Homeschooling: October 19 - October 23

Some Highlights from this Week:


* Art Lesson with Gram Cindy "Halloween Theme" Halloween (plastic glove) hands filled with popcorn and decorated with spider rings etc. Halloween feather masks made for Daddy and Mommy to wear when trick or treating with Nathan and Rachel.

* Weaving Lesson with Mrs. Moore

* Fun-filled Science Lesson with 5 "Experiments" (Shadow, Egg, Volcano, Styrofoam Globe, Balloon filling up with Gas from Baking Soda and Vinegar) and Brain Pop videos

* Doing Schoolwork in Halloween Costume

* Sleepover Wednesday night to Thursday with Blake and Isabel and then doing school all morning with them

* Reading The Westing Game (Nathan) and Little House on the Prairie (Rachel) with Mom














At the end of our Science Class, we watched a few "Brain Pop" videos on Earthquakes, the Earth's Structure, Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics. These are short 3-4 minute educational videos that reinforce and add to what we have already learned about the topic.

A dear friend from church, Mrs. Moore, taught Rachel and Isabel how to Weave and gave them each their own little weaving tool.

Eating our "Eggs"periment. The Different Part of the Egg represent different layers of the Earth. (Shell = Crust)(White =Mantle)(Yolk =Core)

Measuring our Shadows every 1/2 hour

Our Styrofoam Globes -- Inside we colored the Inner and Outer Core, Lower and Upper Mantle and the Crust.

Deluxe Volcano Experiment

(Materials: Volcano Structure, Baking Soda, Dish Soap, Red Food Coloring, Vinegar)

Homeschooling: October 12 - October 16

Some highlights from this week:

* Our first rainy day (inside recess with candles burning, reading and drinking hot chocolate)
* Explorer lesson with Mrs. Patchin -- Nathan and Blake both were given their own "explorer bags"
* Honey "taste test"
* Greek Game
* Visiting old Matthew Turner friends
* Starting our new science unit on Earth
* Rachel making up her own hairdo style for school
* Continuing to have freedom and flexibility with our schedule





Nathan enjoys doing work while standing (one of the advantages of homeschooling -- he is able to sometimes :))

Rachel running several laps around our yard with the puppies -- Great exercise!

Investigating information for our new science unit (Earth -- light, atmosphere, rocks etc.)

Rachel tasting honey (comparing store-bought with "straight from a beehive")

We played a Greek Game with playing cards and dice. Rachel is excited because she won! :)

Another technology lesson with Daddy. We love having him as our teacher!

Nathan and Blake are studying Explorers (California History)with Mrs. Patchin. Here they are with their "explorer bags."

Some additional thoughts:

* Homeschooling takes a lot of time, energy, patience and perseverance (I'm only in my 2nd month and am already aware of this). I am busier than I have ever been in my life. I feel as if I have more than a full-time job with teaching and preparing to teach --in addition to being a wife, mom and manager of our home. I need to lean on and look to God every day to give me what I need to accomplish what needs to be done.

* I am so thankful to have a spouse who truly loves and supports us -- without that I don't think I could do this.

* It is such a blessing having other wonderful influences in their lives, teaching and training them. (Mrs. Patchin -- every week with History, Gram Cindy -- every other week with Art and Music, Daddy -- every other week with Technology, Grandma Judy -- adventures a couple of times a month (not to mention sleepovers etc.). I am so grateful for each of them!

Thanks for taking an interest in our homeschooling adventure.

Week of October 4th

What a fun and busy week we had!


Some of the highlights:

* Our monthly visit from our CT Olivia Johnston
* Special Guest Teachers: Blake and Isabel's Grandparents (Rachel had a sewing lesson, Nathan had a knot-tying and compass lesson)
* Rachel losing her tooth
* Nathan starting Drum and Judo lessons
* "Light" Art and Music Lesson with Gram Cindy
* Field Trip to Chabot Space and Science Center




Nathan's First Drum Lesson

(We're waiting in the drum room for his drum teacher)

Nathan with his Judo Instructor, Hector Mandap

Rachel and Susie Harper, her dance instructor for 4 plus years.

Mrs. Olivia Johnston looking at and commenting on our work for Learning Period One

Learning how to use a compass (to find a treasure) and how to tie a special knot with Blake's Grandpa

Sewing a Skirt with Isabel's Grandma and then "showing it off" :)

Art and Music Lesson with Gram Cindy
Theme: Light "this is little light of mine....." and God said, "Let there be light"

Standing in front of Mars (the Red Planet)

The "Rachel" telescope

Outside the Chabot Space and Science Center

(We had a fun time exploring, investigating and reinforcing what we learned during our Solar System/Space Unit)


Some of the things I'm learning:

* I can't do everything.

* I can do all that needs to be done only by looking to and leaning on God.

* Prioritizing is a necessity.

* I truly love spending time with my children, but time to myself is important too.

What made my week: Daddy (spur of the moment) asked the kids, "So, after a month of homeschooling what do you think?" Rachel exclaimed, "Awesome!" Nathan stated, "I really, really like it!"

Week of September 27th

We continue to be so thankful for the opportunity to homeschool. It is such a blessing to have the time with my children to teach and train their hearts and minds. We are greatly enjoying the freedom and flexibility homeschooling affords us. There are things that are difficult (less sleep and juggling all the school and home responsibilities for mom, children getting frustrated when they need to rewrite something that is too messy etc., a less clean home, missing friends), but overall we are so happy and grateful to be homeschooling!

Highlights:

* Watching Indescribable Video (you can find it on youtube). I highly recommend it!

* PJ Day on Monday

* Finishing Solar System Model

* 100 percent on Spelling Test (including challenge words :))

* Finishing Fall Poem

* Indian Village Model (end of Indian Unit in History)

* Making "Sugar Snow"

* Daddy Portrait

* Latin Lesson (we love learning Latin together)

* Friday Morning Walk with Rox (our puppy)

* Long Bike Ride on Friday afternoon

PJ Day (fun on the trampoline at recess)

Having a great day together at school --

Snack Time

Solar System Model (We painted and put together -- glows in the dark :))

Indian Village

Daddy Portrait (Three Words to Describe Him: Nice, Funny, Playful)

Fall Poems