Wordless Wednesday ~ The Cleaver Won

What happens when your husband is cutting a pineapple and hits the glass cutting board too hard with the cleaver?

Blessings, Dawn

Collage Friday ~ A Full Week

My Favorite Resource this week is the book, Eat Like a Dinosaur.  This cookbook is based on the Paleo diet.  I am not claiming that the Paleo diet is the best way to eat; however, for someone responsible for preparing meals for a child who is allergic to all grains, this cookbook is especially useful.  It has wonderful pictures and the food tastes GOOD.  Only one child died over eating the Brussels sprouts. LOL They all happily ate the Ratatouille and the Fool's Gold Nuggets.  My son is allergic to most tree nuts so we have to adapt the flour when it calls for almond flour.  Otherwise, the cookbook needs no adaptation.  The two pictures of metal dishes is our new lunchbox system for camp and picnics.  On my journey to rid our family of corn, we have discovered that corn is in all BPA-free plastic and all paper products.  The only safe options are metal, china, stoneware and  glass for dishware.  I am pleased with this three piece lunch system.  I bought a smaller stainless steel container for dips that fits into the larger containers perfectly.

I took lots of picture of my girls in my wedding dress this past week.  It was a fun photo shoot.  I loved sharing my wedding dress with them.  More photos are in the blog entry below this one.

We attended a wonderful water-themed party this past week.  The kids had a great time getting each other wet.  They had a water balloon fight and a relay to fill a bucket of water (boys against girls). 

I am joining Homegrown learners and Learning all the time.

Blessings, Dawn

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ Little Girls, Satin and Pearls

My husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary this week.  We went to a lovely dinner at a nearby inn.  The mountain views were breathtaking.  It was a perfect evening, until I lost my mind and convinced dear husband to pretend we were 20 again and go on carnival rides with very full stomachs.  LOL!  It all worked out fine, but I think I will skip the carnival rides next time!

PRETTY

I wanted to let my girls try on my wedding dress, and I thought that our anniversary was the perfect day.  The girls loved fingering the little pearls and beads.  I loved taking pictures of my precious girls, who are growing up so very fast.

HAPPY

I am happy to have a few heirlooms to pass on to my girls.  Only time will tell if either of my girls will want to wear this dress in their own weddings.  However, it is nice to have something special to share with them if they choose to use all or part of it.  It is amazing some of the alterations that can be made to dresses.

FUNNY

The dress was huge on both girls.  Little Red Ridinghood could not walk in the dress and fell over in a heap of satin.  Imagine if I had taken the train down.  Goldilocks was shy, quiet and calm in the dress.  This is the polar opposite of her usual self.  She is my tomboy who loves to climb trees, race boys and is often loud. 

REAL

My girls!  I love those little bare toes sticking out from under that very formal wedding dress.  That picture reminds me so much of the little girl inside all of us busting to run free at times.  My other dd, who is on the cusp of puberty, is not yet developed (the dress just make her look that way) and just beginning to leave little girlhood behind.

Please join Like Mother, Like Daughter for PHFR.

Blessings, Dawn

Collage Friday ~ The One That Covers Two Weeks

The past two weeks has been a whirlwind!  We have done everything from finish school to travel half way across our state and back.  Some days we just sat around and read books (I love those days!).  In the collage from left to right ~

• Tom Sawyer has caught the reading bug.
• We went to the state capital and enjoyed their history museum. 
• The kids love our new inflatable pool. 
• We went out for breakfast to our favorite organic eatery to celebrate the last day of school.  The girls had brownies and Tom Sawyer had a double order of organic sausage.

The kids really liked the new displays at the history museum.  It was very hands on!  There were tons of wonderful facts that many of us did not know.  We also got to see Grandma Sue, who traveled down to stay in the hotel with us.  Our real purpose for being in the capital was to see Wicked!! This was my early 40th birthday present from my Dad and stepmother!  Can you say awesome?  Grandma Sue babysat in the hotel while my husband and I went to the theater.  It was GREAT!  We both loved it.  We hadn't both seen a Broadway show since The Lion King about 12 years ago.  Here is our new favorite song, "Defying Gravity".  You know it is a winner when I forget to clap and have tears running down my face!

In other theater news ~
The kids finished up the school year at the theater last week with their final performance of Sleeping Beauty.  They performed it five times and did a wonderful job.  They just love the stage and dancing. 

As we go into summer and start our more relaxed schedule, I am already thinking about our upcoming year.  You can view my thoughts on this past school year here and my kids thoughts here. 

I am joining homegrown learners for collage Friday.

Blessings, Dawn

How Was Your Year: My Point of View

Wow! I just finished my 13th year of homeschooling.  What an amazing journey it has been so far.  I started 13 years ago with a very learning challenged, medically fragile 3rd grader.  We lived in a condo near a military base where my husband was serving in the army.  Our days were filled with reading great literature, exploring the local pond and swimming in the neighborhood pool almost every day.  We joined 4-H and the Boy Scouts ~ the first was much fun and the second was a bad experience for us.  My son's doctor suggested he not attend school where he was exposed to so many germs.  Indeed, our son's health improved as soon as we started homeschooling, so we had a minimum amount of appointments. We were hooked on this lifestyle within weeks!

Fast forward to this year and things are very different.  Our son is now a special needs adult living in our home, and we have three children that are still in the elementary years.  Each one of our children has some kind of special issue ~ whether it be vision, dyslexia, neurological issues, heart condition, developmental delays, blood condition, speech difficulties, severe allergies and food diets, FASD, sensory or emotional problems. Our lives are filled with medical appointments.  A normal week finds us in doctor waiting rooms for 6 hours (that is just the routine stuff).  In addition to that, there are about 8 more hours of doctor appointments a month that are rechecks, evaluations, sick visits, and check ups. Our adult son can't drive and needs to be transported to/from his traumatic brain injury college program (3 days a week), fencing (two times a week), his volunteer job (two times a week), social activities and his own doctor appointments.  Then there is the kids' dance lessons (4 more hours of waiting rooms).  Lastly, there is all the fun field trips and adventures that I like to go on.  I refuse for our homeschool to be completely defined by our special needs. As my husband put it recently ~ we are a mobile homeschool.

On with my perspective of how the year went!

You know, it has been a great year.  We found a nice balance for most of the year.  Some days were really long and hectic, but overall we had pretty smooth sailing (by our standards).  Below is a list of things that really helped with our mobile lifestyle.

• A laptop that can go with us everywhere.  We use it for educational movies, math, chess, and just plain silliness.
• Flash cards ~ spelling, math, art, and memory work.
• Books on CD ~ We listened to some great literature in the car this year.
• Getting Reading and Language Arts done before leaving the house every day. 
• Teaching Textbooks for Math ~ I can't say enough good stuff about this program!  My kids love it, actually argue whose turn is next to do it, and it works with the laptop so can be done anywhere.
• Educational board games ~ With a little planning, a game can easily reinforce a concept in a doctor's waiting room.
• Remembering that the world is our schoolroom ~ There are opportunities to learn everywhere if you keep your eyes and ears open.  Just last week the kids got an impromptu lesson in elevators from an elevator technician.  He showed them how to change the hydraulic fluid and what it looks like under the elevator (from a safe distance).
• If it is not benefiting the kids ~ drop it!  For instance, I haven't regretted dropping Goldilocks' speech therapy for a moment.
• Not every opportunity is a right fit.  This year, we decided not to do homeschool science and art classes that were held out of the home.  That was a good decision.  We very much enjoyed art and science by ourselves at home, the museums, the university, the library, in the woods and a friend's home.
• Have a few worksheets and coloring pages for other people's children.  Seriously, I can't tell you how many times parents have seen me teaching in the corner and sent their kids over for a "Bit O' Schoolin' "!

I have really struggled in the past with the amount of or lack of seat work that our kids get some days.  Some days they may only get 1.5 hours in a chair.  But, I have come to realize that seat work is a "new" reality in the history of humans.  Through history, people have learned what they needed to know when they needed it (on the job).  Now, I agree that things have changed.  There is a large base of information that kids need these days before going out in the world.  However, I also need to drop my internal guilt trip and remember that doctor after doctor is amazed at how well my kids are functioning, considering their difficulties.  I must be doing something right.  Leave the hours of seat work to the public schools; we are homeschoolers and are out learning in the world, thank you very much.

Things we will keep (besides what I have already mentioned) ~

• Dance classes ~ We love our dance studio and the opportunities the kids are getting there.  This year they performed in the Nutcracker and in Sleeping Beauty. It amazes me how the kids have no stage fright.  They take it all in stride. 
• We will do a large-scale research project for public viewing such as the Festival of Knowledge. 
• Our homemade history program.  I made it up myself based on biographies, picture books, a timeline, movies and YouTube!
• Five in a Row (FIAR) and Beyond FIAR ~ I love these programs and it fits well into our learning style.
• Prairie Primer ~ We adapt it like crazy, but it works for us.
• Teaching Textbooks ~ Love it.
• Friday field trips ~ These may turn out to happen only once a month next school year if I start a co-op with a friend.
• The way we do art ~ Charlotte Mason style.  The children have requested more picture study and narration and less art project, which will be a little tweaking from this year. 
• Attending the library's homeschool program ~ Awesome activities every time.
• Doing charity work ~ Charity is one of the core things I want to pass on to my children.
• Field trips ~ We love them!  You never know what you will see next.

What I would like to change ~

• We are moving from Spectrum spelling to All about Spelling.
• We are moving into English for the Thoughtful Child and The Grammar Ace.
• I am still thinking about what geography program to use for next year.
• I would like for the children to start taking a musical instrument, but I'm not sure how this is financially possible.
• Per the children's request ~ We will do chemistry and dissect at least one animal or at least owl pellets next year.  This is the downfall of them seeing a teen do high school (a few years ago).  They think they should be doing all of this right now, too.  LOL
• My friend and I are seriously considering a Friday afternoon co-op.  She would teach science and I would teach history through American Girl dolls and boy centered biographies.  We would still do our own history and some science, but this would be a great collaboration of our respective skills.
• Writing everyday!!  I want my kids to enjoy writing.
• I know all of my kids would like to be at the theater more ~ Aerial arts and acting classes beckon.  However, unless we have a major reduction in health appointments, I don't see this happening.  I will keep their desires in my thoughts and look for other creative ways for them to learn some of these skills.

Well, that is enough thoughts for today.  I am looking forward to a somewhat lighter schedule for the next two months.  HA HA!  Will it really be lighter with swimming, library programs, day camp (one week for each child) and free movies at the air-conditioned theater?  Who am I kidding?

Blessings, Dawn

How Was Your Year: The Kids' Point of View

Today is our last day of this school year.  We had fun doing our traditions.  The kids took their report cards to Chuck E. Cheese, wrote their summer bucket list on a poster and hung it up in a central place, and had their end of year interviews.  I love to do these interviews with the children.  It always fascinating to see how they think the year went.  The following is their assessment of the school year.  They were each interviewed separately, out of earshot of each other.  Still, to my surprise, many of their answers were similar.

Little Red Ridinghood 8.5 years

What worked for you?

• I love my report card and getting A's.
• I love our new math program (Teaching Textbooks).
• I like Five in a Row (FIAR) and Prairie Primer.
• I like coloring during literature time.
• I like books on tape better than you reading.
• My favorite part of art is picture studies.
• I like field trips.
• History is fun.
• I LOVE my dance class and being on stage.

If you were going to learn a musical instrument, which would it be?
I always wanted to learn the violin, but I think the piano is easier.  I guess the piano.  I do NOT want to go to choir.

If Christine and I start a Co-Op next year, what do you want to learn in it?
I want an American Girl Doll Club and to do biology with an expert (Christine is a nurse practitioner).  I want to dissect things in science next year.

What is your favorite thing about school?
Math, hard puzzles and beating Daddy at strategy games.

What is your least favorite thing about school?
I don't like spelling and how you always make me write my paragraphs over to make them right.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a dancer.

What is one thing that Mom isn't or can't teach you that you want to learn next year?
Aerial arts.

Tom Sawyer 10 years

What worked for you?

• I like math the best.
• I like getting report cards and going to Chuck E. Cheese.
• I like to listen to books on tape in the car.
• I like to do picture studies for art.
• I like snack time.
• I like playing board games and chess.
• History is fun with videos and wrap-up parties.

If you were going to learn a musical instrument, which would it be?
Drums!!

If Christine and I start a co-op next year, what do you want to learn in it?
I want to learn chemistry and biology.

What is your favorite thing about school?
When we do science projects.  We need to do MORE science.  I also like it when you let me build Lego things that go along with our studies.

What is your least favorite thing about school?
Writing, because I have so much trouble thinking about what I want to say.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a Lego engineer/designer.

What is one thing that Mom isn't or can't teach you that you would like to learn next year?
Lego designing or robotics.

Goldilocks 11.5 years old

What worked for you?

• I like going to Chuck E. Cheese when we get our report cards.
• I love field trips.
• I like my Disney workbooks.
• I like to write narratives.
• I like our history timeline.
• I like arts and crafts.
• I like writing stories.
• I like stories and going to the library.

If you were going to learn a musical instrument, which would it be?
Piano.

If  Christine and I start a co-op next year, what do you want to learn in it?
Geography and field trips.

What is your favorite thing about school?
Doing arts and crafts.

What is your least favorite thing about school?
Spelling and grammar.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Work with animals ~ horses or cats.

What is one thing that you would like to learn next year that you are not learning now?
All about the world and about the food people eat in other countries (we have done some of this, but she wants to do more).

Lots to think about.  I will be sharing our plans for next year in a few weeks.

Blessings, Dawn

FIAR ~ Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car in England

We just finished a week of studying England.  To go along with our studies, we read Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car.  What a fun story about a drive in the countryside of England!  There are very few words in this book, but the illustrations are wonderful.

For art we studied the illustrations and learned how to give a textured look by using checkered lines and circles.  We practiced different techniques on a coloring sheet of the tower of London.

For science we studied clouds and what clouds teach us about the weather.  I made laminated cards (found here) that we could keep in the car to study the clouds we see when we are out and about.  On the back of each photo card is the name of the type of cloud.  We also made clouds by placing Ivory soap in  a microwave and setting it for 2 minutes.  This is a fun and impressive project (see photo of puffy cloud)!

We had several English meals during the week.  I think the kids enjoyed Bangers and Mash the best.  They were pleasantly surprised to find out that Bangers and Mash was really sausage and mashed potatoes.  Another night we had Bubbles and Squeak (mashed potatoes with left over vegetables).  We finished off our English dining with a Fry Up (large English breakfast).  I was shocked to find that much of the food in England is fried.  We decided to make the Fry Up very small portions for health reasons.

Our puzzle of the week was a small village that reminded the kids of Black Beauty  (which we read last summer).

We enjoyed many books during our study of England.  We read books about castles, Mary Anning (a fossil hunter), stories of queens and of London.  The photo shows are our favorite books from the week.

Lastly, we enjoyed a cartoon version of Great Expectations and a travel show about England called Travel with Kids London and Travel with Kids the United Kingdom.  You can find much of the Travel with Kids series on You Tube.  We really enjoyed our week of studying England.

I am joining around the world in 12 dishes.  This is a fun group of families that is following the journey of Phileas Fogg from the book, Around the World in 80 Days, through 12 different ethnic dishes. 

Blessings,
Dawn