Happy Halloween

Pondering...

Here are a few questions to ponder upon...

• How come no one ever gets PRE-nasal drip?


• If you hit someone with a bag of EVEREADY's, would you be charged with assault with "batteries"?


• If you can buy doughnut holes, how come you can't buy Swiss cheese holes?


• How come green olives come in jars but black olives come in cans?

And yes, I am the one teaching my children ...*L* 

Have a great week and Happy Learning!!

 

On the menu at our house this week...

Monday : Chili with toppings, and ice tea

Tuesday : Left-over chili (DH will be the only one home then)

Wednesday : Pizza with friends before "Trick or Treating"

Thursday : Macaroni and Cheese soup (Pampered Chef recipe), french bread, ice tea

Friday : Greek Turkey Burgers (using pitas and ground turkey), garlic oven fries, ice tea

Pumpkin Time in Tennessee

Halloween... it's a fun time for our family... and tonight we had our annual pumpkin carving... We used the pumpkins that we picked out on the hayride we took several weeks ago...

This year we decided to let the kids do as much hands-on as possible... and with the assistance of a carving kit, it turned out great...

They had such a good time...Even DD got her hands into the "guts" of the pumpkin to dig out all the seeds... (which we saved to roast)...

Happy Halloween!!!

 

A.M.S.E. class (SKIN and SKULLS)

Today was our class on skin and skulls at the AMSE (American Museum of Science and Energy)...

It was great ... The speaker was extremely knowledgeable and had wonderful hands-on displays...

 

The kidlets (and me too) learned about different animals based on diet (herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore, which was reinforcement from our zoo class) and then about the types of teeth and the purpose of each... She discussed the shape of differnt skulls and features of some and their purpose (like the squiggle line in the skull of deer / goats, and that it functions like a shock absorber)... or the thickness (like a wild boars skull was over an inch in thickness and the purpose of his tusks etc).

She had numerous tracks and foot molds of animals, as well as, many preserved animals for the kids to touch... and lots of skulls to look at and touch... 

HAPPY LEARNING!!!

 

 

Pediatrician's Visit...

We went to see our pediatrician today... DS has been having lower abd. pain and I thought we should have it checked out since he has had a hernia with a repair in the past... and guess what?  He now has another hernia, except this time the opposite side... so, we are seeing a surgeon on Monday for an evaluation... (keeping fingers crossed and praying that he won't need a repair)...

Then I am told that he can't recieve the FluMist because of his "Reactive Airway Disease"..But DS has gained weight...He's up to 54lbs. now, which is quite an accomplishment for him since he is very active...

And we ate breakfast at the Waffle House... It was the kids first time there and they loved it.. Both "pigged out" on the "dinner plate" sized waffles and chocolate milk... DS had "Chocolate Chip" waffles and DD had "Sweet Cream" waffles... Both wanted to know if I could make them at home... (I thought to myself, "Yeah, except they are called Eggo"..)  *LOL*

After our breakfast, we were off to the A.M.S.E. for our class...

Happy Learning!!

For All of Us with Little Ones!!

I just love this... I don't think there is a parent on earth who hasn't felt this !!!

 

October Zoo Class : Oceanography

This month we have been studing "Oceanography" at our homeschool zoo class... 

Week 1: We watched a movie on undersea exploration and discussed how we know more about outer space than we actually do about the ocean depths... We had homework in which the kidlets had to learn the layers of the ocean floor ... and then we colored the earth and labeled the oceans...  

Week 2 : We discussed "WAVES"... the types, the causes, and the moons pull on the earth... We made a mobile at home to represent the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon and relationship of rotation to low and high tides...

 Week 3 : We discussed the Invertebrates and Vertebrates found in the ocean... The kids had hands on with a preserved baby shark, a shark jaw / mouth, a tusk from a walrus, and the shell from a sea turtle...The was review over the previous 2 weeks lessons and then more discussion on Endo / Ectothermic sea creatures...

 Week 4 : Today was the final class in Oceanography... and Mr. Chad discussed different types of fish and the purpose of the their body parts... like spots / changing colors for camoflauge, gille for breathing, dorsal fins for balance, tail fins for speed, pectoral fins for steering, the need for "cleanser" fish, and a review of the past 3 weeks... Including finding the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Artic, and Southern Antartic oceans on a huge ball that looked just like the earth from space, a little tricky since none of the continients were labeled and there was cloud cover on it also... But all of  the kids did fine and it amazes me how much they actually learn without even trying...

On the menu at our house this week...

This is a busy week for us, so we are having some quickies this week!!!

Monday : Boy Scout Halloween party... (make cookies for dessert)

Tuesday : Tacos, refried beans, tea 

Wednesday : Pancakes, bacon, and eggs..(we love breakfast for supper)

Thursday : Pizza (from the freezer) with a salad...

Friday : Emeril's Smothered Chicken, buttered noodles, green beans, (the kids are making apple pie for dessert) 

Spending Sunday Afternoon with the Kidlets...

On with the original plans for the day.... We continued on our trip to the mountains... Our intention was to take the Cades Cove Loop tour... but having seen the "HUGE" flashing sign stating that it would take 3-4 hrs. to complete the loop, we made a slight change in plans and did the following instead.. *LOL*

We took in some short hikes...(absolutely beautiful )...had a picnic, where we found a great campground...(Elkmont) and then the kids played in the creek...(even though the water was freezing) and played with the "water skimmers" ... The kidlets even gathered some leaves to bring back home...

And DH and I are so THANKFUL to be able to spend a Sunday afternoon with our DC and watch them play and explore....

Our trip to the Apple Orchard...

Today we started out on a family trip to the mountains... we decided to take an alternate route to see more of the beautiful fall colors... and in doing so, passed Carver's Orchard in Cosby, TN....

We decided to take this opportunity as a field trip, since we were starting "How to Bake and Apple Pie and See the World" this week... So here's some pictures from our trip..

 

Going to Greece for a day...

At co-op today , the "Countries of the World" class (ages 4-6) studied Greece...We wore togas and talked about modern Greece and the famous buildings like the Acropolis and the Parthenon... We discussed what their diet consists of (they loved how they get the Octopus ready to be grilled) and the culture... and colored the map and flag of Greece...
Then we talked a little about ancient Greece and what school was like (if you were a boy, that is) and about the Spartans..

 

 

To finish off the class we danced to some traditional Greek folk music... OPA!!!

 

Falling Leaves...

Yesterday while at the zoo for our class, the kidlets collected a various assortment of leaves..

Today we made rubbings with them and then decided to use them for a fall collage for our art notebooks...

 So, here are the finished projects... and the view of the fall colors from our house... 

 

Tagged again...

I have to post these rules before I give you the facts. 

Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged
and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re
tagged, and to read your blog.

1.) I love to read, but rarely have the time. Unless it is homeschool related..*L*

2.) I have a LIL' case of OCD.

3.) I am a closet Rock star!!! (absolutely love hair bands of the 80's)

4.) I'd love to have more kids,

5.) I am deeply in love with my DH

6.) I love to be home with my kids.

7.) I love to cook, but hate to clean.

8.) I am optimistic.

Zoo Class Homework

Making the mobile of the Moon's gravitational pull to create tidal waves...

The kids had fun and it made it easier to visualize the position of the moon when high and low tide occur...

 

 

THIS IS SOOOO NEAT!!!!

I saw this and thought it was wonderful...

 

On the Menu at our house this week....

Monday :  Spaghetti, salad, garlic cheese bread

Tuesday :  Barbecue Pork Chops (crock pot), mashed potatoes, corn on the cob

Wednesday : Tomato soup, sandwiches (grilled cheese  and bologna)

Thursday : Popcorn chicken,  pasta salad, green beans, home fries

Friday : Me and DD are on our own... (DS and DH are going camping with the Boy Scouts)

Fishy, Fishy, in a brook

Fishy, Fishy in a brook, DS caught you with a hook...

Yes, my son is a fisherman!!! Tonight was his fishing trip with his "Contenders For the Faith" class... there were 5 boys and 4 dads... and they had a great time...

DS was so excited... he caught 7 fish and couldn't wait to get home to call his grandmother and tell her!!!

Deifnitely an activity he and his dad can do again and again!!!

Winter Jam

Today we went to "Winter Jam" with our church youth group...

This is an event sponsored by WMU for educating youth about missions...

DC learned about how missions are needed not only in the international arena, but also locally... there were several exhibits and hands-on opportunities...

DC made bread as was made in the time of Jesus and learned about "locust stew"... they "traveled" to Kenya and Malawi, where they learned of the immense poverty and disease there... they made jewled bookmarks for the missionaries to use in the field and got bring one home for their own use in their bibles...

The highlight of the day for them was speaking to a missionary from Croatia, who told them all about the country, taught them to say "hello" and "goodbye" in Croatian, and gave them cookies made from the recipe used by Lottie Moon in her travels to China...

They had a great time and learned a great deal about missions the world over...

Animation Exhibit

Slide shows, scrapbooks, photo ecards, and more

After our electricity class, the kids and I took a tour of the "Animation" exhibit at the museum...

It was great.. We played with cells and made our own cartoons... We took turns doing voice overs for characters... I enjoyed seeing Hong Kong Phooey, and Speed Buggy...*L*   They had cartoon activities and educational displays from the early days of the "Flintstones" to the modern day  "PowerPuff Girls" ...It was great...DS loved getting his picture made with Yogi and DD made superheroes out of Wilma and Betty...

DS and DD played with all of the hands on displays and really enjoyed the museum... Definitely a worthwhile trip!!

...Electricity

We are beginning our unit on "Electricity" ...

 

We took a class today on electricity at the A.M.S.E. (American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, TN)...

DC learned about atoms and charges...(+,-, and neutral)... they learned of the repel and attraction of protons and electrons... and we did 2 great experiments...

Experiment #1 : Take a piece of plexiglass, wipe it with a piece of fleece to get the static energy going... Then place a pizza pan (with a piece of plastic pipe taked to it for a handle) on top of the plexiglass.. Touch the pan with a small flourescent light bulb... then lift the pan and touch it again with the bulb... The bulb will then light up in your hand... It was really cool and the kids did it over and over...

Experiment # 2:  Blow up a balloon, tape a wire thread (from steel wool) to it with both ends exposed... then take 2 strips of aluminum foil and fold them into about 1 inch wide strips...Then place on strip on a table and place 2 "D" batteries on it (stacking them on top of each other with - + ends meeting) and then place the other foil strip on top... (it takes more than 2 hands) and then touch each piece to the ends of steel wool at the same time... It will cause the balloon to burst... the kids loved this one because it made me jump when it exploded...

Hope you try these at home, because they are cheap and great and really get the electrical charge idea across...

 

Heritage Days at the Museum of Appalachia

Heritage Days...

Well, a first hand look at what life was really like in rural Appalachia in the late 1800's -mid 1900's...It is a fantastic museum and gives kids a "hands-on" view to the unique world that is written about in so many stories about Appalachia..  

My kids were fascinated by the homes and the meager furnishings.. They loved the "outhouse" and I told them my grandparents had an outhouse and I had actually used it...

They played games from the time period... (sack races with feed sacks, walking blocks, paddle ball, simply made items into childhood fun)... My DS used a 2-person saw and sawed a cedar log and was so excited to get to bring home his piece of cedar... DC learned to play the "Spoons" and were able to take a "brief" guitar lesson.. They watched how "lye" soap is made and of course we bought a bar to come home and try... 

We toured every home on exhibit and watched as people made molasses... DC got to get hands on with a "pottery" class where they each made a bowl and learning how to do laundry with a washboard... We enjoyed "Blue Grass" music and watched a "Bird of Prey" show...the kids joined in with the "Hominy Mamas" for a singing in the one-room schoolhouse...

 

We met "Abraham Lincoln" who happily told the kids he was "homeschooled too"... We watched sheep herding (just like on "Babe" as DS said)... We tasted sassafrass tea (not too tasty) and then had a muscadine juice (YUM!!)...and finished off the day with a Funnel Cake..

All in all, a wonderful learning experience...

Afternoon Playtime

BubbleShare: Share photos - Share your baby pictures

October Little Hands Art group : Hokusai

This month was my turn to lead the class... I chose to use the works of the Japenese artist Hokusai who was famous for his works with etching and the "Views of Mt. Fuji" prints...  

We started the class by looking at a map of Japan and discussing a few things that the country is known for.. Then we practiced saying "hello" and "goodbye"  in Japenese... then we got to the "FUN" part the actual etching...

First we used clean styrofoam trays and etched our drawing (of each kidlets choosing) into the tray using "chopsticks"... (staying with the "Japenese" feel)... After etching our pictures, we painted the outlines with paint....

Then we placed a piece of cardstock over the top and used a small roller to transfer our image onto the paper... I think they turned out quite well... and my DC were very pleased to show them to daddy when he came home this evening...

ALA Banned Books

In recognizing the ALA Banned Book week, I decided to see exactly how many classics that I love and plan to use in the future on the homeschool road that have been protested against and banned at some point in print history... I was amazed and astonished at how many classics had been torn apart in this fasion by people unable to appreciate them for the literary masterpieces they are... and it saddens me to think that there is still some of those opinions out there... So, here goes the list I have made for myself:

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

The Color Purple, Alice Walker

Ulysses, James Joyce

The Lord of the Flies, William Golding

1984, George Orwell

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway

The Call of the Wild, Jack London

The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut

 

 

Political Standing...

Ok... it is time that I throw my hat into the political blog-a-sphere and start endorsing my candidates early.. I know the Hillary's of the world think they have it all in the bag, but I am of a more conservative order and I just don't really care for her as a person...

So, I am endorsing the candidates that I feel have the most in common with me and that includes all of my personality flaws... I like Rudy because he is down to earth and is not too uptight, and lets face it, he did clean up NYC... and then the conservative Mom in me likes Mike Huckabee.. he is conservative, Christian, and an upstanding man...

Now, I am hoping for the best of both worlds and get the "SUPER" ticket with RUDY/MIKE for President 2008... Let me know who you support and why... I love to hear other opinions and thoughts in the political machine..

Optimist, Pessimist, or Realist??

I just took the test... and yes, I found out that I am not the optimist I thought I was... I am a realist... which is not bad in my continuum, but I still prefer to think I see the glass half full... 

At least i am honest, even if that is a little too much for some at times... I try and give my honest opinion without the sugar coating and that can sometimes be hard to hear, as well as, hard to give...

I encourage everyone to take the test and see where they lie in the triad .... GOOD LUCK!!

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

I am so thankful!!!

Well, it has been a week and a half without the internet due to a computer failure and I have actually survived... I won't lie, it has been extremely tough and I never realized how dependent I am on it for communication, homeschooling, and entertainment...

But now hopefully, (after losing lots of files that I really wanted to keep) I will learn the lesson to always back-up everything... Not just those pictures of Disney World...

Well, it's almost 3am and I have finally gotten through the miscellaneous 700 e-mails and I am going to bed now... Hopefully, I will be back in action and update our weekend happenings tomorrow...

Sweet Dreams!!