We've officially started our 2016/2017 "Homeschool Year", and I figured It was time to give you an updated room tour. Like most homeschoolers, we LOVE that we aren't tied to our space. If we want to study on the road, at the park, or in the nearest cafe with WIFI we are free to do so. But the reality is, we like having a Homeschool Space. Connor and I both like to spread out. Connor prefers direct instruction-often with an Audio or video component. I am a visual learner and prefer to write things on the board when I'm explaining them (even if he doesn't look at my drawings). I like having a dedicated space where I can leave things out we are working on, but I enjoy having it separate from the main living area where I can unwind in the evenings. Having dedicated storage for all of our School Supplies makes it so I spend less time hunting down the things we need, and is less stressful for me. I'm actually pretty hesitant to share my space in some homeschool groups after some horrible comments people have made on "Homeschool Space" posts in the past. I like to think of our space as our Learning Space-and it works really well for us. Finding out what works out best for you and your homeschooler really is the key to creating a space (or not creating a space) that works for you. Don't rush yourself, because the reality is it doesn't happen overnight or even within the same year (You can see an evolution of our space here). And just when you think you have it right, something is bound to change. Maybe you start traveling to your co-op's more frequently (and school on the road more), or do more lessons on line (from a desk), or in our case your basement might flood just after you remodeled your space (Boo for that!). If you've been following me, you know I'm thrifty (or a tightwad as I often call myself). I really dislike purchasing something only to find out it doesn't work for me. One of my "Fails" was using the IKEA desks that I saw ALL over Pinterest. They ended up being WAY too flimsy for us. We prefer these used folding tables that my Husband picked up at a work auction for $10/each. He also brought home the big filing cabinet (Yay Hubby!). For the most part I've moved things around our space, made things myself (check out my portable Map here), or re-purposed items (such as my pot lid charging station below). Every once and a while I splurge on something new-like my Giant Magnetic Dry Erase Board, and some comfortable chairs (I must confess I did have a coupon for the chairs at Fred Meyers). I didn't realize how long this was going to be ... feel free to get up and take a bathroom break as needed. I've had my eye on these Kallax IKEA Shelves for quite a while. Before the flood, I knew they were much too big for our space. But after it was necessary to remodel I knew I might be able to design them into our new space. Not wanting to commit to something that might not work for our space-I thought about it for 8 months. We used the space with just our tables and some very minimal storage. It was horrible for me. I had trouble finding things, I had stuff piling on top of things. It was just a real mess for my type A personality. I can say this month, I finally committed. I purchased 3 Kallax units. One for my Teaching Supplies (left), one unit for our Homeschool Supplies (Office Supplies, Science Tools, etc), and a "Working Unit" that I stock with our current curriculum (and change out as needed). I am "lucky" to have so much space to spread out. The fact is-we actually purchased our home because of this basement space. We were looking for a home for my Home based Childcare Business (and I loved this space). When Connor was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009, I closed my business, and we started our Homeschool journey. It stayed "Daycare-ish" for a little while. Mostly serving as a space for company to stay during the Holidays. Part of my "moving" on, meant it was time to let go the rest of my Childcare things. I went on a mission to de-clutter the things that didn't bring me joy or that I didn't use. I knew I wanted to make it easier for me to locate our Homeschool resources, so a while ago I purchased a BESTA unit from IKEA. It stores our Language Arts, History, Science, and Math Books and I am able to store our Educational games in behind the closed doors down below. This Summer we were able to sheet rock, and texture our walls down here. Although they are "Good enough" for now, we still have plans to paint, re-do our flooring, and re-install our kitchenette. In the meantime we still have our mini fridge to keep our Drinks, Fruits, and Veggie Snacks cold. This corner is our creation station. You can get a closer look at it before our remodel here. So whether you have a dedicated space, work on the couch, in the backyard or a little of both-make your space work for you! .. and if it doesn't work-mix it up.
Below you will find our Daily Schedule and Supplementary items for this weeks lesson Plan.
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (What does that mean?)
The Science behind Root Beer
Fermentation Experiment from Teachers.net
Why is there so much Foam in a Root beer float? from Wonderopolis Mythology
Video 1:
Video 2:
Products we used this week:
For the past 3 years I've been on a mission to let things go. I finally decided that I was tired of spending time taking care of so many things. I joined a minimalist group, participated in the Home Storage Solutions Decluttering Challenge, and started letting things go. It's a journey It doesn't happen over night. In the beginning I was able to easily get rid of a lot of things. Clothes I didn't like, things that were expired, piles of paper I no longer needed. It takes time to get there-but just keep chipping away at it. An assortment of items I got rid of It's a lifestyle After a while it becomes a lifestyle. You really start looking at "Things" in a new light. You start asking yourself internal questions such as:
You will learn a lot about yourself during the process After I got rid of the "easy" stuff-I was left with items that had much more meaning. I really had to dig deep to let some of things go. I noticed I was hanging onto some things because I really thought I "needed" them-but the truth was I really didn't. Decor is really hard for me to get rid of and I worry that I won't find that perfect "piece". What I try to remember is how much I enjoy finding that "Perfect" piece, so if I haven't used it a year it really needs to go. I've held onto "Key Pieces" that I can interchange: such as a Huge apothecary jar that I can change-up by just adding seasonal vase fillers. Set a Goal After you have gotten rid of things, you will have more time on your hands. Less things means: Less Cleaning.. Less Shopping.. Less Maintaining.. Less Organizing.. Less things to try to find.. Use your time wisely! This is your reward, What is your goal? Take up a new Hobby? Travel? For my Goal I wrote: "I started this journey in an effort to spend less time taking care of my stuff, and more time with my family." It will enrich your life Although when you are in the thick of it, throwing away things, and donating things it's hard to see the silver lining. I'm happy to share how I feel minimizing has enriched my life:
It's that time of year again.... Curriculum time!
We have been quite pleased with many of our choices from last year and will continue to use many of them. One of the best things about Homeschooling is tailoring your curriculum choices to meet the needs of your child. This is the same reason, it makes "finding" curriculum difficult as well. You might be looking at a great book-until you realize it doesn't have an audio component for your audio learner. So- if you are a Secular Homeschooling family, with an 8th Grade student, who is an awesome 13 year old boy, who has some learning challenges, prefers direct instruction, and is an audio learner-something in this list "might" work out great for you!
Math:
We are going to continue with Teaching Textbooks (Pre-Algebra). I can't rave about them enough! Connor loves the Narrator of these CD's. Connor is very specific when it comes to the narrator of these types of programs. He is my Goldilocks-Time for Learning (too babyish), Khan (too fast), Teaching Textbooks (just right-for him).
Science:
We are going to continue using our Science Fusion Text Books this year, focusing on the Physics, and Chemistry. I should note: Science Fusion has an Online Component-however it does not appeal to my son at all (see the Goldilocks comment above). We use the textbooks (which are super cheap on Ebay) and just supplement them with Videos and hands on activities (which I post on this site). We need more hands on fun, so this year I am creating a weekly "Science" Box. I will fill them with fun science experiments, inquiries, and projects and link them up to educational videos on our site-Stay tuned for that, I'm excited to share them. Connor requested some Thames and Kosmos Kits so we will be adding those into our year as well.
Computer Science:
I haven't committed yet but we are looking into the Minecraft modding class from Code Kid. It can be ordered onGroupon for a great deal!
Writing:
We are going to continue to use Write with the Best . One of the things I like about Write with the Best writing program is the length of the lessons (they only take about 30 minutes to complete). I also like how they share the works of a writer who is a Master at that specific writing skill, and then focus on that skill in the lesson. I have to admit I am intrigued by Cover Story and may look into it. I've heard conflicting reports on whether it is secular or not.
History:
We are doing the "Unit" approach on History this year. My Son is fascinated with Mythology, so we will start our year exploring Greek and Roman Mythology using this book. We also plan to have unit studies focusing on WWII and the Holocaust.
Geography:
We plan to study the continents and countries of the world through Mythological creatures, and Cryptology this year. If you are interested in following along, I've linked up some of the books we will be using, you can find some resources on our site here. Each week I'll update our site with our Lesson Plan which include the creatures we are learning about.
Spelling & Grammar:
I am a huge fan of Jack Kris Publishing. We will continue with Soaring with Spelling and Growing with Grammar this year.
Electives:
For electives we will explore Cooking, Woodshop, Developing Life Skills, and Entrepreneurship with Connor's Dog Treat Business. Are you trying out new curriculum this year?
We enjoyed a lovely Father's Day weekend in Long Beach, WA. Since moving to OR, we have visited Long Beach quite a few times. It's only about 2.5 hrs. from home, making it the perfect place for a quick weekend getaway. Although we have visited many times, most of our stays have been in Hotels. This is only our second time camping there-and the first time in the RV. Exploring the Long beach Long Beach claims to be the "Worlds Longest Drivable beach". For this trip, we drove around, looked for shells and did some metal detecting while we were there. Unlike other beaches it's relatively clean (No rusty nails, and very few bottle caps). The beach, has been very windy every time we have gone there, but if you are into flying kites it's perfect for that! Strange sights on the beach While we were on the Beach we saw this creature. From far away it appeared to be a Penguin, but upon closer examination it was clear it had wings, After some google searching we believe it is a thick billed Murre. We also found a cabbage, Purple Sails (Velella), Whole Crabs, a Penny, beer can, 1-bottle cap, and a Fishing Lure. Good Eats Over the years we have found some great restaurants in Long Beach and the surrounding area. Although we didn't visit them all this trip, here are a few of our Favorites: Breakfast: Laurie's Homestead Breakfast in Seaview is well worth the wait! Lunch: Hungry Harbor Grille is convenient if you are down town and looking for something quick. On a nice day we enjoy eating outside on their picnic tables. If you are looking for a sit down restaurant, Castaways is a nice choice with a good variety menu. Dinner: Lost Roo is a short drive from downtown, but is always good. Bakery: The Cottage Bakery and Delicatessen is everything a bakery should be. It's fabulous (but cash only)! Ice Cream: It wouldn't be a trip to Long Beach without a trip to Scoopers. Family fun and roadside attractionsIf spending a day on the beach doesn't wear you out, you can find a lot of family fun activities in Long Beach. They have an Arcade, Go-Carts, tons of fun shops to browse, The "Worlds Largest Frying Pan", The "Worlds Largest Chopsticks", The "Worlds Largest Spitting Clam", and Jake the Alligator Man and other fun oddities at Marsh's Free Museum. Connor stopping by to say "Hi" to Jake the Alligator Man. Camping on the coast We stayed at Anderson's RV Park this trip. Some things we liked: It was quiet, and it was a reasonable walk to the beach. Be aware that none of the parks here are Ocean Front, as there are sand dunes separating you from the Ocean. Unfortunately the nightly rates here are spendy for a gravel parking lot with little space (and no privacy between spots). In addition to the high rates they also charge you extra fees above 2 people. They also charge for renting fire pits, and dogs. I wouldn't say this park is "Family Friendly". They provide a tiny picnic bench good for two adults. There are no activities for Children, and although they have a playground on their park map, the play structure was still in boxes (that have been outside for a while) waiting to be assembled. The bathrooms are very small, and provide little privacy with their short doors (although they were always clean). Next time, we are going to look at staying at the Pacific Holiday Resort or Cape Disappointment State Park and just driving up to Long Beach for the day. Have you been to Long Beach, WA? Do you have a favorite place to stay, visit or eat?
What are some of water's roles on Earth?
Influencing Weather
Shaping Earth's Surface
Supporting Life
Supporting Human Activities
What is the structure of a water molecule?
What makes water a polar molecule?
What states of water occur on Earth?
What are the four properties of water?
It sticks to itself-cohesion
It sticks to other substances-adhesion
It can absorb large amounts of Energy-Specific Heat
It dissolves many things-Solvent
Activities to try
Using Root beer floats to review the states of matter from Learning Lab Resources
Properties of Water Experiments from the Happy Housewife Create a cloud in a jar from Playdough to Plato
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Purchasing through these links does not cost you anything additional, but gives us a small referral fee from the affiliate. Thank you so much for your support! Your purchases allow me to maintain my Website, and purchase fun new activities for our Homeschool that I can share with you! There are so many options options for creating a flexible homeschool schedule that works best for you. We've sampled several options since starting this journey about 6 years ago. We've followed the Public School Calendar, used a 4-Day week Schedule, and a Hybrid option.
One of the best reason's to homeschool is the flexibility it gives you to set your schedule. Not too long ago I found this post from Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers about Ideas on Customizing your Homeschool Calendar. It inspired me to re-look at our 2016-2017 Calendar. Starting in September 2016, we are going to attempt the ever so popular 6 weeks on/1 week off rotation. I was attracted to this option for a couple of reasons. One, the week off will give me plenty of time to plan for the next 6 weeks. As an eclectic Homeschooler this seems like a more manageable option for me. Two, it will give the kiddo a natural break to rest, and reset. Have you decided on your 2016-2017 Schedule? What has worked (or didn't work) for you in the past?
With Memorial Day right around the corner, many folks are looking for ways to Organize their Campers. Although we have recently traded in our pop-up for a Class C, we camped in our Tent Trailer for many years. Organizing such a small space can be a challenge, so I wanted to share some tips on how we organized and set up our tent trailer for quick getaways.
This was the floor plan of our Starcraft 2409 Tent Trailer. I find most of them have similar storage (or lack of). The red arrows indicate storage compartments that can be accessed from the outside of the unit.
For each trip we placed our Fire Prep Material (wood, newspaper, fire starters) in the front storage trunk (closest to the external door on the entry side of the trailer). When we wanted to to make a fire we just grabbed what we needed out of the access door on the front side of the trailer.
We also used this storage box to store our food box (See how we packed it here), Sleeping Bags, and drying rack. We kept our camping chairs stored under the banquette bench (which also has an accessible door to the outside for easy access). Under the second bench seat we stored our manuals, a small toolbox, and a few extra blankets. We packed our suitcases, Swim Bags, Pillows and Cooler in the trunk of our Jeep. Once we popped the tent trailer and unloaded the font storage box, Hubby worked on the outside connections and I headed inside with the bedding. My son used the left bunk. All we needed to do is add a fitted sheet, and unroll his sleeping bag. His Luggage Stayed on his bunk during the day, and we moved it to the Dinette at night We limited my Son to his back pack for anything he wanted to bring, which he also kept stored on his bunk.
For our bunk, I did the same thing for bedding, and our Luggage sat on top of the storage cabinet next to our bunk. Our Bathroom bags/Swim Bags stayed at the end of our bunk during the day, and we moved them to the banquette in the evening.
Our food storage bin (Check out this link to see what we pack in our food bin) was kept on top of the the storage cabinet next to my Son's bunk. This is directly across from the kitchen area and easily accessible. We would just take items out as we used them.
When purchasing items for your trailer, it's helpful to look for things that will do double duty. It's also helpful to purchase items that collapse, or nest inside each other or are smaller sized.
Now I can't take credit for the packing (my hubby has mad puzzle skills). We stored the following items in the lower storage cabinet (between the oven and the sink):
While we are traveling we store the following items inside our Trashcan: Bug Spray, Dish Soap, Sunscreen, Chlorox Wipes, our Sink plug, and paper Towels. After we set up we take these items out and store them behind the sink while we are camping.
Below, our food bin we have a teeny tiny cabinet. We store our Toaster, Paper Plates and our Nightlights in here.
Above the food storage bin we are fortunate to have a collapsible hanging rod. This is where we hang out coats when not in use.
My best organizing find was our Hanging purse Organizer. In such a small space everything needs a "home". This organizer provides a home for all of those misc. things. We store all kinds of different things here: Our electronics, sandals, small toys and books, basically anything that is nice to have accessible but not laying around the trailer. We no longer trip on shoes, or have to constantly clear the clutter from the dinette. After returning from a trip we would air out the Trailer, and bring in items to be washed. Clean silverware, cooking utensils, pots & pans, cups, bowls, and sheets would be returned to the trailer before we closed it for storage. Using this method we were able to pack and unpack pretty quickly for our last minute getaways. I hope you have enjoyed my Tent trailer tour. Keeping your Trailer organized will allow you to enjoy your time with loved ones a little more. The time goes by so fast. I'm looking forward to sharing our Class C tour with your very soon! Happy Travels! The reality is, even after doing your best to center lessons around your child's interests, you are bound to run into a subject/lesson that your kiddo isn't intrinsically motivated to do. In the traditional classroom, a report card can serve as extrinsic motivation for many students, but for homeschooling families it may be harder to find a reward system that works. I created these Super Hero Themed Punch Cards for my kiddo, and surprisingly they were just the thing we needed to keep moving forward. You can use them to track the number of books you have read, give a punch for each lesson you complete, or even use them for chores around the house. Once the card is complete, you can decide on a reward that works best for your family. For reward ideas, check out this great post from Homeschool Your Boys. We know how expensive it can be to homeschool, and that is why the printables on our site are free. If you decide you would like to give a small donation, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The donations help us maintain our Website, and continue to share our fun homeschool activities with you. Do you have a reward system that works for you?
We enjoyed a camping trip for Mothers Day Weekend. We are always on a look out for new places to take the RV for weekend getaways. For this trip we booked a lovely spot at Detroit Lake State Park. Some of the criteria we have when choosing a park for a quick getaway weekend are: 1. It's less than a 3 hr. drive from our hoe 2. It's pet friendly 3. There are some sight seeing opportunities This park met most of our criteria. Normally it would only take about 3 hrs. to get there, however we left around 3:30 pm and hit Portland Traffic (and a few accidents along they way) which turned our trip into a 5 hr. drive. If we visit again we'll need to leave on a Friday Morning to avoid this traffic. It was Pet Friendly, in fact there were quite a few a dogs (and cats) in the park. The kiddo enjoyed checking out all of the pets. This park is set on a beautiful lake. The campsites set on the Lake would be the ideal choice. This site uses affiliate links The kiddo dipped a toe into the lake but it was still a bit too cold for swimming (some kids were testing it out though). If you have a boat, this park has it's own boat launch, and there are also plenty of spots to fish. Our campsite sat a little higher up, but it still had a nice peek-a-boo view over looking the lake. We had a fun time making Pizza's with our Pie Irons, and we even tried a new dessert recipe for Chocolate Marshmallow Puffs from a Little Bit Me. Connor loved this ooey gooey dessert, but I just wasn't happy with how the croissant dough cooked in the pie irons-it might need some modifications. We didn't tow the Jeep this trip so we were limited to just what the park had to offer. We took quite a few walks around the park, but most of our Trip was spent relaxing and just enjoying nature. Even Sparky got in a camping nap on this trip. Do you have a favorite weekend camping spot to enjoy with your family?
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AuthorHi, I'm Melissa.. Mom to Connor. Archives
February 2017
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