The Journey

Ready...Set...Go!

2012-02-04T18:56:00.001-08:00

Ok ok ok...so I have been MIA. I tried out Weebly, did not like it, and am back.

Also, I have a surprise...we are no longer homeschooling. My son started back at public school about a week ago. More on that later...be on the lookout for more posts on this transition from homeschool to public school...along with some homeschool giveaways!

Panera Bread Celebrates Healthy Kids Week

2011-05-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE! SAVE THE DATE!! SAVE THE DATE!!!

Over the next three years, Oklahoma is predicted to have the highest childhood obesity rate in the nation. Panera Bread would like to do something to help prevent that from happening. We've always prided ourselves on providing healthy options for our guests, but now we would like to take it a step further by providing direct information to children and parents in our community.

What: Panera Bread's Healthy Kids Week

When: Monday, June 6 - Friday, June 10, 2:00 p.m. each day

Schedule of Events:

Monday, June 6 Exercise and Fitness with Lezlie Stacy at the Panera Bread at 1472 S. Bryant, Edmond, OK

Tuesday, June 7 Healthy Eating Habits with Christina Windrix at the Panera Bread at 2200 W. Main in Norman, OK

Wednesday, June 8 Safety and Injury Prevention with Andrea Edmondson at the Panera Bread at 3321 NW Expressway in OKC, OK

Thursday, June 9 Oral Health Care with Dr. Jana Winfree at the Panera Bread at 10600 S. Penn in OKC, OK

Friday, June 10 Tobacco Use Prevention with Latricia Morgan at the Panera Bread at 6800 N. Western in OKC, OK

Who: All OKC-metro children and their parents

Cost: FREE

Please feel free to contact me for further information. Thank you in advance for helping us reach as many people as possible. Have a great day!

Aubrey Iasiello
Market Relations Manager
Oklahoma City Bakery, Inc.
a Franchisee of Panera, LLC
10600 S. Penn, Suite 1
Oklahoma City, OK 73170
Cell: (405)627-1417
Fax: (405)-378-0840

Summer Fun - Choctaw, OK

2011-05-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

Please help me spread the word about this great opportunity in Choctaw. Tri-City youth and Family Center is offering free one week sessions for kids 10 to 15 with fun activities like ropes courses, working with horses (not riding), games, and discussions about self-esteem, bullying, nutrition and health/wellness. Sessions begin June 6, so call soon! 390-8131

Calming Aromatherapy Spray

2011-03-18T07:32:00.001-07:00

Add one cup of water to a spray bottle. Add these essential oils:

- 3 drops lavender

- 2 drops palmarosa

- 2 drops jasmine

- 1 drop geranium

Shake and spray in air.

Sad State of Education

2011-03-08T08:03:00.001-08:00

Now that I am back at school, while homeschooling, I have noticed one thing that I find pathetic.

Credit card swiping option on vending machines.

What are we teaching college kids?

Project: Simplify

2011-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to get started with Simple Mom in a 5 week decluttering extraveganza! You?

Negative Life

2011-03-05T05:19:00.001-08:00

I have a close friend from childhood. We are friends on Facebook and I might see her when I go home once every five years. She is probably THE most negative friend I have on Facebook. Why do I have her added? I think out of some sense of duty. It makes me wonder though. How can you live your life with every moment being a complaint?

Shouldn't life be enjoyable? If I felt and acted the same way she does toward a job I would quit. Why would I keep a job that I cannot stand? Wouldn't you want to make your life better? Maybe some people enjoy the negative life. Not me. I want to savor every awesome minute I am alive.

What about you?

January 2011 in Review

2011-03-05T04:57:00.000-08:00

JANUARY 2011 IN REVIEW

Jeffery's late bday sleepover. Introducing Jonathan...

Michael...

Nerf wars...

Birthday Boy Jeffery...

Eli...

and Shon.

A little organizing for me in January.

A little Build A Bear for Jeffery. Purchased clothes and guitar. Bear was free since Brian deployed.

He's rockin' a Longhorn's shirt, Jeffery's fav team.

Jeffery enjoying attention.

Jeffery lovin' on his bear.

We went to the Oklahoma City Zoo with our besties (Robbi's fam)

Strange kids. lol Quick tip: Always let them have a goofy pic in exchange for a good one.

HA HA! Now to explain this picture. I have a slightly dramatic child. This is an interactive exhibit by the flamingos. You get to sit on eggs. Not mine. He's pooping them out.

Alex is a good boy. He is only hatching his. lol

3 monkey kids trapped!

Alex sliding.

Jeffery sliding.

Green snakes.

Tree frog

Snakey!

Cindy's kids, Robbi's kids, Allie's kids, and mine!

Jonathan and Jeffery

Seven

Cutie Gage!

Cutie Jack!

Robbi and Cindy checking on baby Jo.

Baby Joe!

Allie

Jayla and Joe

Gage vs the squirrel

Jeffery washing Brian's truck for money.

Getting the entry in order. New bench, new mirror.

SNOW! Again?

This is the sadest picture. Jeffery is morning the loss of his snow. He was not feeling great the morning after the good snowfall. He ended up having strep and the flu. This moment was his moment with the snow.

Oh heaven! Fried eggs and spam after being snowed out of school...yet again.

Sadie talking.

Snow ice cream to chear up the boy.

Frantic frozen faucet moment. Thawed...turned out to be leaking not busted.

I will be happy to not shovel any snow next year. Twice shoveled 12 inches. There are pumpkins under that snow. lol

Called to Homeschool

2011-03-05T04:44:00.001-08:00

I often hear that God called a mother to homeschool or that a mother felt it is her duty Biblically to homeschool. I always said I homeschool because the public school was not providing what my son needed. Public school was too slow. Public school socialization is not good socialization. Am I right? Was I not called to homeschool?

Today I read a homeschool devotional and it was my first time to feel like maybe I was called to homeschool but I have been defensive about hearing from God. Long story short, spiritually I have not been the same since what I thought was God's will did not happen. To make it worse, my mentor decided I was not hearing from God. That is a hard thing to hear. It started me on a path of feeling I don't hear from God anymore.

Today is a new day. I will start listening for God's still small voice. I am believing I have been called to homeschool. God does speak to me. I am his beautiful daughter and He loves me dearly.

Cooking Tips

2011-03-04T16:17:00.001-08:00

COOKING TIPS

1. Use unsalted butter then add salt to control your salt intake.

2. Use PAM lid to cut out cookies.

3. Store frozen logs of dough in empty foil box to keep it from getting smooshed.

4. Add left over eggnog for milk in pancakes and other baked stuff.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

To my amazing husband, happy Valentine's Day! Here is a special tribute to you on our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife, even if it's billions of miles away. :X

Today on this very special Valentine's Day you are far away. Today on this very special day, I have a hole in my heart. It's like a piece of my soul is missing. When we got married we became one and now when we are apart it's like I am only half of a person. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for encouraging me. Thank you for putting up with me. :D You are an amazing blessing in my life. I couldn't have asked for a better husband. I am SO looking forward to you coming home and finally getting a big hug from you.

Baby you're all that I want...

Burgers! $0.85 TOMORROW!

2011-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Frugal Army Wife informed me of a secret...

$0.85 "Jennings Burgers" (aka Papa Burger Singles) at participating A&W's tomorrow only!

Review: Homemade Oven Cleaner

2011-02-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

So I did it! Well I did several things. lol I have wanted to:

- make a homemade cleaner

-use the Borax I bought a year ago

-clean my oven

So here is my dirty little secret. I don't clean my oven. Not because I don't want to. Because I fear the chemicals in the oven cleaner you buy at the grocery store. It's just nasty. Well, my sweet friend Allie who always keeps me informed shared a link to homemade oven cleaner made with things I actually had!

Ok...so are you ready to actually see my dirty little secret? I truly is a master piece in dirtiness.

Ok ok ok...I know. There is the cleaner already in this picture. In my defense...it was so dirty that the picture was too dark to see without anything else in it. lol It had a nice layer of funk from when my Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan broke in half. That's another story...

So I mixed up the few ingredients needed, it made a paste, and I applied it with my husband's basting brush (shhh he is deployed).

I probably went too thick so I didn't actually have enough to do the whole oven. I wanted to make sure I had enough on it though. I don't have two windows on my door. The top is part of the door I didn't have enough to cover. I was also using it to see the before and after. I didn't have enough to do the sides, back, top, and remainder of the door. I did apply a strip of it on the oven window (middle white line). I wanted to see how it worked on glass or if it would mess up the glass.

By the time I finished using up my bowl I noticed back where my first application was, the brown was already starting to show through. Sweet!

It did foam up a little but not like the chemically kind. It didn't smell great but not horrible either. I didn't use any essential oils because...well...I don't have any. I let that baby go over night. Got up in the morning...vegged out on the couch...drank coffee...finally got to it about 9ish...10ish. It took a while. I had a bowl, green scrubby sponge, eventually grabbed a spoon to scrap. At first I was not that impressed. I was like eh...it's okay. It definitely didn't pull up my funk. It pulled the newer funk up. But it definitely did loosen up the other stuff. I used a tablespoon and about 30 minutes of elbow grease to get most of it up. Here is what I ended up with.

Much better than I thought! You can tell on the door where I applied it. I didn't scrub this (ok maybe a little with the green pad but seriously not much). No spoon scrapping required. It didn't damage the glass either! Here is a closer look at the inside:

Still some funk but a big improvement AND now I have a cleaner I feel safe with! I would absolutely do this again!

I do have a couple of caveats:

- Allie used dish soap for the liquid soap...she said it sudsed up so bad it wasn't worth it. When I clicked on the liquid soap link on the recipe it took me to their recipe for homemade laundry soap. I used laundry soap. Allie also wasn't happy with the results. I don't know how her's looked but I am pretty happy with mine.

- Heating element. It's going to get stuff on it. Try not to. Take a clean, wet cloth and just clean it up once you remove all the cleaner. The green scrubby was not enough to get the soap residue out of the oven. I had to pull out a cleaning rag. It did the trick.

- Crevices (in Bear Grylls' awesome accent). Oven's aren't one large piece of metal. You are going to have crevices that the cleaner gets into. I used the green scrubby to get the big stuff, rag to get as much extra as I could, then I set the oven to 500 once I was done and let it cook the rest in or dry it out at least. It had a slight funny smell for about the first 5 min of being warm. Nothing that took over the house. I noticed it near the oven but not anywhere else. It was gone a few minutes later. *ding!* Done!

So this is definitely a cleaner I would use again. It pretty much took baking soda, liquid laundry soap (I use Seventh Generation), vinegar (I used cider vinegar), and Borax. Worth it! I had all of those just hanging out. Win-Win for me!

Letter #1 - My best friend

2011-02-01T20:11:00.001-08:00

Dear Best Friend,

You have been a blessing in my life. You have such a beautiful way about you. I love you dearly but I worry about everything concerning you. Sometimes I worry myself sick.

I worry about your view of your spouse. You constantly belittle him to me and everyone else even though I catch you loving him dearly. I know that you adore him but you hardly show it. Your concerns are valid but unfortunately your attitude toward it destroys your chances of getting him to change.

So often I want to sit you down and talk to you about this but I'm sadly not strong enough for that.

I honestly do have more to say but I'm so tired. I may continue this later. :)

Love you always...even when you make me mad. lol

Teresa

30 Days of Torture

2011-02-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Fellow blogger, Tara, is doing a 30 Days of Letters Challenge. I'm coining mine 30 Days of Torture. I'm a very private person and this is a very deep challenge. I'll contemplate, cry, and probably throw my netbook. I love new journeys though and this should be quite healing.

Here are the categories:

My best friend

My crush

My parents

My siblings

My dreams

A stranger

My ex

My favorite internet friend

Someone I wish I could meet

Someone I don't talk to as much as I'd like

A deceased person I wish I could talk to

The person I hate most or who caused me a lot of pain

A person I wish could forgive me

Someone I've drifted away from

The person I miss the most

Someone who's not in my state/country

Someone from my childhood

The person I wish I could be

Someone from my childhood

The person I wish I could be

Someone who pesters my mind

The one who broke my heart the hardest

Someone I judged on a first impression

Someone I want to give a second chance to

The last person I kissed

The person who gave me my favorite memory

The person I know is going through the worst of times

The last person I made a pinky promis to

The friendliest person I knew for only a day

Someone that changed my life

The person I want to tell everything to, but am afraid to

My reflection in the mirror

FREE Learn to Read Program in January ONLY

2011-01-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

Funnix is a learn to read program that is offering it for FREE in the month of January. Be sure to take advantage of this! The program normally cost $249. The free version is electronic. Enjoy!

Small Things Can Leave Lasting Impressions

2011-01-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Today was a very special day to me. God reminded me how special my husband is. It was small but huge to me.

While he was packing I saw him pack his Bible. I didn't remind him, I didn't ask him, I didn't beg him to take it. He did it because he wanted to. I'm extremely proud to be his wife. I love you Brian.

FREE Offer for Deployed Parents

2011-01-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

Deployed offers are near and dear to my heart right now. My husband deploys in a few days.

At A Story Before Bed deployed parents can have a special surprise made for their child/ren.

The number offered is limited so go check it out. You may find that it's not for you. We decided against it because we worried it would upset my son. He stays pretty busy so we think that this would only remind him. Some children may need this, especially very small children. Hopefully it will benefit your family. :)

FREE Zoo Admission

2011-01-06T08:03:00.001-08:00

Oklahoma City Zoo has FREE admission on Mondays in January and February. Enjoy!

The Journey Begins...Again.

2011-01-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Life has quite a way of taking you by surprise. First lets start with the past...

Before: I had been working for the State and my job changed for the worst. I had no time for anything...barely enough for homeschool. God truely blessed me and my husband though.

The Event: My mother called one day to speak to me regarding school. (Back story: My mother and I are not close. We don't say I love you. We just don't have that kind of relationship. She is my biological mother and we are polite. I don't call her when I'm upset and vent. I don't visit her every year. We even went 7 years at one point without speaking.) After a few minutes it came up that the reason I haven't gone to get my BA is because of the money. She offered to pay for it. So began the beginning of a new journey.

After: I've spent the past few months jumping through the hoops to get enrolled at the university. My husband has his GI Bill so we have decided to utilze that as well. So we have been jumping through Federal hoops also. lol It's a lot of work! I am finally at a point where all I have left to do is get my student ID and parking permit. I ordered my books yesterday. (Yikes! $600!)

It's been a hectic past few months. After getting married in late spring, we had our honeymoon in November. We flew to Costa Rica which was another journey for us. We vacationed last week in the northeast part of the US. We visited Chicago (not by choice lol snowed out of Philly), skied in Pennsylvania, toured NYC, and enjoyed family and friends in New Jersey. It was a hectic week! Nothing went right but it will make for great stories later. We found out a couple of weeks before that my husband would be deploying to the desert. Also, I quit my job with the State a few days before Christmas. It's been crazy, hectic, and everything else.

This week has been my first home...without a job...getting ready to start school...taking down Christmas decorations...figuring out how to live in my new Journey...figuring out how to have my next part of this Journey without my husband...it's amazing how life can change in an instant.

Something to Ponder

2010-07-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

Have you honored your husband today?

Does your husband feel honored today? That's the real kicker.

Have you complained about your husband to someone today?

Have you encouraged your huband today?

Super Size Me - Not a Kids Movie

2010-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I watched Super Size Me again. Super Size Me is a documentary where a man eats only McDonald's for 30 days (there are a few rules like he has to eat everything on the menu at least once). Ironically, the guy's girlfriend is a vegan chef. I find this quite funny! He sees 3 different doctors and a nutritionist during the experiment. His health is exceptionally good at the beginning but by the end...well you will have to watch to see. The results are pretty unexpected and amazing.

If you haven't seen Super Size Me, don't have your young children watch it. There is some vomiting, cursing, view of the man's butt (prostate exam with the main area blurred), etc. Those are big no no's in the movie that would keep me from showing it to my son but I do think it is a beneficial movie for adults to watch to see the health affects of eating only McDonald's for 30 days. The health implications are astonishing! Even the doctor is shocked by the way his liver reacts to this experiment.

There are several things to learn from this movie:

1. Documentaries have a place in our society. They are very good at revealing the dirty secrets that corporations don't want us to know. NOTE: Documentaries are one sided. That's what they do. If you don't agree with the side they take, either don't watch it or watch it to learn what their argument is. Don't complain. No one likes a complainer.

2. America has a serious health problem. Between obesity and food choices there's a serious problem. What have you taught your child about food lately?

3. Texas has a serious weight problem. McDonald's knows this and in the film 5 out of the 9 times in the 30 days he is asked to Super Size his meal were in Texas. That's not good.

4. We don't exercise nearly enough! Get a pedometer and only walk 5000 steps. Is that enough for you? Is that too much? That's about what the average American walks per day. That's not nearly enough!

5. McDonald's is really good at what it does. I don't mean the food they make. I mean their marketing strategies. Consider the amount of marketing they put into drawing in kids. Happy Meals, Mighty Kids Meals, playgrounds, commericals, cartoons (at one point), and so much more. Another industry used to do this, cigarette companies...with candy cigarettes.

The movie makes you think about things a little more. It made me wonder a few things. How often do we eat at McDonald's? How much food marketing is my son exposed to on TV? How many people spend more time at McDonald's than in their Bible? The truth can hurt.

What about your family?

Something To Ponder

2010-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Do birds get motion sick?

What do you think?

My husband had another question: Do birds get morning sick? lol

Extra Extra! Read all about it!

2010-07-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Today I am happy to announce that the Scouting stamp is finally available through the US Postal Service! I'm actually really excited about this.

Jeffery was given a fairly large stamp collection from Brian's grandfather after he passed. It was such a sweet gift, especially considering Jeffery never met Pops. Pops was one of those cute little old men that wore white shoes and baby blue outfits. He was very sweet and easy to talk to. I only met him once but adored him nonetheless.

So we have this large stamp collection and I know nothing about stamp collecting. I'm thinking of assigning a stamp collecting assignment for the year so Jeffery learns about it and grows the collection.

Do you recommend any sites to learn about stamp collecting? What type of experiences have you had with stamp collecting? Any tips on making it fun for kids?

August Should Be Interesting

2010-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok so August should be interesting. It will be completely what I make of it so I need to remember to keep it positive. Two big things are happening:

1. Jeffery, my son, will be visiting his dad in Texas for the entire month.

2. Brian, my husband, will have Reserves one weekend and have TDY to California for 4 days another weekend.

I could dwell on the negative points of this like how I'll be alone. I think the better option is to use the time to get some things done and have some fun. After some thought I'm thinking:

1. Use the Reserve weekend to plan for the upcoming homeschool year and cub scout year.

I plan on taking a Saturday to go to The Underground with my homeschool and cub scout stuff and taking a few hours to plan the entire year. This is a goal of mine and I'd like to get it done. I also need to create a method of turning in work, grading, and keeping grades/work organized.

2. Take some easy and quick classes.

Initially I didn't think this would be possible since I kept contemplating classes at the community college. After looking for local yarn, I found a yard store that has classes. I found a Beginning Knitting and Beginning Crotchet class that I think I will take. Each are 2 hours and I think it would be a nice refresher along with seeing if there are things I need to know that I didn't learn. I plan on using my husband's 120 day deployment next year to make some items to sell on Etsy to get my feet wet. I believe investing in my skills will pay off nicely if I get really involved with starting up my own business.

3. Organize our extra bedroom and make some final decisions on organization for some other spots like my walk in closet.

This should be interesting since our extra bedroom is currently our homeschool room, guest room, computer room/office, and additional storage. I'd like to get a clear idea of what I want it to be and to get that on paper. I also need to simplify. I try to get a lot of books to pull from for homeschool but I need to realized that the one curriculum I purchased is good enough and we can suppliment where we want without going overboard! I think I may offer some of these unused items up for prizes in contests for my blog!

4. Spend quality time with my husband.

Ever since our wedding in May (probably why you haven't seen me on here much) I have felt distant from my new husband. I'd like to change that! I want to get involved in some things he enjoys as well as get him involved in some things with me. I don't have a clear idea for that yet but am not too worried.

Friday Links

2010-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think I'd like to try to post a Friday list of links that I like throughout the week. I hope you enjoy them. :o) Feel free to send me any links you come across that you would like to share. Email them to zionokc@yahoo.com with "Friday Links" in the subject.

The Learning Community
Free parent resources seperated by age groups.

Surprise! Cardinals!

2010-07-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

So to our delight we have a cardinal nest in the climbing rose outside of our dining room window.

Of course this is 1 of 2 windows we did not have replaced this spring when we replaced our old aluminum windows with vinyl windows so the pictures are not as clear as I would have hoped. I was looking for a good quote but found a few so I think I'll add one for each picture. Enjoy our new babies!

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard. - Standing Bear

Adopt the peace of nature: her secret is patience. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. - George Washington Carver

Benefits of Homeschool

2010-07-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

I loved this sweet article about Top 10 things homeschooled children and parents get to do while everyone else is in school. I think my favorite is getting time to rest and relax. I feel like learning to know when your body needs a break is a really important thing.

Creative Tasks

2010-07-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

For this school year I'd like to make sure we focus a little on some creative tasks. Right now I'm looking over a photography website. If I decide to use it I'll post it (it's on the iPad so not handy). It gives a photography assignment each day.

Here are my pics for the last couple of days.

Picture with glass element:

Picture dominated by a single color:

Just because they are so beautiful:

Did you know?

2010-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The smallest insects are parasitic wasps, Myramid Wasps, are only 0.14 millimeters long.

Virtual Schools

2010-04-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

OK ALREADY! As a homeschooler I'd like to say I am tired of the subject! We get it...the virtual school is publicly funded...we get it...that means that could hurt traditional homeschoolers. Honestly, I don't see where we have a right to tell virtual schoolers they are wrong. What about when people told me I was wrong for wanting to homeschool (ok fine! no one said that but you get me). Let the virtual schoolers do their thing...granted maybe they should take the "homeschool" tag off of it though that seems odd when I actually type it. Home + school...seems like that is what it would be. Maybe we should change the homeschool name to PFHE...Privately Funded Home Education. Oh wait...then virtual school would have the same initials...Publicly instead of Privately. BAAAAHHH! brain...hurts...

Top 8 Food Allergies

2010-04-28T13:10:00.002-07:00

Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
Soy
Wheat

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergies/AA00057

Did you know?

2010-04-28T13:10:00.001-07:00

75% of all life are insects.

Private Vocal Lessons

2010-04-02T08:26:00.001-07:00

This was taken from the OKHSMOMS-INFO network:

I am going to start teaching private voice and vocal stage performance lessons. If enough interest is generated I might start a group class, but for now it ison a private lesson basis.

Voice lesson only:
1 hour $25

Vocal Stage Performace Lesson:
1 hour $35

Voice & Vocal Stage Performance Combined Lesson:
1 hour - 1/2 hour voice and 1/2 hour Stage Performance $45
1 1/2 hour - 1 hour voice & 1/2 hour Stage Performance $55
2 hour - 1 hour voice & 1 hour Stage Performance $60

*Pay by the lesson or by the month. Multi-child or family fees can be negotiatedon a family-by-family basis.

Contact Renee Russell 405-274-9509

Thanks for passing the word.

Sincerely,
Renee
NACMAI 2010 Vocalist of the Year
NACMAI 2010 Horizon Entertainer of the Year
Heaven & Earth Music
405-274-9509 Cell
Heaven-And-Earth- Music@cox.net
www.heavenandearthm usic.comwww.myspace. com/renee_ russell_singer
http://bandmix. com/renee- s-vocals http://www.reverbna tion.com/ reneerussellheav enandearthmusic? add_email= true

Colonial Williamsburg 90% OFF

2010-04-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! I received my updates from the Homeschool Coop and they have Colonial Williamsburg field trips for 90% off! That's $50.00 for the 7 videos, interactive timeline, and lesson plans. Not bad. Your child will miss out on the live chat during the live trip BUT for the recorded videos I would definitely pay $50!

Remember This At Christmas Time

2009-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa 's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should've known... ONLY women would be able to drag an overweight man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

Become a JASON National Argonaut

2009-12-19T05:43:00.000-08:00

I have never heard of this but after reading what they do I thought "Wow! How fun would that be!" If you have a child/teen that is 14 or 15 years old and loves science, be sure to check out JASON National Argonaut brought to you by National Geographic.

Even though you child would leave the safety of your home, I can't imagine a more "homeschool" way of learning. lol But then again I'm not a helicopter parent either. Ooooo...I should do a post on that.

Fun and Yummy Craft Time

2009-12-12T06:19:00.001-08:00

Chica and Jo have launched a new website that sells their printable cupcake collars. Cupcake Collars sells them pretty cheap and they are super easy to use. There are holiday collars, birthday collars, and so many more to come!

Cooking is always a favorite in our homeschooling academy. It teaches a lot of life skills along with math (via measuring), science (via mixtures and reactions...heat to dough), history of ovens (via brick ovens to conventional ovens), safety in the kitchen, etc.

How do you teach through cooking?

OH YES! The most important part...HAVE FUN AND LICK THE BOWL!

Discount! Get your discount!

2009-10-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this gift!

TOYS R' US LEGOS COUPON

2009 Fall Festivals

2009-10-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Through October

The Pumpkin Patch at Chester’s Party Barn in Piedmont features pony rides, petting zoo, Pumpkin Bowling, and hayrides. Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 1-6pm. $6 per child, $5 per adult. 5201 Cimarron Road, 405-373-1595, ChesterAndCrew. com.

Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch with hay wagon rides, cornfield maze, petting zoo, pony rides, pick your own pumpkin and more. Thursday-Saturday, 10am-dusk; Sunday 1pm-dusk. Monday-Wednesday by appt. Eight miles east of Edmond off Hwy 66. 396-0909, ParkhurstPumpkinPat ch.com.

Pumpkin Patch at Orr Family Farm features hayride, amazin’ maze, “sugar pie” pumpkins, giant jumping pillows, petting zoo and more. Fridays 6-8:30pm ($10.50 for ages 2 and up), Saturdays 10am-8:30pm ($12.50 for ages 2 and up). 14400 S Western Avenue, OKC. 799-FARM, OrrFamilyFarm. com.

Through November 14

Mikles Family Farm, Shawnee Maze and Pumpkin Patch. Hayrides, pumpkin picking, petting zoo, corn maize and night exclusive activities such as Glow Stick Maze (all season) and Cornstalkers Haunted Field (October weekends only). Fridays 6-10pm, Saturdays 10am-10pm, Sundays noon-5pm (closed Sundays in November). Two packages available: each package is $8 adults, $7 kids 4-11, 3 and under free; discounted if buy combo pass. MiklesFamilyFarm. com. (Coupon pg. 17, Oct MetroFamily. )

P Bar Farms features corn maze, hay rides, laser tag, train rides and haunted maze (opens 10/2). Thursday-Friday, 6-10pm; Saturday, 10am-10pm; closed Sundays. $7 adults, $6 ages 5-12, under 5 free. Laser Tag admission, $6. Located on I-40 between Hydro and Weatherford. 580-772-4401, PBarFarms.com. (Coupon pg. 34, Oct MetroFamily. )

Through November 29

Daze in a Maze in Logan County features four walk-through mazes, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, picnic and play areas and much more. Saturday 10am-10pm; Sunday 2pm-dusk; Monday-Friday groups by appointment only. $6; 3 and under free. 580-234-6293; on weekends call 405-550-5964, DazeInAMaze. com.

October 7-30

Pumpkin City at Putnam City Baptist Church (11401 N Rockwell Ave). Monday-Saturday 11am-dark. 405-773-6900, PCBCOK.org.

October 9-31

Frightfest and Booville (for 12 and under) at Frontier City. Held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 11501 N I-35 Service Road, 405-478-2140, FrontierCity. com.

10 • Saturday

FREE Fall into Art at Martin Nature Park, 5pm. Activities for all ages and nature-inspired art for sale. 405-755-0676.

The Pumpkin Festival at St. Matthew United Methodist Church, 9am-4pm. Activities, children’s silent auction and live entertainment. 405-732-6831.

16 • Friday

FREE Autumn Explosion at the First Southern Baptist Church, 4-9pm. Rides, inflatables, food, candy, and much more. FirstSouthern. TV.

22 • Thursday

FREE Autumn Make-n-Take at Yukon’s Mabel C. Fry Library, 4pm. Fall stories, songs and crafts for children K-5th grade. Space is limited, registration is required. 405-354-8232. Also held 10/29.

23 • Friday

FREE Annual Fall Festival at Church of the Servant Methodist Church, 6-8:30pm. Donations for Infant Crisis Services will be accepted at the door. 405-601-9515.

23-24

Halloween Hike at the Little River Zoo, 6-8:30pm. Trick or Treat along the Zoo’s scary trails. $5. Also, Fright Hike, 8-11pm. Hike through the haunted wooded trails. $10, 405-366-7229, LittleRiverZoo. com.

23-31

Storybook Forest at Arcadia Lake, 5:30-8:30pm. Walk through the not-so-scary trail to collect candy from the Storybook characters and see wonderful Storybook scenes. $5 per child Monday-Thursday; $7 Friday-Sunday. 405-216-7771, EdmondOK.com.

24 • Saturday

Art Pumpkin Carving Family Workshop at City Arts Center, 1-4pm. Preparation, design, preservation and carving technique will be covered. Children under 12 need to be accompanied by an adult. $40. Registration required. 405-951-0000, CityArtsCenter. org.

FREE Villa Teresa Moore Halloween Carnival, (13501 S Western Ave.) 6-9pm. Games, haunted house, inflatables, and food. 405-691-7737.

Pumpkin Carving Party at Unplugits, 2-4pm. Make pumpkins with the entire family. $18 per pumpkin. 405-340-7584, Unpluggits.com.

Pumpkin Parents Night Out at Unpluggits, 4-8pm. Enjoy an evening out while your children paint, play and carve their own Jack-o-lantern. Pizza dinner included. $25. Ages 4 and up. 405-340-7584, Unpluggits.com.

Creepy Conservatory at the Myriad Botanical Gardens features exotic animals and bugs, tropical trick-or-treat trail, kids crafts and activities. 405-297-3995, MyriadGardens. com.

Boo on Bell Street in historic downtown Shawnee. Carnival games, costume contests, trick-or-treating. 405-275-3641, VisitShawnee. com.

FREE Family Fun Night at Edmond’s Festival Marketplace. Activities, door prizes, trick-or-treating, apple cider and hot chocolate. Register for pumpkin carving contest in advance, 405-359-4630, EdmondOK.com.

FREE Spooksville at the Yukon Community Center includes carnival, spookhouse, games, costume contest and candy. 3-6pm. 405-350-8937, CityOfYukonOK. gov.

Catch-A-Glimpse Retreat Children’s Fall Festival featuring the Adventure Trick-or-Treat Trail at 11400 S County Line Rd., 4-7pm. Activities include barnyard carnival games, hayride, pumpkin launch, carousel pony rides and food. $5 children; adults FREE. Catch-A-Glimpse. com.

FREE Halloween Party at the Choctaw Library, 2pm. Magician Steve Crawford will share his tricks while you make a craft.

25 • Sunday

FREE Fall Festival at the Edmond Church of Christ (801 S Bryant), 7pm. Indoor trick-or-treating, games, prizes, and candy. For children infants to 5th grade. 405-341-3353, EdmondChurchofChris t.com.

FREE Trunk or Treat at New Covenant United Methodist Church in Edmond, 6-8pm. Over 30 trunks with games and prizes. 562-3200, NCovenant.org/ Trunk-or- Treat.

26-31

Haunt the Zoo at the OKC Zoo, 6:30-8:30pm. Admission children, $7; adults FREE. 405-424-3344, OKCZoo.com.

27 • Tuesday

FREE Trick or Treat on the Lake at Lake Thunderbird near Norman, 6-8pm. 405-321-4633.

FREE Halloween Storytime at the Del City Library, 6:30-7:15pm. Halloween themed stories and activities. Children should wear costumes for the Annual Monster March.

FREE Dress-up Party for Preschoolers at the Warr Acres Library, 6:30-7:30pm. Dress up and enjoy puppets and stories. For ages 2 ½ to 5 years.

29 • Thursday

Haunt the Harn at the Harn Homestead, 5:30-8:30pm. Trick-or-treat at the historical buildings and participate in games and crafts, hay rides, roasting marshmallows, face painting and campfire. $3 in advance; $5 at the door. 405-235-4058, HarnHomestead. com.

FREE Annual Fall Festival at Crossings Community Church, 6-8pm. Families are invited to dress up in their favorite happy costumes for dinner, games, and more. For children 2 years-6th grade. 405-755-2227.

FREE Mysterious Oklahoma: True Tales with author David Farris at the Edmond Library, 7-8:30pm. David shares from his books and focuses on the events in the supernatural realm that have taken place in our state. For grades 3 and up.

30 • Friday

Boo-Tacular Fun at Young Chefs Academy, 6-9pm. Cooking up tasty Halloween treats. $35. Ages 6 and up. Also held 10/31 from 10-noon for ages 3-5. 405-285-5939, YoungChefsAcademy. com.

FREE FestiFall at Putnam City Baptist Church (11401 N Rockwell), 6:30-8:30pm. Outside inflatables, games, food, and candy. 405-773-6900, PCBCOK.org.

30-31

Bright Night of Not-So-Frightening Fun at the Science Museum Oklahoma, 6pm-8:30am. Experience all the museum offers along with some added Halloween activities, an overnight stay and breakfast. $45 adult or child; non-participating adult $20; members and military families $10 off. For all ages. 405-602-6664, ScienceMuseumOK. org.

31 • Saturday

Halloween Costume Party at Unpluggits, noon-2pm. FREE face painting and fun games. Included in paint’n play admission or craft purchase. 405-340-7584, Unpluggits.com.

FREE Great Pumpkin Fest at TG Farms, 9am-6pm. A family event featuring arts and crafts, barn dance and entertainment. 405-387-3232, NewcastleOK. org.

FREE Fall Festival at Village Baptist Church, 4:30–6:30pm. A family friendly event with a preschool area and a grade school area. Plus the annual Trunk or Treat with more activities continuing inside. For infants to 6th grade. shale@vbcokc. org; 405-751-1951.

Halloween Night at the Orr Family Farm, 6-9pm. Hayrides, FREE pumpkins, animal barn, train rides, pedal cars and carousel, pumpkin decorating and costume contests. Costumes encouraged, no masks. FREE coloring books and candy. Admission $10.50. 405-799-3276, OrrFamilyFarm. com.

FREE Fall Frolic at Waterloo Road Baptist Church, 5-7pm. Fall festival for kids of all ages with a sports theme. A special area for infants and toddlers, as well as a large area full of carnival style games for kids, inflatables and a bag of candy. Emily, 405-341-9024, emily@waterlooroad. org.

Trick or Treat in the Maze at Mikles Family Farm in Shawnee, (42610 N Wolverine) 2-4pm. Costume contest with prizes. Admission $7. For kids 10 and under. 405-401-8217, MiklesFamilyFarm. com.

FREE Sonic’s Spooky Saturday at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum ofNatural History, 10am-5pm. FREE admission. 403-325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu.

FREE Trick or Treat at Edmond’s KickingBird Square, 4-6pm. Visit each store for treats. Located at Bryant and Danforth. 405-340-9202, BestofBooks. com.

FREE Trick or Treat on the Street in Downtown Edmond, 5-7pm. Visit the merchants downtown including the police and fire departments. 405-249-9391, DowntownEdmondOK. com.

FREE Midwest City Trick or Treat City at Joe B. Regional Park, 2-4:30pm. 405-733-3801, MidwestCityOK. com.

Full Day of Family Fun in Moore, 7am-9pm. Pancake Breakfast 7am; Red Ribbon Parade, 10am; Red Ribbon Jam, noon, Haunt the Old Town, 4:30pm; and 27th Annual Halloween Festival 6pm. All held at Moore Community Center.

FREE Trick-or-Treat at the Midwest City Library, 9am-5pm. Stop by the library for a little treat. All ages.

FREE Extreme Makeover: Halloween Edition at the Midwest City Library, 10:30-11:30am. Learn tricks and techniques for doing stage makeup and begin your own transformation. Space is limited. Registration required.

FREE Halloween Fun at the Del City Library, 2-3pm. Children come by for treats. Ages 6-11.

FREE Face Painting at the Ralph Ellison Library, 2-3pm. Get your face painted for Halloween. Teens.

FREE Cosplay costume contest at the Southern Oaks Library, 2-4pm. Costumes can be any copyrighted character. For rules and more information, call 631-4468.

National Feedom of Speech Week

2009-10-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the kickoff of National Freedom of Speech Week. Can you think of any fun ways to celebrate?

MASTER LIST OF LINKS Updated

2009-10-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Always remember too that there is a risk of your child seeing something that is inappropriate online. Check out any of these sites BEFORE letting your kids on them! I have seen some inappropriate ads.

See it by clicking the MASTER LIST OF LINKS in the labels for this post.

Fall Festival

2009-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Crossroads Church
Friday, October 30
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Gym and Parking Lot
FREE EVENT
Activities include: games, hayride, trunk-or-treat

http://www.crossroadsokc.com/upcoming-events/fall-festival

Homeschool Day at Oklahoma History Center

2009-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma History Center

Monday October 5, 2009
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: 2401 N. Laird Ave, Oklahoma City

Notes:The Oklahoma History Center presents "Home School Day" Monday October 5, 2009. This special program will run from 10:00 AM through 2:00 PM.

Join us at the Oklahoma History Center for a hands-on adventure into Oklahoma´s past. Explore the museum with the help of gallery guides, follow along with our scavenger hunt, take part in hands-on demonstrations, and enjoy a variety of living history programs.

Students will find activities throughout the museums galleries as living history characters and museum staff bring the past to life through hands-on demonstrations. Discover life on the cattle drive, explore pioneer life and the tools of the day, play turn of the century games at the museum, and more! There will be activities for students of all ages. Special living history programs will take place each hour beginning at 10:00 AM.

Home School Day is designed for family learners and Home School groups to come, experience, and do! No registration is required and you can join the activities at any time. Best of all it is Free!

For more information on "Home School Day" please visit our website at www.okhistorycenter .org or contact Jason Harris at (405) 522-0785 or by email at jharris@ okhistory.org.

Orchids in October - FREE admission into Myriad Botanical Gardens

2009-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

October 8-10

Join the Myriad Botanical Gardens for our annual three-day orchid extravaganza, Orchids in October. A ticketed fundraiser luncheon kicks off the event October 8, followed by an orchid sale October 8-10 and a FREEADMISSION day October 9. Proceeds benefit the Myriad Gardens Foundation.

For more information about the luncheon, contact the Myriad Gardens Foundationat (405) 297-3974.

Our New Kitty Vance!!

2009-10-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

National Alpaca Farm Days - this weekend!!!

2009-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Oklahoman reminded me that I was planning on going to check out alpacas at JR Alpacas this weekend. Be sure to check out your local alpaca farm!

MASTER LIST OF LINKS Updated

2009-09-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

See it by clicking the MASTER LIST OF LINKS in the labels for this post.

Oklahoma Symbols Student Art Contest

2009-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

September 1 to October 30, 2009

Oklahoma students grades 1st - 6th are invited to participate in the Oklahoma Historical Society's annual student art contest. This year's theme is "Oklahoma Symbols." Oklahoma has many unique and interesting state symbols that reflect the history and culture of our great state. A list of symbols is available on the OHS website at http://www.okhistory.org/kids/symbols.html.

Entry forms and details are available on the OHS Kids! section of the Oklahoma Historical Society website at http://www.okhistory.org/kids/contests.html.

Contest categories are grades 1st - 3rd and 4th - 6th. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category.

For additional information call Jennifer Towry at (405) 522-4019 or Shea Otley at (405) 522-4485 or email kids@okhistory.org.

**Thanks to Oklahoma Homeschooler for a heads up on this!

October at ArtzPlace

2009-09-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

There are several exciting things happening at ArtzPlace in October:

October Second Sundays Event on Oct. 11th at 3:30 - Our guest artist is Irvin Wagner, Associate Conductor of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and world-renown trombonist. You will love the pieces Irv has selected but what the kids will enjoy most will be the interactive section where they are allowed to work the slide on his trombone AND the finale where he plays the spoons while playing the trombone with his toes. The event is free but space is limited so call to reserve a spot today!
New adult classes including Painting with Acrylics (6-8 pm on Oct. 1, 8 & 22), Adults on the Wheel (Pottery from 10:30-noon Saturdays), Fused Dicroich Glass Jewelry (5:30-8:30 Oct. 13 & 27), Australian Aboriginal Art ( 6-9 pm Oct. 20) and my favorite, T-Shirt Quilt Making (7-9 pm Oct. 1 & 8).
New kids classes including Preschool Printers/Halloween Cats (10:45-11 am Oct. 13 & 27), Sculpting for Kids (Wednesdays 6-7 pm), Portrait Drawing (4:00-6:00 pm Oct. 1,8,22) and Watercolor Creations (Saturdays 12:30-2:00/No class on Halloween)

Last but not least...Disney Style Fall Break Camps Oct 15-16- These all-day camps will fill quickly. Call right away to choose from Disney Style Pop Show Choir, Disney Graphic Artz Camp, Disney Ceramics Camp. Camp is from 8:00 - 5:00 with a special reception and show for all on Friday. Cost is $100 plus supply fee of $5-10

Go to www.artzplaceok.com or call (405)732-4Art for more information!!!

Nancy Nortz

Executive Director,

ArtzPlace Oklahoma

(405)732-4ART

artzplaceok@yahoo.com

5th Annual Weather Festival - Free

2009-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

5th Annual Weather Festival
November 7, 2009
Free Admission 405.321.7260
http://nwc.ou. edu/toursevents. php
Norrman Weather Center

Falcon Science Academy

2009-09-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

I feel all official now that I've created a logo for our homeschool! Enjoy!

MASTER LIST OF LINKS Updated

2009-09-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

See if by clicking the MASTER LIST OF LINKS in the labels for this post.

College Night - Free

2009-09-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

FAA Credit Union will be hosting a free college night next Tuesday, September 22 at its corporate headquarters located at 10201 S. Western from 6-8 pm. The event is free to the public and will feature representatives from colleges, trade schools, and military organizations as well as a financial aid seminar presented by the University of Phoenix and the chance to win a $500.00 cash scholarship and a $1,000 test prep course from Kaplan.

We would greatly appreciate if you could pass this information along to any interested students. Feel free to call or email me with any further questions or concerns. Thanks so much!

Katie Gillian
Marketing Specialist
FAA Credit Union
(405) 682-1990 x1089
katie@faaecu.org

Vote For Your Favorite Farmer's Market!

2009-09-17T06:16:00.001-07:00

I voted for mine! *GO MID DEL FARMERS MARKET!*

First Tee Golf - $25 annual fee

2009-09-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I was looking for what type of sport to put Jeffery in, I had to consider that he is not athletic. He's a smart kid but has not had a lot of luck on the field. When I heard about First Tee Golf, I was pretty excited. It's a little more than golf and it's not too expensive ($25 for the whole year). I also read the article The High Value of Low Cost Golf for Kids. Some great points! Here is the list of Nine Core Value that M.L. Zupan neatly put together:

Honesty - the quality or state of being truthful; not deceptive. Golf is unique from other sports in that players regularly call penalties on themselves.
Integrity -strict adherence to a standard of value or conduct. Personal honesty and independence. Golf is a game of honesty, etiquette and composure. You are responsible for your actions and personal conduct on the golf course.
Sportsmanship - observing the rules of play and winning or losing with grace. You must know and abide by the rules of golf and be able to conduct yourself in a respectful manner.
Respect - to feel or show deferential regard for; esteem. In golf, it is important to show respect for yourself, your partners, your opponents and the golf course as well as for the honor and traditions of the game.
Confidence - reliance or trust. A feeling of self-assurance. Confidence plays a key role in the level of play that you achieve. You must have confidence in your abilities every time you play.
Responsibility - accounting for one’s actions; dependable. In golf, you are responsible for yourself and your actions on the golf course. It is up to you to keep score, repair divots, rake bunkers, repair ball marks on the green and keep up with the pace of play.
Perseverance - to persist in an idea, purpose or task despite obstacles. To succeed in golf, you must learn to persevere through bad breaks and your own mistakes.
Courtesy - considerate behavior toward others. A polite remark or gesture. A round of golf should begin and end with a handshake between fellow competitors. Show courtesy toward others by remaining still and quiet while they prepare and execute a shot.
Judgment- the ability to make a decision or form an opinion. A decision reached after consideration. Using good judgment is critical in golf. It comes into play when deciding on strategy, club selection, when to play safe and when to take a chance, the type of shot you consider executing, as well as understanding and abiding by etiquette. (source: http://www.thefirsttee.org)

Fox News Story - Virtual Schooling

2009-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Free Local Events

2009-09-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

October 5, 2009: Home School Day at the History Center. The History Center will offer a hands-on adventure into Oklahoma’s past with scavenger hunts, living history, and hands-on activities. The program is free and runs from 10:00AM through 2:00PM. For more information contact Jason Harris at jharris@okhistory.org

October 21, 2009: The Music of George Washington’s America. The History Center, with George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, invite you to a special afternoon program on colonial music. Music and History will come together with David Hildebrand and highlight connections to great people and moments in our nation’s early history. The program is free and runs from 1:30 – 2:15. Registration Required. For more information contact Jason Harris at jharris@okhistory.org

4th Grade Reading List

2009-09-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the ongoing list of books Jeffery has read for 4th grade:

- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban

What A Novel Idea!

2009-08-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

How To Teach Your Child To Write A Novel is a free course available online. I have not read over the entire thing yet but I'm really excited to see what is available. I know there are some printable worksheets and documents. I'm eager to utilize those!

Chemistry Music Videos

2009-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Be Prepared!

2009-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

We picked up supplies for the Back to School picnic with HOM (our local homeschooling group). I'm putting together an eating contest and a cake to share.

The Last Time I Saw My Fiance

2009-08-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Brian and Jeffery were working on his 1988 Mazda RX-7. They got it running! But I think I lost my fiance in the process.

Canon Rock!

2009-08-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

One of my fav songs!

BioBlitz unit study - "Classifying Information" Supplement

2009-08-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our First Think! Project - Paper Clips

2009-08-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

We finally did our first Think! project. I've been reading it for a while now and love it but have not done a project and taken pictures. (We did however do the kite one when Jeffery had some friends over but I did not get pictures or video.) We went with the Paper Clip project. Here are Jeffery's results!

Can you tell what they are?

Weekly Newsletter

2009-08-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Daily Assignments

2009-08-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

1. English journal - topic given
2. Math - complete 3 pages of LifePac
3. History - Read Introduction for Story of the World. Go over Review Questions and Narration Exercise for "What is History?" and "What is Archaeology?"
4. Science - Read "Classifying Information."
5. Reading - Read independently for 20 min.
6. Music - Practice guitar for 20 min.

Weekly Assignments

2009-08-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Michelle Jonas, another homeschooling mom at HOM, for the link to an assignment generator. Love it! Last week I tried using sticky notes. What a mess! They ended up everywhere. :oP

Here are our assignments for this week. I am introducing Math (LifePac and Aleks) and History (Story of the World).

For now we are going with a traditional schooling at home. I believe this will help Jeffery transition since he just spent 5 years in public school.

Lake Arcadia Sweep

2009-08-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Jeffery at the Lake Arcadia Sweep (clean up). They sent us to Edmond Park to pick up along the shore. Jeffery has his green gloves on. He's ready to go!

First I wanted a picture of us though. lol Look how tall he is getting. I bet he will be at least as tall as me in 2 years.

"I'm ready to go now!"

Lake Arcadia Sweep (cont)

2009-08-08T20:30:00.001-07:00

Jeffery found something while picking up trash. What is it?

Looks like he got it. Let's see...

Open up!

Hmmm...what is it?

Can you tell?

Lake Arcadia Sweep (cont)

2009-08-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here he is! Once Jeffery got him on his hand he didn't want to leave.

This was my favorite wildlife part of the Sweep! This was a huge caterpillar we found crawling through the grass. He was approximately 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick.

The small tip is his head.

I put a small stick in front of him to see if he would swing his bottom around since he had a spike on it. He didn't. He pulled his head back in like a turtle would. Can you see his head?

It gave him the appearance of a larger animal, sort of like a snake with those dots that look like eyes!

Lake Arcadia Sweep (cont)

2009-08-08T18:25:00.001-07:00

A pretty orange flower high up in the tree.

A purple flower I found while I was in the brush pulling out a Jack Daniels bottle.

Jeffery showing off his bag of trash. Way to go bud!

We found wild grapes on our way back to the car. They were definitely not ripe but a super neat find still.

We took the kids to the beach at Lake Arcadia after the Sweep.

Lake Arcadia Sweep (cont)

2009-08-08T18:05:00.001-07:00

Jeffery, Grace, and Ian at one of Lake Arcadia's beaches. It is always nice to meet other homeschooling kids. Especially ones as nice as these. Great job Connie! Caveat: There is a $120 ticket for not having our child wear a life vest while in the water if 12 or under. (Oh yes. This is where team work came in. They teamed up to get onto some boys for messing up their sand castle.)

Jeffery fell asleep on the drive home. This seems to be his favorite way of sleeping. Apparently the seat belt makes a nice pillow.

We had a surprise stop on the way home! (Note the sign in the window. lol) Pink Swirl is our local yogurt ans sushi store. Yes sushi! Oh...can't forget the waffles too. lol

Jeffery generally likes to make a mix of coconut chocolaty goodness. He mixes his together.

Not me. I like to taste all of my fruit. Yum! (Strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, white chocolate syrup, and white chocolate chips.)

Daily Assignments

2009-08-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

1. Read 2 sections in Super Study Skills.

2. Create a science journal.

3. Practice guitar for 20 min.

School Starts Tomorrow!

2009-08-03T13:32:00.001-07:00

Grade 4 Week 1 Assignments

2009-07-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are going to start slow and add a little as the weeks progress. Since Jeffery loves Science, I'm starting with that. We are going to do a unit study on BioBlitz. I'm using the free resources at National Geographic. Also, I'm using a book to learn study skills from Scholastic.

Monday - No work since Brian's dad is visiting.

Tuesday - Read 2 sections from Super Study Skills.
Make a science journal. Read about what a science journal is.

Wednesday - Read 2 sections from Super Study Skills.
Read "What is a BioBlitz?" handout.
Write "Words to Know" and definition in science journal. (See attached Glossary.)

Thursday - Read 2 sections from Super Study Skills.
Do the "Try it!" section of the "What is a BioBlitz?" Record in science journal.

Friday - Read 2 sections from Super Study Skills.
Read "Observing & Recording" handout.
Write "Words to Know: and definition in science journal.

The Result of Deschooling

2009-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Deschooling in layman's terms is boring your kids to death until they are excited to learn again. lol That is not 100% accurate but the easiest way for me to describe it to non-homeschool families. We previously decided to deschool for 4 months (1 month per year of public school). Here are the results...

Jeffery asked a week ago if we can start early August. Yes, he emphasized early! So we will be starting next week. It's an exciting time!

Tons Of Links I Found And Love!

2009-07-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of links I have found and will find. I will update this as I find things and post a notice that it has been updated. Thanks and enjoy! (I'm still organizing it right now too.)

Activities

Lowe's Build and Grow
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/

Home Depot Kid's Workshops
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Kids_Workshops&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=100

Oklahoma Wildlife Expo - free!
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifeexpo.htm

Disney Family Fun
http://familyfun.go.com/

Administrative

Donna Young - Administrative Forms
http://donnayoung.org/index.htm

Oklahoma Homeschool
http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/index.html

Your Homeschool Connection - free newsletter via email
http://www.yourhomeschoolconnection.com/

Today's Home Educator Magazine - not free; Use coupon code NBTSD09 for the 2-for-1 offer! (10/2009)
http://www.homeeducationmag.com/

Organized Home - Free printables on housekeeping, menus, etc.
http://organizedhome.com/

The Household Planner
http://www.thehouseholdplanner.com/tcobathome/

Homeschool Helper
http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/index.htm

Simply Charlotte Mason
http://simplycharlottemason.com/

Exploratree - already made interactive thinking guides (print/edit/make own)
http://www.exploratree.org.uk/

Newspaper Clipping Generator
http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Creative Educator - lessons, articles, etc.
http://www.thecreativeeducator.com/

Art

Culture Cottage
http://www.culturecottage.com/

artPad
http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/

Southern Hills School of Fine Arts - private music lessons and art classes
http://www.shsofa.com/default.htm

ArtzPlace Oklahoma - private music lessons and art classes
http://www.artzplaceok.com/

Oklahoma History Through Art Class
http://rfdesign08.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/oklahoma-history-through-art-class/oklahoma-art-flyer-2/

Free Rice - free matching famous paintings with the artist
http://freerice.com/index.php?&t=382420160440&s=Famous%20Paintings

Articles

U.S. Dept. of Education – Preparing Your Child For College
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Prepare/index.html

Books

Project Gutenberg – free online books
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Christian

Printeable Ten Commandment/Fruit of Spirit Bookmark
http://newvisionministries.us/10commandment.jpg

Cultural

Culture Cottage
http://www.culturecottage.com/

Curriculum

HomeSchoolReviews - curriculum reviews
http://homeschoolreviews.com/

Filmmaking

CreateSpace: Self-Publish
https://www.createspace.com/

Free

Slim Goodbody Teacher Guide - human body
http://www.slimgoodbody.com/Files/Performances/Bodyology_Teachers_Guide.pdf

National Geographic Bioblitz teacher resources
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/projects/education.html

American Heritage Education Foundation - FREE history lessons
http://www.americanheritage.org/

Internet Family Fun - Ideas & printables
http://www.internetfamilyfun.com/index.htm

Free Rice - free matching art, science, english, etc
http://freerice.com/index.php

MIT FREE online courses
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm

University of Utah FREE courses
http://my.courses.utah.edu/course/category.php?id=3

UMass Boston Open Courseware - FREE courses
http://ocw.umb.edu/

UC Berkeley FREE courses
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/

Carnegie Mellon University FREE courses
http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/

Fun

Scavenger Hunts For Kids – free
http://www.scavengerhuntsforkids.com/index.html

Internet Family Fun - Ideas & printables
http://www.internetfamilyfun.com/index.htm

Geography

National Geographic - printable wall maps
http://java.nationalgeographic.com/studentatlas/printpdf.html?

Government

Kids in the House
http://kids.clerk.house.gov/

Our Courts - 21st Century Civics
http://www.ourcourts.org/

Health

Slim Goodbody - education about the human body
http://www.slimgoodbody.com/

Harvest of History - where food comes from
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/explore.html

History

American Heritage Education Foundation - FREE CD with lessons via mail
http://www.americanheritage.org/contact_us.html

Oklahoma History Through Art Class
http://rfdesign08.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/oklahoma-history-through-art-class/oklahoma-art-flyer-2/

National Freedom of Speech Week
http://www.freespeechweek.org/

Harvest of History - compare life in 1845 with our modern world
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/explore.html

Holiday

Labor Day
http://holiday-kids-crafts.suite101.com/article.cfm/labor_day_collage

Halloween Safety
http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/

KidsWorld - Holiday Section
http://www.kidzworld.com/brain-candy/behind-the-holiday

Informational

The Home School Mom – free resources
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

Life Skills

Patterns That Fit You – free online sewing classes
http://patternsthatfityou.com/freeclasses.htm

BizKids - PBSKids series where kids teach kids about money and business.
http://www.bizkids.com/

Math

Joyful Math - Finger Multiplication
http://homepage.mac.com/pamsoroosh/iblog/math/C1498644337/E1527377677/index.html

Over the Crescent Moon blog - skip counting wooden craft
http://overthecrescentmoon.blogspot.com/2009/09/skip-counting.html

Math Lessons that are FUN FUN FUN - free math lessons (includes quizes)
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Lessons/

Math Live - animated math lessons
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me5l/html/math5.html

Miscellanous

Montessori Materials
http://www.montessorimaterials.org/

Crayola For Educators
http://www.crayola.com/educators/index.cfm?n_id=5

Suite101
http://www.suite101.com/

KidsWorld
http://www.kidzworld.com/

TV Smarts - listing of upcoming educational TV shows
http://tvsmarts.com/

Music

freesheetmusic.net – free sheet music download
http://www.freesheetmusic.net/

G Major Music Theory – Free Piano Music
http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebies.html

CreateSpace: Self-Publish
https://www.createspace.com/

Southern Hills School of Fine Arts - private music lessons and art classes
http://www.shsofa.com/default.htm

ArtzPlace Oklahoma - private music lessons and art classes (Sorry! ArtzPlace closed as of 04/01/2010...not enough funding.)
http://www.artzplaceok.com/

Interactive Drum Set!
http://www.kenbrashear.com/

Online Courses

Free Online Courses @ about.com
http://u.about.com/

Patterns That Fit You – free online sewing classes
http://patternsthatfityou.com/freeclasses.htm

GCF Learnfree.com – free online learning
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/

CurrClick – Live online classes and download curriculum (some items free)
http://www.currclick.com/index.php

ClassBrain.com
http://www.classbrain.com/index.htm

Brain POP
http://s4.brainpop.com/

Free Rice - free online matching art, science, english, etc
http://freerice.com/index.php

Guided Courses - free math courses (higher level math)
http://www.guidedcourses.com/

MIT Open Courseware - FREE online courses at MIT
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm

University of Utah FREE courses
http://my.courses.utah.edu/course/category.php?id=3

UMass Boston Open Courseware - FREE courses
http://ocw.umb.edu/

UC Berkeley FREE courses
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/

Carnegie Mellon University FREE courses
http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/

MIT High School Courses
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/home/home/index.htm

Science

Slim Goodbody - education about the human body
http://www.slimgoodbody.com/

Oklahoma BioBlitz
http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/bioblitz/BioBlitz.html

University of Utah - Tour of the Basics (genetics/DNA)
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/tour/

Science Bob
http://www.sciencebob.com/

Space Place - Created by NASA
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/

The Biology Project - The University of Arizona
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/DEFAULT.html

University of Leeds - Human Biology
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/chb/humbmods.html#HUMB1020

Writing

CreateSpace: Self-Publish
https://www.createspace.com/

Updated 9/22/2009 @ 1:33pm

Oklahoma City Zoo - free admission and other news

2009-07-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

On Friday, July 17, the Zoo is saying thank you in a big way to the citizens of Oklahoma City! In recognition of the 1/8 cent sales tax passed by Oklahoma City citizens to support the Zoo, admission is free for everyone on the 17th! Come help the Zoo celebrate the wonderful support of the community - for free!

Come early, stay late-
The Zoo is open 8 to 8!
On Saturdays, that is! Saturdays now through September the Zoo will remain open until 8 p.m., with exhibit buildings closing at 7:45.
Calling all early birds! Now through August 16, the Zoo will be opening at 8 a.m. as part of Morning Zoo Rise. Take advantage of the cooler early morning temperatures and go wild at the Zoo!

Way Back Wednesdays
Hey, it's Way Back Wednesdays, groovy! Boogie on down to the Zoo on Wednesdays in July in August for retro prices, including $.75 admission for everyone! Guests can also enjoy far out concession specials, including $.75 fountain drinks, $.75 regular hot dogs, $.75 popcorn and $.75 kettle corn. Hey man, there's more! Also, on Way Back Wednesdays adults pay child prices for all rides (excluding the paddleboats) and the Sea Lion Show. Can you dig it?

Give Blood, Get Free Admission
Feel good, give blood. Go to the Zoo - for free! Now through August 31, when you donate blood at any Oklahoma Blood Institute drive, you'll receive two admissions to the Zoo, plus a T-shirt, health screenings and Members for Life points!

BioBlitz 2009

2009-07-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

In mid-September we will be attending BioBlitz 2009! I'm very excited. It's a hands-on opportunity for my son to develop his scientific skills.

"The Oklahoma BioBlitz! is a rapid inventory of biological diversity hosted by the Oklahoma Biological Survey and conducted by volunteers from around the state and the region. These volunteers count as many species as possible in 24 consecutive hours. Our volunteers range from university professors to boy scouts to high school students to enthusiastic retirees. Anyone who is interested can volunteer to help count Oklahoma's diversity!

Bioblitz is a fun and exciting event to educate people about the natural diversity "in their back yard." BioBlitz offers a hands-on scientific experience and a chance to learn more about the diversity of life where people live."

Oh! And it is only $5. Can't beat that.

The Great OKC Build

2009-07-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

2009-07-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

2009-07-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

This took about 4 hours to build. Our team did not win but our other homeschooling team did. Congrats guys!

Bass Pro Shop and Cub Scouts

2009-06-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Bass Pro Shop offers a tour for Cub Scouts. Each Bass Pro Shop is decorated for that region. This, along with their summer activities, is enough to earn some belt loops!

I'm going to email Jeffery's Pack leader and let her know. Yay!

Ideas

2009-06-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Oy! Ideas...flooding...brain. So much is going on right now and I'm trying to plan for learning to start in the fall. (I almost said school...I'm trying to learn to change the way I personally view school so Jeffery will re-learn.) I'm currently an officer for 2 non-profit organizations. Both are affiliated. One is based on sustainability, the other is on starting a farmers' market in our area. Tonight we are going to go before the City Counsel and request use of a parking lot to hold it in and an exemption of a peddler's permit fee for each vendor. Plus at work this is the week we train for the new Medicare guidelines! Oy! Blood pressure rising.....................

Jeffery is at camp right now, so of course life has gripped my fragile throat. He headed off Monday morning to KBA (Baptist camp).

I've been looking at a lot of possibilities for the ball.

football
coops
Green Earth Gang

He's shown a small interest in blogging....I'm sure that's from seeing me blog. lol

Oh! I didn't want to forget that Bass Pro Shops have free kids activities! Be sure to check them out! Thunderbird Nature Center has free summer activities too. I can't seem to find the list of them online though....hmmm...email me for the list: zionokc@yahoo.com.

Homeschool Planner: Administrative Papers/Transcripts/Portfolios OH MY!

2009-06-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

So the last week has been kind of here and there since it is still the summer. Jeffery still has residual sunburn from swimming with the Earthshakers (kids from church) on Monday. I'm praying for God to heal it quickly so that he won't be burned when he heads off to summer camp this coming Monday. On the bright side, he will be tan so probably won't burn as easy.

So my current focus is getting all of my "teacher" papers together. I have the "I love to organize" sickness so this is a daunting task for me. So many papers! So little time! I really like Donna Young's free documents. They are really handy AND asthetically appealing. I decided yesterday to switch from the attendence calendar I was going to use to the new Colonial one she put out. I think it looks nicer though I feel bad because it's an extra page of wasted paper.

I've been considering the documents I will need for maximum benefit for Jeffery (i.e. college entrance, re-entry into public school....you never know what will happen!). I think I'm going to go with:

Attendence

Grades

Course of Study

Quarter Planner

Assignmetns

Checklist

Reading List

Reading Log

Student Activities

Long Term Grade Record (copy and add to the next year's at end of school year)

What are you putting in yours?

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics

2009-06-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

After looking into some science and math focused charter schools, I didn't expect much...

I checked into this school after wondering what we needed to consider when it comes to Jeffery getting into college. What do I need to keep track of? What are admissions requirements? So I stumbled on this place. I'd heard of it but had not searched for it.

So far I'm impressed. It's like a private school for juniors and seniors in high school.

"It is designed as a two-year residential public high school for the academically gifted students in mathematics and science."

According to the lady I spoke with, the school has had many homeschooling students apply and many have been accepted. *whew* She asked what grade Jeffery is in so I mentioned I was checking really early but he is in 4th grade next year. She said that was not early actually because they have a middle school math competition, OSSM Middle School Math: An Awesome Contest. There are even previous years questions/answers posted.

I had her put us on her mailing list for invites to age appropriate events. Sweet! What a great resource this should be!

Where are we now?

2009-06-11T12:03:00.001-07:00

We are currently taking a hiatus. We need it! We are just enjoying our family and having some fun. Jeffery checked out books and DVDs from the library last weekend (one of the best resources!). We installed SOS and have looked over the books. So now we are deschooling. Jeffery's enjoying being a kid. He has summer camp at the end of the month. We are also using this time for him to visit with friends and to check out free kids activities via Lowes, Home Depot, library, state parks, etc.

Social Group Idea: Lego Playdates

2009-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in a mom's group through my church and am going to contact them about Jeffery and I hosting a Lego playdate once a week or month (not sure which yet).

Also, I'm going to contact them to see if anyone in the church group wants to make a Lego team for The Great OKC Build.

4th Grade Curriculum

2009-05-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the curriculum sale at Mardel here in Oklahoma City. They had curriculum on sale for 20% off except for Alpha Omega which was 15% off. I decided to purchase Alpha Omega for our first year. We purchased:

LIFEPAC Math 4
LIFEPAC Language 4
LIFEPAC Bible 4
Switched-On Schoolhouse Science 4
a globe
the 2nd Manga Bible
t-shirt (black, says "Satan is a nerd") - Jeffery found it and I love it!

I did not buy anything for History since we are going to use Story of the World (SOTW).

Also, last week at work I drove to the Boy Scout store during lunch. I picked up Jeffery's Webelos handbook, neckerchief, gold thingy that goes on the neckerchief and hat. I was going to bring Jeffery up to the store on Saturday to buy his uniform but Brian had a good point. He said he thought first year Webelos can wear the blue uniform still so I emailed the Den leader. She said they wear the kakhi but if he fits the blue don't buy the kakhi yet. So we are done shopping for cub scouts.

4th Grade Subjects

2009-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

Language Arts
Math
History
Science
Bible
Music (guitar)
Personal Growth (personal hygiene, safety at home, cub scouts, etc)
Art
PE (looking into hockey or kayaking)

What Have We Done So Far?

2009-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

After reading a post on a homeschool group and thinking about how many days we have already homeschooled, I came up with this list.

5/23/2009 - Chuck Wagon Festival

Jeffery learned about cowboys, indians, and confederate soldiers. He learned how nylon rope is made, what chuckwagons cook (stew, beans, cornbread), about several types of animals (opossum, racoon, screetch owl, bear, coyote, etc), leather impressions, and more.

5/24/2009 - Paseo Art Festival

Jeffery saw many forms of art. He also learned a valuable lesson about hurting people's feelings with words.

5/26/2009 - weekly guitar lesson

5/28/2009 - made carrot cake (measuring, how to work oven, what it means to grease a pan, what to do when the timer goes off and your cake is still liquidy because you've set the oven to 250 instead of 350 :oP )

5/29/2009 - learned what to do at in case of an emergency and home alone

5/30/2009 - He will go bowling with a friend for the friend's birthday. So it will be social activity and PE type of activity. Also I'm going to have him figure out how much we will pay after the discounts at the curriculum sale at Mardel's.

Just think! We have not even cracked open a book yet and Jeffery will have 6 days of homeschooling! Imagine the possibilities!

Childcare Hunt: Update

2009-05-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

I contacted Provider #3. She runs another at home daycare that is licensed by DHS. She won't have an opening until August. Her cost is $75 for the 3 days and she seems very nice. I wonder though....she was not home when I called her (she couldn't check her schedule). That was in the middle of the day. Does she have all the kids with her or does she have someone watching them? Hmmmm...

So Provider #2 has been awake on time for the past 2 days. *whew* Definitely concerned me that first stressful morning. So far I've been happy with the results. Jeffery seems to have spent a good amount of the time outside playing. Her nephew has been over so he has had someone to play with. I've sent him with toys, books, etc to have something to do since she has 2 small girls. He seems to have had plenty though with the nephew being there and the activities outside. This morning I brought her a tomato cage since she didn't have one (I noticed in the front yard). I also cut up some of the carrot cake Jeffery and I made last night and brought some for everyone. Jeffery brought his swim trunks for the sprinklers too. Oh yes. She bought a trampoline from Craigslist too. Hopefully no injuries will come from that. *smiles*

So far so good. Let's see how this continues to work.

Childcare Hunt: The Saga Continues

2009-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Long story short, the original sitter disappeared. So we contacted Provider #2 and she is watching Jeffery today. I am concerned about reliability so we will continue to look for a childcare provider.

Working and Homeschooling: Benefit #1

2009-05-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

The first benefit I'm noticing about working and homeschooling is the sufficient funds to pay for items such as curriculum, science kits, subscriptions, art supplies, music lessons, sports equipment, etc.

Science Websites

2009-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today I was reading an email from one of the yahoo groups I'm in. A mom suggested a couple of science websites. Both look fantastic! Check it!

The Young Scientist Club

- monthly fee around $12 or a bulk/prepay discount

- mails your child a science kit 1 or 2 times a month (you pick frequency)

- covers a wide variety of subject matter

Home Science Tools

- site sells science kits and equipment

- seems reasonably priced

I will likely do business with both.

Childcare Hunt: Update

2009-05-21T06:35:00.001-07:00

I called Provider #1 last night but got her voicemail. I left her a message telling her we want to use her. I'll give her a call back today to see what we need to do (i.e. paperwork, $).

Notifying the School

2009-05-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

Although not required, I typed up the letter to notify the school that I'm going to homeschool Jeffery. I just faxed it over! Woohoo! It's official. It states it is effective tomorrow and today is the last day of school.

My next project is to get together an administrative binder. I want to keep track of how many days we homeschool. This is just to cover my but legally. I'm a legal assistant, it's what I do. lol

Childcare Hunt: The Decision

2009-05-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last night Jeffery asked if we could get together and help him decide. After we had to run a late errand, we all three sat down on the master bed and considered all of the pros and cons of each.

Jeffery's Thoughts

Provider #1

Pros
1. Has those battery powered cars you can drive.
2. Big backyard.
2. Zoo passes.
3. Seems nice.

Cons
None

Provider #2

Pros
1. Has video games.
2. Knows the nephew.
3. Seems nice.

Cons
None

Brian and My Thoughts

Provider #1

Pros
1. Same as above.
2. Toys are clean.
3. Do not remember seeing a TV, so that is a good chance there is a lot of time spent outside.
4. DHS certified so healthy food provided and house is checked a couple of times a year.
5. She is not accepting any kids under 3 yrs old.
6. She said she would not drop Jeffery as a client if she had a chance to fill up with all full time kids.
7. She will accept him in if he has a cold.

Cons
1. The background information I found on her. (Talked to Brian earlier during our errand....don't talk about certain issues in front of the kids.)

Provider #2

Pros
1. Same as above.

Cons
1. She did not offer a tour of house.
2. She did not interview as well. Many of the answers were simple yeahs with no further explanation.
3. She has 2 kids under 3 yrs old. Both are girls. She won't have old kid toys other than video games. The toys she will have are girl toys.
4. Not DHS certified.

FINAL DECISION

We all picked #1. I will call her today and tell her. I will also call the other one and tell her BUT note that we would like to keep her information on file in case the other sitter does not work out.