We are animals

We learned about cells... animal and plant cells and we looked at them and how they are the same. I am using R.E.A.L. Science, and I really like the curriculum. They have some great ideas about how to teach the lessons and some really great hands on activities.

Ass you can see there are two different kinds of cells. Animal cells are round, and plant cells are rectangle and have chloroplast.

We used orange jello to be our cell, and then green grapes for chloroplast, and a strawberry for the nucleus. The boys had a great time and it was easy to see the difference in the types of cells.

And the great thing is that it was really good to eat after. Science can be really yummy!!!

A couple days after doing this the boys were being really crazy and wild. I asked them why they were acting like animals. I guess they really got what the lesson was about, here is our conversations....

Me: Boys.... why are you acting like animals??!!!

Tommy: But mom... we are animals!

James: Yeah, our cells are round

Tommy: And we don't have chloroplast like plants do.

What do you say to that??? Nothing really... so I gave them apples and sent my little animals outside to play.

Kinder-Steps Dropout

{Orginally posted March 7, 2009}
It's official... I pulled James out of school.

Let me start at the beginning... For a while now James has not been wanting to go to school. And the other day we were sitting down just talking and he turned to me and said, "Mom, I really don't like school." We talked about it more and came to the point that he wanted to learn at home. I told him that he wouldn't see his teacher or his school friends any more, and he was ok with that. We talked that being at home didn't mean watching TV or playing all day, he would still have to do some school work and work really hard on his reading. He said ok. {I wanted to salvage some of the love of learning that he had when he started school} So on Thursday, I went and pulled him out of school.

I had really mixed feelings about it. I know I want to homeschool. But the pressure of society to make you think that you have no idea what your own child needs is strong. I think we so many just follow the crowd because it's easier. And the idea of having 6 hours free is very appealing. But I don't think my child would get the education that I want him to have. This will be a learning thing for me too, and I'm kinda scared, but excited too. James has been really interested in Galileo lately, and now we get to explore that.

We have officially entered into the realm of homeschooling....

The best part was that night when he said his prayers he said he was thankful not to go back to school. I don't know that I will ever truly know what happen to make him want to come home now, but I know I made the right choice for him.

Mummies Among Us

{Originally posted July 18, 2009}

For those that don't know, I am home schooling the boys. I'm using this summer to work out any kinks, to learn how they learn the best, and making sure this is something that I can do. I'm pretty relaxed right now, {it's summer after all} but the boys really like learning, so why not keep it up.

Last month we learned about dinosaurs. That was a lot of fun as we talked about the meat eaters and plant eaters. We were even able to go to the dinosaur museum while we were in Utah. It's a lot of fun listening to them tell me all about the things that they learn.

This month we are working on Ancient Egypt. We have learned about the continent that Egypt is on, the longest river and of course the pyramids. James is fascinated about the canopic jars, and the mummies. So one morning... he died, and what else were we to do. So we did what anybody else in ancient Egypt would do {assuming you were a person of importance} We took his brains out his nose, and then open him up and put his soft organs in canopic jars to be saved for later. Then we wrapped him up. {we didn't have any proper wrap....} So using toilet paper, Tommy and I mummified him. Lucky for us James did come back... the after life came quickly for him.

Then Tommy died....

And so did I...

Here is "James" in hieroglyphics, he did a really good job looking at the pictures and drawing them.

That night {since we were all in the afterlife together} we had an Egyptian meal. We had Numora {like a cake}, Hummus and pita bread, dates, & beef and eggplant... it was suppose to be lamb and eggplant, but we did not take enough money with us into the after life and I was not going to be paying $40 for lamb... Everything was really good!!!

This has been a fun unit to work on and the boys really have gotten into it. Once we get to North Carolina {where will the base of operations for a bit, while the husband searches for a more permanent place of residence in Florida} we are going to learn about Joseph and the coat of many colors, and Moses. Now that they know where Egypt is, and it's familiar.

I think this will be a good thing.

You want me to do what??

{I am NOT a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew... I just like answering the questions too.}

What if your child doesn't like to read?

Fortunately I don't have this problem. I am so thankful for that!!!

I think the love of reading started because I had no other choice. When James was 6 months old I got pregnant with Tommy. I was sick and we were in an apartment while the husband was living in the barracks for military training. We didn't have any furniture so I laid on a beanbag and taught James to bring books to me so I could read to him.

Here are some things that I have learned about reading though...

Reading is reading no matter if it comes from the literary greats, or the back of a cereal box.

Even comic books and magazines are reading. As long as they are appropriate keep them around.

Let them decide what they want to read. Yes there are things that I make my boys read to help them along... but I leave it completely up to them when it comes to free reading. Tommy likes a good fiction book while James like science books.

We have tons of books around! We have so many books and really they are all over. And at bed time if the boys aren't tired they still have to go to bed but I leave the hall light on and they can take books to bed with them.

I try to make it a point for them to see me read. When the boys sit down and with all the new library books I grab something for me to read and sit down with them. They also see dad read a lot because he is studying so much. I think it's important to set a good example for the boys.

And of course I read to them. If they are wiggly I'll read while they play with legos or something quietly. Tim will usually put together a puzzle. I try to read all sorts of things to them. From picture books to the classics. Some days go better than others, but even a page is better than nothing.

Homeschooling in the summer

Do you homeschool during the summer?? This is my first year so we are going to see how it's going to work for us.

This year is kinda unique because I'm due with baby Benjamin in August. So we are going to school up until August and then take some time off, while we adjust to a new life with a new family member.

But even during our "off" time we are still going to be learning. We are going to do lots of reading and some games that I have for the boys that I can do from the couch while I am feeding the baby, and the boys can still run around.

The other reason is because the husband is on a weird school schedule. He goes for a quarter and has time off. Anywhere from a week to 3 weeks. It's nice to take the time off when he is off so we can all play together.

And here in Florida the weather is well.... most of the time HOT!! So it's best to stay inside during the summer {that and go to the beach} and to play in the spring when the weather is so nice.

We are still getting to know people around here and the boys don't really know anyone that goes to public school, so they really don't know any different than just to follow our schedule.

So are you going to homeschool during the summer? Whether you homeschool or you send your child to school...