Masterpiece Theater

Time Flies!

2012-01-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

I spent the whole first part of January sick. Bleh. I'm finally feeling like a normal human being (even considering the fact that Tigger is sobbing due to having to do his morning routine-how that's different from any other day I don't know but there you have it). This was the month that we started our drama class again. We are doing a much shorter drama this year (thank heavens!) and so

A Catch-Up To-Do List

2011-12-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

I wish I had taken before and after pictures because it's amazing what we've done. Just saying it doesn't compare. Hub and I organized a bunch of stuff in the basement. It isn't done but it's soooo much better. Since we will be remodeling down there and had to rip out the carpet over a year ago, it has become a catch all/disaster area. Our garbage bin is full and we don't get pick up until

Done 12/21/11

2011-12-21T23:54:00.001-05:00

I'm just going to jump back in by posting what I've done today. No explanations of why I haven't been around in a while. I've discovered that I'm here when I'm here and I'm not when I'm not. LOL Hoping that this daily checklist will help keep me inspired to get things done. It's rainy, cloudy and dark today. Not a good day for people like me who only do well in the sun. Bleh. Anyway,

A Real Conversation

2011-07-15T07:34:00.000-05:00

My autistic son, Pooh, talks a lot. He talks a lot about movies and history. So it was a momentous occasion recently when he initiated a Real Conversation. (said with fanfare--flag waving and jesters jesting) This month I started working an evening job cleaning an office. So about a week after I started, he and I are entering Harris Teeter when I hear, "So, how's work going?" It didn't

Math On the Sidewalk

2011-06-29T13:25:00.000-05:00

I'm saying sidewalk but technically it's the driveway. Whatever. You get the point. LOL Just for a nice change of pace, we headed outside with our chalk. I wanted to do a bit of review of addition and subtraction as far as each one knew. Pooh is more advanced than Tigger in this area (which he should be) so he got the more complex problems to do. I used my color to make the problem and

Math in the Kitchen

2011-06-28T07:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I brought us to the kitchen table for math. I've done this several times before but I made it a bit different this time. I took out 3 sets of items. First Set: Four different containers were brought to the table. My big Costco bottle of balsamic vinegar, a can of mushrooms, my demarara sugar and sea salt. We worked on reading the label to know what it is and then reading the

FAQ-Where do I get the materials?

2011-06-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

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FAQ-What if I work full-time?

2011-06-20T20:44:00.001-05:00

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FAQ-What if my child has a Learning Disabiblity/ADD/Autism?

2011-06-19T20:08:00.002-05:00

Teaching a child with a disability can be a daunting task. However, know that you are not alone. Many parents have found the public school system inadequate for their child’s needs. More and more, parents are turning to homeschooling as an answer to helping their child learn and cope with day to day life. There are many advantages to homeschooling a special needs child. For instance, there

FAQ-What about socialization?

2011-06-18T19:05:00.000-05:00

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FAQ-How do I schedule my day? How many hours should we school?

2011-06-17T18:52:00.000-05:00

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FAQ-What will it cost?

2011-06-16T06:05:00.000-05:00

The cost of homeschooling is a completely individual thing. A boxed curriculum will usually cost you more money per year. Piecing together your own curriculum can cause a wide variety of costs. There are a number of websites and books that you can find on how to homeschool for less. Additionally, there are tons of websites for printing free worksheets. The library is also an invaluable

FAQ-So we've deschooled, decided to skip deschooling or my child has never been in school, now what?

2011-06-15T11:37:00.008-05:00

Research and decide upon the homeschooling method that suits you and your children. This is important because there is a lot of information and homeschool material out there. Knowing the method that you choose to teach with will help you to weed out curriculum and other materials. You will more or less know by looking at a product if it fits in with your method of teaching. Here are some

Blossom, Odie and Osita

2011-06-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

This is Blossom. She is a mix of Chihuahua, Pug and Dachshund. She's about 11 lbs of pure spunk! We had her and Odie (her brother--they are both 1 yr old) in the dog pen which is made from field fence. We lined it with chicken wire because she was so tiny she could get out. Then she started climbing the fence and hopping out. In December when we had our first snow, she got out of our main

FAQ-What if my child is currently in public school?

2011-06-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

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Patio Project

2011-06-13T20:29:00.000-05:00

Last we brought home some dilapidated wicker furniture that had about had its day. The cushions were disgusting so I tossed those. One week during the fall I did my best to strip the wicker of its old paint using a type of wire brush The King got me from Lowes and the jet spray on my water hose. It did a fairly decent job, but I soon realized there was no way I was going to get all that paint

FAQ-How do I start? What about testing?

2011-06-13T11:03:00.004-05:00

Go here to find your state and look up the info on the laws you need to know. Each state is different. I'm in a moderately regulated state. I have to keep attendance records and have my boys tested yearly. I keep those records on file for each year. I have the choice of home visits or sending in copies each year. Most homeschoolers in my state choose to send in their info. It is best to

FAQ-How can I build confidence that I can really homeschool my kids?

2011-06-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

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FAQ-How do I know if I can homeschool?

2011-06-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

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Homeschool FAQ Series

2011-06-11T10:20:00.001-05:00

I wrote up a FAQ document for our local homeschooling group. I'm editing a few things and posting it in sections here. Hope it helps any newbies!

Life in General

2010-10-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Our summer was HOT like most in the southeast. Hottest year on record. My garden was the pits because I just couldn't make myself go out there in that weather to weed. I didn't bother taking any pictures. It still looks like a bit of a jungle out there. In time, I'll get it back under control again.We adopted two sibling puppies from a friend who saved them from a neighbor. (long story)

Lego Beatles

2010-10-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

This last year Pooh has gotten really into listening to the Beatles. Evidently Tigger got into it too for a while so he's recreated them here for you-Lego style. :D It comes complete with the guy up front filming them for a video, aka Steve the cameraman. "He has a little mustache." says Tigger.Love Ringo's drums!Tigger no longer likes the Beatles but Pooh still loves singing along. Tigger

Raising Monarchs Part 2 (Heavy on Photos)

2010-10-01T07:52:00.004-05:00

This was one of my most exciting nature experiences!!! I FINALLY got to see a butterfly emerge from it's chrysalis. I have raised numerous butterflies--painted ladies, black and tiger swallowtails. But this is the first time I've seen one in the process of coming out. Soooo, I took a lot of photos. ;D However, I'll spare you the minute details and give you the highlights.When you are

Raising Monarchs Part 1

2010-09-30T19:34:00.003-05:00

I already blogged about our visit to the butterfly farm here. A couple weeks after the visit we picked up our 'butterfly kit' which was a tropical milkweed plant that had two tiny monarch eggs on it. I didn't get any good photos of the caterpillars devouring the first plant. I had to buy a 2nd plant just for them to have enough food! These pictures are of the 1st butterfly that emerged from

Grandfather Mtn & Gem Mining

2010-08-04T23:40:00.003-05:00

In early May some in our homeschool group took a trip to the mountains of North Carolina. We made it a camping trip which was 'interesting'. And only 'interesting' because of the conditions of the campground. I've never been to a group campsite before but from that experience, I don't plan on repeating it anytime soon. I much prefer the individual sites with a little privacy and room.We did