Sunday, June 08, 2008
Speaking about resources...
...the June Edition of The Heart of the Matter is now posted. You can download the whole edition as a PDF or you can read it online. Lots of good stuff there.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Two great resources - the internet and the library
My two favorite resources for homeschooling, and everything else, are the internet and the library. I find both invaluable.
We have always made great use of the library. We made it a point to visit regularly. The kids would pick out books that they were interested in and I'd pick out books that I hoped they would be interested in. :) We would get books to read purely for pleasure and books that would hopefully be pleasureable as well as educational.
Unfortunately for us our small local public library became a part of the high school library and we were not comfortable in going to it during school hours. Instead we took advantage of a library in a bigger community about an hour away. We all looked forward to library day when we would pack up the van and take off for the day. We'd spend an hour or two at the library and then we'd head out to eat somewhere and then hit the stores for a little while before we'd head home. Usually the kids were busy checking out their books during the ride home.
As the children got older I discovered more and more what a great resource we had on hand in our own house with the computer and an internet connection. Through this resource we could connect with people from all over the world. We also discovered that there were lots of great learning related sites for all different subjects available through the internet and we've taken advantage of a lot of them over the years.
In my mind a library card and an internet connection are two very important and very useful resources.
We have always made great use of the library. We made it a point to visit regularly. The kids would pick out books that they were interested in and I'd pick out books that I hoped they would be interested in. :) We would get books to read purely for pleasure and books that would hopefully be pleasureable as well as educational.
Unfortunately for us our small local public library became a part of the high school library and we were not comfortable in going to it during school hours. Instead we took advantage of a library in a bigger community about an hour away. We all looked forward to library day when we would pack up the van and take off for the day. We'd spend an hour or two at the library and then we'd head out to eat somewhere and then hit the stores for a little while before we'd head home. Usually the kids were busy checking out their books during the ride home.
As the children got older I discovered more and more what a great resource we had on hand in our own house with the computer and an internet connection. Through this resource we could connect with people from all over the world. We also discovered that there were lots of great learning related sites for all different subjects available through the internet and we've taken advantage of a lot of them over the years.
In my mind a library card and an internet connection are two very important and very useful resources.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Licking beaters
I made cookies today and I was reminded about a funny that happened here a nice while back.
Around my house it's a normal thing that whenever I use my mixer, which is often, someone comes running to lick the beaters when I'm done. I think that's why the Dairy Queen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard commercial - the one where the guy talks about getting his tongue stuck in the beater - struck me so funny.
A few months back I was looking after a couple of little guys, ages almost 1 and 3. I made cookies one day while they were here and my Little One, 2, came running to get a beater. I gave one to the 3 year old and he looked like he wasn't sure what to do with it. He watched my little one and soon started in to licking and making "mmmmm" sounds of joy. I asked him, "Doesn't your mommy let you lick the beaters when she makes cookies?" His reply to me was, "No, she washes them."
My older kids were aghast at the thought that there were little kids in the world that didn't know the pleasure of licking a beater! DD, 15yo, wasn't impressed that I gave what normally would have been her beater to the little guy. I had to get another beater out of the drawer, dip it in the batter, and give it to her. :)
In his mom's defense I have to say that I mentioned it to her, hoping I hadn't taught them something she didn't approve of, but she assured me she was fine with it but she hardly ever baked so that was why licking the beaters was foreign to him.
His response cracked me up because he apparently thought that I didn't wash my beaters, but let people lick them clean instead. I assure you that isn't so. The beaters do get washed once they've been licked clean. :)
I've had the same little guys here the last few days and today when I used the beater I had three little ones running to get a beater. Last time the 1 year old wasn't quite old enough to get the pleasure but this time he came running too. I had made cookies the day before when they were here and I had taken an extra beater and dipped it in the dough for him. He loved it! Today he came looking for his as soon as he saw the others with theirs.
And yes, I did wash them once they had licked them clean. :)
Around my house it's a normal thing that whenever I use my mixer, which is often, someone comes running to lick the beaters when I'm done. I think that's why the Dairy Queen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard commercial - the one where the guy talks about getting his tongue stuck in the beater - struck me so funny.
A few months back I was looking after a couple of little guys, ages almost 1 and 3. I made cookies one day while they were here and my Little One, 2, came running to get a beater. I gave one to the 3 year old and he looked like he wasn't sure what to do with it. He watched my little one and soon started in to licking and making "mmmmm" sounds of joy. I asked him, "Doesn't your mommy let you lick the beaters when she makes cookies?" His reply to me was, "No, she washes them."
My older kids were aghast at the thought that there were little kids in the world that didn't know the pleasure of licking a beater! DD, 15yo, wasn't impressed that I gave what normally would have been her beater to the little guy. I had to get another beater out of the drawer, dip it in the batter, and give it to her. :)
In his mom's defense I have to say that I mentioned it to her, hoping I hadn't taught them something she didn't approve of, but she assured me she was fine with it but she hardly ever baked so that was why licking the beaters was foreign to him.
His response cracked me up because he apparently thought that I didn't wash my beaters, but let people lick them clean instead. I assure you that isn't so. The beaters do get washed once they've been licked clean. :)
I've had the same little guys here the last few days and today when I used the beater I had three little ones running to get a beater. Last time the 1 year old wasn't quite old enough to get the pleasure but this time he came running too. I had made cookies the day before when they were here and I had taken an extra beater and dipped it in the dough for him. He loved it! Today he came looking for his as soon as he saw the others with theirs.
And yes, I did wash them once they had licked them clean. :)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Little One Makes Her First Letter...
...quite by mistake, but that's okay. :)
Quite some time ago I read about Tot School on this post at Love's School and meant to join in the fun, but I didn't get around to it until now. Carissa started and hosts a Tot School meme. I love the idea of posting about Little One's growth and learning. I wish I had started it long ago.
Little One loves to join us at the kitchen table when DD and I are worked on school work. I give Little One a piece of paper to scribble on and provide her with one writing instrument at a time from a big assortment of markers, crayons, and leads. She happily scribbles while we work. - at least for a while. Some days she'll sit there a long time, other's not so long.
Friday she was happily scribbling when she decided she wanted me to scribble with her and she started asking me to make different people's names. This is a game we have played many, many times. She actually learned to recognize the first letters of our family members when she was quite young through playing this game. She didn't know the letter names, and still doesn't, but she knew who they stood for. Anyway, I wrote the names as she asked me, in between helping DD with her math, and Little One continued scribbling away. Suddenly she exclaimed, "I made me!" and pointed at a spot on her paper. I was shocked to see that, sure enough, she had made a scribble that looked very much like the first letter in her name. I know she didn't try to do it but it is still exciting to think that she recognized what the scribble looked like.
I don't know why I never thought about it before, but that day I decided I'm going to start saving her daily scribble sheets and using them as records of her learning. I'll date them and write little notes on the back and put them all together into a little booklet for her. It will make a great record of her growth and learning and will be so much fun to look back on.
Quite some time ago I read about Tot School on this post at Love's School and meant to join in the fun, but I didn't get around to it until now. Carissa started and hosts a Tot School meme. I love the idea of posting about Little One's growth and learning. I wish I had started it long ago.
Little One loves to join us at the kitchen table when DD and I are worked on school work. I give Little One a piece of paper to scribble on and provide her with one writing instrument at a time from a big assortment of markers, crayons, and leads. She happily scribbles while we work. - at least for a while. Some days she'll sit there a long time, other's not so long.
Friday she was happily scribbling when she decided she wanted me to scribble with her and she started asking me to make different people's names. This is a game we have played many, many times. She actually learned to recognize the first letters of our family members when she was quite young through playing this game. She didn't know the letter names, and still doesn't, but she knew who they stood for. Anyway, I wrote the names as she asked me, in between helping DD with her math, and Little One continued scribbling away. Suddenly she exclaimed, "I made me!" and pointed at a spot on her paper. I was shocked to see that, sure enough, she had made a scribble that looked very much like the first letter in her name. I know she didn't try to do it but it is still exciting to think that she recognized what the scribble looked like.
I don't know why I never thought about it before, but that day I decided I'm going to start saving her daily scribble sheets and using them as records of her learning. I'll date them and write little notes on the back and put them all together into a little booklet for her. It will make a great record of her growth and learning and will be so much fun to look back on.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
A cleaning fit at our house means...
...company's coming
...mom's cranky
...mom has something she should be doing but she's avoiding it
...we've just come back from visiting someone else and Mom realizes what a state our house is
...mom's been reading blog posts about other people working on cleaning and she's feeling guilty
Got this idea from Dana's post, and she got the idea from Sylvia's post, who was inspired by Dawn's post. I changed it up a bit though because I wanted to ask like one of the commentors on Dana's post "What is this clean of which you speak?". Loved that comment! I sometimes go into short cleaning fits but seldom, if ever, does one last long even to actually end up with a clean house. :0)
Dawn's post is a wonderful, inspiring post and I really wish I could have her great attitude, but when I read her statement "We don't clean up messes to have a clean house. We clean up messes so there is room for more mess!" I just can't seem to take the next step with her and "think of cleaning up after my kids as replacing a canvas". I wish I could, but I can't. My response is, "Why clean it up if it's only going to get messy again." Sad, I know. I was really, really inspired by Dawn's post, until Dana's and Sylvia's post revived the real me.
I have to share a funny that happened while I was typing this post. I originally titled it "A cleaning frenzy at our house means..." until I looked in the dictionary to double check the spelling of "frenzy" and I discovered that it means "wild excitement", and I just couldn't bring myself to use it because cleaning does not excite me at all. I decided to try "spree" as a replacement, until I discovered that it means "a noisy frolic", and decided that wasn't right either. It may get noisy when I clean, but it's not fun and I associate frolic with fun. So I decided to try "fit" as a replacement. "any sudden, uncontrollable attack; an outburst, as of anger; in an irregular way". Yep, that's the right word. :)
...mom's cranky
...mom has something she should be doing but she's avoiding it
...we've just come back from visiting someone else and Mom realizes what a state our house is
...mom's been reading blog posts about other people working on cleaning and she's feeling guilty
Got this idea from Dana's post, and she got the idea from Sylvia's post, who was inspired by Dawn's post. I changed it up a bit though because I wanted to ask like one of the commentors on Dana's post "What is this clean of which you speak?". Loved that comment! I sometimes go into short cleaning fits but seldom, if ever, does one last long even to actually end up with a clean house. :0)
Dawn's post is a wonderful, inspiring post and I really wish I could have her great attitude, but when I read her statement "We don't clean up messes to have a clean house. We clean up messes so there is room for more mess!" I just can't seem to take the next step with her and "think of cleaning up after my kids as replacing a canvas". I wish I could, but I can't. My response is, "Why clean it up if it's only going to get messy again." Sad, I know. I was really, really inspired by Dawn's post, until Dana's and Sylvia's post revived the real me.
I have to share a funny that happened while I was typing this post. I originally titled it "A cleaning frenzy at our house means..." until I looked in the dictionary to double check the spelling of "frenzy" and I discovered that it means "wild excitement", and I just couldn't bring myself to use it because cleaning does not excite me at all. I decided to try "spree" as a replacement, until I discovered that it means "a noisy frolic", and decided that wasn't right either. It may get noisy when I clean, but it's not fun and I associate frolic with fun. So I decided to try "fit" as a replacement. "any sudden, uncontrollable attack; an outburst, as of anger; in an irregular way". Yep, that's the right word. :)
"Whereever you are, be all there"
Anne included the quote "Whereever you are, be all there", by Jim Elliot in her amazing post today, How to Practice Being Present to the Presence of God, and it jumped at me. You need to go read her post because it goes in a different direction than I'm going here and it is so inspiring. Don't miss it.
Anyway, the quote itself reminded me of the two blog posts that I referred to in my Become involved with the kids and have fun post from yesterday. I kind of get the idea that God is sending me many differently worded, but same meaning, messages.
This year has been different. DD, almost 16, is my only "official student" and, while I started the year all excited about the fun we were going to have together, it hasn't been as much fun as I thought it would be. I'm realizing, however, that I'm probably to blame for this. I was not as present with her in her studies as I could have been. Instead of my dream of us enjoying our time together she ended up spending much of her time holed up in her room working on her own, with me checking in once in a while to see how things were going.
Off and on throughout the year I would realize that I needed to be more present for her and I would work on doing that for a while, but I soon forgot as I got caught up with other things. The posts the last couple of days have been a great reminder for me and the last two days have been some of the most fun of the year. We worked, talked, and laughed together. It was great. I hope I don't forget again soon.
Anyway, the quote itself reminded me of the two blog posts that I referred to in my Become involved with the kids and have fun post from yesterday. I kind of get the idea that God is sending me many differently worded, but same meaning, messages.
This year has been different. DD, almost 16, is my only "official student" and, while I started the year all excited about the fun we were going to have together, it hasn't been as much fun as I thought it would be. I'm realizing, however, that I'm probably to blame for this. I was not as present with her in her studies as I could have been. Instead of my dream of us enjoying our time together she ended up spending much of her time holed up in her room working on her own, with me checking in once in a while to see how things were going.
Off and on throughout the year I would realize that I needed to be more present for her and I would work on doing that for a while, but I soon forgot as I got caught up with other things. The posts the last couple of days have been a great reminder for me and the last two days have been some of the most fun of the year. We worked, talked, and laughed together. It was great. I hope I don't forget again soon.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Become involved with the kids and have fun
In Melissa Wiley's post Drawing Together she tells about some "family drawing time" they've been enjoying as she "strewed herself" by becoming involved in the activity and instantly became a" child magnet".
I read Melissa's post right after reading Dawn's post Letting Go and Having Fun where she shares about "one of the most plugged in and conscious days" she's had with her kids in a long time.
The two posts just seemed to go together so well that I couldn't not point it out.
I really wanted to title this post "strew yourself and have fun" but I couldn't quite bring myself to do it because of how it might be misread. Sad, because it would have made a great title.
I read Melissa's post right after reading Dawn's post Letting Go and Having Fun where she shares about "one of the most plugged in and conscious days" she's had with her kids in a long time.
The two posts just seemed to go together so well that I couldn't not point it out.
I really wanted to title this post "strew yourself and have fun" but I couldn't quite bring myself to do it because of how it might be misread. Sad, because it would have made a great title.
It's Carnival Time!
The 5th edition of the Canadian Home Educators Carnival is up with visits with homeschoolers in 5 of our provinces. Sure would be nice if we could get visits into each of the provinces. The Carnival blog has a new feature in the side bar - blogs featured in past editions are now listed in drop down menus according to their provinces. Right now some provinces don't have any blogs listed but hopefully it won't take long for that to change. There's a call posted for the next edition, which is to be posted May 27th. Sure would be great to see every province represented in it. Help spread the word about it to increase the chances of that happening.
The 125th Carnival of Homeschooling is also up. Sure hope the Canadian Carnival reaches that mark at some point and that it has grown as big as the Carnival of Homeschooling.
Some people may wonder about the need for a Canadian Carnival of Homeschooling when there is already a general carnival of homeschooling. I don't know about you, but much as I like to read about people from all over the world that have the same interests as I do, there's always something special about reading about people closer to home that share your interests. I think both Carnivals are important.
The 125th Carnival of Homeschooling is also up. Sure hope the Canadian Carnival reaches that mark at some point and that it has grown as big as the Carnival of Homeschooling.
Some people may wonder about the need for a Canadian Carnival of Homeschooling when there is already a general carnival of homeschooling. I don't know about you, but much as I like to read about people from all over the world that have the same interests as I do, there's always something special about reading about people closer to home that share your interests. I think both Carnivals are important.
Monday, May 19, 2008
We all need somebody to lean on
Let's face it, there are times when we all need someone to lean on. In this day and age it is great that when we don't have people near us to turn to we can still get the help and support we need through the internet. For the 5th Home Educating Blog Carnival, in order to learn about different support systems that are available for Canadian Home Educators, it was suggested that we write about our local support groups, or online support groups, that we enjoy.
Homeschooling in Newfoundland and Labrador is not always easy, because our geography has us so spread apart. There is a fairly large group of homeschoolers in the St. John's area, but the rest of us are spread out all across the province.
CHENL, Christian Home Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador, is a provincial homeschool association that was formed in 2003 and is still active today. They offer an annual conference, I attended this year's conference just this month, and also have an email discussion group for members.
In our area this year we have five families that are homeschooling and we have made an attempt to get together regularly. Every second week the moms have attempted to get together one night just to relax and chat. In between these weeks the mom's and children have attempted to get together one afternoon a week for some learning and fun. I say attempted because it didn't always happen, but it sure was great when it did.
These are my only two "in real life" support groups and I am grateful that I have them, but I truly don't find that they completely meet my need for support. For that reason I am so thankful for the online support group that I have been privileged to participate in.
My greatest form of support has come from a private email list that I have been a part of since 1999. It was started by a lady that was at one time living and homeschooling in Newfoundland and knew the need for homeschooling support in Newfoundland. She and one of her friends moved away from Newfoundland but wanted to continue supporting Newfoundland Homeschoolers, so she started the email list. The list, however, has evolved over the years and is no longer specifically for Newfoundland Homeschoolers. New members can be invited to join by present members and members have come and gone over the years. We are presently a group of approximately 20 ladies all across Canada in different stages of homeschooling. The founder just graduated her last child this year. Though there are many miles, or kilometers :), between us we have grown quite close and we support each other through all of the different aspects of our lives, not just the homeschooling. I am so thankful for this group of ladies.
My newest form of support has been checking out homeschooling blogs - both personal blogs and blogs of different homeschooling organizations and resource people. I love getting a glimpse of the lives of homeschoolers around the world, but I especially like checking in on Canadian homeschoolers.
I think it is important to connect with someone, somewhere, somehow, to help you along the homeschool journey. It's not an easy road to travel on your own.
Homeschooling in Newfoundland and Labrador is not always easy, because our geography has us so spread apart. There is a fairly large group of homeschoolers in the St. John's area, but the rest of us are spread out all across the province.
CHENL, Christian Home Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador, is a provincial homeschool association that was formed in 2003 and is still active today. They offer an annual conference, I attended this year's conference just this month, and also have an email discussion group for members.
In our area this year we have five families that are homeschooling and we have made an attempt to get together regularly. Every second week the moms have attempted to get together one night just to relax and chat. In between these weeks the mom's and children have attempted to get together one afternoon a week for some learning and fun. I say attempted because it didn't always happen, but it sure was great when it did.
These are my only two "in real life" support groups and I am grateful that I have them, but I truly don't find that they completely meet my need for support. For that reason I am so thankful for the online support group that I have been privileged to participate in.
My greatest form of support has come from a private email list that I have been a part of since 1999. It was started by a lady that was at one time living and homeschooling in Newfoundland and knew the need for homeschooling support in Newfoundland. She and one of her friends moved away from Newfoundland but wanted to continue supporting Newfoundland Homeschoolers, so she started the email list. The list, however, has evolved over the years and is no longer specifically for Newfoundland Homeschoolers. New members can be invited to join by present members and members have come and gone over the years. We are presently a group of approximately 20 ladies all across Canada in different stages of homeschooling. The founder just graduated her last child this year. Though there are many miles, or kilometers :), between us we have grown quite close and we support each other through all of the different aspects of our lives, not just the homeschooling. I am so thankful for this group of ladies.
My newest form of support has been checking out homeschooling blogs - both personal blogs and blogs of different homeschooling organizations and resource people. I love getting a glimpse of the lives of homeschoolers around the world, but I especially like checking in on Canadian homeschoolers.
I think it is important to connect with someone, somewhere, somehow, to help you along the homeschool journey. It's not an easy road to travel on your own.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Learning to Appreciate
Life has been really crazy around here lately. Just the past two weeks we have traveled from one side of the island to the other. We spent a week with DH's family in a small community near Lance Aux Meadows. We came home for a day before repacking to go to St. John's for a weekend. Our provincial Home Education Association held it's annual conference in St. John's. It was very tiring for us with all the travel, but it was so good to connect with other homeschoolers. DH is gone to his parents again but I opted to stay home this time.
I was inspired by Ann's post, Dandelion Wine, today at Holy Experience. So often I find her posts refreshing, challenging, and encouraging. Today's post really struck me. We've been struggling with what could be considered the weeds of FIL's cancer. Ann's post reminds me that God allowed it, so He must have intended it for good, and we definitely have seen good in it. It doesn't mean we don't struggle, but we will get through it.
At times like this you learn to appreciate the everyday normal things and to pay attention to the beauty around you that you so often over look. You make the most of every day. Other things fade in the background and you reassess your priorities. You learn to overlook things that are not important. You're more aware of the importance of relationships and understanding. I hope they are lessons we won't soon forget.
I was inspired by Ann's post, Dandelion Wine, today at Holy Experience. So often I find her posts refreshing, challenging, and encouraging. Today's post really struck me. We've been struggling with what could be considered the weeds of FIL's cancer. Ann's post reminds me that God allowed it, so He must have intended it for good, and we definitely have seen good in it. It doesn't mean we don't struggle, but we will get through it.
At times like this you learn to appreciate the everyday normal things and to pay attention to the beauty around you that you so often over look. You make the most of every day. Other things fade in the background and you reassess your priorities. You learn to overlook things that are not important. You're more aware of the importance of relationships and understanding. I hope they are lessons we won't soon forget.
Monday, May 12, 2008
My Home Schooling Mentors
When I think back on my homeschooling journey there are two ladies that stand out to me as invaluable mentors. They each inspired and encouraged me in different ways.
I learned about the concept of Homeschooling in a parent's magazine article. It was a totally foreign concept to me, but one that immediately caught my interest. Shortly after reading this article I was told that a new family that had moved into our community, and had children in the same classes as two of my children, had been homeschooling before they moved here. I was intriqued and determined to find out more about it by getting to know the mother. Little did I know how important this lady would become to me.
Kathleen became my first homeschooling mentor. I asked her about her homeschooling experience before she moved here and told her about my interest in it. I think that my interest may have resparked her interest and before long we were both homeschooling our children and looking to each other for support and encouragement. We became very close friends and confidants, and remain friends even though Kathleen ended up moving many, many miles away.
Shortly after I started homeschooling I somehow heard about a number of families that were homeschooling in a community about 2 hours away from my community. I wish I remembered how contact was made but I don't, all I know is that I ended up getting an invitation to join their families for a Valentine's Party.
Kelly stood out to me at that party because her family was like an older version of my family - two boys, one girl. I was so impressed with her children and seeing them gave me confidence that I could do this. Kelly ended up moving away a year or so after this but she had the foresight to do something which I am so thankful for. She felt for those of us that would be left behind and she started an email list for us to keep in contact so that we could continue to support and encourage one another. I have continued to be encouraged by Kelly's family as I have watched her children complete their studies at home and grow into young adults taking their place in the world.
Thank-you, Kathleen and Kelly, for the part that you played in this incredible journey I've been on.
I learned about the concept of Homeschooling in a parent's magazine article. It was a totally foreign concept to me, but one that immediately caught my interest. Shortly after reading this article I was told that a new family that had moved into our community, and had children in the same classes as two of my children, had been homeschooling before they moved here. I was intriqued and determined to find out more about it by getting to know the mother. Little did I know how important this lady would become to me.
Kathleen became my first homeschooling mentor. I asked her about her homeschooling experience before she moved here and told her about my interest in it. I think that my interest may have resparked her interest and before long we were both homeschooling our children and looking to each other for support and encouragement. We became very close friends and confidants, and remain friends even though Kathleen ended up moving many, many miles away.
Shortly after I started homeschooling I somehow heard about a number of families that were homeschooling in a community about 2 hours away from my community. I wish I remembered how contact was made but I don't, all I know is that I ended up getting an invitation to join their families for a Valentine's Party.
Kelly stood out to me at that party because her family was like an older version of my family - two boys, one girl. I was so impressed with her children and seeing them gave me confidence that I could do this. Kelly ended up moving away a year or so after this but she had the foresight to do something which I am so thankful for. She felt for those of us that would be left behind and she started an email list for us to keep in contact so that we could continue to support and encourage one another. I have continued to be encouraged by Kelly's family as I have watched her children complete their studies at home and grow into young adults taking their place in the world.
Thank-you, Kathleen and Kelly, for the part that you played in this incredible journey I've been on.
Monday, May 05, 2008
3rd Canadian Home Educators Blog Carnival is up
...you can check it out here. Be sure to visit all the contributors and to leave them a comment.
We're having a nice visit with the inlaws. One of the advantages of homeschooling is that we can do this without worrying about missed schooling - we just take our school work with us and take advantage of learning topics and activities that come our way wherever we are. DD was checking out some history and geography information about this part of the island this morning and she was having a grand time learning things she wasn't aware of before.
Little one has been keeping everyone entertained. She's a little out of sorts sometimes. I think that's partially from missing her toys and not having the channels to watch some of her favorite TV shows. She told her grandfather this morning that he had to go to bed because she wanted to watch TV and she was afraid he was going to change the channel. How do you teach a very vocal 2 year old about respecting her elders? Especially when everyone laughs at her when she does stuff like that!
I managed to do a bit of scrapping the last couple of days. I made a card and envelope set each day and I'm really pleased with both. I'm hoping to post some pictures on my scrappin blog when we get home again.
We're having a nice visit with the inlaws. One of the advantages of homeschooling is that we can do this without worrying about missed schooling - we just take our school work with us and take advantage of learning topics and activities that come our way wherever we are. DD was checking out some history and geography information about this part of the island this morning and she was having a grand time learning things she wasn't aware of before.
Little one has been keeping everyone entertained. She's a little out of sorts sometimes. I think that's partially from missing her toys and not having the channels to watch some of her favorite TV shows. She told her grandfather this morning that he had to go to bed because she wanted to watch TV and she was afraid he was going to change the channel. How do you teach a very vocal 2 year old about respecting her elders? Especially when everyone laughs at her when she does stuff like that!
I managed to do a bit of scrapping the last couple of days. I made a card and envelope set each day and I'm really pleased with both. I'm hoping to post some pictures on my scrappin blog when we get home again.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Happy National Scrapbooking Day!
Some of you may not be aware but today is National Scrapbooking Day. I was introduced to Scrapping as a hobby about two years ago and it's something I greatly enjoy. I've been in a bit of a scrapping slump for quite a while now and haven't done much scrapping but I still keep on eye on what other people are doing and every once in a while I get out of my slump for a little while and enjoy creating again.
Carla, one of my local homeschooling friends is also a scrapbooker. Actually, she's the one that got me interested in it. The last time she was the host of our bi-weekly homeschooling mom's get together she had us all making cards. It was great fun! Shortly after that session we all gathered at another homeschoolers home and scrapped again and this time the teen girls joined us. We had a great time.
Carla helped plan an all day National Scrapbooking Day party in our community for today. I'd love to be there but I'm 6 hours away visiting with the inlaws.
The second edition of the Canadian Scrapbookers Blog Carnival was posted yesterday. It was a special edition with people sharing their plans for celebrating National Scrapbooking Day. Drop by and check it out.
Carla, one of my local homeschooling friends is also a scrapbooker. Actually, she's the one that got me interested in it. The last time she was the host of our bi-weekly homeschooling mom's get together she had us all making cards. It was great fun! Shortly after that session we all gathered at another homeschoolers home and scrapped again and this time the teen girls joined us. We had a great time.
Carla helped plan an all day National Scrapbooking Day party in our community for today. I'd love to be there but I'm 6 hours away visiting with the inlaws.
The second edition of the Canadian Scrapbookers Blog Carnival was posted yesterday. It was a special edition with people sharing their plans for celebrating National Scrapbooking Day. Drop by and check it out.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Fun Get Together
Last Friday was my turn to host our local homeschoolers for our bi-weekly get together. Because I thought it was National Wildlife Week I decided to plan some activities based on that theme.
I wrote about National Wildlife Week on the Newfoundland and Labrador Homeschool Nations Blog that I am co-ordinator for at the moment after I had heard about it on another homeschoolers blog. I really liked the "Tell Your Wildlife Watch Story" that I found on the National Wildlife Federation website while researching for that post. We have a local homeschool family that is very into watching nature and I knew they would like that idea and I thought others might too.
The day before our get together I went searching the internet for other ideas and possible materials that I could work into the get together and I discovered something that threw me right off for a little while. I don't know why I didn't discover this information when I was doing the research for my post about National Wildlife Week, but for whatever reason I didn't come across that information then but I did come across it that day.
Through this website I discovered that Canada actually celebrates National Wildlife Week the week that April 10 falls on, in honor of Jack Miner's birthday "to create a perpetual memorial to honour him for his pioneer work in wildlife conservation". There's lots of interesting information about Jack Miner on that site - like the fact that the outdoors was his classroom because he was not suited for school and only attended 3 months, and the fact that he included scripture verses on the bands that he put on the birds he banded.
Then I found this site all about National Wildlife Week in Canada and how the theme for this year's National Wildlife Week was "Pollinators – from flowers to food to our future". I tried printing off the Pollinator Puzzle cards from the learning center part of the site but my printer was out of ink.
I decided to go ahead and still use National Wildlife Week as the theme for our get together and to share some of what I had learned. DD and I brainstormed about possible ways to do this, and I'm pleased to say we came up with a plan that worked out really well.
When the homeschoolers arrived we all sat around and chatted for a while before I told them how I thought this was National Wildlife week and I found a neat site where they could report nature findings. We all took turns sharing our recent experiences in spotting different animals in the outdoors. There were some great stories - like the one about the mom that was playing tug of war with a weasel in their cupboard recently!
After that I told them about my mistake in thinking it was National Wildlife Week and I shared with them some of what I had learned about Jack Miner and Canada's National Wildlife Week. I had also printed of Jack Miner's Testimony from the homepage of the site for them to take home.
Then came the fun part! The night before DD and I had brainstormed a list of creatures that are common to our province. We had cut this list into strips of individual creatures and put them in a hat. We had each homeschooler pick out one, which they were to keep totally to themselves and not tell anyone else what they had. Then we gave each of them a clump of white homemade playdoh, which we had made the night before, to make their creatures. We also supplied them with markers to use to color their creatures once they were made. What fun we had! Some even decided to pick a second creature to make while they were waiting for others to finish their first ones. They did a great job and of course they ended up chatting while working and everyone pretty well knew what everyone was making before they were finished. One of the mom's took pictures of the creations which I will post when I get them.
I wrote about National Wildlife Week on the Newfoundland and Labrador Homeschool Nations Blog that I am co-ordinator for at the moment after I had heard about it on another homeschoolers blog. I really liked the "Tell Your Wildlife Watch Story" that I found on the National Wildlife Federation website while researching for that post. We have a local homeschool family that is very into watching nature and I knew they would like that idea and I thought others might too.
The day before our get together I went searching the internet for other ideas and possible materials that I could work into the get together and I discovered something that threw me right off for a little while. I don't know why I didn't discover this information when I was doing the research for my post about National Wildlife Week, but for whatever reason I didn't come across that information then but I did come across it that day.
Through this website I discovered that Canada actually celebrates National Wildlife Week the week that April 10 falls on, in honor of Jack Miner's birthday "to create a perpetual memorial to honour him for his pioneer work in wildlife conservation". There's lots of interesting information about Jack Miner on that site - like the fact that the outdoors was his classroom because he was not suited for school and only attended 3 months, and the fact that he included scripture verses on the bands that he put on the birds he banded.
Then I found this site all about National Wildlife Week in Canada and how the theme for this year's National Wildlife Week was "Pollinators – from flowers to food to our future". I tried printing off the Pollinator Puzzle cards from the learning center part of the site but my printer was out of ink.
I decided to go ahead and still use National Wildlife Week as the theme for our get together and to share some of what I had learned. DD and I brainstormed about possible ways to do this, and I'm pleased to say we came up with a plan that worked out really well.
When the homeschoolers arrived we all sat around and chatted for a while before I told them how I thought this was National Wildlife week and I found a neat site where they could report nature findings. We all took turns sharing our recent experiences in spotting different animals in the outdoors. There were some great stories - like the one about the mom that was playing tug of war with a weasel in their cupboard recently!
After that I told them about my mistake in thinking it was National Wildlife Week and I shared with them some of what I had learned about Jack Miner and Canada's National Wildlife Week. I had also printed of Jack Miner's Testimony from the homepage of the site for them to take home.
Then came the fun part! The night before DD and I had brainstormed a list of creatures that are common to our province. We had cut this list into strips of individual creatures and put them in a hat. We had each homeschooler pick out one, which they were to keep totally to themselves and not tell anyone else what they had. Then we gave each of them a clump of white homemade playdoh, which we had made the night before, to make their creatures. We also supplied them with markers to use to color their creatures once they were made. What fun we had! Some even decided to pick a second creature to make while they were waiting for others to finish their first ones. They did a great job and of course they ended up chatting while working and everyone pretty well knew what everyone was making before they were finished. One of the mom's took pictures of the creations which I will post when I get them.
Monday, April 28, 2008
I need your help
The next edition of the Canadian Home Educators Blog Carnival is supposed to be posted May 5th and so far I only have one submission. I would love for you to help me get the word out about the carnival so that hopefully I will get more submissions. Also, I've made some changes to the Canadian Home Educators Blog Carnival Blog and added a couple of polls to the side bar. I'd love it if you would take the time to check this out, participate in the polls, and leave a comment letting me know what you think of the changes, and encourage others to do the same.
Thanks. Hopefully I'll soon be able to stop begging people to help me out with this thing. :) I'm really looking forward to getting back to using my blog to post about my life instead.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks. Hopefully I'll soon be able to stop begging people to help me out with this thing. :) I'm really looking forward to getting back to using my blog to post about my life instead.
Thanks for your help.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Hope in bad times
Our family received some sad news this week. FIL's tumor is back already and the doctor says there's nothing they can do. They say that time is short for him.
It's at times like this that I am especially thankful for my faith in God. I was reminded of that again this week as I read the Death is Not a Threat post at the Desiring God blog. Philippians 1:21 says that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain". When a life is dedicated to God dying is not a threat, it is a promotion. Sure it still hurts when you get news such as we did this week, but you have an ultimate hope and peace that lessens the sting inspite of the sorrow.
We are still praying for healing for FIL, that he would get to live whatever days he has left in praise and honor to God, but, because he has let us know that he has made his peace with God, we have a peace that when his days are finally over we will see him again in eternity.
It's at times like this that I am especially thankful for my faith in God. I was reminded of that again this week as I read the Death is Not a Threat post at the Desiring God blog. Philippians 1:21 says that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain". When a life is dedicated to God dying is not a threat, it is a promotion. Sure it still hurts when you get news such as we did this week, but you have an ultimate hope and peace that lessens the sting inspite of the sorrow.
We are still praying for healing for FIL, that he would get to live whatever days he has left in praise and honor to God, but, because he has let us know that he has made his peace with God, we have a peace that when his days are finally over we will see him again in eternity.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Canadian Home Educators Carnival now has it's own blog
I decided to make a blog especially for the Carnival of Canadian Home Educators. From now on the Carnival calls for submissions and different editions will be posted at the Canadian Home Educators Carnival.
My purpose in creating the carnival was to unite Canadian home educating bloggers, not to increase traffic to my blog, and I just thought it would be better for the carnival to have it's own blog space. I also created an email account just for the carnival. It just seemed like a better idea than using my own personal email. From now on any email about the Carnival can be sent to canadianhomeeducatorscarnival@gmail.com .
I have posted a call for submissions to the Third carnival of Canadian Home Educators here. The deadline for submissions is May 2nd.
Please help spread the news about the new site and also about the new call.
My purpose in creating the carnival was to unite Canadian home educating bloggers, not to increase traffic to my blog, and I just thought it would be better for the carnival to have it's own blog space. I also created an email account just for the carnival. It just seemed like a better idea than using my own personal email. From now on any email about the Carnival can be sent to canadianhomeeducatorscarnival@gmail.com .
I have posted a call for submissions to the Third carnival of Canadian Home Educators here. The deadline for submissions is May 2nd.
Please help spread the news about the new site and also about the new call.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Menus Moved to New Blog
I've decided to post my menu plan posts and recipes at a blog I had orginally started for my family to share recipes on. As nobody else seemed interested in it, I have now taken it over. :) If you're interested you can check out my menu plan for this week here.
Second Carnival of Canadian Home Educators
Thank you to those of you that took the time to submit a post to this edition of the Carnival of Canadian Home Educators. We have one return participant and three new participants.
Jackie's been around the block in education and she talks about a "life long love for learning" and Why Homeschooling is a Wise Educational Alternative. Her blog is a new venture. Be sure to visit and encourage her.
In her post Osmosis School, Audrey shows how her son is exhibiting that love for learning as he asks for an opportunity to "suck up" his schooling while he is having a sick day.
Dawn confesses to a problem that I think most of us experience when it comes to planning - going overboard, and then having nothing come of it. She's decided to combine some Restraint and Scheduling
On her family's nature blog, Jessica, a homeschooling preteen, shares some great pictures of a squirrel that visited their yard recently. I love the idea of a family nature blog where everyone has a turn to post.
Carla asks us to Look at these two as she catches a rare moment of peace and togetherness between two or her crew that are usually at odds with one another.
And there you have the second edition of the Carnival of Canadian Home Educators. While the submissions are few, they give you a small glimpse into the varied lives of homeschooling families across Canada. That's what I was hoping to accomplish with this Carnival - a chance to see similarities and differences in home educating families across our country.
It looks like the Carnival of Canadian Home Educators is going to be as hard a sell as the Dominion of Canada. :) Though I searched my sp*m folder diligently I didn't find any extra submissions this time around. I'm not ready to give up yet though, even if I am a little discouraged.
I'd love your thoughts on this venture, and any suggestions you might have on how to improve it. You can leave a comment below or you can email canadianhomeeducatorscarnival@gmail.com .
Jackie's been around the block in education and she talks about a "life long love for learning" and Why Homeschooling is a Wise Educational Alternative. Her blog is a new venture. Be sure to visit and encourage her.
In her post Osmosis School, Audrey shows how her son is exhibiting that love for learning as he asks for an opportunity to "suck up" his schooling while he is having a sick day.
Dawn confesses to a problem that I think most of us experience when it comes to planning - going overboard, and then having nothing come of it. She's decided to combine some Restraint and Scheduling
On her family's nature blog, Jessica, a homeschooling preteen, shares some great pictures of a squirrel that visited their yard recently. I love the idea of a family nature blog where everyone has a turn to post.
Carla asks us to Look at these two as she catches a rare moment of peace and togetherness between two or her crew that are usually at odds with one another.
And there you have the second edition of the Carnival of Canadian Home Educators. While the submissions are few, they give you a small glimpse into the varied lives of homeschooling families across Canada. That's what I was hoping to accomplish with this Carnival - a chance to see similarities and differences in home educating families across our country.
It looks like the Carnival of Canadian Home Educators is going to be as hard a sell as the Dominion of Canada. :) Though I searched my sp*m folder diligently I didn't find any extra submissions this time around. I'm not ready to give up yet though, even if I am a little discouraged.
I'd love your thoughts on this venture, and any suggestions you might have on how to improve it. You can leave a comment below or you can email canadianhomeeducatorscarnival@gmail.com .
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