Ideas for Electives

In planning for 6th grade, we have decided on 2 of our electives. She wants Home Economics and Photography. I was able to find a neat (and by neat I mean free LOL) Home Ec course online, but could use some ideas on a very beginner course on digital photography. I just need a half semester of lessons if any has any suggestions. Thanks!

Peace

Farmer's Market & Home Produce

Saturday morning we went to a local farmer's market and the children really enjoyed shopping from booth to booth. Fresh fruits and vegetables are so expensive, but we found some great Queen Anne Cherries, cabbage, corn on the cob and the sweetest peaches we have ever had.

This morning, we picked one of our heads lettuce and 1 grape tomato and made the smallest, tastiest salad for dinner.

(carrots and celery added)

Planning For Fall

I am entering my 6th year of h'schooling and even with adding 2 more "students" last year (LOL) my system has made planning easy. 6th grade's schedule will change a bit, but that should be small. Last year her math class was at the same time as 1st grade's language art, (difficult subjects for each respectively) so it was a bit frustrating for us all when both needed help.

Due to life-altering events in our family, summer school has not been as successful as I had hoped, but flexibility is one of the perks. The kids were using Summer Bridge Workbooks this year again, but they will not complete them.

This year our family vacation is a 3-weeker, so we will probably start school a week earlier to compensate for the extra week. We usually do partial school while on vacation just so that we don't get too far behind because in November we are already thinking of ending our school year at the end of May. LOL! It looks like a September 1 start date.

Curriculum:

6th Grade:

Alpha Omega Publication Switched On Schoolhouse
Rosetta Stone (Foreign Language)
Handwriting Without Tears

2nd Grade:

AOP Lifepac
Rosetta Stone
Handwriting Without Tears

Pre-K:

Premium Educational Series (Language Arts & Math)
Spectrum Basic Concepts
Handwriting Without Tears
Lots of puzzles, beads, sewing cards, finger puppets, lapbooks, play doh, music, phonics and more.

Dump Truck Basketball

The little boys have invented a new backyard game: Dump truck basketball. They were giggling and having so much fun. James had watched a wheelchair basketball game on Saturday that he said gave him the idea. Such a sweet boy and so much fun to watch.

How Does She Know?!?

For 11 years I was a crises intervention therapist and carried a beeper/cell phone, 24/7. When I came home 5 years ago, I ceremoniously dismantled my "electric leashes" as I often (sometimes even fondly) called them and planned a cell phone-free life. But my father still wanted to me to have one for emergencies and family contact, so he put me on his plan and he pays for it.

~blush~

My father likes new gadgets and so every year when the newest, latest comes out, he really likes to have it (leftover feelings of not having stuff as a kid is my thought...but I digress) and I end of getting a matching new toy. This month we got the Blackberry Pearls and let me say, I am not usually too technically challenged, but this thing has so much stuff on it that when the guy finished telling me about all of the gadgets, my only question was, "How do I just make a phone call?" LOL!

When I got home I was just kinda clicking around on it to learn how to use it and my 11 year old comes up and starts explaining how to do this and that and I just looked at her?!?!? How does she know these things? To my knowledge, she has not owned a Blackberry.

Kids... handier than a user manual!

Trip To The Lake

We went to the lake today. I had a list:

sunscreen - check
blankets - check
extra clothes - check
first aid kit - check

It was a perfectly executed loading of the van and unloading once we got there. It was a beautiful time of day and there was joy and excitement... and I would have a visual to share with everyone except....

I forgot my camera!

But we sure had fun!

Happy 4th of July!!

For the 4th, we usually get giant, smoked turkey legs and go park early evening to wait for the fireworks show. Last year we got a great parking space near the front, you know, first ones there kinda parking. However, that meant we were the last to get out of the parking lot... 1 hour 20 minutes to get home, a 3.5 mile trip. So this year I wove my way through one of the back neighborhoods and found a great view with no crowd.

Our little Rottie has started eating cereal, fruits and veggies and always reaches for whatever we are eating.

Boy did he really want to work on the turkey leg!

Happy Safe Holiday all!