Christian Unschooling

Cousins and New Year's Eve

2011-01-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

We had the blessing of our littlest cousins staying with us for a few days over the holiday break. It was neat, because I finally got to "know" our youngest cousin's personality....and loved it!

This is New Year's Eve. I laid Sebastian down at normal bedtime, but Mattea thought she could stay up and just watch tv. Ahhaa, how'd that work out?

Finally, midnight struck, but it was FREEZING, literally, FREEZING out there. I had air horns and silly string, but noone wanted to go out! Elias did a bit at the door, but quickly came back in.

So, the next morning we had to use up the silly string and air horns!

Yeah, I think this worked out better :) More fun and better pictures! Happy New Year!!

Harry Potter Geeks

2010-12-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

In case you can't tell from these pics...that is a replica wand from the Harry Potter store at Universal Studios. This is also a cardigan made by the same company that makes the cardigan for the movies. Oh, and it's also an official HP tie from the HP Universal store. Yes, we (he) goes all out!!

Magical Forest

2010-12-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

We set up a field trip to Opportunity Village's Magical Forest...it was so nice and so warm, perfect day!

They have this huge Alpine Slide...and Sebastian went right up and loved it!

Then we rode the Merry go Round

Then we each talked to Santa

Photo Ops galore at this place! If I only had cooperating kids!

Then the train ride!

It was a really nice day! So much better than going at night in the cold and dark!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Very rarely do I decorate for holidays other than Christmas anymore....but for some reason I decided to decorate for Thanksgiving. Maybe it was the oodles of craft emails that came through, or the fact that we were having Thanksgiving at our house...I don't know. Whatever it was, it worked! We did quite a few craftsy things this week...neighborhood kids and all!

First I decided to make "placemats". I cut paper grocery bags down the sides and used the front as one and the back as another. Then with my wonderful Cricut, I cut big 10 3/4 in pumpkins, complete with stem and little vine. Glued them on and tada, beautiful! Originally I was going to do something with a freezer paper stencil, which I've never yet tried, but gave up on it!

Then I had the kids work on turkey spoons. I don't know what blog I got this from, sorry! Rest assured, I did not "create" this. I set the kids to painting wooden spoons and Popsicle sticks. Then I hot glued on the sticks to the back of the wooden spoon, and glued on eyes. Even Sebastian partook! I stuck them in a vase as a table decoration.

Then I printed out this super cute banner, on yellow cardstock, ran an exacto on the back edges, ran ribbon through it, and stapled it to the wall. Thanks At Second Street!!

Then on to place cards...I copied this idea from Family Fun. I didn't have the sticky notes the author references, so, back to my Cricut. I cut out 5 in flowers, cut them in half, cut out 3 in circles, cut them in half, cut out 1 in circles. Also cut out little diamonds, and cut them in half for the beak! Pretty good use of the machine!

Here's what the table looked like all ready to go! I put 2 6ft tables together, ran a plastic tablecloth over the center, put the placemats as a border, and the turkeys in the center. Kinda festive looking!

Then, today, last minute, I was inspired to do pomanders.....thanks to Upper West Side Mom for the reminder and for the tip to use a fork! I did this! Here's my hint though...don't fork it all the way through. Lightly fork it so the skin breaks. If you fork it too deep, and continue on all the way around, it breaks in half. You can figure out how I now know this.

Oh, and Brian made a homemade apple pie! Yum!

Then we ate, and now I'm uploading! Full day! Ready for bed!

Staheli Farm 2010

2010-10-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, off we went this morning, to Washington, Utah, at the grand old hour of 7:30 am. You know it's got to be a great field trip if I'm willing to get going that early! We went to Staheli Farm, and had a blast! We hadn't been in 2 years, but we've been many times in the past.

Here's Sebastian on the hay ride to go get pumpkins.

As George explained to us, pumpkins come from flowers that get pollinated

The flowers then turn into melons!

They start off green, and as the weather cools, they become orange.

This is called a Cinderella pumpkin....yes, like the coach! I thought it was particularly beautiful.

Running through the pumpkin patch

Then it was time to visit the animals. We saw turkeys, and goats, and cows....and Mules. And George asked the kids, "Who do you know that's famous that rode a mule?" (Mary, and Jesus). He asked us to notice the line down the center of the mule's back, and that it makes a cross design. Very cool!

Look at this re-purposed pony ride, with tire horses!

Sebastian stayed on forever!!!

Some of the moms had fun playing too!

The ever famous Corn Slide....due to the rain the corn was covered (that works well for us, as my kids always seem to inhale the corn and corn dust and choke!)

Who doesn't want to swing from bale to bale over mattresses?

Raingutter duckie races!

This is a very high stack of hay!

The part we waited for all day....the Cow Train!!

This has to be the coolest toy...it's called a Berg Lody...you literally balance on it, and use it as a front end loader. The kids couldn't get enough of it!

This place always reminds me how much I miss living where kids can play outside and get dirty and use their imaginations all day. It is truly fabulous! Thanks Staheli Farm, we had a blast!!

Chain Reaction- Neighborhood Project

2010-09-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

I guess Disney is encouraging kids to do this experiment and then upload their video of it...Elias and his friends have been working on it all day! Chain Reaction

The boys started working on it, gave it a good 50 attempts, then gave up. The girls came along, made some slight changes, and got it to work. Then they all wanted to take partial credit for it!

So, good job, James & Elias, Krista & Zanthippie, & Jill !!!

This is take #76 or so!

Swimming

2010-09-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today we went down to the Municipal pool to sign up for a diving class. While we were there I figured I'd let the kids see the pool and diving board. We swam for awhile, and then they opened up the deep end, and the diving boards!

I had a bunch of the neighborhood kids with me...and boy, these kids have no fear! Going off the HIGH DIVE!!

She went off the high dive too!!!

Elias stuck with the low board, but seemed to enjoy himself!

I don't have a picture, but Sebastian also did the diving board. He successfully wowed everyone by jumping off and swimming to the side (he can swim! And he's so tiny!) Then he wanted to do the big board which scared me to death, but I figured I'd let him TRY to climb up the ladder...sure enough, he decided on his own he was too small for it (pheww!!). He did quite a few jumps off the 1 meter board and enjoyed himself as well!

After not having been to this pool in quite a few years, I decided it was AOK. Especially in the am when the water seemed nice and clean.

Kids Say.....

2010-08-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Kids say the darndest things! My son and his friend were discussing where babies come from. His friend said from mom's butts. Well, Elias used to think that until he learned the correct word...so he promptly told his friend he came from his mom's Virginia!

TOO FUNNY!!!

Sebastian can swim!

2010-08-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've always had water babies, but this is crazy! All summer Sebastian swam with a floatation suit on. A couple of days ago I thought I'd see how he did without it on. The kid pushed off of me and headed for the deep end! He's fearless! He floats well, and kicks his little legs like crazy and just isn't afraid of getting his head in the water. As a matter of fact he keeps his eyes open in the water and loves it!

I finally got around to videotaping this crazy boy! This is the first time I'm letting him in the deep end and it's only cause Daddy's there!

Preschool Printables

2010-08-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

I LOVE when people share their creativity online so we can all benefit!

I may have already shared my all time favorite website, http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/

I also love The Crafty Crow which is mostly craft stuff. Today I was surprised that it had some printables too! I just downloaded and printed out this cute Alphabet Flashcards set! Free!!

A hint, whenever possible, I sign up for their email updates, it saves me from having to remember to go to a million websites. If I need the craft or download I save the email, if not, I delete it!

Vineman, CA Part 5

2010-07-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, Vineman Recap! This is the real reason we came to Northern CA!

The early morning was COLD! Although the water was 72.5 the air was 54!! BRRR. On Chris's way down for his wave, he saw his all time favorite (um....I'm at a loss for what this guy does or his name.....Chris can spot famous athletes from 2 miles away! I don't know who they are!)...athlete, Chris someone or another. So he asked for a photo op which the guy gladly gave.

Here's Chris ready for his swim wave. These goggles suck his face so much I tease that's he's Chinese not Mexican!

Here's Chris swim wave. This is in the Russian River, which seems to be at an all time low. Chris said there were spots he had to walk because it was so shallow.

Here's Chris coming out of the water. his swim time was pretty good (for him!) , at 40 minutes.

And here he is off on his bike portion.....

Little Lovelies waiting for a sight of Dad,,,,,,

And here he comes, off the bike portion. He finished that in a respectable 2:50:48

And there he goes (in the red shirt, opposite lane) off on his running portion.

And here's what kept the boys occupied during those couple of hours!

Lo and behold, here he comes! His run was a bit off. He thinks he didnt drink enough on the bike part, to be well hydrated for the run. He had some intense cramping during the run, which set his time back further than he would have liked. He finished the run in 2:34:24

He finished the half Ironman in 6:18:47. We knew he'd finish, even if it killed him, cause he's stubborn that way!

Civil War Days and Seals, CA Part 4

2010-07-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the day I was most looking forward to, in our CA Adventure. They had Civil War Days, a Civil War reenactment. I've never been to one and wasn't altogether sure what to expect. It was fabulous! There was a vendor section with great Civil War reproduction pieces, everything! From clothing, to buttons, to patches, to candles, to books, to ammunition.....it was fabulous!

Then the recreation was wonderful! So realistic! And so loud!

Little lovely with ear protection

Drum and Fife Corps

Florence Nightingale (maybe?)

Some fell....

After this wonderful event, we went up the coast again and found this great spot where we could park and walk to within throwing distance of Seals! It's called Goat Rock State Park. Truly wonderful!

Here's the view from above....this is where the Russian River meets the Ocean

This is a "seal nursery". The Harbor Seals nurse their babies in this area. We were so lucky to see them!

How do they get on these rocks?

This is after we parked and walked....we are about 200 feet from them!

Very very awesome!

Armstrong Redwood State Park, CA Part 3

2010-07-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Friday we went to Amstrong Redwood State Park in Guerneville. It was totally awesome!

Then we went exploring and our RENTAL car broke down. Note to all of you, when your VAN breaks down, you're pretty much up a creek.....No tow-truck can handle as many passengers (kids) as we have! This is the 2nd time in my life I've had a van break down. It's ugly!!!!

It all ended well though, and we finally got a new van delivered to us. It was an AOK day!

Fort Ross, CA Part 2

2010-07-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Our 2nd Day in Northern Ca, we went up the coast to Fort Ross, state historic park. I loved this place!

Fort Ross is an old Russian Fort on the coast. This is the chapel...just so beautiful!

Inside I was shocked/pleased to see a rotunda...coming from the East Coast where historical buildings abound, I can tell you, there are very few with "pretty" added! To see this beautiful wood work was just amazing.

Here's Little Lovely by the Cannon.

Elias was getting a kick out of ringing the church bell.

Here's another example of "pretty"...all the headboards, chests and trunks were beautifully painted!

Elias got to dress up as an Alaskan Fisherman-hunting for Sea Otters. See the pelt on his shoulder?

It was a great place to visit! And, here's a funny for you, they have GOPHERS! A gopher problem, on the shore! The whole fort (ha!) has holes in it!

Then we stopped for lunch at this beautiful restaurant on the coast. It opened up to some beautiful trails down the bluffs.

Look at all these wildflowers!

And, our first sighting of SEALS!

After our beautiful day up the coast we decided to go inland back to town. (Note to self, don't do again). It was a long trip through solitary roads, all rolling hills and ranchland. Beautiful, but long. We did get to see some deer along the way though!

Petrified Forest & Old Faithful Geyser, CA trip Part 1

2010-07-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

We are just getting back from a great trip to Northern California. Can you say, "Brrrrrr?". Especially those of us from Las Vegas! It was quite different! Beach weather is long sleeves and earmuffs!

Our first full day there we went to a nearby town to see the Petrified Forest. It was very neat to see these huge trees!

After that we went to see Old Faithful. Did you know there are other Old Faithfuls Geysers? This one is in Calistoga California. It erupts every 10 minutes. It was pretty neat to see.

PE

2010-07-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed over the many years, to have had a local gymnasium open their space to homeschoolers, 1 morning a week. We play with balls, run around, shoot hoops, plsy dodge-ball...and just have fun! Elias has attended for pretty much his whole life!!

At the skate park

2010-07-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

We checked out Area 702 indoor skatepark the other day, and now I've got some boys who are hooked! It's an awesome place. Here's shots of Elias, Sebastian, and 2 neighbor boys...it's great fun!

Sebastian Jumping Into Pool

2010-07-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is Sebastian jumping into the pool. Showing off he can jump and go underwater and LOVE it!!

Civil War Reenactment

2010-07-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Ohmygosh I can't believe I haven't posted this yet! This was the best time! I think it was in November, which you'd think would be cold enough to wear these woolen coats, but NO, it wasn't!!

This was a Civil War Re-enactment at the Old Mormon Fort. Our homeschool group was the military! The group was divided into North and South, and dressed accordingly. They were assigned positions. Then they drilled for an hour. An hour!! They were getting bored. But I'll tell you, and hour wasn't enough. I now see why they had to train and train and train!

Here's Elias, my little guy being dwarfed by a coat.

Marching.....

Here's Brian (2nd from the left)

Attention!

Sebastian played through it all

yup, they made moms participate

Even me until (thankfully) my little guy needed me! (It was HOT!!!)

Elias carrying the flag

More marching

I don't know where all my pictures are of the finale....but they ended up going to war with water balloons! It was fabulous! They had to advance, and the "shot" soldiers had to come out...it was so very cool! And it really showed why drilling was important (we kinda were straggly and not very efficient!)

I am so looking forward to doing this field trip again! I'm aiming for January or February!

Nursing Home Service Project

2010-07-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

For the 2009-2010 School Year our teen group had a local Nursing Home as it's service project. Every month we made crafts ahead of time, and brought them with us on our monthly visit.

Here we are singing Christmas Carols...strolling the halls and bringing joy to the residents.

If you've never visited a local nursing home, I so encourage you to do so. I have to admit, my first 5 minutes I was very uncomfortable too, but then I started really talking to each one and showing the teens how to do it. Simple touches on the shoulder, holding hands, looking at them and speaking with them about their children.....so many of them don't get visits very often and this was a true blessing to them. They LOVED the children...especially Sebastian. He'd go around and shake people's hands, high-five them etc.

If you are looking for a meaningful way to help, please look up local nursing homes and see if you can schedule a visit. If you're here in Las Vegas, this happens to be El Jen nursing home, and it is so wonderful!

Snow Cone Makers

2010-07-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, some of the best presents, are the same ones I had myself as a child! Elias got this Spongebob Squarepants snowcone maker and it is made exactly the way my Snoopy Snowcone Maker was! We had fun with the grinding of the ice, and flavoring....and memories on my part!

Sebastian "school work"

2010-07-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Learning at 3!

Diet Coke and Mentos

2010-07-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

As always, I am so far behind blogging! I almost want to give up! No, I need a secretary! Who wants to be it?!? Takers?!

Ok, I don't even know when this was, clearly it was cool out so it wasn't anytime recently! For Christmas Elias got this Mentos Rocket contraption. It's a tube that holds a bunch of mentos in place, while the soda rolls up over them. Very cool! So, of course we had to head outside and do it over and over and over again!

The packaging recommends Diet soda as it is less sticky than regular soda.

Line the Mentos up Stand back.....

Whoah Momma!!! Boy does it work!!

There are tons of website that offer different variations of this science experiment (I mean cool neat trick!)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Mentos-and-Diet-Coke-Rocket/

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Diet-Coke-and-Mentos-Rocket

Have fun!

Pine Wood Derby

2010-06-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

We seem to be drifting away from scouting, but the pack we were with had the coolest Pine Wood Derby set up! This light pole goes from red to yellow to green, it had a sensor at the bottom to calculate who won, it was just the bomb!

Elias' car is the blue one.

RoosNMore

2010-05-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

It's been quite awhile since I've posted. Life gets so busy! Yesterday we took the bomb of all field trips and I just HAD to share the photos!

We went to Roos N More, out in Moapa. It was so wonderful.

Otter (his name is Snork) loving on Brian.

Elias actually touched an animal! He's petting the otter

Bear Cat-Binturong This animal loves Brian. He kept climbing on him!

Kinkajou and Elias is petting it too!

Porcupine. Ok, if you want to know the whole story....in front of these kids is a good sized pit leading to a tunnel. These porcupines dug under ground 70 feet. 70 FEET! They had babies and left the babies at 40 some odd feet. The owner had to crawl in there and get the babies. She videotaped it so we could all see! You can see this crazy video here : African Crested Porcupine Babies

Kangaroo...tons of kangaroos, including an albino one! We all got a photo op and to pet it.

Baby coati...why do all these animals love Bri-bri? He's such a good boy thats why!

Monkey-ok, the full story here....they were letting each kid sit with the monkey. Well, Sebastian didnt want to, but he got up there. I barely got this picture because as soon as the monkey got put down he was ready to run! Somehow, the monkey got Sebastian's toy dinosaur (see the red thing in monkeys hand?It's a Brontosaurus). Well Sebastian jumped off the chair bu he was glad to "share" his toy with the monkey!

Anteater-yes a real live anteater!

And, the piece de resistance! I hope this video posts, I dont know if Ive tried this before. Anyway...it's supposed to be a video of the owner taking a baby joey out of his mama's pouch and showing us the inside. It's so cool!!!!!

This field trip was so hands on and fun and I saw the inside of a Kangaroo's Pouch!!!!!!!