When Homeschooling gets YUCKY!

So today, we got outside to enjoy some cooler temps. It was also a good nature day. Apparently TOO good. Lovely had a BLAST filling her bug jar with little caterpillars.

There were so many of them that she now thinks we have the COOLEST yard! I mean, look how cute they are....and what a great learning tool, right? Nature at our finger tips. I just kept seeing them...stepping on them. Then, look in the background of the picture - notice some brown spots? Sure, we've had a hot summer....but are brown patches really just caused by the heat?

Umm, no. They can also be caused by these:

These guys are not just normal, cute, pre-butterfly caterpillars. They are Army Worms. They will become a moth, an until then, they and about 1,000 more of their buddies will eat your lawn when it is dark or VERY shady (if we saw this many during the day, currently as I type this, thousands more are out now eating our yard) from the root up. Sometimes the infestation can be so large, it looks like your yard is moving with all the feasting. We saw hundreds in the shade, so this homeschool teacher, in fantastic educator fashion, went running for the hills...EWWW! Yuck! I felt like we're being watched, since so many more were in hiding till nightfall. EEK!

Lovely is so excited though. How do I tell her that her 1000 best friends are NOT wanted? LOL

Visitors Welcome!!

We had some visitors today to our little school. It was so nice to share some time with them!!

I Love Home school!!

One reason I LOVE Homeschooling!

You can't do this in a standard PE class or at regular recess!!!

What a way to both exercise AND take a break? Awesome.

Some "Woesy", Some "Rosey"

We've been having a good couple of days so far. Monday was a rough day though. It took us WAY longer than normal to get through our work. In fact, our days have been getting longer and longer each day. If all our activities were enriching or captivating, then that would be a great thing! But, it was more that skills and worksheets were taking longer and longer. Doable, but a growing concern on my radar. I like getting to the application of learning as well!

Lovely loves learning, but dislikes writing it all out. She prefers drawing what she's learned, telling me, or doing an activity. She definitely is the child I know - one who learns from MANY methods of learning. She likes the worksheets (she loves her math ones) but I'm figuring out the writing slows her down (she writes pretty well, but she does lots of phonics, grammar, and reading comprehension - so the writing adds up and I think tires her out). She starts out excited, but then wears out as she sees the next review sheet coming. I asked for some tips from another co-op mom that is doing similar learning styles, and she suggested that some of the language arts work could be given orally - so I can give her a break on the constant writing. I tried it today, and it worked like a charm. I could even leave Lovely for longer periods doing independent work vs me having to be her constant cheerleader. I wanted to share that in case it helped anyone.  I'm lucky she loves doing this (and changing from mainstream school) but I was worried the way things were going, she could get frustrated, blame me, or become unhappy. I'm thrilled things went well today, and we could do enrichment activities and had time for some presentations of other methods!!

(BTW, I'm always ready for tips teacher friends!)

Below are some pics from the last few days. We also did a weekend trip to the zoo (for the 1st time in a few years). It was great for Lovely's science unit on animals! It was also an Educator's Day, so there were lots of learning presentations and information! We're loving our homeschool adventure so far - (yep - like my tagline - the woesy and rosey and all lol).

Getting our calendar set up.

All it needs is the month and year!

working on some telling time skills with out hands on clock and a little brainpopjr.com

working on her history  - map skills and coloring page for Ancient Egypt

doing a floor puzzle on sea animals

At the zoo - checking out the flamingos - and what affects their coloring.

Lovely was our map reader - good map reading skills!

Wow - gorillas like water!

Checking out the elephants before they went to eat.

cute statue.

another cute statue!

The Komodo Dragon sees you....

Look carefully - this is basically a large, fancy version of the flying city pigeon! Who knew!!

Hi Timone!

One of the best reasons to home school - bonding together!!

How are things in your school?

"Fix it Now!"

To give a backstory to this picture. Many nights, after bedtime, Hubby and I will find picture messages left for us outside Lovely's door. She'll draw signs like a door covered by the line (A la the Ghostbuster's red circle and line - what is that called?) to imply "don't come in" or "don't disturb my toys" etc. Or she'll draw pictures of how she felt that day, or what she did, or what she needs. It can be on paper or her ancient Magna Doodle. Sometimes she'll phonically spell words and we'll have to figure out what she wrote.

Last night we found yet another message. But this time - there was no confusion in the meaning. It was propped up on a roll of toilet paper, guarded by her horse. It even had her face drawn in demanding style. She still drew a picture just in case. Can you figure out what she wants?

 

HAHA! I was just impressed she had correct spelling and punctuation. Now, we just need to add a capital F and some manners. *wink*

Small Successes - "We've started Homeschooling!" Edition!

I can't believe it is finally here. And while I can't report many successes around my home here, I can report we got the ball rolling and are figuring out our homeschooling routine on this page.

1. We had our first day. It was a GREAT first day, one I didn't plan on, and one she never would have had in mainstream schooling. So, it was such a win/win for me!

2. We are following our tentative schedule. So far, so good - but I am learning how to be flexible - and the joy in that flexibility. We've done things on different days, or broken up the schedule. I love that so far, we are both liking this. I'd actually use the word love. I know the tough days are coming - so I cling to days like yesterday. Here are some pictures of what we did:

a little teaching game (idea from the teaching manual) to teach double consonant words that end in "ed" and "ing" When cut up, I could mix up the parts and Lovely had to construct the words and consonants.

cut up and ready to go!

Building words

She actually enjoyed it!

3. I made it out, alone, with all 3 kids on a field trip to a local indoor/outdoor history museum this past Monday. They had a Home School Day and opened their doors for free. We explored both the lives of early peoples (which fit great in her ancient history work), pioneer life (which brings to life some of our reading books on Little House) and some fun trivia to see (a fancy 1930s mansion and a exhibit on summer Olympic sports which will be great to revisit when we look at Greece). It was a great trip!!!

Learning to use an early drill.

Lovely using the drill with an arrow head tip

Looking at pioneer artifacts like a slate, and yarn making materials.

The girls heading to a Victorian playhouse for children. Cool! It had real rooms and was built just as a house was at the time!

Another playhouse for children on the grounds - what fun for them!!! Rooms and all!

enjoying the portico of the mansion

Looking at the fountains on the grounds of the 1930s mansion.

So strong!

bike race anyone?

Houston - we have a rower!

He did great! Just hung out!

It's been a great start! Thanks for the advice, prayers, and ideas!!!!!

How are your successes?

I stole this....

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, 
and not knowledge in pursuit of the child. 
~George Bernard Shaw

Isn't that awesome? I stole it from Otherwise Educating and it is perfect. It's how I feel about how the US education system is being run - testing, social promotion, raises for teachers who only get scores to rise, etc. It fuels my fire for what I'm trying to do.  

Just wanted to share :)