January Happens...

Hi Everyone,

It's been awhile since I updated my blog, so I thought I'd do a little updating now. December was such a busy month, with Winter piano recitals, Christmas parties, field trips, etc... and then there was sewing, and crocheting, and more sewing and crocheting. It was fun, a lot of work, and it certainly went by very quickly.

January has been a little slower. We have been busy with our studies, and getting back to our normal everyday routine. Hunter is learning to play Beethoven's 9th Symphony, and is doing great! Heidi is only teaching piano every two weeks now, since she moved back to her hometown 2 hours from here. We feel very blessed that she has decided to continue to teach her students, because we really feel that she is the very best piano teacher we could ever hope to have.

I started a weight loss program on Jan. 1 and have lost 11.8 lbs. I am really excited because this is the most I have ever lost in quite a while. Best part of the program is that it is completely free, and I get to enjoy a very nice Bible study while doing it.

Scott and I will have been married 14 years on Feb. 14th. So this anniversary could be considered our "golden" anniversary even though it's not, really. I am thinking in the same terms as golden birthdays, in-case you are wondering where this came from. Scott has planned a very nice trip for us to Starved Rock Lodge for the 13th and 14th of February. It's an all inclusive weekend of dining, dancing, and wine tasting. Now, what could be more romantic than that? I am so looking forward to spending some alone time with my love. He has really been working so very much lately. He was made the supervisor of 2nd shift security at the hospital and is now doing the schedules. This in a sense is not a bad thing, although he generally gives himself the leftover days and leftover hours that no one will fill. He's been working 6 days a week for the past few weeks. I'm trying very hard to be the patient wife, and not complain. If you know me well, you know that this is a task in itself. The extra money has been great though, so I shouldn't be complaining at all really.

I filed our taxes yesterday and realized that this is really the last year we can claim Matthew. I can't believe that he is now legally an adult. In a lot of ways he is much more mature, but I still have some moments with him that I'm sure a lot of parents of teenagers today deal with. Matt is really enjoying the high school this year, and we both can't believe that he has only one more year left before graduation. Wow!!! So much to do before that happens.

Hunter is doing great in 3rd grade, and Ethan also in kindergarten. I am having so much fun teaching the both of them this year. January has been filled with lots of learning. In geography the kids are learning about Egypt (history), Germany (Beethoven--composer study), Wyoming (Stone Fox) ...a book Hunter is currently reading, Georgia and Alabama (MLK study), and Minnesota (we are currently reading On The Banks of Plum Creek). We are done with MLK, and just started Beethoven, since Hunter is interested in him because of the music he is learning in piano. Hunter is nearly done with Stone Fox, and has a few more things to learn about the Shoshone Indian tribe of Wyoming. I use a lot of living books to teach from for two main reasons. The first reason is because I really believe in Charlotte Mason's way of teaching. Secondly, because financially it makes sense for us to use this method. Any book we need is right at our fingertips in the library exchange system. Hunter and Ethan both use a curriculum set, along with all the reading they do. We use K12 for History and Science, A beka for Reading, Phonics, Spelling, English, and Art. Lastly we use Addison Wesley for math. It's a long day of learning each day, and we usually don't get done until 3:30 when the bus drops Matt off from the high school.

Why Charlotte Mason? Well, over the past 4 years that I have homeschooled, I have been reading more and more about Charlotte Mason and her methods of teaching. It's been a growing experience each year we use it. Initially I enjoyed the fact that my kids retained so much more through the use of really good living books, and through their own narrations of these books. Over the years the kids have had the opportunity to read novels or have had novels read to them that I never got the chance to experience until high school and college. Matt was my guinea pig, when we first started, and he read so many books that I only wished I had had the chance to read at his age. When he started high school in the Fall, he was so surprised that a number of books they were required to read, he had already read one to two years ago. In October his English teacher told us that Matt should become an English teacher someday because of his ability to pick up and comprehend classical literature the way he does. Let me tell you, coming from a mom who has little to no teaching experience, and latched onto Charlotte Mason on a whim, I realized that what she has written in her books rings true. The more a person surrounds themselves with great classical literature, the more they become comfortable with it. It's like learning a foreign language. Once you start using it a lot, over time and practice it becomes a second nature. As you can tell I do have an emotional attachment to Charlotte Mason. You could even call it love, if you wanted to. I am very passionate about her work.

I guess I got away from telling you all about January. I get on a tangent about something I am passionate about, and holy mackerel, watch out!

Oh, I guess I was talking about what we are doing in school. In science the kids are learning about the weather and snow... We have done some fun experiments with snow. One experiment we took 2 identical glasses the same size. Filled one up to the top with snow, and the other to the top with ice from the freezer. We recorded which took longer to melt. Then our 2nd experiment was to measure how much water was left from the melted snow, and how much water was left from the melted ice. Then we did a whole long study on that. We even tasted the water to see if there was a taste difference. We have been using thermometers a lot also in science. Recording temps day to day, weather changes, and cloud formations. In math, Hunter is working on adding and subtracting in the hundreds with regrouping, and simple multiplication and division. Ethan is still adding small numbers, and is just starting to learn to read.

Another thing I am passionate about is making school fun. I think it comes from the fun I had working in the ECE classroom. I wanted their day to to be fun! About 2 years ago, I came across a publication called the Mailbox, and one called Teacher's Helper. I have had a subscription to both for the past 2 years, and they are a big part of our library. All the supplementary material is amazing! I can honestly say that I am in-love with The Mailbox!

I am just so excited to have the opportunity to homeschool my kids. This is a great country we live in, with the freedom to be able to make decisions for our own family that we feel are best. I never have to worry about what I read my to my children, and my passion for giving my children a Christian education is never an issue. Almost every morning I do a Bible study with my kids. Right now we are actually using a Beth Moore study called 90 Days with Jesus. It takes us from his Birth through his crucifixion and resurrection. It's actually a an adult study, but I am thankful to Beth Moore for her thought provoking yet easy to understand way of writing. The kids are getting to know Jesus better, and that's the most I can ever hope for in my children, no matter what they become someday.

Our weeks are filled with piano lessons, homeschool PE at LCU, homeschool coop, 4-H (Hunter is vice president this year), and playgroup. Busy, but fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy :)

Recipe for Disaster

This is sort of an update post. It's been a crazy summer so far with 4 days of school left. Lots of very hot days and thunderstorms at night. Luckily we live on a small hill, and we are toward the top, so we don't ever get any flooding like our counterparts at the bottom of the hill. We do get the majority of tree damage though, and luckily the tree that is causing the most damage is slowly being cut down by the city. I say slowly because they come every couple months and trim parts off. Eventually the tree will be gone, but it may be 2012 before we see that happen. Plus it's not our tree, but our next door neighbors. It's a massive cottonwood that has been a pain in the butt for all of the 6+ years we've lived here. It will be nice to see it go, but sad in part because it's really only 1 of 2 huge shade trees in our tiny subdivision. Well, aside from the woods behind the houses across the street. It's big enough that it shades our vehicles in the driveway. I guess now we'll actually have to put up a carport.

M is at church camp this week. I'm sure he is having a good time. His battery died on his cell phone a couple days ago, so I won't really know until tomorrow when he gets home. I'm sure he is having a better week then poor H. Not only is he battling rude and obnoxious neighbor kids, but he has a terrible case of dermatitis that has covered 3/4 of his body. Scott and I took him to the ER this morning because we weren't quite sure if our 8 yo son wasn't turning into a lizard. It all started 3 days ago. I noticed that he had this small rash on his armpit that made his skin look and feel like shoe leather. I put some ointment on it, and the next day it spread to his stomach, rear end, and the insides of his arms. I then made an appt with his pediatrician for Friday (tomorrow). This morning he woke up and it had spread to his neck and legs. He was starting to look like a shriveled up old man. It totally freaked me out, so we decided to take him to the ER. They told us that he must have had some reaction to the pool water. Scott tests the pool water every time he puts chemicals in to make sure that it's safe to swim. Besides, it hasn't effected any of us other than H. So he is itchy and miserable, and looks just awful. Poor kid. He wanted to go outside and play catch with the neighbor boys (who generally are rotten) but I told him that it sounded like a recipe for disaster, but that he could go. Fast forward 5 minutes and the neighbor boy (I call him Eddie Haskell, for those of you old enough to have watched Leave It To Beaver) comes to my window, knocks on it, and says that Hunter threatened to throw the baseball at him. Now, knowing H the way I do (I am not just saying this because I am his mother) he is non-aggressive. He would never threaten to harm anyone, unless he was provoked. Also, knowing "Eddie" the way I do, and by the smile on "Eddie's" face, I knew that this was not the entire story. H (in the house now) enters the room crying, stating that the 3 boys (recipe for disaster) were calling him names, and when H said he was going home and that he wanted his ball back, they threatened to beat him with a bat. Lovely little heathens, they are. I then told all 3 boys to go home. Tomorrow, it is certain that at least 2 of them will be knocking on our door to play. Karma is lovely that way. It's not surprising that our society has this problem, when these kids (who are 8-10 years old) are never watched by anyone, and they roam the neighborhood. It seems I pray consistently that these renters will move, but we will just get more renters in with rotten little kids that congregate at my house. Uggghhh... Can you hear my frustration? Well, I can at least pray for Fall to come quickly, so the rotten little heathens will be in school terrorizing other little kids instead of mine. Sorry for the negative tone...because I know that we've all lived next to naughty kids before. This is nothing new.

On to something else. I had minor surgery on Monday to remove an endometrial polyp from my uterus. Is this really any better? Everything is fine except that I can't seem to get rid of this headache. I can't seem to shake it. I first noticed it after waking up from anesthesia. It's not a bad headache, just an annoying one. I wonder if that is normal?

Scott is working tonight, and we have our last 4-H meeting until Fall. We are planning on playing games and just having a fun night. Hunter is showing 3 exhibits in the fair this year. 1 in Cooking, 1 in Bicycles, and 1 in Outdoor Adventures (camping). He is pretty excited about it, and looking forward to getting paid for his accomplishments.

Matt is looking forward to attending the high school next year. He had to take a diagnostic exam to determine what classes he would be in this fall (because he was homeschooled) and he did very well. They placed him at 483 out of 500 students. He tested out of History and Science, so he doesn't need any of those for graduation unless he chooses one for an elective. He absolutely loves history and geography so he will most likely choose one of those. He was only slightly above average in Math and English. Overall very good scores. He shouldn't have any problems getting into the college of his choice. I have to say that I was a bit nervous when he went in for the test because (as his teacher) I didn't want to feel like a failure if he did poorly. He really has worked very hard these past 3 years, and I assumed he would do well, but you don't know. So I was a bit freaked out until we got the results. I guess I'm an above average teacher, or maybe it's just that I have above average children.

Well, I better get ready for 4-H tonight. I still need to bake some brownies. Hope everyone is having a good summer!

Catching up

Gosh, it's been a long time since I sat down at this computer and typed. Life is busy, and it moves fast. Sometimes faster than I feel comfortable with. The past few months have brought a new insight to my life, and maybe slowing down is the answer. We've made a lot of changes. Mostly good ones, some we'd rather just forget. But all the same, we trudge forward at a steady pace, and hope for a better tomorrow.

This past weekend I spent with Matt at the Annual Homeschool Conference in Peoria. All in all, it was a good conference. Matt learned quite a lot about applying for college, scholarships (availability, and when to start the process of applying), and the whole interviewing process, the right college for you, and so forth. He's only a sophomore, and I thought we were right on schedule with everything, but apparently we are a bit behind in the game. They are now advising that as a freshman, you should start to begin researching.

Matt and I stayed at the Staybridge Suites that is located right across from the Civic Center, where the conference was located. Friday night, I let Matt choose where he wanted to eat dinner, and he (being as daring as I am to try new foods) began looking for a fun and interesting place to eat. Well, he found it. Nestled among many little shops in a strip mall, was a fun little Sushi Bar, that we just had to check out. Very art deco inside, with a very modern feel to it. Sculptural paintings in bright colors decorated the walls, in a very refined and sophisticated way. Each sushi roll was served in a decorative style, and cut into 6-8 slices. Matt and I decided that we both wanted to try each others for variety, so we each ordered a roll, and a soda to drink. Matt ordered the Crispy Dog, and I ordered The Volcano. I believe we also ordered The Ninja. They first brought us each out a bowl of seaweed soup (yum!) and then our platter of rolls came out one at a time. All were simply divine, but our favorite was definitely The Volcano. Each roll was sliced and arranged on the plate in a very artsy fashion, with wasabi and other various sauces drizzled in a decorative style about the plate. Matt took photos with his phone. We ate, and laughed, and talked about how grandma and mom, would love this place, and how his dad would not. I realized for the first time, that my son had somehow become a man before my eyes. He was no longer the child that I had to raise, or instruct. But a companion, and a friend.

I remember when I was 17. My mom and I had been at odds for a few years, and we had somehow drifted apart. Mainly what I am seeing now with Matt at times. Perfectly normal teenage stuff. Although my situation was somewhat different because mom and dad had foster kids too, so my life (and not only my life, but my siblings as well) was somewhat harder at times because we had to share our parents with others, and sometimes it felt as if we weren't as important to them, and that we were always fighting for their attention. We all sort of went off in our separate ways, and did our best to fill in the gaps where we felt void. Well, when I was 17, mom invited me to go to a homemaker's convention, just me and her. We talked, and went out to dinner, and at first it felt awkward, but as the weekend wore on, it became nice, and pleasant, and I still hold that memory dear to me now, as an adult. I see that this past weekend with Matt, was much the same. We learned from each other, and really communicated. We watched a comedian Friday night, and we both laughed ourselves silly. It's definitely a memory that I will hold for the rest of my life, and assume that Matt will too. I'm glad we had the chance to spend some time together alone. The importance of alone time with each other is so vital to feeling accepted within the realms of a family. Whether it's husband/wife time, father/son time, or mother/son time. The time to say: "How's it goin? How's it really goin?" And then waiting for the answer. (I got that from the conference, this past weekend) for any of you who are reading this and attended too. Wise words (or questions) that I never really thought of asking before. Really listening to what the other person has to say. Maybe I will go into more detail, on what that particular session was about, at a later time. I'd like to go through all the sessions with you, just in case you are interested. I find a lot of good information on other people's blogs about homeschooling, saving money, eating healthy, etc... I guess it's my turn to share.

Some other changes: We are dogless (petless). We just haven't had enough time to spend with the dogs, and they were causing me stress by all the messes they were making and so forth, so Scott took them up to Carlock, to an animal shelter up there called CISAR.
Link: http://www.cisarshelter.com/
They post photos of the animals and find good homes for them.
It's really been a blessing in disguise for us, because we knew we didn't want them to be killed if someone didn't adopt them right away. CISAR is a "no kill" shelter.

My home daycare has slowed down some to the point that I only have 4 kids that I watch, besides my own, instead of 9 that I was taking care of in Jan/Feb. It was really too much, and I just couldn't handle the stress of it all. 4 is pretty comfortable.

I have been using my tailoring skills lately, altering an Easter dress for a lady at church. So I am actually using my college skills, that I worked so hard to pay for.

We are getting ready to start Spring Break, Apr. 4-9. We'll be heading up to Chicago Schaumberg area for Ethan's birthday on the 8th. We plan to visit some museums, and have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe'. They have a very cool volcano birthday cake, that would make any little boy get all excited about. Then of course there's Legoland to consider, and IKEA for me, and of course a HUGE Cabella's store for Scott, and the boys. It will surely be a fun short vacation.

Looking forward to cleaning the family room a bit more today, and maybe getting the kid's to clean their rooms. Happy Sunday!

Late September - October Highlights

I guess I've gotten a bit behind on my blog. It's been a very busy couple of months, and it doesn't look like it's going to end very soon. Maybe after the 31st it will slow down some. I sure hope so. I have lots of photos to share, but am only posting the highlights right now, and will post the others as I have time. I will try to catch up as best as I can.

We started school the day after Labor Day. M in 10th grade, H in 2nd grade, and E in Junior Kindergarten. Every one's been working very hard, and I believe they have been learning a lot. M is currently studying Polynomials in Algebra; Kingdoms, Species, Class, Genre, etc... in Biology; Learning about the Aztecs in Spanish, along with the general stuff (you know...El numeros, Dias de la semana, Meses del ano, and Estaciones... Plus the all favorite... El Juramento a la Bandera).
He is studying Mesopotamia and the Near East in World History. He is currently reading Walden by Thoreau, and Sherlock Holmes by Doyle, and Greek Mythology. His outside classes consist of PE, and Speech/Debate.

Last night he went to see a play at the University about Emmett Till, and the start of the Civil Rights Movement. Very powerful, he said. He met with other homeschoolers in a discussion group after.

H is doing general 2nd grade work: Reading, Phonics, Literature, Math, Health, Science, American History, Spanish, Art, and Music.

E is working hard at learning his letters, and the sounds they make. Learning his numbers, and handwriting. He is also learning Spanish with the other boys, and cutting/pasting as well.

In late September, Scott was given a 4 day weekend for working extra hours, and just as a special treat. They love him there. We decided to take a small vacation to Chicago, and do some sightseeing. We took the kids to Legoland, and to the Museum of Science and Industry. We stayed at a really great Holiday Inn with a holidome attached. I have to say that it was the cleanest hotel we have ever stayed at. Pretty impressive. The pools and jacuzzi were exceptionally clean, and the nice restaurant next door provided us with a free buffet breakfast every morning.


The entrance to Legoland. M didn't want to be photographed under a Lego giraffe. Who can blame him?

October is Fire Prevention month, and so a small gathering of our homeschooling group took a field trip to the fire station in Decatur. They have the best program. Puppet and magic shows, a ventriloquist, and a tour of the fire house. The kids got to spray a fire hose, slide down a fire pole, and watch a fire fighter dress and undress for a fire. The kids were encouraged to go hug him in full gear, so they wouldn't ever be afraid to go to a firefighter if their home is ever on fire. Such a great program. I can't say enough great things about them. They were super!

Another field trip in October was to the Veterinary Clinic/Hospital in Atlanta. The vets and assistants gave us a tour of the facility, and outside they even had a petting zoo for the kids. As you can see, many more of our homeschoolers were able to come on this field trip, than to the fire station. This is about 1/4 of the children in our homeschooling group. We have a rather large group. Large enough for the University here to provide 2 homeschool PE classes. One for elem. school age children, and one for Jr. High and above.

October also marked a very special birthday in our family. Scott turned 36. As you can see by the cake I made, there were 36 lit candles all a glow for him to blow out. We just had a small family party.

Yesterday we took a few kids to the pumpkin patch in Beason. As you can see by their faces, it was a cold and wet day. The kids had fun none-the-less, but not many of the group decided to brave the cool weather.

Last night, the Marvelous Mama's (a mom and kids group we belong to), went out to a night club. Mamas only... no kiddies. We had such fun! What a great group of ladies to hang out with. I can't remember laughing so hard in such a long time. The Cafe'tini's were super yummy too. I think I'm going to have to try making these at home. Yum!

Well, I better sign off for tonight. I will be posting more photos related to the ones I just posted soon. Night... Night... Tomorrow is church and another Fall Festival. This time with a bonfire and hay rack rides. Thursday night is our MM's Halloween Party. Saturday we are Trick-or Treating with my best friend and family, while M helps out at our Church Halloween Outreach party. We will be stopping by that too, after trick or treating.

Besides all the homeschooling, field trips, and such. I have started babysitting for another family every weekday, and then I have Z on Thursdays as usual. So, most of the week I have 6 kids, and one day a week I have 7. It's been fun though, and it's helping out financially too, which is always good.

Adios!

THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH ONE STEP

You may have noticed a few changes on my blog, but I was in need of a makeover, so I changed a few things. It's a woman's prerogative, you know. One of the things I changed that I should tell you about right away, is that I have changed my children's on-line names. My oldest child is now called M (simply because it is the first letter in his name), H is my middle son, and E is the youngest. It made sense to change this because M no longer skateboards, which makes calling him Skaterboy irrelevant. Truthseeker isn't always as truth seeking as he once was, and Thumbody is still working on giving up his thumb, but at 5 doesn't really like being referred to on-line (not that he even realizes this) as Thumbody.

Today was our first day of school, and E's first day of kindergarten. He was so excited to start, that he got up early before the other kids, and insisted on starting right away. He loved it. Every little bit of it. The coloring, drawing lines, making his name out of clothespins. Wasn't kindergarten the most fun ever? I remember it fondly, I think. Kindergarten and the 6th grade. I had the best teacher. She had us memorizing poetry, and singing all the old songs every day. I remember drawing lots of pictures, and writing poetry over top of them. So beautiful. Listening to nature programs on the radio, and doing narrations of them. Very Charlotte Mason, I must say, even for the early 80's. If she were alive today, I would ask her if she was ever influenced by Charlotte Mason. Of course back then, I didn't even know who Charlotte Mason was, much less care. Funny thing is that my memory remembers the most from that year in 6th grade, more than any other year in school. I have a friend who I went to school with, that also uses a lot of Charlotte Mason in her homeschool. I should ask her sometime if she feels the same way as I do, about our 6th grade class back in 1980. About 14 years ago I got the chance to see my old teacher at a square dance my Dad was calling at. I got to tell her what a great teacher I thought she was. She seemed very humbled. I'm not sure if she is still alive or not. But my memories of her and her way of teaching has stayed with me all these years, and has definitely helped influence my career choice later in life, and the way I teach today.

The kids stayed on schedule pretty well today, and we were done shortly before 3 p.m., which is about the same time as the public schools let out. I am trying my hand at teaching the children Spanish this year. I took 2 years of it in HS. and surprisingly it's coming back quite well. At least the pronunciation so far. This week they are learning the Spanish alphabet, and !Bienvenidos! Which means welcome. The first exclamation point is supposed to be upside down because it is a greeting, but I can't find it on the keyboard. It's probably here somewhere though, because I believe that most keyboards are created multi-lingual.

So glad that M is home from Missouri. He had a great time, and was able to see my favorite fun uncle and aunt that were visiting while he was there. Mom and Dad brought M home late Friday night, and my grandma came too. We had such a nice weekend together. Saturday, Mom, Grandma, and I went to the $1 a bag book sale at the library. Such fun to find old children's books for our home library. The kids already have some favorites they want read again and again. We then went uptown to the Arts and Balloon festival. Mom, Grandma, and I went to the wine tasting tent, and you would have thought we were all girlfriends the way we were sipping each other's wine, so we could taste all the different kinds. We even got to try pumpkin wine. Mom snuck some out of the tent in my purse so Dad could try some. He stayed on the sidewalk with the kids. It really was a lot of fun. The kids got to tie dye t-shirts, and make a few crafts. H tried bungee jumping (the safe way) and loved it. I say safe because there are bungees on either side, and a trampoline underneath you, so you bounce as high as you are comfortable going. He did get pretty high. That night I took my parents to a BBQ at a friend's house, that lives across from the airport. Her and her husband are pilots. The hot air balloon launch was taking place Saturday night at the airport, and we were able to see it all from her front lawn. It was quite spectacular, with all the balloons lit up in the twilight of the evening. Very fun night as well. Sunday the went to church with us, and then mom decided she wanted to color my hair, so I let her. She had gotten a haircut (very short) the day before at a local beauty shop. and wanted me to highlight her hair too. So we spent time Saturday doing each other's hair. It was time for them to leave all too soon. Dad was wonderful and reinstalled our bedroom door that Scott and I didn't do a very good job installing (it was up, but it wasn't plumb), and then he fixed our screen door latch that had broken. Last time he was up he fixed our dishwasher. I feel bad that when he's on vacation, my house keeps him busy, and he never charges us. Such a great Dad I have! Well, it is half past midnight, and tomorrow is a full day of school again, so I need to go to bed. Scott is working a 12 hour shift tonight, and won't be home until 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. The Little's are in bed with me, which should make an interesting night of tossing and turning for me. Maybe I'll just sleep on the couch. I may be more comfortable that way. Happy September 2009.

Vacation Photos - Day 1- Observing nature.

I have so many photos from our vacation last week, that there is absolutely no way that I can post them all in one day. I will have to post some every day, but I will try to keep them in order. So check back regularly. One thing that I have noticed this trip, probably more than I have noticed any other time in my boys is their fondness of nature. Charlotte Mason said that one of the most important learning experiences for a child is learning the art of observation in nature, and your surroundings. Over the past year, I have noticed that their fondness for nature was growing, and the fire for learning about nature was maturing in them. On this particular trip however, I noticed for the first time, unguided observation of nature, in my children. Let me explain more clearly, in case I am not making sense. For the past year, we have been doing weekly nature studies, learning to observe nature as it unfolds around us. We have studied many things. Different plants, trees, flowers, animals, birds, seasons, etc. The kids have sketched and painted in their nature notebooks. They have learned the scientific names for these different things we have studied. They have gone on numerous field trips and nature walks, learning from park rangers, and through the use of nature guides. But until this trip, I hadn't felt that they had grasped exactly what Charlotte Mason meant when she stated how important personal observation of nature was to children.

Then I saw it, when I wasn't even watching for it. My 5 year old crouching down to observe something. I was talking to my grandma, but watching him at the same time. He was about 5 feet from me, and my heart skipped a beat as he ever so gently lifted a rock on my grandma's patio, and crouched down even closer to watch what was going on under that rock. He observed in silence, studying every so carefully, like I had never seen him do before. For moments on end he continued to observe, quietly taking it all in. It was at that moment that I knew what Charlotte Mason meant.

She stated all so eloquently that parents should not fill their children's minds with what they know about nature. That children should have the freedom to explore and observe, and ask if they feel inclined to. But only if they feel inclined. Watching Thumbody at that moment made every minute I spent on nature study this year worthwhile. I hadn't taught him this, no matter how much I would have loved the credit. This was instinctive, and unguided; all his doing. I'm so proud of my little guy, and my big boys too. They are all very attentive to nature. Pointing out certain birds by name, or noticing small animals that might be overlooked. Or even insects, like Thumbody found. It's just the beginning, of a world of learning more about God's creation. What could be finer?
Fishing off of Nonnie and Papa's dock.

Thumbody tries his hand at fishing, for the first time.

Can you see the excitement in his eyes?

Skaterboy is digging into the big bait box on the dock.

Truthseeker waits patiently for a bite.

Artistic Talent- Dry Brushing Technique

The boys used a dry brushing technique on their nature study paintings this morning. I thought that they were so talented that I chose to frame their artwork and hang them on the walls in our home. What home doesn't need to be filled with great artwork?
Truthseeker's rendition of a Canada Goose, and a Crocus.

Skaterboy's is titled: Canada Goose in Flight. Thought you might like these.

Ready, Set, School...

Before we started the 2008-2009 school year, I talked my sweet husband into helping me paint our kitchen/dining area. So on a whim, on a Sunday afternoon, we ran to Walmart, had the wallpaper border scanned into their computer to come up with the perfect color. We REALLY like it.
Truthseeker and Thumbody working on their papers for the first day of school.
New maps for our school wall.
Plus all our old stuff...
Our schedule and our school cabinet.
Houston we have a problem... Our floor no longer matches. That is definitely next, along with the counter top that no longer matches.
More Learning fun stuff. Our first day of school was September 2.

Our Vacation-- Day 3, Part 2

After we left the Cozy Dog Drive-In, we decided to go to the Illinois State Museum. We had a slight problem finding it however, as it was smack dab downtown. We looked at the map, and parked in a lot, that looked as if it was somewhat close to the Museum. Well, we walked, and we walked, we passed the State Capital, we passed the IRS building, we passed all sorts of things, but no museum. After about 10 blocks, we asked someone where it was. Only 5 blocks ahead they said. We didn't tell them that we had already walked 10 blocks. Did I say that it was 98 degrees out? It was, but we finally made it there. Whew!!!

A nice photo of the State Capital building, while on our long walk to the museum.

Truthseeker and I in the exploration room, at the Illinois State Museum.
Truthseeker looks at some different kinds of fish that are native to Illinois.

The boys play an interactive educational video game about sharks.

The highlight of the afternoon was going up and down the escalators.
Truthseeker stands in front of an 1980's "teen" bedroom in the Journey through Time section of the museum. I pointed out quite a few things that reminded me of my "teenage" bedroom. I think this person was a bit younger than me though, because a lot of the music tapes were popular when I was in college. Oh well, it was neat for him to see, anyway. I don't recall my bedroom being that messy though. Was yours?
Skaterboy is grinding corn into cornmeal the old fashioned way in the Exploration section of the museum. There were a lot of areas in this particular museum where photographs were prohibited. I kept thinking about Night At The Museum, as we walked through here. I don't ever think I will look at a museum in the same way, after seeing that movie. We loved it!
When we returned home, we had a new friend waiting for us. Earlier in the week we had went for a walk down our street to pick wildflowers near the woods. We found a little caterpillar crawling down the middle of the road. I picked it up, and thought.... hmmmm... nature study project, we'll see if we can hatch a butterfly from this little critter. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take, but I was willing to give it a try. So we put the little caterpillar in a large jar with some of the wildflowers that we picked in there, and a tiny bit of water. Thank goodness there was some nettle in with the flowers, because the caterpillar loved them, and started munching right away on them. A few hours later, we noticed that our caterpillar was hanging in a "J". I knew that soon it would be turning itself into a chrysalis, which by morning it had formed. Imagine how surprised we were when we returned home this day, and found the caterpillar hatched (so quickly), into a beautiful butterfly. The wings were dry, and it was ready to be let free. So we said goodbye, and opened the window, and away it flew.

We identified this butterfly as a Common Buckeye. Here is some more interesting facts regarding this butterfly:

Buckeye Butterfly

Buckeye Chrysalis

Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Where do they live?

- Illinois State Map

- National Map

Buckeye's year-round range includes Mexico, the Caribbean and extreme southern parts of the US. During Warmer months, Buckeyes migrate northward to the midwest, sometimes as far as southern Canada.

What do they eat?

Buckeye Caterpillars eat Plantain(above), Snapdragon and Toadflax.

What is their habitat?

Buckeyes prefer fields, dunes and other open areas with flowers, especially where the vegetation is short.

8th Grade Graduation a Huge Success

Last Saturday, Scott and I hosted the 2008 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony at our home. It was a cookout/potluck/swim party. A lot of people from our local homeschool coop attended.
As you can see from the photos, there were a lot of people here, and these photos were taken just as the party started. About 15 more people showed up, after these photos were taken. The yard was a mass of guests. It was an enjoyable time.
Our Kindergarten graduate. Skaterboy wore this cap and gown, when he graduated kindergarted, however he was a bit smaller than Truthseeker at that age. I remember the gown reaching mid-calf on Skaterboy, and as you can see, it is at Truthseeker's knees. This is a photo of my parents and Truthseeker.
Here is a photo of both of our boys, with their other grandma. My dh's mom.
Everyone enjoyed the cookout, and enjoyed the beautiful day God had provided for us.
The pool was a mass of kids, and got quite a workout. Our pool is on the small side, compared to many pools, but the kids enjoyed it, all the same.
Beating the heat, and having fun in the pool.
The 8th Grade Graduating Class of 2008 - LIAHE Homeschool Coop Group.

So you have a lot of questions about homeschooling?

Homeschool at our house - Skaterboy building atoms... (ie: protons, neutrons, and electrons)

QUESTIONS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING?

First of all, you are not alone. Before I started homeschooling, I had tons of questions, and a lot of generic answers, which I'm afraid didn't help me very much. A lot of the answers I got were the well meaning types such as, "you'll have to figure out what's right for your family", or "don't worry, everything will be fine". Those types of answers. So, I decided to compile a list of questions that I had in the beginning, that I didn't get concrete answers for. I wanted to give you honest answers; concrete answers, like I would have liked to have been told when I first pondered this idea in my head.

Please keep in mind, that I have homeschooled for only 2 1/2 years. I am nearly a newbie. So this comes from a semi-newbie' s point of view.

First question... 1) Where to start?? So many types of curriculum, so many approaches - what is the best and how to decide?

Yes, all the types of curriculum can be overwhelming. I had a difficult time initially adjusting to homeschooling because I had worked at a public school for many years. That was the only way I knew how to teach. That is the only way I had been trained to teach. So at first, I ran it like my classroom at school. Big Flop!!! My kids were tired, and sick of worksheets, and hated every minute of it. There was not much difference between home and school, and their friends were at school. I knew that I had been called to homeschool so I proceeded forward. This year, I finally got it, and Charlotte Mason helped me. She had more insight on a child's education, than anything I had ever read. She explained that children need real books, about real things, written by real people who had real life experiences, in order to learn. She also said that children need to see, and explore, and have the freedom to sit for hours watching things in nature, and enjoy learning about real life. These things they would hold dear to their hearts. Rich literature tells more about history, than any textbook IMHO. Books about astrologers, the first scientists, adventurers, the Bible. All these things tell real stories about real people that lived on this earth. Children remember these things, and they become a part of them for life. They don't forget them. Of course, in order for a child to have a well rounded education, one needs math, and there are many different math curriculum's out there. I use Forresman Wesley for my 6 YO, and I use Saxon for my oldest ds. I really like Saxon. He really knows what students need to learn math. It's not at all confusing, and very easy for even the slow learner to achieve. I chose Forresman Wesley for my 6 YO because of the hands-on activities, and colorful pages.
I am using A Beka for 6YO's reading program. It is quite advanced, so we are taking it very slowly. He is learning and grasping it in small amounts, but I enforce a no pressure atmosphere in my homeschool. There is no pressure to learn. If one of the kid's is struggling with a subject, and I see that they are getting frustrated, instead of pressuring them to push forward, we take a break from it for a week or two. Then we go back to it. Low and behold, in most cases they are ready to receive the information, and press forward, after that little break. Sometimes after a break, they will easily complete the assignment they struggled so hard with the first time. They just needed time to process it. My homeschool is run so totally different from when I started, and everyone is happier. Everyone is excited to learn more things, and about new people. They are enjoying learning, and IMHO that is when learning is cemented in their brains.

Second question: 2)? What to say to so many who express strong doubts (esp. parents, neighbors, etc.)

Okay, there will always be people out there that express doubts or opinions about what you feel is best for your child. At first, I was rather defensive. Now, they can have whatever opinion they want, but I know in my heart I am doing what is right for my kids, and no one can change that. For over a year, I didn't tell my parents that I was homeschooling, because they were so anti-homeschool. When I finally told them, they said that they had wondered if I was, and that of all their kids, they knew that I would be the one who could do it, and do a good job of it. They said that their opinions of homeschooling had changed dramatically, and that they thought that homeschooling was becoming so common, that it just wasn't an issue anymore. I find that people who are judgmental at first, only react that way, because they don't really know what we do. They always relay the most extreme cases, that they have heard of, but when they find out how very normal we are, and how normal our kids are, they usually end up asking me how I do it. Some have even considered homeschooling themselves after I have told them all the great things about it. I have had many people approach me and ask me questions about how to get started. I think if you approach people that are skeptical with an open mind, and not get defensive, they too will form an open mind, and be more accepting.

Third question: 3) How to address internal doubts - WILL my child succeed if I take this non traditional approach?? Will my child blame me exclusively for every doubt that she ever has about herself.? ("If only I'd gone to regular school, I'd already know/be/think.)

Yes...Yes... Yes... more than you will ever know. They will flourish like you could never have believed. No, your child will thank you for making school interesting and a positive experience for them. My 15 YO ds, who attended public school until 7th Grade, loves being homeschooled. He still has friends from his old school, that he sees when they get home from school. His best friend lives down the street from us. My ds is in school the same time as he, and when they are both done for the day, they are either here, or at his house. My 6YO, who has always been homeschooled, also has a friend down the street that is 6. He attends kindergarten at a public school. They play after school as well. Their friends don't think of them any
different than any of their other friends. My 15YO even has a girl who likes him that goes to his old school. She never really showed much interest when he attended school there, but now she likes to email him, and stuff.

I can totally relate to this paragraph, can you? (This is quote from an acquaintance, who is contemplating homeschooling, emailed me...)

"I live in a community where there is very little support or understanding. The schools are all rated very high and so the attitude is, "we have the best, why bother?"? There is also so much materialism (I'm the only one I know who cleans my own home and one of very few who?raises our children without a nanny) so much competition (how many activities can you sign your children up for?!), and so many condescending attitudes toward God and religion (for the uneducated, is the attitude, though I did just get my doctorate!)? I want the best for my children, but defining that in ways that aren't supported (or understood) by the community can be so hard.? BTW, that's why I do love reading your emails - so affirming! - and I have so much deep admiration for everyone who is part of this virtual community. "

My answer to her:

I live in the same sort of area. The public school that ds used to attend, was in a very wealthy part of town. Most of the students that attend the school come from very wealthy families. The school has a lot of money, and the students have a lot of high cost material possessions. This was very difficult for my son at first, because he wanted what they had, and we just couldn't afford all that fancy stuff. Even if we could afford it, I don't think 5th-7th graders need $200 cell phones, expensive I-pods, and laptop computers. He was always saying that so-in-so had this or that, or these expensive shoes, or cloths. It was making my ds very materialistic. Thank goodness he is no longer that way. People were very snobby there too, especially the parents. A lot of them go to our church too, and are snobs at church as well. Well, what comes around, goes around, their kids are snobs too. I'm just so glad that I don't have to deal with them anymore.

Last question: I'd like to address the socialization issue.?

It really depends on how you look at this question. We have a huge homeschooling support group, and coop in our town. This helps a lot, knowing other homeschool families in the area. Our group meets on a monthly basis, and the kids have a ball together. We are also in 4-H. Our 4-H club is predominantly made up of homeschool kids. We consider them family. Our local YMCA hosts homeschool PE for the kids, 3x a week, and there are group field trips we take, picnics in the park, you name it. Our kids are very social, but with kids we want them to be social with. I am sure you can agree that you don't want your child to be social with every kid out there. Homeschooled kids are usually very polite, good natured, and are able to communicate with all age groups, where as some children who attend a school outside the home, can be the type of child we don't want our kids to be friends with. So you have to ask yourself this
question: Do you want your child to be friends with a few really nice kids, or a lot of kids, that are rude, obnoxious, and bullies? I mean, how many people do you hang out with on a regular basis? You probably have a few good friends, and a lot of acquaintances, right? That's perfectly normal. This is normal for your child too. In answer to your question about a child not having people to play with during the day, when his friends are at school, just tell them what I tell my kids, that you are in school too, and you can play with them after school. This works with no problem, with my kids.

So I hope I helped a little. It's hard being a newbie. I had so many questions at first, and had all the same one's you have. The only thing I can say is (and this is the truth) the longer you do it, the more comfortable it will become. Children are very perceptive, and know when we are unsure of ourselves. The more comfortable you become homeschooling the more comfortable they will be learning.

Blessings,

Amy

What I did today....And the day's not over yet.

Well, yesterday dh finally got the garden tilled, and mixed in all the organic hummus manure, organic peat hummus, sand, and top soil. It was quite a chore, since he had to mix each in one at a time with the tiller. That's about 4x back and forth across the garden. He finished just before dinner. After dinner, I went outside (before cleaning up the kitchen), so I could plant before it got dark. Wouldn't you know it, we got company. And company that had never been to our house before. Isn't it always the way it works? So my kitchen is a mess, and I am covered in dirt from the garden. Yippee!!!! But we visited until it got dark, and after they left, I went inside to clean up the kitchen. I did manage to get a row of potatoes, a row of carrots, and a row of radishes planted. Tonight after supper, I will plant the rest of my rows.

This morning I read a story from Uncle Wiggily, to Hunter and Ethan, and also the story of Moses. He completed a dot-to-dot on Moses, and drew a picture of him in a basket. He has been working on 3 syllable words, and completed an assignment on that. In math he is learning about money, and was able to use nickles and pennies to add different amounts of change.

I have laundry out to dry on the line, and have been watching the kids swim most of the day. It's a scorcher, that's for certain. I finally punched holes in all the kid's assignments from the last 3 months, and put them in their respective binders. I can feel school, slowly coming to an end for the semester. At least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have also been searching my Charlotte Mason websites, and planning and purchasing books for next year. This is a task in itself.

I still have laundry to finish, and dinner to fix, and then of course the kids need baths tonight, and then there is the planting, I fore mentioned. It doesn't seem like the day will end soon enough.

Dh is finally home from work. I am thrilled to tell him that our stimulus check is set to arrive by June 6. He will be happy with this news. So I will say farewell for now.

Little Picassos

This is Truthseeker's take on Cubism. Age 6 This is Skaterboy's take on Cubism. Age 15.
I think they both did a great job, don't you?

Backyard Painting

As most of you know, I am very fond of art. I was an art major in college for 2 years. I still enjoy art, and still do some dabbling in it, for fun, from time to time. One of the things I want to impress on my children, and one that Charlotte Mason's teachings recommend, is to study the famous artists. We started our art study a few months ago, with Pablo Picasso. I asked the kids who they wanted to start with, and the answer was of course, Picasso. We studied his painting called "Three Musicians", and learned all about cubism. Each of the kids painted their own picture using the cubist style. I will will post their paintings later.

Our second painter we learned about was Jackson Pollock, who is famous for his modern style painting called "Lavender Mist". Jackson Pollock was an American citizen, and died at the age of 44, in 1957. He is considered one of the most well-known Abstract Expressionists in our country.
His style of painting is better known as "splatter painting". Below are pictures of the kids painting their own pictures using the "splatter paint" technique. Of course, I sent them outside to do this one.

Sorry I've been MIA...

I have actually been pretty busy. We have been buckling down with the kid's schoolwork, and trying to fit in everything we have needed to accomplish for the year. I don't teach during the Summer so the kids actually get a break from school, like all their friends that are not homeschooled. Looks like we will be through the first or second week of June. For those of you who are wondering. Skaterboy will be going to his grandparent's house in Missouri for some of the Summer to help his Papa wire houses. This will be quite an experience for him as it is officially his first "real" job.

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to explore Decatur a little with a friend of mine, and we had a wonderful time window shopping, and just touring the town. I told Scott I wanted to go to Decatur for Mother's Day and take the kids to the zoo, and have a picnic lunch at the park. I have discovered that they have the best playground and picnic area there. The playground is all made of wood, and it is simply huge. There are lots of levels, like a giant fort, with lots of fun things to do inside. I just think the young ones will love it. I hope the weather is nice.

Tomorrow is our annual homeschool coop picnic at the park. It will be fun to see the kids run around and enjoy themselves with each other. I know I am sounding bias, but homeschooled kids are just so friendly and polite. They are kids that you just want your own kids to hang out with. Not that nonhomeschooled kids are bad, some are just as wonderful. Skaterboy's best friend who lives down the road, is one of the most polite boys I have ever met, and I believe I would trust him in any situation. He is perfect for Skaterboy to hang out with. He has been a great influence on Skaterboy, and has influenced his behavior and attitude in a good way. Skaterboy has been friends with him for about 4 years now, as he attends the school that Skaterboy used to attend, and was in the same class.

Monday, my friend Michelle is coming over, and we are going to redesign my yard. Michelle has a degree in landscaping, and I am so excited to see what she has planned. Scott has been busy tilling up different areas so I am able to plant what I need to when she get here. I know she has quite a few extra perennials for me. It will definitely take work, but I am excited to see the end result. I just planted Pansies in my 2 big planters out front, and I plan to plant my vegetable garden next week. Of course, the kids always like to plant their own little patch, for which I have enjoyed letting them do for the past few years. Two years ago, Truthseeker's little garden fared much better than mine, with certain vegetables. I just love the Summertime, and gardening, and just being outside. Don't you?

I think I will go now, I need to get busy with other stuff. Saturday morning, Skaterboy and I are sneaking out of the house to go mushroom hunting out in the woods. Last week, when he was out exploring with a friend, he came home with a plastic grocery bag half full of Morels. They were so good. We plan to spend a couple hours out there getting what we can before the season ends.

By for now! Amy

NATURE STUDY - ALBINO SNAKE

Yesterday, Skaterboy was exploring in my garden, and found 4 different garden snakes. One of them was albino. Here is a photo of the albino one. It actually had pink eyes. After studying the snakes, skaterboy let them go. I think I will have him look on the Internet and find more information on this snake, and how common they are to this region.

Day 5 - I Wish I Would Have Known That When I Was A Kid

The first and probably most important thing we learned during this workshop, was how to make friends with your bank account.

There are things we didn't know going into this workshop, and I feel more on top of these things now that we know.

The Benefits of Using a separate account/debit card for Vacations:

• You can open a separate account specifically for a vacation, and only take the debit card for that account with you. This is a secure way of knowing that (1. If your wallet or purse gets lost or stolen, no one will be able to get to your main account, and 2. You will be able to stay within your budget better, by only having to keep track of your vacation funds, and not everything else your main account holds. )

The Benefits of Using a separate account/debit card for (EFT) Electronic Fund Transfers.

• You can open a separate account specifically for EFT withdrawals. If you want to make monthly payments to your credit card company, or to another lender using EFT, you are placing all your trust with that lender that they will (1. Take out only the amount you specified; 2. They will take it out on the day you specified; and 3. If you don't have the exact funds to cover it on the exact day on a following month, and call to change the date, they cannot have access to all your other money that is allotted to other bills.)

Create an Emergency Fund:

• The older members of the family should have an emergency fund. Keep in a savings account $1,000 per adult person; and $300-$500 per high school student. Children under high school age should not need an emergency fund.

Teaching Children to be Financially Responsible:

• Teach your children to give at least 10% of what they earn or receive as a gift.
• Teach you children to save at least 50% of what they earn or receive as a gift.
• Let them spend 40% of what they earn or receive as a gift.

The earlier you can start this routine with your children the better. It is much harder for me to convince my 15 year old that he should save 50%, and give 10% of his money, than it is with my 6 and 4 year olds. With them, we usually have them save all their money, and get money out of their piggy banks to give, when they ask. We usually hand money to them for offering at church. I had originally thought that this was a good idea, until the speaker at the conference made these very good points:

• He said that it is important for children to give of their own money (even a few pennies) so they can reap the rewarding feeling of giving. They feel nothing, if money is given to them to put in a plate or pouch that is passed.
• He also said that it is important for children to learn to save for something. He said to start out by having them save for something small, like a toy. Something that won't take very long to save for. Next, have the child pick a somewhat larger item to save for, and then larger, and so on. Telling a 3 year old that they are saving their money for college, makes no sense to them, and therefore means nothing to them. The same with a car. Having a small child save their money for a car is just as ridiculous. The time seems insurmountable, and therefore provides little relevance when it comes to teaching to save.

Chores and Allowance

First of all, he said not to call the money that a child earns for doing chores, allowance. He said to call it commission. When we call it allowance, we are conveying the message that we are allowing them to receive money for work that is done. Commission is based on extra work that is done above and beyond what is expected by living in the home. Children should not be paid to clean their room, put away their clothes or toys, make their bed, set the table, etc... These should be done for free because they live there, and are part of the family. Commission should be paid for things like mowing the lawn, picking up sticks out of the yard, raking the yard, helping mom clean, etc... These things should not be listed on a regular chore list, and should be paid at the time the child completes the task. It is the parents job to think of opportunities in which they can provide work for commission, for their children. A rule of thumb... rate their commission upon how old they are. Approx. $1 for every year of the child is recommended. However, don't feel slighted to pay less if the child only does part of the job, or if your income doesn't allow you to pay that much. Explain to your children ahead of time, that you are a family, and your income does not allow you to pay them as much as they might want to receive. Explain to your children if you are in a financial hardship, and therefore won't be getting as much in commission for that time being. Your child will understand, as well as, teach them valuable lessons for the future.

Some Information for High Schoolers/and Adults...

• Look on-line for scholarships, before entering college. There are millions of dollars in scholarship money that goes unused every year, so apply, apply, apply! There is a scholarship for just about anything.
• Don't ever get a student loan. Work your way through college, and put most of your money toward your college tuition. Or find a job that will pay your way through college. UPS pays 100% for their employees to go to college. Many other places do too.
• Don't ever go to an ATM machine. More debt problems arise each year because of ATM usage. People forget to write things down, and are apt to be more impulsive.
• Don't use credit cards! Just about anything can be done with a debit card these days. It's more secure, and it's a way to keep you from getting out-of-control with your spending.

Thanks for reading, and bearing through all the boring stuff. I thought it was valuable information that I didn't know, and felt that I should share. God Bless!

Day 4 - Patterns For Planning and Paperwork

I apologize for not being as up-to-date as I had planned to be. It has been so beautiful here the past few days. Perfect weather! My plum tree is in full bloom, and the grass is lush and green. I can't help myself, I am an outdoor girl.

Okay, back to the conference. This workshop was definitely the most helpful to me, because I am lacking in knowledge the most in this area. I realize, by posting this on my blog, that homeschoolers from different states may read this, and therefore I must state ahead of time that Illinois (my state) is one of the easiest states to homeschool in, because there are so few requirements. So I advise that you check with your state requirements first, and do what they say, as apposed to what we are able to do in Illinois. What I will be listing below should apply to most any state, if you are able to design your own curriculum.

The first thing that I had to understand was that transcripts are only required for 9th-12th grade. These are not physically required by law, but if you have any hopes of your child entering college in the future, this is a must.

Creating transcripts for your child is fairly easy, and can be done on your home computer. During the high school years, a total of 150-170 credit hours of study should be listed on your child's transcripts. Listing the standard classes for 9th-12th grade with corresponding credit hours are as follows:

• English (Comp., Lit., Dictation, etc.) = 3 credit hours per 1/2 year, or a total of 24 credit hours over the course of 4 years;
• Math (Some algebra/geometry are standard, calculus and trigonometry are optional.) = 3 cr/hrs per 1/2 year, or 24 over 4 years;
• History (Some form of World, American, American Government, and Geography are standard, with US Constitution being required 9th grade year) = 3 cr/hrs per 1/2 year, or 24 over 4 years.
• Science (some form of physics, biology, or geology studies are standard, plus 2 lab credits per year) = 3 cr/hrs per 1/2 year or 30 over 4 years;
• Foreign Language (Spanish, French, Latin, German, Sign (yes, sign language is considered a foreign language), or any other language your child wants to learn.)= 2 cr/hrs per 1/2 year. A minimum of 2 years is required for most colleges, 3 for most universities. So, over 3 years, a total of 16 credits;
• Fine Arts (Music, Art, Drama...I also add Speech and Debate, in these categories)= 1 cr/hr a piece per 1/2 year. For a possibility of 8 cr/hrs per item for 4 years;
• PE (standard PE classes, sports or fun physical exercise your child is interested in)= 1-2 cr/hrs per year, or 4-8 over 4 years;
• Electives (any course of interest or study)= 2 cr/hrs per 1/2 year; or 4 per year.
• An additional 24-28 credits may be given for other student interests or a job the child has.
• Unit studies can be counted as 1/2 credit per unit study.

Please be aware that this is only one example of how you can make your child's schedule for 9th-12th grade. If you want to improvise this to keep you on track with your younger children's schedule, you may do that as well. I like to keep a record of each of my children's progress, so I am able to see where we have come from, and where we still need to go. I also like to keep quarterly reports on how my children are progressing. I do not give report cards, or letter grades. I simply list goals that I have for my children, and when they meet each goal, I mark it as met.

Next year, I will be using letter grades for my oldest son, because he will need a GPA for his HS transcripts. What I wondered entering the workshop was how to fairly calculate a letter grade for a child's work: This is how I understood it. An "A" is given only when a child has given his "best" work; A "B" is given when a child has given "a lot of effort" to his work; A "C" is given when a child has done a "satisfactory" amount of work; A "D" is given if "very little" effort was shown; and an "F" is only given when a child flat out refuses to give any effort at all.

Creating a Transcript

Transcripts come in many different forms, and if we took a look at our own high school transcript we might be surprised to find what it actually looks like. It is held to sacred standards by many a high school, and dues must be paid to even receive a copy of the document. Most are typed on a small piece of paper, and some have hand written scribbles all over it. Some (most sacred) document, to be sure. So, don't feel threatened to attempt to create a transcript. With the modern technology we have today, making a transcript is fairly easy. The basic transcript must include these things:

1. Name
2. Birth date
3. S.S. #
4. Address
5. Listed Courses of study.
6. Record of grades for each class.
7. GPA

That's basically it. You can make it as pretty or plain as you want to. There's really not too much to worry about, because most colleges are used to the growing number of homeschooled children applying these days, and most use their ACT or SAT scores for enrollment anyway.

HS diplomas may be created on your own computer, or they can be ordered on-line through many different homeschool websites.

The instructors also advised that when the child enters their senior year of high school that they be permitted to take a few classes at a junior college. This will help adjust them to a classroom setting, and to having other people in the classroom with them. It will also help them slowly adjust to the college routine.

Fun Stuff

One of the great things about homeschooling is that there is such a broad range of subjects that a child can sink their teeth into. For example:

• Household chores can be listed as Home EC.
• Babysitting can be listed as Child Development.
• Bike Riding can be listed as PE.
• Washing Dishes and putting the food away, can be listed as Food Safety and Sanitation.
• Cooking, can be listed as Food Preparation.

You get the picture. It's pretty hard not to find something your child is doing during a given day, and not make a learning experience out of it.

A Couple of Additional Things

When mailing transcripts to colleges, make sure you include a copy of the child's SAT/ACT scores, which ever one the college he is applying for requests, and a FAFSA form, or financial aid form. It just makes the process go smoother and faster, if that is sent also.

Driver's Ed - Some high school's will permit homeschooled children to take Driver's Ed along with the other students, most will not. You can sign your child up for private lessons, which is what most people do, or there are some homeschool Driver's Ed courses you can purchase as well. I recently saw one advertised in a homeschool magazine I subscribe to.

Lastly, I forgot to mention this. On the bottom of the child's transcripts or on the college application make sure you list any organizations, employment, volunteer service, and awards, the child has been involved with or has received. A lot of colleges look at this section, so it is important to add.

I guess that's about it. I hope I was able to give you some options. I will try to continue tomorrow.