Homeschool Distractions

Tadpoles

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:41:00 +0000

We were suppose to raise tadpoles last year. It was a suggestion in our science text, so we went out to the local pond and collected some eggs. They never hatched. Now we think we had salamander eggs. Apparently, they are hard to hatch and look like frog eggs. There WERE salamanders in the pond too.

This year, thanks to the generosity of another homeschool family, we have three tadpoles to raise. They are hanging out in a 10 gallon fish tank on my kitchen counter. The kids have been enjoying them so far.

We've been refreshing their water with lake water which contains food for them too. It couldn't be easier.

They hatched about a week and a half ago and are just a tad over half an inch long. We think they are Pacific Tree Frogs, which are abundant around here.

We've always enjoyed all of the critters we've raised, whether they are our pets or just temporary guests. I highly recommend raising critters with kids. So far we've had:

cats (we have three currently)
dogs (we currently have one)
goldfish (Mika has three)
painted lady caterpillars
ants
triops (they are cool!)
slugs
pill bugs
tadpoles
and soon we are expecting praying mantises

The Best Day

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:47:00 +0000

Sunday, May 6th, turned out to be one of the best days ever. It was just truly such a nice day.

I woke up and went straight to the shower. This got us off to a good start. I was dressed and ready for church and had plenty of time to cook and eat breakfast before church. There was no rushing around before church.

At church, we started a new series called Forty Days in the Word. I found myself rather interested in this one, so we finally got around to joining a small group as that study involves Sunday services, small group study, weekly memory verses, and daily devotionals. Pastor's message went over the reliability of the Bible, and I found myself in awe of some of the history and probability statistics surrounding the Bible. It was a great sermon. I really enjoyed it. (Someone brought the freshest, yummiest donuts to church, too. I had a half of a chocolate-iced, raised donut with coconut. Yum!)

After church, I had a brief conversation with our pastor. This is a testament to how awesome our church is. I've always had a thing about church authority and avoided talking to pastors.

Then we headed off to a quick stop at Safeway for our contribution to the small group snack/meal. (We didn't know ahead of time what was needed so I couldn't prepare something at home.) We got there, and the kids headed off to visit with their friends while Scott and I chatted with the adults. We had a great lunch and enjoyed the company. Then we called our two oldest kids down to watch the video with us. We released the kids after for more play while the adults discussed the questions in the workbook. It was a good discussion, and I felt fairly comfortable there.

At the end of the our small group time, Sam was invited to his friend's house. This was especially exciting to me. Sam hasn't had the best luck at finding good friends and getting invites. I didn't even have to think before saying yes. So he went off with them while the rest of us went home.

At home, Scott and Maddie had a nice little nap. Josh enjoyed the sprinklers and hose out front. This was another exciting moment because just over a year ago, I would have never allowed one of my kids his age outside without adult supervision. It was just too unsafe. So, they'd either get stuck indoors until I was ready to sit out there and watch them, or I'd have to sit outside bored watching them play. Here, he can head outside and play while I can do my own thing. Mika and I did our own thing. It was a nice quiet afternoon.

Finally, we piled into the car to go pick up Sam. His friend lives 50 minutes away (we knew that before saying yes) on a "farm". We were all excited to see their new pig, which had wandered onto their property recently. They have no idea where he belongs, just that he spent the previous week at a neighbor's property. Well, when we got there, we found a paradise. Land covered in lush, green grass, some trees, a river next to their property, very friendly chickens, a cute pig, etc. We got a tour of their very clean barn and shop. They have an air hockey table, and Scott and I got to play a game. (We used to play on dates before marriage.) The kids, and Scott, played with their air soft guns and stomp rocket. The kids all held and petted the chickens. I expected to stay about 30 minutes...enough time to pick up Sam and take a quick look at the pig...but we were there two hours.

This chicken was very friendly. If you were patient, it would come up to you on its own accord.

On the way home, we saw lots of cows (lots of calves), horses, a herd of llamas, and a flock of sheep. We stopped for milk shakes on the way home too.

We got home just before 9:30pm. We threw on some warmer shirts/jackets and headed out with the telescope. We knocked on our neighbor's door, because we had invited him to view with us earlier. Then we viewed Mizar and Alcor (the bend in the Big Dipper's handle is two stars), Venus (22% illuminated), Mars, Arcturus (a -0.05 magnitude star in the constellation Bootes), and Saturn. It's cool that we can see Venus's cycles. Saturn was the big wow of the night. We were even able to make out two moons. One would obviously be Titan. The other was very faint, but it's positioning made it obvious it was a moon. So even though we are in the middle of the city, and three of our neighbors have very bright outdoor lights, we were still able to see some exciting things.

We finally headed back inside about 11:00pm and sent the kids off to bed. It was a great day.

Superstar? No way!

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Sarah over at Amongst Lovely Things won't a wonderful blog post entitled "Why I'm No Homeschool Superstar" back in January. You really have to read it. Go. Now.

As a mom who has been accused on more than one occasion of being a homeschool superstar, I've got to say I believe people have a tendency to look at what others are doing and feel inadequate about themselves. The truth is that we all have different talents and different priorities. I feel inadequate all. the. time. Honest.

We don't do copywork.

We don't do narrations.

We don't do lapbooks. Well, we did one several years ago.

As a Christian mom, I'm a failure at Bible. I hope to remedy that.

We skimp on writing. We've done two writing assignments this year. Two.

We certainly don't do Latin!

I've neglected my younger two kids for the past two years. Sitting them in front of the TV instead of finding the time to interact with them on a daily basis.

Everyone has something they don't do that they wish they did or think they should. We all need to do the best that we can for our own families. If there is something you truly think you need to change, figure out what has to go in order to make that change. Next year is all about my younger two kids; they've waited too long for my attention.

Yauger Park

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:20:00 +0000

We visited a new park today, and it turned out to be a great one. I know that when we moved into this area a year ago, at least part of this park was under construction. The playground appears new, so I'm guessing it was put in at that time as well. I'm glad we stopped by, because even my big kids enjoyed themselves here.

Here's a tour:

The big toy was definitely the main attraction. It's three stories high with easy enough angled ladders in the center for even my 2 year old to climb. There is a blue tinted kaleidoscopic play telescope and a red tinted binoculars on the second story. There is also a set up stairs between the second story and the spiral slide. Two steeper tunnel slides are found at the top.

There's a ramp leading up to the inside of the big toy, a toddler slide from the bottom level, and two exterior climbing opportunities that take you to the second story. If you look closely, you'll see blue ropes on the left and a metal yellow pole curving back and forth on the right. These are for good climbers.

As you can see, there is a selection of spinners.

There's a few fun seats. The single seat spins.

There are six big kid swings (one is broken) and two toddler swings.

There is a seesaw/bouncy toy big enough for two kids on either end.

Those with good balance can surf.

There are also two smaller toys...one for the older toddlers and preschoolers and one for the littler toddlers.

There are clean bathrooms, several picnic tables, and a covered shelter located right next to the playground.

If you like horseshoes, there's plenty of horseshoe pits to play on. This park also has a few baseball fields and a pond. It's a huge park!

To get there, take I5 either direction to exit 104 to merge onto US-101 N. Take the Black Lake Blvd exit towards W Olympia. Turn right onto Black Lake Blvd SW. Take the 1st left onto Cooper Point Road SW. turn left onto Capital mall Dr. SW. Turk right onto Alta St SW. Turn right into the park. This takes you to the parking area closest to the playground. There is another large parking lot, but it is a large field away from the playground.

Oh, Happy Day! Sam gets a telescope.

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:42:00 +0000

Sam loves astronomy.

Sam already knew most of the content is Exploring Creation with Astronomy, and he wanted something with math, so I had to find him a more advanced textbook for a science studies this year. He's spent the year studying Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide and has really enjoyed it.

He spends time online studying the Google Earth's sky mode and Stellarium.

We also have a telescope that my dad gave to us, but have had little luck with it. We've viewed the moon, Jupiter (saw three moons), and Saturday (very faint rings) with it. But mostly, it is frustrating because it moves too easily and has a computer locator that we can't figure out.

We've been wanting to go to an astronomy club 40 minutes from here. We hadn't gone because it conflicts with his sparring classes with taekwondo. At a cost of $50 per month above our normal contract rate, I didn't want him to skip classes. Then a couple of months ago, I found out that sparring class actually costs $50 per four classes; we aren't charged for missed classes. So, we planned on going to a student meeting with the astronomy club.

But we missed the first available one because it was moved to a different week than normal. Major disappointment there!

Last night was our next chance at a meeting. After a long day where it looked like we'd be late, we made it just five minutes late. Then we wandered around the college building it was suppose to be in, not finding it. It looked like it was going to be another major disappointment before we happened upon a security guard just before I was going to give up. He showed us the way.

We were welcomed and had a great meeting. They were immediately impressed with Sam. When the leader asked the students if anyone knew what a transit was, Sam immediately jumped to raise his hand. They called on him, and he explained it. They were impressed with the detail in his explanation. At a break, the leader came over and asked Sam's age. I told him and explained that Sam had a lot of book knowledge but little observational experience due to difficulty using our telescope. I thought I might get help with adjusting the stability; instead I was told he had something for us and called over to someone else about "that telescope."

Class went on. The topic was transits (because Venus will be transiting the Sun in June...this won't happen again for 105 years so it's a big deal) and occultations. Sam didn't know about the latter. I was thrilled that he was learning something already! We learned about an upcoming debate (Sam is already thinking about the topic) and star party (he's begging to go).

After the meeting, we were introduced to Sam's new loaner telescope. He was really hoping he'd get a 6" Dobsonian telescope some day. Last night we brought home an 8" Dobsonian telescope. He's jaw hit the ground when he saw it. He was taught how to assemble it, and they helped us load it up.

Sam is thrilled. He found people who love astronomy, people who know what he is talking about, people who can help him learn more. And he has an awesome new telescope to use!

Sam with the loaner telescope. He can't wait for a clear day to try it out.

As a mom, I'm thrilled. His level of academic ability sometimes makes it hard to find friends. Most other 10 year old boys don't seem interested in discussing the finer details of advanced math, astronomy, or volcanoes. Meanwhile, he's not interested in the things that most 10 year olds want to do. It makes him lonely. I hope he develops new friendships through the group and finds more contentment and happiness because of it.

Mika's Peeps Diorama 2012

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:33:00 +0000

When Mika heard about the library's peeps diorama contest, she was instantly interested. The contest required that you depict a scene from a book using at least one peep. The diorama should be approximately shoe box size.

After some thought, she decided to do a scene from The Hunger Games (as did three other entrants). Considering several options, she chose the scene in which Katniss nearly steps on the camouflaged Peeta. Since she's never done anything like this, I provided some suggestions and guidance, but she did nearly all of the work.

Because this was an outdoor scene, I suggested she use natural materials. We came up with this idea of using twigs as tree trunks and building trees using bits of fir branches built up with diorama ground cover. It worked quite well.

Here's Mika adding in more trees.

Once the forest was finished, she added Peeta, painted in a river, and started gluing down sand for the ground cover. As she went along, she also glued down pebbles, larger rocks, bits of small sticks, fir needles, and bits of an old wasp nest we had. She gradually built up a nice layer of materials, making it look convincing.

In order to camouflage Peeta, she painted him with the same sand as the ground. Then she laid some rocks near his head and painted both the rocks and his ears to match. Then she added ground cover, moss from our yard and pebbles to hide his body. He was nearly impossible to spot at this point.

After finishing Peeta, she added googly eyes for humor and to help point him out. She also added a conversation bubble containing the quote from the scene in the book. She made Katniss and added her to the diorama.

Here is a side view of Katniss. She used a bit of gold-colored twist tie to make a mockingjay pin. The bow is a piece of memory wire from her stash for making bracelets. The string is just thread super-glued on. Her hair is some braided yarn, and her clothing is cut from some old yoga pants and glued on.

Here's more detail of Katniss. She has an orange backpack. I was experimenting with ideas of how to make a tiny backpack, and it worked well enough that we just went with that idea. It's made with a bit of paper towel, colored with Crayola marker, glued together, and stuffed with another bit of paper towel. Mika made the quiver with rolled up card stock. She made the arrows with shortened tooth picks and paper feathers.

Here's the finished diorama. The sign says, "The Hunger Peeps: May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor". On the sides of the diorama (didn't get a photo) are pictures of two mockingpeeps that she created on the computer and printed.

She really got into this project and spent a good deal of time and energy on it. I think she did a great job and has a learned a lot about using resources creatively.

ETA: Mika won first prize in the teen division of the contest.

Impromptu Art

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:59:00 +0000

We had some guests over yesterday so I pulled out some art supplies to do an impromptu abstract art project.

The original idea used canvases, masking tape, and acrylic paints. I didn't have canvas and didn't want six kids using acrylic paints, so I adapted and used watercolor paper and chalk pastels.

This was Mika's finished product.

Maddie used oil pastels more than chalk pastels and didn't color everything in. But you can still see where some of the tape had been, and she had a lot of fun turning herself pink.

This is what my table looked like when we were done. If you look closely, the whole thing is covered in colorful chalk dust. It still looks like this today, 24 hours later. I don't want to clean up the mess!

March Blues

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 01:37:00 +0000

Have you noticed that my post count goes way down during February and March? I have. It's a symptom of the almost spring blues that many homeschoolers get. This time of year is when many fall into a rut, get burned out, and start questioning their decision to homeschool. I just start homeschooling less and blogging less. I have no interest in any of it. I want spring. I want summer. And I want it now.

But instead I get rain, rain, rain. In fact, today I saw ducks waddling across the rain flooded road.

We are still here and we are still doing things that count as school. Mikaela is done with poetry. Samuel, my ever motivated student, is done with grammar, vocabulary, poetry, and history. I'm having to get creative in finding work for him to do, because although he is done with most of his curricula, he still has to report to our school.

So, what are we doing? A lot of reading. Since reading The Hunger Games, we've been very slowly rereading THG while discussing it. We're being slowed down by my ability to read the chapter and the cliff notes and come up with the questions. Anything teacher intensive tends to move slowly in our house. But we also got on a young adult dystopian novel kick and have read quite a few of them. Maybe I'll write a post listing them and a brief review. Some have been better than others but they all have something to think about. I'm even considering doing a dystopian lit class for high school using the more difficult classics in the genre.

We've also continued with the curricula that isn't yet finished. Mikaela has more of that to do. We've come to a screeching halt with math while I remediate some areas that need work. It looks like we'll do fractions for a third time because she's still having trouble with them at times. They are working through their astronomy texts on their own. We've quit the weather and geology and may or may not come back to them. Our curricula was just too dry.

We changed our plans for history due to issues with our virtual academy. Initially, my plan was to go through Story of the Word 4 over a year and a half. But instead, we sped (are speeding through for Mika) the story book and then will revisit the major events for an indepth look through library books, literature, and some projects. Because Sam finished the book so quickly, we've started the indepth part now rather than waiting until next year. We're taking the rest of the school year to go over the Civil War. We've had a good and interesting start. I hope to blog what we are doing and using as we go along. It's pretty cool!

So that's what we've been up to? How's the near spring months treating you?

The Hunger Games: Chapter 9

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:24:00 +0000

We are moving much more slowly through this book than I had anticipated, mainly because of the time it takes to come up with these questions and the lack of time I have to devote to it. Still I want to complete this study. And it will be already done so that my younger kids can benefit from the work when they are old enough to go through the books.

1. Why do you thing Peeta asked to be trained separately from Katniss? Was it because Katniss outperformed him in training as she suspects? Or another reason?

2. In this chapter, Katniss' team attempts to prepare her for her interview. Effie and Haymitch try to get her to behave in a particular way in order win over the audience. How does this fit in with the theme of masks?

3. How does this chapter illustrate the growing bond between Katniss and Cinna?

4. Up until this chapter, Katniss simply had to keep quiet about how she felt about the Capitol. What evidence is provided in this chapter to show that she is capable of putting on her own show to hide her feelings and gain the support that she needs?

The Preamble of the Constitution: Sam's Paragraph

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:57:00 +0000

Mika and Sam's most recently writing assignment required them to write a paragraph explaining why, according to the founding fathers, the Constitution was written. It was also an exercise in using transition words.

First, they had to go through the preamble, bit-by-bit, dissecting its meaning. I helped Sam by wielding the thesaurus, looking up almost every word in it. He used that discussion to determine what, exactly, each section of the preamble meant. Then he wrote the rough draft, edited it, and wrote the final without help.

Here's what he wrote:

The Meaning of the Constitution

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

In the Preamble, our founding fathers stated their reasons for writing the Constitution of the United States of America, which stated that they would be able to create a better country. Since they would have to make fair laws for the whole country, everybody would have to be treated fairly. In addition, they also had to make peace within the country to insure that civil war would not break out. Naturally, there would have to be a military to protect the borders while protecting the people. These things help make better lives. Our founding fathers, when they wrote it, wanted to make sure that there was and would be irrevocable freedom for them and future generations. In conclusion, the purpose of the Constitution was to name and set up the central government. The Constitution was necessary.

Considering that he's only 10 and writing isn't his natural strength, I think he did pretty well.

The Hunger Games: Chapter 8

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:17:00 +0000

1. After Katniss shoots an arrow at the Gamemakers, she mostly worried about one thing. What is her biggest concern?

2. Sometimes an oppressive government's own rules prevent them from easily punishing those who upset them. Katniss worries about being arrested for her actions. What reasons are given for the unlikeness of that happening? She also worries about her family being harmed. Why is it unlikely her family will be harmed for her actions in the private training session?

3. What score was Rue given and why is that surprising?

4. What score was Katniss given? What possible reason was given for her surprisingly high score? How was it tied in with the theme of "the girl who was in fire"?

5. In this chapter, Katniss remembers when she first met Gale and how they came to be hunting partners. She says that she's a better hunger when he is with her. How is that? What is special about their relationship?

6. Katniss compares her relationship with Gale and her relationship with Peeta. How are they different?

7. What is a foil? Which characters are being used as foils of each other in this chapter?

8. When Katniss walks into breakfast, the team is huddled over the table talking in hushed tones. What do you think they are talking about (specifically) given how the chapter ends?

The Hunger Games: Chapter 7

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:51:00 +0000

1. Before training, Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta not to train at the stations that would reveal their strengths. Why does he tell them this? How does that fit with the theme of masks?

2. How is Peeta's skill in camouflage similar to his ability to lie convincingly?

3. Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, and Portia strongly encourage Katniss and Peeta to appear as a team. In what ways do they act as a team in this chapter? We are not told why they are told to act as a team. It appears that the prep team knows something we don't. Why do you think the team appearance is being encouraged when only one person can win?

4. When Peeta comments on how Katniss is a survivor, she reminds him of how she often needs help in order to survive (ie. the bread he gave her). What is the importance of this conversation to the rest of the book?

5. What link between Katniss and Rue is established in this chapter?

The Hunger Games: Chapter 6

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:10:00 +0000

Some of my questions require knowledge of future chapters to discuss fully. For other chapters, click here.

1. Effie explains to Katniss that she's been trying to get sponsors for the District 12 tributes by playing up how they have both struggled to overcome the barbarism of their district. Barbarism refers to savage brutality or cruelty in actions. How is it ironic that Effie, a Capitol resident, is arguing that Katniss has overcome the barbarism of her district?

2. When Katniss recognizes the Avox girl, there is instant tension at the table. Haymitch and Effie both tell her she couldn't possibly know an Avox. Peeta comes to the rescue with the idea that she looks just like Delly Cartwight. Given how the Capitol treats "traitors", Peeta's rescue may have saved Katniss' life for the second time. Discuss the significance of event.

3. While reviewing the opening ceremonies, Haymitch asks whose idea it was for Katniss and Peeta to hold hands. When he finds out it was Cinna's idea, he replies, "Just the perfect touch of rebellion. Very nice." Discuss the significance of Haymitch's comment in light of the coming games and the trilogy as a whole.

4. How does the conversation on the rooftop illustrate how the tributes are prisoners of the Capitol?

5. Peeta asks about Gale. Is he just curious or is there more to his questioning?

The Hunger Games: Chapter 5

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

1. While Katniss undergoes three hours of waxing, removing all of the naturally growing hair on her legs, arms, torso, and underarms, she contemplates how her prep team doesn't even seem human to her. In fact, she's not embarrassed to stand naked in front of them because of how inhuman they seem. What is unusual about the prep team? How does that make them seem less than human? What are your feelings about these kinds of alterations in today's world?

2. While Katniss is thinking about her prep team appearing inhuman because of their alterations, the prep team doesn't think she looks human until she's been altered. Why do you think they feel this way? How is today's world like the prep team? Do you think our society will become more or less like the prep team in the future? Why or why not?

3. After the prep team is finished with her, Katniss smiles and thanks them, explaining that District 12 members don't have much cause to look nice. Is this how she really feels? Why do you think she says this?

4. Although Katniss was not embarrassed by her prep team seeing her without clothing, she is self-conscious when Cinna looks her over. Why does she react differently to him?

5. Katniss imagines what it would take to assemble her lunch with Cinna. She also wonders what the Capitol people do with their free time, with food appearing at the touch of a button. Discuss the differences between the Capitol and District 12.

6. Describe Katniss' costume for the opening ceremonies. How does the costume reflect District 12's principal industry? How does Cinna allow the real Katniss to shine through the costume?

7. Katniss realizes that Cinna has given her a great advantage. What is the advantage and why will it be important in the coming games?

8. Why is it "not really fair to present [Katniss and Peeta] as a team?" How might this change the games? How does this foreshadow what is coming?

9. After the opening ceremonies, Peeta lets his feelings for Katniss show through. Instead of believing him, what does Katniss think of Peeta? What does Katniss do to hide what she is thinking about Peeta?

Gold!

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:23:00 +0000

We finally finished Story of the World Volume 3. The last chapter is about the California gold rush. Growing up in California, I spent way too much time learning about the gold rush. We only spent a week on it.

I added some library books to supplement SOTW...a few easy non-fiction reads and a novel I found called Hard Gold.

The highlight of the week, though, was panning for gold. Mika and Sam have both panned for gold in an Oregon river with my dad. Unfortunately, they didn't find anything. I decided to take the easy way out, a way that was guaranteed they would get the experience of finding gold. I ordered a kit.

First we found a "river" and filled it with water. Then we dumped our gravel into our pan. Mika demonstrated how to swirl the water. I read the directions and improved on the technique. Modern pans have ridges that are very helpful.

Josh even took a turn trying to swirl the water.

When the amount of gravel got low enough we found some of the flecks of gold. We noticed that when we swirled the water, the gravel lifted and floated away while the gold stayed nicely tucked in corner. You didn't even have to be all that carefully with your swirling.

Here's a close up of the gold we found. The picture shows it much bigger than it is in real life. These flecks look a lot like glitter. It wasn't much, but it definitely made the panning more exciting than not finding anything in a real river.

The Hunger Games: Chapter 4

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0000

1. Peeta decided to clean up the passed out Haymitch himself. Katniss initially thinks he may be trying to get on Haymitch's good side but decides he must be doing it out of kindness. She states, "A kind Peeta Mellark is far more dangerous to me than an unkind one." What does she mean and why is this true?

2. After throwing out the baker's cookies, we are treated with another flashback showing how skilled and comfortable Katniss becomes in the woods. Why might we be reminded of her abilities?

3. Katniss recalls her father's words concerning the plant she was named after. "As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve." What did he mean? What other meaning might this quote have in reference to the games?

4. During the breakfast scuffle between Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss, Haymitch remarks, "Well, what's this?...Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?" What does this tell you about why previous District 12 tributes might have lost? What does it foreshadow about this year's tributes?

5. Haymitch does not allow Peeta to put ice on his bruised jaw. What reasons does he give? Why would these be good reasons to allow the bruise to show?

6. Haymitch advises Peeta and Katniss to cooperate with the stylists no matter what they do. Why is this important?

7. What does Peeta do at the end of the chapter that leads her to distrust him more? Why does she feel this way?

The following question contains spoilers:

Do you think Haymitch was a member of the rebellion from the beginning of the series? Do you think Cinna was a member from the rebellion before he got the job as stylist? If yes, do you think they knew about each other before the games began? Do you think this might have factored into why Haymitch told Peeta and Cinna to not resist their stylist?

Our Current School Room

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0000

I've finally gotten my school room organized in a way that works. Yay! After struggling with too much stuff in too little space, I moved a bookshelf and pulled another shelf from the garage. It seems to be working now that stuff isn't crammed onto shelves on top of, under, or stuffed between other things.

This is an overview of our school room. It's next to the kitchen and is suppose to be a family room, complete with a fireplace. It's large enough but between the sliding glass doors and fireplace, there is less wall space than I'd like.

On the wall to the left, you'll see a bookshelf (with three papers taped to it). Beyond that is the fireplace, and beyond the fireplace, I hung our white board that gets very little use these days. The back wall is our shelves holding all of our stuff. The doorway goes to the laundry room where I hung our maps. That lime green thing on the right wall is our calendar I use with the littles. I haven't put the rest of the pieces up because I'm out of poster tack. To the right of the sliding glass door, I have another shelf that will be used for Josh's workboxes when I get more baskets. The table was given to us for free. The chairs and table are a bit rickety but they work and we are grateful to have it.

This is the bookshelf I mentioned on the left wall. The top two shelves hold our curricula. The third has our literature that I've chosen to go along with year 4 of history. The bottom has our assortment of Bibles and devotionals. The papers are our 2012 reading logs.

This is the extra shelf I pulled out of the garage. It isn't as deep as the others. The fact that it is different bugs me, but I'm trying to not let it bother me too much. It holds math manipulatives, some craft things for the younger kids, file folder games, older white board markers that the younger kids are allowed to use (I keep the new ones for myself), play doh toys, and homemade activity bags.

The middle two shelves hold our science and art supplies, the older kids' homeschool stuff, and a few other things. The top shelf has our paper pads for art, my stash of cards and envelopes, a spot for my camera, and a crate for smaller games. The next three shelves down hold the nicer art supplies (oil pastels, chalks, art pens, watercolors, etc) and our science supplies (beakers, goggles, supplies for specific labs and activities). Two of the basics hold basic supplies like spiral notebooks and extra glue and pencils we aren't using. The big blue and green crates hold Mika's and Sam's notebooks. On the floor are my sewing supplies and a box I haven't unpacked yet.

Because of the way the room is laid out, we ditched our computer table and placed a small computer and screen in the shelving unit. It's a little cramped, but it works. Above it is my laminator, some basic supplies, and our games that I don't want the littles getting into.

To the left of the sliding glass door, I have this small shelving unit. It was, and will be again, Josh's workbox station. I found out earlier this year that Josh does really well with the workbox idea. I had to confiscate his baskets for other areas of the house. I need to buy more but my local Dollar Tree only has hot pink baskets in right now, and I just can't handle them not matching to that extent. LOL The white bins hold our office supplies. Our color printer sits on the kitchen counter and is currently out of ink. : (

So that's where we do school currently. I think you can tell that I like dollar store baskets. I have the blue ones you see above, black ones in the same size throughout my kitchen, and smaller ones compartmentalizing many drawers.

The Hunger Games: an art project

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:20:00 +0000

I saw an example of a Wordling using the Mockingjay pin as the guidelines for the words. It was created with a computer program and looked really cool. Looking at it, I thought, "Hey, I could do that by hand!" And that was the beginning of our first Hunger Games project.

Here's our finished projects:

I started by creating a sample so they would understand what I had in mind. They were having a hard time picture it with the computer-generated.

Mika decided to go with silver on black. I love how she increased her letter size around the ring.

Sam increased his letter size, as well, but he also threw in a bunch of numbers.

Here's how you do it:

STEP 1: Create an account at teacherspayteachers.com and download this product (as of this writing, it is free). Check out the creator's other great Hunger Games products!

STEP 2: On page 6 of the above download, there is an outline of the mockingjay pin. Print it.

STEP 3: Trace the printout onto your art paper. If you are using thin white paper (printer paper works), you can just place the printout under your paper and trace it. If your paper is thicker, a light table might help. If you are using really thick paper or black paper, use some sort of tracing material.

STEP 4: Choosing words pertinent to the story, fill in the space with words. I used all the same size lettering with the exception of mockingjay. As you can see above, my kids altered their lettering more.

STEP 5: Erase the pencil markings.

STEP 6: Sign your art and enjoy it.

A New Journal

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:20:00 +0000

I've never been one to journal. My perfectionist tendencies can't handle the imperfection of not journaling every day or not having the nicest handwriting. I tend to make a few days, rip pages out, and quit.

But I sense I may have a new possibility.

My friend gave me the cutest, most colorful, lovely little journal for my birthday. It's fairly small, has a ribbon bookmark, and a magnetic closure. I love magnetic closures. Yeah, I know its weird to have a special affinity for magnetic closures on books.

It's it just adorable?

I wasn't sure what I could do with it. Like I said, I don't journal. But then I ran across an art form, stylized doodling really, known as Zentangle. Zentangle is actually a trademarked name, complete with certified zentangle teachers. It only took me a little while to figure out the gist of it. Others have come up with zentangle-inspired doodles. From what I'm seen, I liked the inspired doodles best. They are right up my alley as a person who enjoys repetitive doodling that hasn't evolved into more than a single doodle. I put the two together and decided that I'd fill this little book with doodles even though it is full of ruled paper. I may even use the doodles and an inspiration to journal a bit to go along with them.

I decided to try doodling a letter for my first page. The second page is based on a heart, but it isn't done year. I'm looking forward to filling more pages and seeing if my doodles evolve into some of the more involved pieces I've seen on the net like...

This lovely one with a flower in it
Or color works like these

The Hunger Games: Chapter 3

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:11:00 +0000

This is what we'll be discussing for Chapter 3 of The Hunger Games:

1. After the reaping, the tributes are taken inside the Justice Building where they are visited by friends and family. Katniss is surprised by a couple of her visits. Which people surprise her with a visit? Discuss what is significant about each visit. Why do you think the author included these visits?

2. During Gale’s visit to Katniss, they discuss the games. What do they discuss that highlights how the Capitol manipulates the Games to ensure maximum violence? Why does the Capitol do this?

3. Katniss realizes that if she can forget that the other tributes are people, then the games won’t be much different from hunting. What happens that illustrates how challenging that will be for Katniss? Do you believe the author may be foreshadowing events in the arena?

4. Katniss continues to hide her true feelings while Peeta shows that he’s been crying. What does Katniss think about this?

5. While on the train, Katniss muses about school. In what ways does the Capitol use “education” to control the people in District 12?

6. How does the author show the disparities in wealth between the different districts?

7. Madge gave Katniss a gold pin to wear in the arena. What is significant about the pin?

8. “May the odds be ever in your favor,” is a common refrain in the games. What indications have shown that the odds are not in Katniss’ and Peeta’s favor?

The Hunger Games: Chapter 2

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:29:00 +0000

These were our discussion questions for Chapter 2 of The Hunger Games:

1. When Katniss volunteers as tribute, Effie Trinket asks the audience for applause. What does the audience do instead and what message does it send to the Capitol?

2. Katniss recalls how she and Peeta first met. What two things happen as a result of how the met that assured her survival?

3. The flashback into Katniss' past highlights an important aspect of her character: the will to survive. What did she do and overcome that shows this?

4. This chapter highlights some of the injustices imposed on District 12 by the Capitol. How do many people die in District 12? What is the cause of death according to the Capitol? How do the people of District 12 react to the discrepancy?

5. Are Haymitch's drunken shouts about people not having enough spunk directed at the Capitol or the people of District 12. Explain your reasoning.

6. Katniss questions Peeta's motives for giving her the bread. What does Peeta do in this chapter that Katniss question? Why do you think the author focuses so much attention on what Katniss thinks about Peeta's actions?

The Hunger Games: Chapter 1

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:05:00 +0000

Mika, Sam, my husband, and I have all read The Hunger Games trilogy. We all loved it. I realized that the books would be perfect for literature discussion. I searched around and found a high school English teacher who uses the books with her freshman classes. She has lesson plans for the whole trilogy. I want them, really want them, but can't afford them. So, I'm going with a few projects I've been able to read about, a few free lessons I've found, and discussion questions based on the Cliff Notes available online.

Here is what we discussed for Chapter 1:

1. Note the names of characters and places for future research.

2. What did Gale mean when he said they could run away if they didn't have so many kids?

3. How does Katniss' feelings for Prim affect her actions? What do you think might happen following the end of Chapter 1 given what you know of Katniss' feelings for Prim?

4. How does Katniss explain her feelings for Gale? What do you think her true feelings are?

5. How does Katniss mask her feelings for the Capitol?

6. In what ways does the Capitol keep people segregated and distrustful of each other? Between districts? Within districts? Why do they do this?

7. What is ironic about where the reaping ceremony takes place?

8. How do the people of District 12 as a whole mask their feelings for the Capitol?

9. Chapter 1 introduces several things that will be important in coming chapters. What things do we learn in this chapter that you think will be significant as the story continues?

I'll be adding more questions and projects as we complete them.

Snowmageddon 2012

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:48:00 +0000

We waited for the anticipated snow with hesitation. So often the forecasted snow turns out to be little more than a dusting, a couple inches at most.

Tuesday brought exactly that...2 inches of snow everywhere but our yard. You see, we have about a dozen tall fir trees beside and behind our house sheltering our yard. While our neighbors' yards were covered in the beautiful white stuff, our yard was almost entire green with grass. Still we bundled up to go play in the street. Happily, we were invited to enjoy the snow in our neighbor's yard.

We built in a small snowman with strawberry eyes, a baby carrot nose, and fir cone mouth; it stood for a hour or two.

Tuesday night and Wednesday was expected to bring the most snow. We all climbed into bed with high hopes, and we weren't disappointed. We awoke to find 13 inches of snow covering our yard; I didn't measure elsewhere, but I know other yards must have had at least 15 inches given the differences from the day before. We were ecstatic. No one cared much that we couldn't drive out to find a hill to sled on. Sam and I walked a mile to Cutter's Point Coffee to enjoy hot chocolate and a pastry. When we returned, Mika and Scott headed out for their own trip. Meanwhile, I bundled the littles up and took them out to play. It was an enjoyable day.

Maddie loved the snow. She's yelling at me in this photo that she fell down (and couldn't get back up). I had to get my photos first.

Old Zach turned into a puppy again. He loves the snow! I was riling him up and throwing snow at him.

Gracie, on the other hand, did not like the snow. I brought him out there to see what he thought, and he was freaked out. He didn't seem to know which way to go or if he even could go. I rescued him pretty quickly.

Later Scott took Maddie back outside to play some more. While he was out there, he built a much better snowman than I. It had four balls of snow, was taller than he, and had the cutest big nose and hair.

By evening, it was quiet and peaceful and wonderful out there. Just like a winter postcard.

But then the ice storm hit, leaving a quarter of an inch of ice on top of the snow. We have one tree with thin, light colored branches that was beautiful. Each branch and twig was fully encased in a clear ice tube. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. Beauty aside, the ice storm brought an end to the delight.

We lost power at 6:30am Thursday morning, when the house was still at overnight temperatures. We weren't worried. We had some wood and some blankets. Our gas stove could be lit manually for hot water and cooking. No big deal. We sat in the darkened house, playing games, using our gadgets until the batteries wore out, and listening to large tree limbs crashing down into the yard or onto the deck periodically. The big kids tried playing a few board games.

I spent a good portion of my time cooking meals and heating water to do the dishes. I took a walk to the store for some food for the day (we had plenty of food but not the kind you can easily prepare in the dark without electricity and only a stove). I brought back hot dogs, chips, and cookies for dinner and a bundle of wood. Later, Scott headed out and brought back another bundle of wood. The house was getting colder so we bundled up and tried keeping everyone in the school room where the fireplace is.

Here's our candlelight hot dog dinner.

After dinner, we pulled out every sleeping bag, comfortable, quilt, blanket, afghan, and throw we owned. Our plan was to camp out by the fire with Scott trying to keep the fire through the night if he awoke. I couldn't get the littles to sleep so we ended up moving to the master bedroom. On the bed we had a sheet, a summer weight quilt, two twin comforters turned sideways, and an open sleeping bag. It felt like we were sleeping under a ton but we were warm. The big kids and Scott each had at least three blankets and the fire but it wasn't enough to keep them warm.

We woke up to no power and the thermostat at 51 degrees. We called the power company and were told to expect at least another day without power (205,000 homes in three counties lost power). We couldn't get the littles to stay under the blankets. We decided it was time to leave. So, we put out a call for shelter and got several offers. After packing a couple of backpacks with underclothing, pjs, technology for keeping the kids busy, some pillows, and Josh's carseat, we hiked four blocks to Safeway where a friend picked us up in two trips.

Our power came on briefly Friday and went out again. It came back on Saturday morning, but we stayed with our friends until after dinner to ensure it would stay on, to give the house time to heat back up, and to help eat the dinner started just before the heat returned (way too much food for their small family).

We were so thankful to come back home Saturday evening. We picked up some of our camp out, enjoyed some dessert, and headed to bed. Sunday we lazed about because we were still rather tired. Today, I headed out to inspect the damage and start clean up. Here's what I found:

Several large branches fell in the front yard. To the right, you'll see a branch arc off the side of the photo. It impaled itself several inches deep. The green patch in the center is large and small branches of fir about a foot deep.

Here's an overview of our backyard. There's a large branch behind me as well.

Here's more of the backyard. It's kind of a mess back there, too.

The deck sustained only minor damage. There are three small splinters/chunks missing from the horizontal rails. The hand rail on one side of stairs is split down the middle as well.

The bad news: Scott lost a week of work and his car is very dead.

The good news: I have great neighbors and friends. My neighbor, John and I, helped another neighbor I hadn't met yet clear her driveway so she could get to work again. Then he came over and helped me with the front yard. He cut the larger branches into firewood I need to stack for seasoning. He also let me use his wheel barrow for hauling the small stuff. He's going to come help me with the back yard also. He also offered to let me borrow his van when I need it, provided insurance is ok. Another neighbor offered me rides to the store or wherever if I need it. Several homeschool moms offered husbands and brothers to help us fix our car (though it is unlikely to be fixed because it has a different kind of transmission that requires computer aided installation and programming.)

Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:55:00 +0000

I'm trying to get us back onto a routine. It's been challenging for more reasons that just Christmas break and winter blues. The vertigo I suffered from five years ago seems to be back. I'm going to rattle on about that in this post, giving the history, symptoms, and possible causes. It's gonna be long. Obviously, you don't have to read this or any other post; feel free to skip it. If you, too, suffer from vertigo in any form maybe you'll be comforted by the knowledge that you are not alone. If you feel moved to pray for me, I would definitely appreciate that.

I've been susceptible to motion sickness my entire life. Get me in a car for more than an hour, on a hot day, or on windy roads and I'd be sick. I never actually threw up, just wished I could. I'd read in the car just so I could feel sick faster and fall asleep. Put me on a boat and I would throw up. Put me on a plane and I'd feel sick too. Now that I'm driving, I can handle car rides better but I've found that if I start out driving the damage accumulates and I get sick in the passenger seat quite quickly. Fortunately, the discovery of ginger capsules have made car, sea, and air sickness a thing of the past.

Despite the motion sickness issues, I've always loved amusement rides and could ride them all without problems. As an adult, I have an increasing list of rides I cannot go on. Teacups, spinning rides of any kind, are a no go. I have to be careful of rides that put too much force on my neck so if I ride has seats that support the head, I'm more likely to be ok riding it. I'm sure I'll have fewer and fewer ride options as time goes on.

So, getting sick from motion is nothing new. Having the world move on its own accord and getting sick from that is fairly new.

I'll never forget my pregnancy with Joshua. It was the best pregnancy because my morning sickness was well controlled. Then the vertigo hit. I woke up one morning and the world was spinning very fast at a 45 degree angle. I couldn't move. I found that the only thing I could do was lay as still as humanly possible on one side. I could not lay on my stomach, back, or the other side. Any movement, no matter how small, sent the world spinning. As I laid there, I waited as long as possible to go to the restroom because doing so meant I'd other being peeing in the toilet and puking in a bowl, or puking in the toilet and peeing my pants. It lasted for 48 hours. I'd wake up on day three totally fine. Three to six weeks later, the cycle repeated itself.

With recurring vertigo, I went to the doctor and saw my ENT. They did hearing tests and may have done other non-invasive tests. There were some tests that they couldn't do because I was pregnant. We found no answers. I was given meclizine, which didn't help, and sent home.

Towards the end of my pregnancy, the vertigo disappeared just as suddenly as it had come. Over the next four years, I had what I would consider normal dizziness. Sometimes if I turned my head wrong while lying down (lying on my side and turning to look behind me) or getting up too fast, I would have momentary dizziness that immediately went away. Then we moved.

The new house grew mold on the windows during the winter. That is common here in Washington. However, this mold proved to be different. Because all of the blinds were drawn, I didn't notice it. Then I woke up with vertigo one morning. I also somehow noticed that the windows were moldy. I bleached the windows, and the vertigo went away, not to return for three weeks. I woke up dizzy again and found mold in the same staged of growth as before. Bleaching the windows resolved the vertigo for another three weeks.

We moved out of there two and a half months ago. Almost immediately, my normally congested nose felt better. (The other house was also very dusty.) But in December, I got hit with vertigo pretty hard. On day three, it was so bad that I drove myself to the doctor as soon as I was upright and safe to drive. While there, I tried to lay down, which caused a horrible spin, quickly followed by puking, which lead to a shot of phenagren and having to call my husband to come pick us up. The doctor gave me prescriptions for meclizine and valium and sent me home with a tentative diagnosis of Meniere's Disease (not good!). Three days later, I was finally back to normal with the help of meclizine to help me out of bed.

Dizziness visited me again this week...for eight days. It's been mild compared to previous bouts. Meclizine has been my friend. Usually I've needed it first thing in the morning (take it and stay in bed for half an hour waiting for it to work) and sometimes again in the afternoon. But I've been partially functional in that I'm up and can make a meal or two. This week was different, though, in that I also had a moderately bad headache all week, as well. And I think the trigger was the ocular migraine I gave myself on Sunday by not eating lunch before 2pm (guaranteed ocular migraine trigger).

Yesterday and today have been better. I'm not 100% but I'm definitely better.

So, all this has given me the motivation to make major changes. If the doctor is right and I have Meniere's Disease, the vertigo will likely get worse and I'll likely lose at least some of my hearing in the affected ear (my right). I'm not sure he is right, though, because I don't have any hearing loss that I'm aware of and I pass hearing tests just fine to the amazement of my ENT (my ear drums are in horrible shape from ear infections). It is possible not to have hearing loss in the beginning stages though so it is possible.

Another possibility I've stumbled upon is vestibular migraines, also know as migraine associated vertigo. Apparently, migraines can come in the form of vertigo with or without headaches. They can also have tinnitus (I've had for many years), aural fullness, and other symptoms. In other words, they look a lot like Meniere's. the difference is that migraines are MUCH more common than Meniere's. I think this is more likely my issue, in part, because I had classic migraines as a teen and into my early 20's. They are triggered by stress. As those reduced in frequency, I started having ocular migraines. Low blood sugar is the primary trigger for those. It makes sense that my migraines might have morphed into vestibular ones as well. It's certainly a possibility.

Finally, mold. There is water damage under the wood floor by the front door. We didn't notice until after we moved it though it is very obvious. Who'd of thought you need to inspect the floor? We found out after the first big rain that it was an ongoing issue. Interestingly, that first big rain occurred three weeks before my vertigo started (see how long it took for me to get dizzy after bleaching the windows in the previous house). We have no idea if there is mold under that floor. I do believe it is definitely possible that mold is an issue in and of itself or is a trigger for vestibular migraines.

Now I keep saying it is possible. I don't know how long it will take to figure out the true problem. It could be years. One challenge in all this is that I am unable to go through the usual testing done for people with vertigo. I don't have the doctor's help in figuring this out. Without medical insurance, it is just too expensive. So, I'm on my own to research and try to figure it out on my own.

I'm starting with dietary possibilities. We were going dairy free at least temporarily for other reasons. Because a considerable number of people with Meniere's and vestibular migraines are helped by gluten free diets, we're dropping that as well. I might be a factor in the reasons we are going dairy free so it won't hurt to give it a try. We're already mostly soy free (soybean oil and soy lethicin have not been a concern). The hardest part will be outside food; there's food at church every week, for instance. I'm also looking at homeopathic and natural supplements. I'm working on behavior; it's time for me to get exercise, lose weight, and get our family on a more consistent routine. Finally, I'll be putting together a home binder (like Flylady's) and teaching my older two kids more cooking so that they can take on more responsibility on days I'm not functioning.

So, there it is. If you read all that, you're awesome. If you want to pray that I find a cause and suitable treatment, that would be awesome too.

Yes, I'm still here

noreply@blogger.com (JoAnn) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:50:00 +0000

The month of December always gets away from me, and this year was no exception. In addition to the usual insanity of the month, I lost almost an entire week to vertigo. Life ceases when the world spins wildly with every move you make!

So, anyway...

We spent the first two weeks of December wrapping up school work: finishing up chapters so we wouldn't end mid-chapter or lesson and finishing up two big projects.

The big kids finished the volcano they were building. It looked great. They added Monopoly houses and Life people. They even had a guy fishing in a lake on the bottom of the mountain. We erupted the volcano which, unfortunately, took out the fisherman and slid his car along with the flow. It was great fun.

Mikaela finished her continent. I think it looks great! Sam finished all but the ocean. He ran out of colored pencil and had to wait until replacements arrived. He'll be picking it back up to finish now that school is back in session.

I also did some Christmas crafts with the littles, which I already shared in a previous post.

We made some ornaments. The snowmen were really cute. The swirled colored balls did not work out well at all. Over time, the paint inside all slid to the bottom leaving a lot of the bulb uncolored/see-through. I don't know if it was because we used plastic instead of glass bulbs, but it was really disappointing. We scattered the cinnamon applesauce ornaments throughout the house and cars hoping they'd make everything smell nice. They only affected the scent in the cars, so that was kind of disappointing.

Then I spent a week dizzy. I ended up taking myself to the doctor on morning when I was steady enough to drive. Unfortunately, while I was there, I was so tired from lack of sleep that I tried to lay down and sent myself whirling again. After a shot to stop my vomiting, I had to call my husband to come get us, stranding his car in another city from where we live. A friend came and spent the next day with my kids because I wasn't sure if I would be functional. Meclizine got me through the next few days until I finally recovered completely.

Finally, there was the mad rush to finish Christmas shopping and handmade Christmas gifts. I got everything done, just barely in time.

I spent a lot of my evenings working on this Ood ski mask for Sam. He loved it. An ood is an alien from Doctor Who.

My dad visited for a few days and then there was the mad dash to get ready for Sam's birthday party, which went off well with the exception that I forgot to give out party favors.

And now it is time for school again despite the fact that I never got around to finishing grading for December or planning. We're kind of winging it for now.

How did your December go?