I Heart Writing

    Have I told you all lately how much I enjoy Blogging?! I  really do love to write!
To me it is a way I get to express my thoughts, feeling, etc. A way I get to share a part of who I am to the world. A friend asked me once how I come up with what I write. Truth be told, the writing process, has always be an easy one for me. I just have always been able to put words to paper, so to speak. Now Math, well that is a totally different animal for me, lol!  I guess that is how it is for most people. Very few can say they are good at all subjects, right? (I always try and keep that thought in mind, as I am homeschooling my children. I know that like me they will have their strengths and their weaknesses.) Plus, I think when you enjoy what you are doing, it is never hard to actually do it. That is how I feel when it comes to writing this blog. I just start typing and like now, the words just spill out with ease :)

However, if you are new to blogging or want to be a blogger, but do not like writing or just do not know how to exactly. Well, it can be frustrating. Just coming up with ideas to write about on your blog can be hard for some.
Writer's block is the worst!






So, this what I suggest to do. First try and think about what has happened that day, week, or month, etc. See if there is anything that comes to mind you would like to share. Once you do, then just write as if your talking to your best friend. If you are still drawing a blank, then try writing about something you feel strongly about like maybe Homeschooling, your family, etc. Other options could be hobbies, politics, a book you like or even a favorite show. Eventually, writing will come more naturally and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Until Next time...

Circus

Going to the Circus is one of those childhood events that most of us have experienced growing up. Unfortunately, I nor my husband had. I have always wanted to, but just never had been taken, or took it upon myself, to take myself. So, when my son's Birthday was almost here, I just knew that this would be a perfect way to celebrate.






Thankfully, I was lucky enough to indeed find a Circus traveling though my area. The Circus we attended was called the UniverSoul Circus and it was Amazing!
We chose to splurge and get front row seats ( they were not box seats, but was the 1st row in the isle area as I was informed were the best).

This Circus was defiantly created to entertain all ages and had a lot of great music and acts through out the show. One of my most favorite part of the Circus was that right before it began. The circus offered, for a fee of course, Elephants rides!!!!! I will admit I was hesitant at first. My children, however, were ready to climb that Elephant like it was a pony lol!  However, since I had never rode one before ((Shocking I know, lol)) and my son was still what I consider young, I decided to ride this BIG beast with them ;)
 Now let me tell you, the ridge of that animals spine, the sensation of the soft muscle tissue moving as the Elephant breath and moved underneath you was a bit unsettling. To be honest, after  the first lap of the arena I almost got off, but since my kids were having such a great time I chose to take a deep breath and just let all my fears go. I decided that I would not allow myself to let my fears ruin this experience. So, I stayed on and enjoyed the final lap of our ride. It was defiantly one of those " Once in a lifetime opportunities". If I ever have a chance to ride an Elephant again, I will defiantly do it ;~ )



Once the show began, it was very entertaining to say the least! They had tight-rope walkers, contortionist , clowns, Magic acts, and of course animal shows. The Elephants were my favorite part. they had one sit on its bottom and beg almost like a dog. They had another stand on these piers while another Elephant crawled underneath it, ect, ect, ect!
I tell you what, even though this was not supposed to be a homeschooling field trip, the kids still learned so much by just being so up close with the Elephants. They were defiantly eager to learn more. So, I have taken the topic of "Elephants" and have been running with it. Not very hard to create your own Unit Study. Just "Google" Elephants and you will find so much info on them. Like that they can live up to age 70 yrs. I also of course printed some crafts and coloring sheets and made up some handwriting worksheets, etc. for them to do. So, if you have never been to a Circus you should defiantly Go!


Until Next time...
 

Learning to Write

Today in class, one of my fellow students asked our Professor why he was no longer practicing medicine. Why he was now teaching our Anatomy class. I loved his answer! He said, " Instead of retiring, I chose to continue to share my gift with others, just in a different way." I totally understood  what he meant, as I am currently tutoring a relative. She is 14 years old and learning to write has been difficult for her. When it comes to school I have always felt that people had their strength  and weaknesses. For myself I have also done well in writing. So, I did not mind helping. Plus, like my Professor said, I now have the opportunity to share my gift and help her develop her own love for writing ;)

  ((If you are not able to teach or if you have no one who can help, there are some great online writing tutor out there)). 



Until Next Time...
 

Homeschooling??? Yes! You can do it!

When parents first begin to consider the idea of Homeschooling many thoughts tend to come into their minds : Can I do this? How to homeschool? Curriculum? Laws? Socialization? Umbrella schools? How do I find other homeschoolers in my area? Etc.!

This list could go on and on, but you get the idea. The point I am making is do not feel like you are the only one with questions or worries about becoming a homeschool parent.







When I first started homeschooling, I was so excited! So excited that I did what a lot of you have done, I winged it! I jumped feet first into this lifestyle and learned as I went. I suppose it has worked out for me in the end as I am coming up on my 9th year of homeschooling. ((Yay!)) Still, part of me wishes I would have taken a step back and done my research. Truth is we will never have all our questions or concerns answered. There will always be a learning curve to homeschooling, somewhere along the way. Of course there are several things that can be learned before you even begin, starting with your states homeschool laws (These will vary from state to state). This is IMO the most important and first thing any potential homeschooler should check into.



States requiring no notice: No state requirement for parents to initiate any contact.

States with low regulation: State requires parental notification only.

States with moderate regulation: State requires parents to send notification, test scores, and/or professional evaluation of student progress.

State with high regulation: State requires parents to send notification or achievement test scores and/or professional evaluation, plus other requirements (e.g. curriculum approval by the state, teacher qualification of parents, or home visits by state officials).

Also, I recommend finding other homeschoolers in your area. I think anyone starting out, should take the time and do this. If you are not sure where to start, you can try your local school board. They may have a list of groups in your area, but if not you can always try 4-H, local churches, or just looking on Facebook ( you would be surprised how many local groups have a Facebook page). Finding other veteran homeschoolers can offer a wealth of information, support, and socialization for you children.

~> The good news is, homeschooling is mostly trial and error. You will figure it out! Just remember, we have all be there. O' and did I mention that, yes! You can do it ;)



Until Next Time.....
 

Fun & Games

People have asked me what I think is the best way to get children excited and eager to learn. I always answer with the same two words " Learning Games"! Children just naturally love playing games :)

Here are my top 5 Learning Games that my children really enjoy:

1) Art Games



2) Hink pink online


3) Scrabble Junior


4) ABC Memory game

5) Anything LeapFrog









                                     Until Next Time...




 

Eyeballs!

Eyeballs! Cow eyeballs to be exact. That today, my dear readers, is what I had the pleasure of dissecting in class today. It was weird to say the least.  The squishy, yet hard texture was a bit odd, but being able to see what makes me "See" close up and inside, what a neat and a bit gross experience.




Now that I am in college myself, it makes me think even more about my children's educational future. Since I homeschool, I have had those persons in the past inquire how my children will be able to go to a good college. Thank goodness I have enough sense to do a little research instead of allowing other on lookers to put false and ridiculous ideas into my mind.

The truth is that there are so many homeschool-friendly colleges out there. Still, I can see where people new to the idea of homeschooling, especially accidental homeschooler could allow their fears to get the best of them.

 So, if you were one of those people who are still wondering, worried, etc. Then take a moment and do a little Internet research. Call a local college or just speak to other homeschool moms who have already have children in/and graduated from a college.
For myself I am not worried. I know my children will one day be off to college. Thankfully,  my "Momma heart" is glad it is still several years away ;)

Until next time...

Our 2013 day to day

 

 

 

With it now officially 2013, we are now back into our  day to day. For our family, this now means, regular bed and wake up times, chores, school work, etc! Even though I love the times throughout the year that we break from our "norm", there is that nice feeling of comfort to get back to the familiar. 

 

 

 

This January will start many new educational adventures for us, myself included. I have started my last semester to complete my AS degree, Yay! I am taking Anatomy & Physiology 2 and a Computer course ( However, I really do not think I need the computer course, but it is required. I am hoping it will be somewhat easy, since I know so much about the programs already). 

 

 As far as my children's education, we will continue on with reinforcing Phonemic Awareness with my youngest as it is a critical Pre-Reading Skill. Our goal over the next several months is to allow him to begin to learn how to read. He is very excited about this!  My oldest is going to be continuing her reading.

 

 

 

So, what exactly will our homeschooling look like this year? Well, we will be doing Co-op on Thursday's, kids are really looking forward to this. On Monday's, Tuesday's, and Friday's we will be using Time4Learning Curriculum as our core with some work books (school zone) I bought at walmart for some extra seat work.

 

For History we will be reading, Story of the World.

We also love  Unit studies! I sometimes create them myself, but also buy them from Amanda Bennett and/or Currclick. In addition, we do Arts and Crafts courtesy of our local Library. Other things we will be doing are Flash cards, learning games (online and off) , and of course Bible lessons ;) On Wednesday's, Saturday's, and Sunday's there will be no school work. The kids also have a Park day once a week, singing/piano lessons and soon it will be soft/base ball season again.

 

How do I keep everything running smoothly ? I made an organiser! I print out everyone a schedule that I made off of  chart jungle. This is very helpful because I can look at my schedule and know when I have to be on campus, or do homework, or when it is my time to do a school lesson with my kids. My husband really like this too. It makes it much easier for him to know what days and times he is in charge of schooling the children or when it is time to do laundry, etc. The kids also love this because each morning they get up and can look at the day and know what chores they have for that day to do and what is expected out of them and at what time for their school lessons, etc, etc, etc.

 

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year! Until Next time...