Getting better

I walked around a bit today without my boot on.  I figure I only have a few more days until I see the doctor, no reason not to try it out.  I ran some errands this morning and I wore it since I would be doing so much walking.

When I got home, I took it off while I worked on school and did the laundry.  I got to sit for most of the afternoon because the kids went off to sled at N and C's house.  They have a super big backyard with a huge hill so they sledded there.  I had to call them home at 5.  They didn't sled the whole time.  It was strange to have them out of the house for so long.  The house was very quiet.

I did get a lot of work finished though.  I am changing our schooling for 2013.  I am just not motivated to do COVA anymore.  I don't feel like it is benefiting the kids, we are tied to them and can't seem to go off on our own interests.  The girls really dislike school and I think COVA and the curriculum is partly to blame.  The other part goes on me because I can't seem to make it interesting for them.

Just asking the kids how they wanted to change school was eye opening.  Cairn said she wanted to play more games and she knew how to adjust the games for everyone to play together.  A great idea because I love games, we have many many games and educational games are everywhere and just regular games can be made more educational.  For example, we have Pay Day.

Cairn has been playing a lot with N.  This is a good game for Andrew to practice counting 1 to 1 correspondence, Skylar to practice counting/adding money and Cairn can write checks for the bills owed and keep track of her money on a check register to practice adding and writing checks.

Cairn also loves to play Speed (the game my friend in Germany made).  Skylar has learned how to count by two's so now it is time to add in Speed for her to learn how to skip count other numbers.  We will try it on Andrew and see what happens.

Skylar suggested more science experiments and reading aloud.  Both things I can do fairly easily.  I have a membership at The Happy Scientist to help us with our science experiments and don't forget I have Magic School Bus subscription for this year.

We will be doing COVA math and art for the girls.  I have a lifetime membership to Always Ice Cream and Clever Dragons   These sites will help the kids with a whole variety of things but I plan to have the kids learning typing here, playing Spanish games, practicing states and capitals and other games as they become available.  I have a book called English from the Roots Up that we will be using for spelling and vocabulary.  I already have lots of curriculum pieces and units that I have purchased through Curr Click.  Plus we have Girl Scouts and 4H plus all the things that our homeschool group does plus...plus....too many things to list.

I feel excited again and I know that rubs off on the kids.

No school but an animal presentation

We took the week off of school because everyone has worked so hard and we are way ahead.  Both girls will be finishing their classes in December and getting their next grade level a couple weeks later.  We won't be sitting around doing nothing.

Everyone still has to practice their piano plus we are still working on our Thanksgiving study.  We will also be playing some educational games that I recently acquired.  When we play them I will take pictures and blog about them.

Today we did play Blokus.  Andrew is finally beginning to understand turn taking and following the rules.  We had a good time.

Dad came home early so we could go to the shooting range to try some more guns.  I still prefer my Beretta but could get a Generation 3 Glock 9 MM.  Maybe I will hit another store and just hold them again and make my final decision.  I really want to get it ordered.

Tonight we had a special animal presentation for the the Girl Scout troop.  I needed the Juniors to learn about how animals use and conserve energy.  Everyone else just got to enjoy the animals.

We started at the bottom of the food chain with Hissing cockroaches.

 Then a tarantula.  The kids were able to touch the cockroaches but not the tarantula.

 A bearded dragon

 A bull snake

 I forgot what type of snake this was - his name is Tiger though

 Finally, a Great Horned Owl.  Her name was Athena.  She lost part of one of her wings due to electrocution and she is now a bird for education.  She just had her beak done yesterday (with a dremel) so she wasn't that happy today.

 Here she is very mad.  We had just watched her go upside down because she was wanting to get away so badly.  They put her away after this.  She was ready to go home and eat.

All 3 kids were great audience members but Andrew was especially attentive and asked great questions and could answer almost any of their questions.  I knew he was paying attention when they asked, "who is next on the food chain after insects?"  Andrew said, "spiders"  He was right.

Skylar also asked many thoughtful questions.  I think her hand was raised for most of the presentation.  Cairn  was able to answer many of their questions too.

By the time everyone left and we had dinner (super late) all the kids were exhausted and ready for bed.