For the Love of Learning

Born To Be Wild

2011-06-15T21:00:00.004-04:00

Mickey's gymnastic coach invited her group to do a fun demonstration at an end-of-year celebration. The girls were thrilled. The coach put together this gymnastics routine to "Born To Be Wild." They had so much fun and it was a very positive experience! It's great to be a part of a gym that celebrates each girl and works on their personal best.

Our Day

2011-03-29T14:59:00.006-04:00

Today I thought I'd journal about our day. Currently Tuesdays are our busy learning days. The other two days (when I'm not teaching) are usually interrupted by an activity or two! This is what we did today:

1) Started with simple math drills to wake the brain and encourage speed at easy operations. Subtraction for Mickey, and multiplication for Mason.

2) Mickey practiced her words on this site while Mason worked on his First Language Lessons. We haven't done any work on FLL for quite some time. I actually wasn't sure how much of it was "sticking" and had dropped it for some time. When we picked up from where we left off, he remembered everything. We reviewed nouns; proper and common, and then he copied a poem. In the poem he looked for statements, exclamations and questions. He found the nouns and verbs and we discussed stanzas. He practiced reciting the poem and started working on memorizing it. After, he drew a picture to accompany the poem in his writing journal.

3) Next - on to Money Math. Lately we've been doing money math each day. It helps to reinforce the concepts. They are getting much faster at adding the coins together and can subtract amounts with ease. We will continue with this until June I imagine. This is one of those concepts that kids really need to work on regularly or they soon forget. Kids should be comfortable counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, and 25s - forwards and backwards to 100. Kids shouldn't really start on money concepts until they can do this comfortably.

4) Playtime - Lego. This has become a daily occurence!

5) Story of the World - Chapter 26
Our history unit has been going slowly. Today we focused on Chapter 26 on The Americas. I tied in discussions on continents, mapping, artifacts, equator, North, Central, and South America. While I read, the kids coloured in the appropriate maps.

6) Art

We have been doing a fairly indepth study of animals. Last week we were learning about birds and other "winged" animals. I came across the book "Wings" by Sneed B. Collard III. I love the illustrations in this books. They remind me of images made solely from pieces of paper. I decided to have the kids make pictures of birds, using only construction paper. This was our first attempt. It's a time consuming process, especially if kids cut out each feather. Each of us attempted this project in a different way. I think we'll probably do this one again. We all really enjoyed it.

Mommy's art:

Mickey's art:

Mason's art:

Planet Box Bento Lunch Boxes

2011-03-20T08:05:00.003-04:00

Both kids don't require a lunch bag or box but Mickey does need to bring a suitable, healthy, snack to gymnastics three times a week. We discovered these bento boxes at Planet Box and love them. We purchased one stainless steel box and the two dippers, as well as, two carrier bags and two sets of magnets. This way Mason can use the box when he goes to soccer camp or somewhere else that requires a snack or lunch. We love Planet Box because it accommodates a variety of lunch foods and keeps the foods separate. The little dippers can be used for dips or to separate wet foods, like fruit.

Haiku

2011-03-17T07:08:00.000-04:00

After a discussion with Grannie recently about all things Scotland, Mason became fascinated with Puffins! When I had them write a haiku, he chose to write about the puffin and this is the artwork he created with my favourite art medium of all time; watercolour crayons. I see a big, new, shiny box of many, many colours, in our future!

Creationary by Lego

2011-03-16T07:36:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we are loving games these days. For Christmas, the kids received Creationary - another Lego game. It's very similar to Pictionary. You roll the dice and choose a card. On the card you select the image from the category you rolled. Your job is to build the item on the card and the other players have to guess what you built. There are three levels of difficulty. This game could be played for as long or as little as you like. Lots of fun and great fun for a dinner party!

Harry Potter Lego Game

2011-03-15T02:17:00.000-04:00

In the last few months we've really delved into games. The Harry Potter Lego Game is one of our all time favourites. We play it almost every day - for now! It's for ages 8+ but our 6 year old has no problem with it. I think it's more fun if you've read at least the first book (which we have), but not necessary. It can be played in as little as 20 minutes which is great for a quick game before bedtime. I also like that the designers have encouraged players to change the rules of the game and have provided game pieces and ideas for changing the rules. This will keep the game fresh and exciting.

Weekend Getaway at Blue!

2011-03-14T07:19:00.000-04:00

Chillin'

2011-03-13T07:12:00.000-04:00

Mastermind

2011-03-12T09:06:00.002-05:00

We've recently re-discovered the game "Mastermind". I used to play this game all the time when I was young. My Dad and I would each have a board. We'd even double or triple up on colours to make it really tricky! The kids love it and it's a great game to play while we're waiting and watching at aikido and gymnastics.

Glogster

2011-02-09T21:46:00.000-05:00

I just recently found this site. It's free and allows you to create online, interactive posters. Good for individuals and can also be set up for a class. I haven't tried it with my class but have plans to in the very near future. Will post the results when I have them!

More Paul Klee Inspired Art

2011-02-08T21:37:00.004-05:00

Here's a few pieces that were done by my Grade 6s.

Paul Klee Inspired Art

2011-01-15T01:19:00.001-05:00

We used this idea for a Paul Klee inspired project.

Using graph paper the kids were asked to design a building or city scape using geometric shapes. If they used curves or circles, they were only to use 1 or 2. The graph paper was used for the rough drawing only. They liked that they could make mistakes.

After their plans were done, I took sheets of acetate (overhead sheets) and taped them on top. I traced their lines with a black Sharpie marker and a ruler. Older kids could do this on their own. I chose to do this step for the kids because I knew that using the ruler and trying not to smudge the marker would be too frustrating for them. I wanted this to be a successful project.

After the black lines were traced, I removed the graph paper and turned it over to the white side. The kids had a choice of colouring in their shapes with colouring Sharpie markers or oil pastels. Both are great options. My kids at school are using oil pastels. With the oil pastels, I've found that it helps to colour in one direction. If you go back over your work with the pastels, they seem to pick up bits and almost erase what you've done. You have to go easy and not press too hard. I've also noticed that sometimes the acetate has one side that works better than the other.

Once the shapes have been coloured in the acetate could be mounted on black or white paper or could be hung on a window. If mounting on paper, I would mount it with the coloured side against the paper to prevent smudging.

We really liked this project and I can't wait to show off the work from school. In the future with my younger ones, I would probably give them geometric shapes to trace and put together. This way I can ensure that the shapes are used and that they stay within a certain size and/or proportion. With my grade 6s I also combined this with a lesson on colour and had the students choose one area of their city scape that had to have emphasis through the use of contrast. I'm excited to see their results.

Making Words

2011-01-14T13:10:00.003-05:00

Here's a fun activity for improving word knowledge.

1) Choose a challenge word and give the kids the letters for this word all jumbled up. I used letter stamps but you could use any form as long as they can be moved around.

2) Have your kids try to come up with as many words as they can using the letters provided. Have them write them day. Each time they do this exercise they could try and come up with more words.

3) If you have more than one child, have them compare their lists.

4) See if they can come up with the challenge word. This is the original word that uses all of the letters. Mine was monster.

A New Smile

2010-12-07T11:45:00.002-05:00

This little one is certainly keeping the tooth fairy in business. 6 teeth gone so far...

Advent

2010-12-07T11:38:00.001-05:00

Thanks to an amazing publisher's book sale I was able to go to this year, I was able to create a book advent for each of the kids. Each day they get to open a new book. It's been fabulous and they're loving it. What's better than a new book every day for 24 days. They are very fortunate.

Christmas Party

2010-12-07T11:21:00.002-05:00

Heinrich's work had their annual kid's Christmas party a few weeks ago. They hold it in the amusement park section of a big city mall. They close down the section for employees and their kids. It's a great time and the kids look forward to it every year.

Poem #1

2010-11-23T13:29:00.003-05:00

I've been working on a poetry unit with my grade 6 class. I had them purchase sketchbooks which had paper that could handle watercolours. For our poetry unit, we're studying a different type of poem and an art technique (for lack of a better word) each week. My goal is to have the students create a beautiful poetry journal filled with art that they can truly be proud of. So far, they've done a fantastic job and are so proud of themselves.

I'm enjoying this project so much that I've decided to do it with my two. We started with the acrostic poem using their first names. Last names could be added as well. I chose to have them write sentences for each letter of their name, but for younger children, they could easily choose one word for each letter. The word or sentences must be reflective of the child.

For the artwork on the border, I had them make some tangled art. Since I can't find a link online, here's a quick lesson. I did it within a border, but it's even better when you can fill a whole page.
1) draw 4-5 curved lines from one edge of the page to the other. Allow them to criss cross.

2) fill each shape with a different pattern.

3) go over curved lines and patterns with a fine black Sharpie marker.

4) after discussing colour theory and colour options, have them fill in each space with colour.

Mason - age 7

Mickey - age 5

The kids were so proud of themselves when they were done. Stay tuned for our next poem.

Check This Out!

2010-11-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

A New Book

2010-11-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

I've been eyeing these books by Erin Hunter for a while. Going into the children's department in any bookstore can be quite daunting. As a book lover, I get completely overwhelmed. I want to buy everything. Finding a chapter book suitable for a young, yet advanced reader can be a challenge. I need the books to interest him, yet not be garbage. I also need them to interest me! After speaking with the sales rep. at our local Chapters, ( who really knew her stuff), I decided to give this book a go. This is Mason's newest chapter book. He loves animals so a fantasy book all about bears, is perfect. It's beautifully written and I am enjoying hearing the story as well. When we finish it we will write a more complete review. If we enjoy this series, I'm sure we'll try Warriers as well. I would love to hear from anyone who has read them all. What did you think?

Balloons

2010-11-18T20:27:00.013-05:00

A friend suggested that we get our kids together to do some experiments. She had three in mind that all used balloons. We stayed with the balloon theme and ended up with seven fun experiments. Nothing serious, just some fun experimenting!

We started by creating static electricity. They had a lot of fun with this one.

Next we tried the "skewer through the balloon" experiment. This was cool! The kids predicted the best locations for the skewer to enter and exit the balloon. Unfortunately I didn't have any of the thin wooden ones so, we had to make do with a metal shish kebab skewer which proved to be a little more challenging. It took a few tries, but finally worked. The kids figured out that it was best to put the skewer through the area with the least amount of stress on it.

Here's a good one to demonstrate the difference between expansion and contraction. Since I didn't always have my camera at the ready, my pictures aren't the best, but you get the idea!

Check out this video for demonstrating centripetal force. The kids enjoyed this one and it could be expanded on in a variety of ways; different sized balloons, different objects, etc...

All kids love a chemical reaction. Try this simple one for blowing up a balloon.

And my personal favourite, the balloon hovercraft. It definitely helped to have another set of hands available to help stretch the balloon over the top. Very neat.

Next theme....lemons!

Money Worksheets

2010-11-12T08:53:00.001-05:00

This is a good site for generating money worksheets. Different currencies are available.

Remembrance Day Message

2010-11-11T20:55:00.002-05:00

Visit here

Good Math Link

2010-11-07T10:32:00.002-05:00

Check out this site for math practice. Note: Area and Perimeter is under Geometry instead of Measurement.

Christmas Ideas - Free online magazine!

2010-11-06T20:48:00.002-04:00

I just found this link to a great online magazine filled with Christmas ideas. It's free too! Thanks Karen for the link. Enjoy everyone!

Open publication - Free publishing - More happy

Our Science Program

2010-11-06T19:46:00.005-04:00

I must admit that our science program is not well developed. It's generally child led. The only component that's organized is a science co-op that I've organized. We meet every other week with 13 other children. Half of our program is delivered by this group and half by this one. The rest of our learning is determined by Mason and Mickey's current interests. Both of these programs are wonderful and are very hands on. The organizers are very willing to work within our guidelines.

Suspense Story Writing Prompts

2010-11-05T08:31:00.003-04:00

Here is a series of writing prompts that I used when my class was working on suspense writing. These aren't meant to replace their story but rather jump start their creative juices. I would use the one below for confident writers. As the prompts progressed, students loved sharing what they had written and demonstrating how they had used rich vocab.

Starter sentence:
He (or she) thought she heard someone in the house.

a) where was he/she in the house?
b) what was the disturbing sound he/she heard?
c) what was he/she thinking? What question could be going through his/her mind?
d) was anything out of the ordinary in the house?
e) did the character smell anything? Did it remind him/her of anything?
f) connect that memory to the present moment.
g) raise another question in the character's mind.
h) what does the character really want to do right now but can't?
i) Why is he/she afraid?
j) Have the character take some kind of action.
k) Put an obstacle in his/her path; make him retreat.
l) Give him/her the courage to return and try again.
m) Have the character discover what's really going on.

Here's a much shorter one I tried with younger writers. It could easily have been made longer.

Once upon a time I was _______________________________________________ and I heard ________________________________________.

The noise made me feel ________________________________. I think it was ____________________________________________________.

I quickly ________________________________________________________________________________. All of a sudden __________________

_________________________________________________.

A Post for Those Homeschooling A Teen

2010-10-28T07:50:00.002-04:00

Here's a post from one of my favourite bloggers. This kid seems pretty cool!

Downloadable Sound Blend Strips

2010-10-24T20:14:00.002-04:00

Just found these. Might be worth a look. I'll need to explore her site further!

Math Curriculum

2010-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to continue my overview of the resources and curriculum that we're using for the different subject areas. It's taking me a while, and I apologize!

The purchased curriculum that I use is Bob Jones and I supplement with Jump math. I find that Bob Jones is definitely the most thorough and the one that best suits my children. I did not select it because of it's Christian content. I selected it because:

1) it's visually appealing (colourful, bright, lots of images, etc...)
2) it covers all areas of the Ontario curriculum and prepares learners for the next year
3) often goes beyond the grade expectations, and finally,
4) reinforces past learned material

On almost every page of Bob Jones Math is a word problem and although the child may be working on fact families, let's say, the book also includes questions from past lessons (other strands) to help reinforce learning. It's not enough to cover a topic once and then move on. In math especially, students often forget their skills when they're not usually them daily. Not only do kids need to understand the concepts and relationships, but they need to be able to do them fast. The more proficient they become, the more confident they will be with higher level thinking.

I can't say that I'm thrilled with Jump math. In the words of my mother, who's a retired primary school teacher (educated in the British system), "it's ridiculous!" It does have it's purpose, especially when combined with another source. I don't believe that it should be used on it's own. It simply does not cover all areas and doesn't use a variety of strategies.

We also use a number of other resources and manipulatives. Here are just a few of the manipulatives that we use:

Base Ten Blocks. I would not do without these!

We use these cheap plastic toys from the dollar store as counters and other manipulatives. An inexpensive tool.

We've had a few different clocks (including homemade which serves a purpose), but this is by far the best. I like that the time also shows up in digital format at the bottom and that the child can select AM or PM. It also has a handy stand on the back so it doesn't have to be hung up or lay flat on the table.

The kids love the play money. This set was a bit expensive, but after much searching and not being able to find a set with a good number of coins and bills, I settled on this one.

Flashcards. I don't use them often but the kids like to play with them and test each other. They see how fast they can say their facts.

A variety of different manipulatives.

Number stamps. These were given to us by a friend and although I wouldn't have purchased them myself, they've been a lot of fun. Great for encouraging them to make up equations.

The great thing about homeschool math is that we just keep going. We don't stop when the kids finish a grade level. It's a continuum. That's why, when people ask me now what grade the kids are in, I have to stop and think, what the "proper" answer is, not what grade level I'm doing in each subject area. My guys are starting to get very confused! It's great. They're moving at their own pace and that's what matters.

A Halloween Craft

2010-10-22T13:24:00.002-04:00

Here's a recent Hallowe'en craft we did. I love this one!

A Hike With Friends

2010-10-15T17:58:00.003-04:00

Multiplication With Your Fingers

2010-10-12T05:48:00.001-04:00

For those students who have problems with their 6,7,8, and 9 times tables, here is a trick they can use.

A Day At The Apple Farm

2010-10-10T23:48:00.000-04:00

Who goes to the local apple farm on Thanksgiving weekend, when as homeschoolers, we can go anytime! We must be crazy! But, we had fun! I think we were the only country people there. Everyone else was from the big city!

Learning Surrounded By Nature

2010-10-10T07:31:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we decided to take our studies to our local Arboretum. We did some math, some art and read our current favourite novel. I wish every child had the opportunity to learn while surrounded by nature.

Reading Assessments

2010-10-07T13:25:00.002-04:00

Reading A-Z is a great site of reading resources. Using leveled readers, you can assess your child's reading level. If you click on the Assessment tab at the top of the page it gives you complete instructions on how to properly assess their reading. This format is very similar to what is used in schools. There are a large selection of books available which could be printed or read from the screen.

At the bottom of the page is a list of associated websites; Science A-Z, Writing A-Z, etc... I haven't checked them all out but the reading site is definitely worth while just for the selection of books. The only problem with this website is that there is so much there that it takes a little time to navigate the site and find what you are looking for. Definitely worth the effort. Enjoy!

Language Arts 2009-2010

2010-10-04T09:58:00.000-04:00

I honestly believe that the grade 1 year is one of the most exciting years of a child's education. So much learning and growth happens during this year. We certainly found this to be the case with Mason last year. He started the year reading the basic early readers (3 and 4 letter words and some sight words) and ended the year reading at a confident grade 3/4 level. He loves reading now and delves easily into chapter books. As far as writing goes, he was a very reluctant writer 10 months ago. He was one of those kids who wouldn't compose anything unless he knew how to spell every single word. This took away from the creative process. Now, thanks to his spelling ability, he composes sentences, paragraphs and stories with ease. I would say that 60% of our learning last year focused on language arts. These are the resources we used:

How To Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons.
Mason finished with this program two summers ago and it certainly gave him the foundation he needed to really delve into reading. Mickey finished it in the spring and I feel that she has a good foundation as well. With Mickey we didn't do any of the rhyming work and we did it, on average, once a week. Some weeks we might have done two lessons and other weeks none at all. If you really wanted to move your child into reading quicker, I would suggest doing it every day. The first 50-70 lessons take approximately 10-15 minutes and the rest take approximately 30 minutes, depending on your reader. This program looks boring, and the stories are weird, but it definitely provided both kids with a thorough understanding of phonics. I would recommend it but you must be patient and give the process time.

Progressively Phonics
After Mason finished with the above book we did a number of the Progressively Phonics online books which we printed out. I like their approach. They work on one sound at a time and a small selection of sight words. As you move through the books, the kids progress, adding more sounds and more sight words. The words/sounds and sight words being learned are written in red. These are the words the child reads aloud. The other words are read by the parent/teacher. As I said, I like this process, but the stories are LONG. Once we reached a certain stage, Mason was able to take off with his reading and we moved on to whatever he felt comfortable reading. Often with chapter books, I would read a paragraph, then he would read one. Then we moved on to full pages. Now he is enjoying a good selection of junior level chapter books and fiction. The online progressively phonics books (online or printed) could easily be delivered by a caregiver.

Explode the Code

I love these phonics books and the kids seem to like them as well. The kids work through them at their own pace. Ideally they work best if the kids can read them, but it is possible for the child to work on them with the parent assisting. I think these books are largely responsible for Mason's reading ability today. When both kids started with them, they were barely reading. I would assist and gradually as their reading improved, they were able to work on them on their own. These books (online or printed) could easily be delivered by a caregiver.

First Language Lessons - Grade 1
I would love to hear what others think of this Susan Wise Bauer book. I completed Grade 1 with Mason and to be honest, Mickey learned a lot of it as well just from listening in. Her book focuses on grammar, parts of speech, copywork, memorization (poetry), reading comprehension and some punctuation. The lessons are nice and short which I love. They can generally be done in 10-20 minutes. We did a lot of the copywork but not much of the memorization. I would definitely add this next year. A number of lessons are repetitive for a reason. For example; you really hammer in the meaning and use of a pronoun. It works though. A few of the lessons I skipped or shortened. For the most part, I liked this program. I ended up introducing/teaching concepts that hadn't crossed my mind. This is why I think it's important to use a variety of resources (books, curriculum, internet, people, etc...). We can't think of everything! These books (online or printed) could easily be delivered by a caregiver.

Brain Quest

The Brain Quest books are what I call fluff. They aren't without their purpose but generally they're just filler. I shouldn't generalize because we've only tried the Kindergarten and Grade 1 books. Perhaps the ones for older students are more challenging. These books give a very basic overview of printing, word work, addition/subtraction, time, graphing, etc.. I like them because they are perfect for taking to someone else's house when I'm working. They give the kids extra practice on the basics without completely overwhelming them. Are they stimulating and challenging - no! Do the kids like them - yes!

Spelling Power and Spelling City
Each year, or sometimes twice a year I test their spelling level and plan their spelling goals based on their ability. We use Spelling Power which I quite like. I've actually started using this program in my school classroom as, it allows me to provide differentiated spelling instruction. To accompany this program Mason and Mickey both use Spelling City which is great for practicing their spelling words. This is another activity that could easily be done with a caregiver.

In addition to the above, here are a few other things that we are working on:

- family novel (currently Harry Potter): discuss main idea, plot, setting, characters and character development, inferencing, suspense, predictions
- reading for pleasure
- reading comprehension (short stories)
- parts of speech
- poetry
- letter writing
- calendar development and writing
- abbreviations
- story writing
- word usage

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure that there will be more as the year progresses. I'll post about our math program soon.

This Year's Schedule

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Scheduling and extracurricular activities are always a big part of homeschooling for us. Every year looks different and I love this. I am still teaching (in a public school) two days a week and homeschooling the other days. Mickey has upped her gymnastics training and is now doing 9 hrs a week (3 x 3hrs). She still loves it and I can see this going on for a few more years. To broaden her horizons we added a fun dance class once a week. It's fun and not nearly as demanding. For her, the gymnastics is her social group. It's a wonderful group of girls and I can see them becoming long term friends. Mason is continuing his Aikido training in a nearby town and has decided to continue his piano. I'm still iffy on this one because he's not practicing because he wants to. I'll give it a little longer and then we'll reassess. We've also put him into tennis with his best friend. We've done a number of tennis sessions and we're very happy with the quality of the coaching. Lastly, we started Brazilian Soccer. It was recommended to us by another parent. We LOVE it! They're learning respect, manners, protocol, drills, terms, sports etiquette, conditioning, and game playing. The coaches are the best I've seen yet. Highly motivating. And the best thing yet, the parents aren't allowed to stay. So no sideline screamers! Lastly, we started to run with both kids. One keeps pace with Mommy while the other runs full out ( with arms going in all directions) and has to double back!

So, yes, our schedule is busy but it's been very enjoyable. Meals were an issue but I think I have them under control now. We're out 4 evenings a week, right at the dinner hour. So now we have our big meal at lunch (Mon-Thurs) and something lighter when we get home. It's good because it gives the kids their much needed protein for their evening activities. We love our Saturday morning activities because they're getting us out early on a weekend morning and putting us downtown when we're not normally there.

Anyhow, that's our schedule in a nutshell. It works for us!

Disney Trip 2010

2010-09-21T12:30:00.020-04:00

This past August we went back to Disney. What a fabulous trip we had. Here are just a few (insert wink) pictures! As I've mentioned numerous times before, Disney is the BEST place to travel when you have a food allergy or sensitivity. I can go there with 100% confidence, knowing that I am eating gluten free food and that the chefs know what they're doing. Every experience in a restaurant is exceptional. In one restaurant I even had a chef given me a brownie mix to take home. He was celiac too!

Our first day:

Outside of Hollywood Studios Rock n' Roller Coaster. It is fast, loud and in the dark. Mason did it but came off with eyes wide as saucers!

Beauty and The Beast stage show - Hollywood Studios

Afternoon parade at Hollywood Studios. Mickey was picked at one point to join in for some dancing!

Taking a little break before dinner at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary hotel. Fun character dinner.

Outside the Magic Kingdom.

Fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom

The beach at our hotel. Loved these hammocks!

The beach at our hotel. (next two photos)

Magic Kingdom

O'Hana Character Breakfast. It was good!

Epcot - Storytime Experience at the Norway Pavilion (courtesy of CAA)

Changes to my blog

2010-09-21T12:26:00.002-04:00

I have decided to change the privacy settings on my blog to invitation only. I'm doing this for a variety of reasons. If you'd like to continue reading my blog, feel free to drop me a line and I'll add you to my reader's list. I'll be making the change in the next month or so. Thanks for reading.

email me at:

alisonandheinrich@rogers.com

One Less on my Bucket List!

2010-08-26T17:35:00.002-04:00

I have always wanted to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water in Mill Run, PA and on our trip to Disney we were able to stop in on the way. It was everything I imagined! There were a few surprises; smaller in scale than I expected, low ceilings, and contained an impressive collection of art. Worth a visit, but make sure you book your tickets ahead of time.

The Arrival

2010-08-10T20:32:00.005-04:00

Heinrich has a sister who lives in Australia. We met her two eldest children when they were very young, so essentially we've never spent any time with the three children except on Skype. We have been anticipating this visit for months and it finally came tonight. It went beautifully and we can't wait to spend time with them! The two girls were absolutely adorable. So desperately wish they lived closer!

A Summer Image

2010-08-04T16:37:00.000-04:00

Camping at Algonquin

2010-07-28T12:46:00.008-04:00

We had a fantastic time at Algonquin this summer. Wasn't nearly long enough but very enjoyable. It has become an annual tradition with some lovely friends of ours. Friends that you can be yourself with and not worry about what you're saying or doing. Next year we'll go for a longer stretch of time. Lots of swimming, digging of trenches (to handle the rain), serious bike riding and of course, FABULOUS blueberry picking.

Birthday Party

2010-06-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

Some new photos

2010-06-18T11:14:00.004-04:00

Weekend in Ottawa

2010-06-08T21:32:00.010-04:00

We recently celebrated some special birthdays in Ottawa with long time friends. These are friendships that date way back to high school and some even earlier. I have been friends with two of my girlfriends since we were in Girl Guides at age 10. This year our friends Paul and his family also joined us. It was a great way to celebrate our birthdays.

The highlights for us were:
- The National Gallery contemporary exhibit
- The Museum of Civilization
- The RCMP museum and horse stables
- hike with friends
- numerous opportunities to swim
- the 'girls' birthday breakfast
- and of course the adult dinner out at the Keg Manor while the kids (all 8 of them) stayed with two sitters

More to come on this visit.

Visit to Botanical Gardens

2010-05-21T15:17:00.012-04:00

Went to the Botanical Gardens last week and enjoyed the lilac festival. We also had the pleasure of meeting a very frisky woodpecker (I think). I couldn't get over how friendly and playful he was. If anyone knows what he is I'd be interested in hearing back from you. I must look him up. We were waiting for chick-a-dees but this little guy appeared. Great day.

Around the World Expo

2010-05-13T07:22:00.012-04:00

Yesterday we had our 3rd annual Around the World Expo. 30 families participated. It's the one major event I plan for the homeschool group each year. I was pleased with how it went. All families put so much work into their exhibits. They choose the country they want to study and prepare a table top display. Each family also provides a snack from their country and a stamp or sticker for passports. Each child is given their own passport and when they visit a country they get a sticker or stamp. The food and the passports are by far their favourite part of the Expo!

What Are Your Thoughts on Chores?

2010-05-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago we had a little friend over to play with Mickey. She was telling us that she gets to do grown-up jobs at home which are referred to as chores. In return she gets paid. Firstly, I really dislike that word chore. It's a horrendous word. Not that vacuuming is all roses and bubbles, but if I personally had to think of everything that I was doing around the house as a chore, nothing would get done! In our house, these jobs are just expected. They're what each member of the family does to contribute. If a job needs to get down, someone fills the position. There are no monetary benefits. If my children need something and the request is reasonable, it's bought. At some point, we'll have to figure out how to handle the issue of allowances, but at this point they're not needed. The money in their bank is from gifts. In the future I see paying them for jobs done that are above and beyond the normal every day expectations.

Our Homeschool Learning Room

2010-04-27T13:21:00.006-04:00

Our learning room is in our basement and no, it is not a classroom. We use it sporadically; more often in the winter. It's primary use is storage and organization. I keep all of our homeschool resources, craft supplies, my teaching supplies and my haven't-seen-the-light-of-day scrapbooking supplies in this room. It's just a great space for returning everything to it's spot.

There's a reading chair...

a shoe organizer which I use for organizing all of the little stuff...

and cupboard doors covered in rolled corking. This stuff was a nightmare to apply. No More Nails finally did the trick. Do not use a spray adhesive!

We have bins for toys,

bins for finished curriculum,

and bins for work in progress.

Our can't-live-without item is this rack. We separate and store all of our essential drawing tools.

We always have a never ending trail of completed masterpieces lying around the house. I choose or the kids choose their best ones and they are stored in these boxes. It makes me feel less guilty for throwing away the other masterpieces!

We have our reading nook,

and our work table. I love the shape of this table because it allows me to get a little closer to both kids.

Thanks for coming on a tour of our workspace.

Tree Planting at the Lake

2010-04-24T14:11:00.002-04:00

A Beautiful Spring Day

2010-04-18T07:16:00.004-04:00

Art Lesson - Shapes

2010-04-08T15:02:00.004-04:00

Today we were studying shapes in our art lesson. We discussed how shapes can appear to have a width and height, but depth may not be known. Some shapes in pictures are obvious and some aren't because the depth is unknown. We discussed the painting "The City" and how the artist used shapes. The kids had to create their own city image. They were not allowed to draw anything. They were only allowed to cut and paste. They needed no help from me! Mickey's is the one of the house. Mason's is of course the one of the car and Kieran's is the perspective of the city. Can you pick out the CBC building?

A Day With Friends

2010-04-07T18:37:00.002-04:00

Today we spent a nice day with friends. We wrote some Haiku, made some carp kites (to prepare for our display on Japan at the Expo) and had a tea party to celebrate a birthday.

A Mild Concussion

2010-04-07T18:13:00.003-04:00

On Easter Monday we went for a walk/bike ride with some friends at the lake. The kids were biking and the adults were walking and talking. Of course Mickey took off as fast as she could and left the boys in her wake. We didn't even get a chance to tell her to stay close by and slow down. She's had her share of falls so when she fell this day, I must say that I didn't go to her as fast as I should have. She fell (and not going at a high rate of speed either) when she had slowed down and the strong wind caused her to wobble. Long story short, we noticed that there was a significant crack in her helmet, and based on her slight loss of memory and some lethargy, I decided to take her to the emerg. Turns out she had a slight concussion. I felt a little silly once I was there, because of course she bounced back and appeared to be completely fine. The doctor did tell me though any hit to the head (especially when there's damage to a helmet) should result in a visit to the ER.

So her helmet did what it was supposed to do. Next helmet however, we are going for one of the more reputable names (Bell, Giro, etc..) and have the bike guys assess the fit. I knew the basics for fitting a helmet but after doing some research there's a lot more to it than I thought. And yes, she's asking when she can bike again! Whew!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T18:34:00.003-04:00

Just a few pics from Easter weekend...

March Break

2010-03-20T16:13:00.002-04:00

This March break flew by and the weather was fabulous.

We've started a family project. We're working on changing habits. On a file folder we've each written down two or three habits that we want to change, start or improve. Every day we meet at the end of the day and check those off that we accomplished. It's working quite well. We're keeping each other in check!

This week we've been biking every day up at the lake. It's been glorious. I can no longer walk or run to keep up with the kids. Biking it is!

We also managed to get our seeds planted. I'm hoping it's not too early.

Pinhole Photography

2010-03-20T13:42:00.003-04:00

Well today we tried our hand at pinhole photography. I've done this numerous times with high school students but never with kids this age. We managed to round up the chemicals at a photography store in a nearby city. I think they were quite amused by us. Pinhole cameras are great if they work out the first time, but if not, it can be quite frustrating getting them to be light tight. Luckily they were all light tight because I've done this so many times before. We had to have some patience getting our exposure just right. It's definitely a project that requires patience during a lot of trial and error. Now that I have the chemicals we'll probably experiment some more with some neat tricks and then we'll make our negatives into positives. I was going to try this project with a larger group but we'll have to see.

Do you know the cha-cha slide?

2010-03-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

Found Object Art Project

2010-03-14T09:17:00.004-04:00

I've done this project a few times with different groups of kids and they just love it! Basically the kids collect various found objects. The more variety the better. The purpose is to take the objects and turn them into anything they want. It could be a sculptural piece of art or a model. Through the process of creating we discuss the different materials and how they can be altered, manipulated, and fastened together. It's a wonderful learning process. Along with the construction process comes the story telling. This is a project that can keep evolving if you allow it. Even when the project has been completed the kids usually move on to playing with it and adding playmobil, lego figures or just about anything you can think of to extend their enjoyment of it.

A few things I would recommend:

1) put a time limit on the building (3-4 days worked for us)

2) have the kids supply a selection of found objects (cardboard, plastic, metal, wood, fabric, smaller than a glue stick, larger than a cereal box, etc...)

3) give the kids a lot of freedom to come up with their own ideas

4) when ideas hit a wall, start creating your own designs and let the kids see what is possible

5) make suggestions and let them run with them

We had a house with backyard playground, a race track with garage, and a very complicated space station. We were so busy creating that I missed out on many photographic moments!

This is another neat project, a multiplication wheel, that we did with an older friend. It worked out really well.

2010-03-13T20:04:00.001-05:00

2010 is off to a rough start

2010-03-08T20:19:00.003-05:00

I wish I could say that 2010 is going well so far. It has been rocky! Resolutions are out the window. We did have a great time skiing at Blue Mountain and then it went south. A friend of ours was killed suddenly in a car accident. It was a huge shock. We are trying to be there for the family as much as we can. 6 or 7 weeks ago, a good friend of Heinrich's sister suffered a cardiac arrest due to a heart arrhythmia and after being in a lengthy coma she passed away (at the age of 45) on the weekend. We only met her once but she helped our extended family out during a very difficult time last year. She was a wonderful woman and our thoughts are with her family. Another friend of ours is dealing with a very difficult diagnosis of a close family and we hope that we can support this family as they deal with the challenging months ahead. And to top it off, two officers have been killed in the line of duty in the last week in our province. These situations always take a tole on our community. There has been so much grief lately and although much of it hasn't impacted us directly we're feeling the need to help or support in some little way. It's just never enough.

Two weeks ago I had a bit of a health scare at school and ended up in the emerg in a neighbouring town. I had been having chest pains and some significant dizzy spells. At emerg they treated me as a heart attack patient which was frightening in and of itself. I was monitored for 7 hours - meaning 4 ECGs, 2 blood tests (to rule out a heart attack) and a chest x-ray. They were amazing and took it very very seriously. I can't imagine that I would have received the same treatment in my local hospital. Anyhow, the emerg doctor suspects that I have an atrial flutter and I have been referred to a cardiologist. Don't ask what this means because I'm receiving conflicting reports from three different medical personnel. I have been put on a beta block and for those who have never been on them, they're not fun! They slow your heart rate down so that your risk of blood clots and stroke are lowered. The first free days I was on them I felt like my head wasn't keeping up with my body. If I risked closing my eyes I would have been in a dead sleep! I'm used to them now but don't plan on staying on them for a long time. Anyhow, I will soon have to wear a 72 hr heart monitor and will be assessed by a cardiologist in a few weeks. I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that it was an isolated incident. I'm trying to stay stress free (which is difficult these days) to keep my heart rate down.

Anyhow, we have high hopes that 2010 will bring many pieces of good news for us and our family and friends. Our thoughts are with Lynn, Craig and family, Colleen's family and the families of the fallen officers.

Homeschool Share

2010-03-07T17:20:00.002-05:00

I made a new discovery today and I bet I'm the only homeschooler out there that hadn't already discovered this fantastic homeschool resource site. I haven't had a chance to delve deep but did find a few interesting things today. Looking forward to exploring it more.

Classic Starts

2010-03-05T11:45:00.003-05:00

This is a series that we recently found at the library. They're abridged versions of at least 40 classic novels. Mason quite likes reading them. Often I read a page and then he reads a page. They're nice for stories like Doctor Dolittle, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Arabian Nights, Heidi, etc... These are stories that we probably wouldn't read as their original version. There aren't a lot of pictures, probably 1 for every two chapters. Chapters vary in length from 3 to 9 pages.

Team Canada You Rock!

2010-02-28T18:50:00.002-05:00

These are our cousins in Australia. Tante Heidi got up at 4 am to watch the game. A true Canadian! I think the kids are still in their p.j.'s! We are so proud of our Canadian athletes. The games were awesome. Way to go Vancouver! I wonder how many of our kids want to be future Olympians?

Auto Show

2010-02-20T17:31:00.004-05:00

While I spent a girls day with Mickey and a friend in Stratford today, the boys went to the Auto Show with Opa. We've just given Mason our old digital camera so he had a blast taking photos at the show. All the photos below are his except for the ones of him. Maybe I have a future Car And Driver photographer! Mickey had a great time today and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful toy store in Stratford. If you haven't been you must go! Lots of neat toys, games and science experiments that I haven't seen elsewhere! Also a great children's bookstore in town. As always it was wonderful to catch up with a good friend too! We must do it more often!

We Believe!

2010-02-15T13:12:00.003-05:00

We have been glued to the t.v. since Friday night. What a spectacular job Canada has done. We're having some great discussions as a family. Go Manny! Ashleigh McIvor we believe! Alex, you rock!

Jeremy, Toby and Miranda - there's something in the mail!

2010-02-10T20:07:00.001-05:00

Death, Dying, and Heaven

2010-01-31T11:30:00.002-05:00

For the last six months or so one of our kids has been asking a lot of questions about death, dying, and heaven. This all came about during conversations about my Dad who passed away when I was 21. To be honest, we haven't talked much about Heinrich's mom yet because of the questions that could come up. Cancer is a tricky one to explain. It's important to us to talked about our loved ones but it's also very difficult to explain illness, death and heaven. The questions often get asked when we least expect it and lately there's been worry and concern. Of course the questions are not easy ones to answer and often lead to more questions. The conversation can go on and on. It's a fine line between telling the truth and scaring the child. If you haven't had this discussion with your child yet I'll share some of the questions that were asked. Perhaps it will give you enough of a heads up to prepare yourself with your answers for when your child is ready to ask them.

1) Why did Grandpa's heart stop.

2) If we eat well and exercise will we live forever. Will the dogs live forever?

3) Do teenagers die?

4) Do children die? Babies?

5) What does Heaven look like?

6) Can I go there?

7) How do we get to Heaven?

8) Will we know when we're going?

9) Who will we see in Heaven?

10) How do people die (be prepared to explain that there are many kinds of sick)?

There have been so many more but that's all I can think of for now. We did really enjoy the book "What is Heaven Like" by Beverly Lewis. We are going to start working on a detailed family tree soon and I'm sure that these discussions will come up again. I'm happy with how I dealt with the questions and concerns and feel that I've reassured my child until the next question comes up.

What I'm Reading

2010-01-23T10:37:00.002-05:00

I just finished a Design Your Own Learning Plan with my students at school. I try different ways of bringing homeschooling or differentiated learning into the classroom. This was a new invention for me. My colleague and I gave the students 5 or 6 culminating tasks that they could choose from in each of our subjects (oral communication, reading, writing, measurement and numeration) and they could decide when they would work on them. The assignments we offered usually included all learning styles. Students also had the opportunity to come up with their own assignment/project as long as it demonstrated the required expectations (eg/ surface area and volume of a cylinder). They had 2 weeks to complete their goals. The students loved the freedom and choice and it gave us, the teachers, time to work one-on-one with individuals and let those students who soar independently, do so.

Now we're moving on to Literature Circles. I was told by many colleagues to avoid them but I'm trying them out anyway. We've selected 5 books and the students have to choose one. Each week they have required reading and a role to play in the group (director, vocabulary, summarizer, illustrator, travelling, etc...). Often the problem with Literature Circles is that if a student doesn't keep up, it lets the group down. I have a great group of students this year so I think we can pull this off and they all chose their books wisely. I however may not keep up! I have to read all 5 books and the only one I have any experience with is A Wrinkle in Time and I don't remember it well at all. I'm looking forward to a lot of great discussion and debate.

Trip to Blue

2010-01-20T18:13:00.011-05:00

A few days ago we went for a short trip to Blue Mountain Village with some friends of ours. What a perfect winter destination! We had a lovely stay at the Trillium Westin Hotel (below). The rooms are very nice and are outfitted with kitchenettes which are perfect for families wanting to make some of their own meals. The hotel has a really neat outdoor pool and spa heated for winter swimming. We all braved it and it was fantastic. Some of us (not me) even rolled in the snow before jumping in the spa!

Mason and his friend had their first downhill ski lesson. He REALLY wanted to snowboard but because of his age could only try snowboarding in a private lesson ($$). Instead we opted for an afternoon camp which turned out to be a great choice as there were only three of them in the class. They accomplished a lot in the afternoon. This is definitely something we'll pursue in the future. Before the end of the season we've promised an introduction to snowboarding (at our local hill) and Mickey will try downhill next winter. The coaches were excellent and we highly recommend their programs.

Blue Mountain is beautiful, especially at night. It's just such a great atmosphere.

Another fun outing was to Aqua Plunge which happens to be attached to the Westin Trillium. It's an indoor/outdoor water park. It's not huge and has a design resembling a boathouse. Again the outdoor pools are awesome. The boys and Mick had a blast on the rope swing and outdoor slide.

On the morning of the 20th Mason and I went for a walk to check out a race course. We completely lucked out and happened to book our trip the week of the Ski Cross World Cup. Our friend at Blue was actually one of the organizers. In the afternoon we all went to check out the excitement. There were 150 racers from all over the world and many of the Canadians were also competing for a place on the yet to be determined Olympic team. If you haven't watched a ski cross race it is worth checking out. Very exciting! We watched a number of the trials and man, are they fast! Even saw a couple of spills (everyone was fine). Canadians came out and showed their spirit. We will definitely be cheering on our woman and men's team at the Olympics.

Fingerprint People

2010-01-17T08:12:00.002-05:00

On Friday we needed an easy art activity that we could do while we listened to Story of the World. We made fingerprint people. You can use paint or ink. We used ink... less messy. The fingerprints can be used as the head or the body. Kids can add faces, hair, hats, arms, legs, clothes, accessories etc... Mason even decided to add a background. They really enjoyed this activity and could have taken it further.

Skype

2010-01-16T19:45:00.003-05:00

I never thought that a technological invention would make me teary but Skype just did! We finally (thanks Heidi) connected with our family in Western Australia. We've been meaning to do it for ages and Heinrich's sister finally got us there! Heinrich's sister moved to Australia 12 (I think) years ago when she married her Australian boyfriend. We meet her two boys when they were really young and have never met her daughter. Miranda is just three weeks younger than Mickey. It was so awesome to connect on Skype. I can't tell you how amazing. We were able to go on a tour of her house and Miranda gave us a peek at all of her prized possessions. As Heidi cooked breakfast we chatted and got quick glimpses of the boys and their toys. Next time kids we'll sit and chat with you while your mom puts her feat up with a cuppa tea! Thanks to Skype our kids might actually be able to develop a relationship with their cousins that they might not have otherwise.

Two Books We're Loving

2010-01-16T09:17:00.006-05:00

Here are two of our favourite books right now:

Hugo Cabret
is a book I started reading to the kids in the fall. It's huge but half filled with amazing pencil drawings which help tell the story. Both kids love it.

Our fantastic little local library purchased a copy of the Jenny and the Cat Club series after attempting an interlibrary loan. The book they purchased includes 5 of the Jenny and The Cat Club stories. I believe that they can also be purchased separately. The stories are quite long with a few pictures. This is currently what Mason is reading. As a compromise I read a page and then he reads a page. They're very cute and innocent.

You've got to see this!

2010-01-14T16:23:00.002-05:00

Wow! Check this out. Quite something isn't it! So many of her elements appear to be deliberate. It's so incredible to see such talent at such a young age. Incredibly powerful. Her story will be on TVO tonight at 10 pm.

Is this structured homeschooling?

2010-01-14T06:33:00.000-05:00

I'm not too sure what type of homeschooler I'd call myself. I'm a little bit of everything. Back in August I took my calendar and scheduled all of their reading, grammar, math and history curriculum lessons. Not that I planned on sticking to this plan religiously but it gave me a rough idea for how the year should go. In the first picture you can see my scheduled plans (done in August).

In this picture you can see reality. I rarely ever do what I had initially planned. Sometimes I'm behind schedule and sometimes I'm ahead of schedule. Each day we do learning activities I try to record what we've done and I highlight them. The stuff in yellow is the work we've done. I do this for two reason; one to keep a record for myself and anyone else who cares and the other, to reassure myself that we're actually getting work done!

Art is always done on Thursday when another learning buddy is here with us. As far as the other learning activities go, we learn on a whim or follow a unit study (on a particular interest). These areas aren't structured as far as what I'm going to do when but once I decide on a topic or subject I usually set up activities which are "somewhat" structured. I throw a little Charlotte Mason in here and a little unschooling there. We're definitely a hodge podge of homeschooling styles, but it works for us!

Best Selling Children's Books

2010-01-13T14:41:00.001-05:00

I found this list of best selling children's books. Interesting!

New to Knitting

2010-01-13T06:17:00.001-05:00

A friend gave Mickey a knitting kit for her birthday. The kit knits up a scarf and hat. She is quite taken with it. I have her sit between my legs, while she works the needs and I work the yarn. As she progressed I was able to move my hands to the end of the needles to prevent stitches from falling off. I think she'll soon be able to knit all on her own. The biggest hurdle is figuring out how to hang onto the yarn and needle at the same time. Any suggestions?

Another Near Miss

2010-01-12T12:27:00.002-05:00

Heinrich had a close call on our local 4-8 lane highway on his way to work. His windshield was hit by an object he didn't see coming. He's quite sure it wasn't ice. This isn't the first time this has happened but it's certainly the first time he was hit this hard. It almost came through the windshield and could have caused him to have a collision. It's bad enough that he can't drive it far. He was very lucky. Needless to say that we are dealing with repairs and insurance companies AGAIN! Aarrrghhh!

So...at the end of January I was scheduled to appear in our local court because the accused who had rear ended me in September chose to fight her charges of careless driving. I got a call last week saying that I was no longer needed and that the courts had settled on a charge of following too close. I was so frustrated. Not that I want a 17 year old to suffer and pay huge insurance premiums but there is no way that this was a case of following too close. This is just another fine example of our justice system in action!

Resolutions in Print

2010-01-04T22:12:00.003-05:00

Alright, I'm putting my New Year's Resolutions in print. Here we go, 12 goals for 12 months.

January - Get into fitness regimen

February - cross country ski at least 10 times by the end of February

March - run the 5K Around the Bay (was asked by a friend to join her)

April - take a half day photography course with well known photographer in town

May - run the 10K in Ottawa

June - complete Mason and Mikhaila's schooling program for the year

July - complete planning for 2010-2011 school and homeschool year

August - take a significant road trip

September - start 8 wk photography course

October - plan future kitchen renovation

November - plan a weekend away for Heinrich's birthday (used to do yearly)

December - start Christmas plans early and celebrate Mickey's birthday early in the month

Reading Lists

2010-01-01T17:18:00.002-05:00

After reading a number of blogs and looking at everyone's reading lists for the coming year I've decided to put together a list of books that I really want the kids to read or for us to read to them. It's a daunting task. I found this book site that I've quite enjoyed looking at. My book list will be posted in a few days.

Holiday Visitors

2009-12-31T05:08:00.000-05:00

For us, the best part of Christmas is visiting with friends and family. We try and fit in as many families as humanly possible. K&J and L&D, we'll have to fit in a get together in the new year!

We love to entertain and try new recipes. Two new favourites were these jalapeno bites and these yummy mushrooms, both by The Pioneer Woman. I got her new recipe book and will let you know how it is. It looks great.

Here's who visited. We didn't get to have everyone and we still have some coming tonight. We have Christmas with Heinrich's sister tomorrow and are seeing friends from Ottawa on Saturday. The fun never stops!

Visit #1:
Our friends Shack and Shannon came down from Parry Sound and spent the night. They have a gorgeous new baby, Kelsie and son Tyler. They were very tolerant and gracious about having to sleep on a blow up mattress. Great visit guys!

Shannon and Shack from Parry Sound, daughter Kelsie and son Tyler.

Visit #2:
My good friend Karin and her husband Jon were down from Ottawa for the holidays and stayed with their family in town. Jon was visiting other friends so we were disappointed we didn't get to see him. Chrissy and Craig joined us and we had a good evening of laughs. These are girlfriends from highschool. Actually Karin I met when I was 10, in Guides. She was a much better Girl Guide than I!

Visit #3:
Grannie of course came for Christmas Eve dinner and church. The next day she showed up bright and early at 7:30 am for gift opening and then returned later in the day for our Christmas meal.

Visit #4:
Oma and Opa made the 3 hour trek to see us and arrived on Christmas Eve to avoid some nasty weather. Our visit wasn't as long as we wanted because they had to return home before the freezing rain started. They loved the photo book we gave them.

Visit #5:
My sister Cynthia, my nephew Josh and my neice Laura joined us for Christmas dinner. Laura brought her boyfriend Emilio, who we met for the first time. He's a keeper...a real sweetheart! Great visit, but always too short!

Visit #6:
On Boxing Day my brother Steve and his wife Rose came with my nephews, Darryl and Brendan. We met Darryl's girlfriend Sara for the first time as well. She fit right in and is a keeper as well! We had a lovely visit and even had them on the new Wii!

Visit #7:
The 28th brought some old friends to our place. Two couples who we haven't seen in far too long. The guys are friends of Heinrich's from the University years.

Justin and Jenny came with their son Jonah. He and Mason had a blast!

Jenn and Craig came with their daughters Lauren and Devon (who's just 10 wks old and I wanted to gobble her up). Lauren and Mick were like two peas in a pod!

We had a great time and they're looking forward to coming up soon and enjoying the snow that we usually get.

Our friends Rose and Dwayne and their son Kaden visited us that evening on their way home from Michigan but we were yapping too much and I forgot to take pictures!

Visit #8:
Yesterday was our first visit out of the house. My cousin Ruth and her husband Doug had us down to their place. We saw my Aunt Janet and the kids had a super time with their second cousins.

Camryn and Morgan

Mickey, Mason and Liam

Aunt Janet and Mom

Cousins

2009-12-29T14:49:00.006-05:00

The kids have cousins in Western Australia whom they've never met. We can't wait to meet them all. Below is a picture of Miranda who was born just three weeks after Mickey. Toby below is two months older than Mason. I think that there is definitely a family resemblance. We're hoping that they will be coming for a visit in two years and I have no doubt that they will become fast friends. Heidi.....Skype...need I say more!

Olympic Torch Run

2009-12-28T11:31:00.008-05:00

This morning the Olympic torch arrived in our town at 7:30 am. We had the kids up at 6:15 and were parked with a prime viewing spot by 7:00 am. We were the first ones there (surprise, surprise). We had breakfast in the truck while we waited for friends and the run to start. It was a decent turn-out. Zehrs supplied free Tim-Bits and Hot Chocolate and passed out flags. We had a great view from the back of the truck. Kids were thrilled to sport their new Olympic mittens.

One of the 14 runners was dropped off right in front of us (how perfect). While he waited for his turn to run we were able to capture a photo with him.

Here you can see the runner with the flame approaching.

The two runners met, did a little jig and lit the next torch. Off he went.

It was short and sweet but we're so thrilled that we were able to experience a taste of the Olympics.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-27T09:12:00.004-05:00

Hope all of you had a fabulous Christmas. More photos to come. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

My Dad

2009-12-23T17:52:00.002-05:00

On December 13th, 1991 my Dad died of a massive heart attack when he was hiking through the snow (along the trails by the river) taking photographs. A young man tried to save him with CPR to no avail.

In some ways it seems like just yesterday that my friend Kelli informed me that my Dad had died. In other ways I struggle to remember. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of fantastic memories, but things like the sound of his voice, are becoming more and more fuzzy.

When I was 5 my Dad had a triple bypass. I believe this type of bypass surgery began in the late 60s, so it was still very new. I don't remember a lot about that time but I do remember how proud my Dad was of his VERY long chest and leg scars. It was a little icky to the rest of us! I also remember him taking mugs from the hospital because they were great for holding his coffee! Good insulating properties! We were lucky to have had him so long. A nursing friend of mine told me recently that he was very lucky to have lived so long without needing to have another bypass. Perhaps he did but it wasn't caught in time. I always knew that he would go this way. It was just a matter of time. In a way my Dad's death was a gift. It taught me not to take our time for granted and to live. It also taught me to record (in photos and journals) as many memories as possible.

There are many things I remember and many things I admired about my Dad. Here are just a few:
- his drink was a gin and tonic - not often, but definitely on a hot summer's day.
- his hands were huge and he often had a blackened fingernail from hitting it with a hammer. He was a hobby carpenter and was very quick with everything he did - hence the blackened nail!
- when he walked downtown he would say hello to everyone and everyone said hello back. He seemed to know everyone.
- he walked with presence
- he was 3rd (or maybe 2nd) on the seniority list for a large manufacturer in town who recently closed shop. When he walked through the plants he acknowledged everyone
- he expected people to work
- he expected people to be tolerant. Racial slurs were not tolerated.
- he had a strong faith but I don't ever remember him talking about it
- he only had a grade 9 education due to health issues but seemed to be the smartest man I knew
- was very loyal to his friends and family
- was a hobbyist. He taught me that it is essential to have interests outside of your professional job. He worked to live. He dabbled and then delved into photography, stained glass, breeding and showing dogs, woodworking, and jazz music. I remember him telling me on the morning of the day he died, that he intended to take a life drawing course! Nothing about my Dad surprised me. His interests were endless.
- he loved Chelsea Buns and Tea Biscuits
- he read a lot!
- loved watching Hill Street Blues
- had grey then white hair for as long as I can remember. Perhaps I brought on the premature grey!

I've been meaning to post about my Dad for some time and still haven't gotten around to scanning some photos. This is a start. At Christmas I think about family and how important family was to him. He would have adored our kids. Mason is an old soul like my Dad. He would have gotten quite the kick out of Mick and would have loved learning with Mason! My Dad had a sense of humour about death and the after life. He wanted to be buried sitting up so that he could "watch" everyone and he wanted a party - not a funeral! When he died I remember my brother and I discussing where he should be buried in the cemetary - facing Alexanians or Tim Hortons! We chose Alexanians because he was a renovator and not a coffee drinker! Weird - I know! I also remember him saying that he would let loved ones know that he was present. He succeeded.

2009-12-20T19:47:00.004-05:00

A young friend of ours has written and produced a Christmas Carol and is donating all of her profits to the Cancer Society (specifically Leukemia). Visit here to hear her song and donate. She's asking for a minimum donation of .99 cents. Please help her out. Thanks!

Our Tree is Here!

2009-12-16T09:09:00.004-05:00

We finally got our tree last Saturday and trimmed it on Monday when I was home sick with strep throat. Heinrich went in that afternoon for knee surgery so we had limited time. We've finally decided that next year we're going to have to get a second smaller tree. We've collected so many ornaments over the years that the tree can hardly stay upright no matter how hard I try to strategically place them. Each ornament has a memory so it's difficult to do without.

A few years back a I purchased this ornament as a reminder of the time a dear elderly friend was visiting from England and we took her on the Muskoka Studio Tour.

Bought this after a 7 night camping trip in our favourite park. Many many smores were eaten!

Got this one last year when the kids started cross country skiing.

We participated in a children's ornament exchange this year and this is the ornament that Mason made.

This is another ornament made by a little friend. Loved the way these turned out. So simple but effective. They look really great on the tree. We'll be trying these next year!

Another ornament made by a friend that I have on my to do list. He even made some while driving in the car. Sounds easy!

Birthday party #1

2009-12-15T21:49:00.002-05:00

Mickey had her first birthday party today with her gymnastics friends. Mason got to bring a friend along to keep him company. We had the party at Build-A-Bear and although they wouldn't allow me to book an official party because of the holiday season, they did manage to pull off a party once we got there! We had a great time and highly recommend it for a party location. So much fun. After her actually birthday, she's having another party with her very dear friends. Can't wait!

Story Of The World - Chapter 6

2009-12-09T22:02:00.005-05:00

We're slowing working our way through Story of the World - Volume 1. I can't imagine how we're going to get through the first volume in the year. We're working with another friend on this and often don't get to it each week because of scheduling.

Last week we were studying Chapter 6: The Jewish People. While they listened to the chapter for a second time, they worked on making an ornament of Joseph's coat of many colours. I thought they turned out well.

Yes! She did it!

2009-12-08T13:31:00.004-05:00

Mickey accomplished something major last Thursday. She was so excited to tell me she couldn't even speak. At gymnastics she climbed to the top of the rope. I'm not sure how high it is. It's at least 20 feet up. This has been a personal challenge for her and she's been working on it for months. Like me, she has to work very hard at arm strength. Some kids are just climbers from day one. Mine aren't! She persevered and did it. I of course have four more grey hairs as a result!

Sports and Homeschooling

2009-11-27T06:06:00.000-05:00

Sports has and always will intimidate me! Growing up my parents gave me a taste of a few different things but I didn't delve into anything and didn't experience a team sport. With our kids we didn't have a plan in mind when it came to physical activity. I just wanted them to try a variety and have a good sense of physical health. We want them to find activities that they enjoy that they can take into adulthood. Many of these extracurricular activities are a stand in for the physical education. So far the year is going really well and everything has just slipped into place.

Mason is taking Aikido once or twice a week. He goes to a FANTASTIC dojo in Kitchener and has a Sensei who is highly experienced, traditional, and does what he does because he loves it and loves Japanese culture. It's relatively inexpensive compared to many local martial arts. On Fridays he's participating in tennis at a local tennis club. He's with a group of homeschool boys all between the ages of 6-8. They're a really great group and we're thrilled with the lessons. He loves it! He also does a shared swimming lesson with Mickey and has plans to try snow boarding this winter. We're working on this one!

Mickey is of coarse (as mentioned a few times in the past) is in a pre-competitive gymnastics program. This activity is so different from everything else we are currently experiencing or have experienced in the past. Most activities teach the kids the skill and gives them a taste of the sport. In a pre-competitive/competitive program they are training her to be an athlete. This has been a HUGE hurdle for me. Not only is it scary to watch... seriously it is... but I've really had to take a step back and relinquish control to a coach who spends 6 hours a week with my child. We take this program day by day and although there are sometimes tears and difficult challenges she still seems to love it. Actually she seems to love it more and more each day. Hard to believe. I think this is what makes our decision as parents so difficult. Tears + love of sport = confusion for mom and dad!

Here's some photos of some of the activities:

Tennis

Aikido

Gymnastics in the family room:

Check out Mason's face! Priceless.

I've been glutened!

2009-11-21T07:42:00.003-05:00

I cheated on Thursday and had some Doritos Sweet Chili Heat. Have you tried them yet? I love and hate them at the same time. They are completely addictive and so so good! But, yes, they have gluten in them. I always know when I've been glutened. 12 hours later I have a significant headache and 24 hours later my pinky finger dislocates! Odd, I know. This dislocated pinky finger was how my celiac disease was diagnosed. As long as these are the only symptoms, the indulgence was worth it! This will be it for a long time now. I'll be a good girl.

Found this recipe. Oh...I'm going to have to try it today! Stone Store here I come! Everyone around me lately has been talking about having a Julia Child dinner. I'm quite tempted. I was telling Heinrich about Crepe Suzettes so I think we will try those tomorrow.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Sound of Music

2009-11-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

Check out this video. Love it!

Mickey is a finalist - please vote!

2009-11-02T10:13:00.003-05:00

To make a long story short, we purchased some hair clips at my hair salon and the owner asked if I would submit a picture of Mickey wearing them. I did so and now Mickey is a finalist in a competition. Please help us win! Visit here and become a fan to vote. If you go down the page to view the Ciccia Bella 2009 finalists you will see Mick in the purple sweater. Click on the photo and type VOTE in the comment section. Thanks. We really appreciate it!

Learning to Read!

2009-11-01T07:38:00.000-05:00

Teaching my son to read has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as a parent. Each week his reading evolves and it's so much fun to be a part of it. There are so many programs available to teach your child to read. I still think one of the best ways is to just read to your child and often! Beyond shared and guided reading I used the book "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". The nice thing about this program is that each lesson only takes 10-20 minutes. It looks boring and the stories are nonsense but my guys seemed to like the structure of it and felt a sense of accomplishment after completing each lesson.

Last year through a friend's blog we discovered Progressively Phonics. This is a free site and the printable books are free. You'll spend a lot on printer ink but they've totally been worth it for us. Each book focuses on a sound/blend. The kids don't have to read every single word, only the words in red. Again, the stories are ridiculous but the kids seem to like them.

Here are some additional tips for early readers:

1) Sight Words:

Some sight words are easier to learn than others. Some can be sounded out phonetically. Others make little sense and have to be memorized. For sight words we use flash cards. We don't do them that often but find that the repetition does help with memorizing. The kids enjoy the challenge of improving their score each time.

2) Letter Recognition:
Often kids will mix up letters, especially as new readers. Below is a picture of cards that my mom made up during her days as a primary teacher. She made each letter into a picture. Turn a "b" into a bat and ball for example. Or if b's and d's are tricky, turn the word "bed" into a picture of a bed, with the pillow on top of the b!

3) Accentuate the sounds:
If we're working on a particular sound/blend it helps to print the word with the sound/blend written in a different colour.

4) Outline the word to give it shape:
Mason often knew larger words quicker than he knew 3 and 4 letter words because he's a visual learner. He often sees larger words as a shape. It you take a word and outline to give it shape this will help your visual learner.

5) Yellow paper:
Did you know that by printing with black ink on yellow paper that you are bettering your chance of remembering what you've written down. This would be a good strategy for those tricky sight words that your child just can't seem to remember!

6) Syllable break down:

For larger words it helps to break the word into syllables or smaller words/sounds.

7) Picture clues:

Encourage your kids to use pictures for clues. As they're reading they may misread or get stuck on a word. Encourage them to finish the sentence. By finishing the sentence they may be able to go back and correct their mistake or they may be able to use picture clues to figure out the difficult word.

A New Perspective

2009-10-23T21:59:00.002-04:00

This morning on the way to work I was in a car accident. Luckily it happened after dropping the kids off at a friend's house. I've always complained about this particular highway since I grew up with a perfect view of it and would often see emergency vehicles headed north.

I was traveling to work (on a two lane hwy) when vehicles ahead of me slowed and came to a stop. I'm presuming it was for a vehicle waiting to make a turn. I was behind a large horse trailer who was behind a tanker truck of some sort. It was raining but not too heavy. Thank goodness for my Young Driver's training. I've always had the habit of looking in my mirrors as often as I look forward. Anyhow, I looked in the mirror and saw a car driver at a very high speed with no indication of slowing down. I'm always amazed at what goes through your mind in a situation like this....don't hit my new truck....she's going REALLY fast...horses in trailer....no room! Anyhow, I slammed on the horn thinking that she would somehow hear me and wake up! Didn't happen. I then swerved to the right. That's when she hit me and knocked me into a guardrail. So many stars were aligned it was unbelievable. Somehow, the horse trailer didn't even become involved. I think at the moment of impact that's when the traffic and trailer started moving. Anyhow, luckily I was driving our full sized pick-up and well in a situation where there is a truck vs. a car...truck wins! It was a 17 year old girl driving with a passenger. She totaled the front of her vehicle but miraculously no one was injured. She gave me a pretty good jolt and as a result the aches and pains are starting to set in. I'm anticipating a weekend of reading and little movement. We had our (new truck - did I mention that before) assessed and it looks like it will be a minimum of $8000 to fix the damage. It doesn't take must to add up to this amount. The girl was charged with careless driving and is probable facing some very high insurance in her future and possible a near future without a vehicle. I feel awful for her and plan on checking in on her but we are very blessed that the damage was minimal.

Although I'm relatively fine and the truck can be fixed I am still in a little shock. It's hard not to think about the what ifs. I know trucks are horrible for the environment but had I been in the car and had the kids with me, the story would have had a different ending.

By the way, we have On Star on our new truck and wow...I highly recommend it. A voice came on immediately, they got me OPP dispatch and stayed on the line, the police found my exact location (quickly) and then the On Star (southern gentleman) asked me if I'd like him to stay on the line to keep me company until help arrived, if he could call anyone for me or if he could help me in any way. It was so reassuring and EASY. Worth every penny.

Design Your Own Country

2009-10-21T16:10:00.007-04:00

We had a great day today with two little friends. I was inspired by this post by a friend of mine. The resources that I used (Montessori cards) can also be found at the bottom of her post. Thanks K! I wanted something that could be permanent and referred back to on occasion. I decided to have the students design a country. Using plastercine they shaped their country and then added various landforms as we discussed them. It was SO MUCH fun! This was one of the best projects we've done. I couldn't believe how well they did and each looked quite different. To take it further, the kids could draw a topographical map of their country.

For a base I used large Ziploc baggies and put a piece of thick cardboard and a piece of blue bristol board inside. The plastic bag allows the plastercine to easily be removed if need be. The blue acts as the water and the cardboard provides a good working surface.

MIchael Reist: The Dysfunctional School

2009-10-20T13:52:00.005-04:00

Michael Reist is speaking to our homeschool group in the next few weeks and although I've heard him twice before, I still hadn't read his book "The Dysfunctional School". It's as though he's been reading my mind for the last 10 years. His book is quite harsh and for some, could be shocking, but the reality is that the majority of what he shares, is true. He is right that change needs to be made from the inside out because this type of change is doable. I felt compelled to share some of my favourite quotes.

Factory schooling is obsolete for three main reasons: it remains devoted to print literacy, it is rigidly hierarchical and insists on the application of one basic process to all students. pg. 20

If you go into any kindergarten class, you will see a hive of enthusiasm for learning - a sea of hands raised for every question posed by the teacher. Fast forward to the grade 12 class. You see stress, fear, apathy and "acting out." pg. 21

The person with a vocation will often have to depart from the herd - collective values will not always satisfy. Everyone has a vocation - something they are meant to do, someone they are meant to be.
pg. 29

Every classroom involves a power relationship. pg. 31

For many teenagers, what appears to be a lack of motivation is really a powerful motivation - to rebel - to not do what all these adults want me to do. pg. 34

There are so many good teachers who would love to change the system, but the system keeps them so busy there is little time left over for the things they feel strongly about.
pg. 37

People who work in institutions can end up serving the institution instead of the people the institution was meant to serve.

What would freedom look like at school? pg. 45

School is not made for boys. pg. 47

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-10-12T20:13:00.003-04:00

Thanksgiving is my second most favourite holiday of the year. The crispness in the air, the colours, the heat being turned on, preparation of food, decorations, family, hikes in the woods and memories of past celebrations.

My sister and her kids were able to come up for two days and unexpectedly were able to stay at our place. Some family feel a sense of obligation to get together at major holidays. I truly love seeing all of my family and catching up on the latest news. It's nice though to be visited by family who truly wants to be with you and your family. It's comfortable, easy, relaxed and so enjoyable!

We enjoyed a walk at Mountsberg Conservation and another hike today along a nearby trail.

My sister Cynthia, my mom and Mason

My nephew Josh, my niece Laura, and Mickey.

Pies, pies, glorious pies! Mason was in heaven!

Heinrich and Mickey filling out the guest book and writing down what they are thankful to.