- Homeschool Blogger

Hello Autumn

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 13:28:00 -0500

Here it is October already! When did that happen? We are moving along in our schoolwork but not without some issues. Not everyone has a great attitude about school so the principal has stepped in to help work out some adjustments! Homeschooling the upper grades is quite different from the younger years. We shall persevere and the Lord will see us through!

As I glance out the window beside me I can see beautiful color in the trees across the street. I love this time of year, not only for it's beauty but because the crisp, fall air brings about welcome changes. The fresh apples are out and they are abundant here in western NY! (I feel an apple crisp coming on....) Not too mention all the baking I've tried to avoid through out the summer --- now I want to flick on the oven (it's a new convection oven to boot!) and bake up some muffins, breads and roasts.

And don't you just love to pull out the cozy throws and snuggle up in the evening? It has me thinking about what new book to choose for a read-a-long. I've already coaxed Jordan into lighting the fireplace a few times. =)

Freebie from The Old Schoolhouse!

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:35:00 -0500

Just as we begin our new school year, The Old Schoolhouse is offering a wonderful e-book to help us get off on the right foot! And it's FREE!

The opening article by Karen Sargent (homeschool to mom to 4 graduates and 1 still at home) was encouraging and the "special OPS" section looks especially good to me. You can get your free download here:

The New School Year - Planning your Course and letting the Lord determine your Steps

My Favorite Homeschool Magazine

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 13:38:00 -0500

Subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse™ Magazine for only $7.95!

Homeschooling is a Labor of Love, and the Old Schoolhouse™ Magazine is celebrating your hard work as a parent by putting their one-year print subscriptions on sale! For a very limited time, you can subscribe or renew for $7.95! (US only)

You can buy a gift sub for friends too! To gift a subscription:
1. Go to the one-year subscription page (US only)
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
3. Enter the name, address, email, and phone information for each recipient
4. click "Add this to my cart".
5. The information will display in your cart and simply proceed to check out.

There are only 2000 of these available, and they are going quickly! Your subscription begins with their Fall Issue.

If you live in an international location, you can subscribe to their digital edition for only $7.95! It's the same great content as their print magazine, except it is instant and interactive!

Homeschool Open House

Sat, 8 Aug 2009 09:04:00 -0500

The Homeschool Lounge is hosting their annual Homeschool Open House where you can share about your homeschool plans for the upcoming year,meet other homeschoolers, and win great prizes too!

Homeschool Lounge Open House

Our curriculum plans for 2009 are listed over in my right hand side bar under each of the children. We will continue to participate in co-op which has been a huge blessing over our last 9 homeschool years! I have seen the Lord provide many opportunities for the kids through co-op....

Kayla will continue with Spanish 2 (a great class to study within in a group) and will be completing her
Apologia Chemistry labs at co-op (while completing the textbook at home).

Jordan and Jesse be taking a NY state history class which goes along perfectly with the "Around NY in 80 Days" curriculum I was planning to do with them anyway! Also, Jesse will be taking a gym class.

Joshua will also participate in co-op! He is taking a gym class for his age group as well as partcipating in a "ABC" class that I will teach.

All of these classes help to relieve my teaching burden as well as meet NY State requirements!

At home we are trying out a few new (to us) books as well:

"Teaching the Essay" - Analytical Grammar

"Our Nation Under God" - Christian Liberty Press

"With Art in Mind" - BJU Press

"Building Better Bodies - Health" - Hayes publishing

My favorite resource for buying Homeschool materials is Rainbow Resource! If you've never tried them you need to visit their website and request one of the 1000+ page catalogs!

May God bless your homeschools this year!

WAIT!!

Here are just a few of the great prizes you can win just by entering.... below are my top choices!

1. Rainbow Resource Center gift card
2. Homeschool Boutique T-shirts
3. Home Educating Family magazine subscription

Stony Brook State Park

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 15:05:00 -0500

We enjoyed a wonderful day at Stony Brook Park last week. God provided us with great weather and some awesome scenery to enjoy! Kayla was on a trip with the church youth group so we were sorry she missed out and is not in the "family" picture below.

Library Books

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:52:00 -0500

Where would a homeschool mom be without the local library? And I love (and take advantage of) the great invention of inter-library loans!

I recently borrowed the book "What to Read When" and through it found several fun book suggestions for Jesse & Joshua's age group!

(image borrowed from Amazon)

Joshua and I have enjoyed these books this week:

Captain Duck is about a mischievous duck who takes his friends on a wild boat ride.

Penelope Nuthatch's day does not turn out as she expected too!

I Like To Be Little is a little girls reasons why she is in no hurry to be a grown-up. (There is a page about dressing up for Halloween).

Free Bowling -- in your state! ?

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 10:37:00 -0500

Looks like we can take the kiddo's bowling for FREE this summer! NY state has many participating bowling centers and so do PA, OH, MI and FL. Check to see if your state is listed.

KIDS BOWL FREE

Summer Boredom

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:43:00 -0500

Jesse is "officially" bored with summer.... already!??
He told me he would like to start his Language Arts/grammar curriculum for grade 4 as soon as it arrives at our home!

We just celebrated his 9th birthday on Tuesday! We were able to spend some time at the park and he got an "Eyeclops" for his gift. Cool present but it only keeps him occupied for so long...

I'm thinking hard about some type of summer project for him - how do you keep your 9 year busy doing something worthwhile?

One Way to Get Your Math Done!

Mon, 18 May 2009 19:44:00 -0500

Jesse: "Mom, may I do Math outside today??"

....and the photo I took a few minutes later....

Kayla's Art Work

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:08:00 -0500

Last weekend, Kayla entered two of her charcoal drawings into a regional homeschooler's art show and won a second place ribbon! These are pictures of her art:

Great Job, Kayla!

(Those are photographs of her work so they aren't showing up very well!)