late fall when it's less busy!) This park rehabilitates sick or hurt native animals then releases them back into their habitats IF they can survive. We saw white-tailed deer, an albino raccoon and porcupine, a moose, a tailless Mountain lion, a Canada Goose with a broken wing, red and gray foxes, 2 Black Bears, a Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle with damaged wings, a turkey vulture, a Peregrine Falcon, different species of owls, and watched a raven taking a water bath. It was a beautiful day at the park!

Sugar Maple, Balsam Fir and I continued on with their Apologia Astronomy studies. We finished up Venus this week and started Earth. The Trees spent a couple of CHILLY nights outside with Blue Spruce looking at Jupiter and a couple of it's moons through the telescope. Pretty cool stuff! And White Pine finished up Chapter 4 sections 2-4 in Earth Science on Plate Tectonics.

Did you see our first week of Thanksgiving studies? We didn't have as much time this week, but we wrapped up our "background info" and started our PAPER DOLL PLAY! Parts and lines were given out and the younger Trees started to make the set! This is going to be a FUN project...if we can pull it off. (Did I mention that I've never been in a play and I've only been to a couple?)

We got off on a tangent with American History, watching "Liberty Kids" and "Schoolhouse Rock" on the Boston Tea Party. Balsam Fir especially like the videos.

On the Bookshelf

Place We Went and People We Saw

White Pine "hung out" at his buddy T__'s house overnight.

White Pine helped a fellow Boy Scout with his Eagle project.

Sugar Maple had "girl time" with her friend C__.
Balsam Fir ran around with the boy's from next door.

All the "trees" had Scout meetings this week.
Sugar Maple went to the state house with her troop.

Sugar Maple had a Clarinet lesson.
White Pine and Blue Spruce headed off to MA for an overnight.

Our Favorite Thing This Week
The unseasonably HIGH temperatures! We saw 65 sunny degrees and spent hours and hours outside. (If only the sun didn't set at 4:20pm though!)

Helpful Homeschool Hint

Recycle! Reuse! Reduce! Repurpose! Look at these handy-dandy containers with handles! All from household cleaner containers! Just wash out the containers, cut out an opening (leaving the handle), and ta da! Perfect for markers, crayons and manipulatives! (Thanks MIL!)

What's Working/Not Working For Us
Extracurriculars! I'm on the search for another, NEW activity for the kids, something that we can do together that isn't MILES and MILES away.

Questions/Thoughts I Have
So, I've decided - I think! LOL - on a high school Biology curriculum for White Pine next year, but he DOES NOT want to do the dissections. Any suggestions for virtual labs? And is Biology LAB considered LAB without the dissections even if other (microscope) experiments are completed?

Photo(s), Video, Link, or Quote to Share

Our hens Sassy and Roadrunner decided
to fly up and roost on TOP of the playset!

Linking Up To:

It's THAT Time of Year! Curriculum 2011-2012!

It's that time of year again! Although some homeschoolers have already started their new year, others, like us, still have a few more weeks of summer vacation. (6 MORE! LOL)  But we're all thinking about curriculum and planning for our new year!

Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers is having a linky party to share curriculum today. So, join up! Or grab some iced (sweet) tea and read along for ideas!

ETA: And I'm joining up with Heart of the Matter for her "Not" Back to School Blog Hop!

Welcome to Year 8!

J (7th grade):

Saxon Grammar and Writing 

Saxon Algebra 1/2

Prentice Hall Earth Science

Around the World in 180 Days

Electives: How To Teach Art to Children, English From the Roots Up, Analogies, and Phys. Ed.

C (4th grade):

Saxon Grammar and Writing

All About Spelling or Spelling Power

Saxon Math 54/65

Apologia Astronomy

A Beka Health

The Complete Book of US History

Draw Write Now: Sea-to-Shining-Sea

Electives: How to Teach Art to Children, Word Roots, Analogies, US Geography, Signing Time, and Phys. Ed

S (1st Grade):

Hooked on Phonics: Learn to Read

First Language Lessons

Saxon Math 1

Apologia Astronomy

Draw Write Now: Sea-to-Shining-Sea

Electives: How to Teach Art to Children, Map Skills, Handwriting Without Tears, Signing Time, and Phys. Ed.

We're very excited about a new homeschool co-op starting in the fall! This co-op will focus on hands-on, creative, natural activities, and will meet all day one day a week. The kids will also continue with scouts, 4H, volunteering, library activities, and recreational sports.

Wishing all of you reading (and not reading LOL) a fun learning year!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: June 25 - July 1

In My Life This Week

With J's friend T in tow, the kids and I drove to the island to spend the week with my family. And the chicks stayed behind. Guess what THAT means? Yup! We need a coop! Oh! And does anyone want a rooster? They're REALLY cute! LOL 

The Rocky Atlantic Coast

Places We're Going and People We're Seeing

Day 1 - We picked S up from his weekend sleepover with at my ILs. We stopped to see Eartha, the Guinness World Record globe at Delorme, and shopped at LL Bean, eating a picnic lunch by the big Bean boot. We visited 3 different state parks, played on playgrounds, walked some trails, saw a lighthouse, explored oceanside, and stamped our passports. And sampled fudge at Perry's Nut House.

C, S, T and J Getting Stepped on by the BIG Bean Boot

My Monkeys on the Playground

Fort Point State Park

Day 2 - EARLY morning! We dropped C off to horse camp and headed to the fort to explore and have a picnic lunch. We braved going up 420 feet in an elevator on a bridge to see beautiful ocean views! After picking up C (who mucked out 5 stalls, curried horses, learned about the English saddle, and got her first riding lesson), stopped for ice cream. We made pizza for dinner and had birthday cake (for my parents) and then spent the evening at the rocky ocean beach, swimming, searching for crabs, playing in the sand.

420 Feet Up THERE!

The View

N Reading About the Fort

S Sitting on the Canon Balls

Day 3 - C headed back to horse camp. The rest of us walked the bog boardwalk. (Was it hot, humid!) We had lobster rolls or hot dogs for dinner then headed to the beach again. I read a Kindle book (on my Mom's Kindle) and the kids swam, explored and climbed rocks until the mosquitoes swarmed.

J's Inuksuit at the Beach

Cousin N Exploring a Bog Flower Seeds

S and N Searching for Frogs in the Bog

Day 4 - A day without busyness! The kids were ASKING to stay home so Mom and Dad headed off with C to drop her off at horse camp and the rest of us, including my niece had a lazy day of reading, watching TV, playing video games, and drawing. We headed off island to watch "Mr. Popper's Penguins" after dinner. Unfortunately, I felt sicker and sicker throughout the day and decided to go to the ER after the movie. It turns out I have a sinus infection AND infections in both ears.

Day 5 - C's horse show! On her final day of camp, she showed us all that she learned - putting on an English saddle, riding, balance skills, a parade routine, and even the beginning of jumping! Her instructor said, "She's a natural!" and invited her back in July to ride with them in the town parade! I spent the rest of the day resting while the kids went swimming with family and C and S spent the night with my sister.

Isn't She Cute in her Riding Uniform?

She was VERY Serious About Riding

C with her Ribbon and Trophy

Day 6 - Relief already! I'm feeling better! Antibiotics are a GOOD thing! C has a friend over playing this morning. N is over for the day. And the older boys are still sleeping! Another slow day before trekking back home tomorrow. Laundry!

 

My Favorite Thing This Week Was

I was QUITE proud of all that C accomplished at horse camp this week! I had wondered if she was learning to ride because it sounded like she was doing A LOT of mucking out of stalls, but she did AWESOME!
 

Questions/Thoughts I Have

When we return, I NEED to finally order the rest of our curriculum for next year. I'm anxious! I want BOX DAY too! LOL

A Photo, Video, Link, or Quote To Share

Moose Point State Park

I'm linking up to Forever, For Always, No Matter What, The Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Science Sunday, Fun Tuesday Hop, No Ordinary Blog Hop, and Hip Homeschool Hop. Head over to read more homeschool happenings!