History in the Making

Today, school consisted of a field trip to Louisville to watch history in the making.  Our U.S. Senator announced his run for the presidency!  We carpooled with a group to increase the fun factor, and enjoyed lunch out after the event.

My husband is a fan of politics - he watches election returns like other people watch ballgames.  I'm SO not kidding!  I find it unusual, but it takes all kinds. ;)  He met Senator Rand Paul in 2006 through the Lion's Club in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and credits that meeting for sparking a renewed interest in the political machine.  They kept in touch, and he helped Rand with his senate campaign a few years ago, and then became chairman of our local Republican party.  He read Rand Paul's books, and Ron Paul's books, too; he is not typically a reader, so that's saying something.

Fast-forward to today.  We were invited to the announcement event, and got to be in the VIP room before the main event, which meant there was coffee and Rand came in and worked the room and was in lots of pictures.  After VIP time was over, we were all funneled into the main ballroom of the Galt House Hotel, where we waited some more before the videos, pledge, anthem, prayer and speeches began.  At long last, Kelly Paul spoke, then the man himself.  I was in the hallway by that point, as The Boy had to use the restroom, but I could still hear everything. :) I made sure my son heard the announcement itself, which was at the tail-end of the speech.

Here is the Facebook photo album that I began today and will continue over the next 18 months or so.

Below are a few pictures over the years to commemorate this day.

2012

2014

Week in Review

Monday was a field trip to the Kentucky Museum, located on the campus of Western Kentucky University.  I actually worked in the Special Collections library there too many years ago. :)  We took a tour of the Felts Log House, where the guide told the kids about living in Kentucky 200 years ago.  

They made beeswax candles, then went back to the museum where they learned a bit about the Civil War, and how Kentucky was a "border state" at that time, and Bowling Green was the Confederate capitol of Kentucky, but there were still Union citizens living there...albeit uncomfortably!

I enjoyed the tour, and was glad the Bowling Green homeschool group arranged for it.  Tuesday was occupational therapy and school work; Wednesday was more school work, then his weekly trip to Ma & Pa's, where he watched How to Train Your Dragon 2 via Netflix. 

 We did school work Thursday, then Friday was the egg hunt and fun with Nana and Grandpa, including a local magic show.  He got to go on stage for a "dance party" and then for the final trick, turning a rat into a rabbit.

Saturday he got to hunt Easter eggs, and the weather was just perfect, which was a relief after 2 days of rain and thunderstorms.

View from the bridge on our road - pretty flooded!  Its back to normal now.

31 Days of Charlotte Mason @Afterthoughts

My post today was a guest post on only children over at Afterthoughts for the 31 Days of Charlotte Mason series.  Join us over there!

Summer Break 2013

Do you ever feel like you are juggling your children?  I think all mothers, even if you have only one, can relate.  And the more kids you have, the more balls you have to keep in the air!

I know summers are for fun and relaxation, for being outdoors, and especially for a break from school and routine.  However, it is also a time for dentist and doctor appointments so they don't interrupt school days.  (Remember I'm a foster parent, so in addition to my 8 year old, I have 3 other boys right now). I have two boys that are in occupational therapy for sensory issues (SPD) at least once a week, one boy has monthly chiropractic visits, plus there are bi-weekly therapy visits for a different 2 boys.  Some days we have no appointments and I cherish those days.  Other days we may have 3 or 4 places to be, and so I juggle.

Throughout the last eight weeks, the boys have swam at the lake, played in the sprinkler or with water guns.  They have enjoyed the new play set and trampoline and a 3D movie.  They liked Camp Invention and vacation with grandparents.  Still to come in the next 4 weeks is a visit to other grandparents, Communicare day camp, and some more fun family time swimming and playing.

During the time I've had to myself, I've spent time on the AO Forum and reading homeschooling blogs.  I've searched and bought some school books for the upcoming year, took the schedules like last years and tweaked to suit, and started pre-reading the school books (Ambleside Online year 3) so I will be more prepared this year.  I'm also downloading the free audiobooks for those days when I don't have time to read to him, or he wants to listen to extra books before bed.  I went to a homeschooling conference in Nashville with my husband, and we really enjoyed the time together away, listening to Christian speakers and talking with other homeschooling families.  How refreshing that was!  I've also tried to find time to learn to cook some new, healthier (gluten, dairy and soy free) recipes, and am pleased to say that most of them have been quite crowd-pleasing.  I've read some "beach" books (join me on Goodreads to see what I'm reading!), several homeschooling books, and participated in a AO forum discussion on The Scarlet Pimpernel (affiliate link).  To me, nothing says summer like swinging on the front porch with a good book while the kids play!

How have you spent your summer?  What's your favorite part?

Year 2 Weeks 7 & 8

I was halfway through week 8 and realized I didn't post about last week yet. Oops!  Life just keeps happening, you know?



Here is a couple of pictures from my husband's trip to Nicaragua with BMDMI.  Aren't those twins cute?!  A sewing group at our church makes little dresses and hats year-round to send to the girls down there.

I spent last weekend researching freezers since the guys are done remodeling after the water damage we had.  I haven't decided on one yet, but am leaning towards an upright.  Feel free to share your favorite freezer in the comments...I need help!

Now, for the rest of the story...

Week 7 & 8 for AO2, with the following changes and additions:

The Bible - CC lesson 16, 17, 18 and Truthfulness from Kids of Character
Tree in the Trail chapter 10 25, 26 and 27 - Done!
Pilgrim's Progress Dangerous Journey, half of ch. 5
Math - lessons 31-36 of Graded Work in Arithmetic

My parents were in town a couple of days for week 7, but we managed to get the work done.  His attitude was worse, probably because he was anxious to be done and just play, but in reality it made things take longer!  We went to Minds in Motion as schedule for 2 afternoons, and he enjoyed that.  He also had a field trip to a local nursery with our library's home school group so learned a bit about plants.

Week 8
The Bible -Humility.  CC 19, 20 and 21.
Poetry of Walter de la Mare, poems 27-35 (almost done!)
Dangerous Journey -rest of ch. 5 and, upon his request, ch. 6

Math - lessons 37-39, plus Khan Academy review
McGuffey reader -  through lesson 13.  We have been doing readings lessons twice a week, but I increased it to 3x/wk this week.
Handwriting - lessons 13, 14
Spelling - lesson 6 (review)

We are continuing with piano lessons and are up through lesson 16 on freepianolessons4kids.  We listen to our monthly hymn, folk song and composer study music almost daily (see amblesideonline.org for more info).  He resists art study more this year than last - possibly because impressionism isn't his thing, or maybe because I'm asking a little bit more of him.  The habit of attention is one he struggles with, so focusing on a painting for a full minute or two is a challenge for him.  I have him focus, then we flip it over and tell what we can remember and talk about what we missed when we look at it again.  Short and sweet, a la the Charlotte Mason method.

He has gotten to where he enjoy Rosetta Stone for Spanish, and the BBC's typing lessons for kids.  We do those 2-3 times a week.

In follow-up to listening to Romeo and Juliet (Nesbit's version) last week, we watched the BBC animated production, which he enjoyed.  (Here are other Shakespeare animated tales.)

Next week starts the month of October.  This means new songs!  Also, public schools are taking fall break, but if I'm not babysitting, I'll go ahead and "do school" on those days.  I really have no idea what next week will look like!

I'm linking up to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!

Year 2, Week 5

This was a short week because of Labor Day.  And foster kids.  And construction in our house.  And a field trip.

Yet, somehow, all of the scheduled AO readings were completed, along with 3 days of Bible, 2 lessons each of typing and Spanish, a spelling lesson, reading and copywork lessons, math and piano.  I did less of several things, but there is no doubt he was still learning.

The readings for week 5 were followed, except for:

The Bible - Discernment was our character trait, and lesson 13 from Calvary Curriculum
Tree in the Trail chapter 7 - still speeding through to get it back to the library soon; ch. 12-17
Poetry of Walter de la Mare - I only read poetry twice this week, so we are through pg 21 now
Pilgrim's Progress  Dangerous Journey, finished ch 3 and all of ch 4

For piano, we did Lesson 12 from freepianolessons4kids.com, then tried out a new iPad app.  Its called Piano Dust Buster by Joy Tunes, and is similar to Magic Piano (which my husband loves).  Both remind me of Tap Tap Revenge, or Guitar Hero :)  The great thing about Dust Buster is that it shows the keys and as you (a little granny on the keyboard, holding a feather duster) tap the key at the right time, granny jumps up and dusts the "germ", making music.  Its too cute.  It also has a real piano mode, where your ipad listens to your actual instrument to play the game.  However, we couldn't get it to "hear" our keyboard, so that's something for me to figure out soon!

His Pa is teaching him leather-crafting, and he made some designs on coasters this week.  One had his own name, one said MOM and the third said DAD.  It was cute, and when he came home he had to show us what he learned so laid everything on the kitchen table and promptly used up the "practice" coaster leather that same day.

Cockatoo stare-down

On Friday, I used my Groupons for Kentucky Down Under, which is about an hour from here.  It was a warm day but we both enjoyed it more than I thought we would (I'd heard mixed reviews).

A gray kangaroo, daddy of the joey below

The Lories

Petting the youngest joey - 10 months old