The Learning Zone was the very first name we decided on as a homeschool. This was when we first discussed homeschooling, BEFORE public school. Our homeschool name has since evolved (incorporating our family name). My blog on the other hand, is a place to share with you, my roots. It is my little zone where I can share my world, our learning, and maybe, even decompress. My daughter came home from public school in September of 2007, after she finished 2nd grade. We have been enjoying our adventure ever since. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 7 Oct 2008 07:54:00 -0500 Tue, 7 Oct 2008 07:54:00 -0500 TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBloggerhttp://feedburner.google.com I have posts sitting in my draft file waiting for me to come across my picture-downloading-USB-thingie so I can upload our recent pics.  Until then, someone sent me this list of quotes this morning and I deemed them worth remembering. 'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.' - Ronald Reagan   'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Ronald Reagan 'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan 'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.' - Ronald Reagan 'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan 'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. '- Ronald Reagan 'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.'- Ronald Reagan 'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan 'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.' - Ronald Reagan 'Government' s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.' - Ronald Reagan 'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'- Ronald Reagan 'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'- Ronald Reagan 'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'- Ronald Reagan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/sRvQ-MRoZQg/ Tue, 7 Oct 2008 07:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/601125/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/601125/ Well, It is October 22, and I have FINALLY found my little USB-picture-uploader-thing.  So, I have plenty of pictures to share.  I will start with my daybook entry from September 30th that has just been sitting in my draft pile waiting for its picture. FOR TODAY September 30, 2008 Outside My Window . . . the sun is not up yet and it very dark.  I hear one bird singing now and again trying to wake up the world.  I hear cars and an occasional truck from the front road making their way to work.  It just started to rain.   I am thinking . . . my coffee cup is empty and I should refill. I am thankful for . . . not currently working and how I am able to tuck my daughter in bed every night and wake up early and refreshed the next morning. From the kitchen . . . I made beef stew for dinner last night.  We'll have leftovers for dinner tonight.  I would like to make either banana or pumpkin bread today. I am wearing . . . a sweater this morning.  The mornings are getting pretty chilly. I am creating . . . a new classroom area. I am going . . . to a Girl Scout Nut Training Meeting today. I am reading . . . The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis, so Ginger and I can discuss the novel as she reads it on her own. I am hoping . . . to make it to the Apple Butter Festival this weekend.  There have been different country  festivals every weekend since we've been here and I have been to busy to attend any of them.  I am hearing . . . the finches wake up and begin to chirp in the next room. Around the house . . . I'm going to do laundry and vacuum today. One of my favorite things . . . the changing leaves of Autumn.  There is a hill close to my home where the entire hillside is red.  I can see no yellows from the road, just bright red.  I am amazed by the beauty of it each time I pass by. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  I am continuing to unpack boxes now that mostly everything is out of storage.  Ginger's birthday is next week, so I will be going shopping this weekend. Here is picture thought I am sharing . . . Here is one of our two cats in one of her new hiding spots.  She loves all of the cabinets.  I haven't seen her climb up into any of them but I have been scared by her many times now. Since I showed you one, I must show you our other in one of her favorite spots.  http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/WKGDQDIIBFY/ Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/597525/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/597525/ I need to remember to get the KitchenAid Mixer out of the storage shed BEFORE I bake the next cake!  http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/Io-Y9ZcvNZE/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:40:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/591382/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/591382/ FOR TODAY ... September 17, 2008 Outside My Window  ...  a beautiful and brisk September morning.  It reminds me of when I was kid and those first few chilly mornings walking to school. I am thinking  ...  my daughter's cough doesn't sound good.  I hope it is just a cold. I am thankful for  ...  the pile of boxes in my living room that seems to be dwindling down.  There are still plenty more in storage but this means we'll be able to bring more in the house. From the kitchen  ...   birthday cake for dh.  I also have to take the overripe bananas and put them in the freezer to save for future use. I am wearing  ...  a forest green long sleeved tee, capri pants and socks I am creating  ...  a list of things to do when I'm in the city tomorrow. I am reading  ...  The Knowledge Deficit by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. I am hoping  ...  Ginger will be well enough to attend co-op tomorrow.  The theme is a science related show and tell at a local park. I am hearing  ...  the Society Finches and Zebra Finches in the next room. Around the house  ...  I've already started laundry today.  I will finish that and continue with the boxes.  Even though she is under the weather, we'll be doing some school today. One of my favorite things  ... good coffee A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  I need to call the 4H office and martial arts studio to get Ginger set up for the year.  I talked to someone from Girl Scouts and a possible piano teacher yesterday. Here is picture thought I am sharing   ...   We have these little guys all over our yard...well...under our yard.  I will definitely be posting about them soon because they are really neat little creatures (not to mention on the endangered species list).  ~~This photo was taken by Pseudacris' on Flickr.~~ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/HdSLBRB4OuM/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:51:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/591283/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/591283/ Well, we are all finally reunited and have relocated to West Virginia.  Dh picked us up last Saturday.  We packed the remaining items in the car and on the bed of the truck and then trailered my car.   The trip took about ELEVEN hours.  It was horrible and "drove" us all to wits end.  During the trip, I've decided that I have two of the best cats in the world.  They were so well behaved in the truck.  Originally, we were going to crate them both, but then I decided we would try harnessing and leashing them.  They laid in the back seat of the truck with Ginger and we heard barely a meow out of them. They started to get a little uptight around the tenth hour, but really, who could blame them. Anyhow, my first  1/2 week here was uneventful.  My computer was not together so I was suffering withdrawal symptoms .  We painted Ginger's room.  She now has chocolate brown walls and we painted the ceiling and closet doors lime green.  We are still going to pick two different color pinks and paint some different sized circles "falling" from the ceiling to the floor in one the corners.  She picked the colors and so far it looks pretty nice.  Funky and edgy...just like I would expect from her.  She is very happy with it, so that is really all that matters. On Thursday, I brought her to a homeschooling co-op we joined.  It was nice and she had a blast.  The co-op is actually a Waldorf inspired co-op.  It was difficult for Ginger to get into the circle time mood, but eventually she came around.  On this particular day, they were dying with natural dyes.  I bought Ginger some socks to bring because they were 80% cotton.  I tried to get her to bring 100% cotton underwear, but she didn't go for it.  When it was time to dye, some girls were dying underpants! Here is a selection of some of the dyes. Here is a larger selection of dyes.  They could choose to dye using grass, berries, strawberry, coffee, organic wine, turmeric spice, yellow onion skins, red cabbage, and beets.  It is possible there were more, but I can not recall them. Some of the kids are just starting to dye. Ginger is dying a pair of socks in the yellow onion skin dye.  She also chose berries, strawberries, grass, red cabbage, and turmeric. During free time, the kids found this Tomato Horn Worm.  It died before the end of the day since each kid "adopted" it for a time being.  It died in the name of science, I guess. Here's my favorite picture.  Notice it is her turn with the Horn Worm.  Go figure, a housefly is not ok but a moth larva is. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/bqPiOTatjHE/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/588818/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/588818/ For the past two weeks, I have been quite busy getting my stuff together.  DH will be here one week from today to officially move us to West Virginia.  He took off on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so he can help paint.  I was a little particular regarding paint colors, so he figured he should just wait.  It was probably the right decision. So, recently, I have been trying to plan out the first quarter of our year, as much as I can.  There are still some sketchy parts.  There are still some parts that need to be ordered.  But, it will all get done.  At least I know the general flow to our day and what we will be using.  Here is what I have so far.  I am writing this from memory.  I will change anything that needs correction when I check my planning pages. History - This is Ginger's favorite subject.  We will again be using Story of the World vol. 1 (The Ancients) for the first part of the year.  We will be finished and into vol. 2 (The Middle Ages) by January.  For Ginger's daily reading, to go along with SOTW, I got her Tales of Troy and Greece by Andrew Lang.  I also picked up a Dover coloring book on Ulysses to go along with the novel.  As another reader, I chose  Don't Know Much About American History, by Kenneth C. Davis.  I was feeling uncomfortable about not yet getting to American history.  This is a nice compromise.  Math - We will again be using Sadlier-Oxford's Progress in Mathematics.  Spelling - Last year for $5 I picked up AVKO's Sequential Spelling.  I will pick up where we left off.  I absolutely love the program.  At our last homeschool picnic, I also aquired AVKO's Individualized Keyboarding and will begin to work on typing skills.    Grammar - We will continue using First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise.   I did come across a used copy of A Beka's Language C.  I will use this for exercises.  Though I like FLL a lot, sometimes I wish there were just more exercises for practice.  I also picked up a copy of Evan-Moor's Daily Grammar Practice.  Again, it is just a five minute (if that) daily review. Science - We will be using Noeo Science Chemistry II: Atoms to Alloys and Beyond.  This still needs to be purchased when I get to WV.  We will supplement until this comes.  We will continue a weekly, if not more, Nature Study and will be participating in the Outdoor Hour Challenge hosted by Barb at Handbook of Nature Study.  the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock is our spine.  As a weekly reading assignment, we will start to read Birds Every Child Should Know by Neltje Blanchan. Shakespeare - Using Charles and Mary Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare, we will start with Two Gentlemen of Verona.   Writing - We will be using the Writing Strands program as well as journalling.  We will be doing narrations and notebooking daily.    Geography - Starting with Paddle to the Sea, by Holling C. Holling, we will be using the Beautiful Feet Geography Guide.  We will also supplement with Highlights Top Secret 50 States and Countries packets.  Enrichment - (weekly) Art / Music Study - We will be using the Harmony Fine Arts Curriculum, again by Barb.  We will also use Mona Brooks' Drawing With Children.  Ginger will continue with her piano lessons. Logic - We will utilize Critical Thinking Press's Building Thinking Skills, as well as those 200 Highlights Puzzlemania and Mathmania books we have. Free Reading - Ginger chose the seven books in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.  I did pick up a Literature Unit Guide for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe which I may use loosely. Nightly Read Aloud - We will continue with classics.  We are reading Matilda by Roald Dahl currently.  Heidi is currenlty on the list as well as the rest of the Little House books. Cooking - I think she would enjoy learning to prepare one meal a week. Handiwork - She wants to learn how to machine sew.  "Sew", I still need to find an appropriate project. She will continue with Tae Kwon Do and possibly a second martial art (Hapkido).  Ginger will be continuing with 4-H and Girl Scouts. That's our list of roughly the first 9 weeks.  I think it is a lot.  There is also a possibility of a Waldorf style group co-op that we will be attending once a week.  I'm intrigued and looking into it.   Tell me what you think. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/tl0kUKsAhfA/ Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/582510/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/582510/ So, I took Ginger early this morning to do some more fact finding about the American Revolution, the Battle of Monmouth, and Molly Pitcher.  Today, we went to Monmouth Battlefield State Park.  When we got to the visitor center, we went into the little museum.  We were greeted by one of the nicest park rangers I have ever met.  He talked to us for at least an hour about the battle, and about Mary Hays.  He gave us our own little private tour of their museum.  Wonderful!  I wish I would have thought to get his name. Then, we went outside and looked around.  Here is Ginger with the monument that greets you as you come into the visitor center.  It is General Friedrich von Steuben.  He was one of the two "miracles" which changed the direction of the war.  (The other "miracle" was France's decision to join us in our fight against England.)  General von Steuben trained and drilled the Continental Army during the winter in Valley Forge.  Before his service, the new troops were not trained in maneuvers or tactical drills.  They just joined the fight.  The Continental Army was fighting a "professional" army, so they were losing miserably.  They needed von Steuben to teach them the "art" of war.   Here is another memorial we found behind the visitor center. It reads, In honor of the Battle of Monmouth heroine, Molly Pitcher, June 28, 1778 Gift of the Historical Societies of Monmouth County N.J.D.A.R Monmouth County Heritage Committee And Friends Dedicated October 28, 1978 After we saw this memorial, I wanted to go to Perrine Hill, the actual site where Mary Hays helped her husband load the cannons.  But, it was overgrown with grass and CORN, and Ginger had a  recurring fear from that snake the other day.  So, we ended up not taking the trail.  Instead, we went to Battleview Orchards.  We were going to go peach picking for a little while.  Instead, I had to wait for this. I discovered a puddle of fuel under my car and all over my engine.  I'm pretty sure it was the fuel line.  Since we had to drive about an hour home, I figured it was best to call the tow truck and not risk a car fire on the side of the road.  With my mechanic husband being in WV right now, this is definitely not what I needed.        http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/BxMzD0wzyCg/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:31:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/578001/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/578001/ So, last night we went to see an interpretive storyteller portray Mary Hays, better known as Molly Pitcher.  Fantastic.  The presentation also focused on the women "who belonged to the army" by following their husbands during the American Revolution.  Through her "memories" she revisited the winter in Valley Forge, the "march",  and then the Battle of Monmouth.  She debunked some of the myth and the legend.  Did you know that her husband neither died nor was wounded at the Battle of Monmouth?  Did you know that eventually she received a military pension for HER service...NOT her husband's service.  It was a wonderful portrayal.   Later this week, I am going to take Ginger to Monmouth Battlefield to see the ridge where she ran the ammunition and the stream where she collected water.  "Living" history...I love it. Here is a picture of Molly Pitcher as Ginger holds her ramrod.  (I just wish I would have thought to ask Molly to put on her hat and pack again.) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/Uv3IyWeegnc/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:18:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/576939/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/576939/ Today, Ginger and I took a ride to "Historic Smithville Village" where they had a Civil War encampment taking place.  There was no "battle", just a living history demonstration. Ginger learned quite a few things today.  We have not studied the Civil War yet, but she left knowing: The north wore blue uniforms and the south wore gray uniforms. The north was backed by the federal government and thus, they were issued better gear and "spiffier" uniforms.  The south on the otherhand were mostly poor and issued gray slacks or tan pants, a green coat, a hat, a blanket, and a tent. New Jersey was just two votes short of being a South state, which would have been a real pickle since we were surrounded by North states. Slavery was only a minimal issue for the cause of the war.  It had more to do with the North controlling the South's resources. Brothers fought against brothers and fathers fought against sons. Women and children followed the soldiers.  The women then aided the soldiers through nursing, cooking, mending, etc. It was illegal for women to fight in the war.  However, sometimes they did. Sometimes women acted as spies. Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, was shot in Ford's Theater by an actor named John Wilkes Booth.  She saw a gun on display that was a replica of the one used to assassinate him.  All in all, for not yet studying ANY American History, I think she had a pretty productive day.   The commander gives his talk about his regiment.  The group prepares to fire across the lake.   The group demonstrates different ways to hold their weapons.   Ginger at the campsite...women and children side.   Ginger poses with one of the Civil War ladies.   Then, after our big history lesson, we looked at all the shops.  This was Ginger's big purchase (with her own money).  She saw it early in the day.  We waited and looked around.  Then, before we left, she still wanted it.  It is a large jellyfish paperweight.  She LOVES jellyfish ever since our moon jellyfish touch tank experience at the aquarium.   Now, for tomorrow, we have a date with Molly Pitcher.  http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/wWO1H3Y4tg8/ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/576304/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/576304/ Jimmie, at One Child Policy Homeschool, had a great idea.  She recently made a Squidoo lens for her daughter which includes links that she wants her to visit.  What a great way to promote independent learning, safe surfing, and anything other than those Webkinz games.  I loved the idea so much, in fact, that I was up at 5 am this morning making a lens for Ginger.  It is indeed my first attempt at Squidoo, so don't expect anything fancy.  I already decided that I need some sort of picture up there somewhere.  And, so far, I don't know how much to post for the week.  We'll see as time goes on.  I told Ginger that if anything strikes her fancy, I'll add it to her jump page so she'll be able to revisit the site as much as she wants. I made Ginger's jump page to include links to kid friendly sites which she enjoys.   It also has a kid friendly search engine to hopefully filter out any unwanted garbage. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheLearningZone-HomeschoolBlogger/~3/D7KxvOSib2c/ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/576181/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheLearningZone/576181/