Another Day of Excitement

Today was yet another day of excitement in our learning journey...

 

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The kids and I (along with some homeschool friends) traveled to the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park for a Junior Ranger program called "SLIMY SALAMANDERS"... This is a great program that I have written about before that is sponsored by the National Park Service and led by local Park Rangers... This particular class was being led at the Sugarlands Visitor Center... (this is also another great homeschool find as they have a natural museum with all kinds of examples of wildlife native to East TN and the mtns)...  And the staff is very knowledgeable about other opportunities available in the area...

It was a hot, humid day... But in the mtns., it was bearable... and we got play in the creek..(while we were on the hunt for Salamanders)... *L*

Salamanders 101:     The Smoky Mtns. are a treasure trove for the Salamander hunter with over 30 different types in residence...(also referred to as the "Salamander Capital of the World")...

 

Salamanders are amphibians and their skin is a moist mucous membrane that they actually breathe through.  That is why it is so important when handling them to make sure your hands are wet as they need the moisture for their skin.. One of the most fascinating facts about salamanders is that they can lose their tail (and grow another one) when being attacked by a predator... (like a raccoon, cat, or little boys)... The tail will actually lay  and wiggle after coming off which will allow the salamander time to escape... That was one of the main points that the rangers made to us before we started to catch them...DO NOT GRAB THEM BY THE TAIL... also, another defense mechanism that we witnessed first hand was their ability to "play dead"...Which I must say they can do quite well.. *L*

The natural habitat of the salamander is in small stream / brooks in wet, shady areas under rocks... When turning over the rocks to look for them, you have to be careful as other creepy creatures also live there... we used Zip-lock baggies and just turned over the rock and scooped the salamander into it with a little water... Not too much as they can actually drown...The one we caught was called the "Spotted Dusky Salamander" (which appeared to be a popular one, as alot of people also caught them)... then we also caught a crayfish... The boys were so excited to have caught the salamander and the girls carried the crayfish in their baggie.. They had to be seperated as they might "eat" each other... and for the finishing touch to our adventure, always return the salamander to it's home...

Well, that concludes our adventure for today... Peace and Happy Learning...

 

 

  

Our Adventures continue...

Today was another great learning opportunity for the kids and myself.

We are fortunate to live near some wonderful state parks and the one we visited today was Panther Creek State Park in Morristown Tn.  The park was offering an animal class and we had the fortune to meet "Wilbur the Corn Snake" ...

Corn Snakes are very common in this area and look very similar to some other snakes, but are not poisonous... The corn snake has very small teeth and poisonous snakes have "fangs"...Also their pupils are round like ours, and poisonous snakes have vertical slits...(but if you are that close to tell, you are TOO CLOSE)...*L* 

We also learned why they are called the "Corn Snake" and that is because of the pattern / colors looks like Indian Corn... Plus on the underside of their bellies, it looks like a checkerboard... and one more thing about them, when "petting" them, touch them in a downward motion and toward the end of the tail.. Because when the plates of scales are shifted the wrong way, it actually is uncomfortable and almost painful for the snake, as well as, pinches the person touching them...  We also learned that some corn snakes can be different in coloring..

The diet of the corn snake consists of most anything that is smaller...birds, bunnies, rodents, and of course insects...

As for other snakes in the area, we learned that of the poisonous variety, there are the Eastern Rattler, the Timber Rattler, the Copperhead, and the Cotton Mouth (also known as the Water Moccasin)...

I loved this class and learned as much as the kids did... And I am so thankful that my kids have opportunities like these...

Ijams

okay, okay, okay!!!

We wnt to Ijams Nature Center today... (located in the heart of beautiful, crowded, hot Knoxville)... It was certainly a wonderful time... I had never been and boy had I missed out...

This is a 160 acre premier educational, environmental, nature center and park. It is located on the beautiful Tennessee River and has a historic homesite, a visitor center with some wonderful wildlife on display, backwoods trails, and lots of wooded areas...(forests as my DS described them to my DH)... There is a trail that leads to Meads Quarry and a Scenic Overlook with lots of natural sculpture and rock formations... and a wonderful walk down by the river on the boardwalks on the banks of the Tennessee River...

Environmental Education is the most important part of Ijams Nature Center's mission. Therefore, Ijams is "Program Central" for educational classes and wildlife experiences for East TN. From Bug Nights to Day Camps, School Field Trips to River Rescue, Ijams has it all!  I am hoping to be able to take advantage of Bat Night in August and Bug Night in September.. The kidlets would love that...*S*

Ijams was started by Harry (H.P.) and Alice Yoe Ijams who built their home in 1910 and over the next 50 years developed the 20-acre property into a wildlife sanctuary that they graciously shared with the community. Harry was an artist and avid birdwatcher who often drew the scenes and animals found on the Ijams property. Alice was a talented horticulturist and kept a greenhouse for propagating small native plants and shrubs that were sold or planted on the grounds.

Mr. and Mrs. Ijams had four daughters, Elizabeth, Jo, Mary and Martha, and were very active in local Girl and Boy Scout activities. A portion of their property was used by the Girl Scouts as a summer day camp. The site was called "Camp Mary Ijams" after their daughter who tragically died in 1932.

Together they grew wildflowers and ferns, developed ponds for aquatic life and created beautiful, natural habitats that now function as Ijams Nature Center’s "outdoor classrooms." For years, people living in the area came to the Ijams’ home to walk the trails and talk about nature.

The kids had a great time... We visited with some homeschool friends of ours and had a wonderful time exploring the area and having a"picnic" lunch.. The kids walked and walked... We had a climb up a trail that was extremely steep and 4yo DD decided she wanted to be carried... I told her she would have to walk it as I could barely carry myself...*L*  (we shoudl have known by the name "Tower Trail")..
There were several species of wildflowers and lots of birds, butterflies, and squirrels..

I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed this trip or how disappointed I am in myself to never have been there and enjoyed it before...

Peace and Happy Learning!!!

Exhaustion and Overwhelmed senses....

UGH!! The only word I know to describe the feelings running through my mind and body at this time...

I am so frustrated... I have gotten into cleaning and organizing the schoolroom and storage closet, but I am so overwhelmed... I never realized "WE" had sooo much stuff... Well, I guess this may be the last journal entry for me as I may never be rescued from the cluttered learning jungle of the schoolroom...I will write if ever I make it back to civilization...

So Long Good Friends...

Decisions...Decisions...Decisions...

Now that it's that time to begin thinking about curriculum, I have gotten into the mode of "CLEANING AND THROWING AWAY"... I have been using hints along the way from the FlyLady all along, but I really think it's time to do more than the "15 item boogie"...

I think that if I could part with more things that I would not spend near the time I do in the mornings cleaning and would have a more pleasant environment to boot, as I am one of those that like things neat and out of the way...

I also have decided that beginning tomorrow, I am going to organize the school room and the storage closet (commonly known to our family as the "jungle")...I mean there is no reason to keep 15 used toilet rolls and empty egg cartons for crafts that we haven't done and may never get too...*L*  So, that is 1st in priority fo us this week. I am lucky in the fact that my kidlets don't have a problem with getting rids of things. They are quite happy with letting someone else have it that needs it more... (I just wish that their dear mother was the same way)...*L*

Actually, I am now going to follow the cardinal rule of organizing: "If you don't love it, if it doesn't bring you happiness, and you can easily replace it, then you don't need it"...at least that's what the organizer on "Clean House" likes to say to the distraught people on the show while they are getting rid of all their stuff...*S*

So, wish me luck as I being this new chapter of "cleanliness and order"... Till we meet again..(if I ever make it out of the closet alive)..

Curriculum Time...all the choices...

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic???

I have been working on lesson plans and trying to assimilate curriculum. I love this time of year. It is sooo exciting with all the options and choices out there. My favorite books at this time of year are the Rainbow Resources catalog and Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool and Tobin's Science catalog  (highly recommending all three)...

I love reading every little detail and imagining all the things I can do  to supplement and make the learning complete. All the crafts and activities.... the excitement that only a homeschool mom can truly understand.

Generally, we work in short sessions. Being done with all of the essential class work in 2-21/2 hrs. We do Math and Phonics daily for 15-30 minutes sessions, depending on (depending on the child’s level and the length of the lesson). We drill 2 times a week in spelling and math. Sometimes my DS does his drills standing up and doing jumping jacks....(I say whatever works, as that is the beauty of homeschooling)....Sometimes instead of working on the current math text, we'll play math games and practice facts that we have learned that way. My kids love to play Monopoly Jr. and nothing helps spelling like Boggle.

Reading is work to some... To us, it's enjoyment, a "flight into fantasy and creativity". We've always enjoyed reading good books no matter what the time of year or the topic.Weekly library trips are a pleasure and the 45 minute drive to the library is only a minor difficulty in the pleasure that we recieve from the trip. We use the time in the car to watch great videos and listen to "books on CD". Another example of the unschooling method I am finding myslef becoming involved with.

Writing... Now that's a topic or in the words of my darling son "a torture"....This year we are going to foray into the "Land of Handwriting without Tears".... We used Abeka for cursive this year and he truly dreaded it. I won't make the mistake again of continuing with a curriculum that makes him miserable purely for the fact that I feel we need to complete it...I am coming to the conclusion that I am in control, not the curriculum and it is just a tool to aid in our learning journey.

To Be Year Round or Not? That is the question...

I've been thinking about homeschooling year round... I guess you could say that we have been doing that in the fact that when the kidlets were small, we learned all the time.  And then as we have progressed to kindergarten and then to first grade, we have used our "vacations" for learning experiences and even did "learning" things over the holidays and weekends such as lapbooks and books involving the holiday itself... Here are a few of my reasons for deciding that I should make that leap and just call it school year-round:

Weeks of review will be tossed to the side and new learning and adventures can occur.             

I can concentrate on any strengths or special gifted areas in each child! DS can explore and create new imaginary adventures and DD can dance, sing, and cook marvelous pretend treats  to her hearts content because "WE" will have time.   

We live in rural East TN,  so there are hours in the afternoon when it’s simply too hot to be outdoors – a perfect time to work on art, music, indoor projects and educational hobbies along with reading many wonderful books. Lots of time to spend on meaningful, educational, and fun pursuits.

I want to make learning FUN, and instill a lifetime love for learning in my children – summer will give us the freedom to explore all those “off the beaten curriculum paths” and the "little nooks and crannies of the world" that you won’t find in text books.

An added benefit is the opportunity to take off when needed during the regular school year without guilt or rescheduling because I know the children have learned year round!

And finally, I think it is just easier for me to manage and makes keeping my sanity at times more manageable.. *LOL*

Tournament of Champions

Did you ever have one of those nights when you knew that all the work was worth it?

Well, tonight was one of those nights for my husband and I ...

Our son who is 7, has been playing coach-pitch baseball this summer and has been playing 3rd base... He has had to learn all the in's and out's, but has progressed quite well... Tonight was the end of the season tournament for his division. His team, "THE CUBS" were to play a team from another area of our county... Well, it was a slaughter... The other team had larger, more proficient, and more determined players... (Basically our team was just happy to be there..*L*)  We lost with the game being called in the 4th inning with a score of 26-5... But our little guys were not disappointed... They were just happy to have the opportunity to play and enjoy themselves... I personally thought this was great, but little did I know that I would have more in store for the evening...

After the game, we went to a locally owned restaurant (one of only 2 in the area)... and there was one of the players from the other team and his family... My son walked over to him and his family and held out his hand and congratulated him on their win... I was so proud, I could have cried... These are the moments that I homeschool for... To know that I am able to teach him to be courteous, a good sport, and a great little guy...

Good Morning Sunshine

Good Morning Sunshine...

These are the first thoughts that run through my amazingly empty head this morning. After having a busy week, I decided to take a little time this morning just for me and to do nothing, not even think.

Well, that lasted for about 2 minutes, because then I remembered that "No, it's not the weekend"... And so I began another busy morning... I must say though that even at the busiest times, I truly enjoy and am thankful for the life that I have been given. And consider it only a blessing to which I should be thankful for.

The past Sunday, Paul and I took the kidlets to the mountains. One of the great things about living in rural East Tennessee is that we are amazing close to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains. So, off we went, packing a picnic lunch of bologna sandwiches, kool-aid and chips...and don't forget the "GREAT GRAINGER COUNTY TOMATOES"...*L*  (for those of you not familiar with these, they are a summer staple in the lives of many in East TN)... We arrived in the mountains after a 1 1/2hr drive.. It was much cooler than the 90+ temp. we had in our area.

Upon arriving, we stopped at the Sugarlands, where we proceeded to take a light Ranger-led hike to a place called "Cataract Falls"...The kids learned a great deal from the talk the Ranger gave as he took us through the woods. We learned about the Eastern Hemlock and the insect that is threatening its survival and how the government is experimenting with the development of $4 dollar bug that will eat the rival insect..(yes, $4 a bug)... and then we went on to learn about the Junior Ranger Program.

This was one of the highlights of the day... From this we learned about several classes offered daily through October the kids could take at different locations in the mountain area for FREE...Yes free... Well, being the budget conscious parents that we are, we immediately decided to take advantage of the ones for that day...

So we headed off to an area different from the one we had originally decided to stake out for the purpose of our picnic to take advantage of this new opportunity. The "Stream Ecology" class was being offered at the "Chimney's" picnic area and it was sooooo beautiful there...

The class itself was great... It was given by 2 Park Rangers and they were very knowledgeable and able to answer all the kids questions in a way that was on their level of understanding. They went into detail about the water cycle and all the environmental pollutants, as well as, the man-made pollutants... They had specimens of micro-organisms that are found in the area streams and creeks and their life cycles.

Then the best part of all was when the Rangers showed the kids BEAR SCAT!!!  Known to us commoners as POOP!!! I could not begin to tell you how much they talked about it... That was truly the highlight of our trip... beating out playing in an ice cold creek and climbing over huge boulders in the creek...

Well, that was the highlights of Sunday for our family... The beginning day of what was a busy but blessed week...