Going to War

We took a field trip to a Civil War camp today!  So much fun.  They had different people spread out through the camp with displays: dress, soldiers, provost, medical tent, blacksmith, rations, weapons, implements, etc.  We watched them make horseshoes and load canons (which were l.o.u.d.).  They explained battle and life during those turbulent times.  The kids got to try on clothing and ask oodles of questions.  Lise even got the much coveted honor of firing the musket.

Hanging out with people who are passionate about their hobbies is so much fun.  We had a great time and worked up quite an appetite.  Went down the road for a picnic and did not share with the alligators. ;)

November Wrap-Up

November kept us on the go.  There was the holiday ice show Lise performed in.  Lots of fun!  A clip will be posted as soon as we get our copy of the program.  And yay for having our Saturday sleep-in mornings back.

We kayaked with manatees!  It was crazy windy and cold but the kids stuck it out like troopers.  We all had a great time.

Celebrated Bug's birthday at Disney!  They give all the birthday folks a button to wear and then everyone through the park wishes them 'Happy Birthday'.  He loves it.  And he loves to look for all the other people who share his birth date and send the greeting along.

We finished off our history cd's in record time and started them over again- lots of time in the car.  History has spawned lego sculptures; including this arena for gladiators. 

The kids built toothpick bridges in STEM class.  They worked in teams and had accountants, engineers, builders, etc.

We were out one week with the flu and by the time we got back Lise's team had gone $250,000 into debt-- it so happened that the only person who wasn't sick on her team that day was a 7yo with a fondness for buying paper to draw blueprints and calculate things on. ;)  Being the accountant for the team she was devastated and felt personally responsible.  She also believed the bridge would fail because the supply company decided 'no more debt' and all teams had to finish their bridges with just the materials they had on hand.  Their's was far from complete and they didn't have many supplies.  It was a good lesson in team work, and how things sometimes don't go as planned, and choices when you find yourself in that place.  She pulled herself up, determined to make the best of it.  They had a lot of work to do.

In the end their bridge tied with another for the bridge that held the most weight without collapsing.  They were all ecstatic; even more so because of the obstacles they overcame to construct it.  I was really proud of the way they handled the setback.  And it was so much fun to watch all the kids test their bridges out!

Florida Fall

The kids and I went to a garden today and thought we'd post a taste of autumn in our neck of the woods.  It's the season Floridians (and migrating New Yorkers) live for.  The bugs are dead (mostly), it is cool enough to open windows at night, hurricane season is pretty much done, and peak bloom is on!  We may not get changing leaves and wood smoke, but nothing says fall like coconuts floating in a pond.  Right?

 

Popping bubbles.  lol  He looks like he's doing the mambo.

A cannonball tree.  They grow on branches that hang from the limbs.  Pretty cool.

Cannonball Tree Flower

This is what most of Florida looks like- in a very manicured way.

Wish the color had come out better on this one, the water lilies are lavender.

Happy Hallow's Eve

Halloween here was simple.  A little crafting, a bit of trick-or-treating, some Harry Potter themed food, and Jack-o-lanterns.  I even made it through the entire holiday without sewing!  Didn't think it was possible.

These cute little ghosties were easy to make!  Just school glue, water, and some white cloth; dried, then illuminated with battery powered tea lights.

Still crazy about everything Harry Potter she decided to be a 'first year Hogwart's student'.  Thank goodness for ebay!  She loves the robe- I don't have to swear at my sewing machine.  Win-win.

Steve came along as the trusty pirate bunny.  Very authentic, yes?

Do you see the sideburns?  I've been told for weeks that his hair had to stay long because those little pieces sticking out are what 'make the bandana look like a pirate'.  As opposed to what?  I'm not sure.  But a hair cut was not negotiable. ;) 

And the punkins!  The kids did their own.  Bug even managed to bite the bullet and scoop out guts.  It took some serious mind over matter, he hates the feel of them, but he did it.

Autumn

We don't get a traditional postcard autumn here, peak bloom season is just starting.  While I'm thrilled about the bugs dying off soon and the eventual start of open window/outdoor season, I miss the pine forests and hills, the changing colors, the crisp air, and all the smells that accompany fall.  So while we were visiting family and friends we made a point of soaking up some of that too and headed up the mountains.  There's just something therapeutic about hanging out with the trees.

First Year at Hogwarts

We made it!  Since last year her birthday was spent in the car looking for a place to live we decided a birthday do-over was in order this year.  Even the flu couldn't stop us.  Well, probably it would have, riding roller coasters while you're already puking doesn't sound like much fun.  But she got better.  So last minute and half a day late we packed up and headed off to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!  We wandered the streets, drank butterbeer, and generally enjoyed ourselves.  Tried out the new camera, which turns out to be good for video, lousy for stills.  But better than words. . . 

It wasn't a long day, just a good one. :)

Happy Birthday kiddo. 

School Days

Our new year is crawling to a start.  We usually do a big chunk of academics in the summer but this year has been all topsy-turvy.  It will be nice to scoot back toward our normal.  We started off seatwork with math and grammar a couple of weeks ago.  Last week we added in handwriting and Japanese.  We'll add new things each week until the routine is complete, adjusting as we go.

One of their favorite things to do lately is get hold of my camera; so when I download I get LOTS of these.  It makes me laugh and very grateful for free digital film.

• Math = RightStart
• Grammar and Spelling = Language Lessons 
• Science = S.T.E.M. class through our homeschool group, various experiments, field trips, community classes, online sites, etc.  Possibly a few months of Supercharged Science.
• Geography/History =  Story of the World (probably on cd in the car :}), Highlights 'Top Secret', and various materials we choose along the way.  We will also be making a timeline.
• Art = Child Sized Masterpieces -Charlotte Mason style, various art activities and classes chosen through the year.
• Reading = Not even on the list officially.  Honestly it's like putting breathing or eating on our curriculum, it just happens.  My 10 year old recently discovered Harry Potter and read the entire 4,100 page series at about 3 days per book.  Even my kid who started out as a reluctant reader now curls up with a book every day; granted it's usually 'Garfield' or 'Calvin and Hobbes' but it's a start.  He'll branch out.  In the meantime we fit classics in at bedtime.  I think actually 'requiring' reading would probably backfire in a big way.
• Japanese = Totoro, Power-Glide, Byki, LiveMocha, various hiragana workbooks.  We are learning the entire script of 'Tonari no Totoro'.  So far it's been fun.  If we can't actually have a conversation in Japanese by the end of the year, we will at least be able to play the movie in Japanese and know exactly what is going on.
• Typing = Typing Tutor for Kids, then just plain old Typing Tutor.
• PE = Park days, ice skating, tennis, swimming. biking, and hopefully kayaking.
• Project Based Learning =  I am so excited about this!  We've kind of done it through the years in our own way.  Over the summer I picked up a book written by a blog author I've enjoyed, and I am learning!  I see lots of entrepreneurial endeavors, Legos, stop motion, art, sewing, and who knows what else in our future.

An ambitious year but we're capable of tackling it.  It's a good mix of my type A personality and the kids desire for autonomy.  Not expecting things like complete Japanese fluency by May or gallery showings of their artwork in New York, though that could be fun too.  What we are expecting is a lot of exploration, learning, and creativity!  That journey has taken us so many interesting and worthwhile places.

Immaculate Perception

We aren't new to car buying.  I know we should expect signs of wear in the used market, but multiple bowling ball sized dents down the side of the vehicle, or fist sized holes on interior panels, or a grinding transmission aren't what I would consider normal wear on a three year old car.  Definitely not 'perfect', 'outstanding', or 'immaculate' as advertised. 

We've driven so often to see these 'immaculate' cars it's turned into a game.  The kids actively search the roads for cars with large dents, mismatched paint, missing bumpers and the like so they can yell 'immaculate'!  Kind of like slug-bug without sore arms.  I had to make sure they knew the real definition yesterday when we passed a dump truck and Bug informed me that 'all construction trucks are pretty much immaculate'.  I've learned that, left unchecked, things like that make fabulous 'yeah, we homeschool' moments in a public conversation with a complete stranger.

As much as we've enjoyed getting to know every salesman within an hour radius I'm happy to announce that this morning we have been temporarily saved! 

Look.  An old Subaru to replace our even older Subaru.  Perfect?  Nope.  But spotlessly clean and in good shape with no pretense.  It came exactly as advertised.  We did buy from a dealership, but skipped the salesmen and went straight to the mechanic; his personal car purchased for a son who no longer needs it.  We can quit spending weekends chasing down immaculate cars.  I think the game has stuck though. ;)